"Huh? What did you say?"
Hill looked at Leon, surprised, as if she had misheard him.
However, the guy was completely unfazed and continued, "Oh, maybe I spoke too softly. I asked if you have a boyfriend?"
That's right, she hadn't misheard. Leon's question was, "Does she have a boyfriend?"
At this moment, Maria Hill had only one thought: What the hell?!
She hadn't expected this man, who smiled so gently, to ask such a direct question about her personal relationships on their first meeting!
Apparently, they had known each other for less than two hours... This straightforward question was like a heavy punch, directly knocking out the ice queen Maria Hill.
For a moment, she seemed to have serious doubts about the information she had just learned.
Who exactly is this guy?!
Seeing Hill in a state of mental shutdown, Leon couldn't help but reveal a mischievous smile. He even waved his hand in front of Hill's face and "concerned"ly asked, "Hello? Hi? Maria, are you still there?"
However, Hill's psychological resilience was quite good.
After a brief moment of shock, she quickly regained her composure, blinked her bright, yet distant, blue eyes, and retorted, "Agent Leon, why would you ask such a question?"
"Oh! I just thought you're so beautiful, you must have many admirers. I was just curious, nothing special," Leon replied in a casual tone.
"Are you... are you so direct with every woman?"
"No, no, no, usually only when I meet beautiful women do I act this way..."
In front of Maria Hill, who was five years his senior, Leon didn't act like a young man at all. Instead, he seemed more like a seasoned playboy who held the upper hand.
Indeed, although he was an ordinary young man obsessed with games before transmigrating, he did have a girlfriend.
What's more, after transmigrating to this open country, he immediately received many embraces from American girls with his handsome appearance and deep blue eyes, accumulating a wealth of "picking experience."
Calling him a "seasoned playboy" was not an exaggeration at all.
Even the aloof Maria Hill was somewhat bewildered by his flirting, unsure how to respond.
Just as the atmosphere was slowly drifting in an inexplicable direction, Hill's phone suddenly rang!
Ring ring ring!
The sudden phone call broke the awkward silence between them.
Hill took out her phone and gestured to Leon, "Excuse me, I need to take this call."
As soon as she finished speaking, she abruptly stood up and left the situation that she found somewhat difficult to handle.
Finding an empty corner, Hill composed herself, then answered the phone:
"Hello? Sir, it's me."
"How are things progressing?"
The person whom Hill, a Level 9 agent, would call "Sir" could naturally only be the "one-eyed bald man" with Level 10 clearance, who knew almost everything about S.H.I.E.L.D. — Nick Fury!
"It's mostly done! I'm coming to report to you now!"
Then, she hung up the phone, returned to her seat, and immediately bid Leon farewell: "I have something to take care of, so I'm leaving. Goodbye."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and left, leaving only a bewildered Leon... Half an hour later, in the Director's office.
Nick Fury sat in his chair, looking at the documents on his desk, and asked his subordinate standing in front of him, "You mean this is a dangerous factor that could pose a threat to S.H.I.E.L.D. because of a woman?"
Hill, standing ramrod straight, hesitated for a moment, but still replied,
"Perhaps."
"'Perhaps' is not a word I like."
Nick Fury put down the documents in his hand, propped his elbows on the desk, interlaced his fingers, and stared intently at Hill with his one remaining eye: "I think you should get to know him more deeply, rather than judging what kind of person he is based on only a few words from him."
Hill remained silent.
"I've received your report. You can leave now."
"Yes, sir."
After Hill left the office, Nick Fury sighed slightly and picked up the documents on his desk again.
If Leon saw these documents, he would definitely say triumphantly, "I knew it!"
The name on the document clearly read "Leon Coulson."
This was a file about Leon Coulson!
It recorded all of Leon's experiences and details, from being admitted to the Virginia Military Institute, joining the Ranger Regiment, to joining S.H.I.E.L.D.
It could be said that this document was equivalent to every single detail of Leon's past three years!
Not only that, besides this resume, there were also several evaluation reports about Leon on the desk.
"Clear-headed, calm in the face of trouble, acts with discretion..."
"Kind to others, popular with the opposite sex..."
"Outstanding combat skills, versatile command techniques..."
His personality, way of handling things, and combat abilities—the intelligence gathered from all aspects was telling Nick Fury one fact: this was an excellent agent well worth naturing.
However, Nick Fury still felt somewhat uncertain in his heart.
He didn't know if his decision was correct after all.
Leon was not wrong; Hill's probing was indeed at Nick Fury's command.
This was one of Nick Fury's observations of him.
And such observations had begun three years ago... In fact, the reason Leon was transferred to S.H.I.E.L.D. was because the internal situation of S.H.I.E.L.D. was somewhat delicate at the moment.
The world situation was gradually worsening, and the cost of protecting peace was also getting higher and higher.
In the wars hidden in the shadows, casualties were inevitable.
Even S.H.I.E.L.D., with the World Security Council as its backing, could not guarantee that every agent on a mission would return safely.
The attrition of elite agents, in particular, caused them immense heartache.
With the retirement of the previous generation of elite agents, the new generation of elite agents seemed to be experiencing a talent gap.
Currently, there are very few elite agents in S.H.I.E.L.D. who can operate independently.
Aside from Phil Coulson and Maria Hill, who are more tactically adept,
"Mockingbird" Barbara Morse,
"Hawkeye" Clint Barton, and "Iron Knight" Melinda May are the few good cards Fury currently has.
Talent is always the most valuable asset in a prolonged and protracted war!
For Fury, who had his own plans for the future, such a talent reserve was far from enough!
It was precisely because of this that a young man named "Leon" entered his sights