Chapter 50: Iron Will (Part 1)

At this moment, Coulson was standing at the entrance of Nick Fury's office, very puzzled. He watched everyone walking to this intersection turn right.

Natasha walked out of Nick's office. Coulson stopped her and asked, "What's going on? Why are they taking the long way? I remember the closest path to the elevator should be turning left?"

"Because our genius psychologist with the sky-high consultation fee is in the office on the left, waiting for people to do psychological counseling."

"You actually invited him here? How much did he charge? It wouldn't be 100 million dollars an hour, would it?"

"Not quite, Nick's report says 50 million dollars an hour."

Coulson gasped and said, "That is to say, if I go to him for psychological counseling now, it's equivalent to earning 50 million dollars for nothing?"

"You can understand it that way."

"There should be a lot of people queuing up there, can I still get in line today?"

"On the contrary, there is no one there," Natasha shrugged and said.

After speaking, she also turned right and left. Coulson shouted, "You went the wrong way! That's the emergency exit! The elevator is on the left!"

Natasha didn't even look back and said, "I want to exercise! You know, for health preservation!"

Coulson was even more confused. Immediately after, Nick walked out of his office. Coulson greeted him, "Good morning, Director."

Nick nodded at him and said, "Recently, Natasha has stepped away from the Stark Industries matter. She will also follow up on the Hand case. You mainly keep an eye on that kid who swings around and make sure he doesn't cause trouble."

Coulson said yes, and then he found that Nick also turned and intended to turn right. He grabbed his superior and said, "Director, the elevator is over there. If you go right, you have to walk at least 5 minutes more."

"I'm working out lately, planning to take the stairs."

Coulson was full of question marks. He muttered to himself and walked directly to the left. He saw that the door to Shiler's office was not closed. He knocked on the door and walked in. Shiler was burying his head in writing. Seeing someone come in, he looked up in surprise and said, "There's actually someone coming..."

Coulson froze for a moment and said, "Is it not open here now? I remember it was said at the meeting this morning that psychological counseling starts this morning."

"Of course it's open! Please come in, you're the first one!" Shiler stood up with a pen and specifically pulled out a stool for Coulson. This enthusiasm made Coulson feel a bit at a loss. Shiler said, "Of course, you might also be the only one."

"I don't understand. A 50 million dollar an hour psychological counseling session can be done for free, reimbursed by the bureau. Why don't they all come?"

"Probably because I asked for 50 million dollars, and Nick agreed..."

"What's the problem with that? Doesn't this just show that the Director highly affirms your level?"

"Hmm... setting aside his macro understanding of budget in economics and his flexible application of reimbursement in the system structure, have you ever thought that perhaps it is precisely his affirmation of me that makes no one come here?"

"You mean they think your level is too high?"

Shiler said speechlessly, "Are you really a Level 8 agent? What level is Natasha? The full level wouldn't be 100, would it?"

"Which agent is willing to find a very powerful psychological counselor and then have all their inner secrets seen through?"

"I thought it was just some simple emotional adjustment, for example, releasing some anxiety or something."

"Then you can just go to the door and smoke a cigarette."

"That won't do, the damn smoke alarm here is too sensitive," Coulson said.

"Alright, do you want to come here to relieve some depressive emotions?"

"Actually no, it's because I see that your relationship with the Captain seems good. I want him to sign my entire set of fan flashcards. Can you help me ask him?"

Shiler spread his hands and said, "Alright, I knew it, but who makes me earn this money? If this can really relieve your anxiety. Give me the cards, I guarantee he will sign every single one, which is worthy of my 50 million dollar an hour consultation fee."

After Coulson left, Shiler was drinking coffee leisurely in the temporary office, but before he could finish slacking off for the morning, he just opened the door to get some air, and suddenly a sharp alarm came. A small device on his head emitted a red light and then began to alarm desperately.

Shiler was startled, but his spider-sense didn't react at all. For safety, he was ready to flash at any time, but as a result, accompanied by a sharp screech, the fire sprinkler was turned on directly. The nozzle sprayed a large amount of water mist instantly. If Shiler hadn't dodged quickly, he would definitely have been drenched into a drowned rat.

Coulson and several agents ran over, looked up at the smoke alarm, and then looked at Shiler. Shiler held his coffee cup and stared at them with big eyes.

"Smoking is not allowed here."

"I didn't smoke."

Coulson showed a suspicious expression and said, "Natasha had the same expression when she was caught. Did you throw the cigarette into the sink drain?"

"Of course not, I don't smoke indoors."

Coulson indeed didn't smell any cigarette smoke. He looked up at the smoke alarm that kept ringing and said, "Alright, it seems this damn thing is broken again."

"How on earth did you make a smoke alarm make a sound of over a hundred decibels?"

"If you had 32 fires in your house in a month, you would understand."

The Symbiote said in Shiler's mind, "I'm a bit dizzy, and I want to vomit. Let's go."

Shiler said, "It seems that today's psychological counseling ends here. Even if it's less than an hour, it counts as an hour. Don't forget to let Nick settle the bill. I'm leaving first."

Shiler left decisively because he knew this was not an accident. Someone didn't want him to stay there anymore. After all, having to take a 5-minute detour every time he went downstairs was still very time-consuming.

Humans are always like this. When they don't have mind-reading skills, they always fantasize that someone can understand them and know what they are thinking. But when someone really has the ability like mind-reading, everyone avoids them.

Of course, this is more likely because of Nick Fury's eclectic talent management system at S. H. I. E. L. D.

After returning to the clinic, Shiler, who hadn't slept for dozens of hours, planned to take a nap. The Symbiote played a very hypnotic piece of music for him, making him fall asleep quickly. But before he could enter deep sleep, he was woken up by a phone call.

"What?... Then what's the use of finding me? Go find Pepper."

"She's busy? Then am I not busy? Fine, I'm indeed not busy, but don't even think about letting me enter the lab again. I really don't want to screw in light bulbs anymore."

"Yes, yes, yes, I know that's your great armor that transcends the era, not a light bulb. Can you talk about business now?"

"Jarvis found an abnormality in the parts repository? The number of parts is wrong? Are you sure you didn't count wrong? Fine, I know... I know you are very rigorous, but what help can I be in this matter? I can't conjure the missing parts for you out of thin air. No, magic can't either..."

"... It's hard for me to say," Shiler paced in the living room of the clinic. "Perhaps you should ask Jarvis's speculation. He is not just a computer anymore."

"Jarvis is a bit hesitant? Then don't you know the answer? Or is it that you actually thought of the suspect, but are unwilling to admit it..."

"No, my mind-reading certainly can't be used for this kind of thing, stop joking... I can tell you, the suspect you have in mind has an 80% possibility..."

After the phone call hung up, Shiler grabbed Pikachu, rubbed his cheeks, and said, "A solid steel fortress is always broken from the inside first. This matter is really hard to say."

"What trouble did that guy who wears hard armor encounter?" Pikachu asked.

"It seems his armor lost some things. His intelligent butler gave him a suspect answer he didn't want to hear, and now he is doubting life."

"You humans always like to add unnecessary trouble to yourselves," Pikachu concluded. "That kid named Parker, he actually worries about killing the hostages while playing games. It's just a game. Even if the hostages die, but the kidnappers are wiped out, doesn't that count as our win?"

"So you rushed over and killed the hostages first?"

"Otherwise that kid is always dawdling, what can I do? You worry about too many meaningless things, always substitute yourselves too deeply, are full of unnecessary worries about things that haven't happened yet, but are always escaping from things that have already happened."

"I really didn't expect that as a rat, you could say such insightful words."

"Of course, I am the great detective Pikachu."

In Stark Tower, all the lights in Stark's lab were off, leaving only some lights of the instruments flickering weakly, like little stars.

Stark leaned on the experimental bench, sitting on the ground. Next to him, a symbol jumped on his phone, which indicated that Jarvis was also there.

"I am trying to comfort you, sir."

"So you turned off all the lights?" Stark's voice was a bit hoarse. Excessive staying up late made him full of exhaustion.

"This might make you relax a bit. Dim lights help relax the brain," Jarvis said.

Stark closed his eyes. He changed to a more relaxed posture, leaning on the experimental bench. He curled up one leg, then put his arm on it, looked up, and said like sleep-talking: "... Maybe this is retribution."

"Stark Industries' weapons have caused countless people to be displaced, so the people I once trusted will inevitably leave me one by one..."

"We cannot be sure yet that Mr. Obadiah is the murderer," Jarvis said. "In the analysis, he only has about a 96% possibility."

"You can be more straightforward," Stark said.

"Sorry, I mean there is still a 4% possibility it's not him."

"Who could the rest be?"

"Mr. Shiler accounts for 2%, Mr. Parker accounts for 1.2%, and you yourself account for 0.8%."

"Shiler? You expect someone who can't even distinguish the armor parts numbered 1 to 10 to steal the most important core? And Peter, that kid, although he is a bit silly, he won't steal things. He is a silly kid who is shocked for half a day when he sees me smoking."

"I am trying to comfort you," Jarvis said.

Finally, Stark felt all the sounds in the world gradually sink. Between half-dream and half-awake, he remembered Howard's face.

At that time, Uncle Obadiah and his father stood together, and they were still very young. ===== CHAPTER 51 =====