Chapter Forty-One: War or Child’s Play

"Comprehend, deconstruct, and then reconstruct—right now, all you need to do is understand and break things down. Your task is to analyze the anatomy of the Chitauri in the shortest possible time, and, without harming any human lives, use an alchemical array to inflict maximum damage upon the Chitauri. You are the key to this war! In fact, you are our last resort. I've never considered a nuclear strike to be the final measure—putting aside whether it would even harm the Chitauri, just think of the devastation it would bring to Earth..." Yang Xin shook his head, his meaning clear.

"Tony, the world will remember you!" Yang Xin patted Tony Stark on the shoulder with solemnity.

Tony Stark's eyes shone even brighter. This kind of spotlight was far superior to swaggering around in the Iron Man suit. Anyone who survived would hail him as a savior, or at the very least, call him Doctor Stark, instead of saying, "Oh, that Iron Guy, that playboy..."

"Are you saying the Pentagon would resort to nuclear strikes if things go badly?" Nick Fury asked, frowning.

"Not the Pentagon—the Security Council! For the Pentagon and the White House to use that ultimate weapon, it would require layers of approval, and this is only a part of Manhattan. The situation is nowhere near national collapse—the Pentagon and the White House might not have the resolve to do such a thing, but the Security Council..." Yang Xin glanced at Nick Fury and lowered his voice.

"The Security Council wields too much power. I suspect they have contingencies aboard this helicarrier. Should they bypass you and give direct orders, then pin the blame on you, you'll be powerless to defend yourself. You need to send all agents with questionable loyalties out into the field and command the helicarrier yourself."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. must have, and can only have, one director!" Yang Xin spoke each word with gravity. Nick Fury's total control over S.H.I.E.L.D. would not only benefit the Avengers but also Yang Xin himself. With Fury holding all the reins, he would naturally become the target for every hostile force, providing Yang Xin with cover and freedom to maneuver as he pleased.

Nick Fury nodded, his voice cold. "After this battle, I will have complete control of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

"Should we deploy Asgard’s interstellar warship?" Nick Fury suddenly asked.

"At the conclusion, let it make an appearance and display its power," Yang Xin replied calmly.

"You’re that confident we’ll win?" Nick Fury was genuinely surprised by Yang Xin’s certainty.

"Destiny is on our side! The Chitauri may have destroyed countless civilizations, and their technology may be advanced, but they lack a mature battle doctrine. Their tactics amount to nothing more than a blind, swarming assault—that kind of human wave tactic went out of fashion last century. To call this war is almost a joke."

"Forget about the strategic genius or elite light infantry tactics of a certain Eastern nation—even if the Chitauri faced the ring-defense used by the U.S. Army on that peninsula last century, they’d be in for a rude awakening." Yang Xin sneered at the Chitauri’s offensive strategies.

"Elite light infantry tactics, ring-defense..." Nick Fury murmured, a thought flickering across his mind. "The Korean War?"

Yang Xin nodded and added, "I prefer to call it the War to Resist America and Aid Korea."

"We've turned the tallest buildings into anti-aircraft positions. On the roofs of lower buildings, I've had Natasha set up heavy machine gun nests, forming effective crossfire. This not only covers low airspace but also blocks all the streets. If possible, I’d even mobilize the masses, turning the Chitauri’s advance into a people's war. After all, Americans are allowed to carry guns," Yang Xin said coolly.

"Heavy machine gun nests—good idea. I’ll deploy agents. As for a people’s war, that’s the specialty of that great Eastern nation. As for Americans..." Nick Fury sighed deeply, "Don’t make things too hard for them."

Nick Fury’s sigh seemed to say: "It's not that my people aren't trying; it's just that this bunch can’t be relied upon."

"What about Alexander Pierce? How have you handled him?" Yang Xin asked suddenly.

"Alexander Pierce was my old superior; I haven't pushed too hard. But under the watchful eye of S.H.I.E.L.D., I trust everything he does is in our interest. This time, I’ve had him entangle the Security Council in bureaucracy so I can fully focus on commanding S.H.I.E.L.D. and the helicarrier."

"Defeat the Chitauri, capture Loki alive, and close the portal. Move out!"

Everyone followed Yang Xin’s plan, heading to their designated positions in an orderly fashion. As they left the helicarrier and entered their defensive zones in Manhattan, a column of blue light shot skyward, and a black hole suddenly appeared above New York.

"Loki has finally opened the portal—the interstellar war has begun," Yang Xin murmured.

"With the battle underway, shouldn’t you be commanding?" Nick Fury asked.

"No need. I trust their adaptability, and I believe in our victory. Besides, I have more pressing matters—I need Natasha to accompany me to see a certain sage."

"As for the so-called war, are you sure this even counts as one? To call it a war flatters them—street gangs fighting for turf show more strategy and tactics. The Chitauri only know how to swarm forward. How weak must those other civilizations have been to fall so easily to the Chitauri?" Yang Xin genuinely couldn’t understand.

Through the information streaming in from the front lines, Nick Fury could see clearly on the big screen: as soon as Loki opened the wormhole, the Chitauri, long awaiting the signal, began pouring through in droves.

What awaited the Chitauri was a sky filled with fireworks. The anti-aircraft batteries Yang Xin had deployed fired shells as if they cost nothing. The firepower of World War II-era weapons was not much less than modern ones, and these old guns easily tore the Chitauri apart. Metallic rain fell from the sky, composed of the enemy’s corpses and fragments.

Seeing their single-person flyers were nothing but cannon fodder, the Chitauri immediately deployed their Leviathan warships, those massive, octopus-like vessels. As soon as they appeared, the anti-aircraft batteries concentrated their fire on them.

Once S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—or perhaps Hydra agents—realized that the old anti-aircraft guns had little effect on the Leviathans, they quickly switched targets, focusing on the Chitauri infantry flyers.

Thunder rolled, clouds gathered in the sky, and flashes of lightning began to converge.

With a crackling sound, Thor began to unleash his might, summoning bolts of lightning that struck the Chitauri Leviathans.

Where the anti-aircraft guns had failed to damage the octopus warships, Thor’s lightning ripped through their thick defenses as easily as paper.

"Fantastic!" Thor roared in delight, thoroughly satisfied with Yang Xin’s plan. It allowed him to conserve his divine power, achieve the greatest results, and strike with pinpoint accuracy.