Daisy recognized him even without studying Marvel material: Nick Fury, the current director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Why was this guy looking for her?
Was it because she had been too active recently, attracting the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D.? She didn't think it was that serious.
She instinctively adopted a defensive stance, her vibration ability already poised for action.
Fury seemed not to notice her wariness, pointing his chin towards the house not far away: "The guy in there has eleven lives on his hands. Is such a person trustworthy?"
Daisy was a bit unsure of his intentions now, and she didn't know if Fury had overheard their conversation. If he had, then he would know she possessed powers. If he hadn't, he naturally wouldn't know... Did he know or not? She wanted to observe Fury's expression, but found that his face was blended with the night, making it impossible to tell!
Daisy didn't answer directly. She believed he had his own judgment and countered, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"
"I'm Nick Fury, from S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm here because you're a talent, and you shouldn't be wasted in this place."
Daisy chuckled, pointing at James's house, and probed, "That's pretty similar to what I just said to convince that guy. Can't you come up with a different line?"
Nick Fury didn't fall for it. He neither asked what they had talked about nor denied anything. He smoothly changed the subject: "We are a global organization, and we have information about your parents."
Daisy didn't care about her parents. That's what she thought, and that's what she said: "Not interested."
Nick Fury was not surprised by her refusal. Not to mention an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl, even a man in his thirties like Tony Stark would act dismissive when his parents were brought up.
They might care deeply inside, but on the surface, they're full of defiance and dissatisfaction, believing that acknowledging their parents' path makes them a sissy, while despising their parents makes them a true man.
This was almost becoming a social issue for a generation, and Fury thought Daisy was in the same situation.
"We have some information about your parents. You are very talented and should receive more education, rather than entering the business world too early; that will stifle your gift."
Nick Fury's words made Daisy ponder slightly. It seemed he wasn't asking her to become an Avenger or an agent, but rather suggesting she go to school.
She wasn't opposed to learning more.
Her brain had been enhanced, and her learning ability had improved significantly. She had already vaguely self-taught a small part of quantum mechanics; with guidance, she would master it much faster.
"I know at your age you're rebellious, proud, and look down on academies, but as an old man, I still have to warn you that learning more knowledge is beneficial," Nick Fury continued to persuade.
Daisy scratched her head: "Are you recommending me to a university?"
Nick Fury first shook his head, then nodded: "S.H.I.E.L.D. has its own academy, where you can learn everything you want. However, the outside world won't recognize it. I don't suppose you'd still want to go out and look for a job, would you?"
Daisy somewhat agreed with this statement; working for someone else was out of the question! The diplomas issued by S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't recognized externally. In the original timeline, when S.H.I.E.L.D. disbanded and Maria Hill faced unemployment, she could only rely on connections in Stark's HR department to get by, which speaks volumes.
Fury, just as she had done with James earlier, handed her a magnetic card: "It contains your identity information. If you're interested, you can enroll within a month. As for the academy's specific address, you'll need to search for it yourself."
It was a clear attempt to provoke her, as if he was sure young people would fall for it, a bit like a 'let the willing take the bait' approach.
However, Daisy still took the magnetic card, examining it front and back. There was no explanatory text, no special card reader, so even if it was lost, there wouldn't be a significant loss.
"Just studying? No spy work, right?" she asked tentatively.
Fury snorted, "We don't just train spies. Maintaining world peace involves many aspects of work, and your worries are unnecessary."
Daisy was a bit skeptical, but after observing for a long time, between the dark night and Fury's dark face, she couldn't discern any expression. The King of Spies' inner self was as unyielding as steel, completely unfazed, and beyond what her half-baked observational skills could perceive.
She thought for a moment and then asked an awkward question: "What about tuition fees...?"
Fury stared at her with his one eye, and it took him a good while to understand what she meant. He nodded wordlessly, "Your tuition fees will be waived."
Daisy was overjoyed. University tuition was very expensive, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s would surely be even more so. Despite her exaggerated claims when trying to convince James, she still had doubts about her own sales ability; big data, no matter how good, was useless if no one used it.
She was actually very poor.
She wanted to ask if room and board were also fully covered; she was terrified of her current food expenses.
But her body was like a bottomless pit; no matter how much she ate, it was all absorbed. She hadn't felt full since gaining her powers, and thinking about it truly disgraced her as a transmigrator.
Noticing her predicament, Fury added another incentive: "Room and board, firearms, and protective suits are all provided free of charge. The most professional training methods, the most authoritative scientific guidance, and we can even get you a car."
Daisy's eyes lit up. She looked at her old, beat-up Ford. If she got a car, could she sell this one now?
However, she didn't lose her composure. "With so many benefits, what do I need to do?"
"Serve S.H.I.E.L.D. when the time comes."
"What specifically? And for how long?"
"All sorts of things: providing intelligence, personnel cover, gathering information, analysis, medical treatment, and other tasks. You serve until you believe you have repaid S.H.I.E.L.D.'s investment, then you can leave."
The two quickly exchanged a few words. These terms were actually quite lenient: no mandatory missions, no fixed duration.
"Medical treatment?..." Daisy immediately realized, "Oh, I see. Frank must have told you about me. I think he's the only one I've saved."
Fury nodded: "He's my comrade-in-arms. From a personal standpoint, I'm very grateful you saved him."
"Are you good friends?" Daisy asked curiously.
"Comrades-in-arms and friends, the kind you can entrust your life to."
Daisy tapped her fist into her palm.
"That's great. There were some expenses when I treated him, and later I left him a sum of money for his daily recovery. You see, about that money...?"
Fury was dumbfounded. He truly didn't know how much Daisy had spent treating Frank. As for the so-called "sum" of money she left, as a big shot who handled hundreds of millions, even billions, daily, the numbers he could imagine were all very large.