Steve's eyes stayed red-rimmed as they flew. Hong Fei kept glancing at him until he finally snorted a laugh.
"What's eating you?"
Steve shook his head, voice low.
"Didn't expect it to go like this."
"You thought they wouldn't still have your back?"
"No... not that."
Steve rubbed his temple.
"Just figured a wanted man wouldn't get such a warm welcome."
Hong Fei barked a laugh. "Proves you don't spend enough time online."
"Never got the hang of it."
"Let Arthur handle it. Easiest fix? Slap on the Iron Man suit. He'll pipe whatever footage you need straight to your visor—just say the word, no fiddling required."
"Right. I will." Steve paused, then added, "Your play was smart, though. Letting me show face without undermining your position. Gave them just enough to suspect there's more to the story. Most importantly?"
He gestured back toward the retreating crowd.
"Did you see their eyes when we left? No rage. No hate. Just people thinking for themselves."
Hong Fei's smile was razor-thin.
"If the people are ready, lead them. If not? Make damn sure they know."
He leaned against the quinjet's bulkhead.
"In this age, with social stability on the line, truth with proper guidance is the only play—barring certain truths. They're not stupid. Just starved for full context while drowning in propaganda."
His knuckles tapped the metal wall.
"Problem is, too many politicians treat public office like a shell game. Their 'policy' boils down to trading majority welfare for minority gain. That's capital's core sickness. There'll always be such men—but we're called 'heroes' for a reason. Our job isn't politics. Our job is remembering one thing: the people's will is the only politics that matters."
Steve hadn't blinked once during the speech. Now he exhaled sharply.
"Hell of a point. With the majority behind us, we can't lose."
Hong Fei's head shake was almost sad.
"Half-right. Public support's the foundation, but without power to back it? Meaningless. Restraint's vital—until it's time to break jaws. Otherwise, the vultures keep pushing."
He mimed scales balancing.
"Only when ideals and force move together do you get real stability."
"Damn straight."
Steve's grin was fierce.
"I'm quoting you verbatim at the next team meeting."
Hong Fei's answering nod held grim approval.
The Triskelion loomed closer. They touched down, Steve striding ahead with Hong Fei a step behind—no prisoner escort, just two men walking in sync.
Entering the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, a group of agents jerked at the sight of Steve, then sagged in relief spotting Hong Fei. Every eye tracked their progress to the elevator.
The doors slid open on the top floor. As they stepped out, Steve's shield slapped into Hong Fei's palm. S.H.I.E.L.D. cuffs locked around the captain's wrists with a hiss.
The knock on Pierce's office door brought Rumlow to answer. His eyes widened momentarily in surprise when he saw who stood there. Steve entered silently, taking position by the wall without speaking. Pierce rose immediately, his face lighting up.
"Mr. Hong, you've proven my trust wasn't misplaced."
Hong Fei offered a restrained smile before moving to the seating area. He settled into a chair while Pierce's gaze flickered between Steve's shield and handcuffs. A silent signal passed to Rumlow, who nodded and escorted Steve out. Hong Fei watched Rumlow's retreating back until the door clicked shut behind him.
Pierce chuckled at the scrutiny.
"He's quite capable. I'd be willing to transfer him to you if you'd like."
"No need."
Hong Fei's tone remained even.
"If you value him so highly, you should keep him for more important matters."
That man wasn't Rumlow at all—he was a Skrull. While Hong Fei lacked any innate ability to detect their disguises, his psychic senses screamed the truth. The mimicry was flawless, inside and out. Few species on Earth could achieve such perfection besides the shape-shifting aliens.
The Skrulls had been Fury's first extraterrestrial contacts and longest-kept secret. Their genetic gifts for impersonation made them virtually undetectable among humans. Having consumed Fury's soul, Hong Fei now possessed the late director's memories—including knowledge of their numbers. Some served in Fury's private bases, while the majority lived aboard a spacecraft orbiting Earth, receiving regular supply drops and occasional planetary leave.
Fury's approach had been characteristic: trust tempered with caution. Yet when Xu Wenwu's team raided the bases earlier, they'd found no trace of the Skrulls. Hong Fei had suspected they might act independently after Fury's death. Now his suspicions were confirmed.
Secret Invasion had been a major event in the primary universe—but there, the Skrulls possessed greater strength, and more importantly, no Master Hong to contend with. In another time, he might have encouraged their ambitions, even assisted their plans to reap the chaos's benefits. But now?
The Avengers belonged to the Foundation. S.H.I.E.L.D. would soon fall under its umbrella. Any Skrull incursion would threaten Hong Fei's growing global influence first. Poor timing indeed.
Pierce approached with a bottle and two glasses.
"Mr. Hong, you've earned this."
"I don't drink."
The glasses clinked as Pierce removed one, his smile unwavering.
"The Avengers have left S.H.I.E.L.D. for your Foundation. A public statement from you could erase their name entirely—only the Foundation would remain. This deserves celebration."
He leaned forward, voice smooth.
"Would you like me to help organize a banquet so that the powerful and wealthy from around the world can meet the Foundation's sole master?"
Hong Fei met his gaze before shaking his head.
"No banquet. Those affairs don't suit me. Besides—" A faint smile touched his lips.
"Despite my appearances at S.H.I.E.L.D., most of the world still doesn't know who I really am. It would not be convenient for you to bring so many so-called powerful people to meet me."
"That's true, Mr. Hong is thoughtful as always."
Pierce pretended to be enlightened, paused, and then said, "The Insight Project is still in the testing phase, and it is estimated that it will take another month or two to officially start. You brought Steve back, which solved a big trouble for me. Thank you!"
Saying this, he raised his glass to Hong Fei and drank it all in one gulp. After he finished drinking, Hong Fei said directly, "The Insight Project is your goal, and The Foundation is my goal. I have already done the task, so let's hand over the things I want as soon as possible."
"Okay, no problem. I will send all those people to you later. In addition, to express my gratitude, I will hand over some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s research project data to you in full. There are many novel things in it, which should be helpful to your Foundation."
This was the reward for bringing Steve back. The basic exchange was to allow the Avengers to enter The Foundation without obstacles on a political level. The so-called extra money naturally did not refer to U.S. dollars, but to the people of S.H.I.E.L.D. Including but not limited to Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, and so on. They may not necessarily have powerful combat capabilities, but as senior managers or senior elite agents, entering The Foundation to coordinate and organize management with Xu Wenwu and others is absolutely more than enough, and it will also be very helpful for emergency handling of unexpected incidents.
The Foundation is a large group-style organization. It is no longer the loose mode of Hong Fei dragging nine people along. Now, there are seventeen people in the super-powered tier. In the future, under the condition that everything goes smoothly, the number will only increase. As long as no one plays with death, it will not decrease. This is a powerful force. It is also a huge card pool. Managing The Foundation well means constantly injecting new blood into the card pool.
"Okay."
Hong Fei nodded and immediately stood up, "Leaving."
"I'll see you out."
"No need, drink your drink!"
Waving his hand, Hong Fei left stylishly. After he walked away, Pierce poured himself another glass, then he looked at the liquid in the glass, and the corners of his mouth curled up slowly. Steve had already been taken away from the Triskelion by Rumlow. It goes without saying that HYDRA must be eager to brainwash Steve. Captain HYDRA, just thinking about it makes one feel an inexplicable thrill.
However, a perfectly good plan suddenly had a group of Skrulls pop up. Rumlow is probably dead by now. The Skrulls impersonating him and hiding by Pierce's side must have known about HYDRA's scheme long ago. To say they have no thoughts about S.H.I.E.L.D. is absolutely impossible, and it is even highly likely that they will make a move against The Foundation.
Hong Fei does not deny, nor will he underestimate or overestimate his own power. But at the same time, he will not despise or even ignore any potential threats. The Skrulls' abilities have their own particularity. They can choose not to confront Hong Fei head-on. They are like buzzing flies; they can't do much to you, but flying around from time to time can always disturb one's peace of mind.
"Arthur, contact Big Head, Jessica, Natasha, Yelena, and Antonia, and find a nearby place to meet up."
"Okay, sir. There is one thing to report to you. An hour ago, satellite detection comparison results showed that near the place you previously marked as 'Kunlun', someone suddenly appeared out of thin air."
"Oh?"