The next day.
"Your smoky eye makeup looks pretty good. Have you started learning how to apply makeup recently?" Hong Fei asked with a straight face. Big Head pouted.
"Boss, Steve took his friends away."
"Let him take them. Did you install the new arm for him?"
"It is installed."
"Is the Nano-Vibranium iron armor finished?"
"Almost. It is undergoing final adjustments."
"Has Ivan finished building that thing?"
"Judging by his analysis, it should be soon. Two months at most."
"What is everyone else doing?"
"Mr. Xu recently started teaching us how to cultivate Qi. The Avengers have all returned to New York, and Tony Stark has something he wants to tell you."
"Let him come. And don't feel wronged; I will make sure to reward you for this."
Big Head was immediately delighted.
"You got it!"
After he left, Tony soon walked up.
"Your place is not bad, though it looks too old-fashioned."
Tony took off his sunglasses as he walked over to Hong Fei's side. He looked at Hong Fei's body and added, "Your muscles are quite good, almost on par with mine." Hong Fei replied without thinking, "Then I must be a failure."
Tony sat down directly to the side, adjusted his suit, and said, "It's been a long time since we sat down to talk, hasn't it?"
"It has been a long time."
Ever since Tony discovered his true identity, the paper boat of their friendship had sunk directly. There hadn't been any opportunity to sit down and chat; instead, the number of times they had exchanged blows had increased significantly.
"Hill told me that S.H.I.E.L.D. is preparing to send the Avengers to hunt down Steve."
"Hmm."
Tony looked at Hong Fei's slightly closed eyes and asked seriously, "We all know he couldn't be a traitor, and he definitely shouldn't be a wanted man. But the senators and politicians I contacted are unwilling to help with this matter. What exactly is going on behind the scenes?"
"You want to know?"
"Yes."
"Can I trust you?"
Tony seemed to laugh in frustration.
"Of course you can trust me. I am more trustworthy than you."
Hong Fei silently curled his lips.
"If that's how you're going to put it, then I'm not willing to tell you."
Tony smacked his lips.
"Fine, you win. You are just as trustworthy as I am."
"Do you know about HYDRA?"
Tony's brows tightened.
"I've heard of them."
"Then you should look into it. This incident is related to HYDRA. They haven't disappeared; on the contrary, they are thriving more than ever. Besides, I am currently one of the leaders of HYDRA."
Tony didn't react violently. Instead, he thought quietly for a few seconds before asking, "Undercover?"
"That's right."
"Why? You could just wipe them out directly."
Hong Fei chuckled.
"Well said. Whether it's a one-on-one or a group brawl, they can choose whatever they like. But the problem is, they have already infiltrated many corners of this world. It's impossible for them to all just jump out voluntarily, so I have to investigate it myself."
"And Steve?"
"He is cooperating with me. I plan to have him take Pierce's position."
Tony's eyes widened in shock.
"Pierce is HYDRA?"
"He is also a veteran leader of HYDRA."
"So that's how it is..."
Tony shook his head slowly.
"Unbelievable. I had discussed many things about HYDRA with him before."
"Talking is fine, it doesn't matter. Anyway, he won't last long before he has to make a move. By then, the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. will lose its current meaning."
Tony nodded slowly.
"In that case, Steve is going undercover too?"
"Of course. Going undercover is the best method for the police to round up criminals, and it holds true between us and HYDRA as well. No matter how strong we are, our numbers are always limited. We can easily destroy things, but we cannot easily investigate and uncover the truth. That is the reality."
After thinking about it, Tony agreed, "Not bad, that really is a good method. Besides Pierce, who else in S.H.I.E.L.D. is after Steve?"
"Ask Steve yourself later. He might need your help."
Tony nodded.
"Alright."
He changed the subject.
"Speaking of which, I was about to start construction on a new Avengers Tower, but Steve told me to hold off. Said you're planning something called The Foundation instead."
"I do have plans for The Foundation," Hong Fei admitted, "but if the Avengers want to stay independent, your tower project can proceed."
Tony let out a heavy sigh.
"It's not about what we want anymore. I already thought S.H.I.E.L.D. was garbage. Now you're telling me HYDRA's been nesting inside it like termites, with Pierce as their queen bee?"
He shook his head.
"The Avengers need to cut ties completely. Besides, Earth's strongest fighting force already answers to you."
"Good eye."
Hong Fei gave a thumbs-up without opening his eyes.
"I've left The Foundation's site selection to Xu Wenwu. If you've got ideas, take them up with him."
"Steve used to represent the Avengers. Now that's your job."
Tony's frown deepened.
"I'll pull the Avengers out of S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately. Then we'll retire the Avengers name altogether." Hong Fei simply smiled.
"If we're joining The Foundation," Tony pressed on, "there shouldn't be separate team names unless The Foundation assigns them. Better integration means eventually, we won't even see divisions between us."
The idealism was touching, though reality looked different. Most of Hong Fei's people barely tolerated the Avengers. Not that they'd ever show it—everyone played nice in public. After all, Hong Fei had trained the Avengers himself, so they understood how things worked on his side.
"You actually believe that?" Hong Fei laughed.
"Look at you, all reformed."
Tony didn't rise to the bait.
"The Foundation isn't just another corporation," he said seriously. "It's a collective for powered individuals. I know you've got big ambitions—but with how fast Earth's changing, we might need exactly that scale."
Hong Fei finally sat up, his smile genuine now.
"I appreciate that perspective. The world is changing. Old systems and structures won't—can't—keep working forever. Even The Foundation's current model needs constant adjustment as we grow."
"Take the simplest example," he continued. "If superpowered populations keep increasing, and some people get left behind by the Superpower Park project—if the wealth gap becomes extreme—envy will fester. Maybe even turn to hatred. Then what?"
Tony blinked.
"Progress always brings problems," Hong Fei said. "The faster we move, the more issues crop up, and the better they hide. That's for you founding members to handle. Truth is, I won't stay on Earth forever. The Foundation's future rests with you."
"For example, this time when Steve was targeted by both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the federal government—if I weren't here, you leaders would need to resolve such crises yourselves."
Tony chuckled and shook his head.
"Xu Wenwu was right. You really do see further than any of us."
Hong Fei raised an eyebrow.
"Hey now, why bring him into this?"
Tony just pouted.
"I haven't forgiven him yet."
Hong Fei couldn't help but laugh too. He said, "I gave Big Head a list. Xu Wenwu will take you all to take over some bases."
"Bases?"
"Ones built by Fury, but S.H.I.E.L.D. has no backup records. Whether it's the location of the bases or the agents, they were all recruited by him personally."
"Then wouldn't these people only listen to him?"
"That is the result he wanted."
Tony furrowed his brows in deep thought, completely puzzled. After a while, he asked, "How did you know?"
"Everything Fury knows, I know."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you that." Tony laughed, shook his head, stood up, and put on his sunglasses.
"Then I'm leaving."
"Wait. Clint Barton—he has always been Fury's man. If I'm not mistaken, he should be preparing to resurrect Fury right now."
Tony pulled down his sunglasses, looking serious.
"Really?"
"Asking that is a waste of breath."
Tony stood silently for a long time. After his expression shifted a few times, he said solemnly, "Can you give him a chance?"
Hong Fei waved his hand.
"That's too heavy. I'm just telling you. If you can make him stop, then I'll pretend this never happened. If he doesn't want to, then let him go home and retire."
"Then Fury..."
"Just a clone. He won't live. Even if he does, I can kill him again."
The Tahiti island had already been blown up. But Fury, that cunning rabbit, had left more than just three burrows. Barton was one of his fallback plans, and so was the recently disappeared Coulson. For someone who has lost their soul, after cloning, besides receiving a pre-saved memory, the only thing that remains the same is the physical body, right? A new soul, a new body, plus a set of old memories—can that be considered resurrection?
Active skill card: Soul-Eater (Blue) — Soul-Eater: "Using this skill allows you to consume the target's soul and increase your own soul strength. But you are not a Soul-Eater, so it is highly likely that a single consumption will cause you to suffer from schizophrenia or have your body taken over by the other soul. Please use with caution."
This skill came from the leader of the Soul-Eaters in Ta Lo Village. Currently, it has only been used once, on Fury. He did not consume Carol's soul. A man's sixth sense (Master Hong had a sudden shiver) made him sense a vague crisis before he consumed it. Such protagonist-type existences are always special, but Hong Fei didn't think Captain Marvel would be resurrected. It was possible that her soul would cause a backlash against Hong Fei; that was the most likely direct cause. Even if the Kree or Skrulls really used some remnants to bring her back to life, it was unknown whether the reborn Carol could regain Photonic Energy Control and Binary Form. If she really came back to life and became stronger, then he would just farm her again. That would actually be a good thing.
Tony took a deep breath and said heavily, "Killing is not the purpose." Hong Fei replied, "Killing itself could never be the true purpose for me. It is always just a method—it can be the most direct, simple, and effective method, or a method that doesn't need to be taken under non-essential circumstances."
After saying that, he looked into Tony's eyes.
"This is my consistent principle, and it is also the reason why you could keep looking for trouble with me and still stay alive. How about that?"
Tony walked away without saying a word. Hong Fei continued sunbathing. At this moment, as long as Thanos didn't show up at his door personally, he didn't want to move at all. The Insight Project was a trivial matter that Steve could complete on his own, not to mention that he now had double-digit teammates he could summon at any time. Pierce was really just a minor character. HYDRA wasn't anything remarkable either. His arrangements for HYDRA were indeed out of the intention to root them out completely, but if one thought about it deeper, it wouldn't be unreasonable to treat HYDRA as a trial object Hong Fei left for everyone.