Helpless

"Didn’t your birthday pass the month before last?"

Xu Jia couldn’t help but complain.

"It’s fine. Just count it as my nominal-age birthday."

Chen Mu waved his hand and said with a smile.

"Hongmeng, bring up the satellite footage. I want to see what tricks Nick Fury is up to this time."

They had already returned to the God Spear Bureau, where projection equipment was everywhere. At Chen Mu’s command, a projection appeared before them, showing the situation currently unfolding in New Mexico via satellite.

A massive robot had appeared and was attacking the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The scene was utterly miserable, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had suffered heavy losses.

Chen Mu recognized that robot. It was Odin’s armor, the Destroyer. Now modified into a robot, it had always guarded the treasury. Its appearance on Earth could only mean that Loki had sent it here.

"That is the Destroyer, my father’s armor. It possesses tremendous power."

Thor watched the images on the screen as the Destroyer destroyed the entire town before his eyes. A trace of reluctance flashed through his gaze as he continued, "Without orders, it would never have appeared on Earth. Something must have happened in Asgard. Otherwise…"

Thor had previously been banished to Earth by Odin, so he naturally had no idea what had happened in Asgard.

"Thor, you’re awake."

Seeing that Thor seemed to have recovered, Chen Mu smiled and said, "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you. The day before we left Asgard, your father, Odin, had already fallen into Odin Sleep. It seems that your younger brother, Loki, is managing Asgard in his place now."

"Loki?"

Thor froze, and then a trace of self-reproach flashed in his eyes.

In his view, it might have been his defiance that had caused his father Odin to fall into deep sleep in his anger. It was all his fault.

"Looks like Barton isn’t a match for that robot."

Xu Jia and the others watched the battle on the screen, commenting on it as though they were merely watching a spectacle.

"We have to stop Loki. He absolutely cannot be allowed to massacre others like this!"

Seeing Loki slaughtering people without any apparent purpose, Thor was naturally extremely anxious. He wanted to save those innocent people.

"But do you still have the power to fight the Destroyer?"

Chen Mu looked curiously at Thor and asked directly.

"…"

At those words, Thor fell silent. He had lost his power. Aside from having a longer lifespan and greater strength than ordinary humans, he no longer had any other advantages.

With this body, if he rushed forward and confronted the Destroyer head-on, he probably would not even last a single move before being killed.

"I no longer have that ability."

Thor’s mouth felt dry, and bitterness filled his heart. Even Mjolnir no longer recognized him, which left him deeply frustrated.

Watching the ordinary people of America being wantonly slaughtered by the Destroyer made him feel terribly guilty.

He actually had no power to stop it!

For the once-powerful Thor, that was indeed difficult to accept.

"What about you? Can’t you stop it? Why aren’t you doing so?"

After remaining silent for a while, Thor looked at Chen Mu and the others again with hope in his eyes.

"Thor, you don’t understand. China cannot simply do whatever it wants on Earth."

Wang Wei patted Thor on the shoulder and sighed. "Do you think America would allow our military forces to appear on their territory?"

This was no longer a simple diplomatic issue.

"If they do not request assistance, we cannot enter American territory."

Chen Mu shrugged indifferently. "I do sympathize with the ordinary people of their country, but if even their own nation does not care, Thor, there is absolutely no need for you to blame yourself."

Wasn’t that true?

Just look at those S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. Faced with the Destroyer, they were completely outmatched. Which one of them was not running faster than everyone else?

They wished their parents had given them two more legs. Would people like that really risk their lives to protect civilians under such circumstances?

In Chen Mu’s view, how could those high-income people possibly care about ordinary citizens who had nothing to do with them?

This was America. This was capitalist society.

"Let me put it this way, Thor."

Wang Wei looked at Thor with a serious expression. "If we went to America, not only would we receive no gratitude from them, we might even become their enemies and targets of attack. Instead, we would become the villains."

That was entirely possible. Given America’s way of doing things, China might even be slandered for going there to help.

Since that was the case, why should they go to the trouble of helping those people?

Although they regretted the deaths of innocent civilians, Chen Mu and the others could only say they were sorry.

Chinese soldiers had always protected only the people of China!

People from other countries? Sorry, there was nothing they could do!

To avoid causing diplomatic issues between the two countries, the God Spear Bureau definitely would not take the initiative to help America!

Of course, diplomacy was one issue, but the main problem was that Chen Mu and the others simply did not want to help!

What did the people of America have to do with him?

Since they enjoyed such generous welfare benefits from their country, they naturally had to pay the price for them. When their country needed them, it was time for them to make sacrifices.

In Chen Mu’s view, a country and its people were inseparable. How could there be a situation where one only took advantage of the other?

China was like that, and America was naturally the same.

You had excellent welfare benefits? Then the price was living in a society where gunfights could break out at any time, strange incidents happened constantly, and you might even lose your life.

Although modern China might not compare to certain European countries in terms of welfare benefits, it was safe!

As an ordinary person, would you have to worry that a gang shootout might break out one day and cost you your life for no reason?

With things like that, what more could you be dissatisfied with?

"Is there really no way?"

Thor looked extremely heavy-hearted.

Of course, he did not actually care that much about the deaths of those innocent people. After all, Earthlings and Asgardians were fundamentally not even the same race!

Would a person be moved by the life or death of a flock of chickens and ducks?

No, they would not!

The reason Thor wanted to stop the Destroyer now was actually because of his younger brother Loki. He did not want him to continue down the wrong path.

That was right. As an experienced little-brother fanatic, no matter what Loki did, Thor would always forgive him…

Thor and Loki were the real true love!

"A way? Of course there is."

Chen Mu smiled, looked at Thor, and said meaningfully, "You are not Chinese. If you go stop the Destroyer, then naturally there will be no problem."

"But I have already lost my power…"

"That is not a major problem. I can let you temporarily regain Thor’s lightning power. So, are you willing to go?"

"If it is possible, then I will go!"

Hearing Chen Mu’s words, Thor did not doubt him. Instead, he said with a serious expression, "I will stop Loki with my own hands!"

Chen Mu’s lips curled upward as he looked toward Xu Jia beside him.

"?"

Xu Jia looked baffled. Why were you looking at me?

"Ahem, where is that Thor’s Spear? The one that can be used without gaining its recognition."

"…"