"I really wonder where taxpayers' money is being wasted, oh! Maybe it's on that long, ridiculous name."
"You want to know where we spend the tax money? Fine, I'll tell you. We spend it cleaning up after you, you super-powered troublemakers. If you want to see a tax bill that can be made public, you'd better just stick to being a playboy."
The argument between the two was escalating; the verbal sparring had reached a fever pitch. Phil Coulson already regretted coming with Maria Hill. She wasn't here to discuss cooperation; she was definitely provoking him.
To ensure Nick Fury's request went smoothly, Coulson had to step in between them.
"Both of you, could you please calm down?" Coulson said, staring directly at Commander Hill. She hadn't done what she should have in this matter and had pushed things in an unpredictable direction. This was a serious mistake for a qualified agent.
Maria Hill also understood she had made a mistake. But admitting her error in front of Zhou Yi was more difficult than killing her. She simply folded her arms, assumed a silent posture, and dumped the rest of the matter on Coulson.
And this was what Coulson wanted. For him, communicating with people was never a difficult task.
"Mr. Zhou, I think my companion is a bit agitated. If it's alright, I will take her place and discuss the matter of our cooperation."
"Of course! That's for the best." Zhou Yi, his throat a little hoarse from the argument, picked up his teacup. This was the first time he'd ever gotten this worked up with a woman. In a way, they were definitely rivals.
"If you have any different opinions about joining us, we can put this topic aside for now. We have a plan you can take a look at." Coulson skipped over the previous topic and pulled a file out of his briefcase, handing it to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi took the file and looked it over. The document outlined a special combat team formation plan, specifically pointing out that all members of this tactical team were special, talented individuals. And Zhou Yi was one of the members they planned to invite.
This document was, in Zhou Yi's memory, the most important and profound prototype of the Avengers. Although, this so-called prototype didn't even have a shadow of what it would become.
"What is this, your Super-Boy Project? And it's a plan that doesn't even have a basic framework?" Due to the previous argument, Zhou Yi wasn't very polite in his tone, using sarcasm.
When faced with Zhou Yi's sharp tongue, Coulson behaved much better than Director Hill. He directly ignored all the attacking elements in Zhou Yi's words, responding very clearly.
"If you join, you'll be the first member. And we can quickly fill in new members."
"Are you kidding me? If so, I don't think your joke is funny at all." Looking at Coulson's extremely sincere expression, Zhou Yi forced a smile that wasn't very pleasant. Anyone could see that he was smiling quite reluctantly.
"I'm serious!" Phil Coulson continued, deploying his persuasively charming smile.
"Sorry! I've already said no. I don't want to work for anyone. There isn't a department on this planet that could afford my salary."
Zhou Yi made a decisive rejection. Getting involved with the Avengers at this stage offered him no benefits. He wouldn't join until those guys, like Tony, were in.
Simply put, he didn't want to get mixed up in the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division's secrets.
Everything in that department was a headache. Until he'd resolved the issues he was dealing with, he wanted nothing to do with those headaches.
"This team isn't under our department; it's independent," Coulson persisted, ignoring Zhou Yi's refusal, continuing with his persuasion. Many things required more communication before they could develop further.
"We're only responsible for setting up this special team; its management is up to you. We won't interfere. Moreover, we'll share intelligence with you!"
The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division's intelligence was no ordinary bargaining chip. Since its establishment during World War II, the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division had accumulated most of the world's supernatural information. They held many secrets, to the point where even they weren't entirely aware of them.
However, Zhou Yi didn't believe they were being so kind. It was obvious that this sharing of information would be one-sided.
"I doubt your offer is compelling enough to persuade me to join," Zhou Yi said, his tone less firm this time. The world faced many dangers, and he couldn't completely sever ties with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. His previous refusal was just a test. He had long guessed their intentions and naturally wanted to gain more information if possible.
"Not compelling enough?" Phil Coulson rubbed his chin, sensing that Zhou Yi wasn't entirely uncooperative, but getting something to sway him wouldn't be easy. "Could you elaborate, Mr. Zhou? I don't quite understand your definition of 'compelling'."
"It's simple. I won't just jump in blind," Zhou Yi leaned back on the sofa. "If you want me to join, you need to have some capable members first. I'm not a babysitter, and I don't want to train any youngsters for you. If I'm going to join such an organization, the minimum requirement is that it can achieve more than I can on my own."
"If you can't do that, there's no reason for me to join."
"I see!" Coulson said knowingly after listening to Zhou Yi's requirements. This wasn't good news, but it wasn't bad news either.
Getting the Dawn Knight to join wasn't entirely impossible. However, it was somewhat unlikely for the Avengers, who didn't even have a codename yet. To have the Dawn Knight join, they needed to make the framework more complete.
At this point, the main objective of Coulson's group had basically been achieved. They didn't get what they wanted most, but they did get a promise that wasn't exactly a promise. In this regard alone, they could already call it a success.
However, humans are always seeking to maximize their own interests. Even a good guy like Coulson is no exception.
"Regarding this special team, I think we'll have some progress soon. I hope we can have further cooperation with Mr. Zhou Yi by then."
"We'll talk about that later." Neither side wanted to continue on this topic, so Coulson quickly brought up an additional matter.
"So, Mr. Zhou, would you mind discussing a deal with us?"
"A deal?" Coulson's question piqued Zhou Yi's interest; after all, he also had an identity, a qualified merchant. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
"We are very interested in the Dawn Knight's armor. I wonder if Mr. Zhou is willing to sell it. Of course, we are happy to accept either the sale of technology or finished products."
The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division had sufficiently sound analysts, and Coulson himself was one of the best. Although they had concluded that Zhou Yi was a naturally mutated individual, a super-rare ability user, that didn't stop them from making other guesses about him.
No one knew the specific functions of the Dawn Armor, and no one was clear about the exact effects of the Dawn Knight's equipment. They predicted that even if this magical armor couldn't directly grant the wearer superpowers, it would still enhance the user's abilities. If it was really as they guessed, the Dawn Armor would be quite valuable.
Knowing that the United States' Super-Soldier Project had been ongoing for nearly a century, with only a few unreplicable products to show for it, the Dawn Armor, if it could achieve the effects they anticipated, would undoubtedly open a new direction for them. Thus, in the eyes of some high-ranking officials within the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, the value of the Dawn Armor even surpassed that of the Dawn Knight himself.
Of course, there was also an underlying intention to contain the Dawn Knight within this. Figuring out the weaknesses of the Dawn Armor would undoubtedly give them an edge when dealing with the Dawn Knight.
Zhou Yi had guessed this, but he wasn't worried in the slightest. In his mind, the Dawn Armor was nothing more than a cover to decorate his other identity. He wasn't the future Tony Stark, and the Dawn Armor's usefulness to him was far less significant than those with ulterior motives imagined.
However, no one else knew this. And this became Zhou Yi's advantage.
"You want to make this kind of deal?" Zhou Yi's merchant side began to awaken, asking uncertainly. "My price is very high."
"I think our budget should be more than enough for this small investment of ours." Coulson smiled refreshingly. He knew that the main players in this deal were the guys behind the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, so he wasn't worried about the stakes of the deal at all, nor would he feel any heartache.
"First of all, I must state that I will not sell the technology. I will only sell the finished product, and there will be no guarantees. Furthermore, even for the finished product, I will only provide the next generation." Zhou Yi made his intentions clear, wanting to see just how ambitious the people eyeing him were.
Coulson gave an apologetic smile and pressed his earpiece. He needed to report this situation. Procurement of this magnitude wasn't something he, an Agent Level 8, could decide. It would require at least the Director's approval, or the endorsement of the council behind them.
Very quickly, after receiving approval from the council, Phil Coulson said with a smile, "No problem at all. Are there any other requests?"
"Of course. I'm not short on funds, so I'll need to exchange resources. I wonder if you can provide the resources I need?"
"For example?"
"Adamantium, or raw Vibranium!"
-----------------------
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