Zhou Cheng had never met Captain America before.
However, just like in the cinematic universe next door, this universe's Captain America was also a national idol, a superstar in his prime.
Huge billboards and promotional posters of Captain America were everywhere, and there were even dedicated Captain America museums.
So, Zhou Cheng recognized him at a glance.
On the other hand, Falcon's identity caught Zhou Cheng slightly off guard.
*This young guy, who looks like he just graduated from college, is actually Falcon?*
Moreover, in the cinematic universe, Falcon had absolutely no interest in Egghead, following Captain America's lead in everything.
Unexpectedly, this Falcon had actually come to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters.
"It's truly rare. I've known Tony for so long, and this is the first time I've ever heard him praise someone else."
Captain America's voice rang out as he extended his hand to Zhou Cheng first and introduced himself, "Steve Rogers."
Zhou Cheng calmly shook Captain America's hand.
"Sam Wilson."
Falcon followed close behind and also greeted Zhou Cheng.
Zhou Cheng swept his gaze over the group with a hint of curiosity, his eyes finally settling on Nick Fury. "Looks like you've got some important mission going on."
"This is S.H.I.E.L.D. We have missions every single moment."
Nick Fury dismissed the comment with a casual wave of his hand, then immediately seized the opportunity to extend an invitation. "Zhou, any interest in joining the Ultimate Team?"
This wasn't Egghead acting on a whim. In fact, ever since he'd witnessed Zhou Cheng's god-like performance last time, Egghead had been nursing this idea.
This was a super-god who could wipe out an entire superhuman team in seconds!
Nick Fury truly couldn't afford to let him slip away.
"I'm used to being free," Zhou Cheng shrugged. "Rather than joining some agency or organization, I'm much more fond of being a mercenary."
"A real shame," Nick Fury shook his head, speaking truthfully. "If you ever change your mind, you're welcome here anytime."
"I doubt that day will ever come."
Zhou Cheng smiled. He'd have to be out of his mind to consider joining the Ultimate Team. "But if you have any requests, feel free to contact me. I'm confident I can handle most things."
His words dripped with absolute confidence.
And it wasn't just empty boasting. Zhou Cheng's power had long since surpassed that of the Ancient One and Odin. There were very few things he couldn't handle.
Egghead understood the situation now. It seemed completely impossible to trick the man into joining the Ultimate Team.
*Still, if we can borrow his power with money, it's not a bad outcome,* Egghead thought. *S.H.I.E.L.D. has plenty of funds anyway.*
Given Egghead's position and level of authority, that wouldn't be an issue at all.
Nick Fury didn't say anything more.
"By the way, you said the money is ready, right?"
Zhou Cheng asked Egghead for a pen and paper, then wrote down the account details his AI had created and handed it over.
Nick Fury took the paper, glanced at it, and said readily, "I'll arrange it immediately."
Then he summoned a secretary, who brought a specialized computer and began the transfer right in front of Zhou Cheng.
Normally, transferring funds on the scale of billions is a complicated affair.
But then again, S.H.I.E.L.D. is no ordinary organization.
Moreover, Egghead had already completed all the necessary preparations in advance, so the transfer proceeded very smoothly.
In just a few minutes, the screen showed the transfer was successful.
The AI also notified Zhou Cheng through his phone, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
Zhou Cheng smiled and nodded at Nick Fury. "If you have any more requests in the future, feel free to come to me."
"So, how do I contact you?" Nick Fury asked, his expression serious as he looked at Zhou Cheng.
Without hesitation, Zhou Cheng gave Egghead his contact information.
Then, with a single teleport, he vanished like a ghost.
It was as if he had never been there at all.
Nick Fury: "..."
*He really does come and go without a trace!*
Egghead hadn't sensed him arrive, and now, he was just as caught off guard by the man vanishing right before his eyes.
*Thank goodness this man isn't an enemy of S.H.I.E.L.D.,* Nick Fury thought. *Otherwise, I'd never sleep soundly again.*
At the same time, he made a silent vow: *This man is too dangerous. No matter what, I must never make an enemy of him.*
If nothing else, his ability to infiltrate and exit S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters as if it were an open field was enough to give anyone a headache.
"Alright, let's continue."
After a brief pause, Nick Fury resumed discussing the Tunguska mission with Captain America and Falcon.
Because it involved aliens, Egghead was treating the matter with the utmost seriousness. Once the details were finalized, he quickly assembled the relevant team and set off for Tunguska.
It's also worth mentioning that, unlike in the original comics, Ultimate Tony specifically sought out Nick Fury and requested to join this mission. After all, Ultimate Tony was extremely interested in mechanical lifeforms.
And so, Nick Fury personally led Captain America, Sam Wilson, and the others as they hurried off to Tunguska.
Upon entering the colossal alien spacecraft, Nick Fury and his team encountered many Super-Soldiers.
However, most of them were "defective" monstrosities. Only one possessed a fully intact mind.
He admitted outright that he was indeed a Super Soldier created by the former Soviet Union. His lifelong goal was to defeat Captain America. He had been waiting on this ship for decades, waiting for Captain America to arrive.
Needless to say, a fated battle erupted between the two.
After dealing with this "Soviet Captain," Nick Fury and his team navigated past various dangers until they reached the end of the ship. There, they found the gruesome wreckage of a robot.
Nick Fury and Captain America had no idea what the wreckage was, but Ultimate Tony understood instantly.
*This wreckage must be the Vision mentioned in the diary!*
*That miraculous being—half-machine, half-organic!*
Everything was exactly as the diary had described. Not just Vision, but the Soviet Super Soldiers and everything else—it all matched perfectly.
Combined with the earlier invasion by The Liberators, Ultimate Tony no longer harbored any doubts about the diary.
*It's true!*
*Everything in the diary is true!*
Ultimate Tony couldn't help but marvel inwardly. His attitude toward the diary underwent another subtle shift.
***
Of course, Zhou Cheng was completely unaware of all this.
After leaving the Sanfei Ornament Building, he continued to stroll through the bustling streets of New York as if nothing had happened.
Hmm?
But after turning just a few blocks, Zhou Cheng's footsteps came to an abrupt halt.
He turned around slowly, his gaze fixed on the empty air behind him. "Are you still not showing yourself? Do you really think I wouldn't notice you?"
One second passed. Two seconds passed. A full five seconds passed, and there was still no reaction.
It was as if Zhou Cheng were a madman having an episode, talking to thin air.
"You're refusing to cooperate, aren't you?"
Zhou Cheng's gaze suddenly turned cold. Without another word, he flipped his hand and slapped the empty air in front of him.
*Bang!*
A dull thud of an object colliding echoed, and a figure was sent flying backward, crashing violently into the ground.
The impact sent a nearby trash can flying across the street.
However, only Zhou Cheng could see the figure. The pedestrians passing by on the street saw nothing.
The people nearby stared at the trash can that had suddenly, inexplicably flown into the air, their expressions a mix of alarm and utter confusion.
*Whoosh!*
In the next instant, the figure Zhou Cheng had slapped into oblivion deliberately revealed himself.
It was a middle-aged man in a suit with black hair, looking like a mix of European and Asian descent.
His face wore an undisguised expression of shock, his eyes wide as if he had never expected such a thing to happen.
"You... you can actually see me?"
The middle-aged man walked toward Zhou Cheng, his gaze now filled with newfound respect.
"What do you think?"
Zhou Cheng responded with a look as if he were staring at an idiot.
"I just slapped you across the room. What else do you think?"
*Isn't that obvious?*
"Tell me the truth. Why are you following me?" Zhou Cheng didn't waste any more words on the middle-aged man, getting straight to the point. "If you can't give me a satisfactory answer, you'll have to face the consequences."
"Don't misunderstand. I mean no harm." The middle-aged man waved his hands dismissively, a seemingly friendly smile spreading across his face.
"I just wanted to see what kind of person could so easily defeat those Alarman trash." He explained his intentions and offered his name in the process. "I am Loki."
*Loki?!*
*So it's this guy!*
In the Ultimate Universe, Loki's status was far less significant than in the Movie Universe. One could even say he was completely an insignificant pawn.
As a result, Zhou Cheng had never given this universe's Loki much thought. He never expected this minor character to come knocking at his door.
"Now that you've seen me, so what?" Zhou Cheng shrugged, glancing at Loki with indifference.
"You haven't disappointed me," Loki said, his voice filled with high praise. "No, in fact, you've surprised me. You've even delighted me!"
Loki wasn't just flattering Zhou Cheng.
Whether it was the fact that Zhou Cheng, a mere mortal, could see through his tracks, or that powerful slap, Loki dared not underestimate him.
This seemingly unremarkable young man was, without question, the strongest mortal Loki had ever encountered.
"Is that so? I'm truly flattered," Zhou Cheng said, a half-smile on his face. Though his words spoke of being flattered, his expression was openly mocking.
It was obvious he couldn't care less about Loki's attitude toward him.
"Fine."
Seeing Zhou Cheng's reaction, Loki suddenly found the situation rather dull.
This mortal wasn't someone he could fool by feigning profoundness. In front of this man, his divine aura was completely useless.
"I'll just say it straight," Loki said, his expression turning serious. "To avoid any misunderstandings, I think it's necessary to explain my identity."
"I've already told you my name is Loki. This isn't just some random name. In fact, I am the brother of Thor the Thunder God."
"Thor is the *real* Thunder God, not some lunatic. Everyone knows that, right?"
"So, that means I'm a god too."
To make sure Zhou Cheng understood his true identity, Loki first restated his status.
"So?"
Zhou Cheng continued to stare at Loki, his expression unchanged.
He already knew this guy was a god, alright? But what made gods so special in his eyes?
Loki: "..."
*So this guy really doesn't treat gods as a unit of power, does he?*
But considering this man's strength, well, Loki had to admit, he actually had the right to be this arrogant.
"With your abilities, it's a waste for you to be a mercenary."
"You should have more ambitious pursuits, a grander goal."
"Join me. We can build a vast empire together..."
"Stop right there!"
Zhou Cheng cut off Loki, who was trying his best to persuade him. "You're not planning to trick me into helping you deal with Thor, are you?"
According to his memory, Loki hadn't given up on causing trouble after his defeat by the Liberators. He had been stewing over a new, even bigger scheme to take down Thor.
*Damn it, is he starting a new recruitment drive and it just so happened to land on me?*
Then Zhou Cheng saw Loki's expression freeze.
Though he quickly recovered and masked it, how could he hide anything from Zhou Cheng's eyes?
*Damn, I guessed right!*
"Get lost! You're trying to scheme against *me*?"
Zhou Cheng didn't mince words, throwing Loki out with an unapologetic demand.
Loki's face darkened. A mere mortal, telling *him* to get lost?
"Mortal, you've made a grave mistake."
"You've angered a god."
"And the consequences of that will be..."
*BOOM!*
Loki's words were cut short as a force of overwhelming power slammed into him.
Before he could even react, Loki was sent flying.
He hurtled back for several kilometers before finally crashing into the ground, his face a mask of shock and horror.
He wouldn't dare provoke Zhou Cheng again.
Heaven help him, the power Zhou Cheng had just unleashed made Loki feel like he was suffocating!
It was as if... he were facing Odin himself!
"What kind of being is he?!"
Loki muttered this sentence under his breath before vanishing in a flash.
Sensing Loki's cowardly retreat with his Observation Haki, Zhou Cheng clapped his hands together and continued walking as if nothing had happened.
At the same time, he subconsciously recorded the incident in his diary.
*How amusing. He actually tried to scheme against me, underestimating me so much!*
*But after this, Loki probably won't dare to act so arrogant in my presence again, right? Haha, I'll beat him to a pulp!*
*He's such a tragic figure. In so many parallel universes, Loki is either captured by the TVA or by Corrupted Doctor Strange.*
*It seems that besides Loki, God of Stories, no version of him ever gets a happy ending.*
*Falling into the TVA's hands is one thing—at worst, he's imprisoned at the End of Time. As long as he keeps a low profile and avoids being devoured by Alioth, he'll be fine.*
*But being captured by Corrupted Doctor Strange means being thrown into the Cosmic Forge to create a new universe!*
*Or rather, to recreate the universe he destroyed in the first place!*
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)