Old Wang’s Proposal

Not… not dead?

Father isn’t dead yet?

"That’s impossible!"

Thor cried out, "Loki wouldn’t lie to me. He said Father was dead, that I angered him to death. It’s all my fault, all my fault. I…"

"You seem rather eager for Odin to die?" Old Wang snorted, in a poor mood.

Odin had better not die just yet.

If he died, Hela, no longer sealed by anyone, would definitely break free and return to Asgard.

Two thousand years ago, she and Odin had already joined forces to kill quite a few Skyfathers and Sub-Skyfathers. She was a terrifying existence who had shaken the universe.

Unlike Odin and Thor, most of her divine power came from Asgard. Once she left Asgard, it would weaken drastically. Whether she could even defeat Thanos was hard to say, but…

Why would she need to leave Asgard?

She could simply aim the Bifrost at Earth. Destroying it would take mere minutes. How hard could that be?

Of course, as long as the Sorcerer Supreme was alive, Hela could forget about doing that. The protective network formed by the Three Sanctums could probably withstand the Asgardian orbital cannon of the Bifrost as well.

But what if the Sorcerer Supreme died?

Earth currently had no Sub-Skyfather or Father-level being capable of resisting Hela. Old Wang himself did not stand much of a chance either.

And with Hela’s style, once she became King of Asgard, it would be strange if she did not lead an army to attack the Nine Realms, or even march out of the Nine Realms and into the universe!

When that happened, they might really have to summon Captain Marvel to save the day…

She was quite busy, so better not.

Hearing Old Wang’s words, Thor froze and hurriedly waved his hands in explanation. "No, of course I don’t want Father to die. I-I was just shocked!"

Although he really wanted to ascend the throne and become king, he did not want his old man dead. It was pretty good having him around as a retired emperor. He could still back him up, and the next time Thor got into trouble, someone would help clean up his mess.

After thinking for a moment, he asked in confusion, "Brother, where did you get this information?"

It was not that he did not trust Old Wang.

It was just that compared to Loki, his own brother was obviously more trustworthy!

Even though this news was good for him, that did not stop him from expressing doubt.

I, Thor, have intelligence!

"The reasoning is actually very simple."

Old Wang smiled. "I’m still alive, so Odin is still alive."

Thor: "…"

What kind of logic was that?

Old Wang patiently explained, "If Odin died, Gungnir would lose its master. You were exiled, so Loki would automatically ascend as King of Asgard, and Gungnir would recognize him as its master. In that case… I wouldn’t be able to beat him, so wouldn’t I be dead? Loki wouldn’t show mercy."

Thor understood now.

It really was simple logic. So Loki had lied to him.

Thor calmed down, neither surprised nor sad.

He had been tricked countless times since childhood. He was long used to it. Being used to it was fine.

No matter what, Father still being alive was a good thing. It was worth celebrating with another two jars of wine.

"Actually, there’s another piece of evidence."

Old Wang smiled. "Come with me."

The group returned to Hammer Base. Pointing at Thor’s Hammer, Old Wang said, "Just touch it and you’ll know."

Thor hurried forward and touched it.

Mm, it still felt the same. It was still as heavy as before. He still could not lift it!

"Not being able to lift it is exactly right."

Old Wang said, "Odin placed an enchantment on your hammer. If you don’t meet the conditions, you can’t lift it. If he died, I don’t know whether the enchantment would disappear, but at the very least, its effect would weaken, right? And Odin loves you so much. If he were truly about to die, he would definitely help you undo the enchantment. Since you still can’t lift it, Odin isn’t dead."

Thor was both happy and sad.

Odin not being dead was worth being happy about.

But not being able to lift the hammer was truly heartbreaking.

So what exactly did he need to do to meet the conditions and be considered worthy?

Father, I’m your biological son.

Just secretly give me the answer!

Odin was clearly still quite principled. He stubbornly lay in bed playing dead, determined to make Thor come to his senses on his own.

There was no other way.

He did not have much time left. He had to see Thor mature with his own eyes. He could not really hand the throne over to Loki, an outsider, could he? Or release Hela and let her inherit the throne?

"Stop thinking about it. Let’s drink!" Old Wang dragged Thor toward his own room.

It would be a miracle if this guy could figure it out.

In truth, as Thor had said, he really did possess the spirit of selfless dedication and brave sacrifice.

The Asgardians were probably used to being overpowered. They had always relied on strength to convince others and did not have so many twists and turns in their hearts. From Thor to Sif to the Warriors Three, every one of them was a straight man… or straight woman, forged from steel. They had received a good education since childhood, and when it came time to make sacrifices, none of them would hesitate.

They simply had never encountered a suitable opportunity to bring it out.

That was the helplessness of being too strong.

Odin understood this as well. That was why he had used the opportunity of falling into slumber to arrange this whole scenario.

One had to know that Odin’s intelligence was first-rate in the Marvel Universe, on the same level as Thanos. In theory, he was even smarter than Iron Man and Hulk. On top of that, he had lived for so many years that he had long become extraordinarily shrewd and had planned everything out.

If not for an accident like Old Wang, everything would have proceeded according to Odin’s script.

The entire universe was an ultra-complex equation. Whoever grasped more of the equation possessed greater ability, higher intelligence, and more formidable overall strength.

Odin was one of the best among them.

But the problem was…

A variable had suddenly appeared in the equation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a variable filled with endless uncertainties.

And so…

The plot began to fall apart.

Odin could not control this variable. Neither could the Sorcerer Supreme or Thanos.

As for the outcome, they could only wait and see.

Thor really was carefree. After two jars of wine, he lay on the floor and began snoring.

Old Wang shook his head, politely declined Miss Jane’s desire for a heart-to-heart talk, watched her leave with disappointment written all over her face, then took out his phone and dialed a number.

"Director Fury, it’s me. Yes, the situation is bad. Loki has come knocking."

S.H.I.E.L.D. Triskelion Headquarters, Security Council office.

Egghead was holding a meeting as usual. The main topic was the Loki invasion incident that had just occurred.

The agents at Hammer Base had submitted the firsthand information immediately. Since the matter was too significant, Egghead could not make the decision himself and could only request a meeting for discussion.

They had already planned to pull Director Wang into the group call. Now that Director Wang had called, they connected him directly.

Seeing that slightly chubby youthful face, the five council members touched the bank cards in their pockets, and smiles appeared on all their faces.

Even through the screen, Egghead knew what these corrupt bastards were doing. His already dark face became even darker. With a snort, he asked, "Director Wang, you let Loki escape?"

"I didn’t let Loki escape. Loki was driven away by me. Watch your wording… But he’ll be back!"

Old Wang kindly corrected his wording and said, "I have a proposal."

These words were addressed to the five council members, and Egghead wisely did not interrupt.

The female council member from the United Kingdom smiled and nodded. "Please go ahead, Director Wang."

"Although Loki ran away, struggles for the throne have always been life-and-death matters. Unless he sees Thor dead, he won’t give up."

Old Wang said, "The next time Loki comes, he definitely won’t be alone."

Egghead could not help interrupting. "Could he start a war with Earth?"

Although he had learned the basics about Asgard from Director Wang, the issue was that Director Wang did not know much either. Just how powerful Asgard’s military was, how many regular troops it had—these were all unknowns.

Starting a war rashly would cause problems. Earth was not prepared!

"Don’t be nervous. That won’t happen."

Old Wang waved his hand. "Although Loki has obtained Gungnir, he is not the true King of Asgard yet, merely an acting king. He lacks the strength, prestige, and seniority. I suspect he does not even have the authority to mobilize Asgard’s army. Neither Heimdall nor Sif would listen to him. Besides, with the Sorcerer Supreme and the Three Sanctums watching, he would not dare start a war."

Egghead breathed a sigh of relief.

That was good, that was good. He had thought Earth’s first great war against aliens was about to break out. That was something that only happened in science fiction films and novels. Absolutely not. Peace was pretty good.

"Obtaining Gungnir means obtaining the authority of the King of Asgard."

Old Wang abruptly changed direction. "Although Loki won’t represent Asgard in starting a war against Earth, in order to make his brother die, he will definitely send sufficiently powerful elites. He may not be able to mobilize the entire army, but he should still be able to deploy part of it."

Egghead’s heart, which had just settled, rose again. He hurriedly asked, "Director Wang, how many do you think will come?"

"That’s hard to say. Perhaps several hundred will come, perhaps none at all."

Old Wang smiled. "But we need to make thorough preparations, don’t we? If aliens really invade, we must wipe them out immediately. We cannot miss the opportunity. That requires advance deployment."

Egghead nodded.

That sounded reasonable.

But the problem was…

"Director Wang, why should we interfere in an alien internal affair, a struggle for the throne?"

The council member from China tapped the table and asked, "Non-interference in internal affairs, non-aggression, peaceful coexistence… I believe we should represent Earth in negotiating with Asgard, perhaps even deport Thor back to… Asgard. That way, we can avoid a war, can’t we?"

The council members from the United Kingdom and France were somewhat persuaded.

That did seem to be the case!

Director Wang, didn’t you say Asgard would not rashly start a war with Earth? Then we should not stir up trouble. What did their succession dispute have to do with us?

Egghead felt somewhat gratified.

Although none of them were particularly clean, they could still keep their heads in major matters. They could not simply let Director Wang manipulate them.

"Asgard will always be a threat that cannot be ignored. Are you truly willing to place your hopes for peace in the hands of the Sorcerer Supreme and the Three Sanctums?"

Old Wang chuckled. "Rather than hold it in your own hands?"