Chapter Sixty-Nine: Ivan Arrives

(This chapter is optional; it’s just a filler rushed out for the attendance bonus—no need to subscribe.)

When Zhong Shenxiu hurried home from his secret base under cover of night, midnight had already fallen, silent and still. Without a word, he lay down and chose sleep.

The few points of mental energy spent healing Peter could only be restored by sleeping.

Ever since he gained this ability—this peculiar healing technique that consumed mental energy, which could only be replenished through sleep—Zhong Shenxiu had completely abandoned his old habit of staying up late, sleeping soundly every night.

And whether it was due to his body of chaos or some other reason, he now found his physical functions somewhat immune to sleep. He no longer depended on it as he once did; even if he went days without rest, he didn’t experience the dizzy, muddled feeling he’d known in his previous life.

Instead, he felt alert and clear-headed.

What’s more, falling asleep had become effortless. As soon as he lay down and decided to sleep, it was as if he’d flipped a switch—he would instantly drift off.

This was something countless insomniacs would envy.

After pondering for a while, Zhong Shenxiu attributed this miraculous phenomenon to his increased control over his own body.

The next morning.

As sunlight, sharp and dazzling, filtered through the window and into the room, Zhong Shenxiu opened his eyes and awoke.

But it wasn’t a natural awakening.

He had sensed his phone vibrating.

The vibration wasn’t from his 2giPhone, but from a device with a somewhat unfamiliar feel...

He quickly realized it was his elderly phone.

He got up at once, retrieved it from his pocket, and checked the screen.

A new message had arrived.

Opening it, he saw it was from an unknown number. The content was simple:

“I’ve arrived.”

...The clandestine agent's rendezvous style was here at last!

He didn’t need to think twice; this was certainly sent by Ivan Vanko. After all, the SIM card in this phone was newly registered, and no one else knew the number.

The message meant Ivan had reached Queens.

Quite fast—almost in step with Zhong Shenxiu’s own arrival.

In other words, Ivan Vanko, after following his instructions and visiting the hospital, had turned right around and come to Queens.

Zhong Shenxiu mused silently.

Ivan’s arrival wasn’t surprising, but his decisiveness, his lack of hesitation, still caught Zhong Shenxiu off guard.

After a brief consideration, Zhong Shenxiu got up, tidied himself, and walked out through the front door. In a quiet corner, he took out the elderly phone and replied:

“Go to 118 Ingram Street. The house there is unoccupied, and there’s food inside. Wait for me.”

Then he destroyed the phone.

118 Ingram Street was the address of the villa above Zhong Shenxiu’s secret base. The food inside was scavenged by Hyde; Zhong Shenxiu had taken some from the base and placed it in the villa.

As for why he sent Ivan there first, Zhong Shenxiu had his reasons.

First, the villa’s location was remote and well-hidden.

Coupled with the secret base below—unless Zhong Shenxiu opened the hidden elevator, Ivan would never discover its existence.

Besides, Zhong Shenxiu had planned to let Ivan into the secret base eventually.

To build the device for searching the Space Stone, he needed various tools and technical support, all available in the base. So he had no intention of hiding the base from Ivan.

But circumstances required careful handling. Now that Ivan had arrived, Zhong Shenxiu decided to assess him first: let Ivan stay in the villa, and once he felt Ivan could be trusted, he would reveal the existence of the base.

It might seem overly cautious.

But Zhong Shenxiu felt it prudent; his life was his own, and caution was always wise.

The main reason was Ivan Vanko’s betrayal in Iron Man 2, which engendered a certain wariness in Zhong Shenxiu. But there was one thing that, once confirmed, would dispel most of his doubts.

Namely: whether Ivan had brought his father, Anton Vanko, to Queens.

If Ivan brought his father, Zhong Shenxiu could dismiss ninety-nine percent of his concerns and let Ivan help build the device in peace.

So... When Zhong Shenxiu returned home, he began monitoring the villa’s security cameras via Hyde’s remote controls.

About two hours after he sent the message,

Ivan Vanko arrived at the villa, burdened with bags, and behind him stood Anton Vanko, his gaze wandering restlessly.

Good... Zhong Shenxiu nodded quietly.

He remotely unlocked the villa’s front door.

Now all that remained was to wait for nightfall...

When everything returned to silence, Zhong Shenxiu swept his True Sight over the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent at the entrance, confirmed he was asleep, and quietly slipped out the back door, heading for the villa.

Soon, he reached the villa’s entrance.

Ivan Vanko was cautious—he hadn’t even turned on the lights, leaving the villa shadowy and eerie. If Zhong Shenxiu hadn’t seen him enter via the surveillance, he’d have assumed the place was empty.

Fifteen years in prison had not dulled his wits; Ivan Vanko was indeed talented.

Not that his combat ability was exceptional—both Peter and Wanda in Zhong Shenxiu’s camp could easily overpower him—but Ivan’s age brought wisdom, and he approached tasks with careful thought and meticulous execution.

This was exactly the kind of person Zhong Shenxiu’s camp sorely needed.

Entering the villa under cover of shadows, Zhong Shenxiu heard faint snores; Anton Vanko was fast asleep, snoring loudly.

Ivan Vanko, however, sat at the bedside, head bowed, awake, as if waiting for someone.

Zhong Shenxiu understood—he was waiting for him.

“I’m here.” In the dead of night, Zhong Shenxiu instinctively lowered his voice, giving it a deeper resonance.

At these words, Ivan Vanko jerked his head up. Seeing that the visitor was a young, handsome man of mixed heritage—not the middle-aged figure he’d met in Moscow—his eyes flickered with confusion.

But his expression quickly settled.

“Follow me.” Without waiting for Ivan to speak, Zhong Shenxiu uttered these words and strode into the yard.

Ivan hurried after him.

Then...

When the elevator, gleaming with silvery, high-tech brilliance, emerged from the ground,

Ivan Vanko could no longer conceal his shock. As a technological genius, he had thoroughly inspected the villa upon arrival.

He had found nothing.

This was a crushing blow to his sense of technological mastery.

Unable to help himself, Ivan glanced again at the young man beside him, realizing that this mysterious individual was constantly challenging his understanding of the world.