Before long, James Wesley, still dressed like a senior corporate professional and carrying a leather briefcase, pushed the door open and walked inside.
Irritably loosening his tie, he grabbed a bottle of beer and took several long gulps.
Walking over to his desk, he pulled out a document and read it for a couple of minutes before noticing someone sitting nearby out of the corner of his eye.
“Who?!” Startled, he immediately reached for the gun in his desk drawer.
Daisy extended her hand, releasing a Vibration Wave that shattered half the desk before stepping out of the shadows.
“Mr.
Wesley, long time no see.” She stood before him, revealing her true appearance.
At first, he looked confused and didn’t recognize her.
Then, as if realizing something, he glanced at the destroyed desk before looking back at her.
“It’s you.
Are you a Mutant?” She denied it without hesitation.
“No.
Just an ordinary person with a Superpower.
Like I told you last time, Mr.
Wesley, you’re a talented man.
It’s a real waste for someone like you to be involved with a gang.” A faint smile of mockery appeared at the corner of James Wesley’s mouth, as though he were looking at an inexperienced young person who didn’t understand the world.
He had met plenty of people who believed having a Superpower meant they could control everything.
As if reading his thoughts, Daisy continued calmly.
“You probably think I’m naive and ignorant, but the one who truly hasn’t grasped the situation is you—and the person behind you…
Mr.
Wilson Fisk, who left for Spain a few days ago.” “How do you know about that?” he asked instead of denying it.
Naturally, Daisy knew because of future events, but she couldn’t say that.
Maintaining her mysterious demeanor, she continued, “Mr.
Fisk is your closest friend, and your loyalty to each other is admirable.
You’re willing to do anything for him, and he’d do the same for you.
Am I wrong?” James Wesley neither nodded nor shook his head.
She continued.
“But Mr.
Fisk has left New York—left Hell’s Kitchen—because of the New York Police Department’s large-scale crackdown.
He needs to lie low while preparing for his return.
And you, Mr.
Wesley?
Are you willing to retire quietly in the Spanish countryside as well?” The question was almost rhetorical.
If James Wesley had wanted to leave, he would have done so long ago.
He couldn’t bear to leave New York, couldn’t give up the respect and admiration he enjoyed, and had no desire to spend his life in quiet retirement.
“How many years are you willing to wait?
The New York Police Department is conducting citywide sweeps.
How long will it be before Mr.
Fisk returns?
Are you prepared to spend those years waiting, or would you rather accomplish something in the meantime?” She looked him directly in the eyes.
“I don’t trust you.” Daisy smiled brightly.
“You don’t have to trust me.
You’ve already seen what my Superpower can do, so you don’t have much choice unless you’ve decided your life no longer matters.” She paused before adding, “And even if your own life doesn’t matter to you, you wouldn’t want to drag Mr.
Fisk into danger, would you?” After saying that, she whispered a foreign address.
“What?
Say that again?” James Wesley stared at her in astonishment, wondering if he had heard correctly.
Threatening other people had always been their specialty.
If you don’t want your family to suffer, do this for us.
James Wesley had spoken similar words hundreds of times during his thirty years of life.
He had never imagined that one day someone would use the same tactic against him.
The irony made him laugh despite himself.
“Maybe I don’t have much ability to resist,” he said, “but Mr.
Fisk is different.” Daisy raised her hand and, from several meters away, sent a gentle vibration through his heart.
An invisible force seized James Wesley’s chest.
He felt as though he were suffocating.
His face turned crimson as he struggled to breathe, but no matter how deeply he inhaled, it felt as though the air could no longer reach his heart.
Only after a few agonizing seconds did Daisy withdraw her power.
“To me, there’s no difference.
I’m not asking you to betray him.
Just work with me until he returns to New York.
That doesn’t violate your principles, does it?” “Mr.
Fisk hates people with Superpowers.” James removed his glasses, clutching his chest as he slowly struggled back to his feet.
“That’s because he doesn’t have one himself.” Daisy understood this clearly.
Many politicians, civilians, and influential figures—including Kingpin—claimed to oppose people with Superpowers, but if they possessed such abilities themselves, they would likely feel very differently.
James Wesley lowered his head in thought.
Truthfully, he envied people with Superpowers.
He couldn’t honestly say he hated them.
“I have a few conditions.” “Let’s hear them.” “I won’t do anything that betrays Mr.
Fisk.” “What I intend to build is a legitimate business.
It has nothing to do with him.
I can agree to that.” “I won’t be your subordinate.
I’ll be your partner.” “That was my intention from the beginning.
Agreed.” “And once Mr.
Fisk returns to New York, I’ll leave and go back to him.” Daisy pressed her lips together.
The situation reminded her of Cao Cao and Guan Yu.
In the end, she accepted these three conditions.
Time changed people.
Fisk wouldn’t return to New York for years, and years of success and recognition could gradually reshape James Wesley’s priorities.
Deep down, James enjoyed being admired.
Faced with the choice between becoming a respected public figure or remaining the man who quietly handled a criminal organization’s dirty work, Daisy believed he would eventually choose the former.
“Good.
Since we’re partners now, let me explain our current project.” She launched into a detailed explanation of big data and its advantages.
As an educated professional, James Wesley had broad knowledge.
He quickly recognized the enormous potential of big data.
Compared to Fisk’s focus on construction projects and territorial expansion, this kind of business appealed to him much more.
Settling naturally into the discussion, he asked, “So this technology would mainly be useful for large corporations and government agencies?” Daisy nodded.
“Exactly.
Your future responsibility will be building relationships with government officials and major corporations.
As a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Mr.
Wesley, you’re well suited for that kind of work.” The vision she painted was undeniably attractive.
James Wesley found himself genuinely tempted.
Then he learned the company had only a few thousand dollars left in its accounts.
His enthusiasm cooled immediately.
“Which is exactly why I need you,” Daisy replied matter-of-factly.
“You can open the right doors and convince the market that my product has value.” After thinking for a moment, James asked, “If some potential clients prove especially difficult…
would you be willing to use unconventional methods?” Daisy looked at him with amusement.
“Mr.
Wesley, that’s a dangerous way of thinking.
Do you really believe this country lacks the power to deal with organizations like yours?
The authorities usually choose not to intervene.
But if they truly wanted to, a handful of elite agents could dismantle your entire operation.” Glancing at her watch, she handed him a slip of paper.
“It’s getting late.
If you haven’t changed your mind by tomorrow, come to this address and find me.
If you do change your mind…
then I’ll be the one coming to find you.” After saying that, she gestured toward his heart, opened the door, and walked out.
She estimated there was about a seventy percent chance he would cooperate.
Throughout the conversation, she had kept her Vibration Ability active.
Through her frequency sensing, she had felt his emotions shift naturally—from irritation, to caution, to hostility, and finally to reluctant acceptance.
She climbed into her secondhand Ford and had just started the engine when a sharp new frequency entered her perception.
Before she could react, the passenger door opened.
A tall man climbed into the seat beside her.
He wore a black leather trench coat and an eyepatch over his left eye.
Nick Fury.