"Sorry, your Homeland... whatever bureau name is too long."
Stark frowned, waving his hand dismissively.
"Can't you change it to something shorter?"
"We're considering it."
Coulson responded with a smile.
From an ordinary person perspective, they would likely think Coulson answer was merely perfunctory.
After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. hadn't been established just a day or two ago.
If they were troubled by the length of the name, wouldn't this suggestion have been raised earlier?
If they wanted to change it, they would have done so long ago. The fact that it remained unchanged suggested they had no intention of doing so.
Moreover, as a special agent organization, it was appropriate to have a longer, more impressive-sounding name.
The reason was simple: unlike regular government departments, an intelligence agency intimidation factor was directly proportional to its mystique.
The harder the name was to remember, the more mysterious it seemed, the greater its intimidation factor, and consequently, the more psychological pressure it could exert on enemies during operations.
Thinking carefully, having a tongue-twisting name was actually advantageous, wasn't it?
Furthermore, renaming an organization was a major undertaking, not something an outsider had any right to dictate.
Honestly, this fact alone would make people think Coulson was just humoring Stark.
Ordinary people would think this way, but as someone who had crossed dimensions, Shi Xiaolei was no ordinary person.
"Why not call it S.H.I.E.L.D.? Take the first letters and put them together as an acronym. How's that?"
The feeling of personally naming S.H.I.E.L.D. felt a bit like unlocking a platinum achievement in a game.
Shi Xiaolei couldn't resist and blurted out this classic line before Coulson could.
"That's an excellent suggestion."
Completely unaware that this line should have been his, Coulson eyes brightened, his smile showing gratitude.
"I'll report and apply to my superiors as soon as I get back."
Hearing this, Shi Xiaolei suddenly remembered Coulson's purpose for visiting today.
"Ah, look at my memory! I almost forgot the main business. Coulson, May, please have a seat. I'll go get the potions."
While it was true that Coulson had come with a mission, honestly, after seeing the current situation, he had changed his mind and wasn't eager to obtain the potions so quickly.
If he secured the potions, then for safety sake, he would certainly need to escort them back immediately.
And in the current situation... even a simple deduction would suggest that participating in this barbecue dinner and chatting longer would greatly improve his relationship with Shi Xiaolei.
Recalling Director Nick Fury instructions, Coulson valued this opportunity and truly didn't want to leave with the potions so soon.
"Well..."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa~."
Just as Coulson was about to speak, Tony suddenly interrupted.
Looking at Coulson and May, then at Shi Xiaolei, Tony raised an eyebrow.
"Rock, I have to ask, when did you reach an agreement with them?"
"The day before yesterday, after the press conference."
Shi Xiaolei paused and turned around.
"Why?"
"Don't misunderstand, I'm not trying to interfere."
Waving his hand and giving Coulson a meaningful glance, Tony directly reminded Shi Xiaolei.
"Remember what I told you when we discussed establishing the company? Organizations with official backgrounds like theirs are best handled through the company..."
On one hand, Stark wanted to use the effects of the complete version of the potion to capture the high-end market and maintain the brand value of the new company.
On the other hand, he also wanted to leave a channel for Shi Xiaolei, who had become a good friend, to earn more money.
So, after establishing the new company together, Stark deliberately left an external channel for Shi Xiaolei to sell his complete version potions.
Comparatively, the first reason wasn't as significant, since Stark himself was a golden brand, and with his name attached, the brand value was already guaranteed.
The customer appeal of the complete version potion was merely icing on the cake.
The latter reason 'helping a friend earn more money' was the main point.
Therefore, when discussing this external channel with Shi Xiaolei, Stark thoughtfully provided some advice and warnings.
For example, not to easily agree to procurement requests from certain organizations, to try to let the company handle collaborations, to prioritize transactions within the company, and so on.
There wasn't much concern about problems arising in transactions between private individuals.
But facing official organizations that wouldn't waver due to personal feelings and prioritized benefits above all, Shi Xiaolei as the seller was too isolated.
Additionally, he had no experience cooperating with official organizations and had never handled such large transactions.
Honestly, even in a seller market where Shi Xiaolei had the upper hand in the supply-demand relationship, from Stark perspective, he couldn't help but worry that Shi Xiaolei might inadvertently be taken advantage of.
"Of course, if you believe they're trustworthy and insist on working with them personally, then forget what I said."
Pointing at Coulson with a skewer in a slightly flippant manner, Tony smiled indifferently.
"It's your product, and selling to whoever you want is your freedom. Don't misunderstand—I have no other intention, just purely offering some friendly advice."
"Thank you, Tony."
With Stark reminder, Shi Xiaolei noticed the loophole—there was a treacherous snake hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D.
This time, with Coulson leading the transaction, there wasn't much risk.
But once this batch of potions was delivered and caught the attention of HYDRA...
He wasn't afraid, but the thought of being targeted by HYDRA and dealing with endless troubles made Shi Xiaolei genuinely annoyed.
"I'm very sorry, Coulson."
Turning to look at Coulson, Shi Xiaolei said apologetically.
"Let's forget about it this time. If there's a next time, let's be more formal and conduct the transaction through the company, okay?"
Originally hoping to build a stronger relationship, and now not only losing that opportunity but also having the potion business transferred to the company...
Coulson felt bitter and uncomfortable.
Yet Stark reminder was reasonable, and Shi Xiaolei choice was understandable.
Neither he nor S.H.I.E.L.D. had grounds to object.
"Alright."
Nodding reluctantly, Coulson maintained a forced smile.
"Personally, I have no objections. But for the specific procedures, I need to report to my superiors before reaching a conclusion."
The atmosphere suddenly took a downward turn, becoming somewhat awkward.
Fortunately, Old Liu, who had gone to fetch good liquor, returned at that moment.
Having left for just a short while, he returned to find several more people in the courtyard, including the world-famous Tony Stark.
While pushing open the courtyard gate, Old Liu unconsciously rubbed his eyes.
"My goodness, it really is him."
Though subtle, Old Liu appearance effectively broke the tension.
Seeing Stark raise an eyebrow with a 'who is this person' expression, while Coulson and May looked equally confused, Shi Xiaolei quickly seized the opportunity to change the subject, introducing them.
"This is Liu, a fellow countryman and good friend. His shop is right next to ours..."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)