Chapter 054: I Also Want to Hang Up on the Leader

An Audi sped recklessly through the crowded streets of New York, leaving a trail of rear-end collisions and angry honks in its wake. Several drivers cursed as they swerved to avoid hitting the speeding car.

"I swear, I didn't mean to! It's an emergency!" Happy protested from the driver's seat, his face tense. Despite his apology, he floored the accelerator again, weaving between cars.

In the backseat, Jiang Chen tightened his grip on the handrail as the car lurched forward. His expression was serious. "Who took her?" he asked, his voice steady but laced with tension.

"I don't know," Happy replied, his eyes fixed on the road. Suddenly, he jerked the steering wheel to the left, narrowly avoiding a blocked lane. "Damn it, the road to the Broadcasting Building is blocked."

Hearing this, Jiang Chen frowned. "You didn't know about the incident there?"

Happy, still focused on dodging cars, replied nonchalantly, "I've got a lot on my plate. Can't keep track of everything."

Jiang Chen hesitated, then asked, "Where's Tony?"

"Not sure, but I know he went overseas with the Avengers," Happy answered.

Jiang Chen's mind raced. Both Chief Matthew Ellis and Tony Stark had warned him about the Mandarin's threat. With Tony out of the picture and the Avengers occupied, it seemed like the operation to capture the Mandarin was being spearheaded by S.H.I.E.L.D., with Hawkeye and Hill leading the charge. But was Nick Fury involved? And why had the Mandarin been cornered so easily?

As Jiang Chen pondered, the car swerved sharply, and Lorna, who had been calmly sitting with her legs crossed, was suddenly thrown onto Jiang Chen's lap. She collided with him, her lips brushing his cheek in the process.

Once the car stabilized, Jiang Chen straightened up and gave her a teasing look. "You're going to tell me that wasn't on purpose?" he asked with a smirk. "Especially since you can control magnetic fields."

Lorna grinned, her eyes sparkling as she blinked at him playfully. "There are accidents in everything."

Up front, Happy was oblivious to the exchange, his mind focused on the road. Hearing Lorna's mention of "accidents," he suddenly chimed in with enthusiasm. "That was definitely not an accident!"

Jiang Chen and Lorna glanced at each other in confusion before Happy continued, his voice more serious. "You know, I kind of like kids... and Anna is adorable."

His tone shifted as he remembered the events of the previous day. "When I delivered medicine to her, she thanked me so sweetly. Her parents even invited me to stay for dinner."

Happy's expression darkened as he recalled the moment he left. "I'd just gotten back to my car when I heard gunshots. They shot her parents and kidnapped her."

He cursed under his breath, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. "I chased them. I swear, I had one hell of a car chase with those bastards. Didn't catch them, but I managed to put a tracker on their vehicle."

Jiang Chen suddenly remembered something and leaned forward. "What about the injection I gave her? Did she use it?"

Happy nodded. "She did. I saw her inject it myself."

Jiang Chen sighed in frustration. Anna had injected the Extremis antidote, which meant she was now just a regular girl. Who would have such a grudge against an ordinary child? He clenched his fists at the thought of her parents being murdered.

"Those bastards," Lorna muttered, her voice filled with anger.

Before Jiang Chen could respond, his phone rang again. The caller ID showed another unknown number. He answered with a wary, "Hello?"

"I'm President Matthew Ellis," the voice on the other end said.

Jiang Chen wasn't surprised. "What do you want?" he asked bluntly.

"Mr. Jiang, you promised me you'd handle the Mandarin, but now I hear you're not going. It's hard for me to accept this after you gave me your word," Ellis said, his voice carrying a hint of frustration amidst the background noise.

Jiang Chen's face hardened. "You broke your word first, President. You said I'd handle it alone, but now S.H.I.E.L.D. is involved."

Ellis sighed. "I can explain. We only finalized the plan yesterday after confirming the Mandarin's exact location."

Jiang Chen's tone turned icy. "But you didn't bother to tell me."

"We had to keep the operation completely confidential," Ellis explained. "The Mandarin is extremely cunning, and we couldn't risk a leak."

"Confidential?" Jiang Chen scoffed. "President Ellis, let me remind you that you asked me to handle this personally. Yet before I could act, you jumped the gun. And after crafting what you think is a perfect plan, you didn't inform me. If you don't trust me, why even involve me? It sounds like the Mandarin isn't so cunning after all, given how easily you cornered him."

Ellis, growing agitated, snapped, "Mr. Jiang, this plan was crafted by our Ministry of Defense and S.H.I.E.L.D. It's foolproof, and you shouldn't question it."

Jiang Chen chuckled. "Then why are you calling me?"

Ellis seemed taken aback by Jiang Chen's audacity. His voice became more stern. "Mr. Jiang, you may be a superhero, but you still live in this country. I expect you to treat me with the respect my office deserves."

Before Ellis could finish his sentence, Jiang Chen hung up, his face emotionless.

Happy, glancing at him in the rearview mirror, asked curiously, "Who was that?"

"The President," Jiang Chen replied flatly.

Happy raised an eyebrow. "I thought so. I've only seen two people who'd dare hang up on the leader—Tony and you."

He smiled wistfully. "Honestly, I'd love to do it once."

Lorna shot him a sideways glance. "But he'd never call you."

Happy sighed dramatically. "You didn't have to say that out loud."