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Chapter 128 - Chapter 128: I Call You “Director” Out of Courtesy—Without It, You're Just a Bald Egg

The first product launch of Capsule Corporation came to a successful close, with 230 units sold for a total of 690 million USD.

Smith Dole was quite satisfied with that number. After all, it was a brand-new concept, and the price was set relatively high.

Still, he was confident that many of the organizations who received units would soon place additional orders.

Why? Because the first thing they'd do was try to dismantle and reverse-engineer the product—only to end up with nothing usable after causing some "accidental explosions."

Once certain agencies experienced the benefits of the Power Level Detector firsthand, there was no doubt they'd be back for more—especially those particularly interested in superhuman individuals. Smith didn't even need to think hard to know what their intentions were.

Moreover, as the news of the launch spread, he was sure a wave of wealthy individuals would want to try it out. The Power Level Detector could even become a new status symbol.

After the conference ended, Smith went backstage, where Bulma was eagerly waiting for their date to begin.

"Everything's wrapped up. Once the crowd clears out, we'll start our trip as planned."

Bulma nodded excitedly. Fox was still outside handling the remaining orders when Tony arrived.

"Smith, seriously—that was an incredible invention."

Tony hugged Smith, then turned to Bulma.

"Bulma, that was truly innovative. The Power Level Detector is a brilliant idea."

"Smith, you really hit the jackpot with her."

It was Bulma's first invention, and Tony was genuinely impressed—especially considering she was only sixteen. She was a bona fide genius, not just some tool or amateur.

Bulma beamed.

"Thanks for the compliment, Tony!"

Smith smiled too.

"Bulma really is a treasure—and a precious one at that."

As the group chatted, Nick Fury—seeing Tony had entered the backstage area—decided this was his moment and walked in as well.

"Tony Stark. Smith Dole. Both here. Excellent."

"And this must be the beautiful young scientist, Bulma."

Seeing Fury stroll in like they were best friends, Smith didn't even bother hiding his disdain. He rolled his eyes and straight-up ignored him.

Since when did some bald spook think he could just show up like this?

Tony greeted the man:

"Look who it is—Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.! What, here to show us a new world?"

Unamused, Fury responded flatly:

"Smith Dole, I need to talk to you about the product you just launched."

Smith smirked.

"Oh? What insights does Director Fury have to share?"

"If it's about ordering more, talk to Fox. He's handling that."

Fury could feel the disrespect pouring from Smith's words. It was obvious—Smith treated him entirely differently than he treated Coulson.

"You want to have this conversation here?"

Smith glanced at Tony and Bulma, then said:

"They're my people."

Then added with a teasing edge:

"Are you really sure you want to talk to me… in private? Just the two of us?"

Seeing the taunting, almost provocative look in Smith's eyes, Fury clenched his fists. Truthfully, he had no intention of being alone with Smith. If Tony hadn't been here, he probably wouldn't have come at all. When it came to dealing with Smith, Coulson was clearly the better pick.

Taking a deep breath, Fury got to the point:

"Regarding your Power Level Detector—I believe this product has significant implications for global stability. It's not suitable for public sale, and especially not for private ownership."

"That said, I'm not suggesting it can't be sold at all. I recommend having S.H.I.E.L.D. and other departments lead a joint effort to classify the detector as a restricted military-grade product. That would be the most responsible course of action."

Tony raised an eyebrow. Military classification wasn't unreasonable—the device was impressive. In fact, he had already planned to ask Smith to build a custom module for his suit.

But if it was labeled "restricted," that complicated things. It meant many organizations—and even some nations—would be banned from purchasing it.

Clearly, this detector had struck a nerve with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Fury's real concern wasn't security. It was his "ally"—the Skrulls. If the detector became widespread, their exposure was inevitable.

So long as their presence remained a secret, he had full control. But if others—especially governments or rival agencies—discovered the Skrulls, he might lose that edge.

Smith's smile vanished.

He walked up to Fury and jabbed his finger into the man's chest with each word:

"I call you Director out of courtesy. Don't mistake yourself for anyone's superior."

"Without that courtesy, you're just a ticking black egg!"

With each poke, Fury took a step back. His face flushed dark red with anger at the blatant insult.

Off to the side, Tony's expression turned awkward. Black egg…?

Seeing Fury's face, Tony couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.

"Ha! Hahaha!"

"Black egg—Smith, that's a perfect nickname!"

Fury's glare could've killed, but Tony just raised his hands.

"Sorry, I've had training, but… not enough to resist this."

"Haha… I need a moment, my face muscles are cramping!"

Fury growled, his tone sharp:

"Smith Dole, mind your position. I'm the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.!"

Smith turned his cold gaze toward Fury, and in an instant, a wave of pressure and killing intent flooded the room.

For the first time in a long while, Fury felt the real possibility of death. Smith had considered killing him right there.

Fury instinctively tightened his grip on the emergency pager in his coat pocket—the one that called Captain Marvel.

Smith stared him down for several long seconds, then noticed Fury's hand buried in his coat pocket, clearly clutching something.

(End of Chapter)

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