Although Prestige Points did not indicate their source during collection and were simply measured by their numerical increase,
Carl had recently found a way to distinguish them through meticulous observation.
Under normal circumstances,
Prestige Points generated by different events were displayed separately.
Moreover, due to various external factors such as how quickly an event fermented, its scope, and the magnitude of its impact, the growth rates of the related Prestige Points also varied.
So, as long as he observed carefully, it was easy to tell them apart.
The reason Carl had Frank record the entire revenge process this time was actually to test a conjecture he had in mind...
Could he collect the corresponding Prestige Points through the influence generated by subordinates who had sworn loyalty to him?
To some extent, the result of this test would directly affect the direction of the future plans Carl was about to formulate.
Originally, he had wanted to ask the system directly.
But this emotionless damned system chose silence whenever faced with questions unrelated to its core functions.
Its intelligence was not even as good as Xiao Ai's...
So Carl had no choice but to settle for testing it on Zemo.
However, the earlier interference from The Daily Bugle's advance report
had made it impossible for him to determine whether Zemo had collected any Prestige Points at the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
And judging by the current situation,
even though Frank had caused a tremendous sensation and impact without exposing his identity, he still had not helped Carl collect any Prestige Points.
But Carl was not in a hurry.
There were still many variables that could affect the outcome waiting to be tested!!
Very soon,
the sun set.
Another breaking news report interrupted the television broadcast.
"According to information just received by our station, the current director of the CIA, William Rawlins, was found dead in his New York home half an hour ago.
According to informed sources, William Rawlins was subjected to extremely brutal torture before his death...
At present, the CIA, FBI, and several other departments have joined the investigation. It cannot yet be ruled out that this was carefully planned by hostile foreign forces..."
Maria, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, said worriedly, "That's terrifying. When did New York's public safety become this bad?"
Carl could not help laughing.
Come on.
When had New York's public safety ever been good?
He then looked back at the screen and found that the Prestige Points still had not changed.
He already had his answer.
"I'm back."
At that moment, Frank pushed open the door and walked in.
He first gave his wife Maria a deep embrace, then waved the expensive bottle of red wine in his hand at Carl and said,
"Boss, sorry for the wait. The gift has been delivered to The Daily Bugle according to plan."
The gift Frank was referring to was naturally the video Carl had ordered him to film.
When he said this, his face was filled with gratitude.
His great vengeance had finally been avenged.
His family would never again be threatened by death.
From now on,
Frank only needed to think about how to repay Carl's kindness.
Carl, meanwhile, nodded in satisfaction, his eyes carrying a little more appreciation.
Dinner came to an end in an exceptionally cheerful atmosphere.
During the meal, Frank, who was usually rather quiet, seemed to have opened up.
He went on and on, telling Carl about every little detail of how he and his wife had met and fallen in love.
It was clear to see.
This iron-blooded tough guy who showed no mercy to his enemies cherished his family dearly.
One could even say that he lived for his family...
Carl also explained the generous terms Warp Group had offered Frank to Maria, putting her worries to rest.
Afterward, Carl returned to the hotel by car amid the Frank couple's warm send-off.
"Dad, Dad, come look... Doesn't this Superman look like Big Brother Carl?!"
Frank had barely closed the door when he heard his eldest daughter calling from the second floor.
He hurried upstairs.
There, he found the little girl watching a video on her iPad.
In the video, a man radiating golden light all over his body was fighting six superpowered individuals...
Whether in appearance, build, or temperament, the man looked almost exactly like Carl.
Gasp...
Could Boss really be a Dimensional Demon?!!
[Prestige Points +1, +1, +1...]
When Carl returned to the hotel, he inadvertently noticed a new increase in the Prestige Points on the screen, and a look of delight immediately appeared on his face.
"Looks like The Daily Bugle has already started moving!"
Carl quickly turned on the television and switched to The Daily Bugle's dedicated channel.
Sure enough,
it was broadcasting footage of Frank interrogating CIA Director William Rawlins.
The entire video was shot from a first-person perspective.
Although the camera shook with every movement Frank made, it was incredibly immersive.
The bloody scenes struck at every viewer's nerves.
That sense of being there sent adrenaline soaring, with an effect far surpassing any AAA game.
As the interrogation continued,
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William Rawlins quickly became unable to hold out.
He confessed every filthy thing he had secretly done in Kandahar over the years.
In the end, Frank, burning with fury, roared that classic line: "You're guilty, so you die!"
Then, using the cruelest execution method—slitting his throat—he ended the scumbag's sin-filled life.
Anyone with eyes could tell that the video had clearly been edited and post-processed.
Every piece of information that could reveal Frank's identity had been altered in post-production, making it impossible to trace him.
This was also an order Carl had given John Jameson in advance in order to protect Frank.
"...Viewers, after watching this video, I have only one feeling: I feel like I'm sitting on pins and needles, with thorns in my back and something lodged in my throat!!!"
"It's hard to imagine such filthy dealings appearing within our sacred military, and that the dignified director of the CIA was secretly using the corpses of fallen soldiers to smuggle drugs.
Such utterly inhumane conduct is simply the greatest insult to all soldiers and a ruthless trampling of the nation's honor."
"But that is not what I want to talk about today..."
Just when everyone thought John Jameson would continue with an in-depth explanation of William Rawlins's crimes,
who would have thought that he would suddenly change the subject?
"From this incident, I have reached a conclusion: when justice is tarnished, when the law is wantonly manipulated, when the truth is buried deep underground by those in power,
we need someone like the Punisher in that video—someone who dares to stand against the darkness and fight violence with violence—to step forward and seek justice for those victims who suffered unfair treatment..."
Carl chose not to keep watching and casually turned off the television.
He had considerable faith in John Jameson's ability to grasp the formula for attracting attention.
He then focused all his attention on the screen.
The extremely gratifying growth rate of the Prestige Points was enough to confirm his earlier conjecture.
That was...
Even without Carl directly intervening, the influence caused purely by his loyal subordinates could also be converted into his Prestige Points.
But the prerequisite was that the other party had to be loyal to him, and it only worked after they had "revealed" their identity.
The best evidence was that after Frank killed Billy Russo and William Rawlins, although he had caused an enormous sensation,
major news outlets, the CIA, the FBI, and every police officer in New York had been searching for him.
Yet Carl had not gained any Prestige Points because of it.
Instead, when John Jameson deliberately referred to Frank as the Punisher in the news as Carl had instructed, the Prestige Points began skyrocketing!
This undoubtedly gave Carl an unexpected surprise.
Because from now on, as long as he recruited more loyal and capable subordinates like Zemo and Frank,
he could effortlessly collect massive amounts of Prestige Points.
Coincidentally,
this was exactly the same as the "Fun-Seeker Plan" Carl had envisioned before.
The only difference was...
now, even without abandoning his physical body and returning to the Warp Dimension, he could still accomplish it!
Although Carl had not yet figured out
why he could use this exclusive "authority," which a Dimensional Demon could normally only use within his own dimension, in the real world—or rather, the Physical Universe—
if he looked at the matter from another angle,
weren't these subordinates loyal to him also "believers" in a sense?
And their face-to-face oaths of loyalty could also be considered a kind of contract, right?!!
But no matter what,
things were developing in Carl's favor.
"Very good. Looks like it won't be long before I can live the carefree life of an early retiree!"
In truth, Carl did not particularly like acting in an overly high-profile and flamboyant manner.
He only wanted to throw wild parties... Ah, no, he wanted to savor sweet, innocent love!
But before this, he had no choice.
And now...
he finally had a better option!!!
Thanks to Taiyang for the monthly pass!!!
It's Tuesday today. Please keep reading for your little brother's sake after this double release, or your little brother is really done for...
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