◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews.
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones. or 500 Collections
◇ You can read 40 chapter ahead on P@treon. if you're interested: patreon.com/Heroicverse
------------------------------------------------
Kingpin also knew that Ryan didn't like people who spoke in riddles, so after making a small joke, he got down to business:
"Two things."
"First is a piece of news. I've settled the matter with The Hand. They won't look any further into who wiped out the Rath Gang; you won't have any trouble."
Ryan nodded at this, not particularly surprised.
If Kingpin couldn't even handle a small matter like this, he wouldn't be worthy of his title as the Emperor of the Underworld.
Kingpin continued: "Second, didn't you want the things brought back by the Life Foundation spaceship?"
"I've had someone inquire about a more accurate time. The ship will land at the Life Foundation Research Base in San Francisco promptly at ten tonight. I've arranged a helicopter for you this evening; you can have dinner with your family before you depart, and it won't be too late."
"As for the reason, I'll be hosting a Christmas Party at the company tonight, right after dinner. As an employee, you have to attend, don't you?"
Ryan nodded in understanding, not bothering to ask an idiotic question like how Kingpin knew he wanted the items from the Life Foundation ship.
He had viewed the USB drive data on Kingpin's computer, and at the time, Kingpin's body double had been standing right behind him under the pretext of bringing him tea. It would be stranger if Kingpin didn't know.
However, he didn't mind Kingpin knowing.
Because Kingpin lacked the advantage of foreknowledge, he didn't know the true value of the Symbiote. Naturally, he wouldn't offend Ryan just to get his hands on it.
Instead, he would proactively provide conveniences, just as he was doing now.
Since Kingpin had even thought of an excuse for him to leave home, it would be impolite if Ryan didn't show some appreciation.
Therefore, for the first time, Ryan took the initiative to invite Kingpin to his home as a guest to have dinner together.
Kingpin, who had always wanted to grow closer to Ryan, naturally had no reason to refuse.
During the meal, Kingpin appeared very happy, constantly praising May's cooking as delicious.
But looking at the food on Kingpin's plate, which hadn't actually decreased much, Ryan knew Kingpin was just trying to talk more so he could eat less.
Sure enough, after dinner was finished, Ryan used the excuse of going to the company's Christmas Party to leave with Kingpin.
As soon as Kingpin sat in the car, his expression turned sour as he declared that May was definitely the most terrifying person he had ever seen, besides Ryan!
How could someone make food that tasted so bad yet wasn't poisonous...
After following Kingpin to Fisk Tower, Ryan discovered there really was a Christmas Party, and the venue had already been set up.
Don't misunderstand, Kingpin hadn't set this up specifically to provide cover for Ryan; it was for Vanessa.
Kingpin pointed toward the roof, signaling that the prepared helicopter was up there, before taking Vanessa's hand and stepping into the ball.
Ryan, meanwhile, moved against the flow of the lively party and took the elevator to the top floor of the building.
When he reached the roof, there was indeed a helicopter parked on the helipad, and a man with a shiny bald head was leaning against it, smoking a cigarette.
Ryan took one look and thought, isn't that what's-his-name?
Right, Bullseye.
Ryan walked up and looked at Bullseye's head: "Where's your hair?"
Bullseye froze, then the veins on his forehead bulged as he gritted his teeth and said, "Didn't you fucking tell me to shave it last time?"
Ryan thought about it for a moment before remembering that there had indeed been such an occasion.
However, he had just said it casually at the time and had forgotten all about it once he got home.
But if Bullseye had chosen not to shave it, would he have actually twisted his head off? The answer was that if he had remembered later, he probably would have.
After all, he had put the word out; wouldn't he be breaking his promise if he didn't follow through?
Doesn't he need to save face?
It was better for Bullseye to lose his hair than for Ryan to lose face, right?
Ignoring Bullseye's anger, Ryan boarded the aircraft on his own. After glancing at the empty pilot's seat, he reached out and tapped Bullseye's shiny head, asking:
"Hey, where's the pilot?"
"I'm the fucking pilot!" Bullseye climbed into the pilot's seat irritably.
Ryan glanced at him, somewhat curious: "Aren't you Kingpin's newly recruited right-hand man? They're making you do a small task like transporting someone? It's Christmas; don't you have to go home to be with your family?"
Hearing this, Bullseye's hand on the control stick shook with rage. He felt like this guy was constantly fucking provoking him!
He had been abandoned in an Orphanage as a child and locked in a Mental Hospital when he grew up. Forget family, he didn't even have a single friend!
So what kind of stinky Santa Claus sock Christmas was he supposed to have!
Bullseye suppressed the tears in his eyes as he started the helicopter and took off, silently swearing in his heart that if the other guy provoked him just one more time, he would crash the helicopter and take them both down!
But unfortunately, once the helicopter was in the air, Ryan closed his eyes to rest. Bullseye wasn't mentally elbowed by Ryan again, which meant the helicopter didn't crash.
Wait, why did I say 'again'?
Da da da da——
Soon, after a flight of about three hours, the helicopter arrived in San Francisco.
Bullseye parked the helicopter at a pad relatively close to the Life Foundation.
After stopping the helicopter, Bullseye propped his legs up on the console and said coldly to Ryan as he got out:
"I'm only waiting for you here until midnight. Once it's past midnight, find your own way back!"
Ryan glanced at the arrogant Bullseye and smiled slightly: "Midnight? You better stay right here. If I come back and don't see you, I'll break your legs!"
With that, without waiting for Bullseye's reply, Ryan had already put on his mask and swung away on his Spider Silk, covering two miles in an instant.
Arriving near the Life Foundation experimental Base, Ryan didn't choose to go inside. Instead, he found a large tree in the forest not far from the Life Foundation helipad and began to wait quietly.
Because if he remembered correctly, the ship wouldn't land on the Life Foundation's pad as planned. Instead, as it approached, the Symbiote inside the ship would start causing trouble, eventually leading the ship to crash.
Sure enough... a spaceship, its exterior burning from high-speed friction, appeared in the sky around 9:50 PM, ten minutes earlier than the scheduled 10:00 PM landing.
Furthermore, it wasn't falling toward the Life Foundation's pad, but toward the surrounding forest.
Seeing this, Ryan immediately swung his Spider Silk and rushed toward the direction where the ship was crashing.
With his speed, he naturally reached the scene in the densely wooded forest faster than the Life Foundation's people or the police.
When he arrived, there was no one there except for the wreckage of the ship.
Ryan didn't hesitate. He immediately went to the cockpit, grabbed the still-scorching hatch, tore it off with brute force, and quickly crawled inside.
But when he entered the cockpit, he found that of the three pilot seats, two of the pilots were already dead, their faces purple and blue, completely drained of blood.
Clearly, their life force had been sucked dry by a Symbiote.
As for the other empty pilot seat, it went without saying—someone had been parasitized!
With that thought, Ryan narrowed his eyes and quickly ran toward the ship's laboratory deeper inside.
At this moment, inside the ship's laboratory, a woman whose face was clearly abnormal and whose eyes occasionally flashed with an eerie silver luster was placing three Symbiotes from the containment chambers into three Isolation Tubes.
"Partners, you'll have to wait a little longer for your freedom. The three low-level life forms on this ship weren't optimal hosts for us; their combined life force was only just enough for me to barely parasitize one and escape..."
"But don't worry, I will find suitable hosts for you on this Planet. Once you return to me in your new forms, we will use Earth's technology to go back to Klyntar and bring all our kin over..."
Faced with the selfish behavior of their leader, Riot, the other three Symbiotes naturally didn't dare to say much and obediently entered the Isolation Tubes.
The woman possessed by Riot smiled with satisfaction and was about to leave with its subjects when it suddenly felt its hands go empty!
Looking down, the three Isolation Tubes that were just in its hands had vanished without a trace!
Ryan, hanging upside down from the ceiling of the cabin with the three Isolation Tubes in his hand, waved at Riot below:
"Welcome to Earth, little friends from outer space. Oh, you even brought me New Year's gifts? Then I'll help myself..."