Chapter Twenty-Eight: Speed and Passion
Nick Fury pointed at his own eye.
Yang Xin’s eyes lit up as he realized he had missed something crucial—Nick Fury, now possessing the Sharingan, was like a tiger with wings.
“You could give it a try, but it’s best to get Tony’s approval first. For one thing, this matter involves grievances spanning two generations—let’s see if Tony can return good for evil. For another, do you trust anything made by Ivan Vanko? Aren’t you worried he might have left a back door? The final layer of security must be handled by Tony. Between Ivan Vanko and Tony Stark, I trust Tony more,” Yang Xin said sincerely.
Having Ivan Vanko manufacture a batch of mechanical soldiers for S.H.I.E.L.D. might not be a bad thing. Though these machines are nowhere near as powerful as the Iron Man suits, they have the advantage of being mass-produced…
Wait a second—Yang Xin suddenly realized that these mechanical soldiers were also powered by arc reactors. That raised a problem: the raw materials, cost, and efficiency of the arc reactor.
Even the earliest arc reactor models were extremely expensive to produce; a single reactor could power all of Manhattan for ten years.
As for whether Nick Fury would recruit Ivan "Whiplash" Vanko, that depended on his own considerations. Yang Xin was merely offering his advice—after all, he had to live up to his status as a Level 9 agent and special consultant.
Besides, as far as Yang Xin could recall, Nick Fury had never overestimated his own abilities. It was always General Ross from the military who tended to act rashly.
With everything said, Yang Xin happily received his battle armor and returned to his residence, basking in satisfaction as he began a new round of training. This time, his regimen included mech operation.
Time flew by, and the day arrived for his meeting with Tony Stark. As Yang Xin and Hill prepared to set out, Coulson and Melinda pulled up in their “Dino Express” vehicle, intent on joining them.
“Are you two really this free? Don’t you have jobs to do? Have you paid off your mortgage? Your online loans? Your credit cards?” Yang Xin asked Coulson, a note of curiosity in his voice.
“Well… you know,” Coulson lowered his voice inside the car. “The Director is shrinking S.H.I.E.L.D.'s global operations under the pretense of budget cuts, consolidating our main forces in North America, and constantly bickering with the Security Council for more funding. But honestly, it’s all a smokescreen. He’s actually cracking down hard on Hydra agents, rounding up the diehards and shipping them off to the Middle East.”
“Such a complicated operation, and the Director doesn’t need your help?” Yang Xin was even more curious.
“He really doesn’t, Mr. Xin. What exactly did you give the Director that was so precious?” Coulson asked, puzzled.
“Weren’t you there? Just an eyeball, wasn't it?”
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“Yes, it was an eyeball, but I saw several Directors Fury at once, and each one was the real Nick Fury—and each one had a Sharingan.”
“Damn! That’s either the Multi-Shadow Clone Technique or Fire Clone—Nick Fury is impressive. Honestly, given his high status, he doesn’t need to charge into battle. The Mangekyō Sharingan’s combat techniques serve mainly as a deterrent; what’s truly useful to him are the support abilities.”
“Like the Shadow Clone Technique, or the Sharingan’s detailed observation and hypnosis. Most people would use the Mangekyō Sharingan for fighting, but Nick Fury uses it to root out Hydra agents. That way, he can dramatically boost his efficiency in a limited amount of time,” Yang Xin said admiringly.
It was true what they said: there's no such thing as a useless jutsu, only people who can’t use them well. Nick Fury was gradually unlocking the potential of the Sharingan.
“So what about Melinda? Why isn’t she piloting the time ship, hopping timelines, and investigating agents’ backgrounds?” Yang Xin gestured to Melinda.
“Well, the time ship needs a power source to operate,” Coulson replied, slightly embarrassed.
“Didn’t you buy an arc reactor and the manufacturing process from Tony Stark?” Yang Xin pressed.
“Our tech team, eager to replicate the arc reactor, disassembled the one we bought—but now they can’t put it back together. They’re painstakingly checking the blueprints, trying to reassemble it…” Coulson was even more embarrassed.
“So that’s why you all want to watch Tony Stark’s car race—you’re hoping to get his help, or maybe even secure Ivan Vanko. By the way, after all this time, has S.H.I.E.L.D. tracked down any leads on Ivan Vanko?”
“Everything is under control. The Director wants to assess Ivan Vanko’s abilities first.”
Yang Xin now understood why Nick Fury had sent Coulson and Melinda: partly to gauge Ivan Vanko’s skills, partly to protect Tony Stark.
The rich really do become the center of attention easily. At that moment, Tony Stark was in full peacock mode—luxury cars, beautiful women, champagne, and fistfuls of cash.
When he spotted Yang Xin, Tony Stark excitedly waved, scattering money everywhere and prompting screams from the race girls.
“This is fate! Some people are born at the finish line others will never reach, so…” Yang Xin and his group took their seats in the VIP section Tony Stark had arranged, and he let out a long sigh.
“So?” Hill raised an eyebrow.
“Cherish the moments apart, and treasure the journey together,” Yang Xin mused. If he hadn’t been one in a trillion, favored by destiny to receive such a treasure, he would probably be living a dull, anonymous life like most people, never riding the tides of history with someone like Tony Stark, or being cherished by the likes of Nick Fury.
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He likely wouldn’t have earned the affection of Hill and Natasha, either. Women of their caliber are dazzling wherever they go, and yet they hovered around him. Whether it was genuine or strategic, a person ultimately needs to have value to be used. If you lack even that, how pitiful it is…
Someone once said: one in ten thousand leads the times, while the other 9,999 carry the weight in silence, upholding the era’s brilliance. Ye