The underground space beneath New York Manor hummed with activity. Big Head had traveled all the way from Sokovia to install rows of gleaming new servers. Wiping sweat from his brow after hours of work, he turned to Hong Fei.
"Boss, we're live. Though I should warn you—this setup's gonna spike our electric bill."
"Then you'd better pick up ten side jobs to cover Arthur's power usage," Hong Fei shot back.
Big Head chuckled.
"My consulting rates aren't cheap."
With Arthur still unconscious, they headed back upstairs.
Jessica came swooping in from the sky just as they reached ground level, hauling an unconscious white man by the collar. She dropped him unceremoniously onto the pavement. The body rolled several times, face scraping against concrete until raw, but the man remained out cold.
"Boss, meet Ulysses Klaue."
Jessica nudged the prone figure with her boot.
"How long have we had him?"
"Number One's team's been tracking him for weeks. He wandered too close to New York this time."
Hong Fei stepped forward and flipped the man over with a kick.
After verifying his identity, Hong Fei ordered, "Wake him."
Jessica obliged by stomping on the man's fingers and twisting her foot. Ulysses came awake with a bloodcurdling scream, scrambling to clutch Jessica's calf.
"Stop! You'll break them—"
She shook him off with a disgusted flick of her leg, then brushed imaginary dirt from her jeans.
"Disgusting creature."
Big Head watched impassively while Hong Fei tsked.
"Must you be so violent?"
Jessica flashed a razor-edged smile.
"Men like this deserve worse."
Shaking his head, Hong Fei approached Ulysses. The man cradled his mangled hand, face contorted in pain. When he noticed Hong Fei looming over him, his cheek twitched as he forced a grotesque grin.
"Know who I am?"
Ulysses shook his head frantically.
"Truly don't?"
"Swear I don't!"
"Let's pretend that's true."
Hong Fei grabbed his head, twisting to reveal the tattoo snaking down his neck.
"Gang ink? How quaint."
Ulysses offered a weak chuckle until Hong Fei's voice turned glacial. "Where's the vibranium?"
The man's smile faltered. A fraction too late, he stammered, "I—I don't know what that is."
Hong Fei burst out laughing. Behind him, Big Head and Jessica exchanged amused glances. Their mirth sent ice water trickling down Ulysses' spine.
"Let me handle this, boss," Big Head offered. His interrogation skills were legendary.
Jessica cracked her knuckles.
"I'd like a turn too."
"Save your talents for worthier subjects."
Hong Fei raised his hand toward the manor. A silver blur shot through the air—a sword hilt slapping into his palm. Sunlight danced along the blade as he flipped it point-down.
The steel punched through Ulysses' thigh with a wet crunch, pinning him to the ground like a butterfly specimen. Blood geysered as the hilt settled with a quiver.
Ulysses' scream could've shattered glass. He clawed at the wound, but every touch sent fresh agony ripping through him.
As soon as it hurt, his body couldn't help but tremble, and the trembling immediately caused the wound to rub against the blade. So for a moment, he didn't know whether to touch it or not. Hong Fei's smile remained unchanged: "Come on, say it again, you don't know what Vibranium is?"
"No, I know, I know Vibranium!"
"Uh-huh?"
"Yes, I still have some, but not much left. I came here this time for a deal."
"How much do you have?"
"Four pounds."
Hong Fei frowned: "Less than two kilograms?" Ulysses said hurriedly: "I swear this is all my stock."
Hong Fei stared at his eyes silently, and the other party also endured the pain and looked at him, his gaze not deviating in the slightest.
But, eyes are actually the best at lying, because people are always accustomed to judging whether what a person says is true through their eyes, but in fact, various types of gazes can also be acted out. So Hong Fei looking at him was fake, and the invisible Psychic Power detection was real.
Therefore, just a second later, Hong Fei suddenly reached out, pulled out the sword, and inserted it into his other thigh. Blood seeped from the wound like a spring, and Ulysses shivered all over. This time, before Hong Fei could ask again, he took the initiative to shout: "I'll tell, I'll tell, there are forty more pounds, this is really the last of the stock, I can give it all to you!"
"Very good, this time it's the truth."
Hong Fei nodded slightly, "One last question, do you know Erik?" Ulysses was stunned and hurriedly replied: "I know! He just contacted me, but I don't trust him yet."
"Do you know his location?"
"I don't know, but I can arrange to meet him."
Hong Fei straightened up and pulled out the sword.
Ignoring the other party's wailing, he turned his head and said: "Drag him down and treat him. First, bring back all the Vibranium, and then arrange a meeting with Erik."
"Okay, Boss."
After responding, Big Head waved his hand, and several people dragged Ulysses down together. After returning to the house and sitting down, Jessica asked curiously: "Boss, can't we just attack Wakanda directly? Why waste time on so much preparation?"
Hong Fei was fiddling with the tea set on the table while saying: "We can, but war is something that should be avoided if possible. If Wakanda is willing to trade, it can save us a lot of trouble."
Jessica frowned slightly, still confused: "But we weren't like this before."
Yes, Hong Fei wouldn't care about the aftermath before, nor would he mind initiating a war, but now Hong Fei's mindset had suddenly changed, no wonder Jessica had doubts.
"Well, you really understand me. Actually, it's mainly a matter of avoiding responsibility. If I attack them directly, everyone will think I invaded them. But if I propose a trade first, and then attack after they refuse repeatedly, although the result is the same, some people will suddenly feel that Wakanda itself is unreasonable. And after we tear open the real Wakanda in front of the world, many people will be willing to stand on our side."
Jessica blinked, looking a bit confused, and asked tentatively: "Is there also a factor of considering the emotions of the Avengers?"
"That's just incidental. Do you know the origin of Wakanda?"
"I don't know."
Hong Fei pointed to the opposite side: "Sit down and let's talk."
Millions of years ago, a meteorite containing Vibranium landed on the land of Africa.
With the rise of humanity, five tribes established and developed around the place where the Vibranium landed, and they collectively called this place "Wakanda". At first, these five tribes attacked each other, until one day, a warrior saw the illusion of the Black Panther goddess Bast, and under her guidance, found the heart-shaped herb.
The strange plant that grew exclusively in Vibranium mines granted this warrior superhuman strength, speed, and intuition. With such formidable power, he became Wakanda's first king—the original Black Panther. Wakandans harnessed Vibranium to develop their unique technological advancements.
This miraculous material propelled their technology far beyond any other nation's capabilities. While Wakanda flourished, the surrounding world descended into perpetual conflict and chaos. To protect their Vibranium reserves, Wakandans chose to conceal their true nature.
They constructed an enormous energy shield to cloak their capital city, presenting the illusion of untouched mountain forests to outsiders. Meanwhile, they maintained a population beyond the shield's borders—people who deliberately mimicked the primitive lifestyles of African tribes. This carefully crafted deception led the world to believe Wakanda was merely an isolated, undeveloped region that shunned outside contact.
"Their technology is actually advanced?"
Jessica sounded skeptical.
"Extremely advanced," Hong Fei confirmed.
"Whether in military applications or civilian use, they're global leaders. But their entire technological framework depends on Vibranium, making it irrelevant for the outside world to replicate."
"Should we seize all their Vibranium then?"
"No need—we have enough. Wakanda's population makes outright theft impractical."
"But Ta Lo was different?"
"Completely. Ta Lo exists in a separate dimension, while Wakanda remains physically on Earth—they've just disguised it well. The Vibranium we have suffices. Wakanda's status as a sovereign nation changes everything. Any action we take against them carries different geopolitical implications. We should still consider our international reputation."
Conflict was inevitable, but required preparation. Even the Americans understood the value of manufactured pretexts—and Hong Fei wasn't invincible yet.
Jessica pressed, "What if they agree to trade?"
"They won't. If Wakanda had ever intended to share Vibranium, Africa's history would look entirely different."
After a pause, Jessica suggested, "We should occupy the territory and control the mines directly."
Hong Fei hesitated.
"Uh..."
"What's wrong?"
Jessica frowned.
"Where did that idea come from?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
She shrugged.
"When dealing with such a rare and valuable resource, complete control is the logical approach."
"Wakanda would retaliate violently."
"That doesn't matter—they're no match for us."
"Many would die."
Jessica's expression hardened.
"Casualties are inevitable in war."
Hong Fei clicked his tongue.
"You've changed."
"We'll see. I've no intention of conquering them outright—too many Black people there. I'd rather not see that daily."
"What a waste." Jessica sighed.
"Everyone would benefit from access to Vibranium."
"Oh?"
Hong Fei arched an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"Simple economics. A Vibranium mine would solve our funding concerns permanently. More importantly, it would provide long-term security—knowing we control such scarce resources would change how we operate. Not that we lack confidence now, but the psychological impact differs."
Hong Fei nodded slowly, his gaze turning contemplative.
Jessica's transformation happened too fast—like she'd plunged straight into darkness.
That night, Big Head returned with forty pounds of Vibranium, sealed in gleaming silver-blue canisters. Eighteen kilograms might forge a weapon, but it wouldn't come close to crafting Arthur a new body.
The next morning, Ulysses wheeled himself to the comms terminal, following orders to reach out to Erik. But the man was paranoid, refusing the meetup spot Ulysses proposed. Instead, he sent coordinates to a location in California.
Ulysses still wanted to haggle with the other party, but Hong Fei had no patience for small-time negotiations. The moment Erik's location locked in, Hong took to the skies alone.