Chapter 10. Meeting with Coulson, Shocking News

After receiving the mission, Noah followed the system's indicator, left the house, and set off.

There were few cars on the street in front of his house, only a few passersby and a couple of cleaners busy with their tasks. He surveyed the street, trying to identify possible undercover agents, but the system had already pointed them out: a large marker hovered over one of the cleaners.

S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, disguised as ordinary people, continued to monitor him, communicating through their internal channels: "The target has left the house and is heading east... The target is passing by me..."

But their chatter was interrupted when Noah placed a hand on one of the agents' shoulders. "Hey, guys. Are you from the FBI?"

Spotting the cleaner trimming branches that the system had indicated, Noah approached and overheard his communication with the team. Then he calmly put a hand on his shoulder. The agent tensed, realizing Noah's strength, but Noah reassured him: "Don't worry, I won't hurt you. I just want to meet your boss."

The agent was about to attack, but then Coulson's voice came over the radio: "Neil, agree to his terms. The meeting will be at his place." "Roger that, Captain. Mr. Lee, the Captain said he'll meet you soon. The meeting will be at your house."

Mr. Lee—Noah. In this life, his last name was Lee, full name Lee Noah. In America, he went by Noah Lee.

Noah was surprised the meeting would take place at his home but didn't dwell on it. If they could track him, they surely knew where he lived. "No problem."

The agent told him to follow, and Noah didn't object. They headed back to his house, where Noah turned on the news and relaxed in the living room, ignoring the agent. They both waited silently for the S.H.I.E.L.D. team to arrive.

"Ding-dong~"

After a few minutes, the doorbell rang. The agent in the living room got up and went to answer the door, knowing it was the S.H.I.E.L.D. representatives.

Standing at the door was a man in a suit with thinning hair and a friendly smile. Noah recognized him instantly—it was Agent Phil Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.

Coulson nodded to the agent who opened the door, gave him a few quiet instructions, and then the agent left. Carrying a briefcase, Coulson approached the chair next to Noah, sat down, and placed the briefcase on the table, smiling. "Hello, Noah. I'm Agent Coulson."

He extended his hand for a handshake, and Noah reciprocated, though he found it strange that Coulson was being so familiar, using his first name right from the start.

"Noah, I was surprised when I learned you were the target of this mission. As soon as I saw the report, I immediately requested to be in charge of this case," Coulson said.

"Oh? Why? I don't recall us ever meeting," Noah said, puzzled. It seemed to him that he had never encountered Coulson before. Or maybe it had something to do with his parents? Could his parents have had ties to S.H.I.E.L.D.?

"Take a look at this picture first, Noah," Coulson said as he pulled a photo out of the briefcase. It was a group photo, and Noah saw Coulson and his parents in it.

"What? My parents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents?!" Noah was stunned. He had never imagined his parents could have been agents, and it all started to make sense—why their work trips had lasted so long. He now began to doubt that their deaths had been just an ordinary car accident.

Seeing Noah's confusion, Coulson continued, "Sander Lee and Han Lin—or rather, I should call them by their Chinese names, Lee Lei and Lin Han—your parents were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and part of my team."

"When I found out you were the mission's target, I insisted on taking it myself. Noah, do you have any questions?" Coulson asked.

"Were my parents always agents? Was their death really an accident? Or is there more to it?" Noah asked, eager to know if his parents had died in a car crash or if it was part of some mission that went wrong.

"The car accident was just the official story for the public. Your parents died during a mission," Coulson said sadly, responding to Noah's question. While S.H.I.E.L.D. missions are usually classified, he continued: "It was a reconnaissance mission. We had discovered a secret base of an unknown organization, and our leadership sent my team to investigate. I was occupied with another assignment at the time and couldn't join them. When I returned, I learned that my team had been attacked en route. Only two survived. We later sent reinforcements, but the base was already empty."

"Why were they attacked? Wasn't the mission information classified? Do you have a mole in your agency?" Noah asked, shocked that his parents might have been betrayed. Given that Hydra had long infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., it didn't seem far-fetched.

Noah was reeling from the sudden revelation that his parents had been S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. His mind raced with chaotic thoughts. He suspected that Hydra might have been involved in the attack. Maybe the target base had belonged to them, and mission information had been leaked by traitors from within. Hence, the ambush on his parents' team. Wait, hold on, there were survivors… Could they also be Hydra agents?

He decided to find out from Coulson who had survived. Pointing at the photo, he asked who among those pictured was still alive.

Coulson, hearing Noah's suspicion about traitors, was about to argue that S.H.I.E.L.D. had already conducted an investigation at the time and found no leaks. It was believed that the team had been detected by external surveillance means. But when Noah asked about the survivors, he understood his doubts. Losing one's parents could lead to thinking the worst. Pointing to two survivors in the photo, Coulson named them and explained his understanding of the mission's failure.

Noah listened attentively without interrupting. He knew that Coulson was unaware of the extent to which Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. Even high-ranking officials, like Alexander Pierce, had been Hydra agents.

After some reflection, Noah calmed down. Perhaps Hydra was indeed responsible for his parents' deaths. Another chilling thought struck him: what if his parents had been Hydra agents themselves? The thought made him shiver. He decided he would find out the whole truth.

"So, Noah, can you tell me what's been happening with you lately?" Coulson asked as he saw Noah return to his senses. He pulled out a tablet and placed it in front of him.