That Name

"What kind of trash is The Hand?"

Richard blurted it out without even thinking, because that was exactly what he thought.

In the Marvel universe, where gods were everywhere and superheroes were a dime a dozen, what else could a mere large ninja organization be if not trash?

The Hand was a little stronger in the comics, but there was really nothing worth mentioning about the movie version. It was just a ninja organization founded by five ancient cowards afraid of death. Judging by what they showed in the TV series, even S.H.I.E.L.D. could wipe them out in one fell swoop.

But Fisk did not see it that way. The Kingpin in the TV series had nearly become New York's greatest overlord, yet even he held The Hand on his own turf in considerable awe. And now, Kingpin's power and connections were still nowhere near what they would become. To him, an organization like The Hand, with deep roots and influence reaching into every corner of the world, was undoubtedly an untouchable behemoth.

Yet Richard had casually called an existence that none of New York's major players dared provoke trash. If anyone else had said it, Fisk would have assumed they were simply ignorant. But since it was Richard, Fisk could only take it to mean that the force backing him was even stronger than The Hand.

As a crime boss like Kingpin, Fisk naturally knew more than ordinary people about certain aspects of the world. He knew there were many organizations hidden extremely well but possessed of immense power. Such organizations often had the ability to shake the world order itself, while ordinary people had never even heard of them.

He was now certain that Richard was backed by one such organization.

Otherwise, how could an obscure little newspaper agency speak so recklessly in a place like New York? Fisk would be the first not to believe they had no backing.

"Mr. Li, my intelligence network in New York is fairly reliable," Fisk continued. "But regarding you and the Daily Planet, I have to admit that I was unable to find the slightest trace of any unusual background. I imagine everyone else's investigations produced much the same result. I did not arrange this meeting because I hoped to learn more information. I only want to know one thing—just one thing: the attitude of the great figure behind you."

Richard was utterly speechless. Why did some people always love imagining things that were not there? He really had built the Daily Planet from scratch himself. Every problem he had encountered along the way had been dealt with personally by him. Where was this amazing backing supposed to have come from?

Richard wanted to say that if he absolutely had to name some backing, then it was already sitting across from Fisk right now.

Wait, had Fisk just said "that great figure"...

An idea struck Richard. He simply nodded along with Fisk's words and put on a mysterious expression. "Since you've already noticed, Mr. Fisk, then let's speak plainly, as you wish. I can't reveal too much, but I can tell you that person's name—only his name. His name is..."

He deliberately paused, casually sweeping his gaze around before leaning closer to Fisk. Lowering his voice, he whispered the word mysteriously: "...'Shafolin.'"

Fisk repeated in confusion, "'Shafolin'?"

Was that the name of some place? Or a codename? The crime boss Kingpin racked his brains and was certain he had never heard the name before, but he silently committed it to memory, intending to investigate it thoroughly once he returned.

Richard nodded solemnly and deliberately cautioned him, "Yes. But we generally do not mention this name. You would do best not to mention it publicly either, for your own sake."

Fisk nodded in understanding. He could more or less understand that. The more terrifying a great figure was, the less casually their name could be spoken—just as Kingpin's own name was taboo in New York's underworld.

"As for that person's attitude, Mr. Fisk, you needn't worry," Richard said unhurriedly. "You may proceed with your own plans in New York. Compared to a mere New York City, that person... Let's just say his vision is much broader. I doubt he would have the time to concern himself with the affairs of a single city."

At those words, a huge weight immediately lifted from Fisk's heart.

Wilson Fisk was an extremely ambitious man. Though he was already one of the most influential figures in the city's underworld, he wanted to remove the words "one of" from that title.

He had been preparing for a long time to eliminate every other competitor in the city and become New York's one and only underworld emperor. Fisk was now confident that he was ready. The only thing that had kept him from acting until now was the attitude of certain mysterious forces in New York.

The Hand was one of them, but he had already negotiated terms with them beforehand. Fisk had offered them an appropriate price, and they had accepted the deal, promising that as long as Kingpin did not break his word, The Hand would not interfere in the coming gang war.

That left only "that great figure" behind Richard, and this was what worried Kingpin most. Based on the information he had gathered, he felt that Richard's backing seemed even more powerful than The Hand.

By the end of the meal, Fisk appeared quite pleased. He politely and respectfully shook Richard's hand goodbye, thumping his chest as he promised that once he took control, the Daily Planet could come to him with any trouble in the future. In New York, sometimes a word from Kingpin carried more weight than one from the mayor.

Although Richard had not initially intended to get involved with Kingpin, connections delivered right to his doorstep were not something he would turn down. So he shook Fisk's hand and agreed. Fisk was incredibly enthusiastic when they parted, as though they were old friends reunited after years apart. They stood at the restaurant entrance shaking hands reluctantly for a long time before finally saying goodbye.

Richard kept a straight face throughout, but inside he was already laughing himself breathless.

Kingpin had actually bought the Shafolin joke. Could you believe it?

Honestly, he had not wanted to tell this lie at first. Fisk was the one who insisted that he had some incredible backing. Then Richard thought about it—if that was the case, why not just go along with him... and make up some backing?

Richard had realized something: these days, whether good people or bad people, everyone loved lies and hated the truth. He said he really had no backing, but Fisk refused to believe him no matter what. Then he casually made something up, saying that "evil Shafolin" was backing him, and Fisk immediately believed it...

Besides, making up some backing had no downside. Once word spread, small fry like the Green Snake Gang would think twice before trying to cause them trouble again. Richard himself could save a lot of trouble too, so why not?

Richard also had to admit that, for one brief moment just now, he really had wanted to make the Shafolin joke...