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New York Headquarters.

The big shots' 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, apologize to the victims, and... provide compensation!" George Stacy lowered his head to think for a moment before speaking firmly.

"Th-That's impossible. It would destroy the reputation of the entire police force. How would the public ever trust us after that?" The big shot's face twisted grotesquely, and inwardly, he was cursing up a storm.

George Stacy was somewhat dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his superiors at Headquarters to refuse.

The matter was too serious for him to decide alone, so he had come to Headquarters. Yet the leaders there had directly rejected his proposal on the grounds of "saving face." Left with no choice, he had taken out the dashcam footage.

Though the footage was filled with static, it still showed clearly enough... there had only been one arm behind him. No one else.

His own voice was also perfectly clear. Strangely, though, the words of that "Mutant"...

He analyzed the severity of the matter from beginning to end, but he hadn't expected Headquarters to maintain such an attitude. It chilled his heart.

"Then... I'll be taking my leave!"

Since he had said everything that needed to be said, there was no point in staying.

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

This made the big shot 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 a Mutant, an exceptionally powerful Mutant. He could walk through parallel space and enter a speeding police car with ease. To put it bluntly, he could easily kill every one of us here."

"And there's no need to ask me to contact him, because I don't have any way of reaching him. He tossed the file bag to me and left, and he only gave us two days. He also has another copy in his hands."

"Mr. Bert thinks holding a press conference would disgrace the police? Heh. Then what if he releases all this himself? Wouldn't that be even more humiliating?"

"Let me give you one piece of advice. Don't even think about covering anything up in these two days. The feeling he gave me was that he wasn't 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 the burial... only to find the body incomplete!"

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

As for Bert, his body swayed before he collapsed helplessly back into his chair.

Buzz—the phone on the desk rang, startling Bert.

Once he saw the caller ID, he waved his hand.

"You can all leave first."

Only after everyone had left did he answer it.

"Kingpin, why are you calling me? Do you know that it's best not to contact me at a time like this? The video... all right, all right, I'll send it to you in a moment. What... you want me to hold a press conference? Are you fucking crazy? All right, all right, 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 have a cooperative relationship.

The next day, the press conference was held, and the entire media world erupted.

Those who knew Carl Hoffman well looked as though they had eaten dog shit, utterly disgusted.

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

Nydia Valen, who was watching the news, 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 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, don't mention it. This one was free of charge, no extra fees!" Kino chuckled.

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 anyway. What did other people'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, yet she had immediately called Kino. If anyone became suspicious of her, they would definitely follow the clues back to Kino.

He was her benefactor. How could she cause trouble for her benefactor?

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

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

"Good. If there's nothing important, don't call my phone. You can use my MSN mailbox 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 was also protected by Level 10 encryption. The content of the calls could not be traced, but his name could still be found.

"Mhm, then I won't disturb you any longer." With that, Nydia Valen hung up and dialed another number. "Sis, Clive didn't use drugs. He was framed, boohoohoo..."

Odd Jobs Shop.

"Dear Galina, are you sure?"

"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 magical strength.

Maria Hill, standing beside her, could not help but persuade her. "Have you really thought this through? This is something that will affect you for the rest of your life! No, if you choose to do this, you'll no longer have any freedom. Your life and death will no longer be yours to control!"

"I can't control them now anyway!" Galina Dubois smiled and turned to look at Kino with watery eyes. "And I believe you won't kill me, right?"

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

"I had a strong talent for languages from childhood, 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 choose to become a model."

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