After the misunderstanding was resolved, Natasha and Coulson felt much more at ease.
As agents, they knew that what Lu Yi said might not be entirely true—but the odds that it was true were far greater. The probability was at least 80% to 90%.
Moreover, they had just fought together against suspected HYDRA operatives. The likelihood that both of them were not HYDRA was almost 100%.
Why was Lu Yi's credibility so high, while their trust in each other was so thin?
Natasha and Coulson's reasoning followed three principles.
First, Lu Yi had a deep hatred toward HYDRA.
If HYDRA truly existed within S.H.I.E.L.D., then the people they encountered earlier must have been HYDRA. That meant HYDRA had set their eyes on Lu Yi's belongings.
This was a blood feud.
Given Lu Yi's personality—someone who would never tolerate loss—he would definitely seek revenge. His expose of HYDRA's secrets wasn't necessarily to destroy every single HYDRA agent.
But knowing there was hatred between them, Lu Yi would never allow HYDRA members to appear before him. If they did, they would surely die. That was practically certain.
Second, Lu Yi was an outsider who had already gathered intelligence and was actively spreading hostility toward HYDRA.
When is a person most authentic?
Exactly—when they are the least prepared.
Lu Yi's senses were incredibly sharp—sharp enough that neither Natasha nor Coulson had ever noticed anything strange.
In other words, Lu Yi must have observed them precisely when they were most relaxed, when their true selves were most exposed.
No human being can stay alert 24 hours a day, year-round. Everyone lets their guard down at some point. Even top agents like them were no exception. In those unguarded moments, their genuine nature was revealed.
Coulson knew this. So did Natasha.
The third reason was that they were agents—elite agents.
The stronger the agent, the higher the probability they were lying. Trust might exist, but it would never be the foundation of their cooperation. They were always prepared to betray and always prepared to be betrayed.
If mutual trust were truly that important—if true trust were achievable—HYDRA within S.H.I.E.L.D. would have been exposed long ago. Because genuine trust requires knowing everything about the other person.
These three points led them to realize that what Lu Yi said weighed far more than any trust they had in each other. They trusted Lu Yi more.
Because he trusted Lu Yi, Coulson said, "Can you help us find more people who are loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. was now effectively HYDRA's headquarters. They couldn't tell who was loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D. and who was HYDRA. The two of them could only trust each other, but they were in no position to start cleansing the organization. Expecting the two of them alone to fight HYDRA from within was laughable.
They could turn on each other the moment they started working together.
The voice of the people can melt gold.
When enough people believe in something, it becomes truth.
To reorganize S.H.I.E.L.D. from within, they needed allies—others who were also loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.
"That's no problem at all," Lu Yi replied. He understood exactly what they needed and didn't refuse.
HYDRA was highly organized and deeply rooted. Without Lu Yi's involvement, the idea of two agents dismantling HYDRA was pure fantasy.
Coulson hadn't expected Lu Yi to consider this in advance. When Lu Yi agreed, Coulson could barely contain his joy; hope finally appeared.
"Then who is loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Coulson asked after calming himself.
"First, your Director is definitely one of them—you don't need to doubt that."
Natasha and Coulson nodded. That aligned with their own conclusions.
HYDRA could hide inside S.H.I.E.L.D. for so long only because someone in the upper ranks helped cover it up—but both Natasha and Coulson silently believed Nick Fury wasn't one of them.
On one hand, Fury was extremely charismatic. On the other, he simply didn't fit as a HYDRA agent.
If Fury were HYDRA, they wouldn't have been attacked when retrieving the Darkhold—they would've returned empty-handed. Or better yet, HYDRA would have handled everything themselves.
"Next, a woman named Hill—she's not HYDRA either."
Maria Hill was Nick Fury's right-hand woman. It wasn't surprising she wasn't HYDRA. If Fury wasn't HYDRA, his closest aide wouldn't be either.
"And finally, Hawkeye and Captain America are absolutely not HYDRA."
Hawkeye's involvement was still pending!
And Captain America certainly wasn't HYDRA—everyone knew he had fought and destroyed HYDRA in the past. Natasha and Coulson both accepted this as common knowledge.
Lu Yi had helped them identify four loyal individuals.
Four wasn't a lot—but these four were exceptional: two elite combat specialists, one high-level commander, and one strategic powerhouse. Together, they could produce unexpected results. Natasha and Coulson secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"HYDRA is indeed powerful," Lu Yi continued. "So let's begin. I'll give you two breakthrough points and one thing to be cautious about."
"What breakthroughs?" Natasha asked urgently.
If Lu Yi was saying this, it must be important.
"There is someone inside S.H.I.E.L.D. responsible specifically for contacting HYDRA. This person can give you a list of HYDRA members. And inside HYDRA, there is one very powerful figure who can help you dismantle HYDRA quickly. Those are your two breakthroughs."
"Then what should we be cautious about?"
"Captain America."
"Captain America? Didn't you just say he's loyal to S.H.I.E.L.D.? Why should we be careful? What's wrong with him?" Coulson asked nervously.
He was a die-hard Captain America fan; the moment he heard his hero was involved, he couldn't stay calm.
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