"Have you finished reading, Li?"
Tony, having finished flipping through the documents, handed them to Ye Li and said, "Shall we switch and take a look?"
"Ah, sure."
Ye Li readily agreed and exchanged documents with Tony to read.
Nick Fury: "..."
'Can you at least respect our confidentiality system...'
"Ahem! Since you've finished reading..."
Nick Fury snatched the documents back from the two and asked concisely, "Any thoughts?"
"You can't afford me."
Tony was the first to speak, spreading his hands, "But I just happen to need a little help. Washington is giving an award to Rhodey and me. I'm willing to use my consultant fee to have you invite a special guest for the ceremony."
Iron Man's implication was that he was reluctantly agreeing to the 'consultant' position, which had little obligation.
Nick Fury nodded in satisfaction and then turned to the remaining person, Ye Li, "And you, Mr. Ye?"
"Sorry."
Ye Li flatly refused, "I will not work for the Serp... S.H.I.E.L.D."
Nick Fury: "Just a consultant."
Ye Li: "That's still a position, isn't it?"
"However, I can..."
Ye Li leaned back slightly, spread his arms, and smiled faintly, "As the vice president of the Phantom Spider Club, I can engage in some cooperation with S.H.I.E.L.D.—the kind that benefits both sides. A win-win situation~"
"..."
Nick Fury was silent for a moment, then let out a sigh and nodded, "Alright... Since Vice President Ye is unwilling... we'll proceed in a cooperative manner."
Given the Phantom Spider Club's current influence, Director Fury was unwilling to completely sever ties and had to settle for a compromise.
"Then, I think both sides will need a liaison..."
Ye Li stood up, placed a hand on Barbara's shoulder, and smiled, "I recommend two candidates—Ms. Barbara from our club and Agent Natasha from your S.H.I.E.L.D. They've already met."
Nick Fury: "..."
'I've been left speechless too many times today...'
He had indeed considered the same thing.
But.
Ye Li had just said he didn't want to work for S.H.I.E.L.D.
And then immediately turned around and had a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent work for the Phantom Spider Club instead...
That was just too cunning...
…..
S.H.I.E.L.D., Agent Rest Area.
"Natasha, you have no idea, Li is so mean, he actually took me to meet the Director... huh? What's wrong with you?"
Barbara was speaking when she noticed Natasha had her hands under the faucet, constantly washing them...
'Could it be...'
Barbara had a suspicion. She had seen some rookie agents behave like this before.
It was because—
After killing someone, their hands were stained with blood.
Due to their weak psychological endurance, they developed mental disorders and frequently had hallucinations.
They believed the blood on their hands hadn't been washed off, so they kept scrubbing, sometimes even scrubbing their skin raw...
But...
A seasoned agent like Natasha shouldn't have this problem...
Could it be that she killed someone she deeply regretted?
Thinking of this, Barbara stepped forward, patted Natasha on the shoulder, and comforted her, "Natasha, just forget it. It's nothing... This is what being an agent is like... Some things are out of our control..."
Natasha: ???
She did have lingering trauma...
But not the kind Barbara was imagining...
What was on her hands wasn't red...
It was white...
The more Natasha thought about it, the angrier she got.
She huffed, "It's all because of your Li! Every time I see him, I just can't stop wanting to wash my hands!"
"Huh? Why?"
Barbara, though not understanding the reason, still reminded her, "But from now on, you'll be the liaison between S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Phantom Spider Club. That's Fury's decision."
Natasha: ???
'Doesn't that mean I'll have to see that guy all the time now?'
…..
"Brother, why are you looking at me like that?"
Matilda sat obediently in front of Ye Li, swinging her legs. Seeing her brother staring at her, she felt puzzled.
Ye Li had just recalled something—Matilda, when she grew up, would look exactly like Lady Thor...
This won't do.
Not that he thought Jane Foster was ugly.
It's just that compared to Lady Thor...
Young Matilda was far more stunning.
Westerners really do look better when they're younger...
He decided that once Matilda grew up a little more, he would use talismanic power to preserve her beauty...
But before that, there was actually a simpler way.
With the experimental data from that guinea pig, Blonsky,
The Super Soldier Serum could now be used in small doses for civilians, and the injections were no longer as painful.
Ye Li looked serious, "Matilda, do you want to become stronger?"
Matilda thought of her murdered family and, without hesitation, nodded firmly, "Yes!"
"Good. I'll take you somewhere."
Ye Li made a call to the research institute: [Arrange an injection, a small dose. Strength doesn't matter; the important thing is that it must not hurt too much. Got it?]
The institute director responded respectfully: [Yes, Boss, I'll arrange it.]
…..
"Beep beep da da—"
"Drip drip da da—"
It started raining heavily outside the institute.
Thinking for a moment,
Ye Li decided not to stop the rain.
After all, the sky needs to rain sometimes.
He took Matilda and got into the modified car he hadn't driven in a while.
This car had previously been taken to Stark's house, where Tony and Ethan further modified it to be more durable. However, Ye Li chose not to imbue it with a spirit.
"Honk honk—"
Venica, in the garage, honked twice, also wanting to go out for a drive.
Ye Li started the engine and called out to her, "Venica, if you want some fresh air, follow along behind the car."
"Woo~!"
Venica let out a cheerful sound and followed Ye Li into the heavy rain.
Matilda curiously leaned against the car window, unable to understand how Venica was driving herself.
Ye Li glanced in the rearview mirror and chuckled.
Others took their pets out for a walk; he took his motorcycle.
[Detected: Gwen Stacy's fated enemy, 'Doctor Octopus' Otto Gunther Octavius]
"Biu! Biu! Biu! Biubiubiu!"
Red beams of light streaked across the asphalt road, scattering debris into the air—!
"My god, New York is getting more and more chaotic."
Ye Li stepped on the brakes.
Looking at the crazed, rampaging four mechanical tentacles not far ahead, he was speechless.
Last time, because he was spending time with Felicia, he hadn't confronted Doctor Octopus.
He didn't expect Otto to come out causing destruction again—and directly in his face this time.
"Look!"
A fleeing pedestrian suddenly pointed to the sky in excitement and shouted, "It's Ghost Spider! We're saved!"
Seeing the Ghost Spider logo on his hat, it was clear he was a fan.
"Boom—!"
A powerful black-clad leg sliced through the rain, kicking away the mechanical tentacle that was about to grab a pedestrian—
Gwen curled her body, twisting agilely midair to counteract the kick's recoil.
Then, she delivered another kick—boom!
And she wasn't done yet.
"Snap~"
She shot her web, sticking it onto the retreating Doctor Octopus, then pulled him back with her slender arm—!
And another kick—boom!
Otto: ??
He was completely stunned by the continuous combo of kicks.
…..
Matilda watched from the car, mesmerized, "So amazing... Just like in an animated movie..."
Ye Li also found it enjoyable to watch, but he couldn't let Gwen take this handed-over bounty.
In an instant, the dark clouds in the sky began to swirl into a vortex, a black storm tornado mixed with lightning descended, engulfing Doctor Octopus and lifting him into the sky—
Thunder converged, striking Doctor Octopus precisely. The roaring thunder drowned out his screams.
"Ah! It's a tornado!"
"The criminal has been struck by divine punishment!"
"Is it divine retribution?"
Pedestrians quickly took out their phones to record, convinced this video would go viral online for a long time.
Later, S.H.I.E.L.D. archives speculated that this incident might have been the work of Daisy Johnson.
After all, according to intelligence provided by Agent Barbara, Skye was suspected of having the ability to manipulate weather. As a core member of the club, it wouldn't be surprising if she secretly aided Ghost Spider...
"What's going on?"
Under the influence of her Spider-Sense,
Gwen had already moved far away.
She looked up at the clouds, which had lifted Doctor Octopus into the sky and then retracted, feeling incredulous. "That was way too precise in targeting Doc Ock. This is definitely not a natural weather event... Could someone actually have the power to control nature?"
[You have defeated Gwen Stacy's fated enemy. As her 'special connection,' you can choose one of the following rewards]
[1. Monetary Reward: One Million USD]
[2. Random Reward: Ice Power - Absolute Zero Level (Slows atomic vibrations, controls water molecules)]
[3. Follower Reward: Convert Otto Gunther Octavius into an absolutely loyal subordinate]
"Whoa~ After such a long time, finally something good again."
Ye Li, of course, chose [2] and immediately tested this ability—
In the air.
The charred body of Otto, which had been falling, suddenly stopped mid-air, and even the surrounding raindrops froze in place.
That's right—stopped, not frozen. The area subjected to absolute freezing seemed as if time itself had been halted.
Aside from microscopic quantum fluctuations,
Any movement that entered this spherical field of power was immediately halted...
Ye Li could even feel that—if he wanted—this power could soon freeze an entire planet...
But for now, the Absolute Zero field had only expanded a little before he reined it in.
He wasn't about to recklessly freeze the entire Earth for fun.
Having figured out the ultimate effect of his new ice ability,
Ye Li ended the experiment.
The spherical field instantly retracted, and the suspended charred corpse and mechanical arm fragments resumed falling—
—Thud!
"Wu—"
The stalled car started up again.
Ye Li didn't even say hello to Gwen; he simply drove toward the research institute.
"Brother."
Matilda, in the passenger seat, asked eagerly, "After I get the injection, will I be as strong as her?"
"Not that strong."
Ye Li didn't want to completely crush her enthusiasm, so he painted a hopeful picture. "But you won't be too far off."
After all, it's the same serum as Captain America's.
It still has prestige.
Research Institute, Injection Room.
[Injection preparation starting]
[Heart rate normal, blood analysis normal...]
"Brother..."
Matilda's small hands nervously gripped Ye Li's. After all, she was still just a young teenage girl—afraid of injections...
"It's fine, the injection is very quick now."
Ye Li gently stroked Matilda's palm, giving her a warm reassurance. "After the injection, you can even smoke cigarettes if you want."
"??"
The researchers nearby had awkward expressions—shouldn't he be comforting her with lollipops instead...?
"Mmm...!"
As the needle pierced her skin,
Matilda let out a small cry of pain, but since she had been beaten many times before, it wasn't unbearable.
The serum's power began rapidly transforming her body, drastically extending her lifespan...
…..
A few hours later.
Ghost Spider Club, Yoga Room.
"Li, you're not joking with me, right?"
Barbara finished her yoga routine, looked Matilda up and down, and asked suspiciously, "You want me to teach her?"
'This girl looks barely in her early teens... Is Li trying to train agents from a young age too?'
Ye Li asked the young girl he was holding by the hand, "Do you want to learn, Matilda?"
Matilda answered with a determined gaze, "Yes! I want to learn how to fight!"
If she could become as powerful as a superhero, she wanted to protect the weak in the slums...
"This isn't just fighting, girl."
Barbara warned Matilda, "This is combat technique—people can die sometimes."
"Enough, don't scare her."
Ye Li made the decision, "Teach her along the way."
"Along the way?"
Barbara asked in confusion, "Where are we going?"
Ye Li: "Beautiful Paradise, New Mexico, my dear bodyguard~"
"New Mexico"
Under the night sky.
A roadside gas station.
"Whoosh—"
A black sedan, a heavily modified car unrecognizable in model, and a motorcycle slowly pulled in and stopped.
"Li, your car is so cool!"
Barbara happily got out from Vinica's seat. She had just tried a high-speed autonomous driving session, and the thrill was beyond exciting.
"Take it easy, be careful or Vinica might throw you off."
The door of the modified car opened.
Ye Li stepped out with Matilda.
He grabbed the fuel nozzle and started refueling Vinica.
"Beep beep beep—!"
Vinica honked—she only liked Ye Li to refuel her.
"I want to buy some donuts."
Coulson stepped down from his S.H.I.E.L.D. van, walked up to Ye Li, and also grabbed a fuel nozzle, chatting, "Mr. Ye, do you want to buy anything?"
Ye Li looked at the girl gazing into the wilderness and asked, "Matilda, do you want some donuts?"
Matilda nodded, then asked, "Can I buy some cigarettes?"
Coulson, hearing this, smiled kindly and advised the delicate-looking girl, "Smoking at such a young age isn't good for you."
Matilda glanced at him and thought this uncle seemed quite kind, especially with that almost bald head...
Ye Li patted the girl's head and explained to Coulson, "With Matilda's current physique, a little smoking won't matter."
"Physique?"
Coulson sensed intelligence being handed to him and curiously asked, "What kind of physique?"
"Want to see?"
Ye Li casually said to the little girl, "Show Agent Coulson, Matilda."
"Okay."
Matilda took out a coin but hesitated for a moment, seeming a little reluctant...
Ye Li smiled, "Don't worry, it's just a quarter."
"Alright... Big brother, I'll do my best..."
Matilda no longer hesitated. She placed the coin between her slender index finger and thumb, applied pressure, and effortlessly bent the coin...