Nick Fury had a subtle smile on his face when Luke said he couldn't afford a few.
With a significant increase in funding this year, S.H.I.E.L.D. has plenty of money. Luke said he couldn't afford to buy a few, and Nick was a little skeptical.
"Can you tell me the price?" Nick looked at Captain America, who was obsessed with the ring, and smiled. He asked Luke for a price. Then, when Luke casually gave a price, his expression changed in a rich and wonderful way in a short period of time.
Smile, frozen, stiff, gray.
Even Natasha next to her had never thought that her boss, who always had a serious face, could show such a rich range of expressions.
"How much?" Nick felt his voice was about to break.
"20 billion." Luke repeated the price calmly.
"I can't accept that." Nick shook his head. "Luke, your price this time is outrageous. I acknowledge the power of this ring and the uniqueness of Heberon's technology, but it's just a ring."
Could S.H.I.E.L.D. come up with 20 billion? Of course they could. Not to mention other research funds and various types of aircraft like the Quinjet, the construction cost of the recently completed aerospace carrier, plus the entire escort equipment, would far exceed 20 billion.
Although according to Luke's space program, it will soon become obsolete after just entering service.
However, as it said, this is just a ring, a small, pocket-sized ring. Even if the cost of its production materials is increased to the sky, compared with the most expensive material currently, vibranium, it would only cost 500 million. This is already terrifying!
Taking the research funding into account, Luke's offer really made him a little overwhelmed.
To put it in his mind: I knew you, a black-hearted guy, would sell it at a high price, but I didn't expect you, a black-hearted guy, to sell it at such a high price!
It was Steve Rogers who was standing next to him. He looked at the ring on his finger with a complicated look. He wanted to take it off, but there was an emotion in his heart that resisted him from taking it off.
Although he was a poor man, his strength and weapons seemed to be the result of a large amount of money, resources, and unexpected gains, and were extremely luxurious.
"See, this is the difference in your perception. You think it's just a ring, but I think it's a new era." Luke disagreed with Nick's words.
"You always like to attach some illusory value to your work that sounds reasonable at first glance but is completely meaningless when examined closely. Speaking openly, Luke, this price is impossible.
I can't even submit my expenses for reimbursement. You don't want to disclose everything now, do you?" Nick shook his head again: "So, let's be honest."
"The price can't be lowered," Luke said sincerely. "That's the only price we can get in terms of pure money. But we can try another approach."
"I think you're setting a trap for me again." When Nick heard this familiar rhetoric, his inner alarm bells subconsciously rang.
"Don't say that. We should be mutually beneficial." Luke corrected Nick. "Let's use the new currency to settle. From now on, I think we can use the new currency to settle such unreasonable equipment."
"I don't have any money." Nick replied coldly.
"Don't be like that."
"I really don't have any money."
"You are really not conducive to our communication."
"To be honest, little Luke, I'm really poor."
When the new currency was mentioned, Nick immediately revealed a different side of himself. He seamlessly switched between being lavish with real money and being thrifty with the new currency.
"You don't have to be poor." Luke said meaningfully.
"What do you mean?" Nick looked at Luke in confusion. It looked like he was trying to give him a way to make money. This instantly tempted Nick, who was extremely eager for the new currency.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has a strong foundation," Luke reminded.
"You want me to sell those banned items?" Nick's eyes, which were originally filled with expectation, suddenly turned cold.
"What can those forbidden objects bring you? Huge annual expenditures? Scores of elite agents who lose their lives every year? Huge hidden dangers that could erupt at any time due to an accident?
Any one of the above is a threat, big or small, to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Before, you had no choice but to isolate them in the secret bases S.H.I.E.L.D. built for them. But now you have a partner, you have a better choice," Luke said patiently.
"So after all, you still want me to sell off S.H.I.E.L.D.'s assets, right?" Nick looked helpless.
"Don't be too self-sufficient; learn to share. Not to mention the people or organizations that will join this cooperative circle in the future, just look at you, me, the Supreme Mage, my Hei Bolun, and the mage organization of Master Gu Yi. We have already started a close collaboration.
The bond between us has become even closer than you can imagine. Almost all of Heberon's and my technology and products will be made available to the mages. The Supreme Mage's accumulated materials and knowledge, with the exception of a few extremely dangerous books, will also be made available to me without reservation.
This is true cooperation. You and S.H.I.E.L.D., under your leadership, are clearly still wandering on the outside. There are many things I don't need to explain; you should understand them all. It's just that you're having trouble coming around to this.
You cling to your so-called "treasures" like a miser, believing that releasing them will affect the security of the region and even the world.
In fact, who doesn't have a few powerful and threatening weapons at home?
If Haibolun's technology were to circulate to the outside world and be mastered by people with ulterior motives, wouldn't they threaten the security you want to protect?
Do the mages of the Supreme Sorcerer lineage refuse people who truly want to learn magic just because some spells and magic are dangerous?
As for world safety, if the large planetary barriers guarded by the Supreme Mage failed, then even if you carefully preserved your treasures, what good would it do? They would remain dormant in those bases, and then they would be devoured along with the world by the invading dimensional demons.
Don't think that trading those banned items is irresponsible or humiliating. Believe me, this world will become increasingly full of troublesome, thorny objects and creatures. Sooner or later, the way S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps them will collapse.
Treat it as a perfectly normal transaction. You can discard these increasingly heavy burdens of S.H.I.E.L.D. in exchange for a vast amount of resources, more harmless materials processed by the mages, more future technological products from Heberon, and the new currency you currently crave and lack the most.
To put it bluntly, the things you treasure so highly may not even be given a second glance by most mages. Even if you want to sell them, no one will buy them.
Looking at the current situation, you know that the future is bound to see huge changes. Both Heberon and the Mages are becoming stronger through mutual trade. As another partner, why would you exile yourself when no one is rejecting you?
Let me tell you something. Aren't you confused about why I'm accelerating the construction of this building? The Sorcerer Supreme has already reached a cooperation agreement with Odin, King of Asgard.
According to the Ancient One, Odin has no problem with the Sorcerer Supreme, but he expressed concern for you and me, his collaborators. He believes we are currently unable to possess power comparable to his and the Sorcerer Supreme's. Therefore, he has proposed a test. If I can pass it, he will acknowledge my status as a collaborator, and all the creations of Asgard and the other Nine Realms will be revealed to us.
I'm confident I can pass the test and reap the rewards I deserve. But what will become of you and S.H.I.E.L.D.? If you can't strengthen your power and transform all your resources into fuel for growth, do you think S.H.I.E.L.D. can still be a partner?
I believe you should know that I'm not exaggerating. The outside universe is even more dogmatic. If you can't keep up, you'll be eliminated. Master Ancient One and I are willing to do our best to help you in the early stages, but the prerequisite is that you must also demonstrate your true value.
Don't keep throwing money at your junk year after year. Any item from the Nine Realms or other dimensional universes in the future could be more dangerous or more valuable than these. You might even get a good price if you sell it now.
Should you carry on with your burden and gradually be eliminated, or should you lighten your load and seize the opportunity to fight? You can think about it for a while. But after new partners like Odin join in one after another, no one can speak for your position except your own strength.
After Luke finished speaking, he stopped talking, made some space, and took Steve with him to go through the full set of test procedures, leaving Nick with a gloomy face to think.
"I heard that the Super Soldier Potion will amplify people's desires and emotions?" Luke asked as he took Steve into the testing ground.
"Maybe." Steve nodded. He had just listened to Luke's words, but without enough information, he found it difficult to understand the situation Nick and S.H.I.E.L.D. were in.
"Then this potion must be compatible with the Mind Ring. To gain its recognition, one must first possess a certain level of powerful emotion. Only then can one resonate with the energy within the ring." Luke added, "Of course, I'm referring to the Mind Ring you're wearing, Captain."
"I don't understand current technology, but if you need any help within my ability, I'm always available." Steve nodded.
"Let's stop here. Do you see the target in front? You can attack it with an energy beam first to see the damage." Luke stopped and pointed to a black human-shaped target standing upright fifty meters ahead.
"What should I do?" Steve nodded again, then asked in an awkward voice.
"Relax your mind and use your will to control the energy from the rings flowing into your body. You have to learn to use them as skillfully as your fists." Luke explained simply.
Steve followed Luke's instructions and relaxed his mind, naturally imagining the energy in his body as his most familiar weapon, a round shield.
Steve grasped the golden energy round shield in his palm and flung it towards the humanoid target with great ease. The round shield drew a semicircle in the air before accurately hitting the target, sinking deeply into it.
Then there was a glorious explosion.
"Looks like you're using it well," Luke praised upon seeing this. The virtues and emotions represented by the Gold of Tolerance seemed to perfectly align with Steve's inner self.
If the method and difficulty of mastering the energy within the Mind Ring were likened to a mathematical problem, some people simply couldn't solve it, even if you beat them to death. However, some people could easily solve problems that others couldn't solve no matter how hard they tried.
This is talent!
And Steve Rogers obviously possesses this amazing talent.
In the following time, under Luke's advice, Steve demonstrated one by one according to Luke's requirements. When the test was over, the entire training ground was almost in a mess.
But Luke didn't care. The test site here always experienced similar scenes every now and then anyway. It wasn't worth paying any attention to.
Nick, who had been carefully observing Steve's test from beginning to end, finally came up after the test was completed. His single eye looked at Luke quietly and asked in a complicated tone, "Did you plan this all along?"
"What are you planning?" Luke turned his head and looked into Luke's single eye.
"From the very beginning, were you planning to drag me and SHIELD into this trap? That so-called collaboration was a step-by-step plan to tie me, SHIELD, and even certain people to your side?
"Like a frog in boiling water, by the time I wake up, I have no choice but to follow the path you pointed out and continue on until the end. I don't even have the determination or room to retreat," Nick said softly.
"I can't admit that," Luke immediately denied Nick's words. "Perhaps you're just too suspicious and always tend to assume the worst of people. You don't need to focus your energy and suspicion on me. My interests and your bottom line don't conflict. What you should worry about in the future are the more troublesome people and dangers from beyond the Earth."
"But what if there's a power hidden inside me that I can't control?" Nick asked.
"Then you should strengthen your trusted aides while you still have control over S.H.I.E.L.D. The stronger your trusted aides are, the more options you will have for the future, and the calmer you will be in the face of crises.
Moreover, if you can gain a firm foothold during this period and gain recognition from other partners, then your identity will not only be the director of SHIELD, and SHIELD will no longer be an organization that can be easily manipulated by top forces through divestment or other political means.
You'll jump to another level. You'll be freer and more dependable. That undercurrent might even become more cautious. Because if they want to control S.H.I.E.L.D., they can't do without you either." Luke spread his hands.
"It seems that the best path before me is the one you pointed out to me." Nick showed a helpless expression on his face.
"When I return, I will select a batch of banned items as the first pilot project. After summarizing and organizing them, I can give you and the mages a list. You can give me a price after reading it, or put forward other requirements for me to consider.
I have only one condition, which is that they cannot be easily lost."
"Of course." Luke agreed to Nick's request.
"Well, I have another request. I need at least one ring like the one on the captain's finger." Nick pointed to the golden ring on Steve's hand.
"I can grant you this request, but you'll need to pay something of equal value." Luke thought for a moment and nodded. He had to give Nick a little sweetness, perhaps even just to strengthen the forces around him.
"So, what about these rings? Don't tell me they also cost that outrageous price." Having made up his mind, Nick relaxed and nodded with a relaxed expression towards the open metal box not far away that contained other mass-produced rings.
"It's a very good deal. It's sold in the early stage. One billion is an absolutely fair price! I guarantee it to you with my morals!" Luke gave the offer seriously.
"Thank you, your morals are worthless to me." Nick gritted his teeth.