Charles picked up a button from the table in the meeting room and pressed it.
In just a few seconds, a knocking sound came from the meeting room's door. The next moment, Umino Iruka walked in.
"Iruka, bring Rock Lee over here."
Upon hearing Charles's command, Iruka didn't say anything, turned around, and left the meeting room.
Seeing Charles act this way, Coulson nodded in satisfaction.
A hitman, even if he's a legendary one in New York, what can he do...
After a few minutes, the door was knocked again, and Iruka entered with Rock Lee.
"Lord Charles, did you call for me?"
Rock Lee walked in, with a smile on his face. He thought there was a new mission for him.
Charles waved his hand and said, "Lee, come sit here. This gentleman has something to discuss with you."
Seeing Iruka leave, Coulson looked at Rock Lee's attire and curiously asked, "Rock Lee, do you admire Bruce Lee?"
Hearing Coulson's words, Rock Lee was somewhat unsure. "Sir, who are you talking about?"
Coulson gestured with his hands and said, "Bruce Lee, kung Fu Master."
Rock Lee still looked puzzled, but with certainty, he said, "Sir, I don't know who you're talking about."
Hearing Rock Lee's response, Coulson uncertainly asked, "Then, this outfit of yours?"
"It really resembles Bruce Lee, just the colors are a bit different."
Rock Lee looked at the man before him and explained, "Sir, this outfit was a gift from my master. I like it and admire him a lot, but I don't know who you're referring to. Clearly, he's not my master."
Hearing the mention of a master, a thought flashed through Coulson's mind. Puzzled, he asked, "Master? Charles?"
Charles was watching Coulson's performance, not saying anything. He hadn't stopped Rock Lee from mentioning his master; after all, who knows, maybe Guy would actually come out one day.
Rock Lee shook his head and clarified, "No, it's not Lord Charles. He's my own master."
"I wonder, sir, what business you have with me?"
"Is there a task you want to entrust to me?"
When Rock Lee mentioned a task, he appeared excited and full of youthful vigor.
Upon hearing Rock Lee's mention of a task, Coulson glanced at Charles deeply, considering it unethical to involve a child in missions.
Coulson's smile, which was friendly and comforting, appeared on his face again, and he said, "Rock Lee, would you like to return to school?"
"To live the life of an ordinary child, carefree and focused on studies."
Rock Lee said helplessly, "Sir, I've already graduated, and it's been over a year since I graduated. I won't be returning to school for further studies."
Coulson, who had been full of confidence, was taken aback by Rock Lee's words. He graduated?
Seeing the 13-year-old Rock Lee, Coulson wanted to explain about the school he mentioned and the life he described.
But before he could speak, Charles stood up and said, "Mr. Coulson, you can talk to Rock Lee. When you're done, I'll be waiting outside."
After saying that, Charles left the meeting room. He didn't want to listen any further.
Coulson's strategy wasn't wrong, but his target was off. Trying to convince a ninja to go back to school was futile.
Even if he had a tailored approach, Coulson still couldn't sway Rock Lee.
In fact, just a moment ago, Charles had considered letting Rock Lee go with Coulson, infiltrate SHIELD's interior, and gather information for him—not just about the Tesseract's location, but also about the energy cube derived from the Tesseract.
He wanted to see if this thing could be recharged.
But Rock Lee was just a child. What difference would it make even if he went?
He would still have to enter SHIELD's Academy for Special Agents. By the time he graduated and was qualified to handle those things, it would be too late.
Charles also let go of this thought. When the time was ripe and his strength was sufficient, he would just snatch the Tesseract from Loki when he descends.
Seeing Charles come out, Iruka stood up and asked, "Lord Charles, is everything settled?"
"Not yet. This person wants to talk to Rock Lee, and they're still chatting."
Upon hearing that things weren't settled, Iruka continued, "Lord Charles, since that man arrived, we've been under surveillance."
"I sensed the presence of danger. It seems more than one gun is aimed at our agency."
"I'm not sure if these people are here with this investigator or if they are bounty hunters. That's why I didn't apprehend them."
Hearing Iruka talk about surveillance and gunmen outside, Charles didn't pay much attention and said, "They're all here to protect this FBI agent. No need to worry."
Hearing Charles's assurance, Iruka didn't say anything either, and the two of them started chatting outside.
About half an hour later, the door to the meeting room opened.
At this moment, Coulson's face no longer held the friendly smile that had given people a good impression. He felt helpless.
After talking for so long, he felt like he and Rock Lee were on different wavelengths.
He didn't even gain much information; he only learned that the other had a master who was teaching him martial arts. The master wasn't around right now, but he would be in the future.
Other than that, he didn't get much information. This kid was cautious, more like someone sent from a special academy rather than an ordinary person.
Especially those hidden cameras and recording devices on him—he felt like the other party had discovered them.
Because Rock Lee had been staring at certain spots for a long time, as if contemplating whether or not to bring them up.
Coulson came to face Charles and said, "Rock Lee isn't willing to come with me, and he has his own idea. But I won't give up easily on this. Perhaps one day, I'll come back."
In Coulson's mind, Rock Lee's master was Charles.
Seeing Coulson hadn't given up, Charles said, "I told you before, Lee won't go with you. You should give up on this plan."
"Goodbye, Mr. Charles."
Coulson didn't say much more and left Charles's agency.
Once outside, Coulson went to his car. There wasn't only him in the car; Melinda May was also sitting inside.
"May, the video and audio were transmitted in real time. What do you think about our conversation?"
May took off her earpiece and said slowly, "This legendary hitman, Charles, doesn't care about us."
"Or rather, he doesn't care about the FBI. And he's very confident. He knows Rock Lee won't go with you."
"Also, this Charles Agency isn't simple. That Asian guy named Iruka realized we were surveilling. When you were talking, he walked out of the door and deliberately glanced at the direction our snipers were stationed."
"Moreover, he didn't show any panic. It's as if he's not concerned about being targeted."
Hearing May's words, Coulson thought about Charles's attitude and his reactions when Coulson threatened him.
Helplessly, he said, "Let's go back first and report to the director. Let's see how he wants to handle it."
"At the same time, leave a team to monitor the target."
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