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Chapter 40: Snake and Shield Exposure
🕑 Added 2025-03-26 12:49:53 +0000 UTCTony Stark, who had yet to outgrow some of his more vulgar tastes, was still very intrigued by Black Widow. After all, Luo Chen had described her in the diary as being incredibly popular in the world outside the fourth wall.
It was perfectly normal for Tony Stark to have a little interest—he was, after all, a man.
Although she might be a "beautiful snake," as Luo Chen had described her in the diary, capable of delivering a fatal bite, Tony Stark was a hero. He wasn’t afraid.
The more he thought about it, the more obsessed he became.
“If it’s just S.H.I.E.L.D., that’s fine, but if it’s also related to the Snake and Shield Bureau, everything could get complicated. If we get entangled with the Snake and Shield Bureau, it will only end in endless death, unless they’re completely eradicated!”
Snake Shield!
When this new term appeared, everyone was confused.
"What is S.H.I.E.L.D? What’s the Snake and Shield Bureau?" Tony Stark thought to himself, frustrated. He had never heard of these terms before.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., what kind of intelligence agencies are S.H.I.E.L.D and the Snake Shield Bureau? Are these new organizations created by America?" Tony asked.
"Sir, based on the current database and the information available on the internet, neither S.H.I.E.L.D nor the Snake Shield Bureau exists," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded. "However, according to the diary, Phil Coulson uses the identities of the FBI and CIA. This suggests that S.H.I.E.L.D might have access to both agencies’ networks, and it could potentially operate at a level beyond theirs."
"In America, no, could there be intelligence agencies with a higher level than the FBI and CIA?!" Tony Stark’s first reaction was disbelief. "Could there be an ‘inner world’ I haven’t heard of?"
Suddenly, Tony Stark recalled something. At his level, although he couldn’t see the full scope of the deeper world—the so-called Extraordinary World—he was still aware of certain aspects.
There was an online phrase about the outside world and the inner world.
The "outside world" was the one everyone knew—the superficial world everyone was familiar with, where political leaders, top billionaires, and others in power resided. Tony Stark was one of the top figures in the "outside world."
Then, there was the "inner world," a concept with a long history. This world included underground networks like the dark web, where powerful criminals, mercenaries, and assassination organizations operated.
Tony Stark had some vague knowledge of these activities but had always dismissed them. He felt that capital was supreme and that even the inner world was insignificant in comparison.
So, he had never delved deeper into the inner world. He had occasionally bought hard-to-get items from the dark web, but never anything as exotic as Vibranium.
But now, Luo Chen’s remarks were turning Tony Stark’s understanding upside down.
The outside world didn’t necessarily overshadow the inner world. There could be deep, powerful forces in the inner world that even Tony Stark didn’t fully comprehend.
There could even be organizations more powerful than the FBI and CIA—ones that could easily impersonate agents from these agencies. Did the President of America know about this? Did the politicians of the world?
This organization even sent undercover agents like Black Widow into private companies. What was their end goal?
Tony Stark’s sense of crisis was suddenly heightened.
"Judging from the information we’ve gathered so far, it’s possible there’s an inner world we’re unaware of," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., create a new file called ‘Inner World,’ and start tracking information about this so-called inner world on the internet. Store it there," Tony ordered. "Then create two more files: ‘S.H.I.E.L.D’ and ‘Snake Shield Bureau,’ and search for any information on these two organizations, especially S.H.I.E.L.D. According to Luo Chen’s diary, we might be targeted by them."
"Yes, sir. Files created!" J.A.R.V.I.S. replied. "Sir, based on Luo Chen’s diary, it doesn’t seem like S.H.I.E.L.D has any malicious intent toward you. For now, you can be classified under the neutral category. However, the Snake Shield Bureau, judging by the name, seems to be very similar to S.H.I.E.L.D but much more dangerous. There could even be violent conflicts—leading to endless death!"
"It’s unclear why S.H.I.E.L.D is following me," Tony muttered, "but judging by Luo Chen’s words, S.H.I.E.L.D may be keeping an eye on me right now. This ‘Braised Egghead’ of theirs, maybe they’re using me to contact Luo Chen or to keep tabs on him."
Tony paused for a moment. "Since Luo Chen is so certain, it’s likely that’s the case. We’re being watched!"
