In the castle's underground chamber, the Tesseract hovered midair, its pulsing energy ripping open a massive portal. Men streamed through, hauling weapons of every description—some even drove wheeled rocket artillery straight into the shimmering void.
Frank watched the chaos with a furrowed brow. "Africa doesn't seem like a place worth this kind of effort."
Hong Fei crossed his arms, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "It's not what it looks like. You've worked with me long enough—have you ever seen me act without purpose?"
"Fair point," Frank conceded. "So, you're aiming to be a warlord?"
Hong Fei laughed, the sound sharp and dismissive. "Warlords are boring. Their entire existence revolves around carving out territory, all for the sake of grabbing political power. If I wanted that, I wouldn't go to Africa. I'd head straight for Texas."
Frank shot him a sideways glance. "Your way of thinking is as dangerous as ever."
"Enough small talk," Hong Fei said, cutting him off. "I'll be staying in Midtown Manhattan soon. Keep an eye on the construction here—the Sokovian government's been sniffing around our plans lately."
Since breaking ground in Blackwater Town, the site had drawn not only workers from the East but also a growing number of locals. In a country as economically stagnant as Sokovia, even city dwellers didn't mind taking a construction job. The wages far outpaced anything else available to them.
As more locals flocked to the site, the Sokovian government grew restless. They sent inspectors, attempted formal meetings, and tried every angle to squeeze money out of the operation. Hong Fei had no patience for their games. He delegated Number Two to handle them, sending the officials packing with empty hands. Their demands were transparent—they just wanted cash.
But Hong Fei wasn't about to part with more money. The land was private property, bought outright with a hefty sum. Any Sokovian faction trying to skim profits from it might as well have been robbing him directly. And Master Hong wasn't the type to let trash snatch his money.
The presence of Chinese personnel on the site seemed to keep the government somewhat restrained, but Hong Fei wasn't naive enough to rely on their caution.
"Doesn't this suit you perfectly?" he said to Frank. "I know you've been itching to test those weapons, especially the rocket artillery."
Frank smirked. "You're slandering me now?"
"You know it's true."
"As expected of the man I've set my sights on," Frank said, turning to leave.
"Don't forget!" Hong Fei called after him. "Tell Yuri Orlov it's time to prepare my shipment."
Half an hour later, the once-packed warehouse stood half-empty. Numbers Four and Five exchanged brief farewells with Hong Fei before leading dozens of men through the portal.
Hong Fei raised his hand, the Tesseract floating above his palm, and the space portal snapped shut. The cube glowed brighter than ever, its energy fluctuations visible to the naked eye.
Dr. Helen Cho studied the flickering blue light with a frown. "You're leaving again."
Hong Fei met her gaze, his expression serious. "Yes. I'm going to save the world."
She rolled her eyes but grabbed his wrist, sliding a sleek nano armor bracelet into place. Its surface shimmered with intricate lines of light before settling into a smooth, dormant state.
"The new nano armor deploys faster and supports partial deployment anywhere on your body. The armor incorporates the successful components of the Regeneration Cradle, enabling it to swiftly repair external injuries and some internal damage. Additionally, Arthur's backup chip assists with advanced data collection and analysis, significantly saving time."
The enhanced software and hardware ensure stable communication with your seven subordinates from anywhere on Earth, at any time.
Hong Fei glanced at his wrist and asked, "What about you?"
Dr. Helen Cho pointed to her eyes, then at Hong Fei, smiling. "I'm watching you at all times!"
"Now that's terrifying."
Noticing the look in his eyes, Dr. Cho deliberately rolled up her sleeve, revealing a nearly identical bracelet on her wrist. "I know—protecting myself means protecting you."
She was sharp enough to understand that Hong Fei's actions, a mix of good and bad, would inevitably draw unknown enemies. Even with the castle's robust security and countermeasures, she never overlooked her own safety.
Her words put Hong Fei at ease. The next moment, Dr. Cho stepped forward and embraced him, and they held each other quietly for a long time.
When she pulled away, her expression turned serious. "Whatever you're planning, promise me you'll stay safe."
Hong Fei gently pinched her cheek. "I will."
Arriving at the Sky Base, Hong Fei found Big Head and Dr. Erik Selvig waiting. The professor stared at the flickering light of the Tesseract, his brow furrowed.
"Mr. Hong, to be honest, I have a very bad feeling about this."
"I agree," Hong Fei replied with a smile, using the Tesseract to open a space portal. Dr. Selvig stepped through first.
"Big Head."
"Boss, what's the plan?"
"Keep an eye on our neighbors. Work with Arthur to map the area thoroughly. Ideally, we'll take that territory without conflict—it's perfect as Blackwater Town's border."
Big Head nodded eagerly. "Don't worry, Boss. I'll make sure it's done right."
Hong Fei nodded, took the Tesseract, and stepped into the portal.
At the New York estate's underground room, Number Two supervised the loading of Dr. Selvig's research equipment onto a vehicle, including a semi-finished device capable of fully harnessing the Tesseract's energy.
Dr. Selvig hesitated, then approached Hong Fei cautiously.
"Mr. Hong, I don't think we should continue this. Let me put it simply—the Tesseract is like a key. Its energy fluctuations are destabilizing space. It could open a massive wormhole on Earth, but we have no idea what's on the other side. This could be catastrophic!"
Hong Fei smirked. "Dr. Selvig, you're impressive."
"What?"
"Your inference is correct. It will open a huge space portal."
Dr. Selvig blinked in shock. "Then why are you—"
Hong Fei slung an arm around his shoulders. "Don't worry. Even if you hadn't studied it, the portal would still open. Think of it as a door that's unlocked from both sides."
Dr. Selvig's eyes widened as the realization hit him. "If it's a door, then we're clearly on the outside. We don't understand how it works, so we can't lock it from within." His worry deepened.
"I asked you to study it so we could turn passivity into initiative. But judging by the current situation, whoever's outside that door already knows the lock's rattling. They're preparing to make their move, and we've lost whatever time we might have bought."
Hong Fei exhaled sharply. "I'm sorry—I didn't realize. If I'd known, I should've gathered more scientists to collaborate..." Dr. Erik Selvig's shoulders slumped with regret.
Hong Fei shook his head. "Professor, you're not at fault here. You're just a scientist doing your job. The truth is, from the moment we first studied the Tesseract, it was broadcasting signals to the other side—flashing our location like a beacon across dimensions. The responsibility was never yours to bear."
He leaned against the lab table, fingers drumming. "You contributed your expertise to an organization you trusted, at the invitation of a senior agent. In the grand scheme, you were just... an unimportant pawn."
"So even if disaster strikes," Hong Fei continued, his voice dropping, "the blame lies squarely with whoever made that reckless, ignorant decision to meddle with forces beyond their understanding."
Selvig's mouth opened, then closed without a word.
Soon after, the research equipment was loaded. Hong Fei and Selvig rode together into New York, the city's skyline swallowing them whole.
Their new safehouse occupied the penthouse of a luxury high-rise in central Manhattan—walking distance from Central Park and Lincoln Center, but more importantly, just two blocks from Stark Tower.
Floor-to-ceiling windows offered panoramic views. Hong Fei stood before them, watching as a streak of gold and red light arced down onto Stark Tower's rooftop. Tony Stark stepped out of the armor in his usual tailored suit, but even from this distance, the tension in his posture was unmistakable.
Behind him, Number Two's team arranged equipment at the far end of the residence while Selvig hovered anxiously. The 500-square-meter space allowed clear separation of work zones—enough room for Hong Fei's daily psychic monitoring of the Tesseract's fluctuations, and for Selvig to lose himself in research, shoulders permanently hunched with unease.
Stark Tower remained active in Hong Fei's peripheral vision. Tony shuttled constantly between the tower and his Long Island estate. Sometimes, entire squadrons of unmanned armors launched for testing—dozens of specialized models, each more advanced than the last. Clearly, the playboy hadn't spent the past six months just partying.
Queens shimmered hazily through the distant skyscrapers. Without knowing the exact timeline, Hong Fei hadn't manufactured an excuse to evacuate May and Peter. Instead, he'd gifted them nano-armor disguised as wristwatches. Arthur would handle activation if needed.
That evening, as dusk painted the skyline, Hong Fei noted his Dragon Power fusion rate tick up to 10.43%—then froze. His psychic senses screamed with a sudden, violent energy surge.
Arthur's voice cut through the silence: "Sir, the Tesseract's energy readings are spiking exponentially."
A slow smile spread across Hong Fei's face. "About time. The show's starting."