Chapter 22

Leo initially wanted to select a more refined-looking subordinate to double as his secretary. However, it was impossible; while everyone under him was skilled at fighting and killing, they were practically hopeless when it came to handling documents and scheduling tasks.

Ironically, it was the fiercest-looking one, Xiao Liu, who showed exceptional talent in these areas, rivaling even a professional secretary. He was patient and meticulous in his work. 

In the end, this arrangement worked out well. At least those who harbored ill intentions would be intimidated just by seeing Xiao Liu, who followed him everywhere, and wouldn't dare to act.

---

"Hurry up, I want to see our new home quickly," Wanda interrupted her brother and husband's conversation, eagerly walking ahead.

Leo and Pietro, laden with bags and boxes, reluctantly followed her. 

"Hey, sis, did you really need to bring so much stuff? Didn't Leo say that Jack had already bought everything we would need?" Pietro asked, looking puzzled as he carried a backpack in one hand and dragged a suitcase with the other.

"You wouldn't understand. A lot of these things hold memories for me and Leo—gifts we've exchanged on holidays, photos, souvenirs. Those are irreplaceable," Wanda replied, stopping to see Leo carrying numerous items. Feeling a pang of guilt, she quickly returned to take some of the load from him.

Pietro felt a pang of jealousy. "Good thing I'm not living with you two. I need to find a girlfriend soon!"

At that moment, four burly security guards suddenly appeared, blocking their path. Pietro instinctively dropped the suitcase, positioning himself protectively in front of Leo and Wanda.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

The lead guard smiled, showing his teeth. "I'm the head of security here. You must be the new residents?"

"Yes, we just moved in today," Leo responded with a smile.

"Welcome to the community. We offer free moving services for new residents. Just leave your belongings to us," the head guard said, signaling to the other three who immediately stepped forward to take all their luggage.

"Thank you," Pietro and Wanda said, both impressed by the service.

With the enthusiastic help of the security guards, all their luggage was quickly transported to the two adjacent apartments Leo had purchased. Just as the guards were about to leave, Leo quietly instructed the head guard:

"Li San, have someone investigate Stark Industries' shareholder, Obadiah Stane."

Indeed, the head guard was one of his subordinates. The challenge in rescuing Dr. Yinsen wasn't the terrorists themselves; with his current strength, dealing with them wouldn't be difficult. The hard part was finding their location. Leo only remembered that the terrorists' base was in a desert, but the exact location was unclear. However, he knew one person who definitely had this information: Stark Industries shareholder Obadiah Stane, who had hired the terrorists to kill Tony Stark and take over the company. Unfortunately for Stane, the terrorists didn't follow through; instead, they tried to use Tony to make weapons.

---

Late at night, as Leo and Wanda slept in their new home, an uninvited guest arrived at the community gate. 

Grant Ward, a level seven S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, expert in operations and weapons, had been a top double agent since John Garrett discovered and trained him after he was detained as a teenager for attempting to burn his family alive. 

Two days ago, Garrett assigned him to secretly kidnap Leo, the chairman of the Li Corporation, to extract the formula for the strength-enhancing pills to perfect the Death Warrior program. Initially planning to act in Sokovia, Grant changed his plans upon learning that Leo was moving to New York with his wife.

It would be nearly impossible to silently abduct this wealthy tycoon from Sokovia, where his family had been entrenched for years and had just reached their peak under Leo. Moreover, the recent explosion at the Hydra base in Sokovia had caused a huge stir, leaving the Hydra intelligence network in disarray.

New York was different. Grant could leverage both S.H.I.E.L.D.'s and Hydra's intelligence networks to devise a flawless plan. By the time Leo arrived in New York, Grant had already discovered his new residence and apartment number. 

Although he couldn't understand why Leo chose to live in a regular residential building rather than a villa, tonight presented the perfect opportunity.

Checking his equipment, Grant started his car and headed for the community gate. His plan was simple: enter the community, park the car, sneak into the apartment, knock out Leo, put him in a box, and take him to the Hydra base to extract information using a hypnosis device. If everything went smoothly, he might even return Leo before dawn, with Leo feeling nothing more than a slight headache upon waking.

However, as he used a forged access card to enter the community, he noticed two security guards in the booth who weren't in the intel he had. Grant's eyes narrowed as he realized something was off.

This community's security records were fresh in his mind: four middle-aged men and two older guards, with all names and backgrounds known. These two muscular guards were definitely not part of those records.

"Coincidence, or is it related to Leo?" Grant leaned towards the latter. The chances of a security change coinciding with Leo's move-in were too slim to be mere coincidence. Nonetheless, he didn't abandon the mission. Even if the guards were arranged by Leo, it wouldn't be a significant issue.

Being strong didn't equate to being good fighters. As a top-tier operative, Grant could take down several big guys barehanded, and even more if armed. His mission was infiltration, not combat, so he aimed to avoid detection.

As Grant's car turned towards the parking lot, the two guards who had been dozing off in the booth immediately stood up, picked up their radios, and reported:

"Third Brother, a non-resident has entered the community, black Chevrolet, license plate EVJ4329."