Harvest

"Sending Kingpin to prison is harder than killing him."

Matt's tone was calm. As Kingpin's longtime adversary, he was no stranger to Kingpin's true identity.

Wilson Fisk, a native-born real estate and energy tycoon from Hell's Kitchen, had investments in every industry and was an extremely successful entrepreneur.

Moreover, his lackeys were spread throughout the underworld. Nearly 40% of criminal activity in the United States traced back to Kingpin. Destroying a drug processing plant, stopping a smuggling operation, or arresting a few gangsters could all offend Kingpin's empire.

Especially in New York, where he could practically blot out the sky with one hand. Minor charges were useless, while no evidence could be found for the serious crimes that would be enough to convict Kingpin. That was the difficult part.

"You may not know this, but Bullseye, whom you sent to the police station, will be released tonight."

Matt faced Anton with his sightless eyes hidden behind dark glasses and said slowly, "The police station can't convict him. Even though everyone knows he's an assassin, no one can find evidence that he killed anyone... that is Kingpin's power."

"Bullseye? If I can catch him once, I can catch him a second time." Anton was dismissive.

"Is that your no-killing rule?" Matt asked. "Wouldn't it be easier to kill him outright than send him to prison?"

From that question, it seemed Matt knew Batman fairly well.

"Not killing is my bottom line. But for my enemies, staying alive will only make them suffer more," Anton said.

"Even if you send Kingpin to prison, there'll be another Kingpin." Matt changed tack. "What do you plan to do?"

Anton said, "The High Table is my partner. After Kingpin falls, the High Table will take over Hell's Kitchen. The High Table is an organization that follows rules. If you know anything about it, then you know Hell's Kitchen won't become any worse than it was under Kingpin once the High Table moves in."

"You're right."

Matt fell silent for a moment. Out of his hatred for Kingpin, he would rather see another organization rise in Hell's Kitchen than allow Kingpin to remain standing. He rose and extended a hand to Anton. "Pleasure working with you."

"Pleasure working with you."

Anton shook his hand and smiled.

After establishing their partnership, the two talked for quite a while longer. Anton learned a great deal about Kingpin from Matt.

What surprised him most was that Kingpin's weapons supplier was actually Stark Industries.

Matt said, "Tony Stark probably doesn't care about this kind of revenue, but Stark Industries is an arms giant, and Tony Stark is a willful playboy who only knows how to invent and isn't good at management. A lot of rot has grown inside the company. For now, I only know that most of Kingpin's weapons come from Stark Industries, but I haven't found out who's trading with him. I can only be certain that it's someone highly placed and powerful."

"Stark Industries..."

Anton stroked his chin, thinking of someone.

He had originally planned to leave that man for Tony to deal with when he returned, but now it seemed he might have to take care of him before Tony Stark came back.

"Do you have a lead?"

Matt caught the subtle change in Anton's tone, and his heart stirred.

"Yes, I do have an idea."

Anton nodded and spoke bluntly. "Obadiah Stane, the CEO of Stark Industries. That old bastard isn't a good man. But I'm not sure whether he's the one trading weapons with Kingpin."

"Obadiah Stane... if it really is him, that would make sense."

Matt nodded.

"I'll investigate this matter. As for you, keep looking for evidence of Kingpin's crimes," Anton instructed. "Once we find the evidence, that will be the best time to move against Kingpin. Otherwise, it'll all be wasted effort."

"Understood."

Matt said, "Keep in touch."

"Sure."

Anton then said goodbye to Matt.

After leaving Hell's Kitchen, he took out his phone and saw a message from Eddie. He met Eddie on the outskirts of Hell's Kitchen.

"How did things go on your end?"

Anton greeted Eddie.

"I met an old friend, Ben Urich. He's in the same business as me, working for another media outlet, and he's passionate about fighting criminals." Eddie smiled. "By coincidence, he's been investigating Kingpin lately too."

"Did he find anything?" Anton asked.

"More than we imagined." Eddie grinned. "You'll have to double my bonus this time."

"Oh, please. You're already a multimillionaire!"

The next day.

The Daily Bugle fired the first shot.

[Underworld Emperor: Kingpin and His Underground Kingdom]

The front-page headline and article were based on genuine information that Eddie and the Daily Bugle staff had worked through the night to compile.

It revealed Kingpin's true identity: Wilson Fisk, a wealthy real estate developer and energy tycoon with investments in numerous other fields, one of the most affluent men around.

No one had expected this guy to be involved with the underworld.

Although the newspaper did not provide Kingpin's specific charges or evidence of his crimes, it had thoroughly dug up his background.

Wilson Fisk had grown up in Hell's Kitchen. His father had been a minor gang leader who died in a gang shootout.

For the young yet defiant Wilson, who possessed a strong sense of self, his father's death did not make him particularly sad. It merely gave him a deeper understanding of society's law of the jungle. From that moment on, he began nurturing the ambition to build a "criminal empire" of his own.

Driven by that goal, Wilson joined the New York gangs and committed every evil imaginable—arson, murder, robbery, and plunder—before finally ascending to the position of gang boss. Yet that did not satisfy him. Nearly mad, Wilson used his innately wicked mind to carry out slaughter-like purges of other gangs, eventually seizing firm control over the gangs of all New York and even the entire United States.

Wilson's "criminal empire" gradually transformed from a dream into reality.

From then on, he hid his true identity and adopted the name "Kingpin."

By day, Wilson Fisk was a successful New York businessman and philanthropist. By night, Kingpin was the underground emperor of New York and the entire United States, a man whose word was law and whose power reached the heavens.

Quite an inspiring story.

The biggest problem was that Kingpin had chosen a path of no return.

Given the Daily Bugle's current credibility, coupled with the widely known close relationship between Batman and the Daily Bugle, people had no doubt that the report was true.

The all-powerful internet detectives even discovered that Bullseye, one of the men Batman had arrested during his operation a few nights earlier, was Kingpin's subordinate.

That meant Batman and Kingpin were already at odds.

Furthermore, the resourceful online crowd learned that Bullseye had been released without charge because the police could not produce evidence.

Those who knew the situation were stunned, and the New York Police Department was cursed onto the trending lists.

As commissioner of the New York Police Department, George Stacy bore the brunt of the backlash and faced immense pressure.

"Bastards!!"

He gritted his teeth.

At the same time, Wilson Fisk—the man at the center of it all, also known as Kingpin—in the Fisk Company building in Manhattan wore the exact same expression as George Stacy.

"Is this how you handle things for me?"

Kingpin glared at his subordinate, clenching his fist, wishing he could slap the fool in front of him to death.

"I-I... I didn't think he'd dare do this!"

Wesley trembled.

New Year's Day is almost here. Wishing everyone a happy New Year's Day.

Three updates today. The next chapter will still be at 8 p.m. Please bookmark and vote!