The moment the first meeting ended, Steve was already fuming in the backseat of the car.
"They've gone too far. Hong can't back down—I wouldn't accept such an insulting demand either."
Yelena's voice cut through the tension like ice.
"Fifty-one percent? They've got some nerve."
Natasha kept her eyes on the passing cityscape.
"They've got nerve because they've got the money to back it up."
Outside the window, the cleared streets gave way to rubble on either side. The occasional pedestrian moved with hunched shoulders, faces drawn. Natasha tapped the glass.
"But they won't pour money into New York's reconstruction on a whim. The returns would be uncertain at best, the payoff timeline too long."
Xu Wenwu examined his cufflinks with disinterest.
"This isn't the capital. Wall Street took damage but didn't collapse. The important players evacuated early—those left behind clearly don't matter much."
Steve's jaw tightened.
"They won't even redirect taxpayer money to help people rebuild their lives. After the first funding release, it's been nothing but political theater. The news cycles it daily while actual progress stays buried."
Xu Wenwu waved a hand.
"The arguing is performative. When outside pressure builds, they'll release another fraction and resume their squabbling. They'll repeat this until New York mostly recovers through local or state efforts, then make one final 'generous' gesture. Pay less, appear generous—basic economics."
Steve's eyes widened silently. The unspoken question hung between them—was this really how it worked?
Natasha's brow furrowed.
"Mr. Xu's probably right. But New York City's finances were never robust, and the state government has limited capacity to help. Nearly half the city's tax revenue came from real estate, with the top one percent shouldering most of that burden."
She turned from the window.
"The real estate market's in ruins now, and that one percent won't be returning anytime soon."
"So New York has no hope of recovery?" Steve's voice cracked.
"Not none—just slower. The federal government isn't rushing, but others are. Stark's donated significantly. He's an outlier, but enough smaller contributions add up eventually."
"Why would they?"
Natasha crossed her arms.
"Because most of this destruction?" She gestured at the ruins. "Wealthy property. They've already absorbed unavoidable losses—short-term, they won't reinvest. As for industries not tied to location? They'll simply relocate from this potential warzone. Remember the Battle of New York two years ago? No guarantees aliens won't target it again."
Yelena smirked.
"It's not their money anyway—it's taxes. This country taxes everything down to the air you breathe, with the world's most aggressive collection system."
Her smile turned sharp.
"Next they'll probably tax drug deals and bank robberies."
Steve had no rebuttal. The light in his eyes dimmed further.
Xu Wenwu, Natasha, Yelena—none would ever give the U.S. federal government glowing reviews. Steve knew this. What gutted him most was their brutal accuracy.
"Using the people without mercy," Xu Wenwu concluded, "consumed by bottomless greed."
The finality in his tone ended all discussion.
"What does that mean?" the three of them asked in unison. Xu Wenwu gave a brief explanation.
"The way you talk, your tone, and even the content—it's all very similar to Hong. And what you say makes a lot of sense."
Steve could only manage a bitter smile amidst his lamentation.
"We share the same background," Xu Wenwu replied, a smile suddenly appearing on his face.
"They must know it's impossible for such conditions to be accepted. Whether they truly want it or are just making a calculated probe, I'm afraid this matter isn't as simple as just targeting The Foundation."
Natasha nodded immediately upon hearing this.
"I also feel they have another objective."
"What objective?" Yelena was puzzled.
Steve said with a complex expression, "Perhaps... it's Hong."
Yelena was instantly stunned.
"Have they lost their minds?"
Natasha shook her head.
"It's not that they've lost their minds; it's that for their own interests and demands, they are willing to ignore the risks or face them head-on. Haven't these people always been like this?"
Hearing these words, Steve's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He suddenly thought of a book. It was a book Hong Fei had given him earlier, along with the iron armor, titled: Das Kapital. Das Kapital was not a book teaching how to operate capital, but a "Bible of the Working Class" that analyzed the capitalist mode of production, exposed the bloody reality behind capital, and provided a rational, orderly, and thorough critique of it!
Back at the temporary Base, Steve's emotions were almost undisguised on his face. When he arrived at the Avengers' quarters, everyone noticed his abnormality as soon as he walked in. Tony was the first to stand up and approach.
"Steve, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Steve gave a perfunctory response and walked past Tony to sit directly on the sofa.
Seeing him like this, the others had their suspicions but felt it inappropriate to press further. Tony's eyes flickered as he changed the subject.
"You're back just in time. We were discussing establishing a brand new Avengers Base in the outskirts of New York. It doesn't necessarily need to be a tower this time, but it must be a Base with nearly perfect functionality. All Avengers and logistics support personnel would work, train, and live there together. More importantly, it will be very safe."
During the Battle of New York, Stark Tower became the primary target of attack. During the Dark Invasion, the renovated Avengers Tower was likewise swept by the Dark Elves.
This time, Tony abandoned that unlucky place and wanted to build an Avengers Base in the New York suburbs instead. However, hearing his words, Steve's heart felt even heavier. If even a multi-billionaire and superhero like Tony Stark wanted to leave New York City for another location, didn't everyone else have even more reason to abandon the city?
Thinking of this, Steve, while brooding, couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh that sounded more like an angry grunt.
"There's no need to build an Avengers Base." As soon as he said this, everyone looked over. Tony frowned.
"Why?"
"The Avengers were formed under the leadership of S.H.I.E.L.D., but as you all know without me saying it, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s past performance has proven they aren't worth relying on."
The furrow in Tony's brow deepened.
"You want to disband the Avengers?"
"No, not disband. At least as long as people still recognize the Avengers, we should always be the Avengers."
At this point, Barton suddenly interjected, "You want to break away from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
"Yes."
Steve made no secret of his thoughts. Rhodes shrugged and said, "But we're still in a S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary Base right now."
"You said it yourself—this is a temporary Base. From the time this happened until now, has S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters made any special arrangements? They skirted the grieving city, claiming their status as a global organization—a concept I'd never heard them define before. Now, all S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in New York belonged to the branch Hill had organized."
The room fell silent at this revelation. Tony broke the quiet.
"So, you're saying we join the Superpower Foundation and operate under the name Superpower Foundation Avengers from now on?"
"Yes," Steve replied with his usual straightforwardness. "If needed, we can drop the Avengers label. Our mission isn't just about avenging—it's about confronting, preventing, and assisting. We can and should take on more responsibility."
The room's reaction was unreadable. Tony subtly scanned the faces around him, then clapped his hands to draw attention.
"The Captain's given us a brand-new proposal. Everyone, think it over carefully. In a bit, Steve and I will reconvene to discuss this further."
As the others filed out, Tony sat down beside Steve, his brow furrowed.
"I knew you'd have this kind of idea, but you're moving too fast. What's going on?"
At Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, Pierce sat in a plush chair, radiating satisfaction. Ever since learning the Dragon King had agreed to join HYDRA, he hadn't stopped smiling. Within HYDRA, each branch held its own ideals and ambitions. Once these were confirmed, they'd receive support from other branches. Hydra-S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ultimate goal? To rule the world. Behind this goal lay a chilling manifesto: Humanity cannot be trusted with its own freedom; freedom leads to chaos.
"How are preparations going?" Rumlow asked, his face devoid of any smile.
"The final round of testing began last night," Pierce replied with a nod of approval.
"And Fury?"
"He's being… very conscientious."
A strange smile crept onto Rumlow's face.
"Without him, I doubt the project would've progressed this quickly," Pierce mused.
"Fury's a capable man. I knew it the moment I met him. When he was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, his methods were more HYDRA-like than ours."
Rumlow nodded in agreement. As the S.H.I.E.L.D. Strike Team leader, he'd worked closely with Fury, carrying out tasks that mirrored HYDRA's operations. He'd always felt at home in S.H.I.E.L.D.
"Once the project's complete, if he's smart, we'll spare his life. But we can't let him hold any power. His true value lies in serving us indefinitely."
"I'll keep an eye on him," Rumlow assured.
"No need for that now. Give him power and freedom. As long as he doesn't touch the project's core, let him do as he pleases. He'll excel—I've always believed that."
Rumlow's smile turned malicious. Pierce paused, then added, "Next, the Dragon King will attend a welcome banquet among the leaders. I won't show my face initially, but the others will explain the Insight Project's importance to him. If he doesn't object, our success is guaranteed."
"And if he does object?"
"Then he will first become the target of opposition or even crusade by hundreds of countries in the world. We'll be the first to obliterate him, Sokovia, and that manor in New York—with a nuke."