Sorry, the name of your… what was it… Department of Homeland Security… it's too long."
Stark frowned, waving his hand dismissively. "Can't you come up with something shorter?"
"We're considering it," Coulson replied with a smile.
From an ordinary person's perspective, nine times out of ten, they would think Coulson's answer was just a perfunctory remark.
After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't established just yesterday; if the long name was truly an issue, why would this suggestion only be brought up now? If they wanted to change it, they would have done so long ago. The fact that it hasn't been changed means they have no such intention.
Moreover, as an intelligence agency, it should naturally have a long and imposing name. The reason is simple: intelligence agencies, unlike ordinary government departments, have a deterrent effect and a sense of mystery that are directly proportional. The harder the name is to remember, the higher the mystery and the greater the deterrence, leading to more psychological pressure on the enemy during operations. If you think about it, a tongue-twisting name is actually a good thing, isn't it?
Besides, such a major event as changing the agency's name is not something an outsider is qualified to meddle with. To be honest, this alone would make one think that Coulson was merely humoring Stark.
Ordinary people would think this way, but as a transmigrator, Shi Xiaolei was no ordinary person.
"How about S.H.I.E.L.D.? Take the first letters and put them together as an acronym. S.H.I.E.L.D., what do you think?"
Naming S.H.I.E.L.D. himself felt a bit like unlocking a platinum achievement in a game. Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but blurt it out, saying this classic line before Coulson could.
"That's an excellent suggestion." Completely unaware that this line was originally his, Coulson's eyes lit up, and his smile conveyed gratitude: "I'll report it to my superiors and submit an application when I get back."
Hearing this, Shi Xiaolei remembered the purpose of Coulson's visit today: "Ah, my memory, I almost forgot about the main business. Coulson, May, please have a seat. I'll go get the potion."
It was true that they came with a mission, but to be honest, after seeing the scene before him, Coulson had a change of heart and wasn't very eager to get the potion so quickly.
If the potion was in hand, then, to be safe, it would have to be escorted back immediately.
But in the current situation… anyone could tell that if he could participate in this barbecue dinner and chat for a while longer, it would greatly deepen his relationship with Shi Xiaolei. Recalling what Director Nick Fury had instructed, Coulson valued this opportunity greatly and truly didn't want to leave with the potion so soon.
"Uh…"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa~." Just as Coulson was about to speak, Tony, who was nearby, suddenly interrupted.
Looking at Coulson and May, then at Shi Xiaolei, Tony raised an eyebrow: "Locke, I want to ask, when did you reach an agreement with them?"
"The day before yesterday, after the press conference." Shi Xiaolei stopped and turned his head: "What's wrong?"
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to stop you." Waving his hand, Tony glanced at Coulson with a playful look in his eyes, then directly reminded Shi Xiaolei: "Do you remember what I told you when we were discussing setting up the company? Agencies with official backgrounds like theirs are best handled by the company…"
On one hand, he wanted to use the effects of the full version of the potion to capture the high-end market, enhance and maintain the brand value of the new company. On the other hand, he also wanted to leave a channel for Shi Xiaolei, who had become a good friend, to earn more money. Therefore, after partnering to establish the new company, Stark specifically left an external window for Shi Xiaolei to sell his full version of the potion.
Comparatively, the former reason did not account for a large proportion, as Stark himself was a golden brand; with his name attached, brand value was already guaranteed. The customer attraction brought by the full version of the potion could only be considered icing on the cake.
The latter reason, 'letting a friend earn more money,' was the main point.
Therefore, when discussing leaving this external window with Shi Xiaolei, Stark earnestly gave him some advice and reminders. For example, not to easily agree to a certain agency's procurement requests, to let the company handle collaborations as much as possible, and to prioritize transactions within the company, and so on.
There was no need to worry about major problems with private transactions.
However, facing official agencies that would not be swayed by personal feelings and would prioritize their own interests, Shi Xiaolei, as the seller, was too isolated and weak. Coupled with his lack of experience cooperating with official agencies and never having done such a large deal… To be honest, even if it was a seller's market and Shi Xiaolei held the initiative in supply and demand, from Stark's perspective, he couldn't help but worry about him, fearing that he might inadvertently be taken advantage of.
"Of course, if you think they're trustworthy and insist on working with them personally, then just ignore what I said." Tony pointed at Coulson with a slightly flippant skewer, then smiled indifferently: "It's your stuff, and it's your freedom to sell it to whomever you want. Don't misunderstand, I don't mean anything else, I'm just reminding you as a friend."
"Thank you, Tony." With Stark's reminder, Shi Xiaolei noticed the loophole—there was still an insidious viper hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. This time, Coulson was leading the effort, so there wasn't much risk. But once this batch of potions was sent back and caught the attention of Hydra… he wasn't afraid, but the thought of being targeted by Hydra and having them cause trouble every now and then made Shi Xiaolei feel genuinely annoyed.
"I'm very sorry, Coulson." Turning to look at Coulson, Shi Xiaolei said apologetically: "Let's just do it this way this time. If there's a next time, let's be more formal and conduct the transaction through the company, okay?"
He had originally planned to build more connections, but now, even the potion sales were being transferred to the company… Coulson felt a bitter taste in his mouth, it wasn't a pleasant feeling.
Yet, Stark's reminder was very reasonable, and Shi Xiaolei's choice was beyond reproach. He, or rather S.H.I.E.L.D., had no reason to object.
"Alright." Coulson nodded helplessly, forcing a smile: "Personally, I have no objections. But as for the specific operations, I need to report to my superiors before a conclusion can be reached."
The atmosphere suddenly took a sharp turn, becoming a bit awkward.
Fortunately, Old Liu, who had gone back to fetch good wine, returned at this moment.
He'd only been gone for a short while, but several more people had appeared in the yard, including the world-renowned Tony Stark. As he pushed open the courtyard gate and walked in, Old Liu subconsciously raised a hand to rub his eyes: "My goodness, it really is him."
The commotion wasn't loud, but Old Liu's appearance still served to break the stalemate. Seeing Stark raise an eyebrow with a questioning look of 'Who is this person?', and Coulson and May also looking confused, Shi Xiaolei quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject and introduced them: "This is Liu, a good friend and elder from my hometown. His shop is right next to our house…"