Chapter 2204 - Ch: 31-40

Chapter 31: Kingpin (Part 2)

"Is it funny?"

A voice filled with mockery and amusement came from behind Kingpin.

"It's hilarious! Didn't you see him get… by me…"

The grin on Kingpin's face froze instantly, like a plaster mask hardened by frost.

He whipped his head around, but because the movement was too fast, the wound on his neck tore open further, spraying blood.

klein stood unscathed behind him, hands in his jeans pockets, his face wearing undisguised mockery, as if he had just finished watching a monkey show.

Meanwhile, the body that had been pierced through the heart by his laser was currently melting like a candle. It rapidly softened and collapsed, turning into a pile of intertwined, nearly transparent threads that scattered on the ground, finally slowly turning into specks of light and dissipating into the air.

klein mocked Kingpin, "I don't know what you're so happy about. I was just testing the ability of the'Shadow Riding Thread'. You didn't really think you could kill me, did you? Seriously? You didn't, right? Are you really that naive?!"

"What is this thing?" Kingpin asked klein, voicing his confusion.

"Seeing as you're about to die, I'll be merciful and explain it to you!

This is a clone I wove out of threads that is exactly like me. How about it, Fatty Kingpin? Looks like it's quite useful, right."

Looking at the giant, who was now full of disbelief and shock, klein clicked his tongue.

"That thing that shot out of your cane earlier, you call that a laser? Let me show you what a real…"

Before he even finished speaking, klein's eyes suddenly lit up!

Two even more violent, more intense, deep red beams of light, as if connected to an endless sea of energy, erupted from klein's pupils, radiating destructive high heat!

"Whoosh—!!!"

The speed was so fast that Kingpin couldn't react in time at all!

He couldn't even see how the red light shot out; he only felt an indescribable burning pain and a sense of hollowness in his chest.

He subconsciously lowered his head and saw that on his chest, which was as thick as a city wall, right where his heart should be, there was a fist-sized, charred, circular hole that went right through him.

Through that hole, he could even see the cracks on the wall behind him.

"Urgh…" Kingpin made a strange rattling sound in his throat. His massive body swayed, and the last glimmer of life in his eyes faded rapidly, still holding extreme shock, unwillingness, and a trace of bewilderment.

It seemed that even in death, he didn't understand how he could have died in such a… simple way.

klein raised his right hand again, fingers pressed together like a blade, and swung it casually horizontally towards Kingpin's thick neck.

"Super Strangling Whip!"

In an instant, a milky white "giant whip," formed by thousands of threads tightly wound, compressed, and solidified, as thick as an arm, swept across with a piercing whistle through the air!

"Swish—!"

A crisp, clean sound.

Kingpin's huge, hideous head flew into the air!

The severed neck was smooth as a mirror, and blood shot up like a fountain, tracing an exquisitely tragic crimson arc under the light of the brilliant yet shattered chandelier in the living room.

"Thud."

As Kingpin's hairless head rolled onto the carpet, his massive headless body swayed twice and then collapsed with a boom.

"Tsk, he couldn't take a hit at all. I thought I could play for a while longer." He pursed his lips, feeling a bit unsatisfied.

"However, this Cyclops power is indeed extraordinary. The energy is concentrated, the penetration is strong, and the speed is extremely fast."

He walked over to Kingpin's headless corpse, bent down, pried the ruby-encrusted cane from his tight grip, and weighed it in his hand.

"Laser cane? This thing is actually quite interesting. I'll keep it and take it apart to study later."

klein didn't look at the body that had once intimidated New York again, and walked straight to Murdoch, who was lying in the corner, barely breathing.

This devil of Hell's Kitchen was in a sorry state right now—his mask was shattered, his uniform torn, his exposed skin covered in bruises, and the weak rise and fall of his chest was almost imperceptible.

klein kicked Murdoch, "Are you dead? If not, make a sound! Hey? Hey?"

Seeing that Murdoch didn't move, klein quickly crouched down to check.

Murdoch couldn't die; he had already paid the reward in advance—to kill Kingpin.

Otherwise, where would he find a free lawyer in the future?

klein immediately drew two talismans on Murdoch's body.

As his fingers traced, pale blue trails of light condensed in the air into two complex, phantom talismans that emitted a cool, watery vapor—the "Water Element · Nourishing Life Talisman."

The moment the talismans formed, they gently descended and landed precisely on the most severe wounds on Murdoch's chest.

"Hum…"

The pale blue halo rippled out like water and quickly seeped into his skin.

Murdoch's body jerked violently, and an unconscious groan escaped his throat.

The edges of those wounds, deep enough to see the bone, saw granulation tissue wriggling, intertwining, and healing at a speed visible to the naked eye;

The bruised blood dissipated rapidly, and the broken ribs made a slight "click" sound as they reset under his skin;

His paper-white complexion gradually regained a hint of color. Although he was still weak, that aura of impending death had quietly faded away.

"Cough… cough cough!" Murdoch suddenly coughed violently, spat out a few clots of black blood, and finally slowly regained consciousness.

"You woke up pretty fast." klein grinned and withdrew his hand, "Lawyer, your physical fitness is not bad; you're more tenacious than a cockroach. I really thought you were going to kick the bucket."

Murdoch ignored his teasing, struggled to prop up his upper body, and his super senses immediately "looked" toward the center of the living room.

He smelled the thick, nauseating stench of blood and "sensed" that massive body that had once weighed on his heart like a mountain; it had now completely lost all signs of life.

A long silence.

For a long time, Murdoch just let out a long, long sigh, as if that breath carried the burden he had accumulated for half his life.

He turned toward klein's direction. Although he could not see, the movement was still filled with an indescribable solemnity.

"Thank you." He said. His voice was hoarse but clear and firm.

"You're welcome, it was just a side task." klein waved his hand, stood up, and looked around the chaotic penthouse.

"Alright, lawyer, take some time to recover. I need to go harvest my spoils."

klein didn't pay any more attention to Murdoch, who was still lying on the ground with his breathing gradually stabilizing, and turned to walk quickly toward Kingpin's large, heavy mahogany desk.

During the fight earlier, he had deliberately stayed several meters away from this desk, all to protect the computer on it.

He skillfully started the computer, the screen lit up, he entered the password, unlocked the computer, and the desktop popped up.

klein's fingers flew across the keyboard, bringing up a special account interface.

This was Kingpin's most core, cleanest offshore account, which held the life-saving money he had prepared for washing his reputation or dealing with extreme situations.

Almost ten billion U.S. dollars.

klein pulled up the dozen or so shell companies and global bank accounts he had long prepared, his fingers turning into a blur on the keyboard.

The money was first moved to Zurich, Switzerland → then passed through London, Britain → Vienna, Austria → Limassol, Cyprus → Hong Kong, China → Tokyo, Japan → and finally flowed back to an investment company account in New York, United States that had just been registered and had a clean background.

Ten minutes, just ten minutes.

A massive sum of several billion U.S. dollars completed a complex, dazzling world tour in the shadows of the global financial network.

Every stop left behind legal "investment trails" and "transaction vouchers," and all paths could withstand the strictest tax and anti-money laundering audits.

In the end, the money lay safely in the name of an offshore holding company klein had registered in the Cayman Islands, and then, through legal investment methods, entered the account of his newly established "Five Elements Investment Group" in New York.

The whole process was smooth and seamless, as if it had been practiced thousands of times.

"Done." klein closed the laptop, pulled out the thread, and let out a long sigh of relief.

If you ask why klein was so proficient?

It was, of course, thanks to the "Parasitic Thread." During this time, klein had long since figured out all of Kingpin's secrets.

Chapter 32: Destroying the Evidence

klein took Kingpin's only clean assets and then began searching the room.

There was no clean money in the accounts, but Kingpin still had plenty of cash and jewelry here.

He walked to a wall hanging an abstract oil painting and reached out to press a few inconspicuous protrusions on the edge of the frame in a specific order.

"Click."

With a soft sound, the heavy oil painting and a small section of the wall behind it rotated inward, revealing an alloy safe embedded in the wall.

klein pursed his lips, placed his hand on the cold alloy door, and through "Radar Perception," the structure of the safe became clear, and a subtle Five Elements Gold Power permeated inside.

"Snap... Hiss..."

The complex mechanical combination lock and electronic lock were destroyed simultaneously from the inside, and the safe door popped open.

Inside, besides a large amount of cash, there were some real estate deeds, stock certificates, leverage on some politicians, as well as keys and passwords for several Swiss bank vaults.

klein didn't even look at those documents, just stuffed the keys and password slips into his pocket. These things might come in handy later.

Then klein took out an oversized travel bag and packed all the U.S. dollars from the safe into it.

He did a rough count; it was about ten million.

Next, he walked to the corner of the study and stepped on a slightly loose floor tile.

The tile was pried open, revealing a hidden compartment underneath, where four or five hundred glistening gold bars were neatly stacked, shining with an alluring luster under the light.

"I knew you old guy had a stash." klein chuckled and unceremoniously gathered all the gold bars into another travel bag.

He circled the room again to confirm there were no other hidden treasures before carrying the two heavy bags back to the living room.

Murdoch had already propped himself up with his cane, barely standing, "facing" Kingpin's headless corpse, standing in silence.

"Stop reminiscing, Lawyer." klein walked over and patted his shoulder. "Debts are cleared when a person dies. Your revenge is exacted, and I've got my money. We're square."

Murdoch slowly turned around. Although wearing sunglasses, klein could feel his complex emotions.

"mr. klein, after tonight... New York's underworld will likely be turned upside down."

"Let it flip. None of my business." klein said dismissively, "Out with the old, in with the new. Just right, with the territory vacated, maybe my business will be easier to run."

"Finders keepers, Lawyer." klein dropped the two heavy travel bags on the floor with a dull thud.

"This bag is greenbacks, that bag is yellow bars. Each bag is worth about ten million plus. Pick one; consider it your hard-earned fee."

Murdoch turned his head, his sunglasses facing the direction of the two bags of wealth. He was silent for a few seconds, then shook his head very slowly and firmly.

"I don't want it."

"Don't want it?" klein raised an eyebrow as if he'd heard something strange. "More than ten million U.S. dollars, and you just say you don't want it? Lawyer, isn't your awareness a bit too high? Think it's dirty? Don't worry, this money is very clean; it's the life-saving money Kingpinkept at the bottom of his box, never stained with human blood."

"It's not that I think it's dirty." Murdoch's voice was steady but clear. "I came here this time with a heart prepared for death to avenge myself. As a result... I didn't help at all and almost became a burden to you. If you hadn't intervened at the end, I would already be a corpse. I have no face to take this money."

"Damn it!" klein was angered to laughter by his rhetoric. He put his hands on his hips, walked around Murdoch, and looked him up and down as if looking at some alien creature.

"I'm telling you, Lawyer, are you sick? Did Kingpin beat your brain out? More than ten million! U.S. dollars! And you tell me you have no face to take it? How much money can you make in a year as a lawyer? Stop acting so high and mighty!"

"I don't need money." Murdoch stated calmly. "My law firm's profits are enough to sustain my life. Besides, I didn't become a lawyer to get rich."

"You don't need money? And you can say you don't need ten million plus?" klein's voice rose, carrying an incredulous tone as if looking at an idiot.

Murdoch shook his head again. "mr. klein, I appreciate your kindness. But principles are principles. I helped you because we had an agreement, and also because Kingpindeserved to die. Not for money. I won't take this money."

"Damn, you stubborn fool! Fine, fine, fine, you're high and mighty, you're amazing! If you don't want it, forget it, it all belongs to me! Don't you dare regret it later!"

Murdoch shook his head. "mr. klein, all I wanted was for Kingpin to die. Now you have done that for me. I have no regrets!"

"Tsk, you really are boring." klein shrugged, no longer insisting, and slung the two heavy travel bags over his shoulders.

"If you don't want it, fine, just as well since I'm a bit strapped for cash lately. However, this is no place to linger. The FBI, NYPD, and those remaining scum under Kingpinwho aren't dead yet will probably swarm here soon like sharks smelling blood. Let's retreat, let's go."

Murdoch nodded; he also knew they had to leave immediately.

However, he was seriously injured. Although his life was temporarily sustained by the talisman, blood loss and internal organ damage made his footsteps unsteady.

He could only let klein support him, and the two walked quickly toward the door.

Before leaving the door, a cold sneer curled on klein's lips. He brought his right index and middle fingers together and quickly traced a few times in the air.

A complex-structured, crimson talisman phantom exuding a volatile aura flashed and vanished, silently sinking into the carpet.

"Fire Element, High-Explosive Flame Talisman."

After finishing this, klein did not linger, supported Murdoch, walked out the door without looking back, and quickly moved down along the emergency exit.

They had just reached the first-floor lobby when they heard a dull "boom" explosion from the top floor.

Orange-red flames, mixed with heat waves and a burnt smell, came rushing toward them.

The fire spread rapidly, greedily devouring everything flammable—the expensive carpet, solid wood furniture, leather sofas, those valuable collectibles, and Kingpin's headless corpse.

This talisman fire, with its power and range carefully controlled, would burn away all traces of what happened here tonight, whether it was bloodstains, damage from the battle, or biological information that shouldn't be left behind, leaving only a completely unrecognizable fire ruin for the fire department and investigators.

Faint siren sounds had already started to come from the street downstairs, getting closer and closer, increasingly piercing.

klein steered Murdoch through the apartment's back alley and found the black sedan left behind by Scarface.

He shoved Murdoch into the passenger seat, threw the two travel bags into the back seat, jumped into the driver's seat, started the engine, shifted gears, and floored the accelerator.

The car, like a wild horse off its leash, silently drove out of the alley and quickly disappeared at the end of the neon-lit street.

According to the address Murdoch whispered, the car stopped at the edge of a relatively old but quiet residential area in Queens.

"Can you go up by yourself?" klein turned off the engine, looking at Murdoch, whose face was still pale but whose breathing had stabilized quite a bit.

"Yes. Thank you, mr. klein." Murdoch fumbled to open the car door, moving a bit slowly but getting out of the car firmly.

"Go back and rest well. My shop is still waiting for you, my free legal advisor." klein waved his hand, bidding farewell.

Watching Murdoch use his cane to find his way, slowly walking into that old-fashioned apartment building without an elevator, until his figure disappeared into the darkness of the doorway, klein restarted the car.

He drove all the way toward the more remote Brooklyncoastline.

Late at night by the seaside, the wind was strong and the waves were rough, far from the city's hustle and bustle, with only the roar of waves crashing against the rocks.

klein parked the car by a deserted small pier, got out, and carried the two travel bags out of the car, placing them aside.

Then he threw a "Fire Element, Flame Talisman" onto the car.

"Boom—!"

Flames shot up instantly, rapidly engulfing the entire sedan, casting a leaping orange-red glow under the pitch-black night sky.

klein picked up the money bags and walked toward the shop without looking back.

Chapter 33: Home Run

It was past five in the morning, the sky was faintly bright, and the city had not yet fully awakened.

Mei had barely slept all night.

From leaving the shop last night, tossing and turning in bed at home, to rising at the first light of dawn to prepare breakfast for Peter.

She left a note for Peter saying she had to go to the shop early to tidy up, and almost jogged to catch the first subway train.

The carriage was empty, with only a few scattered early-shift workers. Mei leaned against a cold metal pillar, her fingers unconsciously twisting the strap of her handbag, her thoughts already at the shop.

When Mei got off the subway and jogged all the way to that familiar two-story building, she saw that the heavy metal roller shutter door had already been pulled up.

Mei felt her heart, which had been tightly clenched, finally drop with a "thud." An indescribable sense of relief and soreness instantly welled up in her nose.

She walked quickly to the door and almost rushed inside.

The shop was quiet, the morning light blending with the interior lights, casting a soft halo over the display cases filled with mysterious items.

Then, her gaze fixed on the back of the shop, on that large solid wood sofa.

klein was lying there, covered by a dark thin blanket, seemingly asleep. Beside the sofa were two huge bags.

klein was lying on his side, one hand behind his head, his breathing steady, his complexion normal; he looked... completely unharmed.

"Klein..." Mei called out softly, her voice carrying a trace of trembling she hadn't even noticed herself.

She walked over quickly, knelt by the sofa, almost lunged forward, and reached out her arms to wrap them around the person on the sofa, carefully yet with immense force.

Her cheek pressed against klein's chest, and through his thin T-shirt, she could feel the warmth of the solid muscles beneath, as well as his steady, powerful heartbeat.

Thump—thump—thump—

One beat, then another, real and powerful.

"It's so good that you're okay..." she murmured, as if confirming, or perhaps exhaling in relief. Her arms tightened unconsciously, burying her face deeper into his chest, greedily breathing in the faint scent of tobacco. "It's really great... so great..."

klein had actually woken up when she rushed in, but he hadn't moved.

Feeling the trembling of the soft body in his arms and that undisguised worry, the corners of his mouth curved imperceptibly, and he opened his eyes.

"Of course I'm fine," he said lazily, his voice carrying a natural arrogance. "How could anything possibly happen to me?"

He raised his free hand, gently patted Mei's tense back, then slid slowly down her spine, stopping at her slender waist, his fingertips brushing against the delicate fabric under her thin sweater.

"What about you? Why did you come so early? Miss me?"

Mei's body trembled slightly from his touch, and only then did she realize how bold and improper her actions had been.

She hurriedly tried to let go and stand up, her cheeks turning crimson. "I—I was just... I saw the door was open, so I came in to check. Have you eaten? I—I'll go make you some breakfast..."

She started to stand up, but the arm around her waist suddenly tightened, holding her firmly in place.

"Breakfast?" klein's voice carried a hint of undisguised desire, his hot breath puffing against her sensitive earlobe. "Right now... I don't really want to eat that."

Before the words had even faded, Mei felt the world spin!

klein held her waist, and with a slight effort, easily lifted her from the side of the sofa, letting her sit on his lap, face to face.

This position brought them even closer, close enough for Mei to see the flames dancing in his eyes, close enough to feel them burning her.

Her heart skipped several beats, and her blood seemed to boil, rushing to her cheeks and earlobes.

"Klein, don't... it's daytime, and we're in the shop..." She pushed against his chest in a panic, her voice as thin as a mosquito's buzz, but the force was less of a rejection and more of a shy, coy hesitation.

"What's wrong with daytime?" klein raised an eyebrow. One hand still firmly gripped her waist, while his other hand lifted, his index finger pointing toward the door, hooking casually.

"Clatter—!"

The half-open metal roller shutter seemed to be pulled by an invisible force, suddenly falling, completely isolating the inside of the shop from the outside.

The door lock automatically clicked shut with a crisp sound.

The light inside dimmed for a moment, then was filled by the warm wall lamps and the spotlights of the display cases, creating a private and ambiguous atmosphere.

"Now, no one can disturb us." klein grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, the aggression in his eyes undisguised.

He no longer gave Mei any chance to hesitate or escape, using his arms to lift her up horizontally.

"Ah!" Mei let out a short cry, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck.

klein carried her, turned, and strode toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

Mei, snuggled in his arms, could feel the reassuring yet heart-fluttering strength from his arms and chest.

She looked up at klein's well-defined jawline, looking at the undisguised desire in his eyes, and her last bit of reason and reserve melted away like snow under the sun.

She buried her flushed cheeks into the crook of his neck, sniffing the intoxicating scent on him, her arms around his neck unconsciously pulling herself closer to him.

The door to the second-floor bedroom was gently kicked open by klein's heel, then shut behind him with his foot.

klein walked to the bedside and tossed Mei, who was in his arms, onto the bed.

He braced his hands on either side of her body, leaned down, his burning gaze sweeping over her face inch by inch.

"Now, it's time for me to taste... your flavor."

...

Two hours later, on the sofa, klein was smoking a cigarette, pulling Mei, who had finished tidying up, into his arms.

"Klein, by doing this... are we being unfair to Peter?"

"What are you afraid of? With a young, wealthy, handsome, smart, and rich uncle-in-law like me, he should be laughing his way to the bank!" klein blew a puff of smoke at Mei's face, saying playfully.

"Don't talk nonsense. I'm going to make you breakfast." After saying this, she got up, wearing klein's shirt, and walked to the kitchen.

The two shameless lovers had hooked up just like that.

One, over forty, husband dead for many years, lonely and insatiable.

The other, just eighteen, in the prime of his "vibrant" age, waking up with a morning wood every day.

Both had met the right person at the right age; it was truly a match made in heaven.

Just as the two were eating breakfast in a loving mood.

"Ring-ring-ring—!"

A burst of urgent phone ringing sounded.

klein fished his phone out of his jeans pocket lying nearby.

A glance—it was Peter calling.

A flush of red instantly stained Mei's face.

klein answered the phone.

"Hello, what's up..."

Chapter 34: S.H.I.E.L.D.

"Hey, what's up?" Klein, with his mouth full of the bacon Aunt Mei had fried, spoke vaguely into the phone.

From the other end of the line came Peter's voice, sounding a bit excited yet slightly embarrassed: "Klein, do you... do you have time this afternoon? I'd like to treat you to a meal!"

"Treat me to a meal?" Klein raised an eyebrow, swallowed his food, and asked with undisguised suspicion, "Did you find money on the ground?"

"Uh... no," Peter's voice dropped a little, but it still carried an irrepressible excitement, "It's just that I... I've got a new girlfriend. I wanted to... wanted to introduce you two. I meant to tell you last night, but I got home too late."

"What?!" Klein gasped, nearly stabbing his fork into the tablecloth, his eyes wide.

Aunt Mei, who was eavesdropping nearby, also showed a hint of surprise on her face.

"Peter Parker! You damn bastard!" Klein unleashed a torrent into the phone.

"Just a couple of days ago you were miserable over a breakup, crying like a girl while hugging a beer bottle, and now you've already found a new flame? Your late first love hasn't even been gone for a month! Are you even human?!"

Peter, on the other end, was embarrassed by the scolding and stammered an explanation: "Klein, didn't you tell me... that the best way to get over a relationship is to... to start a new one? I—I only tried to meet new people because I listened to you..."

"I..." Klein was choked up, then became even more annoyed, "Fine, fine, I don't want to talk to a scumbag like you! So you found a girlfriend, big deal, why are you showing off to me? I'm not going, I'm busy!"

"No, it's not like that! Klein, I really want to thank you! If you hadn't guided me last time and taken me... taken me out to clear my head, I might still be struggling. This meal is just to thank you, really. Also... about Aunt Mei, thanks to you too."

"Forget it!" Klein waved his hand, though the other person couldn't see, "You and your little girlfriend can have a sweet meal together, I'm not going to be a bright, shining third wheel. It's an eyesore!"

"It won't be like that! It won't!" Peter quickly said, "Maryalso said she really wants to meet you, since I mention you so often. Please come, Klein, I beg you. Just the three of us, a simple meal."

"Mary?" Klein caught the name and suddenly perked up, "Fine, fine, I'll go for the sake of your sincerity and this... Miss Mary. Time and place."

Peter immediately gave the name and address of a restaurant, an Italian place with good reviews among college students.

"Oh?" Klein listened, his tone turning teasing again, "Did you really strike it rich, kid? Going to such a classy place? Win the lottery?"

"No, no..." Peter laughed, a bit embarrassed, "It's Aunt Mei. Because of the job you gave us, our family has been much better off recently. So... we wanted to treat you to a nice meal."

Hearing this, Klein glanced up at Aunt Mei opposite him, who had slightly flushed cheeks and was lowering her head, pretending to be focused on cutting her fried egg, a wicked smirk curling on his lips.

"Alright, got it. You've still got some conscience, kid. What time this afternoon?"

"Six o'clock, is that okay?"

"Sure, see you then. Hanging up." Klein hung up the phone decisively, tossed it on the table, reached out, and wrapped his arm around Aunt Mei's shoulder.

He whispered into Aunt Mei's ear with a smirk.

"Did you hear that? My dear nephew wants to treat me to a big meal to thank me for 'taking care' of his aunt." He emphasized the word "taking care" with a playful, teasing look.

Aunt Mei's face turned even redder, her hands holding the knife and fork trembling slightly, and she murmured, "You, you shouldn't talk nonsense... Peter meant well..."

"Hahaha!"

"Perfect." Klein's fingers traced ambiguously along her smooth shoulder and neck line, "It's still early... we can do something more meaningful to 'enhance' our relationship..."

"Klein! Stop it... the dishes aren't washed yet..." Aunt Mei's protests were quickly drowned out by passionate kisses and increasingly heavy breathing.

...

Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., inside the Triskelion on Theodore Roosevelt Island.

A one-eyed Nick Fury was listening to a report from a refined, tall woman.

"Hill, you mean to say... there's not a single trace left behind by Kingpin's death. Is that right?" Nick Fury stared straight at the woman in front of him.

"Yes, Officer! There are no survivors at the scene. Furthermore, Kingpin's office on the top floor was completely incinerated, and even the surveillance footage is just a black screen." Maria Hill reported truthfully.

"Wait, you said the surveillance footage is all black. Could it have been controlled by a hacker?"

"It doesn't look like hacker control, it looks more like physical obstruction. We didn't find any traces of hackers in the backend. Unless..."

Hill didn't finish her sentence, but Nick Fury understood what she meant. Unless someone was more skilled than S.H.I.E.L.D.'s computer experts, they wouldn't be able to leave absolutely no traces!

But that was impossible. Anyone with that kind of capability was already under S.H.I.E.L.D.'s surveillance.

"Is there really nothing we can do?"

"It should be, perhaps, that is the truth. However..."

"However what?" Nick Fury's single eye stared intently at the woman before him.

Hill took a deep breath and continued her report: "However, at the center of the explosion on the top floor of Kingpin's apartment, we detected a trace of... extremely weak, special energy residue using the residual energy scanner. It doesn't match any known energy characteristics."

Nick Fury's fingers tapped lightly on the desktop: "Special energy? Can't trace the source?"

"Yes, Officer. The database match is zero. And—" Hillpulled up another report.

"We discovered the scene where Kingpin's lieutenant'Scar' and his squad were wiped out at an abandoned dock in Brooklyn, and in another location, we found Bullseye's corpse. We also detected trace amounts of the same source energy residue. It can be confirmed that these incidents were committed by the same person or the same group."

"One person, or a group, wiped out Kingpin's most important trading point overnight, killed his two most capable subordinates, then went straight to his lair and wiped him out along with the entire top floor." Nick Fury's single eye flashed with a sharp light.

"And right under our noses, the underground emperor of New York is just gone, yet we don't even know if the perpetrator is human or a ghost, male or female, or how many there are. Hill, don't you think this is a dereliction of our duty?"

Hill lowered her head, silent.

Nick Fury pounded the table and ordered Hill: "Now, immediately, form a special investigation team! Mobilize all available resources, raise the encryption level to the highest! I want to know who did this. On my turf, there must never be such an existence that we cannot completely control!"

Hill, however, shook her head: "Officer, we can't. We... we simply can't spare any manpower right now."

Nick Fury's single eye widened suddenly, as if he had heard a tall tale: "Hill, do you know what you're saying? S.H.I.E.L.D. has no manpower?"

"Officer, Kingpin was the stabilizer for the entire underground World of New York, and even the nation. His existence itself was a warped form of order, suppressing countless small and medium-sized gangs and ambitious individuals. Now that this'stabilizer' has been violently removed, it's like throwing a whole whale carcass into a sea full of sharks."

She pulled up a holographic map, and dozens of flashing red dots instantly lit up on the screen over New York and the surrounding areas, and the number was still increasing.

"Since the second half of last night, over a dozen large and small gangs in New York, New Jersey, and even further away have started acting like sharks that smelled blood. Seven small-scale conflicts have already occurred. The drug networks, arms channels, protection rackets, and money laundering routes left behind by Kingpin... each one is enough to drive people crazy. The potential extraordinary event warnings we've received that might be related to this power vacuum have already exceeded twenty, and are still rising. These are things other departments can't handle; S.H.I.E.L.D. must step in personally."

Nick Fury fell silent. He stared at those glaring red dots on the map, the light in his single eye flickering uncertainly.

The chain reaction triggered by Kingpin's death was consuming their already stretched-thin resources.

A few seconds later, Nick Fury slowly sat back in his chair, his voice returning to its usual cold stiffness: "Seal all information regarding this matter separately with high encryption, and establish an independent observation file. When we have time, we'll have a proper chat with him."

Hill nodded immediately: "Understood, Officer. Then the public investigation into Kingpin's death..."

"Leave it to the NYPD and FBI to worry about. Perhaps it was an 'unfortunate accidental fire'." Nick Fury waved his hand, his single eye looking back at the gloomy sky outside the window.

"Yes, Officer." Hill saluted crisply, turned, and walked quickly out of the office to begin conveying the orders.

Nick Fury sat alone behind the huge desk, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the desktop, a hint of gravity flashing in the depths of his single eye.

An existence that could easily take out Kingpin and Bullseye, with bizarre methods, unknown energy characteristics, and unclear motives...

"Troubled times indeed." He whispered to himself.

Chapter 35 Mary Jane

At 5:30 PM, klein, wearing a simple dark T-shirt and jeans, strolled up to the entrance of the Italian restaurant Peter had mentioned.

The restaurant's facade wasn't large, but the decor was elegant, with warm yellow light filtering out from the glass windows, carrying the aroma of food and coffee.

He pushed the door open, swept his gaze across the room, and spotted Peter at a window seat.

And, sitting opposite Peter, was the girl tilting her head to listen to him speak.

She had thick, slightly wavy brown hair loosely tied back, revealing a smooth forehead and a sweet profile.

Her eyes were large and a beautiful amber color, appearing to hold starlight even in the restaurant's slightly dim lighting.

She wore a floral dress, layered with an off-white knitted cardigan, looking fresh and gentle.

At this moment, she was resting her chin on her hand, listening intently as Peter gestured animatedly while telling her something, with a faint, slightly shy smile on her lips.

Peter, on the other hand, was beet red, gesturing as he spoke, his eyes behind his glasses bright and shining, radiating a kind of blissful silliness that klein had never seen before.

[ Ding! ]

[ Detected Marvel key plot character: Mary Jane Watson ]

[ Identity: Peter Parker's girlfriend/wife, future Daily Bugle reporter ]

[ Notification: Host has encountered a new plot character. Reward: Draw count +1! Would you like to start the draw now? ]

"Not yet, no drawing." klein thought to himself; he still hadn't drawn the reward from Kingpin yesterday.

He had gone straight to sleep when he got home, and he had been too busy focusing on Mei all day to find time for a draw!

"Yo, you two lovebirds having a fun chat?" He nonchalantly pulled out the chair next to Peter and sat down, his gaze sweeping over Mary Jane's face before turning to Peterwith a deepening smile, "Not going to make an introduction?"

Peter only then noticed klein had arrived. He hurriedly stood up, his face reddening even more, "Kl-Kline! You're here! This is Mary, Mary Jane Watson. Mary, this is the best friend I've often mentioned to you, klein."

Mary Jane also hurriedly stood up, smiling and nodding politely, albeit a bit reservedly, at klein, "Hello, Kline. Peter often talks about you, saying you've helped him a lot. It's nice to meet you." Her voice was clear and melodious, carrying a youthful sweetness.

"Hello there, Mary." klein smiled with a look of feigned kindness, extending his hand to shake hers lightly before quickly pulling away.

"Don't listen to Peter's nonsense; I've only ever handed him a tissue when he was crying. Sit, everyone sit, don't just stand there."

The three of them sat back down.

Peter waved over a waiter and handed the menu to klein, "Kline, take a look and see what you want to eat. Order whatever you like; it's my treat today!"

klein didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up the menu, scanned it, and specifically ordered the expensive items: tomahawk steak, a seafood platter, truffle pasta, and a bottle of red wine that wasn't exactly cheap.

After ordering, klein leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his gaze scanning back and forth between Peterand Mary Jane, his face showing undisguised scrutiny and amusement.

Peter felt uncomfortable being watched and pushed up his glasses, "Kl-Kline, what... what are you looking at?"

"Just seeing what kind of dumb luck you stumbled into, kid." klein clicked his tongue twice, his gaze landing on Mary Jane,

"Mary, right? You're so pretty, and your personality seems great too, so how did you end up liking this nerd Peter? Did he put a hex on you?"

"Kline!" Peter said, his face turning pale with anxiety.

Mary Jane, however, let out a chuckle. She glanced at Peterwith gentle eyes and then said to klein, "Peter is... very good. He's kind, sincere, and works very hard. I'm very happy being with him."

When she said this, her tone was natural, her eyes clear, without a hint of pretense.

klein raised an eyebrow, his impression of this "MaryJane" rising a notch in his mind.

"Alright then, as long as you're happy." klein picked up his water glass, took a sip, and changed the subject, "Mary, I heard from Peter that you're also at Empire State University?"

"Yes, that's right. I'm studying journalism and media." MaryJane nodded.

"Journalism? Great major! Planning to be a reporter in the future? A war correspondent? Paparazzi? Or..." kleinstarted chatting aimlessly, asking questions that were wild and imaginative, sometimes sharp, sometimes hilarious.

Mary Jane was a bit reserved at first, but she soon realized that although klein was blunt, he wasn't annoying; instead, he had a peculiar sense of humor. She gradually relaxed, answering his questions seriously and occasionally retorting with wit.

Peter listened from the side, watching Mary Jane and klein chatting happily. Although klein would occasionally tease him, Peter felt both happy and a little bit jealous.

Soon, the food arrived.

klein didn't stand on ceremony either, digging in heartily. While eating, he continued chatting with MaryJane, ranging from New York's public safety to recent movies, and from university life to future dreams.

The meal lasted nearly two hours. When it ended, Peterrushed to pay the bill.

The three of them walked out of the restaurant, the cool night breeze brushing against their faces.

"Thanks for the treat, Peter." klein patted Peter's shoulder with some force, making him grimace, "Treat this girl well."

"I will!" Peter promised quickly.

klein looked at Mary Jane again, his smile becoming more serious, "Mary, this kid Peter can be stubborn sometimes and loves to overthink things, so you'll have to bear with him in the future. But he's a good person and very reliable. You two take care of each other."

"I will, Kline. Thank you." Mary Jane nodded seriously, then naturally linked her arm with Peter's.

Peter's body stiffened for a moment, then a silly grin appeared on his face.

"Alright, I won't disturb you two lovebirds anymore. I'm off, see you." klein waved, hands in his pockets, and turned to saunter off into the night.

After walking a short distance, he looked back.

Under the dim streetlights, Peter and Mary Jane were walking side by side, leaning close, whispering something. From time to time, Mary Jane's soft laughter and Peter's somewhat clumsy responses drifted over.

Their shadows were stretched long behind them, intertwined together.

"Tsk! This kid Peter..." klein pursed his lips, but thought to himself: Mary Jane... she counts as Spider-Man's true love. She's a good girl. This kid Peter really has good luck.

If it were the original timeline, Peter would still be drinking Harry Osborn's dishwater.

But after klein took Peter for a 'massage' session, Peter, no longer a virgin, had finally figured things out.

The relationship he had been dragging out with Mary Jane had also been quickly and decisively secured.

He got in his car to drive back to the shop; maybe Mei was still waiting for him.

Chapter 36: The Agency Opens

klein drove back to the shop, seeing the rolled-down shutter, feeling a bit disappointed.

It looked like Mei had left. But there was no help for it. She couldn't stay the night here anyway.

klein went upstairs, finished washing up, and lay down on the bed.

"Start two draws!"

[Ding!]

...

[Ding!]

...

klein sat up on the bed at once; both draws were very exciting!

The Kingpin one was a direct reward—Armament Haki!

Mary Jane's was a reward—Wonder Woman's strength.

After accepting the two new abilities and two physical enhancements.

klein stretched his body, adapting to them for a moment.

He felt he could go toe-to-toe with Hulk now.

However, after being curious for a while, klein lay back down, ready to sleep.

Starting tomorrow—the agency would officially open for business.

...

klein sat behind the solid wood desk, holding a wolf-hair brush, the tip dipped in pure cinnabar, focusing his energy on a stack of neatly cut yellow talisman paper.

On the long desk in front of him, several drawn "Calming Heart and Spirit Talismans" were already laid out, the pale golden runes shimmering slightly on the paper, emitting a soft force field that made people feel at peace.

Beside them, several small peach wood Bagua pendants had just had their final stroke carved, the edges still covered with fresh wood shavings.

"Tsk, I miscalculated." klein finished the last stroke, placed the brush on the green jade brush rest, rubbed his aching wrist, and looked at the display cabinet next to him, where more than half the compartments were empty, muttering, "Does anyone really buy this stuff?"

He had originally thought that his shop, operating under the name "Supernatural Response Agency" and selling peace talismans and deity statues, would be deserted for at least half a year, with at most a few curious or desperate people stopping by.

As it turned out, in just one week since opening, business was unexpectedly good.

At first, it was some old overseas Chinese from the nearby Chinatown. Perhaps attracted by the "Five Elements Bagua" screen and the subtle, peaceful energy field in the shop, they came in, looked around, took home a few Guan Gong and Guanyin statues, and bought a few peace talismans.

Then, several men and women dressed in decent attire, but with heavy fatigue and anxiety between their brows, hesitated outside the shop before walking in.

They didn't ask much, just silently looked at the peace talismans and sachets labeled "Soothing Spirit," "Improving Sleep," and "Resisting Negative Energy," and then almost everyone bought one or two items.

One woman who worked at a Wall Street investment bank, after wearing the Chinese knot pendant that klein had hand-woven with a "Water Element · Nourishing Vitality Talisman" hidden inside for three days, specifically came back again. Not only did she buy several more to give to her colleagues, but she also introduced several friends who were similarly tormented by high-intensity work and anxiety.

Word of mouth spread silently just like that.

Only then did klein realize that in this international metropolis, the largest in the U.S. and even the World, too many people were troubled by invisible anxiety, insomnia, frustration, and indescribable distress.

Hospitals couldn't find the problem, psychological counseling was slow, and these small items of klein's, which truly contained the weak power of the Five Elements harmonization, although they couldn't cure all diseases, did provide immediate, albeit subtle, effects after being worn—like feeling "a bit calmer," "sleeping more soundly," or "seeming to have less bad luck"—which, to these people, was nothing short of a gospel.

The prices weren't cheap, but they were definitely within the range that New York's middle class was willing to pay for physical and mental health.

Thus, customers gradually became more numerous.

There were Professors from nearby universities,

art gallery owners from Manhattan,

IT engineers with dark circles under their eyes,

and even two NYPD detectives in uniform with tense expressions who wandered around the shop for a long time before one of them took home a small Guan Gong statue that klein had casually added some "Sharp Metal" warding-off-evil runes to.

This directly caused klein's original carefree schedule of hanging out every day to completely fall through.

He had to go to school during the day and work overtime when he returned at night.

He couldn't just not go; there was Peter reminding him every day on the outside, and Mei lecturing him on the inside.

It was hard enough that when he had no classes in the afternoon, he still had to return to the shop to work overtime.

"Even a donkey on a production team wouldn't be worked this hard..." klein looked at another group of customers entering together, sighed, resignedly put down his hand that was rubbing his wrist, instantly put on a professional smile, and went up to greet them.

"Good afternoon, everyone. How can I help you?"

What he regretted most now was setting the prices too low initially. If he had known this stuff sold so well in New York, he should have added another zero to the end!

"Sir, my wife said the 'Peaceful Sachet' from your shop works very well; her long-term headache has eased a lot. I would like to request five more to give to my family." An old gentleman with meticulously combed hair and a Savile Row custom suit said gently.

"I want this 'Career Talisman', yes, the one inlaid with a small jadeite. My project has reached a critical stage recently, and I always feel things aren't going smoothly." A younger elite man pointed at the display cabinet.

"Boss, I'm planning to take home a Guanyin statue. My daughter keeps crying at night..."

klein smiled and responded while nimbly retrieving goods, packaging them, and briefly explaining the precautions for wearing them, while Mei was responsible for collecting money and giving change.

He finally understood that in New York, the easiest money to make, apart from dirty money, was the "anxiety tax" and "hope tax."

It seems the people of America are living in deep water and scorching fire every day!

After seeing off this wave of customers, the shop temporarily quieted down.

Mei brought out two cups of freshly brewed black tea from the small kitchen in the back, placed one by klein's hand, held the other herself, and sat down on the stool next to him.

"Tired, aren't you? You haven't stopped all afternoon." She looked at klein, her eyes full of concern and a sense of accomplishment.

With the shop doing good business, she was even happier than klein.

"It's okay, easier than fighting." klein picked up the teacup and took a sip; the warm, mellow black tea went down, easing some of his fatigue.

He turned his head to look at Mei. She was wearing a lotus-root-colored knitted sweater, her hair loosely tied up, with a few strands hanging by her fair neck; the afternoon sunlight coated her in a layer of soft light.

"I just didn't expect so many people to buy things." klein pointed his chin at the display cabinet, which was quite empty. "I thought we would have to eat dirt for half a year."

Mei pursed her lips and smiled, her eyes sparkling: "It just means what you make is good. Once people use it and find it effective, they naturally come." She paused, her voice lower, with a touch of shyness and joy, "This is... quite nice."

Looking at her gentle, submissive, and lovely appearance, and remembering her other side in the bedroom upstairs, klein felt a rush of heat in his heart and was just about to lean over to say something flirtatious—

"Ding-dong."

The doorbell rang again.

A couple who looked like tourists walked in, peeking around while holding their phone navigation, and asked in accented English.

"Excuse me, is this the place that sells... those, amulets with special effects? People online say they are very effective..."

klein sighed helplessly and amusedly.

"Coming." klein stood up, put on that "transcendental master" calm expression again, and went to meet the new guests.

Well, it looks like the "exchanging what one has" plan will have to be postponed again.

While introducing the products to the tourist couple, klein calculated in his mind: Should he implement a "limited reservation system"? Or... raise the prices again?

Watching the couple whip out their credit cards without hesitation after hearing the introduction, klein felt the latter might be more feasible.

After all, master klein didn't even have time to go out and have fun anymore.

Not going out to have fun? Wouldn't that mean earning money for nothing?

Chapter 37: Spider-Spirit

Hype is something that comes quickly and goes just as fast.

In just a short month, the entrance to Klein's "Supernatural Response Agency" went from the grand spectacle of the first few days, where Mei had to maintain order and limit the flow of visitors, to becoming quiet and deserted.

Occasionally, a regular customer would return, but they would only nod in greeting or buy one or two small gifts, with no more scenes of people purchasing bags upon bags of goods.

It wasn't that the items stopped working—on the contrary, especially after Klein gained the power of Wonder Woman.

It added a trace of divinity to him. And applying this trace of divinity into his paintings could make the power of the talismans even stronger.

These peace talismans, sachets, and statues that contained the power of harmony of the five elements and divinity were simply not one-time consumables.

As long as they weren't intentionally damaged, that faint effect of calming the mind and regulating the aura could continue to nourish the wearer, and the effect became even more obvious as time accumulated.

A "Calm Heart Talisman" could let a white-collar worker who had suffered from insomnia for half a year fall asleep instantly, so who would come to buy a second one every day?

A "boosted" Guan Gong statue placed at home really made one feel that things were going a bit smoother, so naturally, there was no need to replace it frequently.

Plus, Klein had been forced by the booming business in recent days to work overtime for several consecutive days and nights, filling every display cabinet and inventory in the store to the brim, with all kinds of categories and styles available.

This morning, Klein was biting on a freshly lit Cuban cigar, taking a blissful puff, and the smoke rose slowly in the morning light.

He lay half-reclined in the hardwood armchair behind the long desk, his feet up on the edge of the table, playing with a piece of warm, mutton-fat white jade peace buckle in his hand.

He was calculating that since he wasn't busy now, maybe he should leave the agency to Mei to look after.

And he would go out for a spree.

However, he was finding it hard to decide between checking out the new strip club or finding a bar to pick up girls.

After thinking for a while, Klein decided—go to the strip club to check out the market first, then go to the bar to pick up girls.

Best of both worlds!

Just at this moment, a voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Klein! Klein! Mei! Mei!"

Peter hadn't even rushed into the store yet, but his excited and urgent voice came in first, accompanied by his somewhat messy footsteps.

However, the moment he stepped into the store, his gaze fell on Klein, who was sitting in the armchair and had looked up upon hearing the sound—

"Ugh!"

Peter froze as if instantly frozen, the rest of his words stuck in his throat, and the excited expression on his face suddenly stiffened, turning into a strange look mixed with confusion and... extreme horror.

He instinctively took a half-step back, his pupils contracted sharply, and a thin layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out on his forehead.

In his perception, this familiar close friend—Klein—now seemed to have turned into a prehistoric beast wearing human skin!

A strong warning, like an electric current running through his spine, stemming from biological instinct, exploded in his mind!

Spider-Sense—was issuing a warning at an unprecedented intensity, almost shrilly:

Danger!

Extremely dangerous!!

Fatal threat!!!

Run away!!!

"What are you staring at? Why are you standing at the door like an idiot? Come in."

Klein's voice yanked Peter back from the shock of being locked on by a natural predator.

"Huh? Oh, oh! C-come in..."

Peter woke up as if from a dream, moving into the store almost with the same hand and foot, his eyes fixed on Klein.

He finally chose to sit on a single sofa furthest from Klein, his body stiff, his hands properly placed on his knees, just like a primary school student on their first day of school.

Mei walked out from the back kitchen at this time, holding a tray, and seeing Peter's appearance, felt a bit strange:

"Peter? Why didn't you go to class today? Why did you run to the store? Why is your face so pale?" She said, placing a cup of freshly brewed coffee on the coffee table in front of Peter.

"Ah... ah? I, I..." Peter took the coffee cup, his hand trembling, and a few drops of scalding liquid splashed onto the back of his hand, but he didn't seem to feel it, stuttering, his mind a mess.

He had originally come excitedly and couldn't wait to share!

Just two days ago, he was interning at Osborn Industries, helping to move some radioactive experimental materials, when a strange spider appeared from nowhere and bit him hard.

At first, he didn't care, until yesterday, he discovered that he had become... different.

His vision became exceptionally clear, and he could see the small print on posters tens of meters away;

His hearing was sharp enough to hear the neighbors' whispers through the walls;

His body was light enough that he felt he could jump onto the roof;

The most incredible thing was that his hands could actually stick to smooth walls and ceilings like a gecko!

He had spent almost a whole night adapting to and testing these sudden abilities, with excitement, fear, and disbelief... various emotions intertwined.

He thought of Klein and Mei at the first moment—

One was his best friend, and one was his last relative.

He needed to find someone to vent to and share this incredible discovery! He even fantasized about the scene where Klein and Mei would be shocked, envious, and then discuss it excitedly together.

But the moment he walked in, the fatal warning from his Spider-Sense, which almost tore his nerves apart, froze all his excitement and desire to share into ice shards.

Danger! Klein is... an extremely dangerous existence?!

How is this possible?! He is Klein! He is his good brother whom he has known for so many years, eaten with, attended class with, and who would take him to... *cough cough*, when he was heartbroken!

But that fear rooted in biological instinct would not lie.

Sitting there looking lazy and biting a cigar, Klein felt to him like a sleeping active volcano, containing terrifying power capable of destroying everything under the calm surface.

Looking at Peter, who was absent-minded, eyes dodging, and holding the coffee cup at a loss, Mei sighed softly.

This child has been strange lately.

"What 'ah' what? Speak, what is it?" Klein sat with his legs crossed, blew a smoke ring, and looked at Peter with a half-smile.

He saw that this kid was different the moment Peterrushed into the door.

A newly awakened, unstable biological energy field lingered all over his body, and his vitality was much stronger than before.

The little spider was finally online.

However, looking at Peter's cowardly appearance, Kleincouldn't be bothered to expose him.

Teasing a kid was also quite interesting.

"I, I..." Peter was asked and became even more flustered. In his desperation, his eyes glanced at the display cabinet next to him, and inspiration struck,

"I, I came to buy a, a peace talisman for Mary! Right! Buy a peace talisman!"

After saying this, he felt that the excuse was ridiculously lame, and his face turned even redder.

"Buy what. Between us father and son... right! Take whatever you want." Klein pointed to the display cabinet and said to Peter.

Peter got up and looked for a long time but didn't understand, appearing a bit embarrassed.

Mei looked at the overwhelmed Peter and took out a delicately crafted peace talisman from the display cabinet, sewn with light blue silk and embroidered with silver-white cloud patterns.

"This 'Calming Scent Sachet' is good. Girls like this elegant color. Inside are calming spices and a peace of mind talisman. Mary will definitely like it." Mei handed the sachet to Peter, her voice gentle.

"Th-thank you, Mei!" Peter quickly took it, as if grabbing a life-saving straw.

"Haha!" Klein laughed from behind, flicked the cigar ash, and added teasingly,

"Why only buy for Mary? Peter, you take one too! My new 'Body Strengthening Talisman', boosts yang and kidneys, strengthens the body, a must-have for men! I see you've been a bit kidney-deficient lately, just right to supplement!"

"Str-strengthen yang?!" Hearing this, Peter's face turned red to his ears instantly, like a cat stepped on its tail, waving his hands wildly, "No need, no need! I really don't need it! Klein, don't talk nonsense! I, my body is very healthy!"

He clutched the sachet Mei gave him tightly, as if afraid Klein would really shove a "Virility Talisman" at him, and said goodbye incoherently: "That... Mei, Klein, I, I have things to do, I'm leaving! Thanks for the peace talisman! Bye!"

Chapter 38: Frequent Supernatural Incidents

"What's with this kid, running off so fast..." Aunt Mei watched Peter disappear around the street corner, shaking her head helplessly. She looked back at klein, her eyes full of inquiry, "Why are you bullying him??"

"Me? Bullying him? What if Mary thinks he doesn't look good in kung fu attire and dumps him! I'm doing this for his own good." klein spread his hands innocently, stubbed out the remaining cigar in the ashtray, settled back into his master chair, and rocked leisurely.

"Young, still too young." He smacked his lips, adopting the tone of someone who had been there before, "He doesn't know what truly good things are. By the time he realizes it after twenty-five, it'll be too late."

Aunt Mei's cheeks flushed slightly at his suggestive words. She gave a light huff of annoyance and turned away to clear the coffee cups.

Just as she picked up the tray and passed by klein, her wrist was suddenly gripped by a warm, strong hand.

"Hey!" Aunt Mei let out a soft exclamation as she was pulled onto klein's lap, the cups on the tray clinking softly.

klein looked at her with a half-smile, a familiar glint in his eyes.

"You see how vigorous and strong I am; there's a reason for it." klein's fingers gently caressed the inside of her wrist, sending a faint tremor through her, "Shall we go upstairs and let you experience it again?"

Aunt Mei's face turned even redder, her heartbeat accelerating involuntarily.

She looked left and right—although there was a screen blocking the entrance, it was broad daylight, and pedestrians occasionally walked by on the other side of the street.

"Stop it, it's broad daylight..." She lowered her voice, trying to pull her hand back, but the force was less of a rejection and more of a shy, symbolic resistance.

"Daytime is what makes it exciting." klein grinned, suddenly applying force to his arms and sweeping Aunt Mei up horizontally!

"Ah!" Aunt Mei let out a short cry. The tray in her hand nearly slipped, but klein deftly caught it with his free hand and placed it on the side table.

"You, put me down! What if someone sees us..." Aunt Mei frantically patted his shoulder, her calves kicking uselessly in the air.

She was wearing a light pink silk blouse paired with an off-white knee-length pencil skirt. As klein held her, the hem of her skirt rode up, revealing a large portion of her plump thighs wrapped in flesh-colored stockings.

"Let them see." klein didn't care at all. He carried her toward the stairs, while hooking his finger toward the entrance without looking back.

"Clatter—!" The metal roller shutter, as if pulled by an invisible force, suddenly descended, completely isolating the inside of the shop from the outside.

The door lock automatically clicked shut with a crisp sound.

The light inside the shop instantly dimmed. Only a few wall lamps and spotlights from the display cabinets emitted a soft, yellowish glow, casting their long, intertwined shadows onto the dark floor tiles.

"Now no one can see." klein lowered his head, blew a breath into Aunt Mei's bright red ear, and strode up the stairs with her in his arms.

Aunt Mei felt her whole body go limp. The familiar scent, a mixture of cigars and male hormones, enveloped her, causing her remaining rationality to quickly evaporate.

She stopped struggling, instead wrapping her arms around klein's neck and burying her burning cheeks into his solid shoulder.

klein carried her upstairs in a few steps, kicked the bedroom door open with his heel, and kicked it shut behind him.

"Bang."

...

klein's idea of going out to have some fun fell through again.

Fewer and fewer people were coming to the agency to buy ordinary items.

But for some reason, things like—

"There's always a dripping sound in the Underground Room, but the plumber has checked countless times and says there's no problem..."

"The doll in the attic of the old house keeps changing its position on its own..."

"The newly bought second-hand mirror—after looking at it for a long time, I feel like the person inside isn't me..."

"My child keeps saying there's an aunt in black standing by his bedside at night..."

Supernatural events like these were becoming more and more frequent.

This caused more and more people to come to klein to buy "proper" items.

This trend was a bit eerie.

"Something's not right..." klein took the cigar out of his mouth and tapped it gently against the edge of the ashtray, the gray ash falling in flakes.

Is New York this chaotic now? It should still be a while before Iron Man appears, right? The timeline shouldn't have started yet, right?

Odin and that bald lady, the Ancient One, should still be able to hold down the fort, right?

Why does it feel like interdimensional invasions are becoming active?!

The more klein thought about it, the more suspicious he felt.

Theoretically, Earth in this timeline, especially New York, although having undercurrents, should still be relatively normal on the surface.

But the current increase in cases clearly pointing to supernatural disturbances was obviously wrong.

He had already solved several supernatural incidents for clients during this period, caused by hellish items or the breath of Loki leaking from dimensional rifts.

klein's eyes narrowed slightly as he thought of a possibility.

"Could it be... the wings flapped by this little butterfly, me? That shouldn't be..."

"It can't be because I took out Kingpin, and the negative energy balance in Hells Kitchen was broken, right? That would be too ridiculous."

"Whatever!" klein shook his head, casting aside those messy thoughts, stuffed the cigar back into his mouth, and took a delightful puff.

"Soldiers come, block with generals; water comes, cover with Earth. If there's a ghost, I'll catch it; if there's a demon, I'll exorcise it. One comes, I handle one; two come, I handle a pair!"

"Besides," he narrowed his eyes, looking through the curling cigar smoke at the towering buildings of New Yorkoutside the window, a flash of coldness deep in his eyes.

"If any blind dimensional demon or hell lord really wants to take advantage of the chaos to come to Earth to loot... they'll have to get past Kamar-Taj first!"

"And even if they get past the Ancient One, so what? I'm a person with a System! I'm not afraid at all."

"Ding-dong."

The crisp sound of the doorbell broke klein's train of thought.

The shop door was pushed open, and a woman wearing an off-white suit, dressed appropriately, with a beautiful face, but a deathly pale complexion and deep-set eye sockets, stumbled in.

She looked to be around thirty, her chestnut-colored long hair, which should have been meticulously groomed, now stuck messily to her sweat-dampened forehead.

Her originally exquisite makeup couldn't hide the heavy dark circles under her eyes and her sunken eye sockets. Her lips were cracked, and her whole person exuded a weakness caused by being repeatedly tortured by extreme fear and exhaustion.

Her gaze swept quickly across the shop, immediately locking onto klein in the master chair. As if grabbing a life-saving straw, she stumbled over to the long table.

"mr. klein! Please, save me! I, I heard from many people that you are the most powerful exorcist in this neighborhood! Only you can help me!"

Her voice was choked with tears, rapid and trembling, her hands gripping the edge of the long table tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force.

Aunt Mei immediately put down her work and walked over quickly, her face filled with gentle concern.

"Miss, don't worry, sit down first and tell us slowly." She supported the swaying woman and helped her sit on the single sofa nearby.

klein also put away his lazy demeanor, stubbed out his cigar, and sat up straight.

"Mei, go pour a cup of calming tea." He signaled to Aunt Mei, his gaze falling on the woman, his voice steady and carrying a strange, soothing power, "Don't panic. Since you've found me, tell me first, what exactly happened?"

Chapter 39: Sudden Situation

After drinking the calming tea that Mei brought over, the lady's expression calmed down significantly.

She began to tell her story—

"My name is Emily Russell, and I am currently a department manager at Morgan Stanley."

She had been strong-willed since she was a child, studying hard and working with intensity, fighting her way up until she reached her current position in her thirties.

The price she paid was that she had never married, and hadn't even had a proper relationship.

Until three months ago, when Emily met Daniel at a cocktail party.

He was her boyfriend.

He was an art school student with no money and no stable job.

But this Daniel was good-looking, had a great physique, was sweet-talking, and knew how to make people happy.

Before long, Emily fell for Daniel's advances. The two became a couple.

Hearing this, klein and Mei exchanged a knowing look.

Wasn't this just a typical story of a successful, naive woman being targeted by a professional gigolo who used her as an ATM and a stepping stone?

In New York, on Wall Street, in Manhattan, such dramas played out every day, and klein was sick of hearing them.

Seeing the look between klein and Mei, Emily pulled the corners of her mouth in self-mockery and continued, her voice filled with tears.

"I know many people will think I'm stupid, thinking I'm keeping a gigolo. But in the beginning, it really wasn't like that."

"He was very good to me, very considerate. He would remember all my little habits and would bring me homemade late-night snacks when I worked overtime... I thought I had finally met the right person, even though he was so much younger than me."

Her gaze drifted out the window, as if recalling those sweet moments, but soon, that faint light extinguished.

"It started a month ago. That night, we were eating, watching a movie, and doing... in my apartment."

"Later, he fell asleep, and his phone was near me. A message came in. I hadn't intended to look, but I just glanced at it. It was from a girl named Lala. The content... was very explicit."

Emily's voice paused, and the color drained from her face.

"I thought it was just a misunderstanding, but I discovered there were several people in his phone who would regularly transfer money to his account. The amounts were not small, and it was very frequent."

"I couldn't help but ask him, and he said it was kind people sponsoring him, or asking him to help them buy things."

"Until last month, after he used the excuse of 'a group project at school' to stay out all night again, I contacted a private investigator." Emily's voice began to tremble.

"The detective followed him for a week, and the photos he took back... were like a nightmare."

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if trying to drive those images from her mind, but tears uncontrollably slid from the corners of her tightly closed eyes.

"It's not just Lala. There's Jennifer, there's Samantha, at least five different girls, all around my age. They all maintain... intimate relationships with Daniel."

"The detective said Daniel takes turns seeing these women every week, spending the night at their apartments. And those women... without exception, are all financially well-off. Either they are middle-management in companies like me, business owners running their own small shops, or even a widowed wealthy woman."

Mei gasped, unable to help but reach out and gently pat Emily's trembling shoulder.

"It's okay, Emily. Better to know sooner than later. At the very least, you can walk away now. Who hasn't met a few scumbags? You're still so young, and you have a career. In the future..."

"Walk away? I can't walk away." Emily suddenly lifted her head, interrupting Mei. Tears streamed down her pale cheeks, and her voice was filled with self-mockery and crumbling despair.

"Ms. Mei, you don't understand! I'm not the first, and I won't be the last!"

"The detective found out that there are several people who knew him even earlier than I did! They rent apartments for him, buy him luxury watches, pay his tuition... I always thought I was his only one, his original partner! Ha... haha..."

She laughed neurotically, her voice hoarse and sounding worse than crying.

"Turns out I was the latecomer, the bitch who interfered in someone else's business! One of the fools waiting in line to be scammed by him! What am I? A joke!"

Mei was stunned by her outburst and the sheer amount of information in her words. She opened her mouth, but for a moment, she didn't know how to comfort her.

This kind of complex and disgusting romantic scam was truly beyond her daily scope of experience.

She instinctively looked at klein, her eyes filled with a plea for help.

From the moment Emily began her story, the expression on klein's face had changed from initial amusement to calmness, eventually leaving only a look of near-indifferent observation.

At this moment, meeting Mei's pleading gaze and then looking at the nearly collapsing Emily, he leaned back into his master chair, crossed his hands over his abdomen, and spoke in a flat tone:

"Ms. Russell, I sympathize with your situation. It sounds like you have encountered a professional, organized, and goal-oriented romantic scammer, or to put it more bluntly, a top-tier gigolo."

He paused, looking at Emily with a sharp gaze.

"However, this matter, from what you've described, falls under the category of romantic disputes and commercial fraud."

"What you should do is organize the evidence the private investigator gave you, including those photos, transfer records, and chat logs, and then go to the Police to file a report, or find a lawyer specializing in commercial fraud or civil litigation."

klein spread his hands and said to Emily.

"If you don't have a reliable lawyer, I can introduce one to you."

"But here, this is the 'Supernatural Response Agency.' We deal with paranormal phenomena, evil spirit hauntings, curses, possessions, and similar issues."

"Your boyfriend, although his behavior is despicable and morally corrupt, currently sounds like he is still a human. I cannot solve this kind of thing. Professional matters should be left to professionals, such as the Police and lawyers."

"No! It's not! It's not something the Police can solve!" Emilysuddenly lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with extreme fear—a fear that even overwhelmed the pain and humiliation of being deceived.

"If it were only about being cheated out of feelings and money... I, I might be upset, but I wouldn't... I wouldn't have ended up like this!"

She let go of the sofa armrest, and with trembling hands, she rolled up the sleeve of her beige suit...

Chapter 40: Demon (Part 1)

Emily abruptly raised her arm and forcefully rolled her sleeve up above her elbow!

Upon the inner side of her previously fair and smooth forearm, several deep black, twisted, and bizarre marks had shockingly appeared!

Those marks looked as if they were made with the lowest quality ink, or as if they had been left behind after being scorched and corroded by something filthy. They were deeply embedded into the skin with blurred edges, and their color was so thick it was almost glossy, exuding an ominous aura.

They were not just smeared on randomly but vaguely formed an incomplete pattern that caused an inexplicable palpitation.

It looked like some kind of twisted rune, or perhaps an unfinished, evil geometric shape. The most crucial parts were clearly missing a few strokes.

"This is..." Mei gasped, subconsciously covering her mouth, her eyes filled with shock and sympathy.

Although she did not understand supernatural powers, she instinctively felt that those marks were definitely not ordinary, radiating an extremely unsettling aura.

The moment klein's gaze touched those black marks, his brow furrowed instantly.

In his perception, an extremely faint but cold, filthy, and erosive evil aura was clinging to those black marks like a maggot on a bone, subtly forming some kind of malignant connection with Emily's life force.

This was definitely not some skin disease or ordinary paint! This was a vicious curse mark, and an unfinished one at that!

If those missing strokes were to be completed, the curse would be completely activated.

By then, it would be hard to say what would happen to Emily.

At best, she would be plagued by serious illness and constant bad luck; at worst, being possessed by an evil spirit or even having her life taken away directly were not impossible.

Emily pointed to those scalp-numbing black marks on her forearm and said in a hoarse, intermittent voice.

"It's, it's him... It's Daniel! He is a devil!"

She took a sharp breath, forcing herself to calm down, but her voice was still shaking violently:

"After knowing... knowing he was that kind of person, having deceived so many women, I had a private investigator continue to follow him to capture evidence of his dealings with all those women..."

"Then, I privately contacted a few of them... We met, confronted each other, and everyone felt like the sky had collapsed."

She revealed a miserable smile that looked worse than crying.

"We teamed up, asked him out, had a showdown, and beat him up... Yes, I hit him, we all hit him!"

"We drove him away and warned him never to appear in front of any of us again, otherwise we would call the Policeand make all the evidence public..."

Emily's eyes became hollow, as if she had returned to that moment of despair.

"Initially... I thought this matter was going to pass. Although it felt like a piece had been carved out of my heart, at least I had gotten rid of the liar and could start over... But..."

Her breathing suddenly became rapid, and all the color drained from her face.

"Just a week ago! When I was walking home from work to that relatively quiet path below my apartment building... He, he suddenly rushed out from the Shadow and stopped me!"

"Daniel looked... very wrong. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was messy, and his clothes were wrinkled; he completely lacked that carefully groomed appearance he usually had. But on his face was a... a creepy, bizarre smile that made my skin crawl."

Emily hugged her arms tightly, her voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"He said to me... let's part on good terms. Let's have one last meal together, give me a gift, and from now on, we'll be even, and I will disappear forever."

"How could I possibly agree?! I wish I had never met him! I immediately refused and yelled at him to get lost, or I would call security and the Police!"

"Then..." Emily's voice carried a sob, filled with lingering fear.

"Then his face suddenly changed! That smile instantly became extremely ferocious! He suddenly pulled a glass bottle out of his pocket. He pulled the stopper, and without a word, splashed the liquid inside all over my face and body!"

Emily's body began to tremble violently, as if reliving the fear of that moment:

"I was so scared at the time, I started screaming! I thought it was concentrated sulfuric acid or something; I thought my life was ruined, that I would be ruined by him!"

"But..." She raised her hand and touched her cheek, her eyes filled with confusion and lingering fear.

"I didn't feel any burning heat or any pain. The liquid was cool, but it had... a very strange smell, like old rust mixed with some kind of sweet, cloying perfume—very faint, but very pungent."

"While I was stunned, the apartment security guard who rushed over charged in and subdued him. I called the Police, and the Police took him away."

"When he was being taken away by the Police, he turned his head, stared at me viciously, and said to me... He would come back, and we would meet again."

"Later, I went to the hospital for a check-up. The Doctor ran various tests on me and said that besides some tap Water, there was no chemical residue on my skin, and my physical indicators were completely normal."

"The Doctor comforted me, saying it might just be a prank, just ordinary Water. I also thought... that was really the case."

Her fingers trembled as she stroked those black marks on her forearm.

"But starting from that day, every time I fell asleep at night, I would have nightmares... Every time I fell asleep, I would have them..."

As Emily spoke, her body began to shake violently and uncontrollably, and her teeth chattered, as if she were being dragged back into those inescapable, terrifying nightmares.

Seeing this, Mei extended her arms and gently wrapped them around Emily's trembling shoulders, pulling her into her embrace, while her other hand gently patted Emily's back, one stroke at a time.

"It's okay, it's okay, it's all over. You are safe now, you are safe here..." Mei's voice was soft and firm, carrying a motherly, soothing power.

Emily gripped the corner of Mei's clothes as if grabbing a piece of driftwood, burying her face in her shoulder. After a while, the violent trembling subsided slightly, but her voice was still heavy with deep fear and exhaustion:

"It's... it's a... thing that I can't see clearly."

She swallowed with difficulty, as if it took all her strength to say these words.

"It... in my dreams, it subjects me to... humiliation. All kinds of humiliation, using ways that I... I couldn't even imagine, tormenting me to the point of death..."

Emily's voice grew lower and lower, filled with unspeakable shame and fear that seeped into her bones.

"I... I can feel the pain, I can feel the cold, I can feel that... indescribable, disgusting feeling of being completely defiled and desecrated... But I just can't wake up, I can only experience it over and over again..."

Mei's heart tightened as she listened, her arms unconsciously tightening around Emily, her eyes filled with anxiety and worry as she looked at klein.

"And then when... when it ends," Emily took a deep breath,

"It says some things to me. But I can't understand a single word... It's not any language I know."

"The syllables are very strange, very... harsh, like something scratching against metal, and also like something whispering..."

"And the most terrifying thing is... when I wake up the next day, not only do I feel exhausted, as if all my strength has been drained, spiritless, unable to even get out of bed... but on my arm, there would be another mark like this!"