Chapter 103: Unmovable

Zhongshen Clinic?

Raphael pondered for quite some time before finally understanding the fragmented words. The person inside wanted him to take him to a clinic called “Zhongshen.”

A clinic... If Raphael hadn’t misheard that term... It struck him as rather odd. They wanted to go to a clinic, not somewhere like New York State Hospital with highly skilled medical staff and top-tier facilities.

Hallucinating from a head injury, perhaps?

As a seasoned agent, Raphael knew that people suffering from severe head trauma and blood loss often started rambling nonsense, much like drunken babble; sometimes they didn’t even realize what they were saying, words tumbling out unfiltered. It could be anything—from their bank card passwords to that name buried deep in their hearts.

This Zhongshen Clinic must mean a great deal to this person—

With that in mind, Raphael decided not to heed the words of someone so gravely injured and barely conscious. He chose instead to send the man under the sheet metal to the nearest New York State Hospital.

A big hospital was surely more reliable than some small clinic, Raphael thought.

“Come on, let’s lift him up and get him to New York State Hospital,” Raphael ordered the young agent beside him.

He then turned away, intent on surveying the area further, hoping to uncover the real motive behind tonight’s assault on Stark Industries.

But—

After only two steps, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the young agent still rooted in place.

Spinning around, Raphael snapped impatiently, “What are you waiting for? Didn’t you hear my order?”

The young agent looked embarrassed and mumbled, “I... I can’t lift him...”

“What was that? Speak up, I can’t hear you,” Raphael said, stepping closer.

“I said I can’t lift him, sir!” The young agent straightened instantly, raising his voice.

Can’t lift him?

Such a thing, and he can’t move it? What are they teaching in the academy these days... The new generation of agents really is lacking...

Grumbling inwardly, Raphael reached to lift the uninjured left arm of the man in the iron shell—

Suddenly!

He froze.

How could it be so heavy!

Even just the left arm felt as if it weighed over a hundred kilograms. He strained to lift it, nearly flushing with the effort.

In that moment, Raphael fully understood why the young agent had proclaimed it impossible. It really was impossible to move, and who knew what material it was made from to be so heavy.

“Ahem.” With a couple of coughs to mask his embarrassment, Raphael quietly set the iron man’s left arm back down and said, “Contact the transport team. Looks like we’ll need some equipment.”

“Yes, sir.” The young agent, wisely choosing to forget Raphael’s earlier red-faced struggle, replied promptly and walked off to make the call.

Meanwhile, Raphael examined the iron man more closely, searching for any kind of switch that might release the person inside.

Suddenly—

He spotted a very well-hidden button beneath the man’s right ear.

Raphael touched it, feeling the slight protrusion. After a moment’s consideration, he pressed it—and immediately leaped back, ever cautious.

With a series of mechanical clicks and whirrs, the iron man’s mask sprang open, revealing the face within.

Raphael looked around to ensure there was no danger, then approached to peer at the exposed face.

And then—he froze in disbelief.

It was Tony Stark!

Despite the bruises and swelling, and his ghastly pallor from blood loss—his face as white as paper—the distinctive mustache and the features seen daily in the news made him instantly recognizable.

Tony Stark, wounded like this in the Weapons Development Department of Stark Industries?

Raphael’s mind raced, conjuring countless wild scenarios...

Meanwhile, as the light struck his face, Tony stirred, struggling to open bloodshot eyes and focus on Raphael. Each breath was a labor, and with every exhale, he forced out a few words:

“Take me... to... Zhongshen... Clinic...”

Having uttered this, Tony seemed to use up his last reserves of strength. He could resist the overwhelming exhaustion no longer—his eyes closed, and he slipped into unconsciousness.

He still wanted to go to Zhongshen Clinic?

Raphael recognized the clarity in Tony’s gaze. He was lucid—these weren’t the ramblings of delirium. Tony truly wanted to go to Zhongshen Clinic.

What kind of place was this Zhongshen Clinic?

Raphael wondered, perplexed.

But now, knowing the iron man was Tony Stark, Raphael knew better than to make a unilateral decision. SHIELD had a dedicated handler for Tony.

Raphael pulled out his phone, found “Coulson” in his contacts, and dialed.

Even though it was three in the morning, Coulson picked up on the third ring.

“What is it, Raphael?” There was no trace of annoyance in Coulson’s voice.

Truly the perfect agent, Raphael thought. If it were him, being woken at three a.m.—even if he didn’t curse, his tone would hardly be so mild.

So Raphael tried to keep his own tone as gentle as possible. “Here’s the situation, Director Coulson. Tonight I was handling the unknown assault on Stark Industries’ Weapons Development Department.

“I found someone badly injured in an iron shell. When I checked the identity, it turned out to be Tony Stark!

“But he keeps insisting he wants to go to a place called Zhongshen Clinic. I’m calling to ask you—should I take him to the nearest New York State Hospital, or to this Zhongshen Clinic he mentioned?”

Coulson was silent for a moment, as if processing the information.

Then he asked, “Can you describe Tony’s injuries?”

His injuries... Why ask about that? Raphael wondered, but he answered anyway: “His abdomen’s been pierced through, and his right hand severed....”

“Is the abdominal wound charred black? And is the cut on his right arm clean and smooth?” Coulson’s questions came with unusual urgency.

Raphael inspected closely, surprised to find the details matched exactly. “Yes, sir, that’s exactly right! How did you know?”

But Coulson didn’t answer.

After a long pause, Coulson finally spoke. “Quickly—take Tony to Zhongshen Clinic. I’ll be there soon!”