S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters
"So, you're saying it's already 2008?"
Wang Ye sat casually on the guest sofa in the director's office, his face filled with "surprise" as he looked at Nick Fury across from him.
"Yes, General. It's likely that due to the Tesseract, you accidentally entered a time-distorted space, which made it feel like only a short while had passed for you."
"The Tesseract?"
Wang Ye: (⊙o⊙)???
"Yes, the blue cube you retrieved from the Valkyrie. It's actually a powerful artifact with immense spatial energy. Based on mythological accounts, we've identified it as the legendary treasure of Odin—the Tesseract!
Over the years, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been trying to study it, but progress has been minimal."
Nick Fury handed a file to Wang Ye as he explained.
"This contains an overview of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s developments and plans during your absence.
And this—" Fury passed him a photograph. "This is the wedding picture of Major General Steve and Agent Carter. Steve asked me to give it to you as soon as I found you."
Wang Ye placed the documents on the coffee table and took the photo, gazing at it.
In the picture, Steve and Peggy were dressed in a suit and wedding gown, their faces glowing with happiness. Yet, Steve's faintly bittersweet smile seemed to betray a trace of sadness—perhaps due to Wang Ye's absence.
"That boy does look happy!
Too bad I missed their wedding. It must've been quite the event," Wang Ye said with a smile, one reminiscent of a proud father.
Nick Fury chuckled along.
"They got married on the front lines. All the soldiers and officers were their guests.
Even high-ranking officials attended, and the President himself sent a congratulatory message.
If you'd been there, General, it would've been an even grander celebration!"
Nick Fury, a die-hard fan of Wang Ye, knew every detail about his idol's feats by heart.
He had spent years searching tirelessly for Wang Ye but always came up empty-handed. Never did he expect to stumble upon him on the streets today!
"Ah... by the way, where are they now?
Surely they'd want to see me if they knew I had returned?"
Fury's smile stiffened immediately. Sighing, his tone turned somber.
"General, a lot has happened during your absence.
Howard and his wife, General Phillips, and Dr. Erskine all passed away due to bizarre accidents.
The most puzzling was Agent Carter's death during an ambush on a mission. She died in the line of duty.
We strongly suspect foul play—a covert assassination targeting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founding members.
Major General Steve and Colonel Bucky investigated several times, but they found nothing. Worse, they narrowly avoided falling into the enemy's traps.
With no other choice, they both faked their deaths and entered cryostasis to ensure their safety."
Wang Ye's expression faltered briefly. He took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaled a long stream of smoke, and flicked the ash from the tip with trembling fingers.
He said nothing, instead walking to the window and gazing up at the bright sky outside.
"General, I..." Fury hesitated, trying to offer comfort, but words failed him.
The pain of losing close friends is a wound that only time can heal. Any attempt at solace might only make it worse.
"It's fine...
Where are they buried? Could you take me to see them?"
Wang Ye waved his hand, suppressing the quiver in his voice, though it still sounded hoarse.
"They're buried at..."
~
Nick Fury drove Wang Ye to the cemetery.
The car ride was quiet and heavy. Fury occasionally glanced at Wang Ye, who rested his eyes in the backseat. Sweat started forming on Fury's brow.
At the cemetery, Wang Ye stood before the graves, spoke a few soft words, then returned to the car without any dramatic outbursts.
~
On the way back.
"Fury, how much longer until Steve's cryostasis ends?"
Wang Ye asked softly, looking at the bustling city streets outside.
Fury paused, considering his response.
"General, Major General Steve still needs about a year to complete his stasis cycle. Waking him prematurely could cause severe harm to his physical functions."
"Alright, then I'll wait. He's waited for me long enough—it's my turn to wait for him now."
Wang Ye smiled bitterly, his face heavy with weariness. He rubbed his temples before speaking again.
"I trust S.H.I.E.L.D. with you at the helm. Take me to my store now.
I need time to acclimate to this era."
"General, your store was relocated along with headquarters about ten years ago. It's now in Manhattan's Hell's Kitchen. I'll take you there right away."
Fury rubbed his shiny bald head nervously.
Wang Ye nodded. The store's location wasn't important.
It had only been placed in Brooklyn originally to "coincidentally" encounter Steve.
He'd heard of Hell's Kitchen's notorious reputation—it would certainly be an exciting place to run a shop.
The rest of the ride passed in silence. About ten minutes later, the car stopped in front of a small antique shop nestled between two restaurants.
Wang Ye stepped out, eyeing the familiar storefront and its neighbors with a conflicted expression.
"Ah, look at this, Fury—just look at this dreadful location. A restaurant on both sides of an antique shop!
This is a shop, not a fast-food joint!
I can't even imagine..."
Fury, stepping out, glanced at the store and instinctively rubbed his head again, silently cursing the subordinates who had arranged this.
"Uh... well, General, the situation wasn't like this back then.
These restaurants must've opened recently!"
He quickly unlocked the shop's door and motioned for Wang Ye to enter.
Shaking his head, Wang Ye walked inside.
To his surprise, the shop was spotless, clearly maintained regularly. Everything was exactly as it had been, down to the decorations and item placements.
Even the half-smoked cigar he'd left on the counter was still there.
"Fury, how many people know I'm back?"
"Only the twenty personnel involved in today's mission. Any videos or photos taken by civilians have already been discreetly handled."
"Good. Keep my return under wraps—it'll make investigations easier."
"Understood, General."
(Why is Fury so obedient?)
Wang Ye was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s first director.
Wang Ye is one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s five founding members.
Wang Ye is Fury's personal idol!!!
Most importantly, if Fury disobeys, Wang Ye might replace him... perhaps with a salted egg? Tea egg? Century egg?
Haha~
(Chapter End)
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