“Hmm, at the very least, Earth has to be completely safe,” Tony said after a moment of silence.
“We’ve already seen what happened with Loki. The defenses on Earth are completely inadequate. Now, this mysterious person has appeared, so I want to strengthen Earth’s security forces.”
“Oh, alright.” Pepper shrugged and turned to leave.
Watching Pepper’s retreating figure, Tony sighed.
Because of Zhang Xi’s intervention, the plot of the Marvel World had undergone some changes.
Whether it was the abilities of the superheroes or their mindsets, everything had shifted somewhat.
However, the one thing that remained unchanged was their personalities.
Tony Stark, the once self-centered businessman, had learned the spirit of sacrifice through battle after battle.
But in front of others, he always kept a smiling face, as if he were still that same carefree playboy.
Yet, he kept many things hidden in his heart.
“OK!” Tony clapped his hands and returned to work.
Although he still had doubts about Zhang Xi’s identity, his approach was different from Rogers’s.
He wanted to bring him over to their side, and that was all.
***
The Real World.
Zhang Xi lay on the bed, with Li Yang attending to him hand and foot.
They had been living together for some time now, and Zhang Xi noticed that this guy had truly changed—or at least, he wasn’t as insufferable as before.
Meanwhile, the assassins Li Yang had dispatched were already closing in on Zhang Xi’s room.
Zhang Xi, who had been lounging leisurely on the bed, suddenly sensed something was wrong.
He opened his eyes, carefully scanning his surroundings for any movement.
“Brother Zhang, here, come on, soak your feet and relax,” Li Quanning said as he walked in, carrying a basin of foot-washing water, intending to wash Zhang Xi’s feet.
“Wait, something’s happening,” Zhang Xi said softly.
He then walked over and pressed Li Quanning down into a seat.
Li Quanning was startled.
He was a wealthy young master who had never faced such a situation; even just looking at Zhang Xi’s expression made his legs go weak.
Not knowing how many enemies were outside, Zhang Xi first checked his own status panel to estimate his chances of victory.
*Ding!
Character Panel.*
*Host: Zhang Xi*
*Attributes: Strength 42, Speed 39, Endurance 59.*
*Skills: Power of Thunder 24%, Advanced Agent 100%, Flawless Aim 89%.*
Special Attributes: Star Core Hardness 0.15%, Captain America Evolution Serum 26%, Will of Thor’s Hammer 15%, Alchemist (Iron) 8%.
Zhang Xi nodded.
He must have unintentionally obtained this Alchemist fragment from Tony.
With these attributes, dealing with even dozens of people would be no problem.
Zhang Xi said to Li Quanning, “Hide under the bed and don’t come out.”
Li Quanning desperately wanted to fight side-by-side with Zhang Xi and leave a good impression, but the problem was, he knew his own limitations.
Fighting side-by-side would be no different from just feeding them heads.
He nodded and hid.
Zhang Xi went to the door and quietly waited for the assassins to arrive.
The assassin came to the door, then took out a piece of iron wire and gently picked the lock.
Zhang Xi held the pot lid from his kitchen; this was his makeshift weapon.
He had no choice.
Without a gun or a hammer, it was better to use a pot lid as a shield than to use weapons he wasn’t proficient with and that offered no bonuses.
Zhang Xi’s home had a security door, but Li Yang’s bodyguards were no pushovers.
Soon, the door was opened.
A dark figure walked inside.
Zhang Xi reacted with lightning speed, grabbing a pot lid and slamming it hard onto the man’s head.
The blow was devastating.
The poor guy had barely stepped inside before the strike knocked him unconscious.
That single pot lid officially kicked off the battle.
These bodyguards were Li Yang’s elite men, each as formidable as Uncle Li.
If Zhang Xi fought them using his Advanced Agent combat skills, he would be at a disadvantage.
He had to play to his strengths.
The assassins behind the first man recoiled in shock, and Zhang Xi seized the opportunity.
Li Quanning was in the room; any mistake could get him hurt.
Zhang Xi raised his left hand, unleashing the Power of Thor.
A bolt of energy struck one of the men.
Then, he hurled the pot lid like a shield, knocking down another.
The entire sequence was as fluid as flowing water, executed with clean precision.
Across from Zhang Xi’s room, Chen Feng and Li Yang watched every move.
Li Yang’s expression was grim.
He hadn’t heard from Uncle Li in days and suspected Chen Haiming had captured him.
He’d also heard that Zhang Xi had attended a Chen family gathering, so it was highly likely that Zhang Xi was the one who had discovered and captured Uncle Li.
“We must kill this man at all costs, but not right now,” Li Yang said viciously.
“Afterward, Li Quanning will also die here. It will look like Zhang Xi took him hostage and then killed him. Do you understand?”
Hearing Li Yang’s words, Chen Feng shuddered.
So that was it.
Once Li Quanning died, the most powerful branch of the Li family would go to war with Zhang Xi.
Since Zhang Xi and Chen Haiming were on good terms, the Chen family would definitely intervene.
At that point, Li Yang could act like the mantis stalking the cicada, only for the orioles to strike from behind, and reap the benefits of their conflict.
*What a cunning old fox!
How could he devise such a vicious plan?*
Chen Feng felt like he was conspiring with a tiger.
But now that the arrow was on the string, he had no choice but to see it through.
There was no turning back.
Meanwhile, Zhang Xi found the situation increasingly strange as the fight went on.
By all accounts, he should have been the target.
He was fighting desperately to lure the assassins out of his house, but they were all acting like they were on steroids, fighting tooth and nail just to break *into* his home.
Zhang Xi wasn’t exactly broke, but the meager savings he had at home were definitely not what they were after.
In that case, there could only be one explanation.
The assassins’ target wasn’t just him—it was also Li Quanning!
“Damn it!” Zhang Xi cursed under his breath.
His mind raced, and in an instant, he understood their scheme.
If Young Master Li died in his house, the Li family would undoubtedly retaliate against him!
Who were these assassins?
They couldn’t be from the Li family.
Could it be Chen Feng?
There was no time to think.
Zhang Xi’s gaze sharpened as he drew his other weapon: a slingshot!
His *Flawless Aim* talent wasn’t limited to guns; it applied to any ranged weapon.
This ability was derived from Hawkeye Barton, who, as an ordinary human, had secured his place in the Avengers solely through his unmatched marksmanship.
And now, Zhang Xi possessed that same power!
He took a small steel ball from his pocket, loaded it into the slingshot, and swiftly aimed at the assassin before him.
Simultaneously, he infused the projectile with his *Power of Thunder*.
This was Zhang Xi’s true advantage: he possessed multiple superpowers and could freely combine them depending on the situation to unleash their maximum potential.
“Die!” Zhang Xi roared, then released his hand.
The pellet shot forward at lightning speed toward the assassin.
(End of Chapter)