Chapter 3: Chapter 3: Nick Fury's Attention
On the other side, Nick Fury saw that the mercenary known as "Reaper" had agreed to meet with him. He rubbed his brow, trying to calm his excited and nervous emotions.
"Sir, how many of us will be going the day after tomorrow?"
"Based on the information, he is most likely male, correct?"
"Should we bring Agent Natasha along?"
Phil Coulson, who had been standing by, asked for clarification.
Few people knew about the effort to contact the mercenary with the codename "Reaper," but Agent Natasha was one of them.
If this "Reaper" turned out to be an enhanced individual as they suspected, Fury hoped to recruit him into the Avengers.
However, the meeting fee alone was twenty million dollars, which was an exorbitant amount. It was clear that they were determined to make this happen.
"You and I will go," Fury said. "Agent Natasha is still investigating Harvey Amberlock, so we won't need her for this."
Fury tapped his fingers on the table, considering before giving his instructions.
Harvey Amberlock was also on their radar because they had been investigating this young billionaire who had emerged suddenly over the past two years.
Harvey had lost his parents and was an orphan from an orphanage. Although being of Asian descent in America came with some benefits, it also meant facing discrimination and cold treatment from others.
From his past, Harvey was considered a pitiable figure with no apparent issues.
However, when Harvey was nineteen, he won a ten-million-dollar lottery. After paying taxes of 5.7 million dollars, he used the remaining 4.3 million to invest in Zero Technology, becoming a shareholder.
Following this, many investors poured money into Zero Technology, continuously providing Harvey with dividends.
With the dividends, Harvey ventured into real estate and the stock market, seemingly blessed with prophetic insight as every investment he made turned profitable.
In less than three years, at just twenty-one, Harvey Amberlock had become a well-known young billionaire in New York, his wealth multiplying hundreds of times to over forty billion dollars.
With mansions, luxury cars, and watches, Harvey, despite being Asian, attracted the attention of countless young, beautiful women in New York.
Given that Harvey had never committed any crimes and paid his taxes diligently, the higher-ups chose not to delve deeper into his past.
Normally, Harvey Amberlock would be seen as just a lucky individual who hit it big with the lottery and ascended to the pinnacle of success.
However, the speed of his rise, combined with his seemingly prophetic insight into investments and the stock market, was unusual.
Additionally, Harvey's eating habits were extraordinary; his food expenses were beyond the reach of most people.
In public, Harvey appeared as a young billionaire who splurged and had an unusually large appetite.
Fury decided to send Natasha to investigate further.
Actions against such high taxpayers were tricky. The Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (SHIELD) couldn't bypass the FBI to arrest or detain someone who hadn't committed any crimes.
However, if Natasha's interactions with Harvey revealed that he had some extraordinary abilities, they would be very interested in recruiting him, especially with the impending threats to Earth.
"But I heard Natasha's work hasn't been going well," Coulson said. "She seems to be wasting her time, and her mood is quite poor right now."
Coulson knew Natasha's current assignment, and normally, with her attractiveness, infiltrating successful men's circles shouldn't be difficult.
Harvey Amberlock owned several estates and mansions, which would typically require a butler or a secretary.
However, Harvey had neither a butler nor a secretary and preferred to manage everything himself. He mostly stayed at his private estate, unknown to outsiders.
Fortunately, Harvey often dined out at various restaurants and hotels, although he was unpredictable in his dining choices, which made it hard for Natasha to pinpoint his location.
Natasha had been undercover as a waitress at various restaurants for half a month, but she hadn't managed to meet Harvey.
While Natasha was skilled at using her charm to achieve her missions, not even getting a chance to meet Harvey made her work challenging.
"Well, I'll handle the message to her personally," Fury said, deciding to follow Coulson's suggestion. "It's better if she's there, just in case negotiations don't go as planned."
Fury sent Natasha a message, instructing her to take a day off from her current work and join them at a building in the Washington suburbs the day after tomorrow.
On the other side, Natasha, having just finished a long day as a waitress and returned to her rented place, found the message and felt a bit relieved.
She had spent the past half month working at various restaurants, waiting to encounter Harvey Amberlock, but to no avail.
She considered changing her approach and tracking Harvey's location directly, but that could attract unwanted attention.
She wondered why Harvey didn't host a large party or attend a notable event, which would have made it easier for her to meet him.
But since the target didn't act according to her plans, Natasha adjusted her mood and went to bed comfortably.
As for why Fury needed her to meet, she didn't think too much about it. She'd find out in due course.