Homecoming

Hearing Kingpin's voice on the phone, Lin Hai greeted him politely. "Good evening, Mr. Wilson."

Then he answered Kingpin's question. "Everything on my end is wrapped up, and I'm on break now. What's your next move? Do we need to prepare anything, and when do you think we can step in?"

Kingpin fell silent for a moment, seemingly running through the situation and the progress of his plan.

Only the faint sound of his breathing came through the phone.

After about ten seconds, Kingpin spoke again. "Doctor Lin, things have been going fairly smoothly according to the plan we discussed."

"With a little guidance from me, Murakami and Bakuto have caused plenty of trouble for their respective old rivals. The Hand's losses keep mounting, while its attention and resources are tied up in the infighting."

"But based on the latest reports and my assessment, the forces and resources controlled by Madame Gao and Alexandra, those two Fingers, can be weakened further. This isn't the best time to finish them off in one stroke."

He gave Lin Hai a fairly clear estimate. "So I intend to let this play out a while longer. It should take another week or two."

Then he changed tack. "So, Doctor Lin, if you and your friends have plans of your own, go ahead with them. When the time comes for the final sweep, I'll contact you in advance."

With Kingpin's plans and timeline clear, Lin Hai knew where things stood.

He exchanged a few more pleasantries with Kingpin and asked after Vanessa and little Richard. Once he heard they were both doing well, he politely ended the call.

Lin Hai gave Gwen a quick rundown of what Kingpin had told him.

A little later, Peter and Harry, the "dishwashing duo," finally finished their task and