Chapter 1308 Close To?

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Lin Rui, who had just had a disagreement with the Great Priest, did not return to Shuri's core laboratory, but was arranged to stay in a place clearly meant for guests.

It seemed that regardless of Black Panther T'Challa's sentiments towards Lin Rui and Bucky, due to the Great Priest's attitude, he could no longer treat them as honored guests as before.

Of course, Lin Rui didn't react at all to the change in his surroundings. In his view, no matter what unexpected situation had arisen with the Great Priest, with his current abilities, he could easily handle it.

Lin Rui's calm demeanor also helped Bucky, who had been tense initially, to calm down. After all, ever since he had encountered Lin Rui, Bucky knew he would be involved in extraordinary events. If being unexpectedly embroiled in royal diplomacy in this advanced black technology nation was already a surreal experience, his previous battle with supernatural beings from Hell was even more unbelievable.

"Jackson, are you... close to Rogers?" The room was empty and had been quiet for too long. Bucky couldn't help but ask Lin Rui, who was sitting across from him, playing with a holographic screen.

Not long ago, Lin Rui had contacted SHIELD's Captain Rogers, and Bucky had naturally seen their familiarity.

Bucky didn't know where Lin Rui had pulled out a small electronic screen, and he was calmly working on something highly advanced within Wakanda's territory.

"Hmm? Yeah, we're pretty close," Lin Rui replied without lifting his head.

After obtaining Wakanda's nanotechnology, Lin Rui had not yet had time to examine it in depth after transmitting most of it to J.A.R.V.I.S. Now that he had been left in Wakanda with nothing to do while waiting for a potential move from the Great Priest, he decided to take a look at this amazing nanotechnology.

Upon hearing Lin Rui's straightforward response, Bucky was left somewhat stunned. As someone who had lost his memory for over sixty years and whose only clear memory was his friend, Rogers, he knew how famous Rogers had become as a global superhero.

If Bucky were still the same friend who had fought alongside Rogers, he would have returned to Rogers without hesitation to continue fighting for the Earth in this new era. But things were different now; in his lost sixty years, he had committed countless unforgivable acts of bloodshed.

"What about him now..." Bucky wanted to ask about Rogers' current situation, but he felt it might be unnecessary.

"He's doing well, not at all like a man in his nineties," Lin Rui replied nonchalantly without looking up.

Now Bucky was truly at a loss for words. He sat across from Lin Rui in silence while Lin Rui continued to focus on the nanotechnology he had just acquired. After about half an hour, Lin Rui's wrist turned, causing the holographic screen to disappear. It seemed that Lin Rui had temporarily concluded his research.

"Bucky, if you want to return to a normal life, I can help you. Of course, if you want to go back to Rogers and continue helping him, I can help with that too. However, it's a bit difficult," Lin Rui said, breaking the silence as he initiated the conversation.

Upon hearing Lin Rui's words, Bucky looked at him seriously, his eyes filled with complexity. In the back of his mind, he wondered whether he could let go of his many years of sins and return to a normal life with Lin Rui's help.

Ding, ding, ding...

Just as Bucky was contemplating whether he could leave behind his dark past with Lin Rui's assistance and return to a normal life, footsteps echoed from outside the room. Judging by the footsteps, a highly trained squad was approaching.

"I wonder how the Great Priest plans to deal with us," Lin Rui muttered to himself as the footsteps approached the door.

Soon, a fully armed squad of elite Wakandan warriors entered the room, quickly forming a perimeter around Bucky and Lin Rui. Bucky had already stood up and moved closer to Lin Rui.

"Both of you, the diplomatic visit has come to an end. Please leave," the warrior who stood in front of Lin Rui and Bucky, wearing lightweight battle armor, said with a stern expression.

"Oh, really? Is this the order of your king?" Lin Rui asked in a nonchalant tone upon hearing the warrior's words.

"Our king is busy right now. The Great Priest instructed us to escort you back," the warrior in front of Lin Rui replied calmly, his expression unwavering.

"Alright, then let's go," Lin Rui said with a nod, without asking any more questions.

Faced with Lin Rui's cooperative attitude, the warrior who had maintained a calm demeanor earlier showed a hint of emotion in his eyes. He then turned and walked towards the door, and the other warriors who had surrounded Lin Rui and Bucky also started to exit the room.

"Let's go," Lin Rui said to Bucky, completely unconcerned about being secretly targeted by advanced weaponry, and they both left the room.

...

As Lin Rui and Bucky were escorted out of the Wakandan capital by the squad arranged by the Great Priest, Black Panther T'Challa was in a meeting room, listening to the counsel of the Great Priest.

"T'Challa, when will we be able to trust outsiders so easily?"

"The rise of Wakanda is inevitable, and aligning with SHIELD is not essential. With our current strength, if we decide to take full action, who on Earth can stand against us? Aligning with SHIELD would only slow us down. Without making such a choice,

 how can we, Wakanda, fully unleash our potential and propel Earth's civilization forward?" The Great Priest argued passionately.

T'Challa, sitting at the head of the table with a stern expression, had already understood the Great Priest's stance completely. Despite any reservations he may have had, T'Challa couldn't ignore the Great Priest's recommendations and choices, given his trust in the Great Priest and the support for his father's secret plans to restore Wakanda to the world's attention.

"The Great Priest's intentions are clear to me, but even if we choose to follow this path, we must not be too aggressive. The consequences for the entire Earth would be too severe," T'Challa finally spoke when the Great Priest paused for a moment.

...