North of Manhattan Island.
Ever since the first pilot program's perfect success and the King of Fighters explosion, it was like a spark igniting a prairie fire. Gradually, all the nearby arcades sought out Xu Dan, requesting cooperation.
Xu Dan naturally accepted the money that came his way.
In less than a month, with these arcades as the capitalists, a 'King of Fighters player' circle was established.
Ever since playing King of Fighters, they felt that all other games were garbage!
That pixelated art style, coupled with the baby-level controls… they actually used to enjoy playing those, and they really wondered if they were possessed by a demon!
Within this circle, players discussed characters and hidden skills daily!
Or, which female character, in what position, allowed you to see some things that shouldn't be described!
Of course, there was also an exception.
This exception was a Black man.
He was also a middle-aged uncle.
He came to the first arcade, wearing a black leather coat that he seemed to never change, and sporting a tattered eye patch. He had a fierce expression.
"Ten dollars, please," he said to the front desk, handing over a bill.
Then, he took the game tokens and walked towards the arcade machine that had everyone puzzled.
He was a man of some learning, unlike the majority of the deadbeats here who only knew how to play games.
King of Fighters was undoubtedly a phenomenal gaming masterpiece.
But, people with connections now understand that this arcade fighting game was actually made by a small studio.
What kind of power could a tiny studio possibly have to produce such a work?
Anyone with common sense can figure it out with a little thought – it's probably these arcades colluding in some conspiracy!
This kind of work, this quality, is a cross-generational masterpiece!
Simply put, with modern game development standards, they still can't produce a game this stunning!
"What the hell kind of magic did this damn machine use to display this goddamn quality!" The black man cursed.
As everyone knows, the hardware of arcade machines can only handle small games.
Can it even run something like King of Fighters, a billion-dollar production?
What kind of imaging technology?
What kind of operating system?
What kind of encryption?
These, all a mystery!
Could it be alien…
"Shet! You one-eyed bastard, if you're not playing, get out of here. You're cursing such a good game as King of Fighters, you're just wasting your time!" a man filled with hostility suddenly shouted beside the black man.
The black man, who was being cursed at, looked bewildered. He was a middle-aged uncle, and generally wouldn't bother arguing with young people, but today was different; he was in a bad mood.
"Do you know? If you dare to call me a one-eyed bastard again, I'll throw you out of here and cut off your goddamn tongue!" The black man's eyes flashed with a fierce light as he spoke, word by word.
That invisible pressure instantly suppressed the young man's hostility.
What kind of aura was that? Was he a veteran, or… a murderer?
"I, I didn't mean to. I just wanted to say that King of Fighters is really fun. It's definitely the best game in the world, bar none. I swear on my life! Please don't insult it!" This came from a die-hard King of Fighters fan.
The black man looked at the young man beside him, his nostrils flaring with anger.
The more praise he heard for King of Fighters, the more his suspicions grew.
And this suspicion was accompanied by a mystery that would never be solved!
Coincidentally, this was also a part of his investigation plan.
That's right, he wasn't an ordinary black man. He was an agent, from S.H.I.E.L.D.
And the position wasn't low.
Now, he decided to assign this goddamn task to his subordinates for investigation.
He couldn't stand the way those young people looked at him like he was a monster anymore!
"Coulson, you must give me an answer to this within three days!" he said into his phone.
"Yes, Director Nick."
Without waiting for the third day, Coulson found the key to the problem on the first day.
He took the things the director had instructed very seriously.
He only spent half a day visiting all the arcades that had obtained the authorization for the King of Fighters.
After some inquiries, all the leads pointed to one person.
That person was Xu Dan.
They were actually reluctant to suspect Xu Dan. After all, what could a studio like that even produce?
For S.H.I.E.L.D., investigating someone's background was a piece of cake.
However, the fact was that the arcade owners weren't lying.
Therefore, they had to seek out Xu Dan.
"Knock, knock, knock!!"
A gentle knock sounded at the door. Xu Dan was still eating breakfast.
He'd worked the night shift again yesterday, so he'd gotten up late today.
Hearing the knock, he was instinctively wary.
He owed a massive debt, after all – tens of millions.
And the money he was making from King of Fighters hadn't even reached a million yet!
He needed more time!
However, when he opened the door, he saw two men in well-tailored suits.
The man in the lead removed his sunglasses. "Good morning, sir."
Looking at the person in front of him, Xu Dan was inwardly astonished. Others might not recognize him, but these familiar faces from the Marvel movies, he wouldn't forget!
Agent Coulson!
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent!
How did a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent find him here?
Even if there was a debt involved, it wasn't S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction!
"Hello," Xu Dan could only say awkwardly.
If he showed that he recognized Coulson, then there would be even more trouble!
S.H.I.E.L.D. was a special, top-secret organization. As a 'civilian,' he was completely unqualified and had no right to know about it!
For those who knew about S.H.I.E.L.D., they were either enemies or allies.
Xu Dan hadn't found his footing yet and didn't want to get involved in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s mess!
"Oh? Have we disturbed your meal, sir?" Coulson sniffed the air, catching a scent.
It wasn't the smell of fried chicken and burgers, but rather the aroma of Eastern cuisine.
Xu Dan's expression didn't change, and he wasn't in the mood to chat. "What do you want?"
Hearing the question, Coulson slowly took out his credentials and said, "Mr. Xu Dan, you're the creator of King of Fighters, aren't you?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Dan frowned. Honestly, he hadn't broken any laws when he made King of Fighters; he'd only skirted the edges with the female characters.
It shouldn't be enough to warrant S.H.I.E.L.D., an organization that managed abnormal phenomena, getting involved!
Seeing Xu Dan's furrowed brow, Coulson quickly put away his ID. "We mean no harm, please believe me."
"So, what exactly do you want?"