I Became a Knockoff Arms Dealer in the Marvel World

However, when Steve heard Carl's 'kind' reminder, there was no sign of concern on his face.

His mind was completely occupied with one thing: as soon as he returned to America, he would immediately go to find Peggy Carter.

Seventy years had passed in the blink of an eye.

Peggy might have long since married someone else, had children, and lived a happy life.

Or she could have already passed away, never getting to see him fulfill his promise.

Steve felt both excited and fearful. He feared he wouldn't be able to see Peggy one last time, and even more, he feared that stubborn Peggy had truly waited for seventy years.

He didn't know whether he was worthy of her waiting so long.

It was winter, and Sokovia was almost constantly snowing.

A snowplow passed in front of Carl and the others, clearing the snow that had piled up to ankle height on the roads, working non-stop 24 hours a day.

The warm sunlight shone on Steve's chiseled face as he breathed in the cold air, feeling the sense of freedom it brought.

He hadn't seen sunlight from the outside world in so long.

Now that he had basked in the sun, Steve finally felt his stiff body fully loosen up.

Just then, a Rolls-Royce Phantom drove up from the distance and slowly stopped in front of Steve.

"If you don't mind, why not take a ride?"

"It's quite a distance from the main entrance of the headquarters, and I don't want to walk outside in this snow."

Carl invited Steve into the car. Without waiting for a reply, he opened the door and got inside.

Steve snapped back to reality, and without refusing, he climbed into the car.

The luxurious interior of the Rolls-Royce made Steve a little hesitant to move, afraid that he might accidentally break something just by shifting.

The car looked expensive, and he certainly didn't have the money to pay for any damages.

Once settled in, the Rolls-Royce started slowly, heading toward the east gate of the headquarters.

Due to the bad weather and slippery ground, the car didn't go fast.

About fifteen minutes later, Carl and his group crossed thirteen kilometers and reached the Umbrella Corporation's east main gate.

It seemed like the gate knew that Carl's car was approaching because, even before it reached the entrance, the barrier rose on its own.

The two security guards at the gate stood straight, saluting as the Rolls-Royce passed by.

Phil Coulson, dressed in a suit, looked anxious as he walked back and forth, holding an umbrella.

Next to him were over a dozen agents, all vigilant and fully armed, ready for action at a moment's notice.

They had been waiting outside the Umbrella Corporation's gates for a long time.

If it weren't for Director Nick Fury's repeated orders not to provoke Umbrella, Coulson would have already stormed in with his team.

Even though Coulson knew that Umbrella wasn't someone to mess with, for the sake of his idol, Captain America, he was willing to take any risk!

When he saw Steve Rogers, the real Captain America, getting out of the Rolls-Royce, Coulson's face lit up with excitement. He quickly took a few steps and eagerly opened the umbrella for his idol, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Hi! Uh, I'm Agent Coulson, with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division—S.H.I.E.L.D."

"I'm so happy to meet you, Captain."

"I'm your biggest fan, and I even have a rare set of your collectible cards."

Steve Rogers felt a bit awkward: "Collectible cards?"

Aren't these things supposed to commemorate fallen heroes?

Coulson seemed to realize his earlier statement had been a little rude. He quickly changed the subject:

"Captain, Umbrella hasn't done anything excessive, has it? If they have, please tell me, and S.H.I.E.L.D. will make sure Umbrella pays the price."

Just make Umbrella pay the price, and not destroy them entirely?

It seemed that Umbrella wasn't a small, insignificant force. Steve thought to himself.

He didn't mention his experience of having his mind controlled by Umbrella; after all, that was in the past, and if he wanted to make trouble, it could always be for another time.

Saying such things in front of Carl would only embarrass him, and Steve wasn't naïve enough to think Coulson could do anything to Umbrella now.

Seeing how cordial the conversation was between the two, Carl, sitting in the car, pressed a button to roll down the window and interjected:

"You two can chat more slowly, but the world's first superhero is now in your hands. However, S.H.I.E.L.D. should at least offer a billion dollars as compensation."

"I'm not a kind-hearted saint, and I'm not doing this for free. If you don't meet my demands, I'm happy to go find that black-hearted director myself."

Carl's tone became serious, and his words brooked no argument.

Coulson, leading his team, had come to make sure Umbrella handed over Captain America. It seemed Carl was making it clear that he wasn't going to let Steve go without a hefty price.

If Carl had simply let Steve go without putting up any resistance, they might get the wrong idea and think Carl feared S.H.I.E.L.D.

As a civilian officer in S.H.I.E.L.D., Coulson had some combat ability, but he certainly wasn't a match for Carl, who had superhuman powers.

As for the armed agents beside him, Coulson didn't think for a second that Carl would be intimidated by mere guns.

So when it came to Carl's demand, Coulson replied with a practiced smile:

"Mr. Carl, thank you so much for bringing Captain America back safely from the Arctic. As for your compensation, I'll report your request to Director Fury."

Whether the director would approve was another matter. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. never compromised!

Coulson silently added to himself.

Steve, overhearing their conversation, felt uncomfortable with the way they were talking about him like a commodity being bought and sold.

He didn't even know he was worth one billion dollars.

Had the US dollar depreciated this much in the 21st century?

But Steve was still adjusting to this strange new world, so he kept quiet about it.

After Coulson confirmed that Steve was intact, he politely excused himself and invited Steve to leave the car.

Carl silently watched as Coulson escorted Steve away, silently hoping that once Steve returned, he would do everything he could to dismantle S.H.I.E.L.D.

The thought of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s dissolution made Carl smile to himself as he ordered the driver to head back.

"Let's go."

Unless Carl interfered, Steve probably wouldn't realize S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'true' nature for a while.

Carl had already prepared a file on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'real' activities, left in the Captain America's house in Brooklyn, New York.

When Steve arrived back in Brooklyn, the first thing he saw wouldn't be the familiar sights of home, but a shocking piece of intelligence.

Once that happened, there was no doubt that S.H.I.E.L.D. would be turned upside down by a Captain America who despised corruption.

Especially considering Hydra was still the organization Steve hated the most.

After fighting Hydra during World War II for so many years, to find out that he'd have to face them again after seventy years, who knew what would happen when he discovered S.H.I.E.L.D.'s true face?

Carl eagerly anticipated the drama to come.

Since it was rare for him to be out, even though the weather outside was cold, with temperatures reaching minus 23°C, Carl still made a stop at the precision manufacturing plant on the way.

---

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