As Frank stepped into the room, Hong Fei had already silently inserted the "Deceive Time and Crowd" skill card into the slot and activated it.
Active Skill Card: Deceive Time and Crowd(Green)
"After using this skill, any lie you tell has a low probability of gaining absolute trust from others."
After Frank sat down in the living room, his gaze remained fixed directly on Hong Fei.
"Don't look at me like that; it's not like I'm not giving it to you." Hong Fei turned and took a thin booklet from the bookshelf.
"New York is neither big nor small. At first glance, the underground forces seem tangled and complex, but in reality, there are no more than five major leaders. The rest either follow these leading sheep to make a living, or they are just small gangs that even the Police can't be bothered to pay attention to."
Sitting down opposite Frank and pushing the booklet forward, Hong Fei added, "Having said that, those at the top can't be considered small forces if you single them out; each one is an international criminal organization. The prosperity of New York City does indeed attract many people, but a corresponding darkness grows along with it."
"If we're talking about cleaning them up, it's very difficult to do it alone. Why don't we continue to work together?"
Frank flipped through the booklet, glanced up at Hong Fei, and immediately lowered his head again.
After suffering such a great tragedy, it was difficult for Frank to truly trust others, so he mostly acted alone during his time as The Punisher. Although Hong Fei and he had worked together for nearly a month, it was a clear-cut transaction, a conditional cooperation.
Hong Fei said, "Do you know my wish? My greatest desire is World peace."
Frank remained completely unmoved.
"You might not know this, but before I met you, I often went out for walks. Not for exercise, but to drive away the thugs on the streets. I even tossed quite a few criminals in front of the Police station. This wasn't to vent my strength, but simply because doing so made me feel happy."
"Striking against gangs is necessary and must not be slackened. I have always firmly believed in this."
"In this city, people's lives are already under economic pressure. The existence of gangs is undoubtedly a further exploitation and oppression of the people, and their lives and property are constantly under threat."
"Imagine this: you work hard for over half a year, and after getting a meager bonus, you happily take your wife and children out for a nice meal, only to suddenly be robbed by bandits... cough, suddenly be robbed by a gang!"
"So, I say, days without gangs are good days!"
Frank slowly looked up and saw the gleam in Hong Fei's eyes.
"When did you become so long-winded? Can you let me finish reading these things in peace?"
Hong Fei smacked his lips and lowered his voice. "Fine, the reason I said so much is because I wanted you to know that I am actually very determined to crack down on criminal forces. Although our transaction is complete, I think our cooperation has been quite pleasant overall. How about we continue working together?"
Frank didn't even look up this time. "You want to recruit me?"
"That's right, but 'recruit' is a bit inaccurate; it should be mutually beneficial cooperation."
Frank closed the booklet. "But I don't think you look like someone who wants to eliminate gangs."
"You have a misunderstanding about me."
"Based on our cooperation over the past month, I still think you are a potential terror..."
"Stop!" Hong Fei quickly raised his hand. "That's all because you only see the surface. What do you think gangs are? Most gangs in New York are indeed international criminal organizations, but do you think that's the end of it? Do you only want to spend your whole life doing this in New York?"
Frank frowned. "What do you mean?"
"You know about The Hand now; they have a history of hundreds of years. But is there no darker force in this World older than them? There must be, and I know clearly what they want to do and where they are. Honestly, with your strength alone, trying to deal with The Hand is enough to keep you scrambling. What if the target is an organization that has lasted for thousands of years?"
Hong Fei said solemnly, "You cannot imagine how much wealth they have accumulated, how many people they have gathered, how many have climbed to high positions in the government, and how many are hidden among the general public. But once they decide to act, it will inevitably impact the existing World order like a surging tsunami. When that happens, who knows how many families will be destroyed, and who knows how many Frank Castles will be born."
"My goal is indeed not gangs, because in my opinion, they can at most be considered a minor skin disease. What really needs to be cleaned up is the stubborn disease that clings to the bones and has even spread into the bone marrow. Therefore, I do need help, and you are indeed a very good partner."
"In terms of planning, two heads are better than one."
"In terms of action, one person can't be in two places at once."
"Therefore, I urgently need an independent team. Frank, this is my first formal invitation to you."
After saying this, Hong Fei gazed earnestly at Frank.
In reality, in his eyes, the green skill card embedded in the slot was emitting a green light dozens of times brighter than usual. It filled Hong Fei's vision, and even Frank was tinted with a greenish hue.
At the same time, Hong Fei felt the energy in his body depleting rapidly.
"Fine!"
As Frank nodded solemnly in agreement, the brilliant green light suddenly retracted, leaving only light spots circling around the card.
Removing the skill card from the slot, Hong Fei found that more than half of his energy had been consumed. Skill cards were the main channel for energy consumption, that was certain.
"Very good!" Hong Fei stood up, eyes bright, and reached out to Frank. "Welcome to the team!"
Frank also stood, and said, "I am honored!"
The two large hands shook quietly. Judging from the other man's tone and gaze, Hong Fei knew that Frank completely trusted him.
As for whether his words were true or false...
Why not check the skill description again?
For Hong Fei, Frank's joining resolved a worry and was a good start.
He knew if he wanted to continuously improve, he must constantly take the initiative. Future opportunities would fall like rain, and what he had to do was ensure that as little rain as possible evaporated after hitting the ground.
A helper with excellent military training and strong decisiveness was very precious; he was capable of handling things on his own.
More importantly, The Punisher's consistent style coincided with Hong Fei's thoughts.
This world had never lacked "saints."
What was lacking were people who could, without hesitation, crush the "saints" standing in their way to dust.
Frank met Hong Fei's needs perfectly.
After the two let go of their hands, Frank turned his gaze and suddenly said, "I am willing to join your currently non-existent team, but I have one more request."
"Go ahead."
"Let's fight again! I admit I was too careless last time, but this time, I am prepared." As he spoke, Frank clenched his fists, his eyes shining with confidence.
Hong Fei's thought was simple: There's such a good thing?...