Ch.151 Surveillance

Across the street.

The familiar figure sat in the living room, staring at the monitor, watching Ronan's every move.

From the moment Ronan entered his home, he had been acting completely normal.

He did some homework, played on his phone for a while, then received a package. Other than that, he did nothing out of the ordinary.

Of course, during this time, Ronan also changed his clothes once.

That figure, that physique, and the indescribable mosaic...

It made the Hydra agent feel utterly ashamed.

How could he, a grown man, be inferior to a sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid?

The kid had everything—good looks, a great body, and seemingly endless stamina!

Not to mention, he seemed to come from a wealthy family. At the very least, owning a house like this in New York already put him ahead of most adults.

And he lived alone, not with his parents.

Looking at it this way, Ronan was practically the perfect male companion in the eyes of any girl.

Damn it!

At this thought, the Hydra agent responsible for surveillance cursed under his breath.

But Ronan was still too young, lacking the mature aura of a grown man. He didn't have that tough-guy vibe either.

He was just a pretty boy!

With this in mind, the Hydra agent patted his chest hair, feeling like he had at least won in this aspect.

*Knock knock knock.*

Just as he was feeling somewhat satisfied, there was a sudden knock at the door.

He immediately became alert!

Under normal circumstances, no one in the organization except his handler knew his address.

Even his handler never came to his place.

More importantly, the landlord of this apartment was also one of their own, so he would never show up here.

So...

Who had found this place?

The Hydra agent quietly approached the door, his right hand gripping the pistol at his waist, ready for any sudden developments.

He peered through the peephole with his right eye and saw a man in work uniform standing outside.

*Knock knock knock.*

The knocking came again.

"Who is it?"

The Hydra agent cautiously leaned against the side of the door, preventing anyone from shooting through it.

This was a habitual move for a spy.

"Sir, I'm here to check the water—oh, no."

"Someone reported a problem with the pipes in your apartment."

"So I'm here to fix the plumbing."

The man outside spoke loudly.

Fix the plumbing?

A plumber?

The Hydra agent was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure.

He hadn't noticed any issues with the pipes, nor had he called for repairs. How had this person found his place?

As he pondered, he raised his pistol, aiming it at the man's body through the door using the peephole as a guide.

"I didn't call for a plumber. You've got the wrong place."

"I'm asking you to leave my doorstep immediately, or you're going to be in trouble."

The Hydra agent pretended to be a highly cautious person. He had already made up his mind.

If the other person kept pushing, he was ready to shoot.

Because these people definitely had ulterior motives!

"Sigh..."

"If you had just opened the door honestly, I wouldn't have had to resort to violence."

At that moment, the man outside sighed and gently removed his hat.

The moment he took off his hat, the Hydra agent's eyes widened in disbelief.

Because through the peephole, he saw Ronan's face!

In the next second, driven by his spy instincts, the Hydra agent pulled the trigger!

*Click!*

Instead of the expected gunshot, there was a crisp sound of bone cracking.

The Hydra agent looked down at his hand in confusion. Somehow, his middle finger had bent at an extremely unnatural angle and gotten stuck behind the trigger.

In other words, his own middle finger had blocked his index finger from pulling the trigger.

And then, the pain of the broken bone hit him!

"You see, if you had just opened the door honestly, you wouldn't have had to suffer like this."

"Does your finger hurt? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

At that moment, he suddenly heard Ronan's voice behind him.

He immediately turned around, raising his pistol at Ronan and repeatedly pulling the trigger.

Unfortunately, he had forgotten that his middle finger was still stuck, rendering the gun useless.

"You... you're that... Mr. Fantastic?"

The Hydra agent looked at Ronan, his voice trembling.

Ronan shrugged, not answering his question, and walked over to the couch.

"Haven't you already experienced it?"

"Do you still need to ask?"

"But seriously, your equipment here is quite comprehensive."

"It seems Nick Fury only took out a small part of your organization. Your setup is even more complete than theirs."

Ronan looked at the pile of messy equipment on the table and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

Hydra had really gone all out for him!

"I didn't expect you to hide so much from everyone, even from your own organization."

"We really underestimated you."

The Hydra agent looked at Ronan with a complicated expression, his left hand subtly reaching for his lower back.

Ronan, however, acted as if he didn't notice the movement.

"Yeah, you really did underestimate me."

"How about this? Let's make a deal."

"You tell me who your handler is and what your purpose for surveilling me is."

"And I'll let you go, even act like nothing happened!"

Ronan looked at the agent, offering a very tempting deal.

However, the Hydra agent's face immediately twisted into a sinister, arrogant smile.

"You think you can outsmart me? You're still too young!"

"Everything we've said, the video—it's all been recorded and uploaded to headquarters!"

"Now, your identity can't be hidden anymore!"

With that, the Hydra agent pulled out a miniature bomb from his waist. As soon as he pressed the button, the bomb would explode!

He knew he might not be able to kill Ronan, but at least he wouldn't be tortured!

Sometimes, death wasn't the scary part—it was the torture.

"Want to hide your identity, huh?"

"You won't live either!"

"Baron Strucker, my mission is complete! Hahahahaha!"

The Hydra agent laughed maniacally, as if in the next second, he and Ronan would perish together.

Seeing this, Ronan couldn't help but sigh.

"How about this? Why don't you open the door and take a look?"

Ronan pointed at the door.

Hearing this, the Hydra agent, who had been laughing maniacally, suddenly froze.

Open the door?

Could there be reinforcements outside?

Thinking this, the Hydra agent quickly backed away, putting distance between himself and the door.

"Fine, let's try a different approach."

With that, a portal suddenly appeared near the door.

Under the Hydra agent's disbelieving gaze, a small car slowly drove out of the portal.

As it drove, it even made a "beep beep" sound.

When the car stopped in the living room, something even more shocking happened.

The car began to transform.

In less than three seconds, the small car turned into an Iron Man figurine.

Huh?

Wait!

An Iron Man figurine!?

The Hydra agent seemed to realize something.

"Do you think Hydra's technology is more advanced, or Tony Stark's?"

"Maybe each has its strengths, but this is New York—Tony Stark's turf."

"Intercepting your little message? That's child's play."

Ronan gestured toward the Iron Man figurine, signaling the Hydra agent to look.

To add insult to injury, the Iron Man figurine did a Thomas spin on the spot, accompanied by Tony Stark's signature theme music.

"F***!!!"

The Hydra agent seemed to snap. Without hesitation, he pressed the button with his left hand.

*Click!*

Before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his left arm.

His left hand had been cleanly severed at the wrist.

The wound was smooth, but blood immediately began gushing out.

"Ah!!!"

The intense pain made the Hydra agent scream.

Ronan, however, just picked at his ear with his pinky, a look of disdain on his face.

"No sense of public decency. It's so late—don't the neighbors need to sleep?"

*Whack!*

With that, Ronan delivered a precise chop to the Hydra agent's forehead.

The agent's eyes rolled back, and he passed out.

Only his left wrist continued to spurt blood.

---

As a Hydra agent, Winslow believed he had done his duty.

After all, he had pressed the button on the miniature bomb, likely ensuring mutual destruction with Ronan.

The moment he pressed the button, Winslow lost consciousness.

He seemed to have a long dream.

In the dream, he met an alien from "Krypton."

The alien wore a tight suit with a large "S" emblem on his chest. More importantly, people from that planet seemed to enjoy wearing their underwear on the outside.

He told Winslow his name: Clark Kent.

Clark Kent explained that, due to certain circumstances, he was stranded on Earth and needed a special energy source to return to Krypton.

On Earth, only humans could find this energy.

So, Clark Kent offered Winslow a deal: he would grant Winslow powers like his own, but in exchange, Winslow had to help him return to Krypton.

Winslow agreed and soon gained superpowers.

Super strength, flight, heat vision, super breath—the works.

Winslow became the most powerful being on Earth, even earning a thumbs-up from Clark Kent himself.

While helping Clark Kent search for the energy source, Winslow also became a superhero.

He not only helped ordinary New Yorkers but also fought off extraterrestrial threats to Earth.

As he continued to fight crime, the people of New York, who loved giving superheroes nicknames, gave Winslow a fitting one.

Superman!

*Superman!*

Thanks to his heroic deeds and his iconic name, more and more superpowered individuals joined his cause, forming a league to combat Earth's villains.

They called themselves the Justice League!

During his battles against evil, Winslow also found love.

His girlfriend, affectionately known as "Ms. Marvel" by New Yorkers, was also a superhero.

While other aspects of their relationship were up for debate, their nighttime activities were definitely a match made in heaven.

As Winslow grew stronger, he eventually helped Clark Kent return to his home planet.

But just days after Clark Kent's departure, a terrifying villain appeared on Earth.

His name was Ronan!

An evil sorcerer who used all sorts of bizarre tricks!

This evil sorcerer defeated the other members of the Justice League one by one, leaving only Winslow.

Winslow fought with all his might, but he was no match for Ronan.

Not only was Ronan unharmed, but he also severed Winslow's left hand, causing him to lose his ex-girlfriend forever.

Even worse, Ronan humiliated him!

Instead of killing him, Ronan gathered over thirty elderly women to "gang up" on him in the most inhumane way.

Yes, one room, one bed.

Thirty elderly women and one Superman.

After a month of this torture, Winslow finally saw Ronan again.

This time, Ronan must have taken over the world, right?

*Whack!*

At that moment, a sharp pain shot through Winslow's face.

The evil grin on Ronan's face began to blur.

He struggled to open his eyes, trying to make sense of what was happening, when a bright light suddenly appeared!

*Buzz!*

A piercing noise rang in his ears.

Winslow forced his eyes open and saw Ronan still standing in front of him. But now, he was no longer in that room—he was in a living room.

A living room?

Where was this...?

Memories came flooding back, and Winslow gradually remembered what had happened.

Wasn't he... supposed to die with Ronan?

How...?

At that moment, the pain in his forehead made it hard to focus.

"Don't bother thinking about it, kid. I didn't expect you to have such... interesting tastes."

"Thirty elderly women, and you were drooling in your dream."

"Your preferences are quite unique."

Ronan sat across from Winslow, clicking his tongue in amusement.

Everything Winslow had experienced was, of course, an illusion created by Ronan.

Otherwise, if he had actually dreamed of Clark Kent, Ronan would have been the one panicking.

"No way!!!"

Winslow wanted to argue, but the pain in his left wrist cut him off.

He looked at his left hand—or rather, where his left hand used to be.

It was gone, just like in his dream... no, it was gone before the dream!

Years of spy training quickly brought him back to reality.

"Since you've had your fun for over half an hour, can you now tell me who your handler is?"

"And what's the purpose of surveilling me?"

Ronan smiled at Winslow, his tone and demeanor sending chills down Winslow's spine.

It was too similar, way too similar!

The Ronan sitting in front of him now was exactly like the evil sorcerer from his dream!

The smile, the tone of voice, even the way he crossed his legs—it was like they were the same person!

In other words, the Ronan from the dream and the Ronan in front of him were identical!

"Give it up. As a spy, I've long been prepared for torture."

"Didn't you know? The first lesson for Hydra agents is to endure all kinds of torture devices."

Winslow looked at Ronan with disdain. He wouldn't reveal a single piece of information.

Now that Hydra had driven S.H.I.E.L.D. underground, they had become the largest intelligence agency on Earth.

Although they were still operating in the shadows, the voices within the organization pushing to take over the world's governments were growing louder.

"It's fine. If you don't want to talk, I won't force you."

"I'm not one to push people."

"But since you had such a good time in your dream, as your host, I should treat you warmly."

"I have the phone numbers of over fifty 'sisters'—wealthy ladies, average age around sixty."

"They're very fond of strong, healthy agents like you."

Ronan winked at Winslow, then pulled out a book from who-knows-where.

The title was simple.

*The American Sugar Mama Directory.*

"Oh, and they also have this magical potion that lets you last three hours without getting tired."

"Apparently, it cost tens of millions of dollars to develop."

"So, you don't have to worry about not being able to keep up with them."

"You'll have a wonderful time with each of them."

As he spoke, Ronan opened his phone and flipped to the first page of the book.

Winslow could clearly see rows of names and phone numbers printed on the page.

Ronan had even circled some of them.

There were labels like A, B, and C—some kind of ranking system.

"Curious?"

"Let me explain."

"These ABCs represent their ages. After all, they're women—it's not polite to use their real ages."

"These circles mean they're regular customers who pay promptly. If they like what they see, they pay right away."

Ronan pointed at the markings in the directory, enthusiastically explaining them to Winslow.

Pay?

Inspect the goods?

"You devil!!!"

Winslow gritted his teeth, glaring at Ronan.

He couldn't imagine being surrounded by dozens of elderly women, all eyeing him greedily, ready to pin him down and have their way with him.

How terrifying would that be!!!

Hydra had honey traps, but nothing as horrifying as this!

"Oh, how did you know my nickname?"

"It seems Hydra knows quite a bit about me."

"Then I'll have to learn more about your organization's plans."

With that, Ronan dialed a number, and the call connected quickly.

"Hello, Sister Anna."

"Yes, yes, it's me."

"Ah, it's just that business has been slow lately, so I didn't want to bother you."

"Yes, yes, I have a client now. He's a seasoned agent, so no need to worry about his physical condition."

"Of course, the price is negotiable. We're friends, after all."

"Great, I'll call you later. I need to contact the other sisters too."

"Ah, Sister Anna, good things should be shared. If I only gave you the chance, the other fifty sisters would eat me alive!"

"Okay, okay, I'll call you later."

After hanging up, Ronan started looking for the next number.

He hummed a tune Winslow couldn't recognize.

"Next is Winnie. Her number is..."

As he spoke, Ronan pressed the dial button.

"Hello, Sister Winnie?"

"Yes, yes, it's me. I've got a premium product for you today!"

"Exactly, eight-pack abs, excellent biceps, and a very perky gluteus maximus!"

"Not quite Captain America level, but close."

"Candles? Sure."

"Steel wool for cleaning? No problem."

"He'll accept all requests, even if you scrub him with steel wool."

"Ah, good products need to be shared, but I can move you up the list."

"Yes, yes, exactly. You'd better hurry, or you'll miss out... you know how it is."

"Alright, I'll call you later!"

Ronan hung up again, and the content of the conversation made Winslow feel like his life had lost all color.

Whips and candles?

And steel wool!???

What kind of organization is this?!

"Don't worry, give me a few minutes. I'll contact a few more."

"We'll take turns. I know your body needs rest, so let's start with ten today."

Ronan glanced at Winslow, who had lost control of his facial expressions, and comforted him.

"Oh, and don't think about killing yourself."

"Because my magic has planted an idea in your brain."

"Whenever you think of suicide, you'll automatically think of something else."

"You can try it if you don't believe me."

Ronan winked at Winslow.

For some reason, when Winslow heard this, the first thing that came to mind was biting off his tongue.

But the moment he had that thought, another idea popped up.

Those elderly women don't seem so bad...

"Devil!"

"Devil!!!"

"You're the real devil!!!"

Winslow suddenly snapped, shouting at Ronan.

But tied to the chair, he couldn't move an inch.

If he could take Ronan down with him right now, he wouldn't hesitate for a second!

What kind of devil is this?!

"Don't rush. Didn't you know? The tattoos on Satan's body are all me."

"There are still eight sisters I haven't contacted. They each have their own special skills. Just wait..."

But before Ronan could finish, Winslow finally broke.

"Enough! Enough!!!"

"Stop calling! Stop calling!"

"What do you want to know!!!"

"No, whatever you want to know, as long as I know it..."

"I'll tell you everything!!!"