Chapter 56

When Qin Li and Nick went down to the first floor of the church, Tony Stark happened to push open the door and enter. Seeing Tony fully armored, Qin Li smiled and said, "Yo, Tony, so now you only use your precious armor and no other transportation?"

"Li, take a look at these two documents," Tony didn't respond to Qin Li's teasing but instead opened the compartment in his armor, taking out the two files and handing them to Qin Li.

Qin Li saw the Avengers Initiative right at the top and, while skimming, asked, "Did that bald egghead come to see you?"

"Yeah, pretty much what you said, but he came to see me not only last night but also this morning. Our meeting this morning didn't end well," Tony shrugged and said.

Qin Li casually glanced through the Avengers Initiative but was surprised to find that he was on Nick Fury's list for evaluation. However, he quickly tossed it aside. The current S.H.I.E.L.D., at best, could be called S.H.I.E.L.D., but at worst, it was more like S.H.I.E.L.D. in name only, collecting high-end talent for their little paperclip project.

He then looked at the second file, titled "Biotechnology Power Enhancement Project." At first, he thought it was about some weird biological mutation. But when he flipped through and saw the gamma rays, he quickly figured out who it was about. Finally, seeing the name in the footage confirmed his guess—it was the Hulk, Bruce Banner.

Qin Li immediately asked, "So, he brought these two documents to invite you to join the Avengers and discuss Bruce Banner with the military?"

Tony Stark nodded and said, "Yeah, I don't have a problem with Bruce Banner, but that failure that turned him into a monster—Fury thinks if he can recruit him, he can just jump straight into his plans."

Tony took a sip of his drink and continued, "And I, a genius who successfully created such a perfect suit of armor, still need to be evaluated? That's why we parted ways this morning."

Qin Li laughed, "Well, you probably insulted that bald-headed cloak-wearing guy first. But honestly, considering the current situation, joining isn't a bad idea."

Tony Stark stared at Qin Li, shocked. "Li, you're not possessed by something, are you? Why would you agree? We could create our own super-boy team. As for those two confirmed recruits, I'm sure as long as the money's right, they'll come to work for us."

Qin Li shook his head. "The problem is, Tony, for this country, you, as a well-known celebrity and capital tycoon, are still just a rich man."

He picked up his drink and took a sip, seemingly considering his next words, before continuing, "A rich man creating an organization full of top-tier fighters—do you think the country would allow that?"

Tony Stark seemed to think it over and replied, "So, S.H.I.E.L.D. is the perfect cover for our little group. It can shield us from rumors and the nonsense from those 'vampire' politicians."

Qin Li smiled, "Exactly. While S.H.I.E.L.D. may seem weak to us, to others, it's the legitimate enforcement arm of the state. With that kind of backing, we actually have a chance to grow."

At that moment, Tony Stark suddenly looked puzzled. "But why? Why is Fury so determined to form this kind of team?"

Qin Li decided it was time to explain more about this world. He asked, "Tony, do you think hell really exists?"

Tony Stark looked at him with a bewildered expression, about to speak, but upon seeing Qin Li's serious face, he hesitantly asked, "Li, this isn't funny—is it real? Does that mean I'm definitely going to hell?"

"Hell does exist, but it's not on the same dimension as ours. There's a group of dedicated mages protecting the Earth, so demons can't appear directly. But that doesn't mean there aren't any loopholes, so occasionally, a demon might slip through," Qin Li explained slowly while taking a sip of his drink.

"God! Does that mean gods exist too? Like, God, or something?" Tony Stark swallowed hard and asked.

"God? I don't know about that," Qin Li said indifferently, then suddenly thought of Stan Lee and frowned, continuing, "Maybe there is a god, after all?"

"My God, bringing all this up to me today was definitely the right choice," Tony Stark said with a sense of disbelief.

Qin Li nonchalantly added, "And don't worry about the Norse gods either. They're just powerful humans—you can think of them as mutants."

"What the—? Looks like I need to speed up my armor updates," Tony Stark suddenly became anxious.

Seeing Tony Stark's sudden anxiety, Qin Li realized he had shared too much too soon. He hoped he hadn't triggered Tony Stark's anxiety by spilling so much information.

"I'm just telling you the world isn't as peaceful as it seems. But don't worry about those gods; the Norse gods have an agreement not to come to Earth. And the only demons who dare come are the ones who don't know better. Their lord, Mephistos, wouldn't even dare to make a sound," Qin Li hurriedly reassured him.

Tony Stark's face softened at Qin Li's words, but he still asked, "Relying on others is no substitute for relying on yourself. We still need to be prepared. But why does Nick Fury know all this?"

Qin Li scratched his head and replied, "He probably doesn't know about this. What he knows is probably something to do with the universe."

"Universe?" Tony Stark asked with a puzzled expression before quickly realizing and asking, "Other civilizations in the universe? You mean there are other civilizations out there?"

"Yes. The Norse gods I mentioned earlier can be considered an extraterrestrial civilization. After all, they're backed by a government, so who knows what they might have discovered?" Qin Li said with a wry smile.

"That makes sense. No wonder Fury wants to build such a powerful team," Tony Stark muttered thoughtfully.

"So, this is basically all I know. And I've explained why. Now it's up to you, Tony, to decide what we should do next," Qin Li said, lazily reclining on the couch like a carefree fish.