When Coulson mentioned "three men and a woman," Li Feng already knew it was Thor's four close friends.
But as always, Li Feng had to play dumb. Otherwise, how would he explain knowing future events if questioned?
Even if he scraped his brain for a temporary excuse, he'd need ten bowls of pig brain tonic afterward—and pig heads were expensive these days. Worse, Li Feng was broke.
Li Feng turned to Thor. "Seems Coulson thinks you're in danger."
"Danger?" Thor, who had also heard Coulson's warning, asked thoughtfully, "Why do you all assume that?"
"It wasn't our judgment, just Coulson's. I'm still completely in the dark," Li Feng shrugged, explaining why he was so confused. "You're not from Earth, so you might not know how agents operate, but after spending several days with them, I've gained some firsthand experience."
"Talking to agents is harder than milking a cow. At least with cows, you know whether there's milk when you squeeze. But with agents? Heh, you know there's milk, but you just can't get it out. And even if you do, you can't tell if it's pure milk or poisoned formula."
As he spoke, Li Feng waved his hand and opened a portal to Mjolnir, gesturing for Thor to enter. "If you want to know the reason, you'd better ask Coulson directly. Maybe, considering you're a member of Asgard's royal family, he'll give you a satisfactory explanation."
The sudden appearance of the portal made Jane, who had been focused on Thor, widen her eyes in disbelief. Covering her mouth with her hand, she gasped, "How did you do that?"
"What?" Li Feng was momentarily puzzled before realizing Jane was asking him. With a smug smile, he raised an eyebrow and said, "It's magic."
Then, glancing at Thor and recalling that for Asgardians, magic and science were essentially the same, he added, "For Thor, their technological means can achieve the same. If you're curious, you can ask him. I doubt he'd refuse you."
Clearly excited by Li Feng's answer, Jane waved her hands at Thor and said, "I knew it! Magic is just science we don't understand yet." Pausing, she blinked her big eyes and asked, "Will you teach me the technology behind spatial teleportation? Even just the theory would be fine."
Jane's question left Thor somewhat embarrassed. Despite once holding a position second only to the king, he had spent his energy on fighting and drinking. Where was he supposed to pull out the knowledge about portals on the spot?
Should he just tell Jane: "I'm a warrior who swings a big hammer, not a mage or a scientist, so don't ask me questions"?
That would be too humiliating. After all, men always want to save face in front of others, especially in front of their girlfriends. No matter what, he had to keep up appearances first.
So, without hesitation, Thor nodded and said, "Of course. I'll explain the principles to you when we have some free time."
To prevent Jane from asking more questions and exposing his ignorance, Thor decided to change the subject. Pointing at Mjolnir on the other side of the portal, he said to Jane, "Want to come with me and take a closer look at Mjolnir?"
Curious, Jane glanced at Mjolnir, then took Thor's hand eagerly, signaling she wanted to see the legendary weapon up close right away. Jane's actions filled Thor with a hint of pride. However, as he stepped through the portal, Thor seemed to remember something and turned to Jane's assistant, Darcy, speaking in a tone that brooked no refusal: "You should come along too."
If Thor had simply invited Jane, Li Feng wouldn't have paid much attention—it would have just been Thor showing off his past exploits in front of his girlfriend to boost his charm. But even inviting a bystander like Darcy in such an uncompromising manner clearly exceeded Li Feng's expectations.
Li Feng glanced at Thor with mild surprise: Looks like Thor has thought of something—did I remind him of something before? Damn, wasn't Thor supposed to be a reckless brute? Director, you liar.
Inside the base, a signature portal suddenly appeared right in the center. Coulson didn't even need to think to know it was Li Feng returning. He quickly set aside his work and hurried over with a few agents to address Thor: "Lord Thor, we have photos of four visitors. We hope you can help us identify them."
At that moment, Thor ignored Coulson. Instead, he cast a complicated look at Mjolnir and stepped forward to grip the hammer's handle once more. After testing it and finding he still couldn't lift Mjolnir, Thor seemed to come to some realization and let out a soft sigh. Turning to Jane, he said apologetically, "I'll first help this Son of Coul identify these photos. I'll be right back to give you a proper introduction to Mjolnir."
With that, Thor motioned for Coulson to lead the way, leaving Jane crouched excitedly in front of Mjolnir.
Unlike the thrilled Jane, Selvig had already adjusted his worldview—not only accepting the existence of mages and gods but also personally experiencing the convenience of portals. So when faced with the legendary Mjolnir, he was the calmest among the four present.
Moreover, Selvig had overheard Coulson's earlier conversation with Li Feng, especially the mention of "defensive fortifications," which made him realize something. A faint look of concern crept onto his face.
If it weren't for Jane being too preoccupied with Thor to listen to reason, he might have wanted nothing more than to leave this base, which was clearly about to face major trouble.
Meanwhile, Li Feng's attention wasn't on Mjolnir either—he didn't even bother touching it, so why would he be interested?
This allowed him to focus more on Selvig's shifting expressions.
Noticing Selvig's troubled look and guessing his worries, Li Feng saw an opportunity to extend goodwill. He walked over and whispered, "Relax, things aren't as bad as you think."
Selvig shot Li Feng a glance and forced a painfully fake smile, muttering, "Let's hope so."
Hearing the bitterness in his voice, Li Feng thought for a moment and added, "Earth isn't as simple as you imagine. So don't worry—even if something does happen, I'm confident in my ability to protect you." Pausing, he grinned and joked, "Though my portal might just dump you on the moon if things get dicey."
"Difficult, but sending you to the uninhabited regions of the Arctic or Antarctic shouldn't be a problem."
"Maybe I should buy some down jackets in advance," Li Feng's words eased Selvig's mind somewhat. Rubbing his forehead with a sigh, he said: "I'm already halfway in the grave, you know. I still can't claim to be indifferent to life and death, but if it truly comes to a crisis, I want you to prioritize protecting Jane."
Then Selvig sighed deeply: "I'm old now, can't keep up with how the world's changing. Mages, gods—these legendary things are actually popping up all at once."
"We're just getting started," Li Feng scratched his brow and patted Selvig on the shoulder. "Not long ago, Mephisto's son Blackheart came to Earth to 'start a business'—you know Mephisto, right? The Satan from the Bible."
Li Feng's words not only left Selvig staring at him in confusion but also drew Jane and Darcy, who had been focused on observing Mjolnir, to exchange glances before instinctively stepping forward to ask curiously, "Satan's son? What do you mean by a devil coming to Earth to start a business?"
Li Feng casually explained, "Starting a business means claiming territory."
Seeing the trio's mix of curiosity and bewilderment, Li Feng thought for a moment and elaborated, "Think of Blackheart as a gang leader—it'll make it easier to understand. Coming to Earth was like those gangs unhappy with their small turf, thinking their power could seize more territory. So he gathered a few tough enforcers and started taking over others' neighborhoods to boost his income."
"What happened next?" Jane couldn't help but ask.
"Next? Coulson and I sent him back to Hell for illegal entry, and I even had a little chat with Mephisto," Li Feng stroked his chin, recalling something before adding, "Honestly, Mephisto looked pretty classy and stylish in his trench coat with a cane. Too bad he's terrible at parenting—turned Blackheart into a brat who just grabs territory."
After hearing Li Feng's description, the three exchanged glances, suddenly feeling that devils weren't as evil as they'd imagined.
At that moment, Thor and Coulson returned to Mjolnir's side, having confirmed that the earlier energy surge was indeed the Rainbow Bridge activating and that it had transported Sif and the others to Earth.
Thor, childlike in his excitement, hurried over to Jane and grinned. "My friends have come for me."
Turning to Li Feng, he said, "Austin, open a portal to town for me. I need to welcome them."
For Li Feng, this was a trivial favor. Before Thor even finished speaking, he had already waved his hand to open the portal.
Soon, Thor and the others crossed over to the town, where, with the help of Coulson's team, they pinpointed the location of Sif and her companions.
Before long, Thor spread his arms and rushed toward Sif and the others.
Just as Thor was enthusiastically introducing his four companions to Jane and Coulson, Li Feng suddenly turned his gaze into the distance.
Compared to the energy surge from the Rainbow Bridge earlier, this one was far stronger—so much so that a swirling vortex of dark clouds formed in the sky.
Coulson studied the dark clouds and asked, puzzled, "Do you know who else is coming to Earth?"
Thor froze for a moment before asking with a bitter smile, "How is Father?"
Sif glanced at Thor and shook her head slightly. "The Allfather has entered the Odin sleep." Although Coulson had already informed Thor that Loki had deceived him, and he had mentally prepared himself, hearing Sif's words still filled Thor's chest with overwhelming sorrow.
"Son of Coul," Thor gazed into the distance, then glanced at the oblivious civilians around them, and said, "Help evacuate all the residents of this town. Sif will buy you time."