Hellfire Club.
In the private suite on the top floor, Sean reclined on the sofa as soothing music drifted through the room. Fine wine and a box of cigars sat on the table. Even knowing Sean had no interest in such things, Wesley had prepared everything. It had to be said that Kingpin's personal assistant was a cautious and clever man.
Was he worried Sean still remembered the Punisher's last intrusion? Was that why he was so eager to demonstrate his loyalty?
Sean smiled faintly. He did not care about loyalty at all. That stuff was like a gangster's integrity—easily sold out. As long as those at the top remained powerful, the people below naturally would not dare harbor private ambitions. Wesley's loyalty to him had always been built upon his own strength.
"Boss."
Wesley pushed open the door and entered. Rather than sitting down immediately, he remained standing and reported the intelligence he had gathered point by point. "I've looked into it. A shallow earthquake occurred in Hell's Kitchen yesterday, though the exact cause is still unknown. But one thing is certain: it should be related to the Hand. The epicenter was Midtown Circle Financial, with the tremors spreading into the surrounding blocks—that's a company under the Hand's name, and it previously cooperated with Kingpin."
Sean nodded, quite satisfied with Wesley's abilities. "Two hours, and you found out everything I wanted to know. Not bad."
Wesley said modestly, "Hellfire Club is Hell's Kitchen's largest intelligence hub. Brokers and middlemen mixed in with every gang and criminal organization like to conduct business here. Finding out a few things is really quite easy."
Sean leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought. The Hand was clearly planning something big. Yesterday's minor earthquake had been a sign of the coming war. With such a huge commotion, were they not afraid of drawing S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention?
That special agency, still unknown to the public for the time being, probably had no interest in New York's gang conflicts. That deeply calculating Black director was likely gathering information on every superpowered individual right now. A group of uncontrollable Mutants was already enough of a headache for him, so why would he turn his attention toward Hell's Kitchen?
"What have the people I told you to keep an eye on been doing lately?" Sean wanted to know what those street heroes living in Hell's Kitchen were doing at this moment.
Wesley carefully chose his words before slowly answering, "Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer, has been providing charitable legal aid. Nothing unusual there. Jessica Jones has recently been investigating the disappearance of an architect. As for Luke Cage, he was just released from prison and has become involved in a mysterious case concerning the deaths of several Black men. And Danny Rand, the one you mentioned, only arrived in New York yesterday..."
"Good work, Wesley. Keep watching them, and be careful not to get discovered. Those people aren't ordinary."
Sean looked at Wesley, who had maintained a respectful attitude throughout, and a hint of appreciation appeared in his eyes. No wonder the former Black Emperor, Kingpin, had valued and trusted him so highly. Having a subordinate who could handle every trivial matter for you really did feel great. There was no need to personally handle everything; all he had to do was grasp the overall direction and leave the rest to those beneath him.
"Boss, I discovered that the Hand is also keeping a close watch on Danny Rand." Wesley revealed another piece of noteworthy information.
"They're after Danny Rand. This young wealthy man disappeared for more than a decade, then returned to New York to inherit his family's business. His identity is far from simple." Sean smiled faintly. Danny Rand was a key figure in the Hand's plan, so naturally they could not afford to overlook him.
Facing Wesley's puzzled gaze, Sean said without reservation, "When Danny Rand was young, he was in a plane crash while traveling with his father. He survived by chance and was adopted by an Eastern monk. He joined K'un-Lun, and later even earned the title of Immortal Iron Fist, becoming K'un-Lun's protector."
"K'un-Lun?" This was the first time Wesley had heard the term. Even though he had conducted a thorough investigation into Danny Rand, he had not known about such a secret past.
"A mysterious city located in the Himalayas. It is said to exist in another dimension. The monks living there believe that the human body contains qi, the power of life itself. They sought methods to train and control it in order to strengthen themselves. But among them were five heretics, people with evil ideas. Those five craved immortality—the ability to regenerate endlessly and escape the fear of death. K'un-Lun's elders considered it a deviation into madness. Thus, like Lucifer cast out of Heaven, those five dissenters were expelled..."
"Those five became the Five Fingers of the Hand. Using something stolen from K'un-Lun, they kept themselves alive for centuries. You even know some of them. For example, Madame Gao, who controls Hell's Kitchen's drug trade—she is one of the Hand's five leaders."
Shock showed on Wesley's face. If these words had not come from Sean, he would have thought he was listening to some third-rate novel. The Hand, which had once cooperated with Kingpin, secretly possessed such a hidden origin.
"The other four have different identities of their own: African warlords, arms smugglers, even controllers of major financial conglomerates. Each of the five fingers has its own territory, and now they have all come to New York."
Wesley smiled bitterly. "Boss, if you became an intelligence broker, you would definitely be the best of them."
Sean smiled slightly. Foreknowledge was probably the greatest advantage of a transmigrator. Before the course of the timeline had been completely thrown into chaos by his butterfly effect, he needed to work even harder to reap abundant profits. Just like Frank D'Amico and Kingpin before, the Hand would become his next stepping stone. This mysterious organization, whose influence spread across the globe, had become prey in Sean's eyes.
"Does the boss intend to make a move against the Hand?" Wesley's mind worked quickly. Sean knew the Hand in such detail, and he had also ordered Wesley to secretly watch Hell's Kitchen's street heroes. None of that could possibly be without purpose.
There was a saying: your enemy knows you best. Since this unfathomable young boss understood the Hand's origins and plans so clearly, he surely intended to strike at this mysterious organization entrenched in Hell's Kitchen.
"I remember telling you long ago that one day, I would kick the Hand, The Russians, and the Mexican Drug Cartel all out." A faint smile rested on Sean's lips as he looked at Wesley. "Emperor of Hell's Kitchen—that is my promise to you."
Even with Wesley's composure, hearing Sean say those words in person filled him with excitement. Looking at his calm young boss, he said sincerely, "Thank you, Boss."
"You handle things well, so you naturally deserve a reward, Wesley. Don't limit your sights to Hell's Kitchen. The future is vast, and this world holds many things beyond your imagination."
Sean rose to his feet. Before leaving, he patted his capable subordinate on the shoulder and said, "Keep a close eye on the Hand. Report to me immediately if you learn anything."
His tall figure pushed open the door and walked out. Deafening heavy metal music and men and women wildly swaying their bodies swallowed Sean into the crowd.
P.S. The diligent Author-kun was once again asking for votes and bookmarks. (ω)
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