William stood up from the main seat.
He paced to the window, watching the workers sweating in the sun and the efficient robots outside.
Cranes lifted huge alloy modules, precisely placing them in their designated positions.
Welding sparks were like stars in broad daylight, a scene of prosperity.
"Ophelia Sarkissian, Madame Hydra, an old monster who lived for nearly a hundred years."
"She is proficient in poisons, assassination, and possesses a body enhanced far beyond ordinary people."
"She was strong, but she's dead. And I am standing here."
His gaze returned from the window, sweeping over everyone in the conference room.
Bronski's eyebrow twitched slightly.
A flicker of surprise passed through his gray eyes.
Of course, he knew what the woman's corpse looked like.
Charred, twisted, a very gruesome death.
But what Bronski didn't know was how William managed to counter-kill in such a situation.
William's inner thoughts were far more turbulent than his calm exterior suggested.
He could clearly feel the subtle changes brought by the ability of Adversity Evolution.
Every breath, every heartbeat, seemed to be solidifying the results of that life-and-death battle.
He even felt somewhat grateful to Ophelia; the Madame had, with her own life, presented him with an irreplaceable gift of evolution.
"I admit, I was careless that time, underestimating the enemy."
William's tone carried a hint of self-mockery.
"But I won't make the same mistake twice. And..."
"That bottle of 'poison' had a better effect on me than an energy drink from Stark Industries."
"It made me realize that my body still has a lot of 'room for growth'."
Dr. Connors' eyes lit up instantly.
As a top expert in genetics, he keenly caught the astonishing information contained behind the phrase "room for growth."
This meant that William's body was not static, but possessed some kind of... potential for adaptive evolution!
This completely overturned his understanding of the Super Soldier Serum.
A fervent desire for research almost overflowed from his eyes.
William did not give them too much time to speculate; he tapped the conference table.
"Alright, the discussion about the stability of the company's core assets ends here for now."
William clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back.
"Now, let's talk about the company's next profit point."
He returned to the main seat and operated the virtual controller again.
The huge three-dimensional blueprint disappeared, replaced by a detailed map of Manhattan, New York.
Several special areas were marked with red dots on it.
"The Battle of New York shattered a city, but it also created a whole new market."
William's eyes gleamed with the shrewdness of a businessman seeing an opportunity.
"Reconstruction, security, and those underground forces that quietly rose in the chaos."
"They are like mushrooms after the rain, full of vitality, and also full of... risks."
His finger tapped on a red dot above Hell's Kitchen.
"According to my intelligence, an ancient and mysterious organization is attempting to integrate the underworld forces of Hell's Kitchen. They call themselves 'The Hand'."
William calmly uttered the name.
"A ninja organization?"
Bronski's face showed a hint of disdain.
"A bunch of scumbags who like to hide in the Shadow and play with darts, what's so special about them that we should pay attention to?"
"What's worth paying attention to isn't them, but their'secret weapon'."
William's expression became somewhat playful.
"An existence called 'black sky'."
"It is said to be the vessel on Earth of a deity worshipped by The Hand, capable of destroying everything."
The air in the conference room became heavy.
A deity?
This word had become particularly sensitive after the Battle of New York.
William leaned back in his chair, unhurried, and continued to drop bombshells: "However, you don't have to worry. We don't need to go looking for them. Because..."
"This 'black sky' is now about to be sent to us."
"What?!"
Lei Ling was the first to exclaim, almost dropping the tablet in her arms.
"Boss! Are you saying we're bringing a ticking time bomb... no, a nuclear bomb! Into our unfinished Base?!"
Bronski's gray eyes instantly sharpened as well.
He stared intently at William: "So, we're not just a haven, but also a garbage disposal site? Specializing in taking on problems others can't handle?"
Facing the employees' questions, William just smiled.
His thoughts returned to late last night... "Beep beep beep..."
The phone rang in the quiet room.
William glanced at the caller ID—a number he had marked as "Hell's Kitchen Legal Counsel."
He answered the phone.
"William."
On the other end of the line, a man's tired voice came through.
Matt Murdock, Daredevil.
"Mr. Murdock, a late-night call, are you looking to purchase accidental insurance for your night activities? For an old client, I can give you a twenty percent discount."
William's tone was as relaxed as ever.
"I don't have time for jokes."
Matt's voice was very serious.
"I need your help. A... hiding place."
"Oh? A problem that even you, the Guardian of Hell's Kitchen, find troublesome, sounds like a big business."
William's interest was piqued.
He could tell from Matt's erratic breathing and heartbeat that the other party was in a very bad state at the moment.
"Elektra... The Hand is hunting her. No, they don't want to kill her, they want to 'get' her."
Matt's voice was full of pain and struggle.
"I can't let her fall into The Hands of those fanatics."
"The Hand... Elektra..."
William's mind was racing, but what he said sounded very difficult: "Matt, you should know, my company does risk management, not running a charity shelter."
"Taking in a target wanted by a large transnational criminal organization, this risk... is not a small amount that can be covered."
"I know."
Matt's voice was even hoarser.
"I don't have money. But I can trade something else. All of The Hand's strongholds in New York, all their secret dealings... everything I know, I can give you."
"Deal."
William agreed without hesitation... His thoughts returned to the conference room.
"That's right, we are a garbage disposal site."
William met Bronski's gaze frankly, the curve of his mouth becoming more pronounced.
"But what we do is the most high-end, most valuable garbage recycling."
"A living 'deity', don't you think that's a very interesting collectible?"
"A bargaining chip that allows us to control The Hand's lifeline, a research sample that allows us to have a deeper understanding of the hidden forces of this World."
He looked at Dr. Connors, whose eyes were already burning with a raging Fire.
"Most importantly,"
William's voice lowered a few notches, full of temptation.
"This is the first large-scale comprehensive project since the establishment of our 'Rodriguez Risk Management Company'."
"It will perfectly test the defensive capabilities of our haven, the collaborative capabilities of our team, and... our ability to handle 'high-risk assets'."
"Think of it as a comprehensive, live-fire exercise."
"The most crucial thing is to let those guys lurking in the Shadow, peeking at us, weigh their own worth."
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