Chapter Three: Nick Fury's Attention

On the other side, Nick Fury, upon seeing that the Reaper had agreed to meet with him, rubbed his brow, trying to calm the surge of excitement and tension within himself.

"Sir, how many of us should go the day after tomorrow?"
"Based on our information, is he most likely male?"
"Should we bring Agent Natasha along as well?"

Phil Coulson, who had been quietly present, began to ask about the situation. Very few people knew about the intention to contact the mercenary codenamed Reaper, but Agent Natasha was one of them. If this Reaper truly matched their suspicions and turned out to possess superhuman abilities, Director Fury hoped to recruit him into the Avengers Initiative.

However, just arranging a meeting required a fee of twenty million dollars—a truly outrageous sum, which showed how determined they were to make this happen.

"You'll come with me," Fury decided after a moment's thought, tapping his fingers on the desk. "Agent Natasha is still investigating Harvey Ambelaca, so there's no need to call her for now."

Harvey Ambelaca was also on their radar. They had looked into this young Asian tycoon who had abruptly appeared on the scene in recent years. Orphaned at a young age, raised in an orphanage, Harvey Ambelaca had faced the usual mix of benefits and discrimination that came with being Asian in America. From his background, he seemed a pitiable figure—one with no suspicious history.

But at nineteen, Harvey Ambelaca had suddenly won a ten-million-dollar lottery. After taxes of 5.7 million, he used the remaining 4.3 million to invest in Zero Technology, becoming one of its shareholders. Later, more and more investors flocked to Zero Technology, and Harvey received generous dividends. With this income, he ventured into real estate and the stock market, making prescient investments that never failed—almost as if he could see the future. In less than three years, by the age of twenty-one, he had become a well-known young tycoon in New York, his wealth multiplying hundreds of times to over four billion dollars. He owned mansions, luxury cars, and watches, and—even as an Asian—was pursued by countless beautiful young women in the city.

Because Harvey Ambelaca had never committed any crimes and was diligent with his taxes, the authorities had no reason to investigate him further. On the surface, he was just an extraordinarily lucky young man who’d hit the jackpot after buying only five lottery tickets, and then climbed rapidly to the top. If not for the knowledge that aliens existed beyond Blue Planet, and that other superpowered individuals might be hiding among its people, even Nick Fury would have chalked this up to pure luck.

But Harvey's miraculous rise, his uncanny investments, and his unusual appetite—his daily food expenses alone were beyond what most people could afford—suggested otherwise. Out in public, Harvey appeared nothing more than a lavish, big-eating young tycoon. So, for now, Fury had only sent Natasha to investigate.

Taking action against him was out of the question. For a taxpayer of his stature, and in the absence of any crime, even S.H.I.E.L.D. had no authority to bypass the FBI and detain him. However, if, during her investigation, Natasha were to discover that Harvey indeed possessed some extraordinary abilities, they would certainly be interested in recruiting him—after all, threats to the planet could arise at any time.

"But I’ve heard Agent Natasha's mission hasn’t been going well," Coulson remarked. "It seems like a waste of time, and her mood has been sour lately."

Under normal circumstances, Natasha should have had little trouble getting close to a successful man, given her beauty. Harvey owned villas and estates—he should have needed to hire a housekeeper or secretary. Yet, he had done neither, living in his private mansion with no staff to speak of.

Most of the time, Harvey stayed at home, his activities a mystery. The only predictable thing was his frequent visits to various restaurants and hotels to indulge in gourmet food. But even this was unreliable; he wasn't picky, and would sometimes frequent the same place, or suddenly show up at a Chinese street stall.

After eating, he would go straight home, only occasionally spending the night with an exceptionally beautiful woman. As a result, Natasha had spent half a month working undercover as a waitress at various restaurants, hoping to run into him—but with no luck. She was skilled at using her allure to draw men in, but she couldn’t entice someone she couldn’t even meet.

"Then, Coulson, could you—no, never mind. I’ll pass the message to her myself," Nick Fury decided, a bit frustrated by Natasha’s wasted efforts and poor mood, but ultimately agreeing with Coulson’s suggestion. With Natasha present, they would also have an extra measure of security if negotiations failed.

Fury then sent Natasha a directive, telling her to pause her current assignment and take a day off, and to meet them the day after tomorrow at a building on the outskirts of Washington.

Elsewhere, Natasha had just returned to her temporary rented home after another dull day as a waitress. Reading the message, her irritation eased a little. For half a month, she had worked at countless restaurants, waiting for Harvey Ambelaca to show up. But she had never once encountered him. She was already considering a change of tactics—waiting for intelligence on Harvey’s whereabouts, then finding a way to approach him directly. It would be quicker, but riskier, as it would easily arouse suspicion.

Why didn’t Harvey ever host a grand party, inviting friends and beautiful women? Or attend some high-profile gala or event? If he did, Natasha would have had plenty of ways to meet him face-to-face.

But targets rarely acted according to her wishes. Resigned, Natasha adjusted her mood and went to bed, finally comfortable. As for why Fury wanted her to regroup, she didn’t give it much thought—she would find out soon enough.