Chapter 245

"I’m saying, do you really have to leave at a time like this?" Nick Fury sat behind his desk, speaking to Evenson with obvious displeasure.

Normally, Evenson could handle things like visas and passports himself if he wanted to go abroad. But his status was special now; if S.H.I.E.L.D. did not approve, he could not leave the country at all. That was why he had given them advance notice.

Logically, all this should have taken no more than a phone call, an approval stamp, or a signature from Nick Fury. But that damned bald man had insisted he come over in person, saying he needed to pick up some documents.

What was that supposed to mean? Even if you were cheap enough not to pay for delivery, you could have sent it cash on delivery. Why make me come all this way? My car might not burn gas, but are you reimbursing me for tire wear?

However, when Evenson arrived, he discovered there really were some matters that had to be discussed face-to-face. They could not be discussed over the phone at all.

"Phase Two plan is about to officially begin," Nick Fury said with a solemn expression. "It will soon be time for you to play your part. Leaving now probably isn’t the right time, is it?"

Evenson froze. He had indeed promised Nick Fury that he would offer guidance during the development of the Cosmic Cube, but hearing this now, he could only think, So soon? A month ago, when you told me about the project’s progress, the only thing you had done was give it a damn awful name.

Nick Fury’s eyebrows twitched at that, but Evenson ignored him and continued, "Yet now you’re telling me the plan is about to officially launch?"

In one month, they had built a facility suitable for researching the Cosmic Cube? Did all of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s construction crews grow up eating Jinkela? That was a ridiculously high speed level.

"First, I need to clarify something." Nick Fury curled his lip. "That damn name you mentioned was actually my idea. So next time you say something like that, I’d appreciate it if you considered your year-end bonus first."

Nick Fury was a calculating and cultivated man who normally did not bother over trifles like this. But saying it once was one thing, saying it twice, he could tolerate. But if you kept going on and on, did you believe he would not kill you?

"Ah, you know." Evenson spread his hands and gave an awkward smile. "I was only joking."

Getting back to business, Nick Fury said, "We already have a ready-made experimental site. It was originally built by the US government for a large underground particle collider. We borrowed it, and with only a few minor modifications, it can be used for experiments on the Cosmic Cube."

Evenson thought that made sense. Since there was already a suitable site, why go to the trouble of constructing a new one? Still, "The US government sure is generous. They handed over a place like that just like that."

That base had cost at least over a hundred billion dollars. Even if the US government had money to burn, you wouldn’t casually donate it away like this.

"For a long time, S.H.I.E.L.D. was a department of the United States. That’s why our original name was so long and tongue-twisting." Nick Fury’s answer seemed somewhat unrelated, but he continued. "Although we have successfully transformed into a global organization, in reality, we have been very accommodating toward the US government."

There was no need to spell out the rest. At first, S.H.I.E.L.D. might have taken extra care of the US government out of old ties. But favors would eventually run out, and the US government had far too many dirty dealings. S.H.I.E.L.D. could not keep cleaning up their mess for free. Shouldn’t they pay a little more protection money?

"Besides, we’re only borrowing it temporarily. It’s not like we won’t return it." Nick Fury said indifferently. "It’s not like I’m going to blow the base apart. Why wouldn’t they lend it to us?"

"The experimental site is settled, but have you selected the personnel?" Evenson asked. "Once I get there, I’ll only serve as a safeguard, to prevent you from improperly using Cosmic Magic. But the ones who can actually achieve the goal are the scientists."

"Hmph…" Nick Fury chuckled. "S.H.I.E.L.D.’s Science Department is not just for show. I have quite a few scientists suitable for this project. Their knowledge is all very…"

"How knowledgeable they are is secondary." Evenson cut him off. "To those scientists, the Cosmic Cube is an entirely new field, so gaps in knowledge are less obvious. What really matters is…"

Evenson paused there, seeming somewhat troubled. "There are some questions I shouldn’t take the initiative to ask according to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s rules, but at this point, I have no choice but to be presumptuous."

"I remember you once told me that Hydra had spies inside S.H.I.E.L.D. So now I want to ask: have you caught them?"

"You know, lately… uh… there’s really been too much going on." Nick Fury began explaining, though it sounded more like he was reassuring himself. "Tony, Hulk, and Umbrella Corporation—especially what just happened with Thor—have all consumed a great deal of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s energy. So other matters inevitably had to be pushed back."

"So you haven’t caught them." Evenson sneered. "From what I know of you, even if you had to prioritize these major events, you would never relax when it came to internal security. But so much time has passed, and you still haven’t found this spy. Why?"

"Did Hydra know they had been exposed, so they pulled this informant out? Impossible. This is exactly when they would need an informant most, and Hydra isn’t the kind of organization that cares about its subordinates’ lives. Was his disguise simply too good? But then he couldn’t have left absolutely no traces, could he?" Evenson listed possibilities one by one, then rejected every one himself before finally stating his conclusion.

"Then the only possibility is that they have cover. These moles may be a group, protecting each other. Or there may be a spy among the upper ranks providing him with shelter. It’s also possible that both are true."

Nick Fury had long considered everything Evenson said. But whether it was a group of Hydra agents secretly infiltrating S.H.I.E.L.D. without anyone noticing, or Hydra members among S.H.I.E.L.D.’s upper ranks, either possibility was difficult for him to accept, let alone both at once.

"You definitely know more about vetting than I do, so I won’t interfere too much in that regard." Evenson was telling the truth. While no one could conceal secrets under a Sorcerer’s interrogation, that kind of torture and search reaching into the depths of the soul would leave extremely serious aftereffects.

Therefore, a Sorcerer’s methods were more suitable for interrogating people already confirmed to possess important intelligence, rather than screening a large number of suspects.

"But I have one more thing to say." Evenson’s tone was not one of a reminder, but an unmistakably commanding one. "You must choose the Cosmic Cube researchers carefully. And if anyone performs too exceptionally during the research, understands the Cube too quickly, or seems experienced, you’d better thoroughly investigate their background."

The Cosmic Cube had once been Hydra’s greatest treasure. Now that Hydra had risen from the ashes, would they truly have no interest in it?

Perhaps they would send someone to infiltrate the scientists brought in, allowing them to continue the research they had failed to complete sixty years ago, or do something harmful to the Cosmic Cube.

That thought gave Nick Fury a headache. It seemed the official launch of Phase Two plan could not proceed so quickly after all. The researchers, especially those leading the entire project, had to be selected with the utmost caution.

"Oh, right." After deciding to postpone the plan’s official launch, Nick Fury suddenly added, "That lady from Asgard wants to see you. So I think you’d better meet her before you leave."

"She wants to see me?" Evenson thought. You’re the one leaving, you know. If you don’t know how to talk, then don’t talk.

"It’s obvious she trusts you a great deal." Nick Fury curled his lip. "Sigh… poor foolish girl. I really don’t know how she’ll react when she eventually understands why she was left on Earth."