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In the private room,
Mike sat at the low table, glancing over the people who had come to welcome Coulson.
The man appeared to be in his forties, of average height—just under 5'7"—but not at all weak. A pair of thick mustaches adorned his upper lip, and his sharp eyes exuded a keen intensity.
Coulson nodded at him, and the man—Yoshida—returned the gesture. He clapped his hands, and a waiter outside opened the door, bowing slightly.
"Please, serve the dishes," Yoshida said, before turning to Coulson. "Is this your first time here, Mr. Coulson?"
Coulson nodded in response.
Yoshida continued, "We've gone to great lengths to acquire this item. You…"
Coulson calmly interrupted, "Don't worry, the payment will be transferred to your account shortly."
Yoshida smiled and began to engage in casual conversation with Coulson.
It was clear that he knew Coulson was the one in charge.
Mike didn't mind being sidelined. Instead, he curiously surveyed the room's decor.
After scanning the surroundings, his gaze landed on something wrapped in black cloth next to Yoshida.
Was this the item Coulson came for?
It seemed like a typical transaction, and as Coulson had previously mentioned, Yoshida had no idea that Coulson was with SHIELD.
By the way, Coulson sure was stingy.
He claimed he was treating Mike to dinner, but in reality, Mike was the one getting treated and brought along just to piggyback on the meal...
Soon, the waiter entered, carrying a variety of dishes—traditional Japanese specialties.
There were various sashimi and sushi among the offerings.
The taste was decent, but Mike found it a bit bland.
"I'd rather have a hot pot..."
Mike thought to himself as he tossed another piece of sushi into his mouth.
Afterward, he'd go out and grab something else to eat.
Mike quietly decided.
As Coulson and Yoshida continued to chat and drink, Mike occasionally raised his glass in agreement, content to eat in peace.
After a few rounds of drinks, both Coulson and Yoshida appeared somewhat tipsy, and the conversation finally shifted to business.
Yoshida received a phone call, and after confirming that the payment had gone through, he smiled and pulled out the black cloth-wrapped object, pushing it toward Coulson.
Coulson unwrapped the cloth.
Inside was a black box adorned with strange, unreadable patterns. Its shape was peculiar, resembling a miniature coffin.
Mike froze for a moment.
What was this thing? He felt a surge of interest.
Coulson placed his hand on the box, preparing to open it, but Yoshida's face changed drastically.
"Don't open it!"
Coulson hesitated. "How else can I verify its authenticity?"
"Verify authenticity?" Yoshida exclaimed, panic creeping into his voice. "By the time you figure it out, you'll be a corpse!"
Coulson frowned, while Mike continued to stare at the black box, his curiosity piqued.
What exactly was this thing?
Yoshida could no longer hold back. "Let me give you some advice: Never open this. It's cursed. It's dangerous."
Coulson looked at him incredulously.
They had bought this item specifically for research. How could they study it without opening it?
Seeing that Coulson was about to disregard his warning, Yoshida hurriedly stood up, saying, "If you must open it, do so after I leave."
As he put on his coat, he handed over two hotel room keys. "These are your keys. I'll be on my way now."
"Mr. Yoshida!" Coulson looked at him coldly. "If this turns out to be a fake, you should understand that we can easily find you."
"Don't worry, it's not fake."
Yoshida retreated as he spoke, quickly turning and leaving the room with hurried footsteps.
Watching him go, Coulson shook his head.
Was it really that scary?
"What is this thing?"
Mike asked.
Coulson pressed his hand against the box and said, "I'm not entirely sure, but it's said to contain some documents."
"Documents?" Mike frowned. "What could possibly be so scary about that?"
Coulson shrugged. "Who knows? But according to rumors, everyone who's ever read them has died under mysterious circumstances."
"That serious?"
"It's just a legend. There's no actual evidence."
Coulson chuckled, his tone casual, making it clear he didn't believe the rumors.
"If you don't believe it, then why did SHIELD buy it?"
"I don't believe it, but the people who want to study it do."
As Coulson spoke, he reached for the box to open it.
Mike frowned and cautioned, "That guy just now didn't seem like he was faking it. This thing might actually be dangerous."
Coulson waved off the concern with a smirk. "It's just a box with some papers inside. What kind of danger could it possibly pose?"
Then, with a wink, he added, "I'm an atheist. Stories like this don't scare me."
Mike drained his glass, stood up, and said, "Alright, suit yourself. I'm heading out. You take your time."
Whether the rumors were true or not, he had no interest in seeing the documents. This was SHIELD business—better to avoid unnecessary trouble.
While Mike had no problem having a personal connection with SHIELD agents, getting involved in their official matters was another story.
Leaving Coulson alone in the private room, Mike stepped outside the restaurant for some fresh air.
Night had just fallen, and the streets were getting busier. Compared to when he arrived in the afternoon, the city now looked even more lively.
Sunshine, beaches, beautiful women...
Thinking about the fun awaiting him tomorrow, Mike couldn't help but smile.
Now this was life.
Though… he wondered how those three kids were doing.
The thought flashed through his mind for a brief moment before his attention was drawn back to the bustling street.
Tch, seaside cities sure have their perks.
With a grin, Mike decided to grab a few drinks later and see if he could find someone interesting to spend the night with.
---
Meanwhile, inside the private room, Coulson had already opened the black box.
The moment he did, an unexpected chill washed over him, making him shiver involuntarily.
What was that?
Coulson frowned in confusion. But as a firm atheist, he brushed it off and picked up the contents of the box.
Inside, there was a single photograph and several folded sheets of paper.
The photo was placed on top.
Coulson lifted it for a closer look—it had been torn apart at some point and later pieced back together. The image showed three people: a man, a woman, and a child.
The child looked adorable, but the faces of the man and woman had been ripped away.
A family?
Coulson furrowed his brow. Just as he was about to put the photo down, he could have sworn he saw the child in the picture move.
And then—where the woman's face had been torn away—a pale, ghostly visage emerged.
Startled, Coulson instinctively tossed the photo aside.
When he looked again, nothing had changed.
"...Must've been my imagination."
He muttered to himself, but a vague sense of unease crept into his mind.
Still…
I'm an atheist.
Coulson reaffirmed his belief and moved on. He had already opened the box anyway.
Placing the photograph aside, he picked up the documents.
Nothing unusual—just two standard reports.
The only problem was, most of it was in Japanese, and Coulson's understanding of the language was limited at best.
"What's this woman's name?"
He frowned, flipping through the pages before eventually shoving everything back into the box and locking it.
Better to let the research team at SHIELD handle this.
(End of Chapter)