Your words sparked something in me. If HYDRA's been hiding inside S.H.I.E.L.D., leaching its resources, they wouldn't just stick to desk jobs, would they? Regular Agents are one thing, but S.H.I.E.L.D.'s elite tactical teams—surely they're crawling with HYDRA operatives. Steve picked up on Hong Fei's line of thought and ran with it.
Hong Fei raised an eyebrow.
"You've already got suspects in mind, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Steve said grimly. "Rumlow. Remember him?"
"How could I forget?"
Hong Fei smirked.
"He left the Rand Building with more than a few bruises."
"There's something about him—his gaze, the way he carries himself. It sets off alarms. I'm almost certain he's HYDRA."
Steve clenched his fists.
"And that's just one. What about the regular Agents? Any specific names?"
"Too many," Steve admitted with a heavy sigh. "Honestly, except for Coulson, I don't trust anyone."
Hong Fei chuckled.
"Coulson's lucky to escape your blacklist. Must be that 'fan bonus' working in his favor."
Steve gave a wry smile.
"Maybe. But Coulson's earned my trust. His dedication, his demeanor—it's genuine. The rest? I'm not so sure."
"It's overwhelming, isn't it?"
Hong Fei observed.
Steve nodded, his expression grim.
"If I hadn't known you were working to root out HYDRA, I might not even realize how deep this goes. Even if I did, I'd feel paralyzed by the scale of it all."
"But you'd never give up," Hong Fei said firmly.
Steve's lips curved into a faint smile.
"No. I wouldn't."
"That's all that matters," Hong Fei said. "No matter how many enemies we face, no matter how high they climb, as long as we stay focused and don't give up, victory will come."
"Exactly."
Steve's spirits lifted.
"We'll win. I'm sure of it."
Hong Fei nodded.
"Especially with you growing stronger every day. I doubt anyone in HYDRA could stand against you—or your dragon, for that matter."
Hong Fei laughed. "I'm not invincible. And the White Dragon still has room to grow. It's a work in progress."
"You're being modest," Steve said with a grin. "That's a good trait."
"It's not just modesty," Hong Fei replied. "There's always someone stronger, always a higher peak to reach. Complacency is the enemy."
"True enough," Steve agreed. He suddenly stood, his face flushing slightly.
"Excuse me. Too much to drink."
Hong Fei waved him off.
"Two hours of non-stop drinking? No wonder."
When Steve returned, he looked much more at ease. Even superheroes, it seemed, weren't immune to nature's call. He settled back into his seat and asked, "So, what's next for you now that you're back?"
Hong Fei raised an eyebrow.
"How'd you know I had plans?"
Steve grinned.
"Come on, everyone's heard about your castle and Blackwater Town. People are practically camping outside, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dragon. How's that going?"
"Fine," Hong Fei said with a shrug. "They're far enough away that I don't notice the noise."
Steve chuckled.
"I forgot how much land you own."
"What can I say? I don't have many hobbies. Buying land is one of them."
Steve laughed. "Fair enough. So, what's the plan?"
"Simple," Hong Fei said. "I'm turning Blackwater Town into a Superpower Park."
"A Superpower Park?"
Steve blinked in surprise.
"Now that's ambitious."
"Yes, as the name suggests, a theme park based on some superheroes or villains."
"That's interesting. Many people would certainly be willing to visit."
Hong Fei smiled and took out a document, pushing it in front of Steve: "You think it's interesting too, right? Then take a good look at this."
Steve picked up the document with a puzzled expression and flipped through it quickly.
A moment later, he looked up in surprise and said: "You want to give me money?"
"It's not just giving you money. It's using money to sign for your personal image rights, but only limited to your identity as a superhero. It won't interfere with your private life, and it's not a one-time buyout deal either. Simply put: the first sum of money demonstrates sincerity, and subsequent related income will be split 50/50."
Steve nodded: "I understand. But isn't the first sum of money a bit too much? And if it's a 50/50 split, will you still be able to make money?"
"Rest assured, this amount is definitely not too much; it might even be too little. And the 50/50 split is of the net profit after deducting operating costs. Money will definitely be made; it's just a matter of how much. But I think it will definitely make a lot of money."
Listening to Hong Fei's explanation, Steve nodded at first, but then shook his head, clicking his tongue repeatedly: "One hundred million, how can that not be too much?"
Hong Fei smiled and reassured him: "Believe me, it is definitely not too much, and there will definitely be more in the future!" Steve thought for a moment and then said: "How about a little less? Since we are friends, I can give you a 'friends and family' price."
"What is your 'friends and family' price?"
Steve held up an index finger.
"Ten million?"
"No."
"One million? No, that's too little."
"Neither. It's one dollar!"
Hong Fei was immediately stunned, then burst into laughter: "Hahaha, this 'friends and family' price really shows the friendship, but no!"
Steve frowned: "Why?"
"It's too little! Besides, I'm not just signing you this time; the entire Avengers are within the scope of my plan. Think about it: if you only accept one dollar, how could the others have the nerve to accept a high price later? I know you don't care about money, and you probably aren't particularly short of it right now, but not everyone is like you. Some of them still have families to support. Maybe this money could solve their urgent needs? Don't worry about me losing money; you are definitely worth this price!"
Upon hearing this, Steve suddenly understood.
"You're right. I didn't think it through."
"Then no need to say more. Just sign it. The money will arrive soon."
Steve picked up the pen and wrote his name directly.
With the contract in duplicate, Steve held his copy and flipped through it back and forth, clicking his tongue and saying: "I'm about to be a billionaire." Hong Fei laughed: "Actually, you could say you already are."
Steve smiled, his face showing no excitement or joy from sudden wealth; instead, he calmed down very quickly. Suddenly, he looked at the contract terms and his brows furrowed.
"Hiss, if this contract is to be believed, my portrait rights are actually very valuable?"
"That goes without saying. You are a role model and idol to many people."
"Then... what about those clothes outside with my image printed on them, or the dolls?"
Hong Fei laughed in his heart, thinking to himself that he had finally caught on.
At the same time, he said: "Some of those are pirated, but not many. The genuine ones definitely have authorization."
Steve was taken aback: "Authorization? Whose authorization?" Hong Fei laughed directly: "What do you think?" Steve was silent for a moment, then said helplessly: "The Military..."
"It must be. You sacrificed yourself heroically back then. Without family, everything of yours was naturally taken over by the military—including your image."
Steve frowned.
"Then will there be any problems with the contract we just signed?"
"Of course not."
Hong Fei chuckled.
"You signed the contract with me while alive. Those people only 'inherited' these things after your death."
Steve gave a bitter smile and shook his head, clearly unwilling to pursue the matter further. Hong Fei added fuel to the fire.
"If you've got time, you should investigate where the income from your merchandise ultimately goes."
"I will."
Steve straightened.
"By the way, what price did you set for the others?"
Hong Fei listed each figure without hesitation. Steve nodded slowly.
"Compared to my contract, the difference isn't substantial, but the total amount isn't small. Will this affect your upcoming business venture? If needed, my portion can wait—I'm in no hurry for the money."
A faint smile touched Hong Fei's lips.
"I robbed the British Museum and Wakanda. You think I'm short on cash?"
"It's tight, but manageable."
Steve's brow creased.
"So it does have an impact. Wait—this contract includes payments and profit sharing. I may not understand business, but the initial sum seems unusually large, doesn't it? Plus a fifty-fifty split where we provide nothing and you handle all operations? That seems... unusual."
Hong Fei shook his head.
"It's different."
"How?"
"You're superheroes."
Steve stiffened.
"I'd never call myself that. I just do what I can to protect people."
"Exactly."
Hong Fei leaned forward.
"But superheroes need to eat. They need beds when they're tired. Roofs over their heads when it rains. S.H.I.E.L.D. pays you—" "A salary, yes."
Hong Fei's laugh held an edge.
"Does that salary match your efforts? Are the dangers you face proportional to your compensation?"
Steve hesitated.
"We don't do this for rewards..."
"Wrong."
Hong Fei cut him off.
"Dead wrong."
"What do you mean?"
"There's a saying: Those who gather firewood for the masses shouldn't freeze to death in the storm."
Steve's gaze turned thoughtful. Hong Fei pressed on.
"Not everyone can be self-sufficient. Behind every hero might be a family relying on them. Children waiting for dinner. A spouse praying they come home alive. Imagine risking your life daily, returning battered, only to count coins for your child's medicine. Staring at an empty pantry. Watching your loved ones suffer while your paycheck barely covers rent—" His voice dropped.
"Isn't it heartbreaking? Isn't it sad?"