“Alexander, you know how cross-border personnel transfers work, especially ones that come with ‘trouble’ attached…
But don’t worry, I’ll do my best to take care of it…” He spoke slowly, leaving plenty of room for the other man to sweeten the deal.
Pierce cursed inwardly.
*That greedy one-eyed bastard!* *When he says “I’ll do my best,” he means he won’t lift a finger!* *But…
damn it, right now he’s the only one I can count on.* *Fury must have already caught wind of the connection between Bates Capital and me…* Pierce took a deep breath, as if making up his mind.
“Nick, I know this request is a bit…
special.
Of course I wouldn’t ask you to do it for nothing.” “Recently, while cleaning up after some…
‘failed projects,’ we managed to recover a batch of research data and preliminary analysis reports on ‘individuals with special abilities,’ codenamed ‘Witch.’ It’s…
highly sensitive material with enormous potential.
Given your interest in ‘expanding the boundaries of human potential,’ I thought it might be of some value to you?” Fury was quietly surprised.
*Pierce really is desperate, isn’t he?
But this does carry real weight.* His tapping fingers stilled for a split second, the only sign of “interest” he allowed himself to show.
His voice carried a barely perceptible note of probing.
“‘Witch’?
Sounds…
rather fantastical.
Can you be more specific?
You know, I always…
hmm, have my reservations about things that sound too vague and ethereal.” “It covers gene enhancement, neural potential, explosive strength, superpower development, and related fields,” Pierce said, choosing his words carefully.
“It also includes in-depth analysis of physiological data from successful cases as well as failed ones.
It’s not as ‘perfect’ as the finished product, but its breakthrough ideas and exploration of limits could absolutely give your ‘Avengers’ initiative a brand-new perspective.
As for the core data…
I’ll set up a fully secure encrypted channel and send it to whatever address you provide within 24 hours.” *Hmm, not bad, not bad!* Fury didn’t know much about the Witch Project, but he had the general idea: what it produced was extremely powerful, but the downside was a growth cycle that was far too long, starting from the embryonic stage.
Raising subjects until their bodies, minds, and abilities fully matured took at least a dozen years, nearly twenty, which made it extremely time-consuming.
But if he got his hands on this material, he could compare it against the ongoing Super Soldier Program, fill in the gaps, and very likely speed up its progress.
So after only a moment’s thought, he decided to accept the request.
“Alexander, you’re always so generous,” Fury said, enunciating every word.
“Protect a few financiers who urgently need to retire, get them safely out of the United States, and settle them somewhere scenic to live out their days…
I’ll take the job.
As for your research data, I don’t want to wait 24 hours.
I want it now.
You know I have real enthusiasm for anything that improves our ability to handle ‘special situations.’ Pleasure doing business?” Hearing Nick Fury’s reply, Pierce cursed inwardly: *Damn Hawk Lane!
Damn Busan!
Damn Fury!* But for now, he had to keep Nick placated.
Even if he didn’t hand over the material now, with that bloodhound nose of his, Fury would dig some of it up eventually.
He might as well treat this as…
cutting his losses!
“Pleasure doing business, Nick,” Pierce said, his voice heavy, as if each word pained him.
“The data will be delivered on time.
As for Bates…
I’m counting on you.
You must guarantee their safety.” His final words carried a stern warning.
“Don’t worry, Alexander,” Fury said.
When a massive compressed file from an unknown IP arrived on his screen, containing all the data and research from the Witch Project, his smile widened and he hung up without another word.
Listening to the dial tone on the other end, Pierce hurled his satellite phone to the ground, and the expensive device shattered on impact.
A devastating loss!
Meanwhile, inside the Triskelion, Nick Fury stared at the darkened call screen.
The smile vanished from his face in an instant, replaced by cold focus.
He pressed the intercom button.
“Hill, I’m sending you an encrypted file, codenamed ‘Witch,’ for top-priority analysis.
Also, activate the ‘Safe House Transfer Protocol.’ Target: Richard Bates and his core team.
Location: Hong Kong, China.
Move fast…” Steinway Tower, Penthouse Beyond the massive floor-to-ceiling windows lay all of Manhattan, the glittering city that never sleeps.
Hawk Lane stood in silence, wearing only a dark silk robe and holding a glass of vintage port.
He had just finished an encrypted call with a Swiss bank, confirming that the last huge sum stripped from the ruins of Bates Capital had safely reached an offshore company under his control.
Andy stood not far behind him, also in a simple silk robe, her long hair loose and her face still flushed from their recent intimacy.
On the tablet in front of her, a breaking news alert showed that Bates Capital had officially filed for bankruptcy protection.
“The Bates Capital situation is finally over,” Andy said, letting out a long breath.
Hawk turned around, took a sip of the rich port, and curled his lips into a cruel smirk.
“Over?
No.
This is only the beginning.” Just then came a knock at the door.
Andy stood to answer it.
Koo Ziyun walked in with a casual expression, dragging a petite woman wrapped in a coat behind her.
Like a worn-out doll, she carelessly tossed Eun-bi, still bundled in the coat, onto the cold, smooth marble floor.
The coat fell open, revealing a battered body in a thin hospital gown.
Eun-bi curled up, her exposed skin covered in old and new wounds, her delicate face pale as paper and filled with fear and pain.
She shivered instinctively, but the moment she touched the cold floor, she forced herself to stay silent.
Those once ruthless eyes now held only a terrified glimmer, fixed desperately on the edge of the carpet, not daring to look up at the owner of the room.
Andy closed the door and walked back to Hawk’s side, her gaze sweeping calmly over Eun-bi on the floor as if appraising an object.
Koo Ziyun, meanwhile, strolled over to the bar, poured herself a glass of water, leaned against the bar, and watched with indifferent eyes, as if this were nothing more than an everyday occurrence.
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows framed Manhattan’s dazzling nightscape, in sharp contrast to the grim atmosphere inside the room.
Hawk did not speak right away.
He took another unhurried sip of port, feeling the rich liquid slide down his throat, his gaze settling on Eun-bi like invisible shackles, heavy with an almost indifferent menace.
The air in the room seemed to freeze, leaving only the sound of Eun-bi’s shallow, barely suppressed breathing.