As Natasha Romanoff left with the report, Maria Hill pushed the door open and entered.
"Hill, how are the preparations going?" Nick Fury asked with a serious expression.
"Almost ready. According to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s tests, he still has vital signs. After thawing, they're returning to normal. We just don't know when he'll wake up."
After answering, Hill added with a hint of awe, "I can't believe we actually found this frozen legendary hero. It's been nearly seventy years, and he's still so young—alive after being frozen for so long. God, I almost suspect the serum Dr. Abraham Erskine injected into him wasn't a super-soldier serum, but one extracted from Superman's body in the comics!"
Nick Fury remained silent. Indeed, after discovering the records in Su Che's diary, he'd found it hard to believe that Steve Rogers, the legendary hero frozen in sleep for nearly seventy years, was still alive. Using S.H.I.E.L.D.'s resources and technology, they'd frantically searched the Arctic location mentioned in the diary—and unexpectedly, they'd found him!
Upon hearing the news, Fury immediately had the frozen Steve Rogers retrieved and assigned Hill to recreate a setting reminiscent of his time. He was worried that this superhero, awakening after seventy years, might struggle to accept that half a century had passed.
"Find a way to wake this legendary hero as soon as possible. As for the rest, I believe he'll adapt gradually." Fury glanced at the dissected humanoid behind the glass. "If he truly can't accept this new world or integrate into it, we'll send him directly to Taohualin Café to be with Su Che."
One was a superhero who'd arrived in this world after his parallel world was destroyed; the other was Captain America, abandoned by his original world after seventy years of sleep. In this era that didn't belong to either but which they had to gradually adapt to, Fury believed the two would have much in common. In fact, they might even get along quite well!
New York, Peach Blossom Café
"I think you should promote Selena to store manager!" Natasha Romanoff said, sipping her coffee across from Su Che. She nodded toward the counter, where Selena maintained a sweet smile for customers and promptly handled any mess. "She's the hardest-working girl I've ever seen in this coffee shop—responsible and attentive to both customers and tasks."
Natasha raised an eyebrow teasingly. "You know, the other girls here, including some female customers who approach you, just want to lure you to the bedroom and experience the mysterious Oriental charm. Only Selena is genuinely striving to become store manager."
Su Che glanced at Selena, who was smiling warmly at customers, and nodded. "That's true. After end-of-month accounts are settled, I might hand the store manager position to her. But before that—are you sure you came here today just to discuss this?"
He took a sip of his black coffee—bitter and sour, with no added sugar, an acquired taste, but its unique roasted aroma was unforgettable. "Tell me, what do you want from me this time? If it's about collaborating with S.H.I.E.L.D., forget it. As I've said, I don't trust the current S.H.I.E.L.D."
"Rather than collaborating with S.H.I.E.L.D., we've discovered the humanoid monster you mentioned last time." Natasha's expression turned serious as she handed him the documents. "Su, you should know this creature best—you were the first to encounter it. Have you seen Resident Evil? We're unsure if this humanoid monster is contagious. That tongue-like proboscis it can projectile is terrifying. If it's contagious and can turn ordinary people into similar monsters, this world could fall soon."
She watched Su Che flip through the report intently. "I know you don't trust S.H.I.E.L.D., and that's fine. But I hope you can trust me!"