10880 Malibu Point.
A black supercar and a black sedan were parked outside the luxurious villa.
A man in a suit stepped out of the sedan, removed his sunglasses, and gave a small smile to Happy, who was standing beside the supercar. "Long time no see, Mr. Hogan."
Happy returned a very perfunctory smile. He really didn't like these self-important S.H.I.E.L.D. agents—they acted like they were hot stuff, and honestly, they kind of were.
Tony walked out at that moment. Coulson stepped forward with a polite smile. "Forgive me for showing up unannounced, Mr. Stark."
After the Director's comprehensive evaluation of the two men's overall qualities, it had been decided that Tony was more suitable for the S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant position. Ronin was temporarily set aside since he didn't seem to pose any immediate danger.
"Agent Coulson, I'm heading to the film set right now. I probably don't have time to invite you in."
Tony straightened his collar and kept walking. He should've left earlier—then he wouldn't have run into this annoying guy.
"Film set?" Coulson thought he'd misheard.
"You didn't know? The Iron Man movie has already been shooting for a month. It's going really smoothly. If everything stays on track, you'll be able to see me on the big screen in about four more months." Tony said.
"I'm looking forward to it."
Coulson blocked his path. "But sir, there's something very important I need to discuss with you."
Tony frowned. "Three minutes!"
Right now, nothing mattered more to him than shooting the movie—not even invitations from the military or the government.
Coulson organized his thoughts and got straight to the point. "After S.H.I.E.L.D.'s evaluation of you, Mr. Stark, you've met our requirements. Therefore, S.H.I.E.L.D. would like to specially invite you to serve as a consultant for the organization."
The moment he finished speaking, Tony replied, "Not interested. Ask someone else."
Coulson was stunned. The rejection was way too straightforward. He hadn't even needed a second to think about it? It made the S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant position sound as worthless as a dishwasher job. Did this guy have zero respect for the agency?
Seeing the look on Coulson's face, Tony frowned. "Should I be thanking S.H.I.E.L.D. for choosing me first, then happily filling out an application form and rushing off to work? Sorry, but I don't have time for that. S.H.I.E.L.D. has such a big reputation—it shouldn't be short on consultants, right? At least not short enough to need me. I don't know how to do anything useful. I really don't get why Director Fury would pick me."
He glanced at his watch. "Time's up. See you later!"
With that, he got into Happy's car and sped off. In the distance, he could faintly hear Coulson's desperate cry of "Wait!"
Coulson fell into self-doubt. Tony seemed to have a real dislike for S.H.I.E.L.D., but he couldn't figure out why. No matter how you compared it, being a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant was clearly better than being an actor, right?
A gust of wind blew past. Coulson stood beside the sedan, looking utterly disheveled. He let out a heavy sigh. "If I can't get the first choice, I'll have to settle for the other guy."
Just thinking about that person with the terrible personality made him groan inwardly, but he had no choice—he had to complete the mission.
He shook his head helplessly. It almost felt like he was the one begging someone to become a S.H.I.E.L.D. consultant. How undignified.
So exhausting…
The last rays of sunlight faded, and the sky suddenly darkened. Coulson felt a few drops of rain on his head. He rubbed his thinning hair and sighed deeply again. If only he had more hair, it could at least block the rain—but he was doomed to never grow a thick head of hair.
He got in the car and drove off toward that place, feeling completely defeated.
A light drizzle fell from the sky, but Ronin's mood was bright and sunny. He had finally shaken off the monstrous eating phase, and life had returned to its normal rhythm.
He also needed to take Lucy's earlier matter seriously. Blizzard Entertainment was a global gaming giant—partnering with them would mean serious money.
"Hey Lucy, help me contact Blizzard's vice president, Mr. Morton. Ask when he has time so we can discuss the cooperation."
"The sun must be rising in the west!" Lucy teased, then replied seriously, "Okay, I'll ask for you."
A short while later, Lucy called back.
"Mr. Morton is currently abroad watching a racing event. He'll be back in the country tomorrow, and he'll contact us then."
"Alright. Didn't expect him to be a racing fan."
After hanging up, Ronin suddenly realized something. A racing event—could it be the Monaco Grand Prix?
He checked online and saw that the F1 Monaco Grand Prix was still quite a while away. He had overthought it.
He turned on the TV. As a responsible citizen, it was important to stay informed about current events.
A beautiful female anchor with a clear voice reported: "A shocking explosion rocks a university campus! A mysterious incident occurred in the laboratory at Culver University. A green monster appeared at the scene. Evidence found includes lab equipment, hair samples, and gamma saliva. The target has fled the area."
Seeing the news and the faint green figure in the footage, Ronin sat up straight. Hulk had appeared?
Honestly, he wasn't ready for this yet. He had only been chilling in the Marvel world for a short while, and the first major threat was already showing up?
Although it didn't directly involve him right now, Hulk and Abomination would eventually fight in New York—he couldn't remember exactly which district. Plus, the plot might not follow the movie exactly. Anything could change.
He was like a butterfly. A casual flap of his wings could alter the original trajectory of the Marvel world and cause massive shifts.
For example, maybe Banner was secretly a fan of Overwatch Films. He could come to New York looking for information, then decide to watch the new Winston movie in theaters afterward.
All of that was possible, so the story might not unfold exactly as in the films.
He had to prepare for the worst-case scenario. What if Hulk and Abomination ended up fighting in Manhattan? The Overwatch building might not survive.
The building could be rebuilt if destroyed, but the company stored a ton of important data there. Losing that would be a devastating blow.
Even worse—if the fight reached his front door, it would directly threaten his life.
He needed to start thinking of countermeasures. He couldn't just sit around and wait for disaster.
Ronin took a deep breath. Maybe he was worrying too much. It probably wouldn't happen that coincidentally. And if it really did reach the Overwatch building, Stark Tower was right nearby. Tony would definitely step in to handle it.
Whether Tony could actually handle it was another question. Hulk and Abomination had near-max physical defense. Iron Man's repulsor beams and missiles might not do any real damage. In the worst case, the two big guys could team up on him and turn him into a metal pancake.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache…
"Mr. Ronin, we meet again."
While he was worrying, that annoying guy showed up again—adding annoyance on top of annoyance.
Ronin opened the door, sounding irritated. "There's an emergency at the company I need to handle. You've got three minutes. Say whatever you need to say quickly."
"..."
Coulson's forehead was covered in black lines. The polite smile on his face vanished instantly.