With Tombstone gone, Kingpin was left alone in the room.
His expression sullen, he leaned back against his leather chair, reached into the drawer of the severed desk, and pulled out a burner phone.
He dialed a mysterious number, and before long, the call went through.
A deep voice spoke from the other end: “Calling me this late…
do you have good news for me?” Kingpin didn’t answer right away.
After a brief pause, he said in a voice as cold as ice, “Things have slipped out of our control.
A mysterious silver-haired woman appeared out of nowhere.
“She not only saved Loren Morgan’s life, but she also tracked down the hitman who shot the master of the Morgan family.
They almost certainly know we’re behind it now.
“I’ve decided to launch a night raid on Morgan Manor tonight to kill Loren Morgan early.
But this operation won’t be easy, so I need your help.” “Fuck!
Did you call me in the middle of the night just to ruin my sleep?
A night raid on Morgan Manor?
Are you out of your mind?
Ever since the head of the Morgan family died, Morgan Manor has been locked down three layers deep.
“The security force inside rivals an actual army!
Who do you think you are, daring to raid the manor right now?
You’re walking into a death trap!
Kingpin, I always thought you were a smart man, but you’re as stupid as a pig.” Being berated by the mysterious caller ignited Kingpin’s temper.
He snapped back without a shred of courtesy, “You’d better watch your tone.
That’s not what you said when you came looking for me!
“You said Loren Morgan was nothing but a brainless playboy, a useless piece of trash, and that killing him would be as easy as slaughtering a chicken.
So where did this silver-haired female assassin come from?
“She didn’t just kill my men; she flew all the way to Mexico and burned down a drug lord’s lair!
With ruthless methods like that, you have the nerve to call Loren a piece of trash?
“The reason things have devolved to this point today is largely because of the garbage intel *you* provided.
You’re going to take responsibility for this!
“Don’t forget, we’re tied to the same stake.
If I go down, you won’t escape either.” “Are you threatening me?!” “I’m not threatening you; I’m stating a fact.
Though if you want to take it as a threat, go right ahead.
So I suggest you start figuring out how to handle this situation.” Silence fell over the line.
After a long moment, the voice spoke again: “I get what you’re saying.
I’ll handle it.
“In the meantime, don’t act recklessly, and don’t leak even a single shred of information.
Otherwise, not even God can save you.
“By the way, those vials of serum I gave you earlier—you can use them now.
Trust me, that stuff will help you survive this crisis.
It’s just one female assassin; it’s no big deal.” “It’s not your men dying, so of course it sounds easy to you.
I’m not going to waste any more words with you.
I’m giving you one day.
I expect to see you make a move before tomorrow night, or there’s no need for us to continue our partnership.” With that, Kingpin hung up, giving the speaker no face whatsoever.
As the underworld emperor of the United States, he was naturally no pushover.
Even if the person on the other end held immense influence, if he couldn’t even keep his own life intact through this mess, there was no reason to play polite.
When push came to shove, nobody had anything to lose!
*** In a forest forty kilometers outside New York City, a secret underground base lay hidden beneath the earth.
Inside the facility, a woman listened to the dead dial tone on her receiver, her face twisted in anger.
“Hanging up on me directly is exceedingly rude, Kingpin.
You’re becoming more insufferable by the day.
Just wait—I’ll make you pay for this.” The woman tapped her fingers rhythmically against the desk, her tone brimming with arrogant contempt.
A moment later, she summoned a subordinate into the room.
“Two tasks.
First, investigate the silver-haired woman appearing beside Loren.
Second, Kingpin is no longer useful as a pawn.
Eliminate him.” “Understood.
Before dawn, Kingpin will be a corpse.” The subordinate nodded and swiftly exited the base, vanishing into the forest night within the blink of an eye.
*** Loren, of course, knew nothing of the conversation or schemes between Kingpin and the mysterious woman.
At that moment, he was fully immersed in his secret laboratory, pouring his heart and soul into building the anti-gravity drone.
Because the system had provided him with a complete technical blueprint, he was spared the lengthy research phase.
All he needed to do was follow the technical specifications, manufacture the corresponding components, and assemble them.
While it sounded simple, executing it was absurdly difficult.
For an ordinary person, it would be harder than reaching the heavens—virtually an impossible task.
Loren, however, was no ordinary person.
He was the young master of a top-tier financial syndicate sitting on vast wealth, with his family controlling all manner of enterprises, including arms factories.
If he needed a component he couldn’t personally forge in the lab, a single word from him would set countless subsidiary factories into hyperdrive to manufacture it for him.
Thus, in less than half a day, he had acquired all the necessary parts for the anti-gravity pod.
Naturally, he hand-crafted the core components himself.
Crucial elements like the anti-gravity generator and energy supply unit were built entirely by his own hands, keeping them strictly confidential.
Even if the manufacturing schematics for the pod’s outer components were leaked, no one else would ever be able to assemble a functional unit.
That was the confidence of holding core technology in one’s own hands.
Once every single component of the anti-gravity pod was crafted, Loren dove straight into the assembly process.
After meticulous work, a pod resembling a sleek surveillance camera stood before him and 2B.
“Boss, is this the anti-gravity drone you mentioned?
The design is quite unique…
it really does look like a surveillance camera.
Is it truly as powerful as you described?” 2B asked curiously.
Since she was not the original 2B from her home world, she had no prior knowledge of the Pod’s existence.
“Indeed.
The anti-gravity pod’s shape may be unusual, but it can fly at high speeds while completely ignoring gravity.
With its current power supply module, it can operate continuously for up to twenty-four hours.
“Beyond its rapid speed and impressive operational range, it features built-in bullet launchers and laser cannons for long-range firepower.
That perfectly compensates for your lack of ranged options.
“Equipping it will elevate your combat potential to an entirely new tier.
Though as for how far that new tier goes, you’ll have to test it out yourself.” “Test it myself?
Boss, do you have a new assignment for me?” “Yes.
I want you to head to Kingpin Tower immediately, pry Kingpin’s mouth open, and bring me the absolute truth!” “Understood.
Commencing operation immediately.” Hearing Loren’s new directive, 2B offered no hesitation and set off at once.