"What are you talking about?"
Banner greeted them with a smile. Before they realized it, Coulson and the other person had already walked up beside him.
He glanced at the screen in Coulson's hand and was momentarily stunned. "This is... Li? Why are you watching his footage? Is he involved in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s plans?"
Coulson looked at Captain America. "Why does everyone ask that?"
Steve had read Dr. Banner's file and asked, "Dr. Banner, do you also know Chairman Ye?"
Banner chuckled and replied, "I used to be Li's assistant. He's a great guy."
"Did you also join the club?"
"Club? Oh, no."
Banner gestured with his hands. "I just helped him mix some paint."
"It seems he's well-liked."
Steve reminded Coulson, "But we should get to the main issue, Coulson."
Coulson gestured with his hand. "Let's go to the bridge. They've already started tracking. Let's go together."
Hoo hoo! Hoo hoo hoo!!
The massive vortex rotors lifted from underwater.
Steve watched the splashing waves in confusion. "Is this a submarine?"
"So, they want to lock me up in an airtight metal can deep underwater?"
Dr. Banner joked as he walked to the edge of the deck to take a look.
As the wind from the rotors lifted his clothes, he laughed. "No, it looks even worse."
Wuen ~————~
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier revealed its true form, slowly rising from the sea and soaring into the clouds.
Meanwhile.
Natasha leaned against the wall, one hand resting casually on it.
After a moment.
Her palm contracted slightly as she retrieved the Rat Talisman embedded in the wall, making it vanish in a flash.
When it reappeared.
It was already back in Ye Li's hand...
It wasn't that he planned to do anything; it was just a little setup for fun. Who knows, it might come in handy.
Fury probably didn't expect that among the Avengers, only Hawkeye and Black Widow were actual S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—
Yet one of them, Hawkeye, got mind-controlled and taken by Loki.
And the other, Black Widow...
Although she wasn't completely controlled by Ye Li, he had left something inside her that subtly influenced her subconscious.
…..
Nighttime.
Near the Northern Tower, a banquet was taking place.
Amidst the melodious sound of a violin.
Loki, dressed as a gentleman, held the Mind Stone scepter like a cane as he walked up behind a banquet hall guard.
As the guard noticed the footsteps and turned his head—
Smack!
Loki spun his scepter, striking the guard's forehead with the gemstone end, successfully using the Mind Stone for a physical stun effect.
Then.
Loki grabbed his target—the person who could open the iridium metal vault—and pressed the retinal scan device against his face—
"Ugh—ahhh!"
"Ah! Attack!"
"Run!"
A scream started it all. The banquet guests panicked and scattered in all directions, shouting.
Loki watched these fearful, cowardly humans and smirked with satisfaction...
…..
Meanwhile, in the upper floor's art studio-bedroom of the Northern Tower.
Ye Li sat by the floor-to-ceiling glass window, painting. Everything outside was within his perception.
On the canvas was a family portrait of the 'Inheritor' clan, their appearances resembling sinister European aristocrats of the old era.
After his enhanced Spider-Sense flashed this image in his mind, he immediately put it onto the canvas.
It had to be said—this ability suited Ye Li perfectly.
For an ordinary person, even if they saw a similar vision, they wouldn't be able to depict it so vividly.
"Hmm~ Hmhm~"
Gwen leaned back-to-back against Ye Li, holding a sheet of music, humming a lighthearted tune.~
She was studying the band's new song.
With high school coming to an end, their band was planning to transition beyond just a school band.
"Li~"
As she hummed, she playfully leaned her fair neck backward, letting her golden strands drape over Ye Li's shoulder, while her front stretched taut due to the flexible posture.
"Li, what are you drawing~?"
Feeling her smooth, tender skin pressed against his neck.
Ye Li slightly turned his gaze and saw the beauty's upturned face, her lips carrying a warm smile, while her watery blue eyes roamed restlessly over the canvas~
Due to Gwen's special physiology, she could see things more clearly upside-down than ordinary people could right-side-up.
"So, this is the 'Inheritor' family Cindy mentioned? The one Morlun belongs to?"
"Just a bunch of mutated vampires."
"Eh? Li, how do you know?"
"Just look at how similar they look."
"Yeah, they do look alike..."
"Right..."
Ye Li turned his head, looking at Gwen adorably leaning on his shoulder... Her enchanting posture made him unconsciously lean closer to her fair, delicate face...
"Mmm..."
Soon.
Ye Li swiftly breached the jade pass and led his forces straight in.
Then, he advanced deep into enemy territory, his forces winding and maneuvering, slaughtering the enemy until they abandoned their helmets and armor...
…..
"Waaah!"
The crowd panicked and fled in all directions.
A flash of light appeared around Loki as he swiftly donned his reindeer-like battle attire.
He then summoned several illusionary clones, surrounding the terrified humans, commanding, "Kneel before me."
"Waaah!"
The crowd continued to scatter chaotically.
"I said..."
Loki furrowed his brows and roared, "Meow!!—!!"
'Meow———!!'
"What the hell is Loki screaming about?"
Hearing the commotion outside, Ye Li draped Gwen's knitted cardigan over her shoulders and walked to the window.
He pulled the curtains slightly apart and glanced down, spotting the arrogant stance of the so-called Reindeer Prince.
"Since he enjoys playing around, I'll give him something fun."
He glanced at a potted plant inside the room...
With a thought, light flickered.
Using the Snake Talisman for teleportation and the Rooster Talisman for levitation, the potted plant was moved outside...
"Now, isn't that much simpler?"
"Is this not your natural state? A truth that humanity has yet to comprehend."
"The temptation of freedom has stripped joy from your lives; you crave servitude."
"You madly chase power, status."
Loki stood on the small plaza outside the banquet hall, delivering his speech on subjugation to his captured audience—
"Deep in your bones, you are filled with submission. Sooner or later, you will bow to my rule—"
Bang!!!
Suddenly.
A loud shattering of porcelain echoed through the silent plaza.
The potted plant perfectly avoided all illusions and smashed right onto Loki's head, tilting his neck to the side, leaving him momentarily dazed...
"Oh... Shit!!"
His head spinning slightly, Loki shouted angrily, "Who dares attack me? Show yourself!"
The crowd, however, all had their eyes fixed on his helmet, looking as though they wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.
"What are you looking at!?"
Confused, Loki reached up to touch his helmet—
It turned out...
Although the pot had shattered, the sunflower-like plant inside had stuck to his helmet along with some dirt, making him look utterly ridiculous.
Low in damage, high in humiliation.
"Whose prank is this!? You better hope I don't catch you!"
Loki clenched the potted plant in frustration. Who was the true God of Mischief here?
Up above.
Ye Li chuckled as he watched Loki's furious reaction before turning to close the curtains.
He wasn't particularly interested in the Infinity Stones. He might take one if the opportunity arose, but he wasn't in a rush.
After all, in Kang's Time Variance Authority, these things were everywhere—they were even used as paperweights.
The system, however, wasn't content to stay idle.
It popped up an additional mission—
[Major Event Character Detected: Defeat the 'God of Lies' Loki. Reward: A randomly selected supernatural ability (Guaranteed to be extraordinary). The mission can be completed by a supernatural character with an established 'connection' with the host.]
'An additional mission?'
Ye Li pondered for a moment before quickly understanding why the [Connections System] had generated this task—
Loki might not be a direct fate-bound enemy of the 'Connections' pool of women, but this major event would surely impact Gwen and the others.
Since the reward was guaranteed to be 'extraordinary,' at least he didn't have to worry about getting something as useless as 'Deadpool's Rainbow Pony.'
"What's happening outside?"
At this moment.
Gwen had finished getting dressed. Barefoot, she walked over to him, rested her slender hand on his shoulder, and looked outside. "Another super-criminal?"
"An alien super reindeer-man."
Ye Li teased Loki's outfit and smiled at Gwen. "Your turn, little spider."
If he could slack off, why not?