The alien invasion of Earth happened in America, but it became a global event. Every country was reporting on it. In today's world, there's no hiding a crisis like that.
So began a worldwide debate—had a new era arrived?
Countless people started wondering how many good or bad aliens were out there. How many were already eyeing Earth? Could humanity withstand a second invasion?
At the same time, the Avengers stepped into the public spotlight. Their performance during the invasion had been nothing short of dazzling. But the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Though they saved New York, their overwhelming power also made some people feel afraid.
It was just like Superman once said: humans fear anything they can't control.
So, voices opposing superheroes began to grow. Many people started blaming the Avengers for the destruction in New York. One green guy in particular—they thought he should've had better self-control. The Hulk's reckless destruction gave critics exactly what they needed. They believed all superheroes would eventually become just like him.
Of course, for now, more people supported the Avengers than opposed them. But the times were changing. After seeing aliens firsthand, people were desperate for security—something that could protect humanity. Politicians picked up on that quickly. They knew that to gain support, they needed to give the public a sense of safety. And that safety came from weapons.
Suddenly, every arms dealer in the country became a hot topic.
Governments had always pursued powerful weapons. But now, it was on another level. Dangerous, long-abandoned projects were quietly being restarted. As time went on, more villains would inevitably emerge.
Liu A'dou could already smell trouble. He saw it in the news, in the expressions of those around him, in the shifting policies of major corporations. He could sense that a bunch of lunatics had just been let off the leash—and someone had strapped wings to their backs, letting them fly straight toward evil.
The government needed weapons to protect its citizens. Arms companies needed money and influence. So after the Chitauri invasion ended, nearly everyone in America was dreaming about one thing: stronger weapons.
Liu A'dou thought, 'Now maybe these foolish Earthlings finally understand my foresight.' He'd said again and again that aliens would come, but nobody believed him. Well, now they knew.
And someone did get it. A stranger came knocking at Liu A'dou's door.
A Chinese man. Someone who came straight to his doorstep.
Liu A'dou looked at the stern-faced man and thought, 'Did I forget to pay a debt or something? Or is this guy trying to cosplay as Colonel Chu Xuan just because he's wearing glasses?'
It turned out, China's intelligence agency hadn't forgotten his tip-off last Christmas. Back then, he'd shared some information about S.H.I.E.L.D. and America's superheroes, and even gave them orbital battle platform data. He'd offered a lot, but never got a response. He thought his motherland had forgotten about this little thief.
He never expected a new "Wen Fenghuang" to show up.
Chu Yuxuan.
Thinking back on when he opened the door earlier and Chu introduced himself so directly, Liu A'dou almost had a heart attack.
"Chu Yuxuan, Chinese military, Foreign Intelligence Division, codename Wen Fenghuang." That's how the man introduced himself right at the doorstep.
Now, sitting inside the house, Liu A'dou gave him a curious look. "You've got guts."
"I don't believe Kaitou Kid would let anyone bug or monitor the area near his own base." Chu Yuxuan clearly wasn't lacking in brains. "I just came straight to the point to build trust between us. Starting today, I'll be your contact."
"And the general?" Liu A'dou asked, referring to the codename of the agent who contacted him last Christmas.
"He's busy. From now on, I'll be the one transporting your tech back to the homeland," Chu replied.
"And what do I get out of it?" Liu A'dou asked with a smile.
"I'll be joining your company, Toyland. You won't need to pay me a salary."
…
A free laborer thinking he could get his hands on a whole set of space development tech?
Chu Yuxuan already knew before he came that this phantom thief was greedy, so he brought his own bargaining chips.
"I wouldn't dare boss you around," Liu A'dou said. "Besides, I already have a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in my company. What happens if you two run into each other?"
"You should trust my professionalism. And since you already have one agent, what difference does it make adding another?" The guy sure knew how to talk.
"You can join, but you better lay all your cards on the table." Liu A'dou wasn't stupid. He had already made it clear—money in exchange for tech. Of course, back then, he didn't think the general would actually take the alien invasion seriously.
"If you base your company in China, we'll make all your operations tax-exempt." That was a huge benefit—way better than just handing out cash.
In ancient times, being granted a title like a marquis of one thousand or ten thousand households meant you got to collect taxes from those households. Tax revenue belonged to the state. So waiving taxes was basically the same as the state handing you money.
But Liu A'dou wasn't naive. Right now, he didn't own any domestic assets, so what tax would even be waived? Clearly, this was bait to bring his business back home and tighten cooperation. He had to admit—whoever thought up this deal was a political genius. It was a blank check that could scale with how much value he created.
Liu A'dou smiled. This was a test of how valuable he could become. The more he earned, the better the offer got. He had to admit—it was a clever setup.
"Deal." Liu A'dou was also curious what kind of sparks would fly when a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and a Chinese intel officer both worked under him. "Now, for the sake of smooth cooperation, let's set our shared goal."
"What do you mean?" Chu Yuxuan couldn't follow his train of thought.
"Our goal is the stars and the sea." Liu A'dou grinned. "Let's act like pioneers. The world's changing, humanity's changing, the universe is changing. It's time to find a new frontier in space."
Chu Yuxuan looked at Liu A'dou and thought, 'This guy's got wild ideas.' Even if development started now, it'd take decades before humanity could make real strides in space. Still, calling him a pioneer wasn't wrong.
Sometimes Liu A'dou really felt helpless. He always told the truth, yet no one believed him. So all he could do was keep grinding. Was this what it felt like to be a genius? Was this the loneliness of standing above the rest?
He got a little full of himself, but he also knew everything had to be done step by step. First, his country had to control orbital airspace. Then they could use space stations as launchpads for energy mining on the moon. In this era, energy, materials, and precision manufacturing were the three pillars of industry. Among them, energy was king. Control energy, and it didn't matter how vast space was—you could roam it freely.
As for weapons, that could wait. For now, let America deal with the aliens. Liu A'dou's homeland could take the support role. Anyone on the brink of death would have to come begging for help.