"What is this! I've been here for so long, and this is the first time I've called you. And if I don't reach out to you guys, not a single one of you even bothers to call me. Isn't that going too far?"
"Huh? Did Natasha not reach out to you either?"
"No!"
Watching her pouting expression, Hong Fei couldn't help but console her.
"Sigh, she was definitely in the wrong on this one. I'll make sure to give her a piece of my mind later!"
Yelena pouted.
"Besides, I don't want to be some Avenger!"
"The Avengers are still quite capable."
Yelena immediately let out a disdainful huff.
"That group of Avengers is just a bunch of weirdos dragged together against their will. If they were pulled out to fight individually, they'd be decent enough, but now that they're lumped together, I feel like they're not even as good as trained recruits."
"It's just a matter of team cohesion, and there are some issues with the trust between them. But don't underestimate their potential."
"I'm not underestimating their potential; I just look down on their current state."
After arguing her point, Yelena added, "Boss, since you were the one who did it, should I..."
"No need. I didn't launch the missile. I just happened to be at the Caspian base and blew it up on my way out. You don't need to have any psychological burden; they definitely won't find anything in the end. Let's talk about the second matter."
"Alright, the second matter is about Vibranium."
"Oh?"
Yelena said, "After you left, the CIA came to find us very quickly. It turns out the reason they were tracking that black man was because he has connections with a Vibranium trafficker. So, the CIA wanted to take him into custody and follow the trail to find clues about that Vibranium trafficker."
Hong Fei couldn't help but laugh again.
"Isn't that a coincidence? Both of those people are with me right now."
It made some sense; if they really were master thieves, even international ones, the CIA generally wouldn't be the ones to step in. But if it involved Vibranium, the situation would be completely different. For some reason, the contact between Erik and Ulysses was intercepted by the CIA, likely thanks to their clandestine eavesdropping.
What they wanted wasn't some duo of master thieves, but the arms dealer Ulysses Klaue, who had been selling Vibranium on the underground black market at exorbitant prices. If Hong Fei hadn't intervened, the CIA's operation would have inevitably failed, and Ulysses and Erik would have gradually built trust, eventually leading to the plot points of the Black Panther movie.
"And then?"
Hong Fei pressed.
"The CIA wanted the Avengers to step in and bring that black man back to them." Hong Fei suddenly laughed.
"Whoa, talk about throwing their weight around."
Yelena nodded in agreement.
"Yeah, and Tony Stark happened to be in a foul mood at the time, so after cursing out the CIA, he kicked them straight out. He even almost threw a cup at the guy's head, but fortunately, Steve stopped him."
"Hm? Why is that? Why was he so angry?"
Yelena's eyes twinkled with a smile.
"It's all because of you."
Hong Fei was slightly stunned and couldn't help but remark, "What a petty guy."
"Hehe, you guessed wrong this time. He had originally prepared dinner for you. After you left, he was going to cancel it, but then he gave up on that idea and threw the food into the sea instead."
Hong Fei paused and waved his hand.
"No difference. Just as petty." Suddenly, Yelena's expression shifted, and she called out sweetly, "Boss~"
Hong Fei immediately snapped back to attention, his face stern. "What's up?"
Yelena immediately broke character, complaining coquettishly, "Boss, the Avengers team is so boring. I want to come back."
With that, her big eyes blinked, actually looking quite cute. Hong Fei remained unmoved.
"We signed an agreement, remember?"
"Then let's break the contract?" Yelena said without thinking.
"I recall we didn't mention what would happen if we breached the contract."
Formal agreements didn't matter here. This wasn't a corporate negotiation between structured organizations. At best, it was a gentleman's understanding—unenforceable, easily broken. Both sides knew better than to waste time laying out binding terms. In the video feed, Hong Fei abruptly froze mid-conversation.
"Boss? Boss?"
Yelena waved frantically at the camera.
"Boss, are you still there? Did the connection drop?"
Hong Fei remained perfectly still. Frowning, Yelena muttered under her breath, "That can't be right. The manor's internet is supposed to be top-tier."
Hong Fei stifled a laugh, keeping his posture rigid and unmoving. But disruptions have a way of appearing when least expected.
Big Head stepped into view behind Hong Fei, peering at his back with a puzzled expression. Yelena's voice instantly turned icy.
"Haha, very funny. Keep up the good work; it won't be long now. We'll come get you when it's time. Stay sharp—I believe in you. Goodbye!"
Before she could finish, Hong Fei ended the call.
He turned slowly to face Big Head, his gaze steady.
"I was wrong," Big Head blurted out before Hong Fei could say anything, his apology immediate. Hong Fei sighed.
"Is everything ready?"
"All set. But, Boss, are you sure you don't need me this time?"
Hong Fei shot him an exasperated look.
"I'd love to bring you, but have you seen your head? How am I supposed to hide that?"
Big Head instinctively touched his forehead, grimacing.
"So it's just you and Jessica this time?"
"That's enough. It's not a high-stakes target. Honestly, I could handle it alone—I'm just taking her along for the experience. Speaking of which, where is everyone else?"
"Frank's in Tokyo wiping out gangs, though it seems he's also clashing with the local police. Bronski's found himself a new girlfriend. Ivan says his latest battle armor design is on the verge of a breakthrough. Natasha's out relaxing, and Antonia's still training Matt." Big Head hesitated, then added, "Should we bring Matt along? This counts as our operation, and according to the cooperation agreement, we're supposed to include him."
Hong Fei raised an eyebrow.
"What agreement?"
"The cooperation..."
Big Head faltered under Hong Fei's stare, backtracking quickly.
"Sorry, I must have remembered wrong."
Hong Fei shook his head after a moment's thought.
"No, you didn't. The agreement is real. But this operation isn't ours—it belongs to a group of nameless thugs."
"So, do we need disguises?"
"Obviously."
Jessica will change her appearance, and I'll change the people. The next morning, Jessica arrived early, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Boss, when are we leaving? I'm ready!"
Hong Fei looked up from his breakfast, unimpressed.
"Oh? Tell me, what exactly have you prepared?"
Jessica froze, caught off guard. She stammered for several seconds before finally admitting, "I'm... mentally prepared."
"Mm. Thank you."
Jessica blinked.
"Thank me for what?"
Hong Fei took a sip of water, his tone dry.
"For showing up first thing in the morning to tell me a joke without even washing your face or combing your hair."
Behind him, Ulysses burst out laughing. Jessica glared at him, and Ulysses quickly bowed in apology.
He was the one Jessica had captured, so he was well aware of her violent tendencies. Jessica turned back, rubbing her face.
"Boss, I'll come back later."
After breakfast, Big Head walked in right on cue.
"Boss, everything's packed, and the empty boxes you asked for are ready." Hong Fei nodded, then asked casually, "How's your Qi training coming along?"
"Uh..."
"Uh what? Come here."
Big Head shuffled forward two steps, his expression sour. Hong Fei grabbed his arm and channeled a surge of Qi into his body. After a moment, he shoved Big Head's arm away with a sneer.
"Is this how you've been practicing?"
Big Head hung his head low.
"I'm sorry, Boss. I spend time on it every day, but there's just not enough time. There's too much I need to learn, and I can't seem to arrange it all..."
"You probably spend less than an hour a day on Qi," Hong Fei interrupted.
Big Head grunted in agreement.
"How long do you sleep every day?"
"Eight hours."
Hong Fei snorted.
"Do you know how long Tony Stark sleeps a day?"
Big Head shook his head.
"I don't know either," Hong Fei said. "But he once slept only four hours in three days. I'm not asking you to be that crazy, but six hours should be enough. You're not young anymore—can't you sleep a little less? After all, you don't have much time left to live."
Big Head's body trembled at the words.
"Don't worry," Hong Fei added, "I don't mean to kill you. Just stating facts. You mutated because of Hulk's blood, gaining superpowers and extreme intelligence, but your lifespan hasn't increased much. I estimate you'll live to about 110, assuming no external factors interfere. You think you have plenty of time, but I disagree."
Hong Fei rolled up his sleeves, revealing the Ten Rings. He tapped them lightly, producing a crisp, melodious sound.
"One of the Ten Rings' major functions is immortality. Even if I do nothing now, I'll basically never die. Given your age, why don't you hurry up and find a wife, marry, and have kids? In the future, I can help send your children and grandchildren off too. Don't worry—for your sake, I won't let them end up on the streets."
Big Head's face twitched violently as he listened. When Hong Fei finally stopped, he stammered, "Boss, I know I was wrong. I'll work hard to practice Qi!"
"Hard work? Isn't sleeping well better?"
"I won't sleep! Four hours a day is enough for me. I'll use all the saved time to practice!"
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Very good. Come find me next month. If I find you haven't made significant progress, I'll turn you into a specimen and display you in the castle. Don't worry—I'll hire the best craftsman to make you look just like you're alive."
Big Head shuddered, the mental image vivid in his mind. He nodded quickly.
"No problem, I'll definitely do it!"
Ulysses stood by, his face crinkling in disbelief. What kind of supervillains are these? Compared to them, I, a dignified arms dealer, am practically kind-hearted, right?
Not long after, Jessica returned, her face freshly washed, hair combed, and makeup applied. As soon as they met, Hong Fei stood up and led her outside.
The White Dragon descended from the sky, and Ulysses nearly bolted in terror. Several people helped tie the custom empty boxes onto the dragon's body, ensuring they were perfectly symmetrical on both sides.
When boarding the White Dragon, Jessica barely stepped on before the dragon turned its head and bared its fangs at her. Hong Fei stroked its forehead gently.
"Be good. She's one of our own. It's fine."
The White Dragon relented, but when it was Ulysses's turn, it refused to comply no matter what. Helpless, Hong Fei pointed to the dozen or so large boxes tied to the dragon's sides.
"Pick one."
Ulysses tearfully stuffed himself into a box.
Fortunately, he could reach up and hold the lid open so he wouldn't be suffocated by the all-metal box. The White Dragon soared into the sky, piercing through the clouds in the blink of an eye. Ulysses gripped the rope outside the box tightly, wishing he could grow a few more hands.
Jessica perched on the White Dragon's back with the same casual ease as Hong Fei, her voice bright with anticipation.
"Boss, what's the plan?"
Ulysses cut in dryly, "We're already airborne, and you're just now asking?"
"Robbery," Hong Fei answered.
Jessica's grin widened.
"Who are we robbing?"
"The British Museum."
Her head whipped around to take in the stacks of crates lining the dragon's flanks.
"No wonder we needed so many boxes. But will these be enough?"
Hong Fei considered it.
"Hard to say. If we pack tight, maybe. Why the sudden enthusiasm?"
"Are you kidding? This is my first solo mission with you, Boss!"
She bounced slightly.
"We need a codename for this, right?"
"A codename? Really?"
"Absolutely!"
"Alright, then the codename for this operation is: Loot the British Museum."
Jessica clapped her hands.
"Perfect! That's brilliant!"