At first, the burly man thought it was normal for a customer to come for a car wash, but after his mind processed it a few times, he was dumbfounded. From the sound, he knew there was a woman in the car. What kind of imbecile would come for a "car wash" while two big bosses were negotiating?
His intuition told him that her purpose was probably not a car wash.
He immediately pulled out his weapon, ready to tell her to leave quickly.
Daisy's movements were much faster than his; she pushed the car door open with a sudden force.
With a loud 'Duang', the burly man's head made intimate contact with the car door. If Daisy hadn't been afraid of damaging the door, she could have used even more force.
The burly man staggered from the impact. Before he could understand what was happening, Daisy pulled him back. A bright taser crackled as she pressed it against his neck, and he rolled his eyes and fainted.
Daisy hooked her toe under him and flipped the burly man over.
There were no firearms or daggers, only a set of brass knuckles fell out of the burly man's pocket. She didn't know how to use those, she grumbled to herself, then looked at the remaining five men with a calm expression.
Although the situation was strange, she still stated her intention, "Can you guys wash cars here?…"
Whether it was James Wesley, with his square-framed glasses and sharp suit, or the several Russians, they were all stunned. Do people use such fresh excuses to cause trouble nowadays?
James Wesley wore an expression of someone watching a good show and took two steps back.
The thin man suppressed his anger: "I don't care who sent you, now get out!"
There were three other burly men around, who also menacingly surrounded her.
Daisy glanced at their weapons. She didn't know if it was their nature to prefer close combat or if they didn't want to use firearms, but these Russians were all using cold weapons: clubs, daggers, chains, and the like.
"Why can't I make you understand? Your paranoia is too severe…" Before they could fully surround her, Daisy ran to the left, towards a bald man holding a chain.
Chains are difficult to use, and this bald man used his even more clumsily. Daisy surpassed him in both reaction time and speed.
She faked a move to throw him off, then burst out of the encirclement, kicking him in the backside as she passed, sending the chain-wielding man stumbling towards his comrades. She used the momentum to accelerate towards James Wesley, who was watching the show nearby.
James's face changed drastically. It was true that he was involved with the underworld, but he was more of an advisor, an assistant. In the original timeline, he acted like a fool and was shot dead by the Daredevil protagonist. His combat ability was very weak. Before he could react, Daisy was already in front of him.
She kicked him in the lower abdomen. While he was bent over, Daisy pulled an M1911 from his waistband.
She checked the magazine; it had seven bullets. She then examined the gun itself. "Oh, is this a collector's edition? Mr. Wesley has good taste."
After saying that, she pointed the gun at James Wesley and said something that made everyone faint: "Quick, make them wash my car."
"Are you crazy?!" James Wesley gritted his teeth in anger. All he could think of was a cat-and-mouse game, and he was a hundred and twenty percent sure she wasn't there for a car wash.
The Russian tough guys were also bewildered. This was truly the first time they had encountered something so bizarre. They looked at their boss, waiting for him to decide.
The thin man was a bit indecisive. His subordinates only needed to be reckless and confrontational, but he had to consider many things.
Daisy holding James was more lethal than holding one of his subordinates. If Kingpin's assistant died here, the two sides wouldn't be talking about cooperating on real estate; they would immediately become mortal enemies. James was not only Kingpin's assistant but also his friend. If anything happened, he wouldn't be able to explain it.
He mentally reviewed all the rival factions, but couldn't figure out who would send a woman to cause trouble here.
But no matter what conspiracy was behind it, he had to save James. He told his subordinates, "Go wash it for her."
His subordinates obeyed the order and opened the car door, also seeing the bloodstains on the back seat.
They set up the water gun and started spraying. In less than ten minutes, the entire car was washed. Afterward, they replaced the back seat cover with a new one for her.
Daisy held the gun and motioned for James to get into the car. She inspected it. These Russians were skilled; they had washed it very cleanly, not a single bloodstain was visible.
She didn't mention money, and the Russians didn't ask for any. This was good news for Daisy, who only had five hundred dollars left. The Russian tough guys watched helplessly as she kidnapped James Wesley and drove away.
"Notify them that Mr. Wesley has been abducted by an unknown woman. The rest is none of our business." The thin man seemed to have a subtle air of enjoying the spectacle without fear of things escalating.
Meanwhile, Daisy was driving back.
"You're covering your face because I've seen you before, right?" James Wesley analyzed to himself, trying to find clues.
Daisy answered with a non sequitur: "Mr. Wesley is a talented man, fluent in several languages, good at socializing, very proficient in modern capital operations, and his work ability is outstanding. With such excellent qualifications, why don't you develop in a large enterprise instead of associating with a gang?"
The other party looked at her curiously. Daisy held the steering wheel with one hand and pointed the gun at him with the other.
He snorted, indicating that he wasn't going to answer the question.
Daisy continued to ask, "If given a chance to walk in the sunlight and enjoy media adoration, would you be willing?"
James Wesley was a bit confused about who she was. Was she from a headhunting company?
What kind of headhunting company would come to a gang to poach someone? And point a gun at him, as if she'd shoot if he didn't agree?
"What exactly do you want to say?"
"Just bored driving, asking casually." There was no sincerity in her words.
Seeing no pursuers behind her, Daisy knocked James Wesley unconscious with one blow. She threw the elite, who yearned for money and honor but was bound by friendship and served the gang diligently, out of the car.
Daisy had considered recruiting him. This guy was definitely a talent, but thinking of his friendship with Kingpin and her pitiful five hundred dollars, she temporarily abandoned the idea.
To build some goodwill, she wiped the fingerprints off the pistol and tucked it back into his waistband.
She put the license plate back on—she had removed it earlier—then drove to another legitimate car wash, had it repainted and some modifications made, and finally returned the car to the rental company.
After all that hassle, her five hundred dollars were almost gone… With a sigh, Daisy took a bus to visit the future Punisher. If he woke up, it would be even better if he could reimburse her expenses.
Logically, saving someone shouldn't require repayment, but she was truly out of money.
She pushed open the door and found the room empty.
Daisy sensed around, but Frank's vibrational frequency was nowhere to be found. She checked the scene; he had left very calmly, not leaving a single cent behind.
"He recovered so quickly. Is this guy really a normal human?" She shook her head and slowly left the neighborhood