Chapter 8
Yang Jian sat on the sofa, fingertips lightly drumming the armrest, his gaze sweeping over the various trophies Kingpin had left behind in the office.
Famous paintings, antiques, classified files in the safe, and that massive redwood desk that once symbolized underworld royalty.
"Bullseye." He spoke suddenly.
Bullseye, standing nearby, immediately looked up. "Boss?"
"This company is yours to run from now on." Yang Jian waved a hand casually.
Bullseye froze, then frowned. "Boss, I'm not good at business."
"You don't need to run the business." Yang Jian's tone was flat.
"Just make sure no one dares touch what's ours. As for making money? Let the suits in the boardroom worry about that."
Bullseye was silent for a moment. Then the corner of his mouth slowly curved upward. "Understood."
Yang Jian stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking New York.
"Keep an eye on Osborn, but don't stress it too much." He said lightly.
"After today, he should understand—there are lines he can't cross."
Bullseye nodded.
The footage of Hulk being knocked out with one punch had likely spread across the world by now.
No one would be stupid enough to challenge a monster who treated the Green Goliath like a punching bag.
"Anything else?" Yang Jian asked.
Bullseye thought for a second, then shook his head. "Nothing for now."
"Good." Yang Jian turned. Black Kryptonian armor automatically enveloped him.
"I'm heading out."
Before the words fully left his mouth, his figure vanished, leaving only a faint ripple in the air.
Bullseye stood there for a long moment before letting out a low chuckle.
"Guess I'll have to get used to being the boss."
Long Island, New York Kingpin's Private Villa
This sprawling seaside mansion, nearly a thousand square meters, had once been Kingpin's most secret hideout.
Now its new owner stood on plush carpet, a glass of red wine in hand.
Yang Jian gazed out the floor-to-ceiling window at the pitch-black ocean.
Moonlight scattered across the waves in silver fragments.
"Way more comfortable than the office." He tilted his head back, letting the rich liquid slide down his throat.
The villa was obscenely luxurious: marble floors, genuine leather sofas, top-tier sound system.
Even a private theater and underground wine cellar. Kingpin's taste hadn't been half bad.
Yang Jian set the glass down and walked to the bedroom.
The massive bed was covered in silk sheets. He dropped onto it, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling.
"System."
[Ding! Host, please state your request.]
"What level am I at in this world right now?"
[Based on data analysis:]
[Planetary Threat: No one on Earth can currently threaten you.]
[Interstellar Threat: You can fight the main Kree fleet without injury. Thanos without the Infinity Stones would be a slightly larger ant. This is just an example—your current strength exceeds even that.]
[Cosmic Threat: The universe has many powerful beings. You still need to grow.]
Yang Jian let out a soft laugh. "Not bad."
He closed his eyes, but super hearing remained active.
Distant waves, the roar of New York traffic, even Fury and Coulson's low conversation at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.
And one person approaching.
Everything under control.
"What should I do tomorrow?" he murmured.
Maybe pay a visit to the Banner he'd knocked out with one punch?
Or have a chat with Tony Stark?
Or perhaps…
His thoughts were interrupted by a faint vibration. The intruder had arrived.
The villa's security system triggered. Someone had entered.
Yang Jian slowly opened his eyes. A flicker of red light passed through his pupils.
"These people always love sneaking into other people's homes at midnight."
Light footsteps, deliberately suppressed breathing, and the faint electric hum of high-tech gear.
Not an ordinary person.
Not military or police.
He didn't bother using super vision. He enjoyed the confidence that came with absolute power.
A smile curved his lips. He stayed lying on the bed, motionless, as if truly asleep.
The bulletproof glass window was silently sliced open by a high-frequency vibration device. A black shadow slipped inside, landing without a sound.
The figure stood still in the darkness for a few seconds, scanning the room, then moved cautiously toward the bedroom.
Natasha Romanoff—S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top operative.
Dressed in skin-tight black tactical gear, she held a compact stun gun, edging toward the bedroom door.
Natasha gently pushed the door open. Her gaze locked on the "sleeping" Yang Jian.
She slowed her breathing and stepped closer, pulling a small syringe from her belt.
S.H.I.E.L.D. special sedative—supposedly strong enough to drop an elephant.
She had no idea why Fury would send her on a suicide mission like this.
But it was her job.
A few steps in—
"Breaking and entering in the middle of the night isn't a good habit."
Yang Jian's voice cut through the silence, calm as if they were having casual conversation.
Natasha's pupils contracted. She instinctively retreated, stun gun snapping up.
Crack!
She didn't even see him move. An invisible force crushed the weapon in her hand; metal shards scattered across the floor.
Yang Jian remained on the bed, eyes now open. Golden pupils glowed faintly in the dark.
"Agent Romanoff. Fury sent you?"
Natasha quickly shifted into combat stance.
She knew perfectly well this man had one-punched Hulk. She had zero chance.
"I came on my own." She answered coolly.
"After all, someone who knocks out the Hulk with one punch is worth checking out."
Yang Jian sat up and snapped his fingers.
Snap.
The bedroom lights flared on. The sudden brightness made Natasha squint, but she adapted quickly, sharp eyes locking onto him.
"Seen enough?" Yang Jian smiled.
Natasha didn't answer. Instead she threw out a question: "You destroyed the Kree monitoring station?"
Yang Jian wasn't surprised. "Good intel."
"S.H.I.E.L.D. satellites aren't decorations." She watched his reaction closely.
"You know what that means?"
"That the Kree will be unhappy?" Yang Jian shrugged.
"Doesn't matter."
Natasha frowned. "You're not worried about starting an interstellar war?"
Yang Jian laughed softly and stood up.
The motion was casual, but Natasha felt an invisible pressure clamp down.
"Agent Romanoff." He walked right up to her, towering over her.
"If the Kree dare come to Earth and cause trouble…"
He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a near-whisper.
"I'll make sure they never leave."
Natasha's breath hitched for a fraction of a second.
This wasn't bravado. She read absolute certainty in his eyes.
As if wiping out an interstellar empire was nothing more than a casual errand.
After several seconds of silence, she relaxed her stance and even gave a faint smile. "Fury wants to talk."
"Not interested."
"About the Tesseract."
Natasha saw no reaction and continued. "S.H.I.E.L.D. found something in the Arctic. Fury thinks you might be interested."
Yang Jian's mind was already spinning in a different direction.
The Tesseract—container of the Space Stone. Power over space, wormholes, interdimensional travel.
Natasha had just reminded him: maybe it was time to collect Earth's Infinity Stones.
"Fury thinks he can bait me with that?" Yang Jian asked with a smile.
"Does he think I don't know what it is?"
Natasha's gaze flickered, but her professionalism kicked in instantly. "So you already knew about the Tesseract?"
"More than knew." Yang Jian stepped closer, eyes locking onto hers.
"I also know what you dug up in the Arctic. Captain America's plane wreckage, right?"
Natasha's breathing stuttered—barely noticeable.
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s highest classified secret, laid bare in front of him.
Yang Jian turned away. His golden pupils glowed softly in the dim room. "Fury can test me all he wants—that's your business. But I have a temper. Don't make me do this again."
Natasha was quiet for a moment, then nodded. "I'll pass it along."
She turned toward the window to leave.
Yang Jian's voice stopped her once more.
"One more thing. Tell Fury—"
"I'm not interested in any of your plans. Stop interfering with my life."
"Otherwise…"
His eyes suddenly blazed with searing red light. The air around him warped from the heat.
"I don't mind giving S.H.I.E.L.D. a new director."
Natasha's fingertips tightened, but her voice stayed level. "I'll tell him word for word."
She turned back to the window, pausing at the edge to glance over her shoulder. "By the way—your security system needs an upgrade."
"No need." Yang Jian lazily lay back down.
Natasha said nothing. She leaped out the window and vanished into the night.
Yang Jian stared at the ceiling, thoughtful.
"The Tesseract?"
"Fury, Fury… thank you for the gift."
"System, pull up Space Stone data."
[Space Stone (Tesseract)]
[Abilities: Manipulates space, opens wormholes, enables interdimensional teleportation] [Current Holder: S.H.I.E.L.D. (Nick Fury)]
[Potential Threat: May attract Thanos or other cosmic forces]
"Thanos?"
"If he dares come, I'll show him who really runs this universe."
PS (Author Note): Natasha is on hold for now—let's see everyone's reaction.
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