Ti passed, and lin beca very close friends with Hank's family—to the point they almost wished they could live together.
Hope practically spent all her ti at lin's house when she wasn't in school. For one, she got along extrely well with Galon, treating him not like an older uncle but as a close friend. And two, she could ask lin anything about her studies whenever she had questions.
Hank, on the other hand, was genuinely jealous. He was a scientist too—one of the best! So why would Hope go ask lin instead of her own father? Was lin better than him? Did he have more PhDs?
Then…
Hope and Galon secretly opened the box where lin stored his degree certificates, laid them out neatly, took photos, and showed them to Hank.
Hank was instantly deflated. The house was full of PhD certificates—they had to take ten photos just to fit them all in.
Physics, chemistry, psychology, literature, history… you na it, he had it.
Hank grew frustrated. lin didn't even look older than him—probably in his early thirties at most. How on earth had he earned that many PhDs? And across such a wide range of fields: humanities, sciences, business, arts?
Hank's confidence in his own genius was seriously shaken. He started to question if he was still a genius at all.
lin, of course, knew about the whole thing but didn't stop them. After all, quietly waiting for life to go by could be boring—adding a little fun now and then wasn't a bad idea.
…
…
And those degrees? They were all real!
Back then, when a rule was made that Saints had to earn at least one PhD, it caused massive… well, not quite rebellion, but definitely a lot of complaints.
To set an example for the young Saints, lin personally earned over ten PhDs in one year, and after that, the kids behaved.
All except for one: Galon.
"Galon, I really wish just one of those certificates had your na on it," lin said in a mock sorrowful tone.
"Yes, I've embarrassed you, my lord," Galon answered quietly with his head down, practically clawing a three-bedroom apartnt out of the floor with his toes.
But seriously—he could endure any hardship in training and always fought for first place. But studying?
Please have rcy, my lord! A master's degree was already his limit! Anything beyond that was too much!
"Sigh, Galon, listen to …"
"Not again! Big brother, save ! Waaaah!" Galon was really about to cry. If lin had just hit him, he'd feel better. But the verbal lectures—always the sa three-hour "oral punishnt"—were absolute torture!
And he couldn't run. Even if he did, he couldn't escape. He could only accept his fate.
But maybe today fate decided to spare him. Just as the "harshest punishnt" began, a heated argunt erupted outside the door.
"Hank, long ti no see."
"Long ti no see, Peggy. You're still as beautiful as ever. Steve must've built up several lifetis of good karma to marry you. And you… despicable thief!"
"Hey, Hank, I've already explained what happened back then. Why won't you believe ?"
"Hmph! You think I'd believe that?"
"I really… sigh, never mind."
"Hmph! So you admit it, Howard? If it weren't for the fact that I didn't want Maria and your son to witness a brutal scene, I'd have beaten you black and blue!"
"Hank, back then—"
"That's enough, Maria. I don't want to argue. Nothing will change the fact that he stole my research! Out of old friendship, I won't call the police. Just leave."
Hank, of course, knew who the four people in front of him were. The police couldn't do anything to them, but if the scene blew up and got reported—officers from the world's security organizations, Captain, and the Stark family being taken in by the police—it would be a public relations disaster and damage both their reputations and careers.
"Actually, we're not here for you, Hank. We didn't even know you lived here," Howard said with a shrug, though he knew Hank wouldn't believe him.
"Save it for soone gullible, Howard. You think you can just let leave your control? A genius scientist like , holding technology that could change the world, and you'd just let go? No way!"
"Cough, well… we really didn't co for you," Steve added, coughing awkwardly. He'd always gotten along with Hank, and even though Hank left the organization, their relationship wasn't as strained as Hank's with Howard.
"I really misjudged you, Steve. I thought you were my friend, but now you're telling the sa lies!"
"Hank, we—"
"Enough!" Peggy tried to explain, but Hank angrily cut her off. By now, he was certain they had joined forces to deceive him—to get his Pym Particles!
"Save your tricks. I'm not giving you the Pym Particles."
With that, he turned to go back inside and slam the door. But just then, lin stepped out.
"What's going on?" lin asked, feigning confusion. In truth, he already knew everything before he ca out.
"Hey, lin, it's nothing. Just a bunch of thieves. Don't worry, I've got this…" Hank tried to persuade lin not to get involved. He saw lin as a friend and didn't want him to get caught up in this.
But before he could finish speaking, sothing that left him dumbfounded happened.
"Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. lin," Peggy and the others completely ignored Hank and respectfully bowed to lin.
Hank had never seen anything like it!
Howard was one of the proudest people alive. Peggy, one of the most assertive. Yet here they were, showing soone such deep respect—not even the president got treated like this!
Hank now looked at lin differently. He began to question lin's true identity. He had already suspected lin wasn't ordinary—but now, it seed he was far from it.
Soon, Hank's face changed again—to fury, feeling betrayed.
"You're one of them!?" Hank demanded.
"No, Hank. To be precise… we are his people," Peggy said softly, then made a gesture. The agents behind her imdiately began clearing the crowd.
"You… you work for him?" Hank's genius brain couldn't quite catch up.
Given Peggy, Steve, and Howard's current statuses and reputations, even their so-called bosses didn't dare ss with them. On paper, they were employees, but in reality, they answered to no one. They'd never admitted to serving anyone.
But now, they had publicly declared themselves subordinates of lin.
So who exactly was lin? Soone higher than those people?
"Co inside. Hank, you too. Misunderstandings should be cleared up early, don't you think?" lin said with a gentle smile.
Hank was reluctant at first. He didn't think there was a misunderstanding, and he didn't want to talk to Howard. But sohow, lin's calm voice carried a kind of magic—making people instinctively want to obey.
"Fine, I'll just tell Hope first—"
"Bring her along. Leaving a little girl at ho by herself, she'd feel lonely. Galon can keep her company."
"…Alright."
In the end, Galon took Hope off to play. So things weren't for children to hear—not even for Tony Stark, who was already an adult. He still wasn't suited to these kinds of discussions.
Hank sat down, but he still glared at Howard with undisguised hatred. If looks could kill, Howard would've died thousands of tis by now.
"Heh, relax, Hank. Have so tea." lin handed him a cup gently.
Though Hank's glare didn't fade, he still took the cup and sipped.
"Mmm~ As expected of your tea, lin—so refreshing." The fragrant taste slid down his throat, calming his anger. Hank felt noticeably less agitated.
"As long as you like it."
"Tea brewed by Mr. lin?"
"Damn it, Mr. lin—you even know how to do this?"
"Hank, you're really lucky. If certain people found out you drank tea made by Mr. lin himself, they'd die of jealousy."
…
"What, is he really that amazing?" Hank asked, already losing count of how many tis he'd been stunned by Peggy and the others' reverent attitude toward lin.
Peggy and the rest gave a wry smile and shook their heads. "Calling Mr. lin 'amazing' doesn't even begin to describe it."
"So… who are you really?" Hank looked at lin and asked.
"? I'm lin—you already know that, don't you?" lin smiled and poured more tea for the others.
"I'm not asking your na, I'm asking about your identity!" Hank pressed, feeling like he was being played again.
"Hank, don't you think the na lin… sounds really familiar?" Howard asked with a chuckle.
To ordinary people, lin's existence was a secret. But to those in the upper echelons and global organizations, he was anything but a secret—especially after the major incident he stirred up recently.
"Shut up, Howard. I don't want to talk to you," Hank snapped—but even so, Howard's reminder got him thinking. lin… why did that na sound so familiar?
"If you need a hint: Greece. Sanctuary," Peggy added.
"Greece… Sanctuary… lin… You're lin?! The lin from the Greek Sanctuary!?"
With Peggy's help, Hank finally rembered why that na sounded so familiar.
Everything about the Greek Sanctuary was top-secret. Most agents didn't even have clearance. But Hank did. Howard, Peggy, and Steve had also warned him multiple tis not to ss with anyone from the Sanctuary.
"If there isn't another lin at the Greek Sanctuary, then yes, that's ," lin said with a smile.
"Mother f—!"
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