Volume 5: The Young Wolf Seeks Home Chapter 9 I almost believed it, if you weren't Mazefak
Old A is the famous Nick Fury, former director of S.H.I.E.L.D., the world's best agent, spy chief, and a one-eyed bastard with a head full of shameful secrets.
A guy who is not very likable but is indeed capable of forming a secret organization operating in the doomsday era.
Mason was not surprised.
According to his observation, Quint's style of hiding in the Council of Hope and constantly infiltrating personnel into subordinate agencies in order to secretly control more resources is completely the development trajectory of a spy agency.
And in the many parallel worlds, there are only a few spy organizations that are well-known.
However, Old A's frank attitude did catch Mason off guard. According to him, a guy like Old A who was hiding his true colors and was planning to cause trouble should be a riddle-maker who spoke in a roundabout way. How could he bring out the hidden conflicts between the two sides right away like he did now?
How can this be called a discussion?
Change the environment and identity, this is to mess things up. Hey, do you know how to negotiate?
Under Mason's strange gaze, the bald old black man snorted as if he guessed what Mason was thinking, took a sip of wine to moisten his throat, and said:
“It seems that you are not used to such a frank conversation, how about we try another approach?
I tell you a riddle, and you tell me a riddle, and then you waste your time, so that those bastards who are always watching me can find my current location, send a hundred fully armed conquerors to invade here, and blow us all up, okay? "
After such a scathing complaint, the guy put the wine glass in his hand on the table, snorted again, crossed his arms and said:
"All of you smart people have these bad habits. You always think that your superiors have a black heart and hide eight hundred schemes. You don't know what to do unless they plot against you.
But what is the reality?
In this situation, how can we have so much time to play tricks on each other? It will only destroy unity and waste time.
I know you must be suspecting that I gave you the A-level seat in order to split the relationship between you and Q.
But like I said just now, I really just wanted to do you a favor.
As the rotating Speaker with one full day left in my term, there are so many ways to divide you. Why should I use such a petty trick that can be seen through at a glance?
So please put your amazing wisdom to good use, Mason."
"That's what I said, but everyone who knows you well knows that you are indeed the kind of person who can do bad things at the drop of a hat. After all, your reputation is well known, and the more people know about you, the more they are wary of you."
Mason stopped pretending.
He spread his hands and said directly:
"Since I joined the Quint Club, every instruction from you has made me wonder. I don't want to doubt you, but your style is like this, how can I not doubt you?
You claim to be putting things on the right track, but if you keep your head up, you will fall, Mr. A."
"You see, this is the difference between our philosophies. I guess this is the reason why you are angry. An idealist, huh, is really rare in this era."
Nick Fury sneered and said:
“You’re the kind of kindhearted person who can’t bear to see others suffer, but I think it’s not unacceptable to sacrifice a little bit of the present for the future.
Of course you can call me cold-blooded.
But the fact is that if Quint did not take such measures and chose to attack everywhere, it would be destroyed by others as soon as it was established.
Q helps you hide a lot of things.
It seems like you've already won her over, but that doesn't matter.
I have never cared about people in the organization having their own ideas. As long as everyone is in the same general direction, we can cooperate. I asked you to meet in person to make this clear.
Mason, you can have your own purpose.
I don't interfere.
But your actions cannot be based on harming the interests of the organization.
What Osborne Tower did was terrible, it was a complete solo act!
But your performance in the Isu world was just passable. I wanted to teach you a lesson by giving you the B-rank promotion mission, but I admired what you did in the War World.
You are making progress.
Rapid progress.
This progress is there for all to see! The fact is, you can find a balance between your own goals and the interests of the organization so that both sides benefit.
I applaud and encourage such behavior.
I am not here tonight to ask you to behave yourself, to warn you, or to intimidate you. I am here to remind you that your future actions should be aligned with this standard.
It is my duty as the leader to clean up the mess for the organization members.
But if you can give me something that satisfies me, then I will smile when I rush to the toilet to hand you toilet paper..."
"Can't you use a more respectable metaphor?"
Captain Steve, who was standing next to the bald, one-eyed old black man, said awkwardly:
"Don't be so vulgar in front of young people. He is only eighteen years old. He will learn bad things."
"You saw what Mason did. Do you think he's really only eighteen years old?"
Nick Fury scoffed and said:
"When I was eighteen, I was still thinking about how to get the fat girl in my class, and when you were eighteen, you traveled all over the East Coast for a draft certificate.
But what about him?
He has been a savior more than once at the age of 18, so I think there is nothing wrong with what I said, and Mason, who is a hero since childhood, will not care about this little abstract metaphor. "
At this point, the bald old black shrugged his shoulders, leaned back on the sofa and said to Mason:
"How about it? Are you able to accept my suggestion?"
"Besides being hard to tell whether it's true or not, it doesn't really sound that irresistible."
Mason nodded.
After drinking a glass of wine, he put the glass on the table and said to Mr. A in front of him calmly:
"I will destroy the Star Society!"
"No, you can't!"
Mason's words did not surprise Old A at all. He said calmly:
"We have to take control of it and transform it from a predatory chaos back to the efficient state it was when it was first established. We have to unite all the worlds that still exist.
Only by concentrating resources can we accomplish great things!
If you do destroy it, it means that each world under impact will have to fight for itself, and in that case the chances of survival are less than zero."
"No, I have to destroy it."
Mason shook his head stubbornly and said:
"Its existence has become the most stubborn cancer in the Dark Ages, and it will not make things better.
It will only push the already cruel doomsday era into an even crazier zero-sum game.
Do you want to transform it?
You wish!
I have no doubt about your skills and your abilities.
The problem is that you don't have that much time to adjust the structure. By the time you really turn it into the organization you want, the impact may have reached the seventh round.
And by that time, how many worlds will still be left surviving?
Does this make sense?
"Of course I can't do it on my own! I'm not an eighteen-year-old savior."
Nick Fury crossed his legs, rolled his eyes and said:
"That's why the Quint Club was established. With your help, it became possible to take charge of the Star Club in a short period of time. I reiterate that what I want is not a parallel world full of suspicion of each other!
Let me tell you more as an elder.
Regarding the change of philosophy of the Hope Council.
All the actions you have seen so far are based on a cruel logic, that is, as long as there are even-numbered worlds in the parallel world system, the impact events will not stop.
But if there is only one Earth and one plane left in the entire system, then this disaster will end in vain.
After all, even the will of the universe cannot make us destroy ourselves, so they drive the stars to continue exploring, developing and polluting.
They formed the Cleaners to continue conquering, destroying and ravaging.
Everything is for this ultimate and simplest goal, that is, only the strongest world can survive in the end.
This is a very simple idea, but there is no reason to refute it. The most ironic thing is that the conclusion drawn from this simple thinking can be recognized by more people.
Everyone thinks that as long as their world gets enough resources in the early conquests, they will have a chance to gamble on the spot of the last survivor...
Tell me, Mason, do you see the biggest problem with this theory?"
Faced with this question, Mason was silent for a moment and said:
"Only one world can survive by stepping on the bones of the other worlds. As the impact deepens, no one will think about unity and will only use all their wisdom and strength to ensure that the other side is defeated."
"Yes, that's it! Dark Forest..."
Old A narrowed his eyes, leaned forward and looked at Mason. His tone became gentler and he said:
"I want to restore communication, Mason. If you want to avoid mutual destruction and establish cooperation with wary strangers, you must be able to communicate.
Only good communication can avoid conflicts.
This is the original intention of establishing the Council of Hope and the Star Club.
You can ask Q.
In the early years, we accomplished this goal very effectively, especially during the Second Impact when we moved thousands of worlds at once.
That is the victory of this 'communication concept'.
The collision of two worlds does not mean that the two sides must become enemies. Through cooperation, both sides can survive the disaster and accumulate strength to help more people in need.
However, I hope that the board of directors is not a one-man show. My bastard colleagues obviously prefer power. I watched helplessly as the self-help organization that I proposed and founded became an accomplice of the destruction in a short period of time.
They don't want to waste time interacting with the weak.
They believe that only the union of the strong can resist the brutal impact.
They believe that instead of letting those low-level worlds be destroyed by natural disasters, it is better for us to seize useful resources first to strengthen ourselves.
This idea cannot be wrong.
It is simply too rough and will lead to quite serious consequences. The conflict and infighting that is currently erupting within the Council is the result of such rough behavior.
However, the Stars will be the key to mastering resources, and whoever controls it will have more say.
Once Quint takes the lead in resource allocation, even if those guys who have become brutal are unwilling, they will have to sit down and listen to us.
I don't want to see the entire planet fighting to the death for a spot.
You don't want to see this result either.
But only if we stand high enough, our words will carry enough weight and people will listen!
The Stars Society cannot be destroyed!
It is the source of chaos, but it is also the key to solving problems, just like a weapon! Weapons are neither good nor evil, it all depends on who holds it. "
These words silenced Mason.
It’s not that he didn’t think of this.
But he felt that Old A's idea was a bit too idealistic. Just when both parties fell silent, Steve Rogers, the No. 3 member who had been standing next to them, suddenly spoke up:
"Actually, Mason, if you want us to follow your advice, it's not impossible for you to help you destroy the Star Society."
"Um?"
Mason looked up at the captain.
The latter took off his sunglasses, revealing his blue eyes. There was a scar on his left eye that looked very hideous.
He said to Mason:
"I don't really agree with Fury's idea, but the problem is that we don't have a better choice now, K.
What matters is not whose plan we follow, nor whether the Star Club should exist.
What is important is not the dispute over ideas.
You can question, you can object, but you can't just criticize!
You have to come up with a solution.
Mason, if you have a plan that can make a bad situation turn into a beautiful and perfect one after ensuring that the stars will be destroyed.
And that plan has a certain degree of feasibility...
Then trust me, Nick Fury and all his innocent ideas will be thrown into the trash in an instant, and everyone will rally around you!"
"Yes, that's it."
Old A picked up the wine glass without any psychological pressure and winked at Mason with his only remaining eye.
He said in a gentle tone:
“I told you as soon as we met that I allow members of the organization to have their own goals and plans. The Quint Club has always been a highly inclusive organization.
I don't have the final say.
If you can come up with a more feasible plan, I will definitely support you with both hands and am willing to give up the position of leader to you and become your most loyal dog.
I will chop off the head of anyone who dares to oppose you!
The problem is…
Mason, do you have a plan? Do you have a solution?"
The office fell silent again. After Old A finished his drink, the bald, one-eyed black man stood up and said to Mason:
"Look, apart from the disagreement on whether to destroy the Star Society, our general direction is the same, so we can continue to cooperate, but remember the reminder I just gave you, Old K.
You can try to save everyone, and I'd love to see them survive.
Anyway, I don't need to figure out a solution, but when you ask me to clean up your mess, remember to give me something that can make me happy.
This is the correct model of 'cooperation'."
"You just said that as long as I come up with a better solution than your naive idea, the entire Quint Club will listen to me?"
Mason looked up at Nick Fury.
He said:
"How about a written agreement?"
"Mazefak! All those words I just said were in vain, right? You naughty child!"
Old A's eyes widened and he waved his hand angrily to hit him, but finally reached into his cool leather jacket and took out a notebook. He glared at Mason, quickly wrote a line of words, and signed his name.
He handed the notebook to Steve Rogers next to him. The captain also looked at Mason and signed his name.
Then, the bald old black Fake Man tore off the paper and handed it to Mason, saying:
"I'm waiting for your solution, but hurry up. If you can't do it before the fourth impact occurs, then just listen to me.
OK? "
"make a deal."
Mason looked at the document written in black and white in his hand.
He pursed his lips, stood up, sent the two to the door, and said:
"I won't see you off. I don't have a good reputation here. Once you step off the top floor, you'll be noticed immediately."
"Less trouble, more work."
Lao Hei walked towards the elevator entrance slowly with his hands behind his back like an old leader. He said:
"Q is a simple girl, don't use her to do bad things, you know, I asked her to be restrained in the Star Club not because I want to use her as a puppet.
The hatred in her heart is terrible, and if it is released, something bad will definitely happen.
You'd better take it easy."
Mason watched Old A and No. 3 disappear into the elevator.
He let out a long sigh and returned to the office. He stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the silent Gotham. He felt a little annoyed and wanted to light a cigarette to entertain himself.
As he took out Dumbledore's Deluminator and was about to light the fire, a strong wind blew behind him and a silver light suddenly appeared.
Mason turned around suddenly and shouted to the person rushing over from the crack:
"No! Go back! Come in through the main door!"
But it was too late.
Hunter Ciri hurried over. This act of forcibly breaking through the demiplane supported by the Eye of the Starry Sky was regarded as an invasion, which immediately triggered a counterattack from the Outer God's creature.
Before Ciri rushed in, a beam of black light accurately smashed into the flickering silver light.
Miss Hunter let out a scream, and after failing to cross the boundary, she was thrown into a scattered stream of light. Mason didn't have time to think before he put on the Isu shroud and rushed over.
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her out of the broken space-time rift.
The backflow of energy made a mess in the office. Fortunately, Ciri did not actually complete the invasion, so the counterattack of the Starry Eye was not so deadly.
When Mason rubbed his head and got up, he saw Ciri with a bleeding nose lying on the ground, grabbing his wrist and screaming:
"Why didn't you inform me in advance when you were meeting him here! Are you crazy? That guy always carries more than one Infinity Stone with him.
As long as he makes a move, you’re done…”
"Snap"
Mason pulled out the wood chips that had rubbed his face against the wall and said to the embarrassed hunter in front of him:
"Old A didn't kill me, but you almost sent me to hell. I know you are a good leader who cares about your subordinates, but next time, can you please try a gentler approach?
Besides, it's not that I don't want to inform you, but you are on a business trip, right?
He doesn't answer the phone and doesn't reply to letters.
I want to contact you but there is no way.”
