William calmly walked to the designated seat and sat down.
Tony, on the other hand, sat down next to him with an air of confidence, casually pouring himself a glass of Water.
"I am Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Director Fury's single eye fixed on William, as if trying to see right through him.
"This is Agent Natasha Romanoff."
"William Rodriguez, Risk Management Consultant."
William bowed slightly, his gaze calmly meeting Director Fury's, then nodded to the Black Widow.
"It's an honor to meet you all, Director Fury, Agent Romanoff."
"Please, have a seat."
Director Fury waved his hand, and the air in the conference room seemed to grow a little heavier.
"We invited you here today, Mr. Rodriguez, because we want to understand your specific situation.
It's not often that someone can earn Stark's trust to such an extent, even solving some of his 'big problems.'"
"I completely understand."
William settled back into his seat, leaning slightly forward, adopting a cooperative posture.
"It's only natural for any responsible agency to conduct a necessary investigation when an unknown individual with an unclear background becomes deeply involved in Mr. Stark's affairs."
"You are very frank and self-aware," Natasha spoke, her voice carrying a faint Russian accent, soft yet subtly sharp.
"We did investigate you.
William Rodriguez, 25 years old, former salesman for Pan-American United Insurance Company.
Fired three months ago due to poor performance, burdened with multiple small debts, and a simple social circle.
Until you met Mr. Stark."
William nodded, not a hint of unusual expression on his face: "Agent Romanoff's information is very detailed."
"However, there are some crucial areas where our intelligence network encountered blind spots."
Natasha leaned slightly forward, her eyes sharp as blades.
"For example, how did you accurately predict and persuade Tony to purchase your 'special insurance'?
And how did you solve his palladium poisoning problem, a challenge even he couldn't overcome?"
"Professional skills, precise risk assessment models, and a little bit of luck."
William's answer was watertight.
"Mr. Stark was facing specific high-risk exposures at the time, and my services happened to provide him with a unique solution."
"What kind of service can resolve palladium poisoning? As far as I know, that's not an ordinary 'risk.'"
William glanced at Tony, who gave him a look that said, "Go ahead."
"Risk assessment and proactive protection intervention services."
William chose his words carefully.
"Mr. Stark's public identity and his 'other identity' expose him to complex risks far beyond those of an ordinary person.
My job is to identify these potential, even unmaterialized, risks through special channels and models,
and to deploy countermeasures in advance to minimize losses.
Or, to directly eliminate the source of the risk.
Palladium poisoning was one such case that was successfully intervened."
"How exactly do you provide protection? How do you intervene?" Director Fury's single eye narrowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of pressure.
"That involves my core business secrets, Director Fury."
William spread his hands, a perfectly appropriate hint of apology on his face.
"Just like Stark Industries' Arc Reactor technology or some of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s special operational procedures.
They cannot be disclosed to the public.
But I can assure you, all my operations are within a legal and compliant framework.
And, they are remarkably effective."
A few seconds of silence fell in the conference room, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning.
Director Fury's single eye was fixed on William without blinking, his gaze as if trying to penetrate his skull and probe the secrets deep within his soul.
Natasha, meanwhile, observed William's every micro-expression with keen interest.
"Business secrets..." Nick Fury finally spoke slowly, breaking the silence.
"A very strong argument. So, Mr. Rodriguez, do you know why we went to such great lengths to find you?"
"Because you are concerned that I pose a potential threat to Mr. Stark.
Or, to go further,
you are concerned that I myself am an uncontrollable factor
that could have an impact on a broader level."
William cut straight to the point.
"This is perfectly normal, it's your duty. If I were in your position, I would do the same."
"Then how do you think we should alleviate this concern?" Natasha asked again, her fingers gently tapping on the table.
William pondered for a moment, seemingly giving the question serious thought, then looked up, his gaze clear: "Time will tell all.
I bear no ill will towards Mr. Stark; our cooperation is based on mutually beneficial business principles.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. requires it, within the bounds of my business secrets,
I can periodically inform your esteemed organization of the general direction of the services I provide to Mr. Stark and the types of risks I have mitigated, to build trust."
"You are willing to accept some form of our oversight?" Natasha raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by his candor.
What nonsense!
Do you think if I say no, you won't supervise?
William, internally cursing wildly, remained outwardly calm.
This was a necessary move.
His actual combat power was simply too weak.
"Under reasonable conditions and without infringing upon my core interests, of course."
William smiled, appearing very sincere.
"But I also hope that S.H.I.E.L.D. can understand and respect my business secrets, as this is, after all, the foundation of my livelihood."
He paused, then added:
"I believe my existence has a positive impact on stabilizing Mr. Stark."
A flicker of an inscrutable light passed through Director Fury's single eye.
He nodded.
Leaning back in his chair: "A very reasonable proposal, Mr. Rodriguez. Well then, welcome to this 'surprising' circle."
"However,"
Director Fury's tone suddenly turned cold and serious,
"you need to be clear that if you do anything that crosses the line or shouldn't be done,
attempt to exploit Stark, or cause any adverse effects on this World,
we will be the first to know, and the first to act.
Believe me, you wouldn't want to experience S.H.I.E.L.D.'s methods."
"I completely believe that, Director Fury."
William's expression didn't change in the slightest.
"But I believe even more strongly that that day will never come. My goal is to mitigate risks, not to create trouble."
After the meeting, Tony personally escorted William to the elevator.
"How was it? Your first close encounter with a 'big shot' Director," Tony teased, though his expression held a hint of admiration.
"Not bad, more... direct than I imagined."
William loosened his tie, savoring the recent exchange.
"Director Fury's gaze was certainly very intimidating, like a high-precision scanner. But, Mr. Stark, you certainly have a lot of pull."
"Naturally."
Tony raised an eyebrow.
"But, you handled it well, kid. That 'business secret' trick was perfectly played. It seems my investment judgment is still spot on."
He patted William on the shoulder.
"Keep up the good work; you'll have many more opportunities to deal with them in the future."