Not far ahead, there was an old, worn-out white van.
This was Skye's car -her home and her base of operations.
After buying coffee, Skye walked toward the van, completely unaware that a sleek sports car was following her at a distance. She opened the driver's door and climbed inside.
Su Zhan, who had been trailing her, parked his car by the curb and prepared to get out and approach. Just as he opened the door, someone suddenly appeared in front of him.
She wore tight jeans and a fitted T-shirt, her long, flowing red hair cascading over her shoulders. Her figure was curvy and striking, her beauty bold and magnetic, her presence impossible to ignore.
"Handsome, there's a bar nearby. Interested in having a chat with me?"
The woman reached out, holding the car door, her lips curling into a playful smile as she looked Su Zhan up and down.
Su Zhan was momentarily surprised but quickly regained his composure. His calm reaction seemed to catch the woman off guard for a moment.
"That depends-am I talking to Natasha, or to the Black Widow?" Su Zhan replied with a smile, his gaze unabashed as he sized her up. She truly lived up to her reputation-her figure was stunning, her looks captivating, and her aura unmistakable. He knew it might not be wise to get involved with such a woman, but the idea of some physical "communication" was certainly tempting.
Natasha smiled easily. "Alright, I figured you'd know my identity. So, which identity do you want me to use when talking to you?"
"Just as a woman. Simply being a woman is probably best."
"If you hadn't stolen this car, maybe I'd be happy to talk to you just as a woman. After all, you are quite attractive!" Natasha's tone was teasing, but there was a hint of warning beneath the surface.
"Women really are realistic!" Su Zhan shrugged in mock disappointment.
Natasha's meaning was clear. Because Su Zhan's background was mysterious, and she couldn't determine whether he was good or bad-and since he had essentially committed robbery-she couldn't just ignore it or simply chat with him as a normal woman.
"I'm very curious about your origins and abilities. It's surprising that you can absorb the Extremis virus and seem to be alive and well. Especially for someone who has no identity or background and seems to appear out of thin air. This is even more surprising. So, Mr. Su Zhan, no matter who I am, I think we should have a good chat!" Natasha said seriously.
Su Zhan glanced at Skye's van, noticing she had no intention of leaving for now. He nodded and said, "How could I refuse a beautiful woman's warm invitation? Besides… I've always wanted to get to know you!"
"Know me? Why?" Natasha asked, her tone genuinely curious.
Su Zhan looked her in the eyes and said, "There's no need to explain the reason."
"Sure enough, men are all the same-none of them are good!" Natasha rolled her eyes at him, but there was a playful glint in her gaze.
There was a bar nearby. Since it was daytime, there were almost no patrons inside. In a quiet corner, Su Zhan and Natasha sat down across from each other.
"Honestly, I was wondering who would come to see me, but I didn't expect it to be you!" Su Zhan took a sip of wine and smiled. "I don't have much resistance to beautiful women, so ask whatever you want. I promise to answer!"
"This is my honor. So, Mr. Su Zhan, can you tell me your identity?" Natasha asked with a smile.
"My name is Su Zhan, and I'm Chinese. The reason there's no information about me is because I didn't exist in this world before. I think there are probably many people like this-you should know it well!"
"But now, I just want to live my own life. So, there was no information about me before, but… there definitely will be in the future!"
Natasha nodded. She was familiar with people who had no official identity-it seemed Su Zhan was likely a special person from China. His claim that there would be information in the future was a way of saying he had no ill intentions and wasn't trying to hide.
"What about your ability? You can absorb the Extremis virus, but what exactly is your power? Extremis is notoriously unstable. If people knew you could stabilize it, you should know what that would mean," Natasha warned.
Su Zhan smiled. "So, are you suggesting I should go to S.H.I.E.L.D. for protection?"
"I'm not saying that, but if you want to, you're welcome at S.H.I.E.L.D.," Natasha replied with a smile.
"Not for now-maybe in the future!" Su Zhan declined with a smile. "Honestly, my ability isn't that special. It's nothing much. Besides, if I don't do anything bad, it doesn't matter what ability I have, right? At least… I shouldn't be a threat to you now. Plus, you could always recruit me to your side!"
"After all, you're very charming. Maybe I'd agree!" Su Zhan added, his gaze lingering on her alluring figure.
"Well, I always thought Chinese people were very reserved, but now it seems… that's not always the case."
"That's all for today. Here's my phone number. I think you might need it someday, whether for personal reasons or otherwise!" Su Zhan said casually, reciting a number. Then he stood up to leave, not forgetting to pay the bill.
Natasha watched his back as he left, her brow furrowing in thought.
"Identity and purpose unclear. Familiar with S.H.I.E.L.D. and superheroes. Unknown abilities, seems able to devour and stabilize powers. For now, it's difficult to judge if he's good or bad. Recommend continued observation," Natasha whispered, pressing her earpiece.
"If he's interested in you, then I'll leave it to you to investigate his identity and purpose. Act if necessary!" a voice replied in her ear.
Natasha frowned, thinking of Su Zhan's glib and playful attitude. She suspected that investigating him would not be easy at all…