Instantly, the entire hotpot gathering froze.
Everyone, including the worldly-wise Steve and Bucky who had just faced death, stared blankly at Lin Huai, their minds completely empty.
God?
The deity that only appears in myths and prayers actually exists?
And Amon is His youngest son?
This shocked them more than an alien fleet attacking New York.
Tony Stark, the man who only believes in science, was the first to react.
His face instantly paled, he covered his mouth, his eyes filled with fear.
"God... God... God forgive me..."
The fearless billionaire's voice was trembling.
"I swear, I'll never mess around with relationships again... I'll never swear again... I'll seriously study the teachings of the church."
Steve Rogers instinctively looked up at the ceiling, as if he could see the eyes in the sky. He was a believer, and this hit him harder than being frozen for seventy years.
Wanda and Pietro also wore expressions of disbelief. A flicker of red light danced at Wanda's fingertips, an instinctive reaction to the turmoil in her heart.
Only Lin Huai, acting as if nothing was wrong, leisurely picked up a slice of tripe from the boiling red broth, swirled it in the dipping sauce, and popped it into his mouth.
In the quiet room, the sound of his chewing was especially distinct.
He glanced at Tony, who was still praying, and shook his head.
"Don't bother," he said.
Tony looked up, his eyes somewhat vacant, towards Lin Huai.
Lin Huai swallowed his food and added another sentence.
"If God really cared about that stuff, He definitely wouldn't have forgiven a playboy like you."
"Besides, from what I know, this God is Russian."
The air in the room froze once again.
This statement had an even greater impact than the last one, making them feel their minds were in chaos.
Tony Stark's face turned from deathly pale to flushed red.
"Wha... what?" he stammered. "Ru... Russian? Are you joking with me?"
Steve's expression was even stranger, his eyes filled with confusion. Although he hadn't experienced the Cold War firsthand, he knew the main enemy was Russia. And now you're telling him God is Russian?
This felt even more terrifying than HYDRA.
In the entire room, only Wanda and Black Widow's eyes lit up.
Wanda looked at Lin Huai, her red eyes holding a meaning other than hatred for the first time—curiosity.
Pietro, seeing the American contingent's mental breakdown, suddenly understood and smiled a little at the corner of his mouth.
The Americans present—Steve, Tony, and Bucky who had just regained his composure—suddenly felt the once-fragrant hotpot on the table had lost its appeal.
God is Russian.
The destructive power of this statement was greater than saying God doesn't exist.
Then all the prayers they'd said since childhood... had they been communicating with the enemy?
This celebratory meal ended in this strange atmosphere.
No one had the appetite to continue... After hastily cleaning up, Lin Huai called out to Tony, who was heading to the lab, and Steve, who wanted to find a church.
"I have to go," Lin Huai said directly. "There's a whole mess of things back in Eastern Europe I need to deal with."
Tony and Steve's expressions turned serious. "Do you need our help? How about we come with you? You seem a bit overwhelmed."
"No, you should stay here. You need to handle the HYDRA and post-war reconstruction matters," Lin Huai said, looking at them seriously. "I won't be available for this side recently. Back in Eastern Europe, there's a God's Son and Mephisto. If a real fight breaks out, the whole of Eastern Europe could be gone."
He paused, then added, "I've already made Pierce reveal all the HYDRA information. What to do next is up to you and S.H.I.E.L.D. Find all those hidden Agents and make sure they don't cause trouble again."
"You can count on us," Steve promised earnestly.
"If you run into something you can't solve, you can contact me," Lin Huai's gaze swept over the two. "Of course, it depends on whether I'm free."
Tony and Steve both nodded.
After giving his instructions, Lin Huai turned to leave.
"Wait, please."
A clear yet hesitant voice sounded from behind him.
Lin Huai turned to see Wanda and Pietro quickly approaching him.
"We..." Wanda looked at Lin Huai, her eyes filled with anticipation. "Can we come with you?"
"We don't want to stay here," she said, glancing towards Tony and Steve's direction, her tone firm. "And we don't want to be with them either."
Looking at the twins before him, Lin Huai sighed inwardly.
Unbelievable.
On one side, there's Mephisto, eyeing a mother and son drama. On the other, there's Amon, who might pop up and cause chaos at any moment.
Bringing these two along might provide some firepower, but who knows if Amon would suddenly decide to join the party? It's better not to have too many people around; it's safer for everyone.
Lin Huai smiled faintly, then turned away.
"If fate wills it, we'll meet again."
With a snap of his fingers, a circle of orange-red flames ignited at Lin Huai's feet, swirling upwards to envelop him.
In Wanda and Pietro's stunned gazes, the flames contracted violently and vanished, taking Lin Huai with them.
Only empty space remained where he had stood.
Wanda's outstretched hand hung in the air, her expression shifting from hope to bewilderment.
Tony and Steve exchanged a look, both feeling a sense of helplessness.
Inside the distant quinjet, a flash of orange-red light illuminated the cabin as Lin Huai materialized. He let out a sigh of relief, glad he'd made a quick getaway.
"That Wanda clearly has an interest in Amon. Bringing someone like that along is like carrying a ticking bomb. I had to leave fast before things got complicated. I wonder what's going on with Dr. Banner..." he muttered to himself.
He walked towards the cockpit, assuming the jet was on autopilot.
However, as soon as he stepped inside, he froze.
A figure clad in a black tactical suit was seated in the pilot's chair, her silhouette unmistakable. Her black hair was tied back, and she was intently focused on the instrument panel.
Natasha Romanoff.
Black Widow.
She didn't turn around, her eyes fixed on the changing data on the screen. "You chose the fastest route," she said calmly.
Lin Huai was silent for a moment, then walked over to the co-pilot's seat, sat down, and fastened his seatbelt.
"How did you get here?" he asked.
"Just now, I took on this mission," Natasha replied, her voice steady as if reporting a routine task. "It's a logical assignment. I'm a capable pilot."
Lin Huai gave a noncommittal hum.
"God is Russian."
Natasha suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. She still didn't look at him. "Is that true?" she asked, her voice betraying no emotion, yet the question hung heavy in the air.
Lin Huai's gaze fell on her hands resting on the controls. They were steady, betraying none of the inner storm he suspected.
"More true than Tony's sudden piety," he said slowly. "At least, the one I know is."
Natasha was quiet for a long time. So long that Lin Huai thought she wouldn't speak again.
"My hands are stained with blood," she finally said, her voice low. "So much of it. I'll never be clean. I learned to kill, to deceive, to betray—everything in the Red Room. My entire past is branded with that... Russian legacy."
She paused, a hint of self-mockery in her tone.
"I thought serving S.H.I.E.L.D. was a way to... balance it. To use those skills for something else. But if God... if the very concept I was taught to fear or ignore is also Russian..."
Her voice trailed off.
"Then what was any of it for?"
Lin Huai listened. There was no easy answer to that.
"Take me with you," Natasha said, turning her head to look directly at him for the first time. Her green eyes held a resolute intensity.
"I need to see this for myself. I need to see this'Son of God'. I need to understand."
Lin Huai considered her, then nodded slightly.
"Very well, Agent Romanoff. You're in for a unique front-row seat."
He leaned back and closed his eyes.
"Set course for the Targu Jiu Quarry."
Natasha didn't reply. Her fingers moved silently across the console, inputting the new coordinates.
The quinjet banked smoothly, its engines emitting a deep, resonant hum as it pierced the darkness of the night sky.