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Chapter 251: Director of S.H.I.E.L.D.
🕑 Added 2025-07-20 05:37:30 +0000 UTCIn a dimly lit, inconspicuous bar in New York, Noah, Fury, and Coulson sat in a corner.
The time difference between the UK and the US was about five hours, so after Noah returned to the temple following the premiere, he had a long conversation with Ms. Heifen before receiving Fury's call. It was only five or six o'clock by the time he arrived in New York.
It was normal for Fury to have Noah's phone number. The two were quite familiar, and it was no big deal to exchange numbers.
Noah, of course, reminded Fury not to contact him unless necessary, warning that there would be consequences otherwise.
Fury, well aware of Noah's temperament, had not contacted him since their separation from the mutants, until today.
"Congratulations on finally becoming the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury," Noah said, shaking his glass as the gentle voice of the resident singer filled the bar.
The atmosphere of the bar was still quite good. It was a little noisy, but that was expected in any bar.
However, Noah was puzzled. Why had Fury invited him to be his guest after his promotion, only to choose such a dreary place? Was Fury short on cash?
"Thank you, Noah," Fury nodded with a smile, then asked with a glass of wine in hand, "Aren't you curious why I chose this place?"
"Of course, but it's better for you to answer this question yourself," Noah said, using his mental power to check the wine in his glass before sipping it confidently.
"People like me should keep a low profile. Though I'm the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., I can't control everything."
"You mean the World Security Council?" Noah asked.
"No, it’s a problem within S.H.I.E.L.D.," Fury replied. "I noticed that there seemed to be many factions in S.H.I.E.L.D., but it wasn't until I took over the director’s role that I realized things were more serious than I imagined."
Despite Fury’s bright smile and apparent happiness about his rise to the top, he still looked uneasy, almost complaining about the power struggles within S.H.I.E.L.D.
Noah knew well that SHIELD had begun to split after absorbing Hydra’s scientific researchers.
Fury appeared energetic and often sported his signature grin, but Noah knew that in a few years, he would become the "boiled egg head" with a grim face, trusting no one.
Fury had few people he could truly trust in S.H.I.E.L.D.
Noah realized he was witnessing the transformation of a director before his eyes. The public saw only Fury’s glorious title, but few could comprehend the sacrifices he had made behind the scenes.
Noah wasn’t concerned about SHIELD's future—he saw it as hopeless. Even without SHIELD, Fury would still rise to power.
SHIELD's value now was primarily to provide Noah with information and convenience. It also served as a means to summon the Avengers, which Noah had been waiting for.
"By the way, Fury, how’s the stuff I left with you?" Noah asked, suddenly remembering the Cosmic Cube, which he had practically marked as his own.
"It’s being studied," Fury answered, his face a little embarrassed. After a moment, he added, "I can't do much about it. I can agree with you that there are guardians behind the world, but others don't know about that. And I also think ordinary people need to have their own defense capabilities."
"Defense against whom?" Noah smirked. "Against us magicians?"
"Well..." Fury scratched his head, "Of course, defense against aliens."
"I hope so," Noah replied. "Though, honestly, I don’t mind if you want to defend against us. Just make sure you can."
Noah stretched and smiled, "I’ve always been curious as to why you ordinary people have lost the basic sense of awe, thinking you can control everything. This is most severe in the United States, yet the magicians in the American magic world are far more pragmatic. Can you explain why?"
Fury and Coulson were visibly uncomfortable, unsure how to respond.
Should they tell Noah that the confidence and arrogance of the U.S. top leaders stemmed from their achievements in the world of ordinary people and the creation of a powerful country?
It was hard to say. While some believed the U.S. was the most powerful country, Fury and Coulson knew better. The United States was not the top dog in global rankings, and certainly not in areas like education, health, or life expectancy.
The U.S. ranked first only in defense spending, but that didn’t make it the most powerful country.
Some people, unfortunately, either refused to see the truth or simply didn’t care, fixated on past glories.
Noah noticed their discomfort but decided not to press further. He had no real interest in the mundane affairs of the ordinary world. For most magicians, such matters were irrelevant unless something specifically required their attention.
"Okay, let’s move on. Anything interesting happening in the United States?" Noah asked.
Fury paused, realizing there hadn’t been much excitement lately. Most of what he dealt with was work-related, and the few personal tidbits didn’t seem very interesting.
However, after some thought, Fury decided to share something else.
"Do you know Tony Stark?" Fury asked.
"Of course I do," Noah responded. "That playboy. How could I not know him?"
"It’s said he’s with a cover girl again..."
"No, no, Fury. Do you think magicians like us notice things like that? We can even tell how many mites are on their faces if we want to. Don’t bother me with such trivial gossip."
Fury was at a loss. "You magicians are really boring," he muttered before continuing, "Well, there’s something else, but I’m not sure you’ll care."
"Tell me. Otherwise, it’s too dull in here," Noah said, gesturing for him to go on.
Fury sighed and began, "There was a serious accident at the Academy of Sciences recently."
Before he could go further, Noah interrupted. "Not interested. Next one."
"Uh, well, something happened in my old unit," Fury sighed, taking a sip of beer.
"From Langley? The Intelligence Agency?" Noah guessed.
"Yeah. Stop interrupting me!" Fury shot him a look.
"Fine, fine," Noah waved, and Fury continued:
"They secretly planned something, even sent their own director’s son into it, and spent 30 million dollars to train a cold-blooded killer. But..."
Fury paused, taking another sip. "This killer lost control and lost his memory. Now he’s on a journey to regain it and destroy their plan. It’s a real tragedy, don’t you think?"
Noah raised an eyebrow. "A 30-million-dollar killer lost control and his memory? And now he’s on a quest to regain it? Sounds familiar."
He thought for a moment, then shrugged. "Anyway, what happened to this weapon?"
"I don’t know. The CIA is in disarray, and they’re all in Berlin now."
"Really? Seeing your amused look, I have to say, that’s an interesting story."
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