Hong Fei hung up the phone after a lengthy conversation and waited for Number Four to arrive. Number Four and Number Five had been stationed at Sokovia castle, managing Hong Fei's second Base. This time, with Hong Fei heading out, he'd summoned Number Four to serve as a pawn. Now reunited, they had critical matters to discuss.
"Boss," Number Four began, "there are four oil exploration teams operating in Russia. Two of them are focused entirely on sea exploration. The other two—one's been working non-stop for two months, and the other just started recently." Hong Fei nodded slowly, his index finger tapping the tabletop as he sank into thought. The sea areas could be ruled out immediately.
Even if the crash site wasn't land, it would be a glacier—not the ocean. And when Steve was discovered, it wasn't at sea. So, which team would stumble upon that HYDRA plane in the future? "Forget it," Hong Fei decided. "Here's what you'll do: you and Number Five find a way to bribe a few people in those two teams. Better yet, infiltrate them directly."
He paused, considering the challenge. "Though infiltration might be tricky. If you need more funds, go to Samuel. Bottom line—I want our people in both teams." "Understood," Number Four replied. "We'll try to join first. If that fails, we'll bribe our way in. But if Number Five and I both leave, the castle..." "I'll send Number Three to take over." "All right, Boss. I'll get started right away."
"One more thing," Hong Fei added. "Make sure our people are in place by the end of this year—no later than January next year." "Yes, Boss!" With that, Number Four left to carry out his orders.
As soon as the door closed, Hong Fei dialed Samuel's number. The call connected, and a sycophantic voice greeted him. "Respected Boss, good morning—no, good afternoon!" Hong Fei glanced out the window. It was indeed afternoon here. "Cut the flattery," he snapped. "How's your computer learning coming along?"
"Very well," Samuel replied confidently. "I can guarantee I'm one of the top hackers in the world." "Good. Time to test you. Find someone for me: medium-long hair, wears a mask, has a metal left arm, and frequently appears near homicide scenes involving important figures." Samuel hesitated. "Uh, Boss, is that it?" "That's it. Start searching."
"Isn't that... a bit vague?" Samuel ventured. Hong Fei's tone hardened. "If I knew more, why would I need you?" Samuel quickly backtracked. "All right, Boss. I'll do my absolute best."
"Good. Don't just focus on old surveillance footage—keep an eye on recent events too. Also, check which military Bases in New Jersey are abandoned and let me know when I get back. One more thing—you know Howard Stark? Review all the surveillance footage near where he died." Without waiting for a response, Hong Fei hung up.
Back in the manor, Samuel stared at the phone, first shocked, then resigned. He'd been about to report his recent work results. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Hill and Barton returned to the Washington headquarters almost simultaneously. They met downstairs and walked in together. Inside, they found Coulson and Natasha already waiting.
With their arrival, Nick Fury's four top lieutenants were assembled. Fury wasted no time. "Perfect, you're all here. Let's go over the information you've gathered. Sit down. Coulson, you start." "Yes, Officer," Coulson replied, glancing at Barton and Hill before beginning.
"The time Hong Fei went to Paris was the night after the Liberty Island incident, which occurred two days before the Tokyo Bay incident. The timing is suspicious, so I followed the Officer's orders to track him down in Paris. Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, he'd already flown to Singapore. I missed him."
I turned around and headed straight for Singapore to track him down. When I arrived, he was already packing up to leave for his next destination. The records confirm he flew to Northern Europe that very day."
"Why the rush? We're talking about Hong Fei here," Natasha interjected. "Wouldn't Paris have been closer to Northern Europe?"
Coulson leaned forward, his tone matter-of-fact. "Singapore didn't have the scenery he preferred, and the heat was unbearable. He wanted to see the snow in Northern Europe." The room fell silent for a moment.
Fury broke the stillness. "Clint."
Hawkeye straightened up, his expression grave. "No tanks were found in Tokyo Bay, and we detected no targets within a ten-kilometer radius of the crash site."
The room's tension thickened. He continued, "I examined the destroyed buildings and retraced the tank's path back to its point of origin. A total of 182 people died in that villa—throat slits, hand-to-hand combat, gunfire, explosions. In one area, twenty people were killed bare-handed in a confined space. I estimate it took less than a minute."
The weight of his words settled over the group. Their gazes hardened.
"The strangest part is still the tank's initial appearance. It emerged from a room—four walls, a roof, no basement, no hidden compartments. Over a hundred police officers had the place surrounded, and it just charged out like that."
The room fell into deep contemplation.
After a long silence, Fury spoke again. "Give us the background."
"Right. The villa belonged to a wealthy businessman with gang ties. He frequently traveled between Tokyo and New York. That night, two intruders broke in, attacking sequentially. They found him quickly, but his body was crushed by the tank. Cause of death is unknown."
"Crushed by the tank, perhaps?" Coulson murmured.
Barton nodded. "It's a possibility we can't rule out."
Fury turned to Hill. She opened the briefcase beside her, revealing two playing cards sealed in transparent bags. "These were found in Ivan Vanko's Moscow residence. There's blood on them, possibly fingerprints or other biological traces."
Fury's expression darkened. "That's the first good news I've heard today."
Coulson and Barton bowed their heads slightly.
Hill continued, "I also reached out to local police, gangs, and information brokers. The police and gangs turned up nothing, but an information broker named Yegor definitely sold intel on Ivan Vanko to someone beforehand."
"Where is he now?" Fury pressed.
"He's already under surveillance."
Fury nodded, a flicker of satisfaction crossing his face for the first time. Of the three leads, Hill's was the most promising.
"Natasha, your findings?"
"The intel I gathered here is sparse. Tony's relationship with him falls somewhere between acquaintance and friend, but they've met fewer than five times, including the kidnapping incident. Additionally, there's a newly established private biological lab in Hong Fei's manor. Based on the equipment, raw materials, and labor costs, the total investment exceeds 4 billion."
Fury nodded, clearly already aware.
He took over. "The source of his funds is clear: bearer bonds, precious metals, and antique sales. Even the tax authorities can't find any issues with these transactions. The taxes he's paid surpass those of some well-known billionaires."
"Most importantly, his past and present records are spotless."
"Setting aside all subjective thoughts, the only point of suspicion that can be raised at the moment, and also the place that feels most abnormal to me..."
"...is the timing!"