Chapter 108: Invisible Overthinking Is the Deadliest

From Rafael’s vantage point, he couldn’t clearly see what was happening near the heavy truck. However, when Coulson told him to disperse the remaining agents, Rafael understood— the one treating Tony Stark was that ridiculously handsome young man.

But... what was he using to heal him? His damned charm?

As Rafael craned his neck, lost in wild speculation, Jung Shin-soo stepped down from the truck.

Coulson approached him and asked, “How is he?”

“There’s no life-threatening danger,” Jung Shin-soo replied, his brow furrowed—not from anything else, but because he hadn’t unleashed the Iron Heart. Pinching the bridge of his nose to calm his urge to curse, he continued, “You should assign someone to watch over him. The life-threatening danger is gone, but he will definitely be weak for some time.”

“And that armor—I can’t find a way to open it. We’ll have to wait for him to wake up and open it himself.”

Coulson nodded and smiled warmly at Rafael.

Rafael instantly understood. He hurriedly called back the agents who had moved away, then swiftly made his way toward the heavy truck.

He was eager to see for himself what was so extraordinary about Jung Shin-soo’s clinic—no, what was so miraculous about this young man.

Judging from Coulson’s respect even toward him, Rafael had already drawn some conclusions through his earlier observations, which only deepened his curiosity.

Soon, he stood beside Tony, watching his face regain color, the flesh on his abdomen regenerate, and even a newly formed segment of bone and flesh on his right hand.

Rafael was utterly stunned, frozen in disbelief—only seconds had passed, and it had reached this level! No wonder the young man said there was no life-threatening danger. This wasn’t just about survival; the wounds were nearly healed... Rafael thought to himself.

At the same time, he fixed his gaze firmly on the sign above Jung Shin-soo’s clinic.

Not for any other reason, but to commit the name to memory.

Being an agent was a perilous profession... From now on, whenever he got injured, Rafael would likely shout with all his might, “Take me to Jung Shin-soo’s clinic!”

Having such a formidable doctor in New York gave Rafael, a permanent agent in the city, a rare sense of reassurance.

On the other side, Coulson pointed toward Jung Shin-soo’s living room and suggested, “Let’s go inside. I want to discuss something with you.”

“Alright,” Jung Shin-soo nodded and opened the door, leading Coulson inside.

Since coming into some money, Jung Shin-soo had renovated his living room—basically just new wallpaper and some furniture.

At least the sofa was no longer the old, worn, and dirty one; it was now a brown leather Chesterfield. Not expensive, but comfortable enough to sit on.

After Jung Shin-soo sat down, Coulson followed suit, reclining slightly.

The agent, who usually wore a professional smile, now showed fewer forced grins before Jung Shin-soo, and the usual distance and restraint had vanished.

At least the way Coulson was lounging now would never have happened when they first met. Back then, he would have sat upright, rigid as a board, treating the sofa as if it had no backrest.

Just as he settled, Coulson’s gaze shifted toward Jung Shin-soo’s bedroom.

The hole caused earlier by Jung’s unleashed husky nature had since been patched up, so the bedroom was no longer visible from the living room.

“It’s fine. Go ahead, she’s already asleep,” Jung Shin-soo said matter-of-factly.

Seeing this, Coulson dispelled his last doubts.

He began, “What I’m about to tell you is top secret—only a few people in S.H.I.E.L.D. know the full details.”

“I won’t tell anyone,” Jung Shin-soo assured him.

Satisfied with the promise, Coulson no longer held back. “It starts with Agent May being injured…”

“…”

“Overall, that’s the gist of it. Shin-soo, do you have any speculation about the Scarlet Baron’s identity, or his motives?”

After hearing Coulson, Jung Shin-soo fell into thought.

Based on the intelligence provided, the Scarlet Baron had executed everything flawlessly, leaving no clues to his true identity.

Moreover...

These agents had some wild imaginations!

Jung Shin-soo’s purpose was simple: to exploit the anomaly on Ingram Street and create a figure that S.H.I.E.L.D. would fear. The threats, the deliberate injury to Tony—all were part of this plan: to instill fear in S.H.I.E.L.D.

From Coulson’s words, it seemed the plan had succeeded.

Once S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fear peaked, the Scarlet Baron’s role would come into full play. For instance, if the Space Stone was in New York, he could issue an ultimatum under the Scarlet Baron persona, stating his next target was Washington.

Given S.H.I.E.L.D.’s anxiety, agents in New York would be redeployed to support Washington, reducing resistance in New York.

In short, Jung Shin-soo’s objectives had been achieved about eighty percent.

However... Coulson’s speculations were a bit much for Jung Shin-soo, especially about the half-breed dragon in Chicago—a detail he knew nothing about. He had planned to investigate further once the Space Stone was secured.

As the saying goes: the most lethal form of speculation is unseen.

This was exactly that.

Since Coulson asked, what answer should he give? Jung Shin-soo pondered.

Soon, a thought crystallized. He looked at the patiently waiting Coulson and said, “When I first heard about this, I thought the Scarlet Baron might just be a madman.

“But then I realized, if he could always execute his plans so flawlessly without leaving any clues...

“Then even if he’s mad, he must possess exceptional counter-surveillance skills, meticulous observation, and an intelligence far beyond the ordinary.” Jung Shin-soo praised evenly.

Coulson nodded, agreeing with this viewpoint.

“From such a clever person’s perspective, what he’s doing must have a deeper purpose.”

Seeing Jung Shin-soo’s thoughts aligned with his own, Coulson showed a flicker of excitement that quickly faded. He continued, “But... I just can’t figure out what that purpose is.”

“Then let’s look at his actions,” Jung Shin-soo replied.

He intended to seize this opportunity to escalate S.H.I.E.L.D.’s fear of the Scarlet Baron to its peak.