In response to Lin Rui’s inquiry, Loki didn’t answer directly but instead posed a question of his own. As the God of Mischief from Asgard, Loki’s credibility under normal circumstances was indeed questionable.
Moreover, the matters that Lin Rui had just discussed with Loki required a significant level of trust. Considering Loki’s previous actions, he felt that Lin Rui shouldn’t be cooperating with him on this risky plan.
“Why should I trust you? Don’t bring up titles like the God of Mischief; those are just labels. The most crucial point is that, no matter what, you are on our side, and you do what you do for the sake of Asgard,” Lin Rui responded, waving away Loki’s concerns.
Upon hearing Lin Rui’s response, Loki fell silent again. It seemed that Lin Rui genuinely trusted him. However, he couldn’t help but wonder whether he should really go along with the audacious plan Lin Rui had just described. For Loki, the most important thing was his own survival!
Seeing Loki remain silent once more, Lin Rui couldn’t contain himself any longer and spoke up.
“I’ve already told you the entire plan, and I trust you completely. Furthermore, I won’t force you, and I can’t force you. Whether you choose to carry out this plan depends entirely on your own willingness.”
“Of course, I’ve also told you the purpose of this plan and the terrifying nature of the target individual. The rest is up to you— whether you choose to continue protecting Asgard or abandon it, even wander the Nine Realms in the vast universe, and take your chances with that fifty percent luck.”
In order to persuade Loki to cooperate with his plan, Lin Rui resorted to using his silver tongue, a skill not often employed. However, Lin Rui knew that he could say as much as he wanted; after all, Loki’s intelligence was top-notch.
As the God of Mischief, Loki had already calculated all the consequences and possibilities upon hearing the complete plan.
“Heh… it seems like there really isn’t anyone suitable to assist you with this plan other than me,” Loki said with a wry smile, finally breaking his silence in response to Lin Rui’s persuasive words.
As he revisited the plan Lin Rui had just shared, even Loki, who was known for his audacity, couldn’t help but think that the youngster sitting beside him had an extraordinary level of courage. However, if this plan were to succeed, perhaps…
When the global meeting to establish the Earth Federation temporarily adjourned, Lin Rui contacted Loki through Thor. They arranged to meet in this quiet park. After their meeting, Lin Rui wasted no time in revealing the plan he had envisioned for a long time, seeking Loki’s assistance.
Lin Rui’s plan was deceptively simple: to retrieve the one and only Mind Stone from Thanos’s grasp. In the original storyline, Loki who fell from the Bifrost easily borrowed the Mind Stone from Thanos to launch an attack on Earth.
Now, all Lin Rui needed was for Loki to put on a show in front of Thanos and acquire the Mind Stone.
Of course, this plan sounded simple in theory, but in practice, no one could predict what unexpected twists might occur. As the protagonist responsible for executing the plan, Loki would face Thanos head-on, with no guarantee of his own survival.
According to Lin Rui’s plan, Loki would incite a conflict among Asgard’s princes over the succession to the throne, competing with Thor. Due to Earth’s intervention in helping Thor, Loki would lose the fight and be exiled to the vast cosmos.
Exiled and filled with resentment, Loki would harbor not only hatred for Thor but also extreme bitterness toward Earth, which had supported Thor’s cause. Therefore, the surviving Loki, driven by a desire for vengeance and seeking greater power, would naturally turn to Thanos as an ideal choice.
After all, Earth possessed something that Thanos coveted: the Infinity Stones, and there was more than one. The Space Stone was in Lin Rui’s possession, the Time Stone was with the Ancient One sorcerers, possibly now in the hands of Stephen Strange, and the Reality Stone had been concealed by Asgard.
In other words, Earth and Asgard alone already held half of the six Infinity Stones that Thanos sought to collect.
With these Infinity Stones as bait, Thanos should lend the Mind Stone to Loki to attack Earth, just as in the original storyline. Of course, the condition was that Loki’s performance had to be convincing enough, and there was another issue to be resolved.
That issue was Malekith, the Dark Elf who had escaped from the Nine Realms a month earlier; he was likely on his way to seek Thanos as well.
Malekith’s purpose in seeking Thanos was not for the Mind Stone but to enlist Thanos’ help in the Dark Elves’ quest to rule the Nine Realms. For this, he would undoubtedly offer Thanos the Reality Stone, which he had previously considered indispensable.
Therefore, when Loki went to find Thanos, he would have to confront this unexpected situation involving Malekith, a plot element not present in the original storyline.
How Loki would manage to borrow the Mind Stone from Thanos in front of Malekith depended entirely on Loki’s cunning, and Lin Rui wasn’t entirely confident about it. However, he believed Loki could handle the situation.
As for the earlier plan to stage a power struggle among the brothers, Lin Rui could certainly orchestrate Earth’s cooperation seamlessly. At the very least, they could ensure that Loki was unceremoniously thrown off the Bifrost.
Afterward, once Loki successfully acquired the Mind Stone, Lin Rui would use the Space Stone to open a spatial tunnel to assist Loki’s attack on Earth.
Of course, at that point, when Loki emerged from the spatial tunnel wielding the Mind Stone scepter, the quest would be completed. What remained was Earth’s preparedness to deal with the Chitauri forces.
With the formation of the Earth Federation on the horizon, Earth’s development was undoubtedly entering a phase of rapid acceleration. By the time Loki brought the Chitauri army, Earth would be brimming with aerial warships and advanced technology, poised to confront the threat.
Even if Earth’s technological and military capabilities were not yet sufficient to handle the Chitauri army independently, the spatial tunnel under Lin Rui’s control could be instantly closed, sealing off the enemy’s advance route.
At that point, the number of enemies allowed through would be at Lin Rui’s discretion, firmly keeping the situation under control.
This was Lin Rui’s plan—the plan to seize the Mind Stone from Thanos’ grasp!
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