Years ago, Alexei and Melina were tasked with infiltrating the Northern Institute in Ohio. Officially a S.H.I.E.L.D. research base, it was secretly run by HYDRA agents recruited through Operation Paperclip.
At the institute, scientists working on the "Winter Soldier" project dissected and mapped the human brain, creating the first cellular blueprint of the basal ganglia. They'd pinpointed the body's cognitive center—the core of autonomous movement and procedural learning.
Neither Alexei nor Melina knew the true purpose of their three-year mission was to steal this terrifying key to controlling autonomous consciousness. In the end, Alexei destroyed the base, eliminated the scientists, burned all evidence, and took the only existing blueprint.
Before Natasha's escape, the Red Room hadn't yet deployed this weapon. They relied on traditional brainwashing techniques. But after Natasha's betrayal nearly dismantled the Red Room, Dreykov remembered the blueprint and weaponized it.
Building on Melina's research, Dreykov developed a more efficient chemical control method. Now, every Black Widow agent worldwide is under its influence. Their wills are entirely subject to Dreykov's commands—even to the point of ordering their own deaths without hesitation.
Killing Dreykov and freeing these women would undoubtedly push Hong Fei's physical abilities to the next level. That much was clear. Returning to Sokovia Castle after a day, Hong Fei brought Alexei and Melina back with him. Natasha, disguised as Melina, remained in the secluded woodland house.
As a Red Room scientist, Melina's role was invention and research. Her past successes meant she was rarely disturbed, so Natasha would likely be safe there. After locating Dr. Helen Cho, Hong Fei introduced them and laid out the plan.
"Melina, you'll neutralize the pheromone control. Dr. Cho will provide assistance and even participate herself. If you don't want Yelena to kill herself under mind control, work quickly."
"I will." Melina's gaze flicked to the armed guards surrounding them. Their rocket launchers were enough to quash any impulsive ideas.
"What about me?" Alexei asked.
"You stay here and guard the door," Hong Fei replied before leaving with Dr. Cho.
Once they were out of earshot, Alexei muttered to Melina, "I'm sure he's not Natasha's boyfriend."
Melina snorted. "Brute, they might not even be friends."
On the other side, Hong Fei spoke to Dr. Cho. "Keep an eye on her research process. I'm not well-versed in those areas. If she slacks or neglects her work, let me know immediately."
Though Hong Fei possessed a Fast Memory skill card, he had no intention of delving into scientific study.
Human effort has its limits; what is memorized isn't necessarily understood, and what's understood isn't always applicable—they're not the same. Professional matters are best left to professionals. If professionals aren't available, he'd resort to his own methods: taking what he needed by force.
Helen Cho nodded thoughtfully. "Hmm, I know, but their identities?"
"Natasha's adoptive parents," Hong Fei replied. "And a pair of former agents who were excellent in their day—still not weak now."
"Oh?" A strange glint flashed in Dr. Cho's eyes. "Then why treat them like this?"
"Otherwise what?" Hong Fei countered dryly. "Should I put them on a pedestal and burn incense for them morning and night?" Dr. Cho shook her head, chuckling softly.
In the weeks that followed, Hong Fei finally embarked on his long-overdue vacation. Since arriving in this world, apart from the first few leisurely months spent in the bookstore, he'd been constantly on the move. From the moment he and Frank had gone to the Middle East to intercept Tony, he'd barely had a moment to himself. He'd granted those five men an extended break—now it was his turn.
For nearly a month, Hong Fei's daily routine revolved around cultivating and training his "Qi." Cultivation focused on expanding the total reservoir of Qi, while training honed his control over every thread of it. It wasn't just about raw power but refining his mastery to the finest, most subtle levels.
It reminded him of practicing martial arts: stances, movements, and the precise application of force in every step. These details had to become instinctive. The difference between strength and weakness, life and death, often hinged on those tiny, critical nuances. During this period, he kept his attention on two primary matters.
The first was Melina's antidote research. Chemical manipulation of will could be countered chemically. Melina identified the primary control agent as pheromones, and she was now developing an "inhibitor" to neutralize them. As a former lead researcher in the "Red Room," she worked quickly, but the process still demanded patience.
The second was locating Steve. Initially, Hong Fei considered buying an icebreaker and launching an independent expedition. Finding Captain America and the crashed plane early would keep the discovery private, giving him ample time for a... cordial exchange with Steve.
But the cost of an icebreaker was only part of the problem. Acquiring a ship meant recruiting reliable crew and outfitting it with specialized surveying equipment. The Arctic's harsh conditions made searching for a decades-old plane in endless glaciers akin to finding a needle in a haystack. So, Hong Fei reconsidered.
Why create unnecessary complications? It was simpler to hitch a ride on a Russian expedition ship and, when the time came, commandeer it. Numbers 4 and 5, who had infiltrated the two exploration teams, remained undetected. They performed their roles flawlessly, leveraging their past experience to excel and earn high regard. Unfortunately, no promising leads had emerged yet.
Still, Hong Fei was confident. He hadn't interfered with this timeline, and Steve, lying dormant for decades, was overdue for revival. Beyond these two priorities, there were a few other minor matters to address.
First, since the last visit, strange figures had begun appearing outside the castle. Some even attempted to infiltrate it in disguise. The former were swiftly driven off, while the latter were dealt with by Number 3 on Hong Fei's orders. No interrogation was needed—it was clear these intruders were connected to Strucker.
HYDRA may have passed into Master Hong's hands as a research-focused organization, but its core remains anti-social. Many of its members were once direct subordinates of the Red Skull, a figure whose allegiances were unmistakable. As a staunch materialist and fierce opponent of ***, Master Hong sees it as his duty to dismantle HYDRA once and for all.
Strucker inherited a trove of black technology from the Red Skull era—technology that remains staggeringly advanced even by modern standards. Take, for example, the energy shield capable of enveloping an entire castle—a shield that even Tony Stark initially struggled to breach. Such innovations would be invaluable for the future development of Blackwater Town, not to mention the aerial Red Room Base.
Fury, meanwhile, has had the Tesseract in S.H.I.E.L.D.'s possession since Captain America's fall. Yet, even a year later, the progress they've made is embarrassingly rudimentary. Then there's Darcy, Jane Foster's assistant, who was once kidnapped alongside Dr. Erik Selvig by Hong Fei.
Ever since the New Mexico incident, Darcy has inexplicably insisted on sending daily updates about Jane's activities to Hong Fei, carefully omitting any detailed research. This strange behavior seems to be her way of maintaining her professional integrity while acknowledging her past ordeal.
For months now, her reports have arrived without fail, more punctual than most employees. A closer look reveals that after Hong Fei's appearance at the Rand Building, Darcy's updates grew noticeably longer. If there's any explanation for her persistence, "paranoia" might be the only word that fits.
Jane Foster's life follows a predictable cycle: theorize, experiment, fail, repeat. Her relentless pursuit stems partly from her desire to find Thor, but mostly from her own obsessive dedication to science.
Hong Fei, however, has no interest in monitoring others' lives or delving into Jane's research. His sole reply to Darcy conveyed a single, clear message: "Stop sending these. I'm afraid Thor might misunderstand."
Alongside his curt response, he legally and generously transferred Darcy one million dollars, praising her before instructing her to cease the daily updates. There was no need for reprimands. A combination of verbal praise and material reward is far more effective in winning loyalty. Though Darcy is an ordinary person, she might prove useful someday.
One million is pocket change to Hong Fei, but for Darcy, it's a life-changing sum. Truthfully, Hong Fei doubts she'll drop any skill cards, so he opted for a different approach to secure her cooperation. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. has been unusually quiet. Dr. Erik Selvig has already begun research on the Tesseract at their base but hasn't yet sent Hong Fei the location. He's likely too occupied or restricted to do so.
Tony Stark, too, has been laying low. Even the usual gossip surrounding him has dwindled. Hong Fei doesn't need to guess why. The narcissistic genius, who's repeatedly challenged him only to fail, is probably reflecting on his losses, determined to craft armor capable of facing—or even defeating—him. Hong Fei welcomes the challenge. What truly warrants attention, however, is S.H.I.E.L.D. The activation of the Tesseract is a harbinger of change.
Earth, although it had welcomed aliens before this, unless tracing back to the first batch of ancient gods who stepped out of Earth, ever since then, regardless of this planet itself or the arrogant humans, they have never been the absolute protagonists.
The Skrulls lurking in the shadows posed no immediate threat—just scavengers picking at the galaxy's scraps. As for the Kree warships chasing them, their commanders barely registered Earth's defenses as worthy opponents. Everything changed when Carol Danvers harnessed the Tesseract's power, her transformation into Captain Marvel averting disaster.
Earth would have survived without her intervention, though. Someone else was always watching—another protector waiting in the wings. But now, with the Tesseract awakened, the game had changed. Loki's schemes, the Chitauri's invasion—each day brought fresh chaos. Hong Fei clenched his fists, frustration burning through him. Strength. That was what he lacked.
The good news is that he still has many exquisite selfish things to do. The universe would keep spinning its webs of conflict, and he intended to carve his own path through it—stronger, sharper, untouchable.