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New York Police Headquarters.

The bigwigs' faces twisted as they watched the static-filled footage on the screen.

Then they slumped back down helplessly.

After a long, long while...

"George, what do you think we should do?"

"Hold a press conference, apologize to the public and the victims, and... offer compensation!" George Stacy lowered his head to think for a moment before answering firmly.

"This... this is impossible. It would ruin the reputation of the entire police force. How would the public ever trust us after that?" The bigwig's face contorted horribly. He was internally screaming obscenities.

George Stacy was somewhat dumbfounded. He had not expected his superiors at headquarters to refuse.

The matter was too serious for him to decide on his own, so he had come to headquarters. Yet the leadership had rejected his proposal outright on the grounds of "saving face." Left with no choice, he took out the dashcam footage.

Though the footage was filled with static, they could still see it clearly... There had only been an arm behind him. No one else was there.

His voice was also perfectly clear. Strangely, however, the words of that "Mutants"...

He analyzed the severity of the situation from beginning to end, but he had not expected headquarters to maintain this attitude. It chilled his heart.

"Then... I'll take my leave first!"

Since he had said everything that needed saying, there was no reason to remain.

George Stacy stood up, put on his hat, and headed for the door.

That made the bigwig panic. "Hey, wait... George, you..."

"Mr. Bert, I've already made the seriousness of this matter very clear, and you should have your own judgment!" George Stacy stopped but did not turn around.

"That was one of the Mutants, one of the most powerful Mutants. He could walk through parallel spaces and enter a speeding police car with ease. To put it bluntly, he could easily kill every person present here."

"And there's no need to ask me to contact him. I don't have his contact information at all. He threw the file folder to me and left, giving us only two days. He also has another copy in his hands."

"Mr. Bert thinks holding a press conference would make the police lose face? Heh. Then what happens when he releases all of this? Wouldn't we lose even more face?"

"Let me give you a piece of advice. Don't even think about covering anything up in these two days. He didn't strike me as someone willing to sit down and negotiate. If we fail to meet his demands, we'll become the next Carl Hoffman. Mr. Bert, think it over carefully. Don't wait until it's time for your funeral... only to find that your corpse isn't intact!"

With that, George Stacy did not linger any longer and strode out.

As for the bigwig Bert, his body swayed before he collapsed weakly into his seat.

Bzzzt—The phone on the desk rang, startling Bert.

After seeing the caller ID, he waved his hand.

"You all leave first."

Only after everyone had left did he answer.

"Kingpin, why are you calling me? Do you know that at a time like this, it's best not to contact each other? The video... Fine, fine, fine. I'll send it to you shortly. What... you want me to hold a press conference? Are you fucking crazy? Fine, fine, fine. I know what to do!"

Bert was the head of the entire New York police force, and his own influence was formidable.

Although Kingpin was New York's underworld boss, he still could not touch Bert.

The two could only be partners.

The next day, the press conference was held, causing an uproar throughout the media.

Those who knew Carl Hoffman well looked as though they had eaten dog shit. They were thoroughly disgusted!

Of course, Mr. Bert was an old hand in the police world. He knew perfectly well what could be told to the public and what could not. He selected the important parts from the file, revealing only some insignificant "truths," including the shooting involving Nydia Valen's husband.

As Nydia Valen watched the news, she hugged her son and burst into tears.

The little boy sobbed as well. "Mommy, Daddy wasn't a bad person!"

"Yes, Daddy wasn't a bad person! Be good and go get some rest first."

As she spoke, Nydia Valen entered her room and dialed Kino's number. "Thank you, Mr. Marcus. I know you did all of this!"

"Heh, you're welcome. This was a free bonus, no extra charge!" Kino said with a smile.

He had watched the news.

He knew someone had taken a shortcut, but it did not matter. He had only stepped in for Nydia Valen. What did anyone else's affairs have to do with him?

"Thank you. You're a good person!"

"Yes, I really am a good person. But you might expose me now. I'm not afraid of them, but I hate trouble."

"Ah, then what should I do?"

Nydia Valen realized it as well. The press conference had only just begun when she called Kino. If anyone became suspicious of her, they would surely follow the trail to Kino.

He was her benefactor. How could she bring trouble to him?

"Call several of your friends and relatives immediately. If anyone asks, tell them we're good friends."

"Yes, yes, that can divert their attention. I understand, Mr. Marcus." Nydia Valen nodded repeatedly.

"Good. If there's nothing important, don't call me. You can use my MSN email instead. It's encrypted... outsiders can't crack it."

Nonsense. It had S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Level 10 encryption. How could ordinary people possibly crack it?

The phone number had Level 10 encryption too. They could not trace the contents of the call, though they could trace his name.

"Mm-hm, then I won't disturb you anymore." With that, Nydia Valen hung up and dialed another number. "Sis, Clive didn't take drugs. He was framed! Sob, sob, sob..."

Odd Jobs Shop.

"Dear Galina, have you made up your mind?"

"Yes, I've thought it through. I'm willing."

"Are you ready to accept Demonic Power?"

"I'm ready!"

Galina Dubois deeply yearned for powerful magic.

Maria Hill, standing nearby, could not help trying to persuade her. "Have you really thought this through? This concerns your whole life! No, if you choose to do this, you won't have any self left. You'll no longer control your own life or death!"

"I already can't control myself now!" Galina Dubois smiled and turned her watery eyes toward Kino. "Besides, I believe you won't kill me, right?"

"You're so adorable. How could I bear to?" Kino reached out and lightly scraped Galina's pert nose.

"I had a strong talent for languages since I was young, so I got into the language department. But later, I realized... it was hard to find work after graduating from the language department. I didn't like being a translator either. In the end, I could only rely on my figure and become a model."

"But later, I discovered that the modeling world was even harder to survive in!"