The CEO of Hammer Industries was arrested. On the other hand, Tony appointed Pepper Potts as the new CEO of Stark Industries, while he officially took up his role as a consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Iron Man, you're my idol. It's such an honor to meet you." Spider-Man shook Tony's hand shamelessly, and just kept shaking it.
Tony was a little thrown off by the kid's enthusiasm. "Uh, hi, Spider-Man."
"Iron Man said hi to me! I'm so happy I could die." It was like he'd just been blessed by a billionaire god. Clearly, Spider-Man was the clown prince of fanboys.
"This is Agent Natasha Romanoff. I believe you've already met her," said Director Nick Fury.
Met her? Wasn't she the head of his company's legal department? "You're fired." Tony hadn't expected this beautiful woman to be a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, let alone one embedded right under his nose. "So that scathing report about me—was that you too?"
"I was just being honest," Black Widow replied coolly.
Tony felt like the world was beyond saving.
"This is Agent Ada Wong," the director continued.
"I've seen her before. She's in charge of garbage collection," Tony said, still refusing to rein in his mouth.
"It's called post-incident clean-up, not garbage collection," Fury corrected. "Agent Ada's skills are on par with Agent Romanoff."
"And this is Agent Phil Coulson."
Phil hadn't managed to meet Thor, so he came back early.
The director introduced all the agents present, and Tony took mental notes. "I'll need a couple of assistants. First, I'll help S.H.I.E.L.D. upgrade your systems and equipment. That flying aircraft carrier of yours still has a lot of room for improvement."
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents weren't about to follow orders from some consultant. They were waiting for Director Fury's instructions.
But Fury trusted Tony Stark enough to bring him on as a consultant in the first place. "Phil, assist Tony. From today onward, you're his right-hand man. The rest of you—what are you waiting for? Everyone is to follow Stark's command."
"Yes, sir!"
Then the director called Natasha aside to the bridge. "New assignment."
"What is it?" Natasha wasn't surprised but frowned when the director handed her something.
"Read it first," Fury said.
It was a movie ticket, which made Black Widow even more confused. This really was a strange mission. Frozen? She'd heard about it—back when she worked at Stark Industries, coworkers were always talking about it. But she'd never gotten around to watching it. Now, her mission was to go see a movie? This was ridiculous.
Because she didn't know what the mission was about, Natasha watched the film with full attention—no relaxation, pure focus. Her seat was in the center of the theater, a prime spot. At first, she couldn't relax, but as the story unfolded, Natasha became fully immersed in the movie's world.
The bond between Elsa and Anna, Elsa's awakening and realization, the breathtaking scenery, the natural special effects, and the profound message all made it clear that this film was a masterpiece.
So this was what mutants were like. She knew a few mutants, but only ever thought of how powerful their abilities were. She had never stopped to consider how hard their lives could be. No wonder everyone recommended the movie—Black Widow had to admit it was excellent.
Back at S.H.I.E.L.D., the director asked her, "What did you think?"
"An extremely brilliant movie."
Fury nodded in agreement. He'd watched it twice himself. If he had more time, he'd watch it again. When the Blu-ray release came out, he planned to buy a collector's edition. "So, have you figured out what this mission is really about?"
"No. I haven't."
"I want you to investigate someone. He's the director of the movie, and Ada Wong's husband."
"?" Black Widow raised an eyebrow. "I thought we already knew Ada's husband was a journalist. Don't tell me this is her second marriage?"
"That's not it. The one who planned this entire film is indeed Ada's husband—Liu A'dou. Just one man. But now, someone suspects he's secretly rallying mutant forces for some hidden agenda."
"Is that even possible?"
Fury didn't really think so either, but someone had raised the concern. "Regardless of whether it's possible or not, the whole situation is a little off. Liu A'dou was just a nobody reporter. Then, out of nowhere, he gets involved with mutants, and now he's basically become their spokesperson. That in itself is suspicious."
"What, S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't investigate him when they brought Ada in?"
"We only found out afterward that Ada's husband had made such a hugely influential film," Director Fury said. They had thought Liu A'dou had simply changed careers, not realizing he was making such bold moves. "I suspect that while Ada was attending FBI special training, Liu A'dou encountered something unusual. We've confirmed that he suddenly vanished from Gotham City during that time and reappeared in New York."
"I understand now. You want me to investigate the period when he disappeared," Black Widow reasoned.
"Exactly," the director said. "Ada most likely doesn't know about this either, so the investigation needs to be kept from her."
"Understood."
At the time, Liu A'dou had no idea that as Frozen's momentum grew and public sympathy for mutants increased, he had drawn the attention of radical elements within the government. The delay of the Mutant Registration Act had enraged them, so they ordered S.H.I.E.L.D.—their go-to enforcers—to investigate Liu A'dou.
The radicals wanted to find out who was advising him. They didn't believe Professor X, the old conservative, was behind this kind of cunning maneuvering. And Liu A'dou, just a small-time reporter, couldn't have come up with such daring ideas alone. So someone else must be behind the scenes, pushing him forward. If they could identify that force, they could crush it.
So they sent Black Widow to approach him under the guise of a talent agent from a management company. What they didn't realize was that sending Natasha was the worst possible move—because Liu A'dou knew her.
After making money from the movie, Liu A'dou had no problem living like an idle freeloader. He spent his time researching knowledge from other worlds and keeping up the house. Black Widow didn't approach him right away. She spent a few days monitoring him from the shadows and saw that his life was incredibly routine. Every morning, he went out to buy groceries, then cleaned up the house, and spent the rest of the day writing or sketching things at home. Sometimes he'd jump around the living room doing who-knows-what. At night, he went to bed early and turned off the lights.
After several days of the same routine, Black Widow realized she wouldn't get anything else without direct contact. So she put on a fitted gray office suit with a pencil skirt, sheer black stockings, and black heels. With elegant poise, she pressed the doorbell.
"Coming." Liu A'dou quickly came to the door. "Who are you looking for?"
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Liu A'dou, director and writer of Frozen?"
Liu A'dou took one look at her and saw an absolutely stunning woman. Her curves were practically unreal. But when he looked at her face… also flawless. Yet Natasha Romanoff's name carried weight and fear. She wasn't here for a friendly visit.
"And you are?" he asked, pretending not to recognize her.
"This is my card." Black Widow handed him a beautifully embossed, gold-stamped business card.
Hollywood All-Stars Talent Agency, Agent Natasha Romanoff…
"Ah, hello, hello! So you're an agent." That agency was legit—one of the top agencies in Hollywood. "Please, come in."
He welcomed Natasha into the living room and offered her a seat. Then he went to the kitchen to pour a cup of coffee. "So, what does the top agency in America want with me?"
Natasha took a sip of the coffee and gracefully set the cup down, radiating the poise of a major company executive. "Here's the thing—our company is very interested in Miss Elsa. We'd like to sign her, but we've heard that all of her contract matters are handled by you. So I came by to speak with you directly."
"I see." Liu A'dou chuckled to himself. They were still acting—let's see who could fake it better. He rubbed his chin and played the role of a tough negotiator. "You probably know that Miss Elsa is a mutant. And whether it's her acting or her singing, she's first-class. I already plan to establish a long-term partnership with her."
"But Mr. Liu, if I may be blunt, you're a complete unknown. Even if your first work was outstanding, that doesn't mean you'll be able to keep Miss Elsa in the spotlight. You must know that artists need marketing and publicity. If you don't take advantage of Frozen's current popularity, Elsa will soon be forgotten by the entertainment industry."
"That's not something you need to worry about," Liu A'dou said, eyes full of confidence. "I'll make Elsa the strongest diva on Earth. Humanity will go crazy for her voice. She won't just be famous here—she'll go beyond Earth and become a star in the universe."
Natasha was stunned. This Liu A'dou must be insane. A superstar leaving Earth? That was nonsense.
But she underestimated the power of songstresses from various worlds. There was Lynn Minmay from afar, and Lacus Clyne from more recent times—none of them were ordinary. As Elsa's fame rose, so did Liu A'dou's ambition. First, he'd be the spokesperson for mutants. Then, the representative of Earth. And finally, he'd spread music across the stars.