Chapter 60

The daily exchanges between Agent Coulson and Commander Hill did not last long, and soon Selena returned to the camera lens.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, the two of you. Mr. Zhou is ready to receive you. However, he hopes you won't take up too much of his time," Selena brought what could barely be called good news.

In response, Commander Hill nodded and clearly replied.

"Please rest assured. If possible, we don't want to take up too much of Mr. Zhou's time either."

Selena looked at her in surprise; it was the first time she had seen a woman treat Zhou Yi so plainly. Zhou Yi was always polite and witty in front of women, and generally, even if women were not moved by such a man, they would still leave a good impression. However, Commander Hill's reaction made her feel that in this woman's eyes, Zhou Yi was not much better than a repulsive person.

By now, she somewhat regretted letting Zhou Yi know about these two people's arrival. But it was too late, she could only hope that the two of them did not have any ill intentions. If there were any conflicts, she wouldn't mind letting these two people experience what vampire fangs and claws were like.

As the manor gates slowly opened, Commander Hill and Agent Coulson drove the black Lincoln, equipped by the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), slowly into the estate of the Dawn Knight.

This was not the first time S.H.I.E.L.D. had entered this place, but it was the first time they were entering as guests.

When the two stopped their vehicle, Selena was already waiting at the gate, welcoming these two guests with unclear intentions.

Selena's identity was no secret to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s senior personnel. Although they were surprised that Zhou Yi kept a vampire at home, this did not give them any reason to take any action against him.

After all, Zhou Yi, besides being a superhero, was also a billionaire, and this identity made them more cautious than his superhero status. As a billionaire, as long as they did not openly violate national laws, no one would care what kind of creatures they kept at home.

Selena did not know that the two had already figured out everything about her. She always tried to maintain the role of a competent personal assistant in front of outsiders. From this perspective, she did an excellent job.

Under her guidance, Commander Hill and Agent Coulson soon arrived at Zhou Yi's living room. There, Zhou Yi was already sitting on the sofa, waiting for their arrival. He had been looking forward to this conversation with S.H.I.E.L.D. for a long time.

"Welcome, the two of you. I think, if we don't count the last unpleasant meeting, this should be the first formal exchange between me and your Strategic Homeland and whatever Division," Zhou Yi invited them to sit opposite him, and his words were somewhat sharp.

He had already made some guesses about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s intentions, so he needed to do some probing, and such sharp words were undoubtedly the simplest way.

"I think, Mr. Zhou, it's better to treat this as our first meeting. This might be more conducive to friendly exchanges, as we are all organizations and individuals with the same goals," Agent Coulson spoke, and as usual, he defused the sharpness in Zhou Yi's words with his words. Such a person was indeed better suited to dealing with others.

"Alright, I don't like talking about the past either," Zhou Yi nodded and propped his chin. "Would you like tea or coffee? I have Chinese green tea, and if you prefer black tea, that's fine too."

"Coffee, please!" Agent Coulson glanced at Commander Hill and, seeing no objections from his companion, replied.

"Of course!" Zhou Yi nodded in surprise. It was somewhat unexpected to see such a considerate person in the profession of an agent. He had developed some interest in this man with a receding hairline, which was quite rare for a playboy.

Soon, Selena brought two cups of coffee and placed them in front of the two, then she did not leave but stood behind Zhou Yi with the tray.

Seeing the two's attention drawn to Selena, or perhaps the two from S.H.I.E.L.D. did not want anyone else present during this conversation, Zhou Yi had his own thoughts. Selena was one of the people closest to him, and he did not want to hide anything from this lovely girl. So, he directly intervened.

"The two of you, I think it would be inappropriate if I didn't know who you are during our first meeting, right?"

"Of course, that was our oversight," Agent Coulson smiled in a way that made people feel very comfortable. "Let me introduce myself. I am Agent Phil Coulson, Level 8 of S.H.I.E.L.D. The person next to me is Commander Maria Hill. Before we start, Mr. Zhou, could you please ask this lady to leave for a moment?"

"I have no other intentions, and perhaps my words are a bit offensive to this lady, but from her perspective, knowing our conversation would not benefit her in any way."

"There's no need, Agent," Zhou Yi gently patted Selena's hand. "I don't hide anything from the people around me, and as for Selena, you can consider her my assistant in another identity."

Agent Coulson looked at Maria Hill with some difficulty, as she was the one in charge in this matter. After all, in terms of rank, Commander Hill's authority was one level higher than his.

"No problem, I think we can start," Maria Hill clearly did not want to get entangled in such a trivial matter. Selena was Zhou Yi's problem, and if any information leaked, it would be the Dawn Knight's responsibility to handle it, not theirs. Moreover, if something really went wrong, it would be a very favorable opportunity for them.

There weren't many chips to negotiate with someone like Zhou Yi. So, without further ado, the formal exchange began, with S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Dawn Knight.

"First, I need to explain our purpose. We sincerely hope that Mr. Zhou Yi will join us, whether to maintain world peace or to combat some destabilizing factors."

Interrupting Agent Coulson's words directly, Zhou Yi said quite rudely.

"I'm sorry, I have no interest in your invitation. I don't want someone who can meddle in my affairs. Moreover, can you really get me to join? Let me think, what is my monthly income right now?"

In an instant, Agent Coulson lost the urge to continue this topic. Honestly, he didn't really like this idea, and he had already criticized the person who came up with it many times.

How many people, with a net worth of billions and a status and position at the top of the world, would join a special agent organization, especially one that involves multiple levels of management and supervision? Even thinking about it with the fattest part of the body, it was impossible.

"Mr. Zhou, do you think no one else knows about your other identity? And do you really think your actions are truly upholding justice?" Agent Coulson was a reasonable and tactful person, but Commander Hill was not. She directly targeted Zhou Yi's other identity.

"Maria..." Zhou Yi had just called out a name when he was interrupted by Commander Hill.

"Please call me Hill. I don't think we are familiar enough for that," her attitude was cold, almost as if she was not there to negotiate but to pick a fight.

Fortunately, Zhou Yi had a certain tolerance for women, especially beautiful ones. Although he did not know where he had offended this cold beauty.

"Alright, Miss Hill," he shrugged. "If I look at it from my own perspective, I think everything the Dawn Knight does is right. The world hasn't reached a point where acts of bravery are considered hindering official duties. Moreover, on this point, I think the New York Police Department has more to say than you."

"And if I look at it from the perspective of the Dawn Knight," Zhou Yi's tone also became cold. "At least when I save the lives of innocent people, I don't see any presence of S.H.I.E.L.D. So, you have no right to say such things to me."

"Moreover, if my identity is leaked, the problem will definitely be on your side. How much can a bureaucratic institution keep secrets? I have no hope at all."

"Do you know who you are? Do you know what we do?" Commander Hill's voice also rose. "Sir, we are maintaining the order of the world, and everything we do is to prevent extraordinary beings from affecting other normal humans. We have been working hard since World War II. Your appearance is the greatest disruption to the world's normal order."

"Maintaining peace is the job of the police and the military, of federal agents and S.H.I.E.L.D., not a billionaire who wears a high-tech suit and seeks thrills."

"Is that so?" Zhou Yi's voice also rose, and it carried his usual mocking tone. "Without people like me, let me calculate. How much can the people you mentioned do? Ha! Sorry, it seems I don't see anyone else you mentioned maintaining justice except for the police and those still playing in the Middle East."

"How do you maintain order and justice? Do you silently launch a missile after the passengers on that plane are eaten, and then say, 'Sorry, our enemy's armed forces mistakenly shot down a civilian airliner'?"

Almost instantly, the two's exchange reached a tense point. This rapid development was not only unexpected by the somewhat naive vampire Selena but also by the experienced Phil Coulson.

He would even bet a hundred dollars that he had never seen Commander Hill target someone to this extent. Did they know each other before and have some grudges?

Finding no reason, Phil began to weave some strange ideas in his mind.

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