[Bonus Episode thanks for the support from Daoist Zaklander!]
A foam box served as the container, with egg carton trays used as dividers.
A drug worth exactly one million dollars, packaged so crudely.
Due to Shi Xiaolei casualness, Coulson unconsciously twitched the corner of his mouth.
"It's all here, want to count them?"
Shi Xiaolei didn't feel anything was wrong and was rather proud of his 'clever idea.'
Nodding, Coulson focused his attention and began counting the vials.
Upon handling them, he discovered that Shi Xiaolei idea of using egg carton trays as dividers was indeed quite ingenious—the shape of the drug vials was similar to the small glass bottles of penicillin commonly seen in hospitals, just a bit rounder.
When inserted with slight pressure, they fit perfectly into the 'slots' of the egg cartons.
And because the trays weren't made of plastic, they wouldn't automatically revert to their original shape, so there was no worry about the vials popping out after being inserted.
One vial per slot, each securely held in place—even custom-made containers would probably achieve about the same level of security.
"The count is correct."
After finishing the inventory, Coulson took out a check.
Taking it and glancing at it to confirm the amount was correct, Shi Xiaolei couldn't help but whistle.
Looking back at Coulson, his face showed increased enthusiasm.
"A pleasure doing business with you. Welcome back anytime."
"Very well, I will."
Coulson nodded, closed the lid, and picked up the foam box.
"Stay in touch?"
"No problem."
Without thinking too much about it, Shi Xiaolei grinned and gave a thumbs up.
After seeing Coulson and Mei off, he returned to the courtyard.
Looking up, Shi Xiaolei just realized that the sky had gradually darkened.
Stark had drunk several cups of liquor and, slightly tipsy, had let down his guard, chatting animatedly with Old Liu.
Little Kanna was thoroughly enjoying herself, her small face beaming with happiness, her silvery laughter adding childlike joy to the courtyard.
Pepper was acting as a teacher to 2B, advising her on clothing and fashion techniques, and thanks to 2B serious attitude, Pepper, rarely getting to be an instructor, was in high spirits.
Despite the small number of people, the atmosphere was lively and harmonious.
Carrying two cans of beer, Shi Xiaolei approached Happy, who had taken over the grilling duties, and sat down with a smile.
"Here, take a break, let me take over."
"Thanks."
Opening the beer and taking a couple of gulps, Happy shook his head with a smile.
"No, I've just figured out the trick. Let me grill a bit more."
"Alright then, let's do it together. Give me one of those."
"Here."
Happy grabbed a handful of skewers from the plate and handed them to Shi Xiaolei, then picked up the brush and, while brushing oil on the meat skewers, asked for advice.
"Is this how you brush it?"
"You don't need that much oil, dip it a little less. Yes, that's it, just a thin layer is enough."
"Is it about right now? Should I sprinkle the seasonings?"
"Salt first, then cumin and chili powder. Hold your hand higher, so you can sprinkle more evenly. Yes, yes, yes, after the seasonings, add a little more oil to prevent the seasonings from burning."
"I need to add oil again? No wonder the ones I grilled earlier didn't look good at all."
.....
Meanwhile.
After receiving the drug from Shi Xiaolei, Coulson immediately contacted his colleagues who were waiting to rendezvous, arriving at the top of a tall building not far from Shi Xiaolei home.
There was no helipad on the building roof, making it impossible for a helicopter to land.
But for S.H.I.E.L.D., which possessed numerous undisclosed technologies, this presented no difficulty.
As Coulson and Mei appeared, a Quinjet hovering above the building deactivated its cloaking function and lowered its rear hatch.
As easily as climbing stairs, in the blink of an eye, the two had entered the aircraft.
The visual cloaking effect, combined with nearly silent hovering capabilities, was the main reason S.H.I.E.L.D. chose Quinjets as logistical support vehicles.
For agents, operations emphasized leaving without a trace, and from this perspective, the Quinjet advantages far exceeded those of various helicopter models.
Combined with flight speed and combat capabilities not inferior to mainstream fighter jets, as well as superior long-range endurance, you get what you pay for and the Quinjet cost far exceeded that of current mainstream U.S. military fighter jets.
To be honest, at Coulson current level, he rarely had the opportunity to ride in a Quinjet during regular missions.
This time, the reason they were equipped with a Quinjet wasn't because he and Mei had reached the appropriate rank, but because the drug provided by Shi Xiaolei was extremely important and couldn't tolerate any oversights.
Well aware of the Director concern for these drugs, after boarding, Coulson immediately issued orders to head toward S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters in Washington at maximum speed.
The distance of over 300 kilometers took less than half an hour.
"Director."
"Come in."
Mei pushed open the door to the Director office, with Coulson following behind carrying the foam box.
The two entered the office and saw Nick Fury sitting behind his desk.
"Director, we've brought back the drug."
Stepping forward, Coulson placed the foam box containing the drug on the desk.
Just like Coulson earlier reaction, Nick Fury also hadn't expected such important drugs to be 'packaged' so casually and crudely.
Sniffing slightly, as if detecting a faint fishy smell, Nick Fury unconsciously reached out and touched the side of the foam box.
"Just this?"
"I was surprised too."
Coulson nodded with a wry smile.
"I didn't expect he would use a seafood box to package the drugs."
"Next time, remember to bring more sturdy boxes."
Shaking his head in disbelief, Nick Fury raised his hand to open the lid.
"Well, if I hadn't heard your reports about his personality... egg carton trays, our friend choice is indeed quite peculiar."
While examining the drugs in the box, Nick Fury inquired about the details of the mission execution.
"...after receiving the drugs, Mei and I left the party. Overall, everything went smoothly."
"Stark was there too?"
Setting down the red drug vial in his hand, Nick Fury turned around, his remaining right eye reflecting inquiry.
"Yes. Without any particular reason, it was because Rock had obtained a batch of high-quality lamb and wanted to share it with him, so he actively extended an invitation."
At this point, Coulson paused, frowning with slight concern.
"However, due to Stark presence, our future plans might be somewhat affected."
"Oh?"
"According to the original plan, I had intended to quickly build a closer relationship with Rock through face-to-face transactions."
Coulson explained.
"But during the gathering just now, Stark reminded Rock... If nothing unexpected happens, in future transactions, Rock is very likely to delegate matters to his company and no longer handle them personally."
"..."
No one likes complications, and Nick Fury was no exception.
Fortunately, this change wasn't too challenging and was relatively easy to address. After thinking for a moment, Nick Fury nodded and said.
"I understand"
While approaching his desk and leaning down to press a button.
"Have Barbara come to my office."
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)