Tek Knight's Little Gift

When Li Wei saw the row of wanted faces on TV, he was somewhat speechless.

That bastard Butcher really knew how to cause trouble. They had clearly agreed over the phone that Butcher would lead the team abroad to find Soldier Boy, yet he still had to make such a huge mess before leaving.

And now Madelyn, Vought's Vice President, had been blown into a pile of flesh in her own home. Rumor had it that thirteen kilograms of C4 had been used.

What had originally been Vought's secret manhunt for them had turned into an official nationwide warrant. Mother's Milk and the others were probably cursing up a storm inside.

Li Wei knew it had to be a frame-up, because when it happened, Madelyn's Little Darling had somehow appeared dozens of kilometers from her home, completely unharmed.

Very few people could pull something like that off. A-Train was one of them, but he was still lying in the hospital.

That naturally made Homelander the prime suspect.

Following that logic, those two birds of a feather, Homelander and Butcher, should both already know that Becca was not only alive, but had also given birth to a Little Homelander.

But for Li Wei, that was actually good news. Those two bastards' attention would be drawn elsewhere, and Butcher would hate Homelander even more. That would make it easier for him to quietly grow stronger.

As long as he visited A-Train a few more times and obtained his Super Speed, he would practically be unbeatable!

After giving it some thought, Li Wei called Hughie to casually check on Butcher's situation.

He soon learned that Homelander had not killed Butcher. Instead, he had let him go, and they had already left the country through connections Frenchie had found.

Moreover, Frenchie's network over there was quite influential and actually knew some things about Soldier Boy, making them even more confident in this trip.

After hearing that, Li Wei was even more satisfied and sincerely hoped they would come back with something to show for it.

After making his usual patrol rounds, Li Wei headed to one of Tek Knight's mansions.

Tek Knight had called him that morning and said that the weapons Li Wei had commissioned were finished. He had also prepared a little surprise for him.

Li Wei had initially wondered what it could be, but when he finally saw it, even he could not hide his delight. "Oh my God, no way!"

Besides the several weapons they had agreed upon, Tek Knight had also made him two extra sets of incredibly cool combat suits for free!

When making them, Tek Knight had clearly referenced Homelander's uniform while adding some elements from fantasy games.

One of the two suits was entirely white and gold, giving off an air of nobility and majesty. It was clearly meant for formal daytime occasions.

The other was purple-black and brimming with mystery. Looking at it felt as though it could swallow one's gaze. It was clearly intended for nighttime stealth. Tek Knight had definitely put a lot of thought into it.

Seeing Li Wei's expression, Tek Knight was clearly rather pleased with himself as he gestured toward them.

"Chromium Carbide Alloy. Not only is its defense incredibly strong, it's lighter than iron and highly resistant to extreme heat. Even if A-Train wore it, it definitely wouldn't be damaged by the heat caused by intense friction. It's also very suitable for fire-based Superheroes."

"Reinforced CZTS Oxide Coating. As you can see, it will be the best protection in the darkness. If it has a flaw, it would probably be that its outer layer isn't as durable as the first one. If it suffers a violent attack, the coating may need to be replenished afterward."

Li Wei nodded forcefully. "That's more than enough, Nate. Thank you so much this time!"

Li Wei had to admit again that he had deeply misunderstood Tek Knight at first. Who would have thought that besides Starlight and Maeve, there were still good people among Superheroes?

Tek Knight laughed heartily. "We're friends. Why be so polite? Come on, try the weapons!"

Li Wei did not refuse. He casually picked up a longsword and began swinging it through the air.

As per his earlier requirements, these weapons all had a typical Eastern style, and their appearance suited his aesthetic perfectly.

They were also extremely easy to handle, and Tek Knight had thoughtfully equipped them with scabbards and the like.

They were even set with gemstones that looked expensive at a glance. Li Wei felt that the one million he had paid might not even have been enough to buy those gems. Tek Knight truly was a generous rich bastard.

After watching for a few moments, Tek Knight could not help saying in surprise, "Wow, I didn't know you were so skilled with a sword!"

Li Wei smiled faintly. "I've been working hard at learning recently, but it's still mostly flashy form over substance, more for show than anything else. Now that I have these weapons, I'll keep improving myself."

Among the mountains of boasts Sage Sisters had made were curing cancer and solving global warming. The truth proved that she was nothing but a pure CJ8. It was merely the side effects of World-shattering Wisdom that had filled her with all those fantasies.

Li Wei, who had copied all of her abilities, did not feel that his brain had improved all that much.

However, it did help greatly with things like learning efficiency. Memorizing a dictionary backward was no challenge for Li Wei.

Over the past few days, he had spent quite a bit of time browsing books, watching videos, and so on, memorizing numerous methods for using cold weapons.

But to truly master them and use them in real combat, he still needed a great deal of practice.

Just now, he had merely forced himself to imitate what he remembered.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Li Wei asked again whether Tek Knight had anything he needed help with.

Unsolicited kindness hid ulterior motives. Everything Tek Knight had done for him had long surpassed the friendship between ordinary friends.

Even toward top-tier Superheroes, there was no need for him to be this attentive. His family's influence was not much weaker than Vought's.

Li Wei was also certain that Tek Knight did not have any improper thoughts toward him personally. He must have wanted something from Li Wei.

Sure enough, perhaps knowing that Li Wei was busy every day, Tek Knight did not waste time.

"To be honest, I recently discovered a small tumor growing in my head."

Li Wei's expression immediately changed. He asked with great concern, "What were the test results? Is it benign?"

"For now, it's benign, but it could turn malignant at any moment. The location where it's growing is especially troublesome. The price of surgery is that I might very well die on the operating table."

As he said that, Tek Knight's face was full of unwillingness.

For him, the greatest pain in life was knowing that he might die at any time and that his tens or even hundreds of billions in assets might end up benefiting someone else.

Li Wei felt that the other man might have misunderstood something. "You mean?"

"I heard about what you did for A-Train. If you can solve my problem, I'm willing to pay an even higher price!"

Well, damn. Li Wei had not deliberately concealed it, but whenever he pretended to treat A-Train, the room generally contained only A-Train, with A-Train's Brother occasionally present as well.

After all, that was a high-end VIP ward Vought had specifically prepared for Superheroes. Ordinary people had no right to enter at all.

Yet only two days had passed, and Tek Knight already knew about it. He had definitely planted a mole with no low status in that hospital.

Following that logic, Vought might also know, since the doctors in the hospital examined A-Train every day.

After discovering the abnormalities in A-Train's body, they might casually ask a few questions. Then, once Vought's think tank analyzed things afterward, they would likely realize the truth.

However, for Li Wei, that was actually excellent news.

There were quite a few shareholders at Vought who were in their seventies or eighties. How could they not want to obtain Li Wei's power to heal illnesses and save lives?

They might even be hoping to extend their lifespans!

However, this ability that rapidly accelerated cell proliferation in a short time required a relatively strong physique as support. A-Train, being a Superhero, could withstand it completely without any abnormalities.

But if it were used on an ordinary person, their wound might indeed heal faster, yet afterward they might become noticeably weak from damaging their vitality. Someone with a weaker constitution might even fall seriously ill.

After pondering briefly, Li Wei explained, "Nate, I think you may have misunderstood. I do possess a little power, but I helped A-Train by stimulating cell growth, not through something like magic."

As everyone knew, tumors, or cancer, were a class of diseases caused by abnormal cellular proliferation in the body.

If Li Wei used the same method on Tek Knight, he would probably die tomorrow from a rapidly expanding brain tumor.

Still, he could use this move to kill certain specific people. Even if experts came, it would be useless. The person had simply died of cancer.

Tek Knight's face immediately filled with disappointment, but he still forced out a smile. "I see. So I really did misunderstand."

Li Wei could roughly understand how he felt, so he sincerely offered a few words of comfort.

"Don't lose heart, Nate. This is a strange world filled with all kinds of superpowers. Maybe tomorrow, a Superhero who specializes in treating cancer will appear."

"Let's hope so. By the way, how are things progressing between you and Starlight?"

Li Wei put on a slightly embarrassed expression. "I had planned to use the gift you gave me to confess, but after what happened with Translucent, I think I can do something better."

Given the intelligence Tek Knight had displayed, he would eventually notice that Li Wei had not given those two batteries to Starlight, so Li Wei had already prepared an excuse in advance.

"The Seven?"

Li Wei nodded forcefully. "That's right. The Seven!"

No matter what he actually thought, that was what he would tell everyone!

Tek Knight could not help clapping his hands. "Wow, Li Wei, that's quite an ambition."

"If you need it, I'm willing to provide some necessary support. You know, my family has many businesses, including shares in Vought."

Li Wei completely understood. In fact, behind every private prison in America lay an extremely complicated web of interests.

The crime rate here rose year after year, and it was not merely caused by immigration. Many powerful hands were pushing things from behind the scenes.

Only with enough criminals could private prisons demand enough subsidies from the government and funnel enough profit to the prisons and the chains of interests behind them.

For example, an ordinary hourly worker might cost ten to twenty dollars per hour.

But if it was a criminal sent out by a prison, they might only need to be paid one percent of that amount!

As for the remaining ninety-nine percent, after paying enough to the federal government and leaving enough for the state, all the rest belonged to the prison itself!

Some states even openly signed contracts with private prisons to ensure that their vacancy rates did not exceed a certain percentage. Otherwise, the state would pay to buy beds.

To avoid spending that money, what do you think all the police officers and judges in that state would do? Naturally, they would desperately stuff people into prison!

Tek Knight's family had a remarkably long history, and the connections and interest chains they had built over the years were countless.

That was why Tek Knight held such a special position within Vought. The only person who could truly disregard him completely was probably Homelander.

"Thanks, Nate. If necessary, I'll let you know."

"Heh, no need to thank me. You know, I'm always generous to my friends."

Just then, the internal phone Li Wei used as Angel suddenly began ringing.

Looking at the completely unfamiliar number on the screen, he felt somewhat puzzled.

Ordinary telecom scams could not get through at all. Only a handful of people knew the number, including Ashley and the deceased Madelyn. Who could this be?

Wait, could it be...?

As his thoughts raced, Li Wei directly showed the phone to Tek Knight beside him.

Tek Knight immediately understood what Li Wei meant and congratulated him with a smile. "Wow, Li Wei, it looks like your luck has arrived. Nice. That really is Mr. Edgar's number!"