Lu Mingfei doesn't want to be a superhero

“I’ll remember this,” Tony said.

“As you guessed, we need to move that hammer to a more convenient place for research. For this, we need the help of your friend,” Natasha said, looking at Lu Mingfei. “In exchange, we will guarantee, in the name of S.H.I.E.L.D., that the military will no longer actively cause trouble for your friend.”

"On the condition that he doesn't play baseball with his car in the street," Natasha added.

“I can’t make the decision for him, but I can ask for his opinion on your behalf,” Lu Mingfei said. “What is the second reason?”

“That hammer has been emitting extremely strong electromagnetic interference, making our instruments unable to function properly,” Natasha explained. “And you mentioned in Hammer’s showroom that your ability is essentially to manipulate electromagnetic forces, so perhaps you have a way to solve its electromagnetic interference.”

“I can’t guarantee that,” Lu Mingfei said, “and I can’t guarantee that Hulk will be able to pick up that hammer.”

“It’s alright,” Natasha said. “Whatever the outcome, the promised compensation will remain unchanged.”

"Wait," Tony suddenly spoke up, "Mingfei, are you going?"

"Just treat it as a trip," Lu Mingfei said casually.

He was actually quite curious about the hammer, and he could also help Hulk solve the military's problems.

“Then remember, if anyone from S.H.I.E.L.D. mentions their Superboy group to you, leave immediately and don’t talk to them anymore,” Tony warned.

“NSYNC?” Natasha was taken aback. “I didn’t expect our internal planners’ taste in naming to have sunk to this level.”

Tony's face darkened.

"Tony, are you talking about the Avengers?" Lu Mingfei asked.

“Yes.” Tony nodded.

“Mr. Stark, I should remind you that I might join the Avengers in the future, so your term ‘superboy group’ is somewhat sexist,” Natasha teased.

……

Nighttime, New Mexico, at Thor's Hammer, in a makeshift base set up by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Thunder rumbled, rain washed everything clean, countless searchlights moved about, machinery and people moved between buildings, and a modified off-road vehicle without license plates stopped at the entrance of the base.

Natasha, holding a large umbrella, led Lu Mingfei and Dr. Banner out of the car.

Logically, at this point, Lu Mingfei or Dr. Banner should have shown some chivalry and offered to hold the umbrella for Natasha.

But having been wanted for so long, Dr. Banner inevitably felt nervous entering such a heavily guarded and serious official setting. If his emotions fluctuated too much, the Hulk would appear. Although the Hulk was still far from being awakened, he didn't want to take any risks, so he focused on calming himself down.

Lu Mingfei didn't notice Natasha either, as he was focused on sensing the massive electromagnetic field emanating from the center of the base.

He could vaguely sense a force outside the electromagnetic field emanating from the center of the base and spreading all the way to the sky; the thunder now was probably related to it.

The things inside are definitely not simple.

"Good evening, thank you for coming," a balding man stepped out, also carrying a large umbrella. "I'm Agent Coulson, the person in charge here. Good evening, please come in with me."

The three followed Coulson into the building.

“Agent Coulson…I’ve heard Tony mention you!” Lu Mingfei walked up to Coulson, his eyes lighting up.

“I’m honored,” Agent Coulson said with a smile.

"As expected, your baldness is just as severe as he described," Lu Mingfei remarked.

Colson: ...

Natasha, standing nearby, couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile—people who have been caught in the rain always want to see others get soaked to the bone.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to see that hammer,” Coulson quickly steered the conversation back to business. “But please be careful, someone is trying to break through our security, and he’s very strong. Even my elite men can’t stop him.”

"Why don't you give him a tranquilizer dart?" Lu Mingfei suggested from the side.

“Actually, there’s one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s best snipers right now, but I think he’s after the hammer. Maybe he can move it, so I’m going to put him in there and see,” Coulson said. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to let him try it out first, and then I can load the tranquilizer darts.”

"Can we take a look too?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Ever since he sensed that strange and powerful force, he has become increasingly curious about the hammer.

Coulson hesitated for a moment, then nodded and said, "No problem."

As the four were talking, they had already reached the location of the hammer in the passage. At the end of the brightly lit passage was a rather dim area, where a hammer lay on the ground and a figure stood beside it.

"Because the interference around the hammer is too strong, all electrical appliances will stop working, so we can't install lights; we can only let the light shine in," Coulson said.

Lu Mingfei activated his golden eyes, and the figure immediately became clear—a burly man with long, flowing blond hair.

"Is he the intruder?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Almost at the same time he spoke, the burly man also saw them.

Then the man suddenly reached out and grabbed the hammer. His movement was so smooth and natural, like a knight drawing his longsword to fight off an enemy. The sharp aura pressed down on people's faces, as if cut by a knife.

But the hammer didn't budge.

The man lifted it a few times with force, but the hammer remained still, barely wobbling at all.

But through the vision and night vision granted by his Golden Eyes, Lu Mingfei clearly noticed that the moment the man gripped the hammer handle, some patterns suddenly appeared on the originally smooth, pure-colored metal hammerhead.

Unable to lift the hammer, the man suddenly roared to the sky, looking indignant and resentful, as if saying, "It's not my fault, it's the world's fault." After roaring, he seemed to lose all fighting spirit in an instant, staggering and kneeling on the muddy ground in the heavy rain.

"Why don't you guys add a roof over there?" Lu Mingfei complained.

All the buildings in the base had roofs, except for the area directly above where the hammer was located, which was completely empty.

"It will make it easier to study the electromagnetic waves emitted by that hammer," Coulson explained. "We can either go over with an umbrella or wait for the rain to stop."

"No need to trouble yourself, I'll do it."

Lu Mingfei uttered a few short syllables, and a ball of flame quickly spread out above the hammer, turning into a thin disc. Rainwater falling on it was instantly evaporated, while the area below was illuminated brightly.

Coulson and Dr. Banner looked on in amazement.

Natasha, standing next to her, maintained a very calm expression, having seen far larger scenes before.

Even the man kneeling on the ground raised his head and looked at Lu Mingfei in surprise: "Are you a mage from Midgard?"

“No, I’m just an ordinary person.” Lu Mingfei shook his head.

"Damn ordinary people!" Natasha thought to herself. "Do you define an ordinary person as someone who can instantly vaporize people and metal?"

“Dr. Banner, how about I give it a try first?” Lu Mingfei suggested. “If we let Hulk out now, we might accidentally hurt innocent people.”

“No problem.” Banner nodded immediately. Actually, he didn’t really want to release the Hulk. Subconsciously, he still felt that the Hulk’s appearance would bring death and destruction.

Lu Mingfei walked to the short-handled hammer and reached out to grasp the handle.

The man kneeling on the ground seemed startled by Lu Mingfei's imposing flames. He recovered somewhat from his earlier dazed state, and seeing Lu Mingfei grasp Thor's hammer, he shook his head, saying, "It's useless, Midgard mage. This is Mjolnir, Thor's hammer. Only those it acknowledges can lift it, even if you are a mage..."

Knowing that the hammer was very heavy, Lu Mingfei lifted it with almost all his might. As a result, he suddenly felt the weight go down, and because he had used too much force, he staggered back several steps and almost fell.

Steadying himself, Lu Mingfei held up what he was holding to Coulson and Natasha: "It's not as heavy as you said. Look, I lifted this hammer in one go..."

His gaze fell on the bare wooden handle in his hand and the smooth metal hammer head on the ground.

"Uh... the hammer handle?"

Chapter 68. Thor and the Warriors Three of Asgard

At the S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary base in New Mexico.

Lu Mingfei gripped the handle of Thor's hammer, exchanging bewildered glances with the others. The hammerhead, now missing its handle, lay quietly on the ground, while above them, the sound of rainwater being instantly evaporated by Jun Yan echoed.

The first to break the silence was the burly man kneeling on the ground. He sprang up almost instantly and looked at Lu Mingfei: "Mjolnir! What did you do to Mjolnir!"

Lu Mingfei looked completely innocent.

The burly man strode toward him.

Coulson fired a shot into the burly man's thigh, and the specially designed electric tranquilizer dart instantly took hold of his body, releasing a powerful electric current.

The burly man trembled as he collapsed into the muddy soup.

Lu Mingfei gripped the hammer handle and looked down at the burly man lying on the ground—this man was definitely not simple.

“Mr. Lu Mingfei?” Coulson looked at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei looked at the hammer handle in his hand, then at the hammerhead with a hole in it because the handle was missing, and then stuck out his neck: "I have no money, I can't compensate you!"

Coulson and Natasha both fell silent.

After a moment, Coulson stepped forward: "You misunderstand. I don't want compensation from you, it's just... can I take a look at the hammer handle?"

“No problem.” Since he was just there to help move things, Lu Mingfei casually handed the hammer handle to Coulson.

Then, Coulson, having taken the hammer handle, plummeted with astonishing force, as if he had caught a rocky mountain.

Coulson slammed his fist into the mud, struggling to get up, but his hand gripping the hammer handle seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move.

“Hmm…” Lu Mingfei looked down at Coulson, who was struggling, and rubbed his chin with one hand to analyze, “It seems that the hammer handle itself is as heavy and immovable as the whole, but I don’t know why it is unaffected in my hands.”

"Could you... could you... help me remove it!" Coulson struggled to Lu Mingfei, unable to move his hand.

"Oh, sorry, I forgot." Lu Mingfei quickly picked up the hammer handle.

Natasha helped Coulson to his feet. Although he wasn't injured, Coulson's once-neat black suit was now covered in mud, making him look quite disheveled.

“It seems like only I can lift it right now,” Lu Mingfei said. “Why don’t you give it a try, Natasha?”

Natasha glanced at Coulson, who was covered in mud and looked utterly disheveled, and decisively shook her head.

"I'll go try the hammerhead."

Lu Mingfei held the hammer handle in one hand and tried to lift the hammer head with the other, but the hammer head did not budge.

He tried to insert the hammer handle back into the hammer head, and it felt like a magnet; once it was in place, it would stay in place, but if he applied more force, it would come out again.

Strangely, after he put the hammer handle back in, no matter how hard the others tried, they couldn't pull the hammer handle out.

Because of this unexpected situation, Lu Mingfei and Coulson discussed it and decided to postpone letting Hulk out for the time being, planning to let Hulk try again tomorrow.

“By the way, Agent Coulson,” Lu Mingfei pointed to the burly man who was still unconscious on the ground, “can I have a word with him?”

……

S.H.I.E.L.D. temporary base, interrogation room.

The burly man was handcuffed to a chair and gradually regained consciousness from the electric shock.

The door opened, and a handsome, dark-haired boy walked in and sat in the empty chair in front of Thor.