"I heard you're on vacation?"

Fury's voice followed the built-in voice module of Icarus, and it rang in Merlin's ears between the contact of his skin. In the lens in front of Merlin, he could see the director sitting in the office, dealing with daily affairs.

He had no expression on his face, just like Merlin's expression every time he saw him, which meant Fury's mood, not very good or bad.

"Yes, I'm on vacation, only one day."

Merlin held his cat, and his figure mixed with a group of tourists entering the Parthenon. Under the morning sunlight, there were not many tourists in this famous historical site.

While looking at the surrounding scenery and the absent-minded security personnel, he used Icarus's environmental scanning function to find his own goal.

He said to Fury:

"The situation in Sulphur Harbor is getting better every day. After receiving support from the Fairy Chamber of Commerce and monsters, our census and information registration work for that city has been quickly launched. The prisoners of the dark wizards were also sent to Canada's Forbidden Demon Prison in batches, and everything is getting better, so I decided to give myself a vacation. Is there any problem? Fury."

"No, no problem."

Fury said:

"I want to tell you that I just sent Pierce away. He came to put pressure on me again. What you did in Sulphur Port is very suitable for his appetite. He praised you as the true executor and guardian of the human social order. In fact, if I hadn't known that you were not related by blood, I would even think you were Pierce's relatives or something."

"He praised you like he was like his son, which made me feel a little stingy."

"so what?"

Merlin asked:

"You and I know that Chief Pierce does occasionally act emotionally, just like he has many times bypassed the rules to support S.H.E.L.D.'

"Yes, I know he will."

Fury rubbed his forehead with some headache, and he said:

"But the bad news I want to tell you is that I can't withstand the pressure he puts on me and prepare for promotion, Merlin. Maybe next month, or next month, the reward order will be sent to you, you will be promoted to level 9, and then leave sl.d. and enter the top management."

"I have already told Hill to start preparing your office for you, and the functions and powers you will have in the future at the headquarters are still being discussed, but what I can tell you is that you should still be responsible for the areas related to heterogeneous and supernatural affairs, after all, you are an expert in this regard."

"Too fast, Fury."

Merlin frowned and said:

"You should know that now is not a good time."

"I know, but Pierce has begun to accuse me of playing with power and suppressing heroes."

Fury said:

"You didn't see the scene just now. That old man almost fought with me. In short, there is no need to discuss this matter. If we don't want to push Pierce further, I'll give you a month to arrange the follow-up affairs of sl.d., reset the organizational structure after you leave, and report to me the candidates for the minister and command level you recommended."

"Also, don't worry that your department will go astray. I mentioned Pierce, and he also agreed to place sl.d. in your management area, that is, it is still your direct department, and no one can insert his hand into it as long as you want."

"I'm here, and I'm not here, are two concepts, Fury."

Merlin said:

"I'm not worried about their administrative abilities, what I'm worried about is their execution and deterrence, but you're right. I can't keep leading them forward. Let's do it, at the end of this month, let's really start the 'dressing' plan."

"Didn't you say that there is a possibility of further improvement in that ceremony?"

Fury asked:

“Have you studied it in depth successfully?”

"No, my researcher is still trying to simplify it day and night. She has successfully found a replacement for neutralizers, but the overall ritual simplification is not that easy, which is a long-term job."

Merlin said:

"But before I leave, I want to improve the advantages of sl.d as much as possible. It is very necessary to deal with aliens and armed deterrence. First conduct a transformation ceremony, and then wait until Lillian completes the simplification of the ceremony, and then carry out subsequent transformations."

"Can."

Fury said:

"How many people are you planning to convert this time?"

"It's about 60-80 agents."

Merlin pushed his glasses and said:

"Including Colson and the others, it's exactly the size of two teams, which can temporarily ensure that they can handle burst S-level events independently."

"Well, I'll approve the plan to me these days."

Fury picked up the water cup on the lens. While drinking water, he put his hands in his pocket. He walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside. He said:

"There is one more thing. As a leader in charge of a module, you may need a think tank. I mean, when you come to the headquarters to take office, you should at least have an assistant. Should you find it yourself, or should I give you one?"

"Of course it would be best if you can transfer Hill over."

Merlin joked:

"I highly recognize her work ability."

"Don't even think about it."

Fury refused:

"Transfer Hill to your office, my work system will be almost paralyzed. Hill knows too many secrets. She is not suitable for leaving the director's office. And the little scandal between you two is not suitable."

"You know that Hill and I are just a pure friend relationship. Don't spread the slander out of nothing. OK, I'll think about it again."

Merlin said:

"I might choose one from Colson, Melinda and Sharon to go to the headquarters with me, and I'll give you a reply next week."

"Okay, I'll wait for your news."

Fury said:

“And, have a good vacation.”

"Well, see you next week, Fury."

Merlin hung up the communication, and in another lens in Icarus, near the Parthenon ruins, a very inconspicuous staff lounge hundreds of meters away was locked.

In the enlarged image of Icarus, the door lock of the seemingly abandoned lounge is in line with the outline of the bronze key in Merlin's hand.

Meilin held the cat and walked towards the door quietly, but when approaching it, she was stopped by a staff member. He looked at the cat in Meilin's hand, then looked at Meilin, and he said:

"Sorry, sir, this is a staff seating area, you can't"

"No, I can."

Merlin's fingers were gently pinched, and under the influence of the Axifer seal, there was a hint of temptation in his voice, he said:

"You should know, I have enough permission to enter any area here, right? Sir."

The security personnel in front of Meilin's eyes were dull for a moment, then nodded quickly, and he said to Meilin respectfully:

"Yes, sir, everything here is open to you."

"Very good, don't tell anyone else I've been there."

Merlin hugged Gugu and walked towards the door as if no one was around, and he said:

“Go to work.”

Behind him, the security officer turned around and continued to maintain order.

"Click"

Instead of using the key, Merlin threw out a lock-opening spell. Amid the impact of several gears, the disguised door was opened. There was a warehouse with many things piled up. It seemed that no one had been here for a long time, and the debris were even covered with dust.

Merlin closed the door and stood in the darkness. In the scanning image of Icarus' environment, he soon discovered a passage blocked by debris, leading to the underground, like a sewer.

His figure quickly turned into black smoke, rolling Gugu in it. The two of them easily entered the downward passage without moving any debris.

This is not a sewer, but a downwardly rotating step. Judging from the material of the step, it should be a very ancient area. Maybe it is a building from the same period as the Parthenon, but for some reason, it has been closed, and the passage above has been completely welded to death. It seems to be hidden by man.

This made Merlin smell the secret.

He went down, stretching the passage in the darkness, and finally came to an underground cave, and next to the pool of the cave, there was a broken statue.

But there is no one here.

"So, do you have to wait?"

Merlin glanced left and right and saw a blurry sign of the Assassin Brotherhood on the wall on the other side of the pool, but according to the peeling and falling rocks, no one has been here for at least decades, but before that, this should have been a stronghold of the Assassin Brotherhood.

"Then wait."

Meilin took out his pocket watch, looked at the time, and said to the Gugu in his arms:

"We have 17 hours to wait. After 17 hours, the vacation is over and it's time to go home."

"Meow"

Gugu screamed boredly, and it jumped out of Meilin's arms and ran to the edge of the pool. It looked at the fish wandering with its carefree tail in the pool. The cat seemed to be interested.

It started slapping the water, as if it was planning to catch fish and taste it.

Merlin leaned under the broken statue, and a faint light oozed out from the cracks above, bringing the only light to the dark cave.

He picked up the magic book and started reading it.
To be continued...