Of course.
Besides Hawkeye Barton and Black Widow, there was also Coulson.
These three Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., 'certified' by the diary, would be Nick Fury's most trusted subordinates at this stage.
However, even so, this 'most trusted' only reached about seventy percent trust.
There was nothing he could do; this was Nick Fury's nature; he had never fully trusted anyone.
Seventy percent was actually quite high for him.
"Barton..."
"Natasha..."
After recalling his two most capable subordinates, Nick Fury issued a series of top-secret orders to them separately.
He threw these two hard and solid bricks onto the battlefield where Nick Fury needed them most.
What battlefield?
Naturally, it was the secret war against HYDRA.
"From now on, this line will be our dedicated encrypted line."
"If you discover anything, contact me immediately using this encrypted line."
"Alright, get to work."
After giving Barton and Black Widow some other instructions, Nick Fury waved his hand and dismissed them.
As for Nick Fury himself?
After Black Widow and Barton got up and left, he pondered for a moment, then also got up and left.
After a series of counter-surveillance measures to ensure he wasn't being followed, Nick Fury drove his car directly to a very secret Base.
That's right, it was precisely the Base where Nick Fury was secretly researching Whiplash technology.
"Sir!"
Not long after entering a room.
A person in a white coat, looking like a scientist, quickly came before Nick Fury.
In his hand, he was carrying a remarkably delicate box, and it was unknown what was inside.
However, after Nick Fury nodded faintly, his single eye fell directly on the box.
He showed no emotion on the surface, but inwardly, he was very much looking forward to it.
"The final test has been completed, right?"
After retracting his gaze, Nick Fury casually glanced at the researcher and asked in a deep voice.
"It has been completed, but some specific parameters still need to be set according to personal preference."
"This is also why I invited you here."
The researcher immediately began to explain the situation to Nick Fury.
"Then let's begin."
After a slight deliberation, Nick Fury stood up and took off his impressive trench coat.
Clap, clap!
Seeing this, the researcher quickly opened the delicate box and took out a special 'vest' from it.
At first glance, the 'vest' looked like a bulletproof vest, but it was thicker and more complex than an ordinary one.
Additionally, two 'wires' extended from it, connecting to two glove-like objects.
Nick Fury examined it briefly and didn't hesitate too much.
With the assistance of the researcher, he quickly put on this set of 'equipment'.
And quickly activated it.
Buzz!
The chest area of the 'vest' immediately began to glow brightly.
The same went for the gloves in Nick Fury's hands.
At first glance, it was filled with the aesthetic beauty of high technology and was very impressive.
Nick Fury carefully felt his current state, then no longer hesitated and strode to a stone pillar that had been prepared earlier.
"Hmph!"
He let out a low roar and punched the stone pillar fiercely.
Boom!
A loud sound immediately came.
The stone pillar was actually shattered by Nick Fury's punch, crumbling into pieces on the ground.
Nick Fury nodded inwardly, quite satisfied with the power.
Even if Captain America came, it would be no more than this, right?
However, as an Agent King, Nick Fury naturally did not easily show his emotions on his face.
He remained expressionless throughout and conducted other tests.
About ten minutes later, Nick Fury finally took off the 'vest'.
"It's still too heavy; I want you to reduce it to under twenty kilograms."
"Also, lower the sensitivity by three points."
As he casually handed the 'vest' to the researcher, Nick Fury seriously stated his demands.
The researcher immediately showed a look of difficulty: "Sir, this weight is already the lowest after balancing all trade-offs. If it's lighter, it might affect functionality."
"I don't want to hear that, and I don't care about that."
"I hired you because you are the most outstanding expert in this field. Will you make me regret this decision?"
"Tell me?"
Nick Fury was indeed an Agent King; just a faint glance at the other party brought immense pressure upon him.
It made the other party instinctively unable to retort.
"Alright, I will discuss it with my team again."
After a slight hesitation, the researcher still agreed to Nick Fury's request.
"How long can the existing energy source sustain full-power operation?"
Nick Fury thought of another question and asked casually again.
"This is a simplified reactor; it can only provide power for five minutes at most."
The researcher gave this answer.
Five minutes?
Nick Fury was naturally very dissatisfied.
"Double that time!"
Nick Fury, as expected, made another difficult request to the other party.
"Sir, with all due respect, that's impossible."
"Before I brought you here, this kind of small reactor energy source was also impossible, so don't tell me anything is impossible!"
Nick Fury didn't waste any more words with the other party, firmly issued the task, and then dismissed him.
"Boss."
After the researcher left, Nick Fury called over the head of the Base.
After a brief discussion with him, Nick Fury again issued an order: "Prepare; we're moving to a new location within fifteen days."
"Moving again?"
The Base head expressed extreme surprise at this, as this Base had already been secretly moved once.
And now, after such a short time, again?
What the Base head naturally couldn't know was that Nick Fury had always felt the countless unseen eyes of HYDRA secretly watching him for a long time!
To be frank, while Whiplash's technology was impressive, it was actually just that.
Under normal circumstances, the well-informed Nick Fury wouldn't have attached such importance to it.
However, now, this was a war with HYDRA!
Nick Fury would absolutely not accept defeat in this war, nor would he ever allow this technology to fall into HYDRA's hands.
Furthermore, this matter also involved the open and secret struggle between Nick Fury and HYDRA, and Nick Fury intended to use this Base to set a trap.
And facts proved that Nick Fury's strategy was very successful.
Just two months later, HYDRA successfully located this secret Base and obtained the relevant technology, which had been 'embellished' by Nick Fury.
"Officer, the Whiplash data has been obtained, and the technical team is currently verifying and analyzing it."
Triskelion, top-floor office.
Upon hearing the report from the Senior Undercover Agent opposite him, Alexander Pierce couldn't help but reveal a satisfied smile.
After such a long time, finally, there was some good news.
Heaven knew how frustrated Pierce had been these past few months.
Stern's matter had only just passed, and Pierce hadn't even fully recovered from the pain, when the Winter Soldier's Base was taken out by Stark.
Not only did HYDRA lose the Winter Soldier, a sharp blade, but in these past few months, they were also severely bitten by Nick Fury.
Adding the previous losses from Stern, even if HYDRA had a vast enterprise, it was becoming somewhat unbearable.
The acquisition of Whiplash technology could be said to be their only comfort.
"Excellent!"
"This is exactly what we need right now!"
"I want to see results as quickly as possible!"
Alexander Pierce's approving voice rang out, and light reappeared in the old man's eyes.
Although HYDRA had been secretly researching Captain America's blood samples for some time, they had made no progress whatsoever.
This technology, seemingly from World War II, seemed to have been placed under a sealing spell, with no one able to unveil its mysterious veil.
Although it was quite frustrating, Alexander Pierce had to admit the fact that:
It seemed unlikely to find a substitute for the Winter Soldier in the short term.
Of course.
There were indeed several other super soldiers frozen in the Siberia Base.
But those super soldiers were very unstable, and even HYDRA couldn't fully control them.
So, unless absolutely necessary, Pierce would not consider deploying those super soldiers.
Under these circumstances, the importance of Whiplash technology became even more prominent.
"Understood, Officer!"
The Senior Undercover Agent immediately responded with a powerful voice.
"How are things progressing with the investigation into Stark?"
Pierce nodded, satisfied with the Senior Undercover Agent's attitude, then he asked another question he was concerned about.
"I was just about to report on that, Officer."
"The reason Stark suddenly attacked our Base is because he discovered that the Winter Soldier was the killer of his parents."
"Stark went for revenge."
"As for Nick Fury, he didn't show anything suspicious in this matter; he was just alarmed by the commotion Stark caused."
Upon hearing this report, Alexander Pierce's brows couldn't help but furrow.
Stark actually knew the truth about Howard's couple's deaths?
How could this be?
So many years had passed since the incident; logically, it should have been settled long ago.
Why did Tony Stark suddenly discover this extremely hidden truth so many years after the matter was decided?
Could it be because of Stern's incident?
After all, Stern's 'downfall,' or rather, the exposure of Stern's HYDRA identity, was due to Tony Stark's secret investigation into him.
Alexander Pierce was actually unaware of what Tony Stark had discovered during that time.
No one knew for certain except Tony Stark himself and Nick Fury.
But now, it seemed Tony Stark must have found out quite a lot.
Of course, Pierce also believed that Tony Stark probably didn't trace it back to the Winter Soldier when he investigated Stern.
After all, even that useless Stern didn't know about the Winter Soldier, and there was no overlap between the two.
But clearly, Tony Stark must have discovered some crucial information, then secretly conducted further investigation and excavation.
Ultimately, he dug up the Winter Soldier and the truth about his parents' murder!
And then, he again dug up the Winter Soldier's secret Base.
That must be how it happened.
Besides this, Alexander Pierce really couldn't think of any other more reasonable explanation.
"That good-for-nothing!"
"He's truly more trouble than he's worth!"
As soon as he thought of this, Alexander Pierce couldn't help but curse Stern in his heart.
Look at how much trouble and loss that good-for-nothing had caused HYDRA!
"How much about us does Stark currently know?"
After quickly calming his emotions, Pierce raised his head again and asked the Senior Undercover Agent in front of him.
"We don't know exactly how much Stark has found out."
"But one of our databases was once breached, and there was an unknown IP access."
The Senior Undercover Agent gave a very pessimistic answer: "Although we can't find out who breached us, the time of the breach coincides with the time Stark attacked our Base."
It's confirmed!
No doubt about it.
The guy who breached that database must be Tony Stark.
Not to mention the temporal coincidence, even from a technical standpoint, who else could have done this besides that genius?
So, both Pierce and the Senior Undercover Agent were very certain that Tony Stark was behind this.
Therefore, Alexander Pierce's expression immediately turned grim.
"It seems Stark must have a lot of information."
After a moment of silence, Pierce finally sighed deeply.
Even without considering Tony Stark breaching their database, just the fact that Tony Stark found the Winter Soldier's Base was telling enough.
That Playboy must possess shocking information.
This was not good news for Pierce.
"Officer, how should we deal with Stark?"
The voice of the Senior Undercover Agent in front of him rang out, and he seriously asked Pierce this crucial question.
If it were anyone else, there would be no doubt; he would just send people to eliminate him.
But Tony Stark's status was too special; an assassination would have too massive an impact, which is why the Senior Undercover Agent sought Pierce's opinion.
"Any stumbling block that hinders the development of our HYDRA must be removed."
"No exceptions!"
Alexander Pierce, however, said with conviction.
Even if it's Tony Stark, so what?
If he blocks HYDRA's path, he must die!