Chapter 196: Coulson Was Robbed

Morning, Lockhart's Villa

The artificial grass in the magic luggage's interior space was lush and green. On the lawn, a large number of mute people in dark blue clothes and with pale faces stood in a square formation. They all looked at Lockhart at the front, gratitude evident in their eyes.

They were thankful to the handsome blond man standing before them for saving them from hell and restoring their lives. Whenever they thought of their previous experiences, all they felt was darkness and despair. However, a white light would flash in their minds, gradually sealing away the negative emotions. Their moods shifted, and all their negativity turned into hope for the future.

It was as if they could only long for heaven after experiencing the pain of hell.

At that moment, Lockhart observed the mute people and nodded slightly. Ignoring them completely would be like sending them back to hell. If he handed them over to an institution like a police station, it wouldn't do them any good. Lockhart had little faith in the police department in the United States, often commenting with a derisive "Haha" at their incompetence.

Based on their track record, it was impossible to gauge how deep the corruption went. Handing these people over to the police would be like throwing them back into the clutches of the Hand. So, he decided to put those thoughts aside.

As for taking responsibility for this group of mute people himself, he had no desire to do so. There were hundreds of them, and they weren't wizards. They couldn't even engage in the activities he wanted to undertake.

Thus, he decided to leave professional matters to professionals. It was most appropriate to entrust the handling of such a large number of people to an agency like SHIELD. Whether they dealt with it internally or transferred them to a specialized institution like a school for the deaf, it was a minor task for SHIELD. They wouldn't dare to mess around for their own sake.

Now, he just had to wait for Coulson to come over and receive these people. Lockhart glanced at his watch. It was 9 a.m., and Coulson was expected to arrive at the designated location.

Thoughts flashing through his mind, Lockhart extended his wand and drew a graceful curve in the air. In an instant, a red flame-colored circular portal opened. On the other side, there was an open space with three buses and some SHIELD agents. Coulson stood at the front. Lockhart saw this and stepped forward.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed. Lockhart took it out and glanced at it briefly. An unknown number? He turned it off immediately. It was probably another spam call. He had been annoyed by these calls in his previous life. Answering them not only wasted time but also led to a bombardment of messages from the other party, provoking anger and wasting life.

To avoid trouble in the future, he would turn off calls from unknown numbers or those flagged as scams.

Buzz! Buzz!

The phone rang again. Lockhart glanced at it and saw the same number. He turned it off again, this time tapping the screen lightly with his fingertip, surging a bit of magic power.

Though he felt that something might genuinely be happening, he still found it troublesome. He had matters to deal with at the moment. If it were important, they would call again later. Then, Lockhart waved to the mute people behind him, conveying his meaning through mental power.

Seeing them step through the portal in an orderly manner, Lockhart walked towards Coulson. At that moment, Coulson was carefully observing the scene on the other side of the portal, perhaps trying to memorize the layout of Lockhart's base camp. He noted the lawn and the vague outline of the house, planning to see if he could gather more information later.

At least he could write another report.

"Professor Lockhart, according to your instructions, we have made arrangements. The Deaf-Mute Association will be responsible for the placement of these people," Coulson said quickly and gently as Lockhart approached.

Lockhart responded with a polite smile and said righteously, "My student accidentally encountered a group of extremely vicious drug dealers. They actually cut out the tongues of these people and pierced their eardrums, creating deaf and mute individuals."

"My students have always had a strong sense of justice. I dealt with this illegal and inhumane behavior directly. Saving these people can be regarded as eliminating harm for the community."

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is a national agency, and these people will be handed over to you. You will not mention my students' names in any news; just say this was your operation."

Coulson looked slightly uncomfortable. SHIELD had heard a bit about the Hand but hadn't paid much attention since it wasn't directly related to their responsibilities. However, Lockhart's explanation sounded like it was for SHIELD's benefit, and SHIELD wanted to accept this favor.

Despite his internal complaints, he smiled gently and said, "Okay, Professor Lockhart, thank you and your students for your hard work."

Lockhart then added, "By the way, Coulson, three of my students don't have official status yet. Can you help with that? I'll pay."

Coulson quickly responded, "No, no, SHIELD will handle the identity matter. This is SHIELD's thanks for your students' heroic endeavor."

Lockhart nodded with satisfaction. It was good to resolve the matter of the mute people and also take care of his students' identities. It would make it easier for them to operate in New York from now on.

Noticing Coulson's slightly thicker but still sparse hair, Lockhart teased, "Coulson, how was the effect of the shampoo I gave you last time?"

Coulson felt helpless. After receiving the shampoo, the director had taken half of it for research. He had only used it once before the scientists in the research department went crazy, snatching the rest for further study.

He hadn't used much of it yet. Complaining to the director only led to reassurances that the research department might find a new source of income for SHIELD and that he should be patient for the product to appear.

He could only agree with a polite yet embarrassed smile, though he remained skeptical of the research team's capabilities.

Lockhart, sensing Coulson's thoughts, smiled and produced another bottle of Potter family shampoo from thin air. Coulson's eyes lit up with surprise and desire.

"This bottle of shampoo is a personal gift from me. I hope it will be helpful to you," Lockhart said softly.

Coulson, still unaware of Lockhart's plans to win him over, expressed his gratitude, "Thank you, Professor Lockhart, for the shampoo."

As he was about to continue expressing his thanks, his phone started vibrating again. Unlike Lockhart's phone, Coulson's was specially customized to block ordinary calls.

He took it out and saw a string of unknown numbers. Thinking it might be Jarvis, Tony Stark's AI assistant, he guessed it was urgent.

He gave Lockhart an apologetic look. Lockhart nodded, and Coulson stepped aside to answer the call.

"Hello, Mr. Coulson, I am Jarvis, Mr. Stark's artificial intelligence assistant," said Jarvis.

Coulson, looking slightly puzzled, walked back to Professor Lockhart, handed him the phone, and said, "Professor Lockhart, Tony is looking for you."

=========================

[Read up to 50+ chapter ahead and more Weakly Chapter Update at p@treon.com/goldengaruda]

=========================