Inside the quinjet flying far along the Arctic route.
Lin Huai's body gave a violent jolt.
The touch transmitted through the spirituality connection wasn't a simple impact of power, but like a cold, slimy tentacle that instantly plucked a string deep within his soul.
"Damn it!"
He cursed under his breath and snapped his eyes open, a trace of shock and anger surfacing in the depths of his gaze for the first time.
He remembered.
Or rather, he finally realized what he had forgotten—or perhaps, what he had been guided to subconsciously ignore by something.
"Something's wrong..." Lin Huai sat in his seat, brows furrowed tightly, as he began to rapidly review everything.
Since the Texas incident began, almost all of his attention had been focused on the Black Heart Demon. He knew the Black Heart Demon was the son of Mephisto, he knew about the zarathos contract, and he knew the general direction of the story. After Johnny transformed, he had soloed the entire script. Therefore, all of Lin Huai's plans and contingencies were formulated around this known "script."
But what about that woman?
That woman of unknown origin, who was likely a Spirit Guide and a Beyonder of at least Sequence 6—he had actually simply labeled her as the "Black Heart Demon's helper," a minor character used to push the plot forward!
This was an absolutely preposterous level of Pride!
"Was I fucking possessed by Master Russell? I actually subconsciously lowered that Spirit Guide's presence."
"It was that time... during our first 'meeting'." Lin Huai closed his eyes, his consciousness instantly sinking into the depths of his memories.
He began to summarize and dissect that silent confrontation.
Point one: At the time, he had questioned her from a condescending stance, yet she showed no fear. Instead, she used clever linguistic misdirection, throwing out words like, 'It seems my Master's casual actions actually allowed you to complete your promotion.'
He hadn't answered at the time, but looking back now, silence is often equivalent to consent! She didn't need him to admit it; she only needed him not to deny it. In the rules of that exchange, this "fact" was established!
Point two, and the most fatal one: linguistic flattery.
Back then, he was a Sequence 8 [Joker] and she was a Sequence 6 [Spirit Guide], a full gap of two Sequences. Yet, from start to finish, she maintained an air of respect and praise.
Thinking about it now, that faint surge of satisfaction and self-complacency he felt wasn't just a simple psychological reaction! That was a Beyonder ability!
Lin Huai's pupils constricted suddenly as a terrifying term surfaced in his mind—[Bribery]!
Not with money or goods, but using precise words and posture to directly "bribe" the target's spirit, making them let down their guard in a state of euphoria, or even develop a favorable impression!
This was... an ability of the [Lawyer] Pathway!
That was it! No wonder he had subconsciously ignored and belittled her, because from the very beginning, he had already been "bribed" by her!
The staff that woman held... she looked dressed like a mage, but in reality, she had been doing the work of a swindler the whole time.
During what he thought was his "probing," she had inversely set one psychological trap after another for him. She exploited linguistic loopholes to make him accept false intelligence by default; she used spiritual "Bribery" to lower his evaluation of her and his vigilance!
From the first second they met, he had already fallen into the trap she had meticulously woven!
Slap!
A crisp sound echoed within the quiet cabin.
Lin Huai raised his hand and gave himself a resounding slap without mercy.
"Dammit..." Lin Huai cursed softly.
That woman was the most terrifying enemy in this entire incident!
He no longer hesitated for a second, pulling out a phone specially encrypted by Stark from his pocket and quickly dialing a number.
The phone was answered after only one ring, and Master Russell's steady voice came through: "Your Excellency Lin Huai."
"Master Russell!" Lin Huai's tone was urgent and serious as he cut straight to the point. "Have the Kamar-Taj sanctums across the globe observed any traces of the Black Heart Demon or that Spirit Guide during this time?"
Lin Huai added quickly: "That woman is extremely terrifying. I couldn't outplay her; I was set up. She's not just some helper the Black Heart Demon invited. I don't know what her goal is, but we must find her as soon as possible. I suspect she will be the final boss we face."
Russell on the other end fell silent for a moment, his voice becoming exceptionally grave: "We have been monitoring, Excellency. But the results... are regrettable. The Black Heart Demon's dimensional aura completely vanished after appearing in Texas. We suspect he has found or utilized some loophole, much like Mephisto—we are currently unable to monitor Mephisto as well. As for the Spirit Guide you mentioned... from beginning to end, not a single monitoring array in Kamar-Taj has captured a trace of her existence. She is like a total ghost."
"As I thought. With different systems, monitoring is difficult. Once this incident is over, I will assist you in upgrading the firewall." Although Lin Huai had been mentally prepared, he was still very disappointed.
As the destination drew closer, another encrypted phone belonging to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal communications rang, with Fury's avatar flashing on the screen.
Lin Huai answered Fury's call.
"Fury, any news?"
"Good news," Fury's voice carried a hint of irrepressible excitement. "Just now, our satellites and Drones deployed on the outskirts of Houston captured a violent energy burst in a remote area. Our rapid response team arrived on the scene 6 hours later. Although no bodies were found, the scene there... was astonishing."
"Large areas of the ground were molten, and all surrounding vegetation was instantly carbonized. We found rock fragments the size of heavy trucks several hundred meters away, with edges showing crystalline characteristics from high-temperature scorching. More strangely, forensic personnel detected traces of a super-high-temperature steam explosion in the air. All moisture in the area, including groundwater, has completely vanished."
"Fury," the corners of Lin Huai's mouth slowly curled into a playful smile, the previous gravity swept away, "remember what I said last time about wanting HYDRA to go and provoke Johnny?"
"What do you mean?" Fury was taken aback.
Lin Huai's voice was full of suggestion. "'Accidentally' leak the field survey reports and satellite imagery. No need to name names, just emphasize a few points: One, that Ghost Rider displayed immense power. Two, that power manifests in a 'flame' form, with an attack pattern full of a sense of ritual involving Judgement and destruction. Three, this power actively disappears after 'punishing' the target and its current whereabouts are unknown."
Being the man he was, Fury immediately understood Lin Huai's intention.
"You want to draw all of HYDRA's attention to this new 'Ghost Rider'?"
"What else?" Lin Huai chuckled. "The presence of myself, Stark, and Dr. Banner during this time should have already made them a bit nervous. Now we're giving them something for free that looks incredibly powerful. Before you find the trump card to clean house, let this out-of-control 'ghost' act as your vanguard to clear out some trash for you. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The other end of the line was silent for a long time, and then, Fury's signature low chuckle came through.
"Lin Huai, you really are an out-and-out bastard... I like it."
"The feeling is mutual."