The History of The Hand

The Hellfire Club.

In a private suite on the top floor, Sean leaned back on the sofa. Soothing music filled the space, and the table was set with high-end red wine and a cigar box. Even though he knew Sean wasn't interested in these things, Wesley had prepared everything. Sean had to admit, Kingpin's personal assistant was a cautious and intelligent man.

Was he worried Sean still remembered the last time The Punisher invaded? Was he eager to show his loyalty?

Sean chuckled softly. He didn't care about loyalty at all. That thing, like the integrity of gangsters, could be easily betrayed. As long as the superior maintained their powerful status, those below would naturally not dare to harbor selfish intentions. Wesley's loyalty to him was originally built on his own immense power.

"Boss."

Wesley pushed open the door and entered. He didn't sit down immediately but stood in place, reporting the intelligence he had gathered one by one. "I've found out. Yesterday, there was a shallow-source earthquake in Hell's Kitchen. The specific cause is still unknown, but one thing is certain: it should be related to The Hand. The epicenter was Midtown Circle Financial, radiating outwards to the surrounding blocks—that's a company under The Hand, and they had previously cooperated with Kingpin."

Sean nodded, satisfied with Wesley's capabilities. "In two hours, you've found out everything I wanted to know. Very good."

Wesley said humbly, "The Hellfire Club is the largest intelligence hub in Hell's Kitchen. Brokers and middlemen who mingle with various gangs and criminal organizations like to do business here. It's really quite simple to get information."

Sean leaned back on the sofa, thinking. The Hand was clearly planning something big. Yesterday's minor earthquake was a prelude to the coming war. With such a large disturbance, weren't they afraid of attracting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention?

That special organization, currently unknown, shouldn't be interested in the gang wars in Hell's Kitchen. The deeply calculating Black Director was probably busy collecting data on various superpowered individuals at this time. A group of uncontrollable mutants was already enough to give him a headache, so why would he shift his focus to Hell's Kitchen?

"Those few people I asked you to keep an eye on, have they made any moves recently?" Sean really wanted to know what those street heroes living in Hell's Kitchen were up to.

Wesley carefully chose his words before slowly speaking, "Matt Murdock, this blind lawyer, is engaged in charitable legal aid work, with no abnormalities. Ms. Jessica Jones is currently investigating a case of a missing architect. As for Luke Cage, he was just released from prison and has become entangled in a mysterious incident involving the deaths of several Black men. As for Danny Rand, whom you mentioned, he only arrived in New York yesterday..."

"Well done, Wesley. Keep monitoring them, and be careful not to be discovered. Those guys are not ordinary people."

Sean looked at Wesley, who had maintained a respectful demeanor, a hint of admiration in his eyes. No wonder the former Black Emperor Kingpin had valued and trusted him so much. Having a subordinate who could handle all the trivial matters for you felt truly great. You didn't have to do everything yourself; you just needed to grasp the general direction, and you could completely delegate other matters to your subordinates.

"Boss, I've noticed that The Hand is also paying close attention to Danny Rand," Wesley revealed another piece of noteworthy information.

"Those people have their sights set on Danny Rand. This young, wealthy individual who disappeared for over a decade and has now returned to New York to inherit his family's business is no simple figure," Sean said with a faint smile. Danny Rand was a key figure in The Hand's plans, so he couldn't be overlooked.

Facing Wesley's puzzled gaze, Sean spoke without reservation, "When Danny Rand was young, he was in a plane crash with his father. After miraculously surviving, he was adopted by an Eastern monk and joined 'K'un-Lun.' He even later received the title of 'Immortal Iron Fist' and became a protector of K'un-Lun."

"K'un-Lun?" Wesley heard this word for the first time. Even though he had conducted a thorough investigation into Danny Rand, he hadn't known about such a hidden past for the man.

"A mysterious city located in the Himalayas, said to exist in another dimension. The monks living there believe that humans contain 'Chi,' the power of life itself. They hope to find methods to practice and control it to strengthen themselves. However, among these people, there were five heretics, individuals with evil thoughts. These five people craved eternal life, the ability to regenerate continuously, and to escape the fear of death. The elders of K'un-Lun considered this to be a deviation from the right path, and thus, like Lucifer falling from heaven, those five dissenting individuals were expelled..."

"These five individuals became the Five Fingers of The Hand. They used an item stolen from K'un-Lun to survive for centuries. Some of them you even know, like Madame Gao, who controls Hell's Kitchen's drug trade, she is one of the five leaders of The Hand."

Wesley's face showed a look of shock. If these words hadn't come from Sean, he would have thought he was listening to a third-rate novel. The Hand, which had previously cooperated with Kingpin, actually had such a hidden origin.

"The other four have different identities, such as an African warlord, an arms smuggler, and even the controller of a major financial conglomerate. Each of the Five Fingers has their own territory, and they have all come to New York now."

Wesley said with a wry smile, "Boss, if you were an information broker, you'd be the absolute top one."

Sean smiled slightly. Foreknowledge was probably the greatest advantage of a transmigration. Before the timeline was completely disrupted by him, this butterfly, he had to work harder to earn substantial profits. Just like Frank D'Amico and Kingpin before him, The Hand would become his next stepping stone. This mysterious organization, with its global reach, had become prey in Sean's eyes.

"Does the boss want to make a move against The Hand?" Wesley's mind was racing. Sean knew so much about The Hand, and he had also asked him to secretly monitor the street heroes of Hell's Kitchen. These were definitely not unintentional actions.

There's a saying: the enemy knows you best. Since this inscrutable young boss knew the origin and plans of The Hand so clearly, he must be intending to target this mysterious organization entrenched in Hell's Kitchen.

"I remember telling you a long time ago that one day I would kick The Hand, The Russians, and the Mexican Drug Cartel out of here," Sean said with a faint smile, looking at Wesley. "The Emperor of Hell's Kitchen, this is my promise to you."

Even with Wesley's composure, hearing Sean say this himself, he couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He looked at the calm young boss and said sincerely, "Thank you, Boss."

"You do good work, and you naturally deserve rewards, Wesley. Don't limit your vision to just Hell's Kitchen. The future prospects are vast, and there are many things in this world beyond your imagination."

Sean stood up and, before leaving, patted his capable subordinate's shoulder. "Keep a close eye on The Hand. Report any news to me immediately."

His tall figure pushed open the door and walked out. The noisy heavy metal music and the men and women wildly shaking their bodies submerged Sean in the crowd.

ps: The diligent author is here again to ask for votes and collections (ω)