An Opportunity for You

Sean made it sound easy—go talk to Kingpin? But actually finding a way to meet Kingpin was a problem in itself.

Sean White was not famous enough for every thug on the street to recognize him.

He had also turned down Elektra's volunteered offer. He did not think dragging Elektra into this was a good idea.

It looked like he needed to borrow the power of those villains.

A crook like Python Queen Zelda DuBois, who could rob jewelry stores, should know Kingpin, right?

That woman still owed him several million.

When Python Queen received Sean's call, she was in New Jersey negotiating the sale of stolen goods. Because of Sean's call, she lost at least five percent!

That was what happened when you were in a hurry. Everyone in this business was shrewd.

Before Python Queen arrived, Sean decided to take care of something he had planned earlier!

Buying a car!

He had gotten the price list from the dealership across the street days ago.

He could finally buy a car. Sean was actually a little excited.

He had long since set his sights on a six-seat business van. As for sedans, the space was too cramped for his liking.

Just imagining himself sitting in a spacious van with a beautiful female secretary beside him... now that was tempting!

The dealership owner was a Black man in his forties. He personally received Sean.

Sean complained inwardly, You run a whole dealership, and you don't even have a pretty saleswoman?

Negotiating with a rough-looking man was just awkward.

But that was not the point. The important thing was that he had bought the car.

Yuriko drove while Sean reclined in the back, putting on the airs of a boss. It felt like his life had reached another peak.

In a parking lot on the Lower West Side, Sean waited for Python Queen.

Python Queen Zelda was around thirty-five, but she looked very young. Her mature demeanor combined with her youthful appearance was quite a bonus.

Blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slender waist.

As she stepped into the vehicle on her long legs, Sean inexplicably felt that having a secretary like this would not be bad.

She was no worse than that fat Smith from before.

Besides, this woman played with snakes. Perhaps she had certain talents that no one else could match?

But Sean immediately abandoned that idea. This woman had several giant snakes. How was he supposed to afford to feed them?

Unless he recycled those snakes.

But he was afraid that would drive the woman mad.

Better forget it.

"Doctor White, did you need something from me?"

Python Queen asked cautiously.

"Do you know Kingpin well?"

"The underground king of New York? Of course I know him."

"I want to meet Kingpin. Do you have any way to make that happen?"

"Even his own men do not know his whereabouts. I don't have that kind of ability."

Sean's eye twitched. Then what use are you?

"No way at all?"

Seeing that Sean seemed unhappy, Python Queen thought for a moment before saying, "I know several of Kingpin's important establishments. Maybe we can find someone there who can pass along a message to him."

Python Queen's method had a fairly high chance of working.

The only problem was that it was morning. Those establishments would not open until night.

That was rather awkward.

"I'd say you're doing pretty miserably for yourself, huh?"

Sean could not help complaining.

Python Queen's expression stiffened. Sean's words hit where it hurt. She was a villain too, but her methods were different from Kingpin's.

Python Queen did not run any businesses. Nor did she deal in goods or transactions. Her income came entirely from robbery!

If she were not afraid of provoking someone she could not afford to offend, she would have wanted to rob Kingpin's money too.

The queen on Sean's shoulder did not answer, and he continued asking.

"What do your snakes usually eat?"

"Nikki hunts for food in the sea herself."

Sean waited, only to realize that Python Queen had finished answering. He found that strange. Did this woman not have several snakes?

"What about the others?"

Python Queen's face fell. "They're all gone."

Tsk... what had she gone through in just these few days?

"I feel like you can't even pay off the interest by yourself."

Sean said helplessly.

At the mention of interest, Python Queen's expression became even worse.

More than two hundred thousand in monthly interest was more than she could bear. She had gone through tremendous effort to rob a jewelry store, only to sell the loot for just over two hundred thousand dollars. Those bastards who handled stolen goods had actually offered only ten percent of its value this time!

She could not exactly rob a jewelry store every month, could she?

Wait!

"You just said that your snake hunts in the sea by itself?"

"Yes, that's right."

What kind of species was that? Sean was genuinely astonished. He had always assumed that giant snake was terrestrial. He never expected it to be amphibious.

There was only one thing to say: that was badass plus!

"I think you need a steady job. Otherwise..."

Sean did not finish, but the meaning behind his words was clear. What about your interest payments?

"Someone invited me to join an organization called the Viper Gang. The benefits seem pretty good."

Python Queen did not hide anything from Sean and told him about what had happened recently.

"The Viper Gang?"

Sean had no impression of it. He only knew of The Hand and the Ten Rings.

"Can they offer you what you need?"

Python Queen was speechless. Was that even possible? What company would offer a hired thug an annual salary of three million?

"No."

"Hmm."

Sean looked Python Queen over again. On closer inspection, this woman had quite a presence. She possessed a distinctive air of authority, though Sean could not understand how a woman doing so badly could have such a temperament.

Ever since the police had come knocking that morning, a thought had been turning over in his mind: should he form a gang or a company or something?

Then, whenever something came up, he would have underlings to serve him. He would not have to run errands himself for every little thing like he did now.

But a doctor forming a gang? That felt kind of low-class.

What if... he took this chance to expand the clinic?

Take over the half-dead sporting goods store next door?

Tsk... that would require a large sum of money.

Although the clinic had made quite a bit of profit, taking over another storefront would still be a stretch. And he would soon be hiring a full-time doctor. He would need to offer a high salary to attract someone, right? Still not enough money...

For the entire afternoon, with nothing to do, Sean had Yuriko drive him around Manhattan, enjoying the feeling of owning a car.

He idled away the time until four in the afternoon, only stopping his pointless wandering once Kingpin's establishments opened.

The process of finding someone to pass along a message was simple.

Python Queen stepped forward and requested a meeting with Kingpin.

After several relays, the request reached Kingpin.

But Kingpin had no intention of meeting Python Queen. The two had little contact with each other. Ever cautious, Kingpin would not rashly meet an unfamiliar woman.

Fine, Plan A had failed, but Sean and Python Queen had not made a Plan B.

The two sat in Kingpin's bar, staring at each other in frustration.

"Should we tear this place apart?"

After a long while, Python Queen finally said that.

"No. I have another way."

Sean lowered his eyelids and said darkly.

"Let's go."

After leaving, Sean sat in the car without saying a word. Seeing the rather frightening expression on his face, Python Queen remained quiet as well.

It was not until they were nearly back at 147th Street that Sean spoke.

"I'll give you an opportunity. Work for me."

"As a nurse?"

Python Queen thought Sean was joking and answered with a smile.

"You? I just need someone to keep watch for me."

I can't guarantee there will be another update today.

If there is, it will probably be around eleven or twelve.

This chapter was still typed out on my phone. Typing on a phone... I really am hopeless!