Chapter 24: Another Encounter

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Link gave a polite smile and said, "I'm just respecting my own feelings. The spatial sense of this painting is very strong, and I think it will fit perfectly in my living room. What I love most is the open glass ceiling—it really gives a sense of freedom."

"They match perfectly!"

"Indeed, this is one of the artist's most prized works. Its future potential is significant, and right now, it's priced at only $80,000," Vanessa explained the price. "Link, would you like to continue or make this purchase now?"

"Let's continue. One painting alone won't be enough for the living room. I plan on selecting two today, both for the living room. Hopefully, there are other pieces that I'll find appealing." Link wasn't about to buy everything in one go, and he certainly didn't want to fill the space with just one artist's work.

As collecting intelligence is a meticulous task, Link added, "But I won't be buying only oil paintings. Do you have other artist friends?"

"Of course. But which type of artwork are you interested in?" Vanessa inquired.

Link turned to Jessica and asked, "Darling, is there anything you particularly like?"

"I don't really know much about this. You decide. I think the painting you bought last time fits perfectly with the dining room, though we still haven't used the kitchen for cooking yet," Jessica replied cleverly. If it weren't for Link's appearance, her life would have taken a dramatic turn, possibly leading her to a future as a private investigator.

Her abilities in investigation, analysis, and intelligence gathering were excellent.

"What do you think about sculptures?" Link asked.

"The house is primarily white, and the designer left some areas blank for us to add our personal touches. At first, I used photos, then came oil paintings, especially brightly colored abstract pieces."

"So, sculptures could make excellent decorative pieces."

"Yes, that's a good choice," Jessica considered it for a moment and agreed.

"Vanessa, what do you think?" Link then asked her opinion.

Vanessa thought for a moment and replied, "Sculptures could work, though most Western sculptures tend to have muted colors. As you're of Chinese descent, would you be interested in Eastern art?"

"Of course! Especially porcelain—that's a great idea," Link replied with a cheerful tone. "But I'm no expert on it. Porcelain has both color and historical value, and I'm clueless when it comes to antiques."

"You simply must introduce me to an honest and reliable dealer, just like you."

"No problem! I guarantee it," Vanessa answered with a smile.

Link continued to browse the gallery and picked another piece for the living room. This one resembled a starry night sky—not as abstract, or perhaps it was because the starry sky itself is so unique that it stood out at first glance.

In total, Link spent $140,000. Delivery was scheduled for 10 AM the next morning, with the delivery service also handling installation, making it very convenient.

Link arranged a time with Vanessa to visit another place and browse some Eastern porcelain before finally leaving.

...

At S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Coulson was reporting Link's progress to Nick Fury, who seemed pleased.

"Excellent. It seems his intelligence-gathering skills are sharp, and the value of this intel is significant. Coulson, I'm now officially assigning you to this case, but it must remain classified." Fury was clearly enticed by the wealth documented in the files. This was money that would bypass S.H.I.E.L.D.'s official accounts.

"Secretly deal with these groups, but hold off on touching the United Construction Company. Divert their funds to a hidden account."

"Understood, sir!" Coulson replied without further question.

After Coulson left, Fury took another look at Link's file. He was impressed. Whether it was combat skills or intelligence gathering, Link seemed formidable. But Fury also had one lingering question: how did this guy become so capable?

He'd only studied psychology and trained at the police academy. Could he be a genius?

Still, Fury wasn't overly suspicious. After all, they had recruited Link, not the other way around.

Plus, Link appeared to genuinely enjoy the excitement of this line of work. His wealth was growing fast, and he certainly wasn't short on money or ways to make it.

Looking at his past, especially after becoming a police officer, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Fury's intense scrutiny of Link was due to his plans for the future Avengers. Currently, there weren't many individuals with extraordinary abilities, and even fewer who could potentially join.

Even in the future, if more superpowered individuals emerged, Fury needed people who would follow his orders. The more of them in the Avengers, the better.

While Hawkeye and Black Widow were impressive, they were still just ordinary humans. Adding another similar but highly capable individual like Link seemed necessary.

Even if the Avengers couldn't be assembled, a highly capable special ops team under Coulson's command wouldn't be a bad alternative.

And now, Link had proven to be valuable. His recent contributions had secured a large sum of money, enabling the establishment of additional safe houses.

...

Unaware of all this, Link received his paintings and had them installed. He and Jessica then sat in the living room, admiring the new additions.

"These are really great. You have a real eye for this, darling," Jessica complimented him. "Trish introduced me to a charity foundation where I can learn a few things."

"That's an excellent idea!" Link agreed. "But we should probably buy a car and find you a driver, who can double as a bodyguard."

"Is that necessary?" Jessica didn't want Link to spend too much.

"I think it's essential. If you're going to run a foundation, you're not going to take the subway every day, are you?"

"Alright," Jessica conceded, snuggling up to Link. She felt incredibly happy and secure in his arms.

At the same time, she felt a slight twinge of fear—fear of losing this happiness. Determined not to be helpless, she made a decision to train herself, to gain control over her powers.

This was something she had never considered before. She had always disliked her abilities and never bothered to train them, but now it seemed necessary.

A few days later, Link had an appointment with Vanessa to view some Eastern porcelain, while Jessica was keeping herself busy with both charity foundation management and hiring a personal trainer.

The best way to control her strength was through combat training. Jessica had realized that, with Link's growing wealth and influence, protection was becoming essential.

Trish had even suggested she learn how to fight, maybe even use firearms, as a way to control her strength and use weapons for protection. This would minimize the risk of her powers being exposed.

Jessica secretly began her training, though Link was still unaware.

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(Chapter End)