Marvel: The Alchemist Just Wants a Peaceful Life

At this moment, neither Sherlock, standing at his doorstep, nor Obadiah, walking home, would know that a storm was brewing.

Only when Pepper Potts arrived at Tony's mansion with Doro after get off work and saw Tony's expression did she vaguely guess what was going on.

However, Pepper didn't ask Tony any questions; she simply took care of Doro and prepared dinner.

But when Pepper Potts saw Tony, whose brows were so furrowed they could trap a fly, remaining silent after dinner, she spoke to Doro out of concern.

Doro, who had always followed Sherlock's instructions to stay away from Tony, frowned and thought for a long time after hearing Pepper's request. In the end, he was defeated by the promise Pepper made and came to Tony with many backward glances. He said to Tony in a coy manner.

"Person, your sister asked me to hug you, and Doro agreed. Now Doro is here to hug you. Person, don't worry anymore."

As Doro spoke, he reached out his chubby little hand to Tony, a scene that instantly eased Tony's brow, who was filled with worries. He immediately reached out and hugged Doro into his arms.

When Tony held Doro's jelly-like body in his arms, an inexplicable sense of happiness instantly filled Tony's heart. Smelling the milky scent mixed with the orange scent on Doro, Tony suddenly felt a little wronged, and his eyes subconsciously reddened.

Although Doro wasn't very intelligent, he was very sensitive to emotions. He immediately reached out his chubby little hand and rubbed Tony's face, while also tugging at the corner of Tony's mouth, before speaking to Tony.

"Man," Sherlock told Doro, "if you just smile more, you can fly away from being unhappy! Man, you can try smiling more."

After saying these moving words, she hugged Tony's neck, and Tony could feel Doro's soft little hands patting his neck.

Tony immediately broke into a smile through his tears, and hugged Doro, saying in a slightly annoyed tone.

"That Sherlock Holmes, that wicked bastard, doesn't deserve you, my sweetheart! Damn it, how do I ever get this sweetheart away from that bastard Sherlock?"

Hearing Tony's complaint, Doro didn't look up, but whispered on Tony's shoulder.

"No, you can't. Doro is Sherlock's family, and also his sister's family."

These words made Tony's expression even more complicated, and his eyes became even redder. Just then, Pepper came up behind Tony and gently hugged him, whispering in his ear.

"Tony, no matter what happens, we will always stand by your side."

Chapter 38 S.H.I.E.L.D.'s 'Gift'

Sherlock was unaware of the warmth Tony was experiencing. When Sherlock saw the figure standing at the door of his rented apartment, he had only one thought.

Trouble is brewing!

Although Sherlock dislikes the people of S.H.I.E.L.D., or rather, he dislikes the harassment from Hydra, he is not the kind of person who runs away when trouble comes his way.

Moreover, the fact that Coulson was able to find the door of his rented apartment meant that he had no way of avoiding the other party.

Therefore, despite Sherlock's horribly dark expression, he still parked the car at the garage entrance.

Seemingly drawn to the sight of Sherlock's car engine, Coulson turned and looked at Sherlock with a smile as he opened the car door.

"Nice car!"

This was the first thing Coulson said when he saw Sherlock get out of the car.

Unfortunately, Sherlock didn't care about Coulson's praise, or to put it more bluntly, Sherlock knew that when facing a seasoned agent like Coulson, he could never go along with what the other person said.

Therefore, Sherlock did not respond to Coulson's praise. Instead, he glared at Coulson, who was standing at the door of his house, and said to Coulson in an annoyed tone.

"If I remember correctly, back in New York, you promised me you would never bother me again, right?"

Sherlock's tone was extremely harsh as he stared at the nice guy standing opposite him with a stern face.

For Sherlock, this behavior was both intimidation and a warning. If Coulson were to get close to him again and again, who knew what the Hydra agents hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D. would think?

Sherlock only intended to witness the birth of Iron Man and incidentally help the original owner avenge his parents.

After that, Sherlock planned to go back to his peaceful life, so he actually rejected S.H.I.E.L.D. or anyone else from the bottom of his heart.

But Coulson seemed completely unconcerned by Sherlock's indifference. Instead, he smiled and looked at Sherlock, who had a poker face, replying with a hint of pleasure in his voice.

“Of course, Mr. Sherlock, I, or rather S.H.I.E.L.D., have not forgotten the ‘deal’ we made before.”

Coulson emphasized the word "deal," as if to express his stance, and Sherlock's face darkened even more upon hearing this.

The reason is simple: Coulson used the word 'deal' rather than 'conditions'.

The difference of just two words can represent vastly different meanings. A condition is something that must be followed without any reason, while a transaction is something that can be followed or not after the transaction is completed.

Whether or not to comply depends solely on whether it's a one-off deal.

For a moment, Sherlock even felt as if he had been tricked, and he began to doubt whether the traces he had left in the Middle East were really not enough to deter S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra hidden within S.H.I.E.L.D.

What Sherlock didn't know was that his act of taking the piercing dagger didn't deter S.H.I.E.L.D., but it did successfully deter Hydra. The reason was simple: S.H.I.E.L.D. didn't even bother to investigate where Tony was kidnapped; instead, Hydra did!

Seeing Sherlock's face darken and his silent gaze that seemed ready to strike at any moment, Coulson no longer felt the tension he had during their first meeting. He simply continued speaking to Sherlock calmly.

"The reason I broke the deal this time is simply because I know that you, Mr. Sherlock, are investigating some things, and coincidentally, S.H.I.E.L.D. has information on this in their database. I thought I would give this information to you as a thank you gift."

Upon hearing Coulson's statement, Sherlock raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly quite surprised by S.H.I.E.L.D.'s move.

However, Sherlock quickly realized what Coulson was trying to do.

Judging from the conversation, Coulson came in his own name, not on behalf of S.H.I.E.L.D., which means that Coulson, or rather S.H.I.E.L.D., wanted to maintain their relationship.

And coincidentally, Coulson, who had previously approached Sherlock, became the link between Sherlock and S.H.I.E.L.D. After all, judging from the contents of the previous deal, anyone with a normal IQ should be able to see Sherlock's aversion to S.H.I.E.L.D.

This explains why Coulson sent Sherlock the documents in his personal capacity today.

Of course, if it weren't for Black Egg's authorization, Sherlock would rather believe the nonsense that Tony is still a virgin.

Although Sherlock understood the other person's meaning, he was currently forced to accept their favor.

The reason is simple: so far, Sherlock has made no real progress other than learning that his parents and Obadiah don't get along.

Whether Sherlock likes it or not, he has no choice but to accept this "timely help" from S.H.I.E.L.D.

After realizing this, Sherlock's expression didn't improve much. He forced an awkward smile before speaking to Coulson.

"Really? Thank you so much!"

Coulson didn't care whether Sherlock understood his intentions or not. Looking at the ugly smile on Sherlock's face, he shook his head helplessly before taking out a document from his pocket and placing it on the hood of Sherlock's Raptor. Then he smiled and said to Sherlock.

"Now that the gift has been delivered, I shall take my leave, Mr. Sherlock."

After he finished speaking, Coulson nodded to Sherlock and tapped his watch a few times.

As Coulson moved, a 1960 Chevrolet Ferrari parked on the street corner soon pulled up in front of him.

After Coulson opened the car door and got in, Sherlock thought for a moment and said something to Coulson, who was about to start the car and leave.

"Great car!"

Although Sherlock's tone was somewhat stiff, when Coulson heard Sherlock's words, his smile became more sincere and proud. He patted the steering wheel of the old car and said to Sherlock with a smile.

"Thank you! I'll call her Laura!"

After saying this, Coulson nodded to Sherlock, then started the car and drove away from the scene.

Watching Coulson's retreating figure, Sherlock could only sigh helplessly. Although he really didn't want to get too close to S.H.I.E.L.D., when facing a nice guy like Coulson, after getting to know him, Sherlock really couldn't be as hostile as he was the first time.

All I can say is that this is due to Coulson's personal charisma.

Shaking his head to clear the jumbled thoughts from his mind, Sherlock then picked up the documents from the hood of his Raptor and began to read them.

Sherlock, who had initially looked helpless, began to show a serious expression as he looked at the documents. With each page he turned, his face grew increasingly dark.

Finally, after Sherlock finished reading the last page of information and closed the document, he took a deep breath, then took out his phone and made a call, his tone chillingly cold.

"Zhao Weike, do you know the manager of the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles?"

Chapter 39 The Continental Hotel in Los Angeles

Sherlock's obviously abnormal tone made Zhao Weike realize the situation almost instantly.

Out of concern for Sherlock, Zhao Weike did not directly tell Sherlock the address of the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles, but instead asked Sherlock in the same serious tone.

"What happened? Sherlock, where are you? Are you still in Los Angeles? I'm coming to find you right now!"

Upon hearing Zhao Weike's words, Sherlock's reason, which was almost consumed by anger, calmed down slightly. A touch of warmth rose in his heart, and his tone became much calmer as he spoke to Zhao Weike.

"Old Zhao, no need. It's not appropriate for you insiders to get involved in this matter. Just tell me the address and name."

Upon hearing Sherlock's statement, Zhao Weike, who had already returned to New York, immediately launched into a tirade of profanities.

"F*** off! Sherlock, I'm Nightmare! Give me your address! I'm not so old that I can only watch my friend venture into this den of wolves!"

Sherlock subconsciously moved the phone away from his ear a little, and only after Zhao Weike's roar on the other end stopped did Sherlock put the phone back to his ear, feeling both touched and amused as he spoke to Zhao Weike.

"Zhao Weike, don't get excited. I know you're loyal, but you really don't need to show up this time. I'm just going to ask about something. It's not your turn to appear yet."

On the contrary, your appearance would only cause more trouble, especially considering how hard-won your current life is, my friend. Think about your impossible, life-or-death mission, and think about Helen beside you!

Upon hearing Sherlock's words, a screeching sound of tires screeching against the ground came from the other end of the receiver. Surprisingly, Zhao Weike did not answer Sherlock's question immediately but instead fell silent.

After a long while, Zhao Weike could only sigh after having a thousand words in his heart, and told Sherlock the address of the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles, as well as the manager's name.

"If you need me, Sherlock, contact me immediately! We're friends!"

After delivering the information Sherlock wanted, Zhao Weike added a comment at the end, which elicited a loud laugh from Sherlock, who then playfully added another comment to Zhao Weike.

"Don't worry, I won't die even if you die!"

"F*** yourself!"

Zhao Weike subconsciously replied to Sherlock, and the two burst into laughter at the same time. The atmosphere finally eased a bit. After exchanging a few casual words, Sherlock hung up the phone after Zhao Weike reminded him to be careful.

As Sherlock hung up the phone, the smile on his face quickly faded. He glanced at the rented house behind him, then turned and got back into the car.

After quickly determining the location of the Continental Hotel using the map, Sherlock turned off his phone, started the car, and drove towards the hotel.

Although this was Sherlock's first time visiting Los Angeles in both his lives combined, he was remarkably familiar with the city's streets and could pinpoint locations with just a glance at a map.

They sped along the road, and soon Sherlock parked the car in front of the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles.

Like the Continental Hotel in New York, this Continental Hotel is also members-only and not open to the public. Just to enter the hotel lobby, you need to pay a gold coin.

But for an alchemist like Sherlock, the Continental Hotel's gold coin system was practically free. He casually pulled out a few coins from his pocket, clasped his hands together, and with a flash of lightning, a freshly minted Continental Hotel gold coin was soon lying obediently in Sherlock's palm.

After getting off the bus, Sherlock casually tossed the freshly minted coin to the doorman, and this 'newbie' walked nonchalantly into the Continental Hotel in Los Angeles.

Unlike the Baroque-style decor of the Continental Hotel in New York, this place in Los Angeles, thanks to Hollywood, has always been the most typical arena of fame and fortune for the United States.

The Continental Hotel in Los Angeles perfectly embodies the characteristics of the city's high society, with its overall decor emphasizing glitz and luxury.

But for Sherlock, no matter how dazzling or luxurious the Continental Hotel was, it was all in vain, since Sherlock had come here to cause trouble!

He strode up to the front desk of the Continental Hotel. Behind the bar stood a very dashing short-haired woman. Her androgynous attire, combined with her beautiful face that was both masculine and feminine, gave her a strange feeling of being both a gentleman and a lady.