[Zhongyingmei] Goblin Detective

In the fifth year after the end of World War II, during a mission, he ran into a former teammate of the Roaring Commando. The work of the CIA and the SSR is occasionally contacted. After all, Lindell is not considered a serious intelligence officer, and most of the time he appears as a combat unit that is difficult for ordinary people to match.

Dugan smiled at him shyly, and in just five years, he had added a few fine lines on his face.

"You really haven't changed at all."

He said.

"you're old."

Lindell hit the nail on the head.

"Hey, I'm an ace pilot now."

Dugan raised his red beard: "Of course people will grow old."

"Well, that's right."

Lindell looked at the fine lines, which appeared on a soldier's face, and they were more difficult to ignore than the scars brought back from the battlefield. He looked at them carefully as if looking at something novel: "You old."

"...This is really heartbreaking to hear. It's not because you have time to be so amazed because you haven't had much contact with us in the past few years. You never go to the annual soldier meeting and post-war psychological counseling. Even if you don't know how to Forget...but human beings are creatures that need to communicate with each other every once in a while!"

Duggan retorted.

"I don't have any mental problems..."

Lindell complained softly, but the other party involuntarily increased the schedule, saying that SSR will have an internal party on weekend nights, and we "in this business" can come to participate, although most of the technicians involved, they " "Out of the field" may not be so popular.

"But Stark paid for it very happily, and the drinks and snacks are delicious."

Dugan was satisfied to see the other party's eyes light up. Now eating is no longer a burden for him. After getting rid of the shackles of magic power, Lindell also began to learn to enjoy it like Aziraphale in the past. These are human creations.

"Which hotel?"

Dugan reported his name and said that the banquet venue was on the top floor.

"—it must be a pleasure to have you at Howard."

That night, Lindell changed into a dark tuxedo.Although he himself has no interest in dancing, dressing is one of the human etiquettes that need to be observed. A lot of new faces have been added to the SSR. Most people in this social situation are busy with socializing. Lindell went straight to the snack stand, holding a macaron with one hand and planning to reach the wine cabinet with the other.

With a snap, the other hand patted the back of his hand lightly.

Lindell turned around and saw Howard's smug face all the time—he didn't look old.

"This is all my treasure. People like you who can't even drink coffee, don't waste good wine."

Howard turned his head and said, "Give him mango smoothie."

People who eat macarons as small biscuits can't drink the bitter taste.Lindell took the smoothie, puffed his cheeks, and sipped the straw. While drinking, he said that at least half of the people here are thinking about how to talk to you.

"Is this your new ability? Can you read other people's minds?"

"...If half of the people's emotions are unified, even if you don't know the specific content, you can probably guess it."

Lindell shrugged: "If you judge accurately, you can basically only distinguish killing intent, strong hatred and other emotions."

As soon as the words fell, a short man came over with a wine glass to toast.Lindell touched the goblet of red wine with the glass of mango smoothie, but the other party didn't think this way of greeting was nondescript, but smiled at Lindell: "My name is Anim Zola, a Swiss , is a genetic engineer, it is an honor to meet you."

"Lindell Carter."

Lindell also introduced himself: "Now at the CIA."

He was holding things in both hands and couldn't shake hands. He stuffed macarons into his mouth, but the other party shook his head generously, saying that he didn't care about these red tapes.He introduced himself as an engineer recruited to SSR through the paperclip project, and now works for the United States, and is currently mainly responsible for being an algorithm engineer.

"But didn't you say you study genetic engineering?"

"The people who can stay here basically have multiple jobs. I still do my job of making weapons, and I'm not helping out at the Institute of High Energy Physics."

Howard shrugged: "That research institution still has my capital injection."

It’s like an alchemist dividing his mind into blocks. Lindell thought about it, but he didn’t say this inference, but Dr. Zola put on an enthusiastic look, with an attitude of wanting to make friends with him, which made Lindell frown head.

"I thought the work of the CIA was sort of a secret... did you know me before?"

"Hahaha, although I have never met you, the other Carter is quite famous. The reputation of that one in SSR is also very good."

Zola said: "So when I heard that she has relatives, I really wanted to meet them."

Lindell frowned, intuitively feeling that something was wrong, but the man in front of him seemed to have a natural attitude, and he was a good-sleeved type, so he couldn't say anything.Soon the other party began to shift the topic to the professional field of genetic engineering. Lindell had a rough understanding of Dr. Erskine's research itself, and could barely keep up with the train of thought. Howard was relaxed, listening in like listening to a story .

"Gene is a very magical thing. It can determine many things about a person, such as hair color, eye color, skin color, the maximum height that can be achieved, and even personality and direction of expertise... If you understand it in terms of programming, They're like the underlying programming of creatures like humans."

Zola talked eloquently: "It is the basic code that existed from the very beginning, controlling the growth of an embryo into a complete human being. If there is a saying, it is said that the human soul is also determined by genes, or that the genes themselves host the soul."

Lindell frowned. He knew what a soul was, but human beings often complicate simple problems, so he didn't know if this description turned eighteen corners.

"However, I personally don't think so. I think the soul resides in a higher-dimensional space, just like the debate over 'is light a wave or a particle'? In fact, they are neither waves nor particles, but they are both With these two characteristics... Light is light, and similarly, the soul is the soul. Due to the lack of observation means and research equipment, human beings cannot locate a thing more accurately. To define them as concepts, to insist that light is a wave or a particle, I think that is really arrogant.”

"Humans are limited to the five senses and rely on vision, hearing, touch and other perceptions, which also means that it is often difficult for them to understand things other than the five senses, such as electromagnetic fields and nuclear radiation, but they do exist... This is brought about by biological characteristics limitation."

"It's like annuals that never understand winter...but I'm going to figure out how to get over them," Zola said.

He was right, Lindell thought, the main problem was that most human beings were unable to become carriers of magic power, while a small number, such as the mystics of Vishandi, had indeed advanced by leaps and bounds in the study of souls.

If it wasn't for the uncomfortable feeling that this human being has all over his body, he felt that there shouldn't be nothing to talk about between them.

After the banquet, Lindell originally planned to leave alone, but Agent Dugan chased after him and stopped him halfway.Lindell turned his head and signaled with his eyes that he had something to say quickly. Dugan's red beard twitched, and finally made up his mind to speak: "What do you think of that Dr. Zola?"

"I guess if you ask Stark this kind of question, you will get a more comprehensive answer than me."

Lindell replied: "I basically don't understand what he said."

"...I think if it was Stark speaking, I might not understand it even more."

Dugan covered his face: "I know he is a very smart scientist...I want to ask you about your own personal opinion, your first impression of this person and so on."

"I dislike him."

Upon hearing the other party's question, Lindell said firmly: "He obviously doesn't want to deal with me at all, but he patiently said so many things."

"This may be a human's social rhetoric... probably to make a good impression. To be honest, this kind of situation is actually quite common."

Dugan touched the back of his head, thinking that the other party might have missed the point: "That's right, I suddenly realized that you seem to have never been in the workplace before."

"I still have the experience of being hired."

Lindell folded his arms very unconvinced.

"By whom?"

Dugan asked curiously.

"Howard Stark."

"...he doesn't count."

"Why doesn't he count? Speaking of which, you asked me what happened to Zola?"

"It's not clear for a while, and I haven't made up my mind. If everything goes well, you will know by then."

In the end, Dugan still just prevaricated so vaguely, turned and left.

In the winter of the eighth year after the end of World War II, Stark Industries welcomes its fourth branch, located in Valencia.

Big wars have stopped, but small-scale conflicts have never disappeared, and these endless wars from all over the world have made Stark Industries' weapons more and more popular.The invention of the transistor has also brought technology to a whole new level, not limited to weapons and equipment. Howard Stark is ambitious and also intends to enter the civilian field. What Lindell knows includes automobiles. , mobile phones and several new categories.

——After ending the wave of war sweeping across the entire earth, new contradictions are slowly growing again.

After a long time, Lindell had another chance to cooperate with Agent Dugan.Most of the working hours this time were spent at sea, and most of the crew members were wrapped in heavy overcoats. Only this young man with long hair was wearing short sleeves, and the wide sleeves swayed back and forth in the cold wind.

The helicopter pilot took off his helmet, jumped out of the cockpit and walked on the deck, waving at Lindell quite familiarly.

"Long time no see, you really should visit the veteran's club."

The other party patted Lindell on the shoulder exaggeratedly: "After so many years, you haven't grown a centimeter!"

"The current appearance is basically my fixed appearance, unless one day I look old due to the lack of magic power due to the passing of power."

Lindell explained: "Until that day comes, I should stay the way I am now."

That sounds enviable, Duggan said, but there was nothing envious in his tone.Human beings are like this, lies come out of their mouths, and in social situations, this kind of lies can be regarded as a very necessary glue, otherwise, if everyone can speak the truth unscrupulously, maybe The world would be in chaos instead.

——Think about it, imagine that at a ball, a gentleman said to another lady, I think your looks are really flattering; or the boss of the company said to their employees that no matter how hard you try, you will never be Leader, after all, I left that position to my own daughter, I just hope that you can continue to work hard for me...

See, this will easily provoke two wars.

Today, Lindell has a conceptual understanding of this necessary lie, and every time he realizes this more deeply, he will understand the value of being honest all the time——

That person lied to himself for the only time in his life, and it was also the last time he lied...he was honest for the entire short life. When such a person lied, what kind of mood would he have?

He would think so more than once, but the thinking circuit of goblins is different from that of humans, and he has no way to re-simulate a human thinking personality in his mind, so such speculations often end without a problem.

"Hey... are you distracted?"

His consciousness was finally pulled back: "I have never heard of a CIA agent with such a high mission completion rate who would be in a daze at such a time."

"Anyway, I will be floating on the sea for a long time. Even if something happens, it will be resolved at sea in the end."

As long as Poseidon does not appear in person, theoretically, the problem is not too big.

"Well, well, it sounds like a journeyman."

Dugan muttered: "Obviously he is only a little older, and he looks like he can be my son..."

Lindell was very dissatisfied with this sudden advantage: "Speaking of which, you are already at this age, why don't you get married?"

"There are always various reasons, and in my case..."

The rest of the conversation disappeared under the sea wind. The two of them blew the wind on the deck for a while, and then took charge of the security of the entire ship one by one.

This time, Lindell's task was to escort a cargo ship full of weapons and equipment, but just after the ship sailed to the high seas, a crew member suddenly attacked them. Clothes and everything around that.

The two of them: "..."

Dugan's rushing footsteps stopped halfway. It was obviously such a critical situation that he didn't even know where to look—but he was an experienced detective after all, and the two of them reacted very quickly. A strong wind immediately Blowing, trying to roll this strange human in front of him into the sea.

As a result, more corrosive liquid gushed out, burning a large hole in the deck.

Lindell: "..."

He is now beginning to feel that the problem with this mission is really big. If this person is allowed to directly burn through the cargo ship, the two of them will have no problem, but there is still a ship of crew and an entire cargo hold of important supplies. Ke was almost accused of treason when his weapon was stolen. This time, there were even a lot of important research equipment in the cabin. If he just threw it at sea, the consequences would be unimaginable.

... Regarding Dugan's unimaginable unilateral behavior, Lindell himself doesn't really care about this kind of punishment, and the prison can't lock him up.

The battle was on the verge of breaking out, and the opponent even brought a lot of helpers, one of which was a guy who looked like a mermaid from under the sea, covered in fine scales.Dugan questioned whether this kind of thing was part of the goblin with some breakdowns, but Lindell shook his head with a blank expression, saying that they had no magical power at all, and judging from the feeling transmitted by the soul, they were all human beings .

"—how can humans breathe with gills!"

Dugan screamed.

Lindell was thoughtful, and suddenly remembered that a few years ago, he had seen a teenager who could make metal float freely in the air.

... the humans in this world are starting to look a little different.

The strong acid was very difficult to deal with, and several of this person's partners did not give up. Even with the magical protection, the two of them were injured to some extent—mainly Dugan, one of his legs was injured. Hit by the splashing acid, it was corroded to expose the muscles and pale bones.

Fortunately, although the opponent's output is strong, he is not invincible. After fighting with them for a few rounds, the crew member who can secrete acid is obviously weak. This high-intensity battle had a very strong negative impact on his body. , the whole person curled up on the deck trembling in pain, almost retching.

In the end, the group was thrown into the sea several kilometers away by Lindell.Dugan fell to the ground clutching his shoulders and lamented the wonders of the world. During the battle, one of his legs was injured, and he gasped for breath and leaned against the porthole, chatting while changing the subject.

"By the way, I've never seen you grow a beard or shave it."

"Because I'm not long."

Lindell replied.

"??? Is this a difference in biological characteristics?"

Dugan carefully identified the other person's figure, which was indeed the appearance of an adult...

"Most of our constituent substances are real ether, and now it is only set to look similar to human beings. If necessary, we can use magic to make beards, but it is not necessary."

Seeing the other party's expression of "increased useless knowledge", Lindell asked along the way: "Are you going to take a vacation for a while? Go back and treat your legs."

The red-bearded detective glanced at him, but didn't make a sound. This guy obviously didn't know about this level of corrosive injury. Even if he tried his best to treat it, he would inevitably leave sequelae. With the current medical methods, it is really unsustainable. .

He just rolled up his sleeves to show Lindell the row of stitches on his elbow.

"Here, look! This time I was injured in the Middle East two years ago. The doctor drove four steel nails into my arm."

Dugan muttered: "Don't look at me as I'm still performing tasks normally, to be honest, these wounds will hurt a little in the rainy weather, which is quite troublesome."

"Do you need treatment at the level of mysticism? Actually, it's not impossible at all, it's just..."

Lindell asked subconsciously.

"No, eh! There's nothing you can do about aging."

The other party smiled frankly, and said that even if he didn't do anything, he would gradually age with the passage of time, and his body functions were not as sensitive as when he was in the Roaring Commando, and maybe one day he would not be able to fly a fighter jet in the air Soaring, or like today—an attack of that level, if it was five years ago, he would definitely be able to dodge it.

He was already in his 30s when he joined the army, and he was already much older than Steve and the others. The profession of an agent requires a lot of physical fitness. As an ordinary human being, he has done a good job. .

"But if it goes well, maybe..."

"what?"

"It's nothing. Dr. Zola's project invited me to participate in the experiment. I didn't make up my mind at first, but now that I hurt my leg, I made the decision for me."

Three months later, in Manhattan, New York City, Lindell was walking towards the temple with a paper bag of donuts when he was suddenly stopped by a voice behind him.

A young man who looked very young waved at him, his voice light and lively.

"Hi?"

The blond-haired young man stood on the spot, his expression froze for a moment, and then he shook his nose in disbelief to confirm the other party's identity: "You are, Dugan's... No, you are, Dugan."

Yes and no, the feeling brought by the soul is exactly the same, but the body is less devastated and weathered over the years.

The person in front of him was really too young, about the same age as he looked, and the look he had broken his leg three months ago was no longer there.

"I participated in some experiments..."

The young Duggan explained: "In short, you understand it as changing your health. When I first heard about this plan, I thought it was crazy. I didn't expect these scientists to be really clever."

"..."

Here is the street, yelling on the street is not in line with human habits, Lindell took a deep breath, dragged the other party's wrist and walked around to the alley, and finally couldn't help reprimanding.

"—Do you know what price you have paid?"

He asked: "Did they tell you earlier that this would trap you in something?"

Dugan waited patiently for him to catch his breath, and even touched Lindell's hair in preparation, before he said slowly: "Of course I know, in fact, everyone told me the price of this plan from the very beginning. .”

—— Digitize his own consciousness, upload it to the cloud, and activate the next duplicated body after the death of one body, and infuse the backup will into it. gain a long life in the body.

This is a new experiment secretly conducted by the research and development team led by Dr. Zola, and now with the cooperation of the only experimental individual, Dugan, there is finally a staged progress.

"I will live as an agent for the rest of my life, and this is what I am looking forward to."

The other party even put on a consoling expression, "Think about it, this time, you will have a more reliable teammate."