Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 1076, Section 1072: Blatant Brazenness (Second Update)

After a week of political turmoil subsided somewhat, the demand for software engineers across the Balkans remained high. To modify the existing satellite navigation system, technicians from the Mars Foundry, accompanied by government officials, entered major airlines. Following a smooth acquisition process, the Mars Foundry technicians modified the software of every aircraft, completely overhauling the entire aviation system and eliminating reliance on the Global Positioning System (GPS), switching to Latvian satellite navigation.

This has indirectly created a large number of software engineering jobs, because Latvian satellite positioning systems can track not only aircraft within the atmosphere but also those outside the atmosphere, making the system far more complex. The subroutines assigned to airlines require a large number of professionals for maintenance. A similar situation has occurred in the automotive industry and other companies that rely on navigation systems; after acquisitions and industrial upgrades, many new software technologies need to be learned and adapted.

Latvian airports reopened after a new agreement on European communications satellite and navigation systems was signed. As the administration had anticipated, a large number of previously wealthy individuals attempted to leave the country through the airport during the purge, using previously obtained passports to flee abroad, intending to settle there and then apply for immigration. Most of these individuals had already transferred assets, which would allow them to live affluent lives overseas.

Nick Fury's current actions are completely illegal because extradition treaties between Latvia and various European countries are still under negotiation. Everyone knows that even without such an extradition treaty, Latvia can still arrest criminals abroad and bring them back, although the money will certainly be irrecoverable. This resolute attitude, however, is what chills many, because even if they can't bring the criminals back, Latvian agents will kill them overseas. This is one of Nick Fury's current jobs; S.H.I.E.L.D. has done similar things countless times in the past. If you really want to be strict, very few of the operations Nick Fury has led in the past have been legal and compliant, each one potentially landing him a lifetime in prison. If he were to appear in public and his location were detected by the CIA or other Western intelligence agencies' facial recognition systems, then a constant stream of assassinations and kidnappings would follow. Only in Latvia, where information security is guaranteed, can he see the light of day.

The only positive thing is that the number of Quinjet fighters under his command has increased significantly.

These Quinjet fighters provided a great deal of assistance in the early development of the Immortal City. However, with the establishment of the Mars Foundry and the Immortal City's research departments, the research and design of atmospheric aircraft have made rapid progress. As a result, the Quinjet fighter, an atmospheric traversal aircraft, can no longer meet the current mission requirements of the Immortal City.

Instead of wearing a pirate-style eye patch, Nick Fury wore sunglasses to disguise himself as an ordinary person.

However, the Balkans are not a major source of immigrants like the United States. The former Republic of Bohemia and Bohemia was the world's largest source of emigrants, with 45 percent of the Bohemia and Bohemia population living abroad. The same was true for Romania in the past. Immigrants living in the Balkans were ultimately a minority. This wave of emigration was unprecedented at the end of the first phase of the unification war. The newly established Ministry of Justice in Latvia screened those leaving the country, confiscating some of their heavy industry resources, manufacturing shares, and large amounts of real estate before releasing them. However, many others attempted to flee abroad to escape the current Latvian government's purges. Anyone could easily spot the black man crammed among a group of Slavs at the airport.

"Target spotted." Nick Fury yawned.

This kind of fieldwork was a complete waste of his talents, the king of spies. Noticing his conspicuous appearance, he immediately changed his attire, disguising himself as a cleaner working in the airport quarantine area. Because of newly enacted laws that nationalized airline and airport ownership, the outsourced companies responsible for airport cleaning and quarantine were eliminated. Stringent laws required all quarantine personnel to wear protective suits and use state-of-the-art equipment to inspect arriving and departing passengers and their belongings. This was a crucial procedure to prevent biological warfare, one of the procedures personally devised by Victoria Hand. Even so, Nick Fury managed to infiltrate the area, concealing his appearance with a Reka protective suit and respirator, completely avoiding contact with intelligence agents.

He represented the Guardians of the Order, not Victoria Hand's intelligence department; the former had a higher priority and level of authority. Foreigners who released the virus could be handled by Victoria Hand, but ordinary people carrying supernatural items could only be apprehended by Guardians of the Order's agents. The Balkans were once a land of superstition, with many items and documents related to supernatural powers circulating among the people. The list Nick Fury obtained included wealthy individuals carrying very ancient books and intending to sell them as fixed assets. Poor people who possessed such items, while also trying to leave the country, lacked connections and resources and had already sold them at extremely low prices within the country to buy plane tickets.

The mission of the Guardian Order's intelligence department is to retrieve these supernatural items, regardless of whether they are within Imperial territory. Its highest authority allows it to decide whether to shoot down passenger planes to prevent even more horrific events. Even Nick Fury considered the latter approach too radical, yet he was still granted this authority. It's hard to doubt that the Guardian Order intended to force Latvinia's aircraft manufacturing industry to upgrade through this method, but he couldn't find the Guardians to ask for clarification.

"The targets appear safe. I'll now take them to the special examination room."

Nick Fury heard the agent say this on the comms. Looking down from his vantage point, he saw the agents, hidden among the crowd, approaching their target. "We can't rule out the possibility they don't possess supernatural powers. Combat psychics are on standby. Check the laser gun safety and power supply. Even if the dangerous target is a child, we must execute the destruction protocol."

"Boss, isn't this a bit too radical?"

"Wait until you've seen those supernatural powers. I don't want an entire airport wiped out today." Nick Fury hung up the call, glancing at the news playing on the TVs hanging in the waiting area to pass the time. The chances of danger were slim; he had time to slack off. He suddenly noticed the news channel was showing footage of Tony Stark being discharged from the hospital, and a familiar figure appeared at the back of the crowd. Or rather, it was the image that acquaintance most often used: a young college student in a suit. "Motherfucker! What's he doing in New York?!"

Nick Fury nearly jumped up; he hadn't expected that person to have the audacity to show up in America.

Tony Stark was a key figure of interest to US intelligence agencies; the CIA and FBI had hundreds of thousands of pages of detailed research on him. Yet, the person in question seemed completely unconcerned about the intelligence investigations, openly engaging with Tony Stark. According to Stark's medical records, he would need at least six months to fully recover, but only nine days later, he was discharged from the hospital looking refreshed and even making witty remarks to the media.

This was highly illogical, but it could be masked by new medical technology, so his focus shifted elsewhere. His discharge greatly stabilized the situation, and as the superhero at the United Nations that evening, Tony Stark garnered even more attention.

Nick Fury took out his communicator and dialed the number he had been reluctant to make.

"How did you suddenly cure Tony Stark?" Nick Fury stared intently at the television, and sure enough, the person in the news background answered the phone. "Or rather, why did you cure him at this time?"

“Because he’s still useful to me.” Salomon seemed to sense Nick Fury’s gaze through the camera, turning and smiling at the lens. Nick Fury knew this was a provocation, but he was powerless to do anything about it. “I’ve healed more than just him; some unfortunate teenager caught up in an incident was healed too. These are personal relationships outside of official duties, something you wouldn’t need to know even if you were one of the Guardians’ intelligence officers, would you?”

"I don't think your motives are that simple," Nick Fury said confidently. "Assure me you won't assassinate the President of the United States."

“I don’t need to resort to assassination to solve this.” Salomon waved at the camera. “I’m hanging up now. I need to go to the parking lot; Happy is coming to pick me up. I have some things to discuss with Tony Stark. I’m in a hurry; I’ll be back in Latvia this afternoon.” After saying that, Salomon left the frame and waited for his target on the ramp of the hospital parking lot. He leaned down and knocked on the car window. “Hi, Happy, could you open the trunk for me? I want to put my suitcase in.”

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(End of this chapter)