The next day.
The location was set at the Yoton Hotel.
A scenic hillside hotel.
This place only catered to the wealthy and important.
The kind of place ordinary people couldn't get into.
So the environment was incredibly comfortable.
Around five o'clock, the Avengers began to arrive one after another.
Lin Feng was not late. Lin Feng wouldn't stoop to such childish tactics.
The Secretary of State (originally the Secretary of Bureau, but I thought about it and changed it) had not yet appeared.
The others didn't mind and went ahead to the pre-booked large room.
The room was luxuriously decorated, with a square dining table.
At one end of the table, there was a massive screen covering the entire wall.
It could be used for meetings or for playing tranquil natural scenery during meals to enhance the dining experience.
Lin Feng found a seat, right next to Natasha.
After all, she was the only woman here.
It was better than sitting with a bunch of burly men; opposite attracts.
Tony sat next to Lin Feng, and Captain America sat on Natasha's other side.
After settling in, they began to chat about everyday matters.
Lin Feng was in a good mood too, chatting with Natasha about some interesting anecdotes from space.
It seemed no one was taking the contingency plan for tonight too seriously.
Mainly because they had no good solutions and could only take it as it came.
Soon, it was six o'clock.
A black, custom-made bulletproof Chevrolet arrived at the hotel entrance.
Several security guards in black suits quickly went to greet it.
The car door opened, and the Secretary of State stepped out.
He would be presiding over this contingency plan.
"Sir!"
The security guards approached, handing him a document with both hands.
The Secretary of State adjusted his dark suit, a hint of gloom on his brow.
"Are they all here?"
He took the document, opened it, and glanced through it, walking briskly towards the hotel.
"They are all here, sir."
"Is Lin Feng here?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Excellent." The Secretary of State signed and closed the document, then turned to his assistant, "How is the data preparation coming along?"
The assistant trotted a couple of steps to catch up with the Secretary of State.
"Everything has been uploaded."
"Rogers, Stark, and Lin Feng remain the biggest obstacles to signing this contingency plan."
The Secretary of State nodded, not surprised.
His team had predicted and analyzed this countless times.
Lin Feng and Tony were the main challenges to implementing this plan.
However, the team had also devised corresponding strategies for these three obstacles.
If things didn't go smoothly, they would make them fight amongst themselves first.
For the sake of the "public," some sacrifices were necessary.
The Secretary of State thought, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
He wanted to see how Lin Feng and Tony Stark would react when it came to that.
Reaching the lobby, he straightened his suit again and pushed the door open.
The somewhat lively discussion came to an abrupt halt with his arrival.
Several pairs of eyes turned to him.
The Secretary of State was unfazed, walking in leisurely and exchanging greetings.
After a round of insincere pleasantries, they got down to business.
The Secretary of State beckoned a waiter and ordered food to be served.
"So, I believe everyone knows the reason for this invitation is for one matter."
"It's the signing of the Superhuman Control Act."
The Secretary of State scanned the room. Everyone except Lin Feng looked more or less serious.
"This act has been tailor-made based on your long-term performance and future development."
"And my arrival is to tell you why this act needs to be enacted."
After speaking, the Secretary of State nodded to the guards by the door.
The guards immediately handed over a remote control.
In the dining room, the large wall screen lit up with the operation.
"The appearance of the Avengers is undoubtedly a good thing."
"The attack from New York, the Hulk, and various other minor incidents."
"The whole world owes the Avengers a great debt."
"You fight for us!"
"You protect us at the risk of your lives."
The Secretary of State's speech was seasoned and to the point, starting by praising all the Avengers.
But they were all seasoned superheroes, and none of them were pleased by his words.
They simply watched the Secretary of State's performance.
"Oh, of course, the most brilliant among them is Mr. Lin Feng."
"Although Mr. Lin Feng rarely intervenes now."
"But this does not diminish his past contributions."
The Secretary of State looked at Lin Feng with a seemingly sincere smile.
Natasha nudged Lin Feng playfully with her elbow.
Tony fiddled with something on the side, shaking his head and chuckling.
Lin Feng yawned and subtly curled his lip. He felt nothing from this flattery, knowing that the Secretary of State had nothing good to say next.
The Secretary of State didn't mind and continued on his own.
"Many people see you as heroes."
"But more people prefer the term vigilante..."
At this point, the Secretary of State's smile paused, and his tone became serious and somber.
"And I prefer to call you dangerous..."
"You are more like superhumans living in America."
"You often disregard regions and boundaries, imposing your will on anyone arbitrarily, and without regard for the consequences."
These words were blunt, serious, and starkly realistic.
From this statement, the atmosphere in the room seemed to subtly change.
Captain America subconsciously glanced at the others.
Most of them continued to look at the Secretary of State expressionlessly.
The Secretary of State held a remote control and pressed a button.
The large wall screen began to flash with images.
Clear and bright, they were scenes of Avengers members on missions.
But unlike when fighting criminals, the perspective of these scenes shifted to that of the victimized common people.
"Let's take a look..." The Secretary of State brought up a video.
"The Chitauri incident..."
Banner's transformation into the Hulk caused extensive damage while fighting Chitauri soldiers.
Falling buildings mercilessly crushed innocent civilians.
Countless people were injured, and some even died on the spot.
Iron Man Tony destroyed buildings while luring the Leviathan.
The video clearly showed civilians in the building screaming in despair, huddled together.
It even featured close-ups of their desperate eyes.
Tony continued to fiddle with his trinket expressionlessly, while Banner looked away in shame, unable to bear watching.
He really couldn't control the Hulk...
"The Hulk incident!" The Secretary of State, seemingly not letting Banner's shame go, pressed another button.
Videos of the Hulk and Abomination causing widespread destruction in the streets were shown.
More screams of desperate civilians, and soldiers bracing themselves with fearful eyes.
Banner's head was almost buried under the table...
Watching these scenes of ordinary people suffering, the people in the room frowned, falling into a somber silence.
Where there is war, there are casualties. The Secretary of State seemed to be intentionally avoiding their achievements and amplifying the consequences of war.