Chapter 030 Nick Fury: Why Did I Mess With Him!!

Banner felt a bit helpless. Why were these people ignoring him while they were chatting?

Finally, after a reminder, everyone remembered him.

"Dr. Banner, I'm sorry we forgot about you. But you have to understand, we just witnessed something unbelievable," Stark quickly apologized.

Banner nodded, clearly frustrated. "Of course I know! Wasn't I the one involved?"

"So, how are you feeling now? Any discomfort after being out of your body for so long?" Stark continued.

Banner replied seriously, "Honestly, I feel fine. Just a little scared. So, can you put me back?"

"Are you sure the Hulk won't show up if we do that?" Stark asked cautiously.

Banner thought for a moment. "I'm pretty sure he won't. That was terrifying!"

After a brief exchange, Stark turned to introduce Dr. Banner to Luo Bai: "Luo Bai, as you've seen, Dr. Banner lives inside the Hulk... It's complicated, but let me explain briefly."

Stark went on to summarize what had happened. When Luo Bai returned to Kamar-Taj, S.H.I.E.L.D. found Dr. Banner, who had been exposed to gamma radiation in Brazil. Stark was sent to recruit him, and that's how Dr. Banner joined the Avengers as the Hulk.

"Dr. Banner is actually a renowned physicist and an expert in nuclear science. Before he became the Hulk, he was kind and approachable. But when he transforms, it's a whole different story," Stark explained.

Luo Bai, already familiar with the situation, didn't ask any more questions. He simply greeted Banner, "Hello, Dr. Banner."

Still nervous, Banner avoided eye contact with Luo Bai, seemingly worried that Luo Bai might do something again. He quickly said, "Sorry for causing so much trouble. I've been working on keeping better control over the Hulk, but I don't know what happened today. I'm really sorry!"

Before Luo Bai could respond, Nick Fury cut in, his tone serious. "Dr. Banner, you promised me you'd control the Hulk. If S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't cleared the area in time, the damage could have been catastrophic."

"I'm sorry," Banner said, full of guilt.

It seemed like Banner was entirely to blame for losing control, but Luo Bai saw it differently. He chuckled softly and interrupted the conversation.

"Nick Fury, I don't think Dr. Banner is at fault this time," Luo Bai said.

Nick Fury was caught off guard. Under normal circumstances, he might have argued, but after witnessing Luo Bai's power, his tone softened. "Why do you think that?" Fury asked, confused.

Luo Bai smiled and explained, "Stark just told me that after realizing his situation, Dr. Banner wanted to live in isolation. It was S.H.I.E.L.D. that brought him here to join the Avengers. You already knew he couldn't fully control the Hulk, so shouldn't S.H.I.E.L.D. have had measures in place to handle that? If he managed to escape, isn't that a failure of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security? How is that his fault?"

Nick Fury was left speechless.

It was true. If Banner had remained in isolation, far away from civilization, there would've been no risk of anyone getting hurt, let alone causing economic damage. S.H.I.E.L.D. had brought him to New York, and now they had to bear the responsibility.

Fury's expression turned awkward. "Alright, I admit it. This was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fault. I'm sorry, Dr. Banner. I shouldn't have blamed you." He sighed, offering a rare apology.

Before Banner could respond, Luo Bai chimed in, "Don't you think you should be thanking me as well?"

Nick Fury blinked, and then it clicked. "Of course. You saved S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers from this crisis. On behalf of everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, I want to extend my deepest gratitude."

But Luo Bai frowned, clearly unsatisfied. "Is that it?"

Fury: "..."

He knew what Luo Bai was hinting at but hadn't expected it.

"Aren't mages supposed to protect the Earth as their duty? Do you really expect compensation for that?" Fury muttered.

Luo Bai shook his head. "Protecting the Earth is about keeping otherworldly threats at bay, not handling your internal messes. Hulk rampaging through the city? That's S.H.I.E.L.D.'s problem, not mine. I only stepped in as a favor to Tony. I'm not part of S.H.I.E.L.D., so what do I owe you?"

"..."

Fury was silent again. After a deep breath, he finally asked, "So, what kind of reward do you want?"

Luo Bai thought for a moment. Knowing Fury, it wouldn't be anything too extravagant, so why bother asking for something complicated?

He shrugged, "Just give me some money."

Though Luo Bai had recently won three million dollars, there's no harm in having more.

Fury, confused, asked, "You're a mage. Why would you need money?"

"Mages are still human. We have needs just like anyone else!" Luo Bai retorted.

Before joining Kamar-Taj, Luo Bai had assumed mages didn't require money. But after some time, he realized they did—just in different ways than most people.

Fury, still skeptical, quipped, "Can't you just conjure money?"

Luo Bai laughed, "Sure, I could even rob the New York bank if I wanted to. Do you want that?"

"Definitely not!" Fury quickly replied.

After a brief exchange of jokes, Fury relented. "I'll arrange for the payment to be sent to you. Now, can you let Banner's soul return to his body?"

"Of course," Luo Bai said, waving his hand and returning Banner's soul to his body.

Banner immediately felt the difference. "Oh my God! I'm alive!" he shouted in excitement.

But Fury wasn't as cheerful. He had a lot to deal with—damaged public property, the repairs, and, of course, compensating Luo Bai. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s budget... he wasn't sure if it could cover all of this.

Fury couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

Why did I ever get involved with Luo Bai?

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