"What did you just say? Captain America is still alive? How did you know?" Nick Fury stood up in shock and stared at Li Yue with his only eye, eager to know the accurate information.
Tony was also shocked. He naturally knew that his father made Captain America's iconic shield. However, didn't Captain America disappear during the Second World War? It had been nearly 70 years now. How could he still be alive?
"Yes, Captain America is still alive. As for how I know, I don't know either. Maybe I accidentally crossed through temporal streams during my travel through the Multiverse. A lot of strange information was crammed into my head when I woke up, including the fact that my previous universe was numbered 616 while this universe is 199999. Some of the knowledge included events that happened in the past and the future."
Li Yue shamelessly plagiarized a certain future villain. He wanted to see how the future mysterious guest would deceive the little spider—but now that he, a bonafide multiverse traveler, had come to the Marvel world, that mysterious guest shouldn't appear.
Nick Fury finally regained his calm. He clarified to Li Yue, "You can predict the future?"
"Not predict, but know. Some things are malleable, but others are inevitable. For example, Captain America should only be recovered two years from now. But with my information, you can go dig him out right now."
"Then, Mr. Li Yue, what is the price for this information?" Nick Fury couldn't just brush Li Yue's words as incredulous. If Li Yue was telling the truth, then he might be able to prepare for future threats before they become dangerous.
"It's nothing much. I just wish to see the Tesseract and study it. I felt that its energy might be related to the energy in my memory," Li Yue kept his story as close to the truth as possible. He wasn't really afraid that Nick Fury would disagree; there would be more opportunities to contact the Tesseract later.
"Alright, you have my promise. But I need a way to confirm the accuracy of your information," Nick Fury finally agreed after thinking for a while. SHIELD was also studying the Tesseract, but they hadn't made much headway. Maybe Li Yue's involvement could provide new insight and progress.
"Good for you that you're so straightforward. I'll give you another free information. Contact me when a hammer falls from the sky in New Mexico." Li Yue almost wanted to tell Nick Fury about Hydra infiltration within SHIELD, but he decided against it. He would be changing too many variables.
"That's a deal, then. If I can confirm your information, I will send someone to contact you," Nick Fury added one last time before leaving. He couldn't wait to begin the information after receiving the detailed information about Captain America.
Tony stared at Li Yue with hesitant eyes after Nick Fury left.
"I know what you wanted to ask. The answer you want lies in the item that your father left for you."
...
Nick Fury immediately rushed to the phone in his SHIELD Triskelion office.
"Coulson, I have a new mission for you."
"Director, I just finished dealing with Tony Stark. I have applied for a leave; please consider assigning other people," Coulson replied reluctantly. Tony Stark's mission had taxed him for the last few months.
"Coulson, Captain America is still alive!" Nick Fury half-shouted to the phone.
"Director, please leave the task to me." Nobody could ignore the business that involves their idol.
...
"Director, what about Stark?" Coulson asked after listening to Nick Fury's instructions.
Call Natasha Romanov back," Nick Fury said after thinking for a while.
"Also, send some people to monitor New Mexico. Report any special situation immediately," Nick Fury added.
"Sir, a special situation such as?" Coulson couldn't hold his curiosity.
"For example, a mysterious hammer."
Coulson almost vomited blood when he heard Nick Fury's words. You want our elite agents to go find some hammer? Do you want them to interview it as well?!
...
Months passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Yue found that he was in love, and the target was the reporter lady Louise Lane. Li Yue asked what the place where Louise worked was called. Thankfully, it wasn't the Daily Planet, and she didn't know anyone called Clark Kent.
Louise and Li Yue went for dinner sometime after Li Yue saved her that night. Indeed, it was a normal meal, and they did not do anything else.
During the meal, Louise asked Li Yue what trick he used to disappear in front of her eyes.
Li Yue did not hide anything and told Louise about his superpower.
Li Yue had said that he wanted to hide this superpower from normal people—but between girls and keeping his superpower hidden, which was more important? Li Yue chose the former without hesitation.
"Li Yue, sorry for making you wait," Louise apologized to Li Yue.
"It's fine; I wasn't waiting for long. Besides, I don't mind waiting for days or months for a beautiful woman like Louise," Li Yue flattered her a little.
Li Yue had never had any girlfriends in his previous world, but he knew that women needed to put on makeup in the morning and that it might take a long time. Louise didn't even make him wait for 20 minutes.
"Haha, thank you for your praise, Li Yue. Where are we going today?" Louise accepted Li Yue's flirtatious comment and moved on with the conversation.
Today was the weekend. Louise didn't have work today, and as for Li Yue, he didn't even know what is work anymore. Is it some kind of food? Li Yue wasn't short of money now anyway; being a friend with Tony gave him access to considerable wealth.
Today was the first official date between Li Yue and Louise—yes, a few months later, and Li Yue finally invited Louise to go on a date. Even then, Tony had to egg him on. Li Yue had no experience whatsoever in this matter, after all.
"Louise, I promise that today will be unforgettable for you!" Li Yue said confidently.
"I'm looking forward to it, then!" Louise smiled.
"Louise, might you give me the honor of holding your hand?" Li Yue offered his right hand to Louise.
"Li Yue, you hadn't asked me out for months, so I thought that you were too reserved. I didn't expect that you would be so forward today," Louise teased Li Yue, but she still grabbed his hand.
"Louise, are you ready? We are leaving!" Li Yue smiled. Without waiting for Louise's reply, he activated his superpower, and the two of them disappeared.
...
"Monitor him, they said. How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Not far away, two agents in plain clothes spoke to each other.
"Hey, we still have it easy compared to my friend that got sent to New Mexico. He said that the higher-ups told him to look for a hammer. I'm actually dying from laughter," another agent replied.
Nick Fury was staring at a monitor screen in the SHIELD base in New York. The monitor was a bit retro-looking, showing a sleeping man on a bed.
Beside the man was Coulson, who eagerly watched over the sleeping figure like a fan that had met his idol. From time to time, he would touch the round prototype shield emblazoned with a pentagram next to him.