Chapter 27: Mission Accomplished

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Link left only his phone number for the driver applicants, but not many called. During the phone interviews, he asked several questions, focusing on their backgrounds, which he then cross-referenced with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vast database. This also gave him access to FBI and CIA records, so none of the candidates could escape his scrutiny.

Some candidates were skilled, but those with questionable histories were immediately dismissed. Since the car would take two months to arrive, Link wasn't in a hurry. His main concern now was keeping tabs on Madame Gao.

The leads involving Leland Owlsley and Wilson Fisk could now be set aside. Fisk's activities were outside of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s jurisdiction.

Link called Coulson. "Coulson, I've discovered who's behind Fisk."

"Oh?" Coulson perked up. "Who is it?"

"I've encountered Alexandra Reid during that poker game in Las Vegas, and recently, at another poker game organized by Fisk, there was a Chinese woman—Madame Gao. I suspect they're part of the same organization."

Link continued, "According to Fisk, Alexandra doesn't like public appearances. She's enigmatic. As for Madame Gao, she runs a drug factory in Hell's Kitchen, and together, they've formed a well-established network."

"From the hidden evidence Leland provided, they've been laundering money through the United Allied Construction Corporation. But their acquisition of property in Hell's Kitchen is legitimate. Something about it feels off, though. I haven't been able to figure it out yet."

"I'll keep an eye on Madame Gao. Fisk's dealings seem to fall under typical criminal activities."

Coulson listened carefully, impressed by how quickly Link had pieced things together. Still, there was one missing element—what the organization behind Fisk intended to do.

"Most of the funds are coming from Japan. Haven't you encountered any Japanese contacts?" Coulson asked.

"Not yet, but keeping an eye on Gao might lead me to them. I'm just one person, after all."

"I understand. Keep it up and try to uncover their ultimate goal," Coulson encouraged. He knew Link was right—he was operating solo.

But that was also part of Director Fury's strategy. Agents like Hawkeye and Black Widow worked independently, honing their fieldwork and intelligence-gathering skills. Fury had promoted Link to Level 6 to test whether he could operate at their level, potentially as a future Avenger. Fury couldn't get that idea out of his mind.

The World Security Council had initially vetoed the proposal, but Fury was not one to give up easily. Much like how he established secret safe houses and misallocated S.H.I.E.L.D. funds, Fury was deeply motivated by the looming threat of the Kree.

…

Coulson quickly reported Link's findings to Nick Fury, whose remaining eye lit up. Another huge lead—and more money—was coming their way.

"Good. Link's intelligence-gathering skills are impressive," Fury said approvingly. "There were no leaks during the operation, correct?"

"None. It was conducted covertly, and the funds were routed through multiple channels before reaching a secure account," Coulson replied. "Leland Owlsley will never suspect a thing."

"Good. And make sure no one else in S.H.I.E.L.D. finds out about this. I'm going to use that money to establish a new secret base." Fury trusted Coulson above all others but had not given him excessive authority. Coulson remained at Level 7, while Maria Hill was a Level 9 agent and Fury's official second-in-command.

Coulson, however, was Fury's choice to run this secret base. Fury was always planning ahead, carefully positioning his pieces.

…

Meanwhile, Link was continuing his covert surveillance of Madame Gao. He discovered that she spent most of her days in her factory. For transportation, she relied on blind couriers. Originally, these were handled by Russian taxi drivers, but Vladimir was now preoccupied with avenging his brother and hunting Daredevil.

A Japanese man, Nobu, had arrived to meet with Madame Gao. She was concerned about Fisk's personal life, fearing it might disrupt their operations.

Nobu's arrival allowed Link to confirm the Japanese connection. He immediately reported this to Coulson, who was pleased with the progress, though both men realized the difficulty of Link handling this mission alone.

As Link pondered adding more manpower, he noticed Madame Gao heading to meet Alexandra. Equipped with a remote listening device, Link remained at a distance in his car, eavesdropping on their conversation from afar.

Alexandra sat in a public square, feeding pigeons, while Madame Gao sat beside her, showing a clear sense of reverence. Their conversation brought a smile to Link's face—he had finally completed the mission.

The reason for the Hand's full support of Fisk was simple: they were searching for a "Dragon Bone." The five leaders of the Hand had lived for centuries, and the secret of their immortality lay in the Dragon Bones. They could even use these bones to resurrect the dead. However, after centuries of use, their supply was nearly depleted. According to their research, there was a massive Dragon Bone buried deep beneath Hell's Kitchen.

Thus, their acquisition of properties in Hell's Kitchen wasn't for development—it was to dig for the Dragon Bone. The Bone was buried so deep and was so massive that it required extensive excavation across multiple locations.

Alexandra's health was deteriorating, making the situation even more urgent. This explained why she viewed Fisk's romantic distractions as a waste of time.

Link compiled the recordings and sent them to Coulson. After listening, Coulson was stunned. He immediately called Link.

"Link, is this for real?" Coulson asked.

"It seems so. The logic checks out. The only remaining question is whether immortality is truly possible. But this is sensitive information. We shouldn't let it spread, even within S.H.I.E.L.D. If this gets out, the world will go mad," Link warned. "The allure of immortality is too great. Politicians and capitalists alike would stop at nothing."

"If there's really a Dragon Bone beneath Hell's Kitchen and it's as massive as they say, excavating it could cause the entire area to collapse."

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