Scarlet Spider vs. Ripper (1)

White Horse Nightclub:

Mo Zhen joined the servers in pouring drinks into stemmed glasses, then carried them over to the coffee table.

Edward smiled and pushed a glass toward Mo Zhen. "Finish this, and I'll give you an extra fifty thousand tonight."

"Sir, I don't drink..." Mo Zhen put on a rehearsed, professional smile.

At that, Edward's smile faded a little. He thought he simply hadn't offered enough.

He stared at Mo Zhen. "Another fifty thousand, in US dollars. Can't you do me this favor?"

Edward was smiling, but Mo Zhen could hear the killing intent in his words.

Tang Wenjie watched calmly from the side, smoking a cigar. At that, he offered a lukewarm reminder:

"Mr. Edward, if you still want to make a successful debut and go public, you'd better rein in your temper. Superheroes can't afford negative publicity."

"You can play however you like out of sight, but you absolutely can't kill anyone. That's the red line. Otherwise, we won't be able to keep the United Government off your back."

In recent years, the United Government had subjected superhero companies to increasingly strict scrutiny and further defined the boundaries between superheroes and supervillains.

There were even rumors from above that the United Government was pushing to establish an inspection department specifically for superheroes, tasked with investigating those who put on a virtuous front while treating human lives like dirt.

Once the plan was put into action, it would likely trigger another financial storm. Who knew how many superhumans ranked among the Hero 100 would be exposed for what they really were?

After all, in present-day Taiping Prefecture, the process of taking superheroes and magical girls from debut to public listing had become a complete financial concept.

The industries upstream and downstream of it were on a scale that far exceeded those of AI and real estate in the past.

If this global financial bubble burst, whether it landed softly or hard, the entire economy of Taiping Prefecture would plummet.

It might even trigger a global financial crisis.

Hearing this, Edward forced down his anger and chuckled softly. "All right, I understand."

He still needed Colossus Company to whitewash his reputation, so naturally he wouldn't risk defying Tang Wenjie's warning at a time like this.

But in other words, as long as he didn't kill anyone, he could play however he wanted, right?

Edward put aside his killing intent, stood up with his glass, and put an arm around Mo Zhen's shoulders. Holding the glass out to him, he whispered in his ear:

"Drink it, darling, or you won't get a penny today."

Just as he expected, Mo Zhen didn't dare defy his threat and reluctantly reached for the glass.

Hehe.

Only then did a trace of satisfaction appear in Edward's eyes.

But Mo Zhen thought, I won't wait anymore. I'll make the first move.

Bang!

Just then, a muffled bang suddenly came from outside the door. Immediately afterward, a bald bodyguard was sent crashing through it, door and all.

"Hm?"

Edward looked up at the doorway.

Tang Wenjie's expression froze as well.

The bodyguards outside the door were sprawled across the floor, either unconscious or clutching broken arms as they howled in pain.

"Aha~"

"Excuse me, everyone. Sorry to interrupt your fun."

A figure in a black-and-red spider suit burst in, his gaze sweeping over the terrified temporary workers.

His target was Edward.

But suddenly, Scarlet Spider's gaze froze. He stared in surprise at the black-haired, blue-eyed young man beside Edward.

The young man had his head lowered, clearly torn over and resistant to the glass being offered to him, but Edward wouldn't let him off.

Trembling all over, he looked like a poor lamb caught in a wolf's jaws.

Mo Zhen?!

Why is he here?!

Scarlet Spider was instantly furious. Pointing a finger, he shouted, "Brett Gomez, alias Ripper, did you think you could escape here and whitewash your past?!"

Edward immediately frowned, killing intent surging wildly in his eyes at having his identity exposed.

Tang Wenjie frowned as well. "Scarlet Spider? Did the United Government send you?"

He stood up at once, his gaze cool and calm behind his glasses. "Mr. Edward, our partnership ends here."

He hadn't expected the United Government to have already uncovered Edward's identity. Since things had come to this, Edward no longer had any commercial value to him.

Tang Wenjie had originally intended to make it a done deal by promoting Edward into the Hero 100 first, then pocketing a windfall from retail investors and institutions.

It was a deal that cost nothing and promised huge profits. If they could pull the wool over everyone's eyes afterward, all the better; if not, it didn't matter.

As the people pulling the strings behind the scenes, they would have long since cashed out at the peak after the listing. Even if the stock subsequently plunged straight through the lower limit, only others would be left holding it.

Edward himself had been thinking the same thing. To put it bluntly, they had only joined forces temporarily for profit.

"You're asking for it!"

Seeing Tang Wenjie turn on him, Edward's face darkened. He kicked out, sending the glass coffee table straight at Scarlet Spider.

Crash!

Scarlet Spider turned slightly and precisely dodged the hurtling table.

Shards of broken glass scattered across the floor.

"Holy shit!"

The servers and temporary workers in the private room all jumped in fright, then rushed out as if fleeing for their lives, afraid that a moment's delay would cost them their lives.

Immediately afterward, Edward's figure flashed as he kicked at Scarlet Spider, moving so fast that others couldn't even see him clearly.

Boom!!

Scarlet Spider failed to dodge the attack. Taking the blow head-on, he crashed through the wall behind him and fell onto the street outside.

"Gah... No wonder you're a ruthless character who's been getting away with it in England."

Scarlet Spider shook his head and sprang to his feet.

At the same time, he recalled Edward's information.

[Codename: Ripper]

[Danger level: C+.]

[Abilities: basic strength, basic defense, basic speed, special ability "Surgical Scalpel"]

[Greatest recorded feat: killed and dismembered the C+-rank hero "Medium Mage" in London, creating the famous Black Monday on the streets of London.]

He's going to be a little hard to deal with, Scarlet Spider thought.

His face dark, Edward stepped over the broken glass and walked out of the private room, one step at a time. "You ruined my fun. How do you plan to apologize?"

As he spoke, he raised his hand and slowly drew an incomparably sharp scalpel from inside his suit jacket.

He raised the blade. The side of the pointed scalpel reflected his handsome face and those cold green eyes:

"How about I turn you into a spider specimen?"

Meanwhile, inside the messy KTV private room.

Tang Wenjie showed no expression at the sudden battle. He simply took a check from inside his suit jacket.

He filled it out for a hundred thousand US dollars, placed it on another coffee table that had escaped destruction, and tapped the tabletop. "Please pretend you didn't see what happened today," he said mildly to Mo Zhen. "And don't tell anyone else I was here."

"You don't look like you've even graduated high school. Don't do this kind of work anymore. Go back and focus on school. Nightclubs aren't right for you."

With that, Tang Wenjie turned and left.

Mo Zhen almost froze for a moment before picking up the check from the table.

He hesitated for half a second. He had intended to tear it in two with a flourish, but in the end, he tucked the check into his pocket.

Ah, who would say no to money?

I'll just consider it compensation for the emotional distress tonight.

After putting away the check, Mo Zhen left the private room. He turned to make sure no one was around, then entered a small storage cubicle.

Before long, a witch with gray hair and red eyes appeared beneath the moonlit sky.

She stood on the nightclub roof, her gaze lowered slightly as she watched the two fighting in the distance, considering when would be the best time to intervene.

Suddenly, Hell turned to look at a purple figure landing gently on the roof, meeting the girl's deep violet eyes.

"Good evening, Miss Hell."

Nightingale was a little nervous. She lifted her skirt with both hands and bowed slightly in greeting:

"We meet again."

Ever since they had parted last time, she had been unable to contain her curiosity and had secretly investigated Miss Hell.

The result left her puzzled.

Although the Saionji Family's standing in the magical world had gradually declined in recent years, she still couldn't find the slightest bit of information about Hell.

Either Hell's background was far beyond what she had imagined, or Hell really was a newcomer.

Or perhaps both were possible?