76: Chapter 76 The One-Eyed Dragon's Business Card

"What a busy day."

This text message had been lying in Yan Zheng's phone all night, with no reply.

August 8th, 9:00 AM.

Antique Shop.

Yan Zheng had just pulled up the rolling shutter and turned to go behind the bar to boil water for tea when the wind chime at the door rang.

He didn't turn back.

"Mr. Burns, you arrived two hours earlier than I expected."

Philip Burns stood at the doorway, wearing the same black suit as last time, the same sunglasses as last time, but his attitude was completely different from last time.

Last time, he had looked around, pretending to browse the shop, and spent twenty minutes probing before getting to the point.

This time, he walked to the front of the bar, stood still, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Mr. Yan, did you see my text message?"

"I did." Yan Zheng placed the teapot on the alcohol lamp, turned around, and leaned against the edge of the bar, his hands hanging naturally at his sides.

"I was considering how to phrase it properly."

Burns didn't respond to the pleasantry; he took a folded piece of white paper from his suit's inner pocket and placed it on the bar.

"Mr. Yan, I'll make it brief."

He took off his sunglasses.

This was the first time Yan Zheng had seen Burns' eyes: dark brown pupils, fine lines at the corners of his eyes, and a gaze that was sharper than when they had met last time.

"We know that The Hand's stronghold on West 45th Street in Hells Kitchen has been destroyed."

Yan Zheng's expression didn't change; he reached out, picked up the teapot, poured two cups of black tea, and pushed one toward Burns.

"That news travels quite fast."

"We also know it wasn't Kingpin who did it."

"Mr. Burns, your intelligence sources are impressive." Yan Zheng picked up his teacup and blew on the steam, his tone like he was praising the quality of a newly arrived antique.

"Please continue."

Burns' finger tapped the white paper on the bar.

"Kingpin doesn't have that kind of ability, and street gangs are even less likely; The Hand's Dark Energy defense system is not something ordinary people can break through."

"There is only one person in all of Hells Kitchen who has the conditions to clear out that stronghold, people and objects alike, overnight."

His gaze went straight to Yan Zheng's gold-rimmed glasses.

"Or rather, only one person has this potential on their ability file."

"You flatter me." Yan Zheng took a sip of black tea; the temperature was just right.

"I just run an Antique Shop."

The corner of Burns' mouth twitched, as if he had heard a bad joke.

"Mr. Yan, I'm not here to accuse you today."

He unfolded the white paper and pushed it in front of Yan Zheng.

There were two lines written on the paper.

The first line was a time: Any time that is convenient for you.

The second line was a name: Nick Fury.

Yan Zheng looked down for three seconds, then looked up at Burns.

"Your superior is stepping in personally."

"He isn't interested in the act of eliminating The Hand itself." Burns put his sunglasses back on, took a half-step back, and restored that standard Agent sense of distance.

"The Hand isn't on his priority list; those ninja tricks don't rank high in his eyes."

"Then what is he interested in?"

"The person who did this."

Burns' tone became much more direct, as if he had received some kind of authorization to skip the diplomatic pleasantries.

"Someone who can single-handedly destroy an A-level threat stronghold is, in Director Fury's classification system, a variable that needs to be understood."

"Understood." Yan Zheng rolled the word around in his mouth.

"Not recruitment? Not arrest?"

"If it were an arrest, I wouldn't be standing here alone." Burns said it very blandly.

"If it were recruitment, my phrasing would be much harsher."

"Director Fury's exact words were: Discuss the possibility of cooperation."

Yan Zheng placed the teacup on the bar and slowly traced the rim with his finger.

"Cooperation."

"The meaning of this word varies greatly depending on who says it."

"To Kingpin, cooperation means he takes the lion's share, and I get the scraps."

"To The Hand, cooperation means kneeling and obeying orders."

"Which kind is the cooperation Mr. Fury is talking about?"

Burns spread his hands.

"You'll have to ask him that in person."

"I'm just the one delivering the business card."

Yan Zheng looked at the name on the paper, his eyes behind the gold-rimmed glasses as calm as two dried-up wells.

Nick Fury.

Cyclops.

The man who controls the largest intelligence network in the World.

The initiator of the Avengers project.

Also one of the toughest negotiators in the entire Marvel Universe.

"Mr. Burns." Yan Zheng folded the paper and put it into his suit's inner pocket.

"Pass a message to Mr. Fury for me."

"Go ahead."

Yan Zheng picked up his teacup and finished the last sip.

"Tell him that Yan Zheng appreciates his invitation."

"I will consider it."

"How long will you consider it?"

"I will give you a reply within three days."

Burns nodded and turned to walk toward the door.

When he reached the wind chime, he paused.

"Mr. Yan, one more thing, off the record."

"Please go ahead."

"I've worked at S.H.I.E.L.D. for twelve years, and the number of people Director Fury has personally named to meet is fewer than twenty."

"Of those twenty people, half later became our friends."

"And the other half?"

Burns pushed the door open, and the wind chime jingled once.

"The other half are locked up on the 37th underground floor of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Goodbye, Mr. Yan."

The door closed.

Yan Zheng stood behind the bar, listening to Burns' footsteps fade away on the street.

He took the paper out of his pocket and looked at the four characters "Nick Fury" again.

"Friends, or the 37th underground floor."

"Mr. Burns' rhetoric is good; threat and goodwill are balanced fifty-fifty, mixed quite evenly."

He put the note away and walked over to the workbench to sit down.

"Three days is enough."

"Not for hesitation."

"It's for preparation."

Yan Zheng opened his system panel and began to organize all the bargaining chips on hand that could be used to earn Fury's trust.

"Mr. Fury, let's make a fair deal."