Chapter 193: The Future Era, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent
Just as Wanda was thinking about what things an artificial intelligence could never replace, things she herself could do better, Xi Nian's phone suddenly chimed with Alice's pleasant voice:
"Master, thirty million U.S. dollars have just been transferred into your account."
What?! Wanda froze. Wait—did Alice just call him "Master" too? She thought that title was for her alone!
But soon her attention was stolen by the number itself. Thirty… thirty million dollars?
"That S.H.I.E.L.D. director is surprisingly reliable," Xi Nian said with a smirk. But he knew perfectly well this so-called 'cat rental fee' wasn't really for him—it was for the woman standing behind him.
If his aunt wasn't Wonder Woman, he probably wouldn't have gotten a single cent. With S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reach and its partnership with the government, they could've found another way to borrow this Flerken cub.
Thirty million dollars was a staggering fortune for ordinary people—that's why Wanda was so shocked.
But to Xi Nian, it was nothing special. His aunt herself had over a billion dollars in hidden assets.
Besides, once you entered the extraordinary world, amounts like this were little more than ripples in the ocean. Just a single suit of Iron Man's or Batman's armor started at hundreds of millions. And compared to investments in interstellar warships or artificial intelligence systems? Thirty million was a drop in the bucket.
Xi Nian wasn't a miser. As long as he had enough for now, that was good enough. Piling up numbers in a bank account meant nothing. Far better to convert money into foundations of power, into resources with true value.
"Since I've got the startup capital, it's time to begin building…"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then issued his command. "Alice, use this money under another identity. I want you to acquire a technology or biotech research company."
"The company name will be—Future Era."
"And the first task of this new company is to digest Spider-Man's legacy—no, the 'gift box' of technological designs and product concepts he left behind. Focus especially on the nanotech."
"Oh, and that universal translator we found earlier—put it up for research too."
Xi Nian always acted quickly. Failure didn't scare him—in fact, with the resources in his hand, failure was nearly impossible. As for day-to-day operations, Alice could handle all of it.
"Understood, Master!" Alice replied immediately.
Even without a supercomputer mainframe or satellite network support, Alice was still using less than ten percent of her total potential. Handling these 'small tasks' was nothing to her.
Wanda, on the other hand, was still reeling.
The things she had learned today had shaken her entire understanding of the world.
Then something popped into her head. Alfred had once mentioned that the Prince family stood on equal footing with the Wayne Group. He'd also warned her that, as the future housekeeper of the Prince family, she must never bow to anyone—not even Bruce Wayne himself—because to do so would disgrace the family and her master.
"Wanda, now do you understand why I'm telling you all this today?"
Xi Nian looked at her intently, hooking his finger around the white scarf she wore. The absentminded girl tilted her head back, scarlet hair tumbling over her shoulders. Her pale neck and delicate face looked like that of a proud, pure little angel.
"I need you to understand your position and your goals for the future. You still have a lot to learn… But if, one day, you decide you want to give it all up—if you'd rather just live as a normal girl—then you must tell me."
"Young Master… will you abandon Wanda?" she asked nervously, clutching his hand that held her scarf.
"How could I?" Xi Nian chuckled. "It's the opposite. I need you to stay. Without you, I can't even take care of my daily life."
He paused, then added: "I'm talking about later. When you grow up, if you ever want to leave this place…"
"Then I'll never grow up!" Wanda said in a rush. "Please, let me always stay by your side! This week, I'll work hard to learn everything about finance!"
"No need to rush. Step by step."
He patted her head gently, then hesitated. "There's… something else."
Seeing her puzzled look, he finally shook his head. "Forget it. I'll tell you later."
Xi Nian had been planning to tell her about her brother, and S.H.I.E.L.D.'s involvement in his disappearance. But the matter wasn't clear yet. No point in making her anxious now.
He'd wait until the weekend, when he went to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters to confirm things himself.
…
New York.
Inside a high-security underground facility at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
The room had a shooting range, sparring ring, sandbags, weights—everything a top-class training facility needed. Yet the entire place was eerily empty, like a private domain.
This was the training chamber reserved for S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—but only those with Level Ten clearance could enter.
In S.H.I.E.L.D., agent ranks determined their clearance and missions. Level Ten was the absolute peak.
Above that was only the Director himself.
Even in today's vast S.H.I.E.L.D., the number of Level Ten agents could be counted on one hand. After all, a Level Ten agent was someone considered a potential future Director.
Drip.
A bead of sweat fell to the polished floor, joining a small puddle already there.
Reflected in the water was the image of a young woman.
She looked barely eighteen or nineteen, with dark golden hair falling to her shoulders and strikingly beautiful yet cold features. A sports bra clung tightly to her chest, outlining her impressive curves, while black leggings sculpted her hips into an enticing arc.
She was holding a plank position, arms bent, forearms flat on the ground. Her motionless pose displayed a body honed to perfection.
Minute by minute she held steady.
After ten minutes, her breathing finally began to grow heavy. Sweat poured from her tanned, toned skin, dripping from her collarbones and defined abs to the floor.
Beep—
The black communicator on the table lit up.
Still holding her position with one arm, the woman freed her other hand to answer.
"Quake, you have a mission. Do not leave headquarters this week," came the steady voice of Nick Fury.
"Send me the briefing," the woman, codename Quake, replied curtly.
Moments later, after scanning the message, she raised an eyebrow.
Was the Director serious?
This time, the target was… a boy.
Seventeen years old. A high schooler?
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