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Arthur looked at Natasha with a different expression. To be honest, her words surprised him. If they really went through with this and succeeded, it would be a significant undertaking.
However, Arthur had his concerns.
He stroked his chin and said, "How can we ensure complete confidentiality of our internal information?"
"The more of an intelligence organization you are, the stricter the confidentiality," Natasha smiled. "But fortunately, we have plenty of talent on our side. There are many trustworthy people, so we can definitely achieve a level of confidentiality in information technology that is years ahead of the world, ensuring that information never leaks."
"That sounds feasible." Arthur pondered for less than two seconds before saying to Natasha, "But for this matter, you might need some help."
"I'll select the right people for the job." Natasha smiled gently: "Leave it to me. Since I've stepped away from SHIELD, I will definitely make you feel that it's worth every penny."
"…That sounds a bit awkward," Arthur chuckled. "But just from this idea alone, you've already surprised me."
No one can claim to have a comprehensive plan; Arthur certainly couldn't.
Fortunately, there were many people around him willing to believe in him and help him out. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to sustain the Camp Lehigh base.
"Alright, in a few days, I'll give you my preliminary project proposal." Natasha suddenly tucked the folder under her arm, walked up to Arthur, adjusted his collar, and said, "You can be like Tony, a big boss who doesn't ask about anything. But you still need to know the necessary framework; otherwise, you won't know what I'm busy with every day, and it would be hard for you to reward me."
Arthur felt a bead of sweat forming on his forehead.
The hardest thing to bear is the favor of a beautiful woman. He felt stiff all over, but Natasha just smiled, patted his collar, and said, "I'll get back to work now."
After she left, Arthur stood there for a moment and then sighed softly.
He looked at his palm, then at the ceiling, and finally, with a flash of his figure... he disappeared.
When he reappeared, he was on the outskirts of Camp Lehigh. All signals were blocked here; aside from their specific communication channels, nothing else could come in or out.
Arthur sat on the edge, and when his phone regained signal, he sent a message to Lily.
Lily replied almost instantly!
"You're back!!!!!!!!!!"
Arthur noticed all those exclamation marks, clearly indicating that the girl was very excited.
He smiled and replied, "Yeah, I'm back. Did you eat on time?"
"Of course!" Lily then asked, "When did you get back? How did things go? Did you encounter any danger? Did you see anything fun? Did you get hurt? Did you have an affair…"
She sent the questions one by one, and finally, Arthur decided to just call her.
When Lily answered the phone, she spoke in a hushed tone as if she were doing something sneaky: "Hello..."
Hearing her voice, Arthur felt an inexplicable warmth.
He gently said, "I'm back."
"Wait a minute... I'm in class," Lily replied. "I'll go to the hallway to talk to you."
Soon, her cheerful, lively, and even bouncy voice reached Arthur's ears: "How did it go? Are you okay?"
"…I'm fine," Arthur smiled. "What about you?"
"That goes without saying," Lily laughed. "There's no danger here."
"That's good to hear."
Arthur asked, "When can you come back?"
"This time, it'll take a while..." Lily suddenly huffed: "Now that you're back, you just know to call, but you don't even think about coming to see me. Other boyfriends travel thousands of miles just to surprise their girlfriends, and you're just…"
Arthur fell silent.
Lily cautiously said on the other end, "Are you mad? Alright, alright… don't be angry. I was just teasing you. I know you're in danger and why you can't be like them. I'm not blaming you; I just wanted to complain a little. Hearing that makes me happy."
"I'm not angry… just a bit sad," Arthur sighed softly. "You've been wronged."
Arthur didn't quite understand, but even if he didn't, he had seen enough.
In relationships, there always needs to be some romance, some touching moments, and some surprises.
It's easy to fall in love, but maintaining it is hard; even a small issue can lead to a breakup. It all depends on whether both parties cherish and put effort into maintaining the relationship.
If both cherish and maintain it, keeping the freshness in life, then a lifetime can pass in the blink of an eye.
In contrast, he felt he was falling short in this aspect.
Sensing Arthur's melancholy, Lily gently gave herself a little slap and sweetly said, "Alright, don't feel wronged, and don't be sad... I understand you. My boyfriend is a great hero! The biggest hero in the universe! I've claimed you for myself, but let those who need saving have their time with you..."
"…That didn't comfort me at all."
Arthur chuckled, "Silly girl."
"You're the silly one," Lily suddenly asked with a mock frown, "Do you have a mistress?"
"…What about you?"
"Me?" Lily exclaimed, "If I had a mistress, would this beautiful girl, who's been raised for over twenty years, end up with you?"
Arthur scratched his face, realizing the logic in her words, and couldn't help but laugh.
"What are you laughing at? No laughing allowed!" Lily sounded flustered.
After chatting for a bit, Arthur reassured her to focus on her class and hung up the phone.
Sitting on a hillside, he didn't know exactly where he was, just watching the sunset for a while. He finally spoke, "While I watch the sunset, you watch me; can we stop this?"
"I thought you were lost in happiness."
Someone sat down beside Arthur, looking at the sunset: "You took my spot."
Arthur shrugged, "How about you let me have this place for a day? We can share this perfect view together."
"What else can I do? Who told you to be my boss?"
Bucky chuckled but then furrowed his brow, "What's wrong with you?"
"Nothing... just suddenly feeling a bit nostalgic for someone..." Arthur sighed softly, "I really hope to wrap this all up soon and get my life back on a normal track."
(End of Chapter)