Marvel's Newbie Village Chief.
Black Widow, Natasha.
The moment she stepped through the door, Herman recognized her face instantly. Her brief introduction only confirmed it.
Had the textile factory incident been exposed? Or the one on the street? Herman tried probing Natasha's thoughts.
But whether it was due to her specialized training or some piece of S.H.I.E.L.D. equipment, his Mind Invasion failed.
It wasn't that he couldn't do it—it was that he couldn't read her mind without alerting her.
That didn't surprise him. With mutants existing in this Marvel Universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. naturally needed a few tricks of their own to survive.
Unable to get the answers he wanted, Herman quickly schooled his expression.
Thankfully, his encounter with Professor Charles had given him plenty of practice in facial control. Even with doubts swirling in his mind, his outward calm never faltered.
The shift in his demeanor was so fast that even Skye, who had just caught a glimpse of his stiff expression, began to wonder if she'd imagined it.
Right. A boss that stingy... how could he possibly have had such a stunning ex-girlfriend? Skye soon tossed the thought aside.
"This way, have a seat."
Skye greeted Natasha warmly. She figured this might finally be the first actress for The Boys.
"Audition?"
Herman, pretending as though he were seeing Natasha for the first time, let his eyes run over her figure. Becoming a top-level operative left no room for flaws in that regard—her physique easily outclassed plenty of Hollywood actresses.
As for acting? Please. A top agent's acting skills were unquestionable. They could deliver flawless, in-character performances anywhere, anytime.
Isn't there a saying? The worst actors end up in Hollywood, while the best either become politicians or secret agents.
"You look the part."
He had been uneasy before, wondering why S.H.I.E.L.D. had targeted him.
But after a moment of calm analysis, a bold idea struck him. Since he was already on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar, why waste time worrying about the reason?
Whatever game they were playing, they clearly weren't planning to strike right away.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent Natasha here to "audition." More likely, they suspected him and wanted her to investigate.
"Thank you for the compliment. I graduated from the Yale School of Drama." Natasha accepted Herman's praise with ease, carrying herself with calm confidence.
"Yale School of Drama? Top-tier talent!" Skye hadn't expected this gorgeous woman to also be an Ivy League graduate.
"Graduating is just a new beginning. For now, I'm just a small-time actress." Natasha replied with a smile.
"Any film or TV credits?"
Herman glanced at the résumé Natasha handed over.
Honestly, he thought this Black Widow undercover act was a bit arrogant. Coming here as a spy without even bothering to change her name?
Maybe she figured he was too inexperienced to know better? Hmph. Fine. He could play dumb. Pretending to be a clueless fool didn't cost him anything.
And this was the perfect chance to complete his Identity Exclusive Mission.
After all, making a hit show required not only a solid script but also talented actors.
As S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ace agent, Natasha's acting ability was beyond doubt. Which was why Herman's bold plan was simple—turn her into his tool for filmmaking. Whatever game S.H.I.E.L.D. was playing, he'd have her film first to help him finish his mission.
"I graduated less than a year ago, but I've already worked on several films. The earliest one should be released next year."
"Oh, and in one of them, I had quite a few scenes opposite an Oscar-winning actress." Natasha delivered her lines with effortless poise.
Everything she said could be found online—even photos of her with the award-winning actress. S.H.I.E.L.D. was nothing if not meticulous about cover stories.
"Whoa... your credentials are perfect."
Skye, who was checking Natasha's background, was stunned. This was definitely a rising star.
"Would you mind telling us why you're interested in a TV series?" Herman asked, feigning casual curiosity even though he'd already made up his mind.
He was determined to cast Natasha.
Was there any better actress than a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent? Those Hollywood starlets weren't even worthy of carrying Black Widow's shoes. Ordinary actors could afford to mess up—they'd just reshoot the scene. But for an agent, a bad performance meant game over.
This actress was his, no question.
As the saying went: the timid starve, the bold feast. He could use the filming process to slowly figure out what S.H.I.E.L.D. was really plotting.
Two birds with one stone.
Herman felt rather pleased with himself. After making the decision, his gaze toward Natasha softened noticeably.
Agent?
No.
A cheap tool.
You came to my door to investigate me, so once filming's done, if I dock just a little of your pay, I'm sure you'll understand... and accept it.
...
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