Hell's Kitchen

As Sean left Dr. Connors' lab, the sky outside had already completely darkened. After saying goodbye to Gwen, Sean started his journey home.

Remembering the reluctant look in the girl's eyes before she left, a subtle feeling welled up in his heart. Was he trying to steal Spider-Man's girl?

Pushing aside the messy thoughts in his mind, Sean began to ponder how he could find a huge investment for Dr. Connors. Norman Osborn was definitely out of the question. Mr. Green Goblin was too busy dealing with the company's plummeting stock prices, and given Osborn Industries' financial situation, they truly couldn't spare more funds.

Should he go find Tony Stark, that playboy?

The thought flashed and disappeared. Sean shook his head and dismissed it. Stark Industries was an industrial giant, backed by the Department of Defense. Dr. Connors' research results would eventually be applied in the field of biomedicine. The future Iron Man wouldn't be interested, and Tony Stark, that guy, had a hateful personality – sharp-tongued and arrogant, conceited and narcissistic. With his own status, trying to get investment from him would undoubtedly be a pipe dream, and he might even be severely humiliated.

What about Hammer Industries, also a national arms contractor? That wouldn't work either. Justin Hammer was a greedy and brainless businessman. With such a large disparity in status, he would surely devour everything, leaving nothing behind.

After filtering through all the suitable candidates in his mind, Sean finally set his sights on New York's famous real estate tycoon, Mr. Wilson Fisk—the underworld emperor known as "Kingpin." He possessed sufficient power, secretly controlling eighty percent of New York's illegal businesses and ruling a vast criminal empire. Even the judicial system and the FBI couldn't do anything about him.

Compared to other large corporations, this Kingpin, who seemed the most difficult to deal with, was actually the easiest to approach. Those people from S.H.I.E.L.D. only cared about super-powered individuals and wouldn't be interested in a criminal mastermind who controlled New York's underground world.

Getting rid of a heinous underworld emperor, wouldn't that be serving justice for the citizens of New York?

Sean returned to his apartment and happened to meet Mindy, who was returning from school, at the door. The little loli was wearing a light-colored jacket and sky-blue jeans, carrying a backpack, looking no different from a normal girl.

"You were definitely thinking of some bad plan just now!" Mindy said confidently.

"Why do you say that?" Sean was slightly startled. Did this little kid have telepathy? She had actually seen through his inner thoughts!

"Whenever you think of something bad, you get that cunning smile," Mindy said, throwing her backpack onto the sofa and quickly grabbing an ice cream from the refrigerator to reward herself.

Sean touched his face, wondering if his villainous traits were that obvious. Even a little loli could see them.

"I was actually thinking about how to do a good deed, just like Spider-Man, being a superhero for a day," Sean explained. He was doing this to bring peace back to Hell's Kitchen and, at the same time, raise funds for Dr. Connors.

"Superhero? Great, great!" Mindy suddenly shouted excitedly. "I've already come up with a name for myself: 'Hit-Girl'! Doesn't it sound powerful?"

The little loli's inner violent tendencies were activated again. She pulled out a black box from under her bed, filled with various types of lethal weapons: handguns, submachine guns, tactical daggers, fragmentation grenades, and more. These powerful pieces of equipment, usually issued to special forces, were enough for Mindy to storm the New York Police Department and fight her way out.

"Uh, you look more like a terrorist," Sean said speechlessly, watching the little loli quickly change her clothes, put on a purple wig, and wear a purple tight-fitting suit.

He had almost forgotten that this seemingly innocent and pure cute loli before him was a terrifying figure who had once wiped out the gangsters under Frank D'Amico.

If it came to experience and skill in killing, Sean could only admit defeat. During this period, he had also undergone a series of training missions assigned by Mindy, learning combat fighting, disguise and makeup, and hacking knowledge. His professional level was almost on par with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s black-suited agents.

"How can there be such a cute terrorist?" the little loli pouted adorably.

Sean was rendered speechless. Since starting school and living the life of a normal girl, Mindy had become increasingly difficult to fool. Things that used to be settled with a pizza now required at least a strawberry sundae, plus a hearty Chinese meal.

"Girls should touch fewer of these weapons. It's better to learn dancing, painting, or piano."

Finding himself unable to win against the little loli in an argument, Sean resorted to force. He grabbed the little loli, took off her wig, and confiscated the black box filled with weapons and equipment, which he happened to need.

Pouting, Mindy decided not to talk to Sean for a week, as he wasn't gentle at all. But when dinner time came and she saw a table full of delicious and tempting Chinese food, the little loli shamelessly forgot everything. Ever since she had tasted the legendary Eastern cuisine, she had completely forgotten her former favorites, pizza and Mexican barbecue. Compared to the rich and diverse Chinese dishes, those foods were simply childish!

Sean looked at the little loli, who was eating heartily, with satisfaction. He thought to himself, indeed, being a good cook is an essential skill for every male protagonist.

As the night deepened, after urging Mindy to wash her face, brush her teeth, and go to bed, Sean took out a bulletproof vest, a handgun, and a tactical dagger from the black box, fully arming himself. He then put on a dark hooded sweatshirt and quietly climbed out the window.

The city lights began to shine. Looking down at New York at night, this extravagant and brilliant metropolis was like a bustling, sleepless city. The dazzling neon lights and billboards, along with the endless stream of traffic, converged into an ocean of light, making one immersed in it.

Of course, this was only the charming side of New York. The wealthy in the Upper East Side lived a life of nightly revelry and extravagance, while those living in the slums could only reside in dilapidated apartment buildings, enduring harassment from black thugs, drug dealers, and prostitutes, and constantly worrying about being robbed on the street.

If the Upper East Side of Manhattan was a paradise for the rich, then New York's Hell's Kitchen—the area on the west side of Manhattan Island, commonly known as Midtown West—was an outright hell. It was once a notorious slum, a residential area for the Irish immigrant working class, famous for its chaotic and backward living conditions, severe ethnic conflicts, and high crime rates.

Most of New York's gangs had illegal businesses here, such as arms smuggling, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. These acts, strictly forbidden in civilized society, were not a big deal in Hell's Kitchen. This chaotic area, filled with sin, was composed of residents from the lower class, hippies, hoodlums, gang members, prostitutes, and more, forming a vast and complex network. Even if the police intended to maintain order, their efforts were minimal.

Sean walked the streets of Hell's Kitchen with his hood up and head down. As the night grew darker, this area, known for its crime and darkness, became increasingly lively. Streetwalkers in revealing clothing, pickpockets targeting passersby, and overbearing, fierce-looking gangsters—he seemed to have stepped into a bizarre world, catching a glimpse of New York's darkest corners.