After accepting Fury's olive branch, the news of the former national hero's comeback soon spread to the outside world, and like when Captain America returned to society, Eric's appearance also attracted widespread attention. At the request of all sectors of society, S.H.I.E.L.D. specially arranged a press conference for him. And then there were the daily lectures -- in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington; and a variety of dinners, dances or charity galas. often don't even have time to change clothes when they get off the podium, so they rush to the next party.

This feeling must be familiar to Steve, who has participated in more than 200 national debt propaganda meetings since the success of the rebirth plan, and has become a household name in the war without firing a single bullet at the enemy.

Just like this day, a speech in front of Capitol Hill attracted a large number of media reporters and general audiences.

“…… Nothing can be more important than upholding justice and freedom. As we struggle on the front lines, enduring cold, mud, hunger, and stress to fight a powerful enemy, these sacred words can often give us extra strength to overcome external adversities and bounce back again...... Some people say I'm a hero, but I want to tell you that I'm honored to be able to fight alongside my heroic companions! ”

Eric dropped the script of the speech that had been prepared by someone else, and in Ulysses. He gave an impromptu speech in front of the monument to General Grant, and his attitude was calm and confident. His tone was witty and enthusiastic, and his body movements were also rich, and under his influence, thousands of people in the square were intoxicated by the frenzied atmosphere, and from time to time burst into bursts of cheers or laughter.

"Is this a run for president? He didn't do what I thought! A long-haired female agent with black-rimmed glasses lowered her binoculars and stood on top of the yellow rock-like building of the Museum of the American Indian and complained that she was flanked by two high-ranking members of S.H.I.E.L.D., Commander Hill and Agent Coulson, who had just been talking about the gentleman who had returned after Rogers, and that the recent events had made them feel like they were getting out of control, as if the situation was getting out of their hands.

"We can't control this person. Hand. Hill was not optimistic about her colleague's ideas in the first place, and now she is even less hopeful, she looks at the square from afar, carefully distinguishing familiar faces. Let's see who the guests are: three senators, five representatives, two army generals...... There is also Air Force Colonel Tarbert, who, by the way, his father, Tarbert Sr., had been under the command of the same person before his career, and had participated in the campaign against the Italian capital, and his family had been greatly favored. ”

Alerted by Hill, Agent Hand raised his binoculars again. Sure enough, I found that some people seemed to have a particularly strong relationship with their targets.

"In any case, he is also a veteran of S.H.I.E.L.D., and although he has not been involved in the actual management work, we can't ignore his influence, and I think Captain Rogers will support him as well. And the council won't let him fall to us either, so it's better to give up illusions as soon as possible and don't forget about our own work. Coulson shook his head and turned away first.

In the eyes of others. Eric is a keen rally enthusiast and may have some political ambitions, but in Eric's own eyes it's a different story. He saw new horizons, which is why he enjoyed these days.

As the speech progressed, wisps of electromagnetic waves of a specific frequency were emitted from the audience as usual, and they gradually became intense with the mood swings, and after a certain extent, they turned into a large electromagnetic field that resonated with him.

It's a strange feeling, as if Eric has returned to the long river of time, ready to switch to someone's inner world with his mind, and to know all of his experiences through the image of disillusionment, without the slightest resistance or concealment.

The electromagnetic field continued to evolve, and eventually became a pure spiritual force, slowly flowing around the center of everyone's attention, circling around him layer by layer like a great vortex of ideas converging.

At this moment, Eric's mouth was still speaking, but his heart had stopped thinking about it, and he watched this new power silently until it disappeared into nothingness.

Suddenly, he remembered the previous being who could only look up, and perhaps he had touched a door to a higher level.

At the end of the speech, after shaking hands with the guests, the people gradually dispersed, and then Fitz came over.

"Sir, you've said a great job." The boy was a little embarrassed, and he looked like he wanted to say something.

"Thanks, Leo." Eric smiled and looked not far away, where two women were gesturing to Agent Rookie. "Your friend?"

"It's Jane and Daisy, whom I met last time, and they asked me to do some personal things." Fitz explained that this time Zhenma stayed in New York to study the liquid creatures taken from Spider-Man's body, and that he followed Eric to Washington alone to meet an acquaintance.

Eric was a good boss, and he readily agreed.

"Go ahead, I'll give you a day off, but don't expect me to cover you in front of Jinma." Eric blinked, and the young boy's face was slightly red.

"We're not ...... relationship," Ignoring Fitz's feeble explanation, Eric's figure shook a few times and disappeared into the crowd.

When he reappeared, he had already arrived in a small square nearby, ignored unrelated tourists, and walked straight to a down-and-out street performer in a straw hat.

"Welcome back." The man laughed when he saw Eric.

"Thank you, but this is not consistent with your usual image, I thought that people with the surname Stark were dressed neatly every day and accompanied by luxury cars and beauties." Eric said casually, taking a seat next to the guy who was playing the guitar.

The wandering singer reached out and lifted the brim of his hat, revealing his familiar face - he had a sexy mustache and piercing eyes, it was none other than Tony's father, Howard, the founder of S.H.I.E.L.D., who was rumored to have died in a car accident.

"Didn't Fury tell you, times are different, you can disappear for fifty years and reappear, what's so strange about my dress?" He waved his hand. Play a few nasty notes to stimulate people nearby to move them farther away.

"But how could you be?" Eric asked, pointing at him. "Have you forgotten my reminder?"

"No, I remember very well, those rats in the gutter couldn't escape my eyes." Howard shook his head in denial. "I'm just too tired, I can live a long time thanks to your help, but external affairs suck my energy like a vampire: the interests of the country, the fate of the world, the future of humanity...... I've had enough of that. And Tony, who is also greedy for my time and doesn't want to let go of even a little bit of free time. But unlike Peggy, I didn't have the patience of a woman to work for decades, and I wanted to live my life, so when I felt more and more dissatisfied in my heart, and in order to prevent these grievances from turning into something even worse, I tried to leave. ”

"It's really willful." Eric casually commented that it was Howard himself who asked for cooperation.

"Don't say that, you don't understand how I feel." Howard rolled his eyes in protest. "It's like a game that keeps repeating itself, only it's fun at first. For the first 10 years I thought I could do anything, but then I felt more and more that it was boring to live too long, and I started to find ways to have fun with myself and let the bank fail. To make a fool of politicians, and even to get a photo of the president's nuclear button suitcase and the president's wife's underwear at the craziest time, I can start a nuclear war with just my mind, but I didn't do that. I just sat on the bed at breakfast admiring the figure of the First Lady and sent someone to bring the suitcase back, and no one ever noticed. ”

"Maybe you should write a memo. Sticking it to the president's dressing mirror reminds him of the safety of the White House and his wife's discipline. Looking at Howard's triumphant appearance, Eric sarcastically spoke.

"How do you know I didn't?" Howard asked rhetorically with a radiant face, but his good mood didn't last long, and he quickly fell again.

"This is the second decade, when I finished this, the third decade came, it was the most painful decade of my life, you know I'm a person of infinite inspiration, every moment my mind is bursting with fire, I never know tired, but that was before, in the third decade my inspiration suddenly dried up, I no longer knew what I had to do, it was like becoming a part, every day I was running a machine. That's when I knew I had run out of everything I could unless I destroyed the world. Living too long was a burden, and I started to get forgetful, lethargic, with no sense of urgency, no creativity, and it was a terrible feeling...... So when the fourth decade came, I slipped away without hesitation. ”

"The mood is understandable, how do you feel now?" Eric asked.

"In general, there is nothing worth pursuing, and there is no need to worry about tomorrow, and live like a dog." Howard stretched out his two long legs, very untemperamental and half-leaning on the plants in the flower bed, his body was still young, but his soul was already dull.

"I've spent my whole life destroying and using my intellect for profit, and the Rebirth Project is my only pride, I thought it would benefit humanity, but Steve is gone...... Finally I thought of a way to get me free—not death, Eric, but true rebirth. Howard muttered, handing over a photograph of a boy with his eyes closed.

"His name is Harley, he is five years old, he has a fever that has destroyed his brain, and his father has taken the opportunity to slip away...... Maybe it's an opportunity. ”

Howard didn't elaborate, but Eric understood what he meant.

"A biologist once told me that there are only two options for the cells that make up living things - immortality, or reproduction. If the habitat is not good, it will seek to exist for a long time, and if not, it will spread its descendants. Looks like you've found a third option, congratulations, Howard. ”

Eric glanced at the photo a few times and handed it back to Howard.

When he got back to his feet, the wandering artist plucked the guitar strings again, and this time it was no longer a cacophony of noise, but a pleasant note.

A special charm gushes out with Stark's fingers, and its melody precipitates Howard's wonderful life, from a lively child, to a rebellious teenager, to a high-spirited youth, and finally into the old age of life.

"Goodbye, friend."

Eric said goodbye silently and disappeared into the crowd that gathered around. (To be continued......)