Marvel: The Alchemist Just Wants a Peaceful Life

Although Sherlock didn't say anything, Zhao Weike on the other side understood what Sherlock meant. He looked in Sherlock's direction with a look of despair, as if he had eaten shit.

"No way? Again?"

Yes, even though Sherlock didn't say anything, Zhao Weike still understood Sherlock's thoughts. Just as he said before, the best way to make a light source less noticeable in a dark room is to create a bigger light source!

Or to put it more bluntly, it's about shifting the blame.

Sherlock's idea was simple: as long as they impersonated Hydra and attacked S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, diverting their attention to Hydra, Hydra would be too busy to focus on Lara.

The reason why Zhao Weike had that expression, as if he had eaten shit, was quite simple. Thanks to his experience fighting against the Red House, Zhao Weike knew firsthand how frustrating it was to point the finger at his 'teammates'.

If you hit too hard, you might kill your teammate; if you hit too softly, you might not achieve the result you want.

More importantly, you must be able to distinguish perfectly within an organization who your teammates are and who your real enemies are, and that is the most frustrating part.

Zhao Weike stared at the silent Sherlock with a look of utter disgust for a long time before finally letting out a helpless sigh. However, still holding onto a sliver of hope, he pressed Sherlock for an answer.

"Is it possible that Hydra wouldn't actually care about the escape of a test subject? They're a huge and powerful company, and besides, this certainly wouldn't be the first time something like this has happened?"

Listening to Zhao Weike's last bit of luck, Sherlock took a sip of his beer, pointed expressionlessly at Laura who was demonstrating her abilities to Helen inside the restaurant, and said...

"See that metal claw? It's vibranium! Even all of Lara's bones are vibranium. And if Lara wants to grow up normally, I will have to keep using alchemy to add vibranium to ensure her health."

Sherlock had only said the beginning of his sentence when Zhao Weike on the other side spat out a mouthful of beer. His eyes were glazed as he looked in the direction Sherlock was pointing at Laura, who was retrieving her claws inside the restaurant, his face filled with disbelief.

After holding it in for a while, Zhao Weike finally couldn't help but complain to Sherlock with an expression of having learned something new.

"Holy crap! Hydra is incredibly rich!"

"Yes, most of it is taxpayers' money, which Hydra directly diverted from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s budget."

Hearing Zhao Weike's complaints, Sherlock took a sip of beer and calmly said something that made Zhao Weike's jaw drop. After hearing Sherlock's news, Zhao Weike was stunned for a long time before he seemed to realize something and immediately started rapping.

"Sukabul! My tax money has all been used to feed Hydra?! You son of a bitch! What kind of heartless maggots are you! You son of a bitch! You son of a bitch!"

Chapter 278 Different Choices

Listening to Zhao Weike's beautiful rap while using a beer bottle as a microphone, Sherlock's lips twitched involuntarily. Sherlock had originally thought that Zhao Weike might be surprised by Hydra's presence within S.H.I.E.L.D.

But to everyone's surprise, what Zhao Weike really cared about was the whereabouts of his tax money.

No, do people in the Marvel universe get a goofy personality as a bonus when they retire? Damn it, Alexei is like that, and Zhao Weike is too.

Can anyone tell me why the former Red Guard and the infamous Night Demon have become like this?

Sherlock didn't understand, Sherlock was deeply shocked.

After venting for a while, Zhao Weike calmed down and became the serious Zhao Weike again, asking Sherlock earnestly.

"Any plans?"

"Yes, we just need to attack some S.H.I.E.L.D. bases and some Avengers. However, unlike before, this time we cannot reveal our identities, and we don't have any teammates."

Upon hearing Sherlock's words, Zhao Weike was quite taken aback. He pointed at himself with a surprised expression, then at Sherlock, and asked Sherlock in a shocked tone.

"Me? Plus you, whose identity can't be revealed? The two of us going to fight the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D.? Sherlock, are you out of your mind?"

Hearing Zhao Weike's complaints, Sherlock rolled his eyes in annoyance and retorted in return.

"Calm down. We're not going up against the entire Avengers. What are you afraid of? Besides, we're here to draw attention, not to capture or kill them!"

After hearing Sherlock's statement, Zhao Weike calmed down and quickly realized that Sherlock was right. As long as they could attract the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D., their real goal was to incite a conflict between S.H.I.E.L.D. or the Avengers and Hydra, not to actually participate in the war.

However, after calming down, Zhao Weike's gaze towards Sherlock began to turn strange again. At this point, Zhao Weike could be said to have started to feel sorry for Tony.

Indeed, Zhao Weike almost instinctively assumed that Sherlock would choose to betray Tony. The reason was simple: Sherlock and Tony were the closest, which meant that Tony's reactions and behavior were the most controllable compared to others.

Sherlock's gaze, which seemed to be directed at Zhao Weike as if he were looking at a devoted son, did not escape his notice. After rolling his eyes in annoyance, Sherlock casually tossed the empty beer bottle in his hand at Zhao Weike.

"Put away your impolite thoughts. Our target is the Captain. He's currently aligned with Black Egg and is relatively familiar with Hydra. He's not the Tony you're thinking of!"

Hearing Sherlock's complaints, Zhao Weike finally breathed a sigh of relief and took Sherlock to his basement to start planning their specific action.

However, the more they plotted, the more disheartened they became. After all, Hydra was hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D., and it was no exaggeration to say that if it were just the two of them, it would be difficult to have any effective impact on the well-organized S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra.

Even targeting the captain, it would be difficult to do anything to the captain without revealing their identity.

The two faced far too many problems: intelligence, logistics, support, and even the most basic firepower configuration were all issues.

After some planning, Zhao Weike could only sigh helplessly, then shrugged at Sherlock and said wearily.

"It looks like we need some allies."

After hearing Zhao Weike's words, Sherlock thought for a moment, then took out the piece of vibranium that Doro had taken from the S.H.I.E.L.D. warehouse from his four-dimensional pocket, placed it on the table, and asked Zhao Weike.

"Do you think this thing can get Winston on our side?"

Looking at the seemingly ordinary block of iron that Sherlock pulled out, Zhao Weike's gaze was incredibly strange. After all, anyone who wasn't an idiot should be able to tell what Sherlock had pulled out.

That was a piece of vibranium raw material!

Given the current situation where vibranium is scarce and expensive, the one piece that Sherlock pulled out is enough for an ordinary family to live a comfortable and respectable life for the rest of their lives.

However, Zhao Weike did not answer Sherlock's question immediately. After recalling Winston's shrewd smile, he sighed helplessly.

"It's hard to say, Sherlock. You should know that Winston is a shrewd businessman. All he cares about is his hotel and his power."

Despite Zhao Weike's reminder, Sherlock remained confident, placed the vibranium ore in Zhao Weike's hand, and then said to Zhao Weike.

"Don't worry, take this stone to Winston and tell him that it's vibranium taken from S.H.I.E.L.D.'s warehouse. He will make the right choice."

As you said, he is a shrewd businessman. Now I'm just putting the choice in Winston's hands, and it's up to him to see if he can make the right choice.

Of course, don't forget to tell him that if he chooses to take sides, he must bear the corresponding risks.

This is a gamble, a gamble with the future at stake. It remains to be seen whether Winston still has the youthful boldness to wager his future.

Hearing Sherlock's words, Zhao Weike looked at the vibranium ore in his hand, then thought about Winston, whom he hadn't contacted in a long time. Finally, he sighed helplessly and agreed to Sherlock's request.

Meanwhile, Winston was not having an easy time either, even worse than when Sherlock was at the Continental Hotel.

The reason is simple: before the Battle of New York, the whole world was already vaguely beginning to fall into chaos.

Compared to ordinary people, Winston, living in the dark world, undoubtedly felt these changes earlier and more profoundly.

If such chaos was still within Winston's understanding and could be handled properly, then after the Battle of New York, the whole world began to make Winston feel like a stranger.

The Battle of New York was like a spark that ignited the powder keg of chaos hidden in the dark world, and the aftershocks of the explosion even began to spread to the world in the open.

The wreckage left by the Battle of New York was like a treasure trove, attracting not only overt attention but also countless eyes secretly watching those creations that did not belong to Earth.

The most obvious example is that the assassination system of the mainland hotel has begun to become more public, and its tentacles have even begun to reach into the light of day. Even the traditional High Table is gradually splitting up due to the rampage of this era.

If Anna and Mindy's assassinations were considered outrageous in the assassin world before, now their assassinations have almost become a daily occurrence.

Under these circumstances, Winston increasingly felt that his Continental Hotel was like a small sailboat adrift in a storm, at risk of capsizing at any moment.

Just as Winston was racking his brains, Zhao Weike called.

The first words spoken on the phone brought a look of joy to Winston's face.

“Winston, do you have time to meet? Sherlock wants to give you an unusual option…”

Chapter 279 Roundtable Negotiation (Part 1)

In the midst of this chaos, Zhao Weike's phone call was like a lifeline to Winston, guaranteeing that his Continental Hotel would not be eliminated due to its backwardness in the future, and might even allow him to gain even more 'power'.

Of course, for Winston, Sherlock's olive branch was both a lifeline and a poisoned chalice, since Sherlock offered a 'choice' rather than simple 'support'.

Nevertheless, under the pressure of the times and reality, Winston had no choice but to swallow this poison disguised as sugar.

Around noon, Winston, dressed in an impeccably elegant suit, arrived at a high-end restaurant at the address given to him over the phone by Zhao Weike.

After giving his name, Winston was led by a waiter to the door of a private room.

After the waiter left, Winston knocked on the door of the private room. The door was quickly opened, and Winston was greeted by Zhao Weike.

Upon meeting, Winston gave Zhao Weike a hug, and as they entered the private room, Winston wanted to give Sherlock the same hug.

However, when Winston entered the private room and saw the layout, he was stunned. The room wasn't very big, but it was quiet. There was only a round table in it, and the seating arrangement was surprising.

Three chairs were arranged in a triangle around the round table. The three chairs were not touching each other at all, as if they were three independent entities, yet they seemed as if you could reach out and touch them.

Sherlock was already sitting comfortably opposite the door when Winston came in. To his left was clearly the seat where Zhao Weike had just gotten up to open the door. The only empty seat was probably reserved for Winston.

"Oh! Sherlock, the famous alchemist, it's been a long time!"

Although he was momentarily stunned by the strange layout of the private room, Winston, being a cunning old fox, reacted quite quickly, and the momentary shock was almost gone.

Upon realizing what had happened, Winston immediately used words to smooth things over, and continued to walk enthusiastically toward Sherlock with his arms outstretched, as if he were an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.

Sherlock observed Winston's reaction closely. Seeing Winston approaching, Sherlock naturally couldn't let Winston completely control the pace of the conversation, so he immediately stood up and extended his hand to Winston.

One is the most traditional Western greeting of hugging and cheek-kissing, while the other is the reserved and solemn handshake from the ancient Eastern country.

Clearly, Winston, whose rhythm had been disrupted by Sherlock, understood Sherlock's meaning but had no choice but to smile and change his posture, tightly grasping Sherlock's outstretched hand.

"I forgot, I forgot, Sherlock, you don't like overly intimate contact with others."

Winston shook hands with Sherlock and said with a smile, as if he were a long-lost friend who had forgotten each other's habits. This not only eased the tension between them but also served as an invisible countermeasure to the atmosphere created by Sherlock.

Sherlock naturally understood Winston's thoughts, but faced with Winston's 'tactics,' Sherlock said nothing. He simply shook hands with the old fox Winston and then sat back down with a smile.

At this moment, Zhao Weike poured Winston a glass of wine, placed it in front of Winston, and then sat back down in his own seat, eating his steak in front of him without saying a word, as if he were just a middleman.

Seeing Zhao Weike's reaction, Winston's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't show it on the surface. He just smiled, picked up the wine in front of him, took a small sip, and then said with a bright look in his eyes.

"Fine wine, Romanée-Conti? It's been so long since I've had a wine like this."

While saying this, Winston's eyes were actually fixed on Zhao Weike, trying to get Zhao Weike involved in the 'negotiation' so as to increase his bargaining power.

The implication in his words was that Zhao Weike was not doing too well lately.

Unfortunately, Zhao Weike neither looked up nor spoke, and didn't even show any expression. He ate the steak in front of him as if it were some kind of delicacy, like dragon liver and phoenix marrow.

Just like when Winston and Sherlock met before, as a friend of both sides, Zhao Weike would hurt the other person if he sided with either side in such a situation. In fact, this is the best way to be fair to both parties.

Seeing Zhao Weike's seemingly oblivious attitude, Winston couldn't help but frown slightly, but he didn't say much. Just as he had said, Zhao Weike's situation was actually the fairest for both parties.

On the other side, Sherlock simply smiled after hearing Winston's words and took over the conversation.

"I imagine hotels in mainland China haven't been having a great time lately, have they?"

Winston never expected Sherlock to be so blunt, even directly pointing out the difficulties facing the Continental Hotel. When Winston heard Sherlock state this fact, his mouth was practically pressed into a thin line, and he was constantly calculating the gains and losses in his mind.