This was yet another fresh perspective, and both Frank and Xu Wenwu found themselves paying close attention. Master Hong gave the nuke an affectionate pat.
"Your values aren't the world's values. Your words don't speak for everyone. The rules you set aren't the only rules."
His voice dropped, deliberate.
"You don't represent—and never will—everything."
Xu Wenwu fell silent, thoughtful, while Frank just arched a brow.
"Why do I feel like there's a subtext here?"
Hong Fei chuckled.
"Because you actually get it. Everything in existence requires struggle. Plants fight for sunlight, animals hunt to eat—needs don't get met without effort."
He spread his hands.
"The Foundation's no different. We're a group led by the extraordinary but built on ordinary people. Our survival depends on struggle too."
His tone turned earnest.
"From day one, we've known the Foundation must serve the majority. That's non-negotiable. Public support lets us balance human and superhuman conflicts while keeping the world safe and stable. But here's the thing—" He leaned in.
"Safety doesn't mean clinging to the status quo. When change is needed, we lead it. When it's not, we change ourselves first. We're both shields and trailblazers."
A sharp grin.
"We'll listen to reasonable criticism, but we won't tolerate baseless slander."
Unnoticed by the others, the trio of cards in Hong Fei's inner slot began to glow again.
Frank and Xu Wenwu had started off nodding along, but somewhere during the speech, their jaws had gone slack. Seeing their dazed expressions, Hong Fei realized he'd slipped into lecture mode again—probably overshooting their current comprehension level. He cleared his throat.
"Anyway! Point is, we reject hegemonic nonsense. The Foundation's a service organization, by and for the people."
Silence stretched in the underground room. Frank finally rubbed his face like waking from a trance.
"Damn shame you never went into politics."
Hong Fei scoffed.
"Saving the world doesn't require a campaign trail, Comrade Sanpao. That's dangerously narrow thinking."
Xu Wenwu's eye twitched.
"Why the revolutionary rhetoric when it's just us three?" His tone added: We're all ancient foxes here. Stop wasting time with theatrics.
Hong Fei's ears turned pink.
"Every word I said was true. Maybe I'm not perfectly living up to it yet, but the principles are sound. They're crucial for the Foundation's long-term—" He broke off, flustered.
"Oh, stop looking at me like that. Fine, simpler version: We do what needs doing. No work? We find problems to solve. Even if millions oppose us—"
Frank cut in, "You. We didn't pluck any angel's wings."
Hong Fei shot him a glare and plowed on.
"First, clarify that faith-based gods and the Aesir aren't the same. Thor's debut caused some fuss, but overall? People took it in stride."
He ticked off reasons.
"Asgard's light-years away, and while they claim dominion over nine realms, they're not meddling in Earth's politics like certain others. Plus, Thor's crew? Actually decent folks. They just grab their hammers and get to work when something happens."
"But faith-based gods? Different story. Sure, they lurk in dimensions humans can't see or reach—but their real headquarters? Right here on Earth. They spread their faith, gather followers."
"Here's the kicker: even in 2014, if a god feels like it, they can still whip up brutal conflicts or full-blown wars among humans. Cold-blooded, no remorse. Tell me that's not terrifying."
The two men nodded. Frank crossed his arms.
"That's a naked threat. The Foundation can't hand global safety to creatures who treat human lives like chess pieces."
"We respect all faiths—but we draw the line when they threaten the world, openly or otherwise. Humanity's safety? That's our responsibility."
"Given that Archangel Michael actively obstructed a critical human rescue operation without regard for consequences—and since the responsible party has already faced repercussions without major fallout—the Superpower Foundation hereby issues a formal protest to said deity."
A dramatic pause. Then Hong Fei waved a hand.
"Alright, quit glaring. You two can draft the rest. But admit it, my improv was solid. Wenwu, jot that down—press conference gold."
Frank and Xu Wenwu exchanged a look of pure despair. Frank muttered, "I thought I was watching a bad political drama for a second."
Xu Wenwu sighed. "If you ever changed your mind, you'd be the Foundation's perfect PR liaison."
Master Hong actually blushed.
"Oh, no no. I'd end up snapping some reporter's head off live on air when they asked a stupid question."
The tension dissolved into chuckles. Xu Wenwu leaned forward.
"Steve mentioned you're leaving for a while—maybe long-term. Is this your parting gift to the Foundation?"
Hong Fei waved dismissively.
"'Gift' is overselling it. But like I said, better busy than bored. Plus, we need to give schemers an outlet to blow off steam before they explode."
He grinned.
"Faith-based gods won't show their faces anyway. All you'll deal with are regular people. Easy for pros like you, right?"
Xu Wenwu nodded instantly.
"Let me guess: you want us to foster an 'enemy' to make ourselves indispensable?"
"Heh! Nailed it!"
Hong Fei beamed.
Xu Wenwu smirked.
"An 'enemy' we could squash anytime, but one that'll tie lesser men in knots."
Hong Fei exhaled like a weight lifted.
"Exactly. Now I can leave with peace of mind."
Frank's forehead creased like an accordion.
"You two are terrifying."
Hong Fei just laughed, slinging an arm around both of them. "First thing—this can run indefinitely, training talent for the Foundation's battles. Second—when things go sideways and situations spiral, we've always got the nuke. Instant global deterrent. Third, if things get so bad the nuke stops working as a threat?"
He dropped his voice to a conspiratorial whisper.
"We leak the dragon bone resurrection recipe. Publicly."
Their heads snapped toward him in unison. "You're serious?"
"Deadly."
Hong Fei didn't even blink.
"Human life is short, and every civilization has legends about immortality. If those legends ever became reality? It'd make the Aesir or Archangel Michael look like minor headlines."
"And drive people completely insane," Frank added, his expression turning grim.
"True," Xu Wenwu admitted, "but realistically, only a handful would actually chase dragon bones. When the time comes, you could announce the discovery of an entire dragon skeleton."
Frank choked on his drink.
"Are you trying to start World War III?"
"Bit dramatic, don't you think?"
Xu Wenwu waved him off.
"This is Plan C—when everything spirals out of control, nothing distracts like a shiny new catastrophe."
"The cost is insane!"
"Then work harder to keep things in control. I've already mapped it out."
He leaned in, grinning.
"Once the dragon bone story's wiped out our enemies, the Foundation declares it was all a hoax. Side effects? Oh, just minor things like turning people into zombies. Then we round up the handful who actually got their hands on the stuff, lock them up forever, no visitors. End result? The Foundation stays the world's beloved humanitarian organization. Flawless, right?"
Frank and Xu Wenwu both sucked in a breath. Frank's eye twitched.
"So when you're sitting alone 'meditating,' you're actually cooking up deranged conspiracy theories?"
"Plans," Xu Wenwu corrected.
"There's a difference."
"You're leaving soon. Do you really need contingency schemes for everything?"
"Overprepare, underpanic. Remember when we kidnapped Stark? Nearly got us all blown up. Lesson learned—backup plans for the backup plans."
Frank groaned.
"Yeah, I remember. Almost got white-phosphorus'd into next week."
"Exactly. So no, planning ahead isn't paranoid. If I'm gone and you two suddenly become useless, at least there's a manual."
Hong Fei clutched his chest.
"Wait—did you write individual protocols for us? Like, 'How to Stop Frank from Betraying You'?"
His eyes went cartoonishly wide.
"Comrade! How could you accuse me of such treachery?"
Frank squinted.
"You blinked just now."
"I did not!"
"Blinking again."
"Lies!"
"You haven't stopped blinking!"
They dissolved into bickering before bursting into laughter. Xu Wenwu cracked next, and soon all three were draped over each other, howling in the underground room like idiots.
Finally catching his breath, Frank wiped his eyes.
"Seriously though, you've gotten scarily organized. Remember our first job? You strapped your gear on backwards."
Xu Wenwu smirked.
"No plan's perfect, but you can get damn close. Honestly? Foundation work's a vacation."
Hong Fei thumped his back.
"Says the guy with millennia of experience. I'd probably screw it up."
"No, I believe you can do it very well, even better than me."
"Alright, break up the mutual admiration," Frank cut in.
"Still, someone who casually whips up targeted, diabolical schemes? Terrifying."
Xu Wenwu sighed. "What choice do I have? Who wouldn't rather be the beloved Dragon King?"
"I bear the weight of humanity's future on my shoulders, so I must march forward for all of you!"
Just as they were about to disperse, Hong Fei suddenly piped up with a snort, "Oh right—send out a notice. First of next month, everyone's coming with me to the UN headquarters. It's practically next door to our temporary New York base."
"What for?" someone asked.
"Before I leave, I'm taking you all with me to say one thing to the whole world..."
He paused dramatically.
"...Hello."