Days Without Gangs Are the Good Days

The moment Frank stepped into the room, Hong Fei silently placed the Skill Card "Deceive Time, Confuse Masses" into a Card Slot and activated it.

Active Skill Card: Deceive Time, Confuse Masses (Green)

"After using the skill, any lie you tell has a low chance of gaining another person's absolute trust."

After Frank sat down in the living room, his eyes remained fixed squarely on Hong Fei.

"Don't look at me like that. It's not like I'm refusing to give it to you." Hong Fei turned and took a thin booklet from the bookshelf. "New York is neither too big nor too small. At first glance, its underground forces seem deeply entangled, but in reality, there are no more than five major leaders. The rest either make a living following those leaders, or they're small groups that even the police cannot be bothered to watch."

Sitting across from Frank, Hong Fei pushed the booklet toward him. "That said, none of the top groups can really be called small forces on their own. Every last one is an international criminal organization. New York's prosperity has indeed drawn countless people here, one after another, but darkness has grown alongside it."

"If you want to clean them up, it'll be hard to do alone. Why don't we keep working together?"

Frank flipped through the booklet and glanced at Hong Fei before lowering his head again.

After suffering such a drastic change, Frank found it difficult to truly trust others. As The Punisher, he had spent most of his time working alone. Although he and Hong Fei had acted together for nearly a month, it had been a clearly defined transaction—a conditional partnership.

Hong Fei said, "Do you know what my wish is? My greatest wish is world peace."

Frank was utterly unmoved.

"You may not know this, but before I met you, I often went out—not for walks, but to drive the punks off the streets. I also dumped quite a few criminals at the entrance of police stations. It wasn't because I wanted to vent my strength, either. It was simply because doing so made me happy."

"Cracking down on gangs is necessary. It cannot be neglected. I have always firmly believed that."

"In this city, people already live under immense economic pressure. The existence of gangs undoubtedly subjects them to further exploitation and oppression. Their lives and property are constantly under threat."

"Imagine this: you work your ass off for more than half a year, then happily take your wife and children out for a nice meal after receiving a meager bonus, only to suddenly get robbed by bandits... ahem, suddenly get robbed by a gang!"

"That's why days without gangs are the good days!"

Frank slowly raised his head and saw a bright gleam in Hong Fei's eyes.

"When did you become so long-winded? Can you let me finish reading this in peace?"

Hong Fei smacked his lips and lowered his voice slightly. "Fine. Actually, I said all that because I wanted you to know that I'm also very determined to fight organized crime. Although our deal is already complete, I think our cooperation has been quite pleasant overall. Why don't we continue working together?"

This time, Frank did not even look up. "You want to recruit me?"

"That's right, though recruitment is not quite the right word. It should be a mutually beneficial partnership."

Frank closed the booklet. "But you don't seem like someone who wants to eliminate gangs."

"You misunderstand me."

"Based on our cooperation over the past month, I still think you are a potential terror—"

"Stop!" Hong Fei hurriedly raised a hand. "That's only because you've seen the surface. What do you think gangs are? Most gangs in New York are indeed international criminal organizations, but do you think that's all there is? Do you intend to spend your whole life doing nothing but this in New York?"

Frank frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You know about The Hand now. They have a history of over a hundred years, but do you think there are no darker forces in this world that have existed even longer? There definitely are. And I know exactly what they want to do, as well as where they are. Frankly, dealing with even one Hand would be enough to leave you scrambling on your own. What if the target were an organization that had endured 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 risen to high government positions, or how many are hidden among ordinary people. But once they decide to act, they will surely crash into the existing world order like a raging tsunami. When that happens, who knows how many families will be destroyed, or how many Frank Castles will be born."

"My target truly is not the gangs, because in my eyes, they can only be considered a minor irritation. What truly needs to be purged is the chronic disease clinging to the bones, perhaps even spreading deep into the marrow. So yes, I need manpower, and you are indeed an excellent partner."

"When it comes to planning, one person's ideas are limited, while two people's ideas are broader."

"When it comes to action, one person cannot be everywhere at once."

"Therefore, I urgently need an independent team. Frank, this is my first formal invitation to you."

With that, Hong Fei gazed at Frank earnestly.

In truth, the green Skill Card embedded in the Card Slot was blooming with a green glow dozens of times brighter than usual in his eyes. It filled Hong Fei's vision, and even Frank had been dyed a vivid green.

At the same time, Hong Fei felt the energy within his body draining rapidly.

"Alright!"

As Frank nodded solemnly in agreement, the brilliant green light abruptly drew inward, leaving only specks of light cycling around the card.

After removing the Skill Card from the Card Slot, more than half of Hong Fei's energy had been consumed. Sure enough, Skill Cards were the primary source of energy expenditure.

"Excellent!" Hong Fei stood up with bright eyes and extended his hand to Frank. "Welcome to the team officially!"

Frank rose as well. "I'm honored!"

The two large hands clasped quietly. From Frank's tone and expression, Hong Fei knew that Frank now completely trusted what he had just said.

As for whether his words were true or false...

Why not take another look at the skill description?

Frank's addition put Hong Fei's mind at ease and also gave him a good start.

He knew very well that if he wanted to keep improving himself, he would have to keep taking the initiative. Future opportunities would rain down like a torrential downpour, and all he needed to do was avoid letting those raindrops hit the ground and evaporate into waste.

A helper with excellent military training and strong decisiveness was incredibly valuable. Frank alone was enough to hold his own.

More importantly, The Punisher's consistent methods aligned perfectly with Hong Fei's own ideas.

This world had never lacked "bleeding hearts."

What it lacked were people who could unhesitatingly grind those "bleeding hearts" blocking their path into dust.

Frank met Hong Fei's needs perfectly.

After they released their clasped hands, Frank shifted his gaze and suddenly said, "I'm willing to join your team, which does not yet exist, but I have one more request."

"Go ahead."

"Let's fight again! Last time, I admit I underestimated you. But this time, I'm prepared." As he spoke, Frank clenched his fists, his eyes shining with confidence.

Hong Fei had only one thought: There's actually such a good deal?