One girlfriend is not enough.

Nick Fury’s first meeting with Su Ye ultimately ended on a rather unfriendly note. S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hope of recruiting Su Ye fell flat, and Su Ye’s own proposal—to establish a department within S.H.I.E.L.D. headed by someone from the Dragon Nation—was, of course, out of the question.

Not only was this a matter far beyond Nick Fury’s authority, but even his superior, Secretary of the Security Council Alexander Pierce, would never have approved it. Alexander Pierce was an American, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had long since become the Americans’ own domain. There was no way they would allow the Dragon Nation to stake a claim within their organization. Fury didn’t even need to consult his superiors to know that it was impossible.

So, in the end, Nick Fury could only watch helplessly as Su Ye turned and left.

“Director, are we really just giving up?” Sharon Carter, standing by his side, couldn’t help but feel a sense of disappointment. She was a newcomer, and since joining, her assignments had been limited to general surveillance and wiretapping. Investigating and tracking Su Ye was her first targeted mission, and she’d devoted herself to it.

In Sharon’s eyes, from Ironhead to the martial arts master he’d become, Su Ye was someone she had unearthed from the masses for S.H.I.E.L.D.—her own discovery, something that would bolster her résumé.

But now, it seemed this lead was about to be severed.

How could that be allowed? If it really happened, wouldn’t the past several months of effort have been for nothing?

Sharon turned to Nick Fury. “Director, are we really going to give up on Ironhead?”

In S.H.I.E.L.D.’s files, Su Ye’s codename was “Ironhead,” a holdover from his days at the underground fight club, and would remain until he received an official hero moniker.

If it were any other agent asking, Nick Fury might have brushed them off or given a perfunctory response. But Sharon Carter was different: the niece of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s legendary agent, Peggy Carter. She had a background, and people like that always received special treatment—such was the way of the world.

Nick Fury shook his head, gazing at Sharon. “It’s not hard to tell from Ironhead’s words—he’s different from those other students from the Dragon Nation. Even though he’s here studying, he has no interest in joining an American organization like ours.”

“Unless we truly let him set up a Dragon Nation–headed division within S.H.I.E.L.D., allow him to establish some sort of ‘D Branch’—there’s almost no chance of bringing him in.”

At the thought, Nick Fury couldn’t help but want to scratch his head. That Ironhead truly lived up to his name—he didn’t just want a department in S.H.I.E.L.D. led by someone from the Dragon Nation; he wanted to build a whole branch. What was his aim? Everyone knows the people of the Dragon Nation are experts in ideological and political education. If they were really allowed to set up a branch, Nick Fury wouldn’t be surprised if S.H.I.E.L.D. turned red inside and out.

No matter how much Nick Fury cared for the safety of all mankind, he had no desire to see that happen—especially not on his watch.

Sharon Carter frowned, biting her finger in thought, pondering how to convince Su Ye to join S.H.I.E.L.D. without getting hung up on the Dragon Nation issue.

After a long contemplation, she finally came up with a method—not exactly clever, but likely to be effective.

“Maybe if we make him into an American, or at least someone close to America, it’ll no longer be an issue.”

As she said this, Sharon recalled Su Ye’s earlier question: “Does S.H.I.E.L.D. provide matchmaking services?” Realization dawned.

“Director, Ironhead has an American girlfriend—the daughter of George Stacy, sheriff of the 19th precinct in New York. Isn’t that a potential breakthrough?”

“That’s only a girlfriend,” Nick Fury shook his head. “Girlfriends don’t count for much. Young people these days are fickle; they could break up at any time. It’s not reliable leverage.”

“Just one girlfriend isn’t enough?” Sharon muttered to herself. Suddenly, inspiration struck—she caught on to Fury’s meaning.

“If one girlfriend isn’t enough leverage, what about two?”

Thinking of the way Su Ye had looked at her earlier, Sharon felt that if she joined in, the leverage would surely increase. Besides, the Director was right—for someone like Su Ye, one girlfriend a night was hardly sufficient…

Across from her, Nick Fury couldn’t possibly guess Sharon’s thoughts. He, too, was unwilling to give up on Su Ye so easily, so he instructed, “Stay in contact with Ironhead for now. We’ll see how things develop.”

“Understood, sir!” Sharon accepted the order with a nod, her heart confirming that she and the Director were of one mind. That settled it.

Su Ye had originally planned, after leaving the Shiranui Dojo, to head straight home. Mai Shiranui was out of sorts, Gwen had gone home, so he decided to give himself a break.

As he passed through the courtyard, he took a moment to check on Thor’s hammer. The ground around it had been dug up, but the hammer itself remained unmoved, sitting there as if it belonged.

It seemed the hammer wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon. From Coulson, Su Ye had learned that Thor was currently in seclusion, and even Iron Man, after flying over in his suit, hadn’t been able to lift it.

Given the current circumstances, it seemed there was no hope of moving the hammer until S.H.I.E.L.D. dug up Captain America.

Su Ye glanced at it casually, preparing to leave. But as he turned, his spider gene–enhanced hearing, along with his uncanny spider sense, suddenly picked up on something unusual.

He gave no outward sign, acting as though nothing was amiss, and headed out the door.

Meanwhile, a hundred meters away on a nearby rooftop, two figures dressed in black crouched in the shadows.

“See that? The people in there have been busy for days. Two nights ago, there was a rainbow light over the place. There’s definitely some treasure inside!” whispered a tall, burly man.

Beside him was a slender girl who nodded eagerly. “I understand, Dad. So, my first assignment is to steal that treasure, right?”

Her voice trembled with excitement. After so much training, her first job was to pull off a big heist—to steal a treasure from a place under tight official surveillance. The thought made her body tremble with anticipation.

“I just brought you to take a look. How is your imagination running so wild?” the burly man grunted. But before he could continue, a stranger’s voice sounded behind them.

“I’d advise you not to get any ideas about that treasure…”

The two black-clad figures reacted instantly, spinning and launching themselves toward the voice.

The burly man’s hands twitched, and blades sprang from each of his ten fingers, his hands slashing like a beast’s claws.

The slender girl, meanwhile, produced a black whip from who knew where, her tight leather outfit completing the image of a dominatrix.

But this was no ordinary queen; rather, she was the queen of a certain peculiar realm, one with unusual tastes and desires.