Ch: 388-395
388. Sam's Dominating Presence
However... if he remembered correctly, it seemed that after Red Skull was injected with the super-soldier serum, he became'shameless'—literally losing his skin and face.
Would he?
Locke's eyes lit up slightly as he looked at Kevin Thomson in the Room, wanting to see what a person would look like without skin or a face.
Azazel said he had seen it.
Locke hadn't. Once, during a conversation, Locke had specifically asked about it, but that fellow Azazeljust played coy and smirked. Locke couldn't very well tear off Azazel's face on the spot to verify it himself.
After all... when it came to women, Locke had always been a man of principle.
He never hit women.
Yes.
There was a fundamental difference between killing and hitting.
Wait.
Wasn't Azazel... a man?
Locke raised an eyebrow and shook his head. Then, he noticed the exposed skin of Kevin Thomson on the hospital bed beginning to slowly change color: "Oh, he's changing color."
"What?"
"shit!"
Betty Ross was momentarily stunned and prepared to rush back in.
Just then.
Bruce Banner pulled Betty Ross back and pointed to the numerous real-time monitoring screens, saying, "He's fine."
The data wouldn't lie.
Betty Ross looked at the various data points on the monitoring screens, and then at Kevin Thomson, who was gradually turning purple in the ward: "Then he's currently..."
Locke said, "I heard Red Skull became skinless; could this be a side effect of reverse-engineering the super-soldier serum?"
What a pity.
Locke had thought there would be something different, but he didn't expect him to still turn purple.
Still the Purple Man.
No originality.
Locke had originally thought he could see what a person looked like without skin or a face, but now, he suddenly lost interest.
What did him becoming the Purple Man have to do with Locke?
As for the Purple Man's legendary special abilities, they didn't matter to him in the slightest either.
However... he felt that if Jessica were kept here, right across from the Purple Man, it might be a bit unsafe.
Locke thought to himself.
It would be one thing if he didn't know, but now that he did—especially since Jessica was his friend—it wouldn't be right to just sit by and watch if something were to actually happen.
Locke raised an eyebrow, pondering how to move Jessica elsewhere.
Just then.
Jessica's latest blood test results came out.
"This..."
Locke looked at Bruce Banner and Betty Ross, who were exchanging glances, and leaned in with Gwento take a closer look.
Immediately after.
Several people went to the screens showing Jessica's real-time monitoring.
At a glance.
It seemed... the CPH4 in Jessica's body was disappearing at an almost visible rate, and the amount of g-element in her body was also showing a cliff-like drop.
"What's the situation?"
"What's going on?"
The group looked at each other, seemingly finding it hard to understand. After all, when they first came in, previous data indicated it would take at least a month to completely clear the g-element that had covered almost her entire body.
But now?
The change was too fast. If it continued at this rate, the g-element in Jessica's body would probably be completely purged in less than three hours.
And the CPH4 would, naturally, also disappear along with it in three hours.
Locke looked at Jessica in the ward and understood why this was happening.
The life upgrade was complete.
Just as modern people cannot understand how people in ancient times could carry weapons weighing over a hundred pounds and swing them with ease, naturally, ordinary life forms could not understand the state of life after an upgrade.
"That's great."
After the initial shock, Gwen didn't continue to be stunned upon seeing the data. Instead, she thought of something wonderful and said to Sam, "At this rate, Jessica will be fully recovered in three hours at the latest."
Sam was momentarily stunned and exchanged a look with Mr. and Mrs. Jones nearby.
"Really?"
"Yes."
Gwen nodded with a very certain expression, then looked expectantly at Jessica, who was lying on the bed in the ward breathing steadily, and said with a smile, "Next, we'll see if Jessica can wake up smoothly."
As she spoke.
Gwen turned to look at Locke with an expectant look: "Can we wait here for a bit?"
Locke smiled and said, "Of course."
Just as well, if Jessica woke up, they could leave together. As for what the Purple Man would do, Locke wasn't interested in him, and since no mission had popped up, he didn't care to bother.
However... unlike the happy Gwen and Sam, General Thaddeus Ross, who was walking over, caught a keyword. He stepped up and said to Bruce Banner, "What do you mean her CPH4 is disappearing? What's going on? How can you let her CPH4 disappear?"
Bruce Banner was slightly taken aback.
Sam frowned, recovering from his joy. He turned to face General Ross: "General, Jessica came here for treatment, not to be your guinea pig."
Others might be intimidated by General Ross.
But he wouldn't be!
If it weren't for the fact that Jessica was actually showing improvement under the Military's care, frankly, Sam had already thought about asking Mr. and Mrs. Jones yesterday if they should move Jessica back to New York.
After all... watching the Military staff draw vial after vial of blood, treating Jessica completely like a lab rat, it would be a lie to say Sam felt nothing.
Just then.
Sam saw two staff members pushing a treatment cart, seemingly intending to go in for another blood sample. He walked over and blocked the door: "Enough!"
Betty Ross saw this and said, "Mr. Malik, we're just trying to better confirm Jessica's..."
"I said enough!"
Sam interrupted directly, then looked at Thaddeus Ross and said expressionlessly, "I am Jessica's boyfriend. General Ross, my last name is Malik!"
Thaddeus Ross's previous words had provoked him.
How could they let her CPH4 disappear?
Goodfellas.
What did he mean by 'how could they let her CPH4 disappear'? Although Sam didn't understand overly professional medical terms, he could still hear that those words practically treated Jessica as a cultivation tank for CPH4.
Sam was not happy about that.
He only knew that the g-element in Jessica's body was gone and that she was recovering quickly.
That was enough.
"This ends now!"
Sam Malik looked expressionlessly at Bruce Banner, Betty Ross, and most importantly, Thaddeus Ross, saying in a deep voice, "Jessica is a patient, not your guinea pig."
Gwen stood by, watching Sam blocking the ward door, blinking her eyes, feeling a bit envious that Jessica had such a great boyfriend.
The next second.
Gwen glanced at Locke standing next to her, smiled slightly, and took Locke's arm.
But she had one too, and an even better one!
Locke looked at Gwen, who had suddenly taken his arm. Their eyes met, and seeing Gwen smiling and blinking at him, he also smiled and looked back at the scene.
He was actually starting to consider a question.
That was, when Hive is eventually welcomed back by Gideon Malik as in the original plot, would Hivebe more powerful, or would it be Jessica, who had completed her life-level upgrade and become Jeweland the Female Knight?
Hive was powerful, yes, but many of Hive's abilities were targeted at Inhumans.
And Jessica, although her life level had been upgraded, was still essentially a human, just like Superman—Superman's life level was actually within the scope of ordinary life.
Locke's life level wasn't an upgrade; it was a leap.
Upgrades and leaps were two different concepts.
Locke felt he would bet on Jessica.
The reason?
Jessica was his friend, while Hive was not. However, looking at Sam stepping up right now, Locke thought of another question: if Sam and Jessica found out what the Maliks were up to in the future, would they choose to join, or would they choose something else?
Locke was also very curious about this question.
Thaddeus Ross frowned as he looked at Sam blocking the door: "Sam, you should know what the super-soldier serum means."
Sam said, "Sorry, I'm not interested in that. I only know my girlfriend has recovered, and frankly, you guys are useless."
"What?"
"Jessica has been here for a week, and you didn't even discover that CPH4 could treat my girlfriend. All you know is blood draw after blood draw, test after test."
Sam said coldly, then shifted his tone, giving Gwen a grateful smile before looking at Bruce Banner: "If it weren't for Gwen, how long would it have taken you to find the problem? In this past week, how many questions have I asked you, and how many have you answered? So, sorry, from this moment on, anyone who dares to draw blood from Jessica for testing, I will remember it."
After finishing.
Sam stepped aside, clearing the path, and watched the few people in front of him with a cold expression.
He didn't have many other virtues.
But he could hold a grudge for a very long time.
Thaddeus Ross might hold a high position of power that he couldn't threaten in the short term.
But... Bruce Banner, and those two people who just intended to go in for blood collection.
Heh.
As long as you dare to say a single word, if I don't beat you to death, I'll take your last name.
Just then.
Locke cleared his throat and said to Sam, "Sam, after I paid thirty million for the Peerless Assassin to take a job last time, the Peerless Assassin gave me a contact method after finishing the order. If you need it, I can lend you a few tens of millions. Maybe you can try it; as long as the money is there and you have a point, I feel the Peerless Assassin will take the job."
He felt more and more that Sam suited his temperament.
Again, the same saying.
Locke never looked at what faction someone belonged to when making friends; as long as they were to his taste, even villains could be friends.
Not to mention.
He could drum up some business for the Peerless Assassin while supporting his friend.
Just then.
A soft moan!
Everyone couldn't help but look toward the source of the sound.
In their sight.
In the ward.
Jessica slowly opened her eyes...
Chapter 389: Classmates Reunite After School Starts
"Good morning, Gwen."
"Good morning, L."
"Long time no see, Locke."
"Flashy."
"Locke."
"Pietro."
Inside the classroom, classmates who hadn't seen each other since the winter break naturally exchanged warm greetings, especially since everyone had previously visited Jessica in the hospital.
But that wasn't formal.
This is.
As the top heartthrob of Midtown High School and the current President of the Student Council, Locke, without a doubt, had been constantly greeted since walking out of the parking lot with Gwen half an hour ago.
This was only possible because Locke had an exceptional memory and could accurately call out the name of every student who greeted him; if it were anyone else, they probably wouldn't know who was who.
"Locke."
After exchanging greetings, Pietro blinked and asked, "I heard there's a Knowledge Competition coming up soon?"
Locke nodded: "Yes."
He organized it, specifically the New York City and New Jersey Student Council Knowledge Competition, to farm points.
"Can I participate?"
"Huh?"
"I heard the prize money is substantial."
"Well..."
Locke twitched his mouth, and just as he was about to refuse, Pietro yelped. Then, under Locke's gaze, he was grabbed by the ear by Wanda, who was sitting behind him and possessed a wild beauty, and dragged toward the back.
"Wanda, easy, that hurts."
"Can you behave? Given your skill level, are you even qualified?"
"..."
Wanda turned around, walked back, and looked at Locke.
"I apologize, he meant no harm."
"I know."
Seeing this, Wanda sat back down in her seat, looking serene and peaceful.
Locke blinked.
Just then.
The latecomer, Zhao Helen, arrived. After five minutes of greeting others, she finally managed to sit down in her own seat, then turned to Locke and greeted him: "Happy New Year, long time no see."
Locke smiled: "How was the Land of the Stick?"
During the winter break, Zhao Helen returned to the Land of the Stick. She had mentioned it in the group chat and posted many pictures of various places in Hancheng, which the U.S. considered highly exotic.
Zhao Helen shrugged: "Compared to New York? It's far behind. I couldn't stand staying there. Later, I found out, Goodfellas, they wanted to keep me there, which scared me into rushing back."
Gwen, who had been smiling and talking with Kem nearby but possessed excellent hearing, looked at Zhao Helen upon hearing this: "You didn't mention that last time at the hospital."
Zhao Helen shrugged: "We were there to see Jessica, I didn't think it was necessary to bring it up. Right, speaking of Jessica, how is she? How is her recovery?"
Gwen and Locke exchanged glances, then shook their heads toward Zhao Helen: "She probably needs time."
After all, she woke up to find her parents dead and her adopted brother the true killer.
Anyone would find that hard to accept.
A few days ago, after Jessica woke up, the first thing she did was look for her parents. She was quite emotional, and under those circumstances, perhaps for certain reasons.
It might have been to facilitate direct contact with Jessica later, or perhaps out of fear of Sam Malik's threat, but Jessica was taken away by Mr. and Mrs. Jones that very day.
They then went straight to Greenwood Cemetery.
Jessica saw two tombstones that had been erected not long ago, and she froze.
After a long time, when it got dark, Jessica, looking utterly distraught, followed Mr. and Mrs. Jones away like a walking dead person.
The next day, Locke and Gwen had originally planned to visit Jessica, but Gwen considered that Jessicaneeded time to process this information. So, after sending Sam a concerned text message, they did not visit Jessica.
It wasn't until yesterday afternoon, after Gwen got off work at Osborn Industries, that she and Locke went to see Jessica, as school was starting today.
But... Gwen said, "Let's give Jessica some more time."
With the help of time, Jessica would gradually accept the reality that her parents were dead and her brother was the true killer. Although this reality was cruel, it had to be accepted.
Zhao Helen sighed: "Something like this is indeed very difficult to accept. However, thankfully, the Doran Church is completely gone. Perhaps that can offer Jessica a little comfort."
The Doran Church is completely finished.
The various states of the Federation are affiliated members. The most obvious difference is that some things the Federation declares illegal are legal in certain states. The Doran Church was in a similar state.
Originally, amidst the mighty anti-Doran wave, Doran Churches everywhere began to fragment and dissolve. Still, some stubborn states refused to define the Doran Church as illegal, fearing they might offend God.
But in New York City, after the Dark Sovereign's display of might, the situation seemed to change.
Ostensibly, the Federal Bureau of Investigation mobilized completely, went all out, 'found' abundant evidence of the Doran Church's crimes, and swiftly arrested them in a blitzkrieg-like operation.
And then... every member of the Doran Church died of heart failure, completely natural deaths.
It's the same old saying.
This would have been a sensational piece of news, but the moment the viewpoint that 'witches are women, and persecuting witches is persecuting women' was introduced—in the words of the radical feminist who heads the New York City Women and Children Protection Association—a cage should be built to lock up those damned beasts who hate and persecute women.
Hollywood movie star Madison Montgomery, after her comeback, acted almost as the official spokesperson for Miss Robichauxs Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies and the Salem Witches, inserting her own message while filming her new movie, using her pure yet alluring face to prove to the public that Witches were not terrifying and were even easy to get along with.
As of now, let's just say that the number of lost Salem Witches found by Miss Robichauxs Academy for Exceptional Young Ladies has already exceeded two hundred.
Some Salem Witches heeded the Supreme Witch's call and went to New Orleans. Other Salem Witches, after contacting their families, did not go, but Cordelia stated that she would establish a Video Teaching Class to help those Witches who couldn't come for various reasons better control themselves and prevent their energy from running wild.
However, Witches running wild is a rare occurrence.
Locke didn't believe that an angry Witch was necessarily out of control. If you bully someone to that extent, do you really expect them to remain calm and collected?
That's ridiculous.
Soon.
In the rest corridor.
While taking out her textbook, Carrie said to Locke: "Teacher Harkness returned the day before yesterday, and this morning she took Chester and flew to New Orleans. It seems she plans to visit Cordelia."
She paused.
Carrie whispered, "I also asked Teacher Harkness to take that package of stuff along with her."
Locke nodded.
The package Carrie mentioned was actually the corpse of the Salem Dark Witch who was co-existing with Calder.
Locke had originally thought the NYPD would find a pile of bones, but beneath the Dolan Group's building, Goodfellas, there were no bones, but a woman lying in a coffin as if asleep.
Then... the Dark Sovereign paid a visit, walking directly into the NYPD station. During a cordial and friendly conversation with George, without exaggeration or artificial embellishment, she recounted the origins and abilities of the Salem Dark Witch who had fallen into the hands of the NYPD. After that, Carrie successfully retrieved the coffin.
Locke smiled: "Did you tell Cordelia about it?"
Carrie nodded: "Cordelia will drive to the airport to pick them up."
Although Agatha Harkness has already defected to other dimensions, this is normal. When Salem was dormant, it was like a company going bankrupt; it was common for others to want to join other companies, as Witches ultimately need means to protect themselves.
Right now?
Salem has completed its bankruptcy restructuring, and Cordelia welcomes former employees who wish to return and look around. The nascent Salem needs to quickly reintegrate into the power circles of the Supernatural World.
And supernatural individuals like Agatha Harkness are the people who can help Salem grasp the current trends and intelligence of the Supernatural World fastest.
Therefore, Cordelia warmly welcomes Agatha Harkness to come back and visit.
Of course.
Most importantly, Cordelia is confident that Agatha Harkness cannot pose a threat to her. Her energy supplier will not limit her ability to turn 10G directly into E to a certain extent, whereas Witches from other dimensions do not have an inexhaustible supply of energy.
Locke nodded, closed his locker door, glanced at Gwen who was waiting for him by the stairwell holding books, and smiled at Carrie: "Alright, see you at noon."
Carrie hummed in acknowledgment, ended the conversation, and turned to walk towards the other side of the corridor.
Her morning classes were different from Locke's, so they naturally couldn't go together.
At noon.
Locke and Gwen met the upperclassman Sam in the cafeteria.
"How is Jessica?"
As soon as Gwen saw Sam walk over and sit down, she eagerly asked, "Didn't you say you had English class this morning? Why didn't Locke and I see you?"
Sam shook his head.
However... just as Sam was about to speak, a clamor and sounds of teasing erupted from the left side of the cafeteria.
Locke and Gwen followed the sound with their eyes.
What they saw.
Several tall, bulky students seemed to be gathered around a dining table, laughing loudly. It appeared a scene of so-called school bullying was unfolding right there.
And the target of the bullying?
Little Spider?
Little Green Goblin?
Chapter 390: Spider-Man is Here?
Not far from the cafeteria.
A few members of the basketball team seemed to be mocking someone with laughter and banter. The targets of their mockery appeared to be Peter Parker and Harry Osborn, who were faintly visible in the crowd.
Locke raised an eyebrow.
Frankly speaking, Locke wasn't at all surprised that Peter Parker would become a marginalized student. After all, Peter Parker was a chatterbox. It would be fine if he were a sociable chatterbox, but a high IQ combined with excessive talking didn't just make someone a chatterbox—
It made them an annoyance.
But... Harry Osborn?
Locke was a bit puzzled. Harry Osborn was decent-looking and the heir to Osborn Biologics Industry. Did people really think federal high schools were ivory towers that didn't care about background?
Looking at Trinity High School, boys from wealthy families lived like emperors, no matter how wretched they looked.
However, considering Harry Osborn's personality...
Locke understood.
Being a man of few words and being introverted were two different things. Locke belonged to the former; even if he didn't interact with others, no one thought he was introverted—except for Gwen, who often said he was too introverted and didn't know how to make new friends.
Harry Osborn belonged to the latter.
But before Locke could fully wrap his head around it, Gwen, beside him, quirked her brow, stood up, and walked over there.
"Gwen."
Seeing this, Cindy quickly chased after her.
Kahn looked at Locke: "Are we going?"
Locke shook his head somewhat speechlessly: "What do you think?"
After saying that,
Locke stood up.
Gwen went over not because she wanted to rescue the Little Spider and the Little Green Goblin, but because she wanted to rescue Mary.
"Hey!"
Gwen, with her long ponytail, walked over and called out. Then, she looked at Mary, who was sitting at the table with Peter Parker and Harry Osborn. Mary had originally been in their class but had transferred to Peter's: "Are you okay?"
Mary shook her head.
Gwen crossed her arms and looked at the tall, burly basketball players who didn't look eighteen at all, but more like they had the physiques of twenty-eight-year-olds: "What are you doing?"
The basketball players looked at each other.
"None of your..."
"Ahem!"
Locke walked up from behind and stood behind Gwen, looking at Flash Thompson, who worked part-time at the Daily Bugle on weekends and moonlighted as the basketball Captain: "How's the game preparation going? Any confidence in making it to the Top 32 of the High School League?"
Basketball was a weak point for Midtown High School.
Especially after Locke took office and prevented 'equality' from sweeping the school, the basketball coach had resigned in a huff after seeing the promising recruits he picked fail to pass the Student Council's screening to enter the school.
After all... the Student Council and the School Board were in a cooperative relationship, and the Student Council directly managed the students. So, it didn't matter who came to plead for them; it was useless.
Students who couldn't pass the Student Council's standards had no way of getting in, no matter how good their basketball talent was.
In short,
Midtown High School followed an elite education model, not some 'happy education.' If you expected to get in based solely on being tall and having the right skin color, sorry, you should take a left turn to Queens.
But,
it had to be said that having black skin did indeed provide an advantage in basketball, which was why Midtown High School's performance had always been rather lackluster.
However... as long as the Football Team was strong, it was fine. This year, Sam Malik was full of confidence about seizing the High School League Super Bowl trophy. Moreover, compared to basketball, Locke actually quite liked football.
Therefore, Locke adopted a hands-off approach toward the basketball team. If the coach wanted black players to come in, as long as they could pass the standard academic courses without any leniency, Locke would hold his nose and accept it.
"Locke."
Flashy glared fiercely at the new player who had almost cursed at Gwen, then smiled sheepishly: "Just came over to chat with some classmates."
Do I look like I believe you?
Locke gave Flashy a look, hands in his pockets: "Forgot the rules I set?"
High school bullying isn't something that disappears just because you forbid it.
After all, Locke wasn't franklin; he couldn't make everyone listen to him.
At most,
the only thing Locke could guarantee was that after taking office, he had directly summoned the school's troublemakers, drawn a line, and set rules. One of them was that the cafeteria and restrooms were for relaxation and rest, not for being on high alert.
As for the female troublemakers, that was undoubtedly handled by Cindy, the big sister of the High School Sorority.
Since Locke took office last September, this rule had been enforced fairly well. Including other times, Locke hadn't seen a bullying incident happen in front of him.
That was enough.
Locke took the position to farm rewards, not to benefit society. As long as things didn't go too far, or no one came to him to complain, he usually couldn't be bothered to manage the school's atmosphere.
Like just now.
If Gwen hadn't walked over, Locke wouldn't have come over at all. At most, he would have given Flashya beating in the afternoon for breaking his rules.
"Haven't forgotten."
"Good."
Locke nodded and looked at the basketball player who had intended to curse earlier.
"New face, just arrived?"
"Yeah."
"Don't let it happen again."
"Okay."
Flashy looked at the expression on Locke's face and answered smoothly. He exchanged glances with several teammates, then turned and walked straight away.
"Captain, we haven't even..."
"Eat my foot."
"..."
Locke watched Flashy turn and leave the cafeteria, shaking his head. Flashy wasn't exactly a friend, but he was a classmate, and their relationship wasn't great, but it was okay.
"What happened just now?"
Locke snapped back to reality and looked at Mary Jane, asking a question. Then, he looked at Peter Parker and Harry Osborn: "Next time something like this happens, tell me directly. They can't even make the Top 32, yet they're trying to play at bullying? The Football Team might be able to pull it off, but not them."
As soon as he said that,
not far away, the members of the Football Team who were observing the situation became unhappy.
They were practically locked in as Super Bowl champions this year.
The basketball team?
They couldn't even make it to the playoffs.
"Hey, President, watch your mouth."
"We don't do that."
"Exactly."
"We're putting all our effort into preparing for the Super Bowl. We don't have time for these playground games."
"Right. How about it, Mary? Why don't you come be our cheerleading Captain?"
"Allen!"
The cheerleading Captain of the Football Team, who was sitting over there with her long-legged sisters, quirked her brow and threw a piece of bread directly at the back of Allen, who had just suggested replacing the Captain: "Say that one more time?"
However,
after she finished, the fair-skinned, beautiful, long-legged cheerleading Captain also looked at Mary Jane: "But, I would welcome you to join us."
Mary Jane gave a forced smile and looked at Locke: "It's nothing. Flashy just saw the photos of my winter break trip with Harry and came over to tease us."
Locke said: "Just block Flashy. If he's unhappy, tell him to come find me."
Mary Jane nodded: "I will. Thank you, Locke!"
Locke waved his hand and said something to Gwen. Then, after Gwen spoke a few words to Mary Jane, she turned and went back to her seat.
Once Locke was seated,
the atmosphere in the cafeteria, which had been a bit stagnant, finally returned to its lively state of laughter and conversation.
Cindy glanced at Mary Jane from the corner of her eye, then lowered her head and whispered to Gwen: "Flashy likes Mary Jane. Why didn't I notice that before?"
A girl's imagination is always quite peculiar.
Especially Cindy, who had turned Locke's photo albums into a main business and even bought a factory specifically to produce them. Her imagination was even more unique.
In Cindy's view, the reason Flashy acted this way was simply because he saw the photos Mary Janeposted on social media and felt a bit jealous. So he came over to tease them, wanting to show Mary Jane what a real man looks like.
Gwen shrugged and ate the salad in front of her: "Who knows? By the way, about the trip to the Columbia University Science Center, I've already helped you and Kahn apply with Madam Cort."
Cindy's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great! I knew you'd find a way. I love you so much!"
Gwen rejected a hug from the greasy-handed Cindy and rolled her eyes: "Please, next time you want to participate in an activity, can you sign up before the deadline? Don't come to me every time after the deadline has passed and the list has already been submitted."
Cindy sighed: "I didn't expect it either. When I was calculating my credits at home yesterday, I suddenly realized I was short a few social points."
Gwen shook her head: "Fine. I've already cleared it with Madam Cort. Just this once, don't let it happen again. Go find Locke later to get a stamp; you guys will go under the title of Student Council Student Safety Assistants."
Locke, who was munching on an extra-large burger, looked up: "What?"
Gwen said to Locke: "After all, you can't just go this time just because you signed up; there's a selection process. Neither of their names was on the registration list. If we just add them directly, the other students who signed up but weren't chosen will have complaints. So, if Cindy and Kahn want to go, this is the only way."
Locke gave an 'oh' and looked at Gwen: "Then should we go too?"
Gwen shook her head: "Did you forget we have a dinner meeting this weekend with the Student Council presidents from New York City and Jersey City?"
Locke raised an eyebrow: "I remember."
School had started; it was time to launch the first Knowledge Competition.
A high school Knowledge Competition.
A Knowledge Competition for the Student Council Alliance.
This semester, I'm going to farm a million points.
But before that... "Buy mulberry leaves?"
After school in the afternoon, Locke heard Gwen ask him to buy mulberry leaves after she got in the car. He looked at Gwen, who was fiddling with the GPS, and asked curiously: "Why buy mulberry leaves? Has Helen invented some new 'dark cuisine'?"
Gwen shook her head: "No, they're snacks for my White Spider."
Locke: "..."
391. No, White Spider
White Spider.
That was the spider being kept in Gwen's bedroom. It looked incredibly cute, and the last time Lockehad visited, it seemed to be resting its chin on its front legs inside the glass, giving off a vibe that wasn't very spider-like at all.
At first glance, Locke had actually thought it was a spotted cat.
After all... what kind of spider has ears? And such long ones at that.
It was unscientific.
Thud.
Locke snapped back to reality and raised an eyebrow as he watched Gwen open the car door and climb in, carrying a small insulated container.
"Where are the mulberry leaves?"
"Right here."
Gwen patted the insulated container in her hand and said with a smile, "I just got them. I checked—they're a vibrant green."
Locke was silent for a moment. "You're raising a spider. Even though you've already fed her into the shape of an orange cat, she might get as fat as one, but she's never going to turn into a silkworm."
Feeding mulberry leaves to a spider—what was she thinking?
"And!"
Locke started the car and chuckled. "Is that tiny amount enough for that spotted cat to have a single meal?"
Gwen shot Locke a glare. "Don't talk about jelly like that."
Locke was slightly taken aback.
"jelly?"
"Yeah, don't you think she looks like a bouncy little piece of jelly?"
"..."
Locke turned to look at Gwen and remained silent for a while. "Have you made an appointment with a psychiatrist yet?"
Fine.
A psychiatrist was definitely necessary, and it was urgent. However, this time, it seemed Gwen was the one who needed to see one, not him.
"Why are you suddenly caring about a psychia—"
Gwen realized what he meant mid-sentence and gave Locke another massive eye-roll. "jelly is very well-behaved now."
When she first brought her back from the lab, the thin White Spider, jelly, was always trying to bite her. But as the weather got warmer, jelly gradually became lazier.
Because of this, jelly's size was increasing every day. After all, she was finishing off mulberry leaves that used to last three days in just one day. Eating then sleeping, sleeping then eating—it would be a miracle if she didn't get fat.
But this was good.
At the very least, when she took jelly out the day before yesterday, jelly didn't bite her anymore and even seemed quite dependent on her.
Thinking this, Gwen said to Locke, "Hurry up. jelly only had one Mulberry Leaf left last night, and I promised her I'd bring fresh ones today."
Locke glanced at Gwen, said nothing, and simply stepped on the gas.
He'd go online tonight to find the best psychiatrist in New York City and then cut the line to take Gwenthere tomorrow.
Back home.
"Mom, I'm back."
Gwen tossed her ponytail and threw her backpack to Locke, who followed her in. Then, taking the insulated box from Locke's hand, she dashed upstairs. As she went, she called out to Helen, who was coming out of the kitchen, "I'll be down in a bit!"
Locke hung Gwen's bag on the wall and greeted Helen as he changed into his slippers. "Good evening, Helen. Is George not back from work yet?"
Helen smiled. "Not yet. I made Lemon Sea Bass tonight. George will be back in half an hour. You two go on up, I'll call you in a while."
Locke said, "Alright."
Coming to Gwen's house now felt almost like coming to his own home. He had his own slippers and his own water cup. As for bedsheets and pillowcases, there had been a separate set last year, but this year, there was none.
Because... Locke was basically tacitly allowed to sleep in the same Room as Gwen.
After all, as of today, Locke and Gwen's relationship had been stable for over two years, and it seemed like it would only get more so. Last time, Locke heard Gwen mention that Helen had pulled Georgeaside to calculate how much money was in the wedding account George had prepared for her, wondering if it was enough for a luxury wedding.
Uh.
This was probably why George had been leaving early and returning late recently. After all, overtime pay for a Police Officer and a Police Chief was different. A regular officer might not even get their overtime pay, but a Chief's was always paid on time.
It had to be said, George was a good man.
But... Locke walked upstairs, pushed open Gwen's door, and asked, "You didn't tell George how much money is in our joint account, did you?"
"No!"
Gwen, who was looking for something, looked up. "Why?"
Locke said, "Better not tell him. I'm afraid George's mental state might implode."
Gwen rolled her eyes at Locke. "I'm not that stupid."
Locke smiled. "That's good then."
George woke up at seven every morning and came home at eight every night, with no weekends. For what? For that overtime pay of less than two thousand dollars a week.
What about Locke and Gwen?
The money they got from the non-disclosure agreement they signed at the military Base—if Georgeearned two thousand a week, he would have to work overtime for three thousand consecutive weeks to match it.
If it were Locke, he felt his own mind would shatter too.
So, to prevent George from giving up on himself—or worse, getting the idea that he was tired and just wanted to lie flat and live off his son-in-law—Locke felt it was better to keep it from him.
A man needs ambition.
Locke felt he was doing this entirely for George's mental and physical health. George should be grateful.
But considering they'd be family in the future, Locke felt there was no need to be too petty with George.
Locke was a very easygoing person.
Everyone knew that.
Locke thought to himself, then watched Gwen rummaging through the Room and blinked. "What are you doing? Hiding some newly bought toy?"
Gwen turned to look at Locke. "jelly is gone."
Locke looked at the empty glass tank on the desk, then at the open insulated box. He then looked up, raised his eyebrows, and pointed at the white blob with Dalmatian-like black spots on the ceiling, which was using two legs to hold a Mulberry Leaf as if sucking on it. "Then what's that?"
Gwen looked up.
The next second.
"jelly!"
Thwip!
Gwen reached out her right hand and watched the White Spider descend on a line of Spider Silk, landing steadily in her palm, just large enough to cover it. "jelly, no running around, do you hear me? Be careful, or Little George might accidentally step on you."
The White Spider in her palm opened its crimson eyes and looked up at Gwen.
Gwen frowned. "Do you hear me?"
The White Spider made a couple of squeaking sounds.
A smile bloomed on Gwen's face. She put the White Spider back into the glass tank and watched as it lay there like it was on a sofa, legs crossed, chin resting on its legs, chewing on the Mulberry Leaf. She couldn't help but chuckle and looked at Locke. "Locke, don't you think jelly is becoming more and more like a person?"
Locke shifted his gaze from the seemingly harmless White Spider to Gwen. "How about we slice it up and take a look? This thing is definitely a mutant, without a doubt."
The White Spider's chewing motion inside the glass tank seemed to freeze for an instant.
Gwen rolled her eyes at Locke. "jelly is just an ordinary spider. Maybe she's a species that hasn't been discovered yet. Uh, just like Vampires—weren't they also undiscovered by ordinary people?"
Locke's lips twitched. "If Vampires knew they were being compared to a spider, I feel they'd come looking for an explanation from you."
Gwen giggled. "It's fine. With you by my side, I'm not afraid of Vampires."
This time it was Locke's turn to roll his eyes.
Gwen said, "Even though jelly's blood test results were all unknown, maybe it's like you said—some kind of supernatural species. Maybe Mr. Nameless would know. I forgot to ask last time, otherwise, Mr. Nameless might know where jelly's kind are. If so, it would be nice to find her a companion."
Just then.
Helen called out to Gwen from downstairs.
Gwen kissed Locke on the cheek, replied with a "Coming!" and then left the Room.
Locke's lips twitched.
Supernatural... spider?
This thing definitely wasn't supernatural.
At the very least, it didn't belong to the supernatural species of Earth.
Locke thought to himself as he focused his gaze back on the White Spider, jelly, who was now the size of Gwen's palm—roughly the size of a newborn kitten. His eyes flickered slightly. "What exactly are you?"
The White Spider in the glass tank seemed to tremble at Locke's words.
He couldn't be sure what this White Spider was, but it certainly wasn't a supernatural species. In fact, after returning from New Orleans and seeing the pet Gwen mentioned, Locke had immediately called Agatha to ask if she had seen any similar creatures in her long life.
Agatha's answer was no.
Furthermore.
This White Spider was not a dimensional lifeform either.
Locke, whose life level had completely transcended and who had ascended to become a Dimensional God, might have limited knowledge of the dimensional Worlds, but he could still observe whether something was a dimensional lifeform.
It was just like at Green-Wood Cemetery, where Locke had seen that dilapidated Dimensional God and instantly understood what kind of existence he was.
An ordinary spider, no matter how much it mutated, was unlikely to mutate into something where all blood test data resulted in question marks. Again, if it were a scientific mutation, it would need a basic scientific setting.
So... Locke rubbed his chin. Suddenly, seeing the White Spider's somewhat chubby body, he thought of a creature that looked exactly like an orange cat. "Like a Flerken, do you come from the Universe?"
The White Spider's crimson eyes, which were indeed quite large compared to a normal spider's, didn't blink. It seemed that even the mulberry leaves in front of it no longer tasted so sweet and delicious.
Locke chuckled. Hearing the voice calling him from downstairs, he tapped on the glass tank.
"Interesting!"
Chapter 392: George is Getting Cocky Again
Under the trembling gaze of the White Spider, Locke kept his hands in his pockets and left the Roomwithout looking back.
"Phew!"
For some reason, the White Spider couldn't help but open its tiny mouth and let out a sigh of relief.
The next second.
"Squeak!"
The White Spider jumped up, clinging to the glass of its enclosure, its crimson eyes staring at Locke, who had suddenly reappeared in front of the glass box.
"It really is a cosmic creature."
"..."
Locke stood with his hands in his pockets, the corners of his mouth curling up as he watched the White Spider slowly slide down the glass. He wore a smiling expression. "What a pity."
With that said.
Locke turned and walked toward the door.
This time, he truly left.
When Locke said it was a pity, he meant it would be a pity because if he chopped up this White Spider, Gwen might be very sad.
So... that's why Locke voiced his regret.
However, considering this White Spider posed absolutely no threat, Locke thought about it and didn't feel like risking Gwen's sadness just to chop it up.
He went downstairs.
Locke noticed a woman with long, curly black hair sitting on the sofa in the living Room.
The woman noticed Locke as well.
She stood up.
"Devoe, Cree Devoe."
The woman smiled and shook hands with Locke. "You must be Locke."
"Broughton."
Locke introduced himself. "Locke Broughton. You must be George's colleague from the Organized Crime Control Bureau, and a Chief Inspector as well, if I'm not mistaken..."
Devoe was slightly stunned, looking somewhat surprised.
Locke smiled. "I saw you from a distance when I went to the NYPD with Gwen."
Devoe let out an 'oh' and smiled. "That's right."
Well.
Locke had just lied.
Actually... he had deduced it.
First, this Devoe woman didn't have many calluses from holding a gun, but since she could enter this house and drink Helen's homemade beverages, she was definitely someone Helen knew—undoubtedly from the NYPD.
As for why he said she was from the Organized Crime Control Bureau?
It was simple.
It was her vibe.
Detectives like George, who specialized in catching individuals, were often unkempt and looked slovenly. Meanwhile, members of units targeting art crimes would have male Agents in suits and ties, and female Agents in stockings and skirts.
And the Organized Crime Control Bureau?
Just like Cree Devoe in front of him: leather jacket, jeans, and Dr. Martens boots. She gave off a strong visual impact and didn't wear perfume. So, there was no doubt.
At that moment.
Helen walked over, looking at Locke with pride as if he were her own son, and said to Cree Devoe, "Locke's observational skills have always been excellent. Besides, the CIA once wanted to recruit him."
Locke stood by, smiling.
Cree looked at Locke with surprise. "Really? Now I understand why George doesn't like talking about you in front of me."
Locke said nothing.
Helen reintroduced Locke. "Cree used to be a Special Agent in the FBI's Major Crimes Division. She was headhunted by the NYPD last year. When she was little, she was our neighbor."
Cree laughed. "And it was door-to-door, too."
Helen laughed happily. "Right, right. The fruit wine I started making a month ago is ready. You must help me taste it to see if it's good. Knowing you were coming tonight, I sent little George and the others to Long Island."
Locke raised an eyebrow.
He thought so; he felt like something was missing from the house today. It turned out the three background characters, including little George, were gone.
But... background characters are just that; it's enough to know they exist. Most people wouldn't pay attention to them anyway.
At the dinner table.
Helen and Cree Devoe chatted and laughed, moving from childhood anecdotes to the time they separated for college, and then sharing their respective college stories with both tears and laughter.
Locke didn't drink this time.
After all, there was an outsider present. Without knowing exactly how close Cree Devoe was, the same rule applied: even though this was like a second home to Locke, he was still an outsider. Here, he would still give George and Helen face.
The modest gentleman, Locke.
That was also one of Locke's nicknames.
Gwen and Locke were talking in low voices.
George, sitting across from Helen, held his own glass of wine. Looking at the two couples at the table, he glanced at Andy—the'spare tire' who had been promoted to his precious little girl less than a month ago—sleeping beside him. He caught Locke out of the corner of his eye and suppressed the urge to invite Locke to drink with him.
But... it was lonely.
George thought to himself. He coughed and then casually glanced at Helen and Cree Devoe, as if to say, 'Hey, hey, talk about something I can join in on.'
Helen just gave George a roll of her eyes.
Cree Devoe smiled and, as George wished, changed the subject, saying to Helen, "Helen, George and I worked together with quite a bit of chemistry this time."
"A collaboration?"
Gwen, who was eating her dessert, looked up at George. "Dad, you're a Chief Inspector of Major Crimes, and Aunt Devoe is a Chief Inspector of Organized Crime. How could there be a collaboration?"
Although it seemed like they could collaborate on paper...
These were two departments that almost never worked together. The reason? No one wanted to hand over their cases to another department.
Unless... Cree Devoe took a sip of the fruit wine in her glass. "Gwen, have you ever heard of Kingpin?"
Locke's eyebrows shot up.
Gwen was slightly stunned. "I know of him."
Kingpin's reputation in New York was no small matter. Even ordinary people had heard of his name. After all, Kingpin was known as the man who owned Hells Kitchen.
And Gwen knew even more.
For instance... eighty percent of the gangs in New York City had intricate ties to this Kingpin.
Locke seemed to realize something and looked at George. "Is the NYPD planning to move against Kingpin?"
Good grief.
Did George think his life was too peaceful and felt the need to seek out some excitement?
Is Kingpin someone you can mess with?
Locke was somewhat speechless internally. He felt that George was completely getting cocky. It was possible that after seeing Vampires and Witches, he had developed a certain delusion.
Namely, that Kingpin was nothing more than that and could be suppressed with a flip of a hand.
But that was a delusion.
With someone like George, Kingpin could take two of them and crush their heads with one hand each, effortlessly. After all, Kingpin was a giant whose body was ninety percent muscle, and he came with a built-in Iron Body effect. Small-caliber bullets hitting Kingpin wouldn't even break his defense.
So... in Locke's view, George wanting to move against Kingpin was undoubtedly like an egg striking a stone.
Helen also couldn't help but put down her fruit wine, looking at George with concern. "George, is it true?"
In the NYPD, there was no shortage of righteous Police Officers who wanted to catch Kingpin and bring him to justice.
However, while Kingpin was notorious, there was very little direct evidence linking him to crimes. Furthermore, Kingpin's legal team was top-notch. Without solid evidence, they didn't even have the chance to invite Kingpin to the NYPD for coffee.
Not to mention, investigating Kingpin was inherently a very risky endeavor.
After all, Kingpin wasn't the kind of villain who would sit idly by knowing a Police Officer was investigating him.
Kingpin was a ruthless man who would even kill his wife to prove his path.
Recalling the Kingpin from the original plot, Locke thought to himself and was already considering whether he should go back to Green-Wood Cemetery to order a more luxurious burial plot for George.
However.
Cree Devoe shook her head and said, "It's not Kingpin, but the Gucci Family. However, the Gucci Familyhas deep ties to Kingpin's criminal organization. If we can take down the Gucci Family, we'll have a great chance of finding the key evidence to link Kingpin and then successfully arrest this largest tumor in New York!"
The reason she had jumped from the FBI to the NYPD was for Kingpin. If you asked for a reason, you could say the FBI also wanted to investigate Kingpin but lacked the opportunity.
After all, the FBI handles interstate crimes. Without solid evidence, the FBI had no chance at all.
The NYPD had a better chance; as long as it was in New York City, any case could be taken on.
Locke glanced at Cree Devoe.
The Gucci Family?
That crazy woman?
Then it was fine.
Locke dropped the idea of running to Green-Wood Cemetery early tomorrow morning to reserve a plot for George.
After all, aside from being a bit crazy, that Gucci Family wouldn't stand a chance against a full-scale assault from the NYPD.
However, while he didn't need to go to Green-Wood Cemetery tomorrow, he estimated it wouldn't be long.
After all.
George comforted Helen, saying, "Don't worry. Even if we deal with Kingpin, so what? Could he be harder to deal with than the Peerless Assassin? You know, even the Peerless Assassin couldn't kill me."
Locke's brow twitched.
That was because he had principles.
Try an assassin without principles. With someone like George, the grass on his grave would probably be green by now.
And Kingpin was not a man of many principles.
So, Locke thought about it and decided he still needed to make a reservation at Green-Wood Cemetery. After all, it would be used sooner or later. If Kingpin didn't put George in the ground, Locke felt he might do it himself. When the grand finale came, he could just dig George up for a happy ending.
When Gwen heard Cree Devoe mention all the evidence they had collected against the Gucci Familyover the past few days, such as human trafficking of young girls, she immediately asked curiously, "So when do you plan to act?"
Cree Devoe looked at George.
George took a drink, looking mysterious. "Soon!"
It would be tomorrow.
Close the net!
393. Free New York City
"Locke?"
"Mm."
"When I went downstairs last night, did you do something to jelly?"
"Nope."
Early the next morning.
As Locke drove to pick up Gwen and headed toward Midtown High, he glanced at her in the passenger seat. "What's wrong?"
Gwen frowned. "jelly seems sick."
In the past, whenever jelly saw the fresh mulberry leaves she'd bought, it would usually munch through five on the first day. But last night, with the new batch, it only ate one leaf—and by morning, it hadn't even finished half of it.
Worse… Gwen shook her head. "When I woke up, jelly had dark circles under its eyes, like something had scared it. It didn't shut its eyes all night."
Locke raised an eyebrow.
Fine.
A timid Universe life-form—this really drags down the prestige of cosmic species.
After getting home last night, Locke had thought of another Universe creature: the Flerken, famous across the cosmos yet outwardly a dopey orange cat. Then he thought of another well-known spaceborne life-form.
Venom.
Right, Venom was also a Universe organism—a peculiar, sentient cosmic life that existed almost entirely as liquid.
But Venom was too ugly.
Putting White Spider, Flerken, and Venom side-by-side, the most aesthetically pleasing would definitely be the orange-cat-like Flerken. Next, assuming you don't suffer from arachnophobia, White Spider could actually seem pretty cute after a while. As for Venom—no matter how or from what angle you looked, it was just plain hideous.
Hard for most people to appreciate.
Gwen said all this, still worried. "I'm going home this afternoon to take jelly to the vet."
Locke snapped back. "I'll come with you."
"No need."
"Hmm?"
"You forgot—Holy Trinity's people are coming this afternoon."
"Oh, right. Then wait for me?"
This week, the presidents of a dozen student societies were meeting to finalize everything. After this session, the joint program would launch next Monday. Since Holy Trinity had paid big money to become a co-founder, they wanted to meet in advance, just in case Locke tried to back out once things started.
Unlikely, but business was business, so an early heads-up was required.
Locke lifted a brow. "It'll be quick anyway."
Gwen waved it off. "It's fine. I'll have Cindy drive me. My appointment at the animal hospital is four o'clock; if I'm late I can always go to the ER, but I'm more worried my vet will have left for the day."
Locke parked the car. "Switch to another vet?"
Gwen unbuckled and opened the door. "No good. jelly's a girl; for check-ups it has to be a girl vet. That's settled. Maybe the recent warmer weather's thrown jelly off."
Seeing her so decisive, Locke said nothing more and simply nodded.
He'd been to that hospital: the three vets were young, same complexion, all products of elite—not feel-good—education. Most importantly, the $100 consultation fee kept out low-quality clientele.
Money didn't guarantee class, but problems were rarer than among the penniless.
Unpleasant but true.
So Locke dropped it. The clinic was just around the corner from Gwen's apartment, a few steps away, fully surveilled, broad daylight—risk near zero.
He shut the door. "All right, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning?"
The previous night, Cree Devoe hadn't just dropped by for dinner; she was staying over because her apartment's plumbing had burst and repairs would take about a week. When George mentioned it to Helen, Helen invited Cree to stay until the work was done.
Locke suspected a George conspiracy!
And George's last-ditch resistance.
Why bother?
You've already promoted Andy from backup to official—why still eye my Gwen? Just lie back and watch, can't you?
Locke sighed inwardly, speechless.
NYPD.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Officers boarded; SWAT Team climbed aboard.
Ryan and Esposito exchanged glances after following Beckett into the van. "Big op today? Who's the target?"
Beckett said, "You'll know when we get there."
Ryan and Esposito frowned but stayed quiet. With this much muscle, names of likely suspects were already scrolling through their heads.
After all…
There hadn't been the slightest warning. The two of them had just reached the precinct, figuring it would be another day of slacking off, when—without any heads-up—they saw Beckett hang up the phone and shout, "Go, go, go!"
Keeping it this quiet? No question, it's a major operation.
But who's the target?
Who rates this kind of treatment?
The Peerless Assassin?
Ryan and Esposito exchanged a look. Watching George climb into the car, that's exactly what they were thinking.
"Achoo!"
"Bless you."
"No."
George pinched the bridge of his nose and turned to Cree Devoe—his partner in this joint operation. "God bless us."
This time the target was the Gucci Family, not Kingpin.
But let your guard down and you'd be making a fatal mistake.
Put it this way: the number of corrupt informants Kingpin has inside NYPD probably doesn't even match what the Gucci Family's got. In the 47th Precinct—covering Hell's Kitchen—they could slap up a sign and call themselves the 47th Gang.
As for NYPD headquarters—
"Can we lock down these parasites?"
"Relax."
Cree Devoe patted her vest and glanced at George. "I've got the Bureau's tech unit with us. Every call made from NYPD headquarters to Hell's Kitchen—or within ten kilometers of it—has been intercepted since dawn. They're not slipping away."
George nodded and headed for his cruiser.
Moments later a dozen patrol cars and five anti-terror SWAT trucks screamed out of NYPDheadquarters, sirens wailing, racing openly toward Hell's Kitchen in a show of force.
"shit!"
The precinct Captain of Hell's Kitchen's 47th got the call from headquarters. When he learned he had to assist Chief Inspector George Stacy of NYPD and Chief Inspector Cree Devoe of the Organized Crime Bureau, he cursed, finger poised to dial the Gucci Family—then froze.
Too risky.
"shit!"
He slammed the handset down, shouted into the hallway, and waved over a rookie who'd bought his second Porsche yesterday—on the force less than two years, already as dirty as the old man himself. "Get to the Gucci Family. Tell them NYPD's hitting them—now. No phones."
The young officer blinked.
"What?"
"Move! No calls!"
"…Yes, sir."
Seeing the Captain's twisted face, the rookie snapped awake, spun on his heel, and sprinted out.
The Captain followed. He gave a silent nod to his trusted few, then announced to the rest of the slackers that headquarters wanted their help raiding the Gucci Family.
Several officers froze.
A few instantly pulled out phones, ready to text the family and pocket another fat bonus.
Needless to say, every message was intercepted.
The next second—
Boom.
The Captain, halfway into his office, turned. Plain-clothes officers with that unmistakable vibe strode in.
"Internal Affairs."
"Gordon."
"Cooperate, please."
The lead man flashed his badge. Behind him, SWAT Team Captain stepped in, shook Gordon's hand, and told the precinct Captain—face flickering between dread and relief—that the order for an Internal Affairs sweep came straight from the Commissioner.
Even as he spoke—
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Outside, the lead armored truck barreled into Hell's Kitchen, mother-henning a string of patrol cars straight for the Gucci warehouse.
"fuck!"
"Cops!"
A Gucci capo had just gotten the breathless warning from the rookie when the sirens hit.
Crews openly moving contraband screamed at the sight of the armored truck, grabbed the guns stashed for turf wars, and opened fire.
Gunfire erupted instantly.
394. Kingpin Says Hello
In an instant.
The entire Hells Kitchen seemed to awaken from its stupor, with everyone turning their gazes toward the direction where the heavy gunfire erupted.
As for outside Hells Kitchen?
Business as usual.
After all... it was Hells Kitchen; hearing gunshots wasn't strange. It would be strange if there weren't gunshots every day. At most, pedestrians on the side bordering Hells Kitchen simply ran away.
It was common knowledge in New York that if you were a decent person looking for a job, even if you owned a house in Hells Kitchen, it would be less effective than claiming to be a Homeless man.
Hells Kitchen wasn't for people—no, it wasn't a place where a normal person should stay. The demographic structure of Hells Kitchen consisted mostly of illegal immigrants from all over the world. Due to some inexplicable reasons, despite Hells Kitchen's state, no one tried to change it.
All they could do was contain Hells Kitchen as it was, preventing it from spreading outward.
At the Gucci Family warehouse, the firefight was intense.
But... the NYPD Senior Superintendent, George Stacy, had come prepared. As the saying goes, once law enforcement gets serious, any illegal organization has to kneel.
The Gucci Family was no exception this time.
Facing the advance of the NYPD's armored riot vehicles, the warehouse was instantly stained with blood. In less than ten minutes of crossfire, the Gucci Family had been utterly routed. Seeing the corpses strewn everywhere, they turned and tried to flee.
Unfortunately, their escape attempt was in vain.
Again, George had come prepared this time. Having gathered enough solid evidence, George had no intention of letting this game drag on.
Soon.
The remaining dozen or so lackeys of the Gucci Family were all handcuffed. A few who weren't behaving even after being cuffed were summarily executed by the cold-blooded SWAT Team members.
A bunch of illegal immigrants who weren't even citizens; since they weren't citizens, there was no psychological barrier to killing them.
Very quickly.
"Officer."
"Mhm."
George walked into the warehouse, looking at the corpse of a young man before him and the ID from the 47th Precinct found on the body of the young man who died with his eyes open. "What's going on?"
The SWAT Officer turned his gaze toward the Precinct Captain of the 47th Precinct, who had arrived not long ago to cooperate with their operation.
The Precinct Captain looked at George, his face filled with heartache. "I didn't expect him to be this kind of person. I'm sorry, Senior Superintendent Stacy. It was my poor judgment. I truly didn't expect there to be so many parasites in the department."
If you don't die, I will.
The Precinct Captain caught a glimpse of the dead Officer's body on the floor out of the corner of his eye and thought to himself.
George looked at the Precinct Captain expressionlessly.
The Precinct Captain was heartbroken, his expression perfectly executed, looking as if it were genuine.
The 47th Precinct was rotten from top to bottom.
George knew this full well, but again, due to some unspoken rules, there was nothing he could do without evidence, especially when dealing with their own.
"Scum!"
"..."
The Precinct Captain froze slightly upon hearing George's words. Then, watching George turn and leave after speaking, he wasn't quite sure if George had said that to the dead Officer or to him.
"Gordon."
"Chief Inspector."
After George walked out of the warehouse, he looked at the Internal Affairs detective who had arrived with the SWAT captain. "Did you catch them?"
Gordon, who looked to be only around thirty years old, nodded. "Seven people tipped off the Gucci Family. They've all been arrested."
George nodded, glanced back at the Precinct Captain walking out behind him, and looked at Gordon. "Your Chief Inspector told me you want to transfer to my unit?"
Gordon nodded.
Internal Affairs also dealt with crime, but it was crime committed by their own, and it had a bad reputation. Gordon wanted to be on the front lines.
George was silent for a moment, then nodded.
Next month, his position would be moving up again. By then, the 47th Precinct would fall under his jurisdiction, and he didn't want to see a precinct that colluded with darkness within his territory.
So, he used this operation to purge the 47th Precinct in advance. As for Gordon, George didn't express anything on the spot; after all, he wouldn't have that authority until next month.
Gordon wasn't disappointed by George's lack of response.
After all... no stance was, in fact, the best stance.
That was enough.
George walked toward Cree Devoe, who was on the phone. "How's it going with the Gucci Family?"
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was involved in this operation.
To be precise.
The FBI was responsible for arresting the Gucci Family. After all, in this operation, securing the evidence of the Gucci Family's crimes in Hells Kitchen was the most important thing.
If people are arrested but the evidence is gone, it's all for nothing.
"Don't worry."
Cree Devoe put down the phone. "You've met Booth. Do you still not trust him?"
Seeley Booth.
Seeley Booth, an investigative Agent from the FBI's Quantico headquarters. He was a righteous Agentspecifically invited by Cree Devoe from Washington for this operation.
After all... compared to the Quantico headquarters, Cree Devoe didn't quite trust the New York FBI. There were rumors that the FBI Director was close personal friends with Kingpin.
After a while.
Just as Beckett led a team to find a string of ledgers in the warehouse and, incidentally, discovered a group of Western European girls in the Underground Room who had just arrived this morning and hadn't been sold yet, the phone rang.
"Mhm."
"Okay, I understand."
"Fantastic."
Cree Devoe hung up the phone, looked at George and Beckett who were watching her, remained silent for a moment, and then nodded. "They caught them."
"Nice!"
"Great."
George and Beckett looked at each other; their final worries vanished, replaced by visible joy.
"Stop right there!"
"Officer!"
George and the others turned to look. At the sealed warehouse entrance, a man like a mountain appeared, accompanied by two others. He looked like a gorilla stuffed into a human suit, his head seemingly made of muscle, with an exaggerated height of nearly two meters.
Kingpin!
George, Beckett, and Cree Devoe exchanged glances.
This mountain-like bald man who had appeared was their ultimate target, the self-proclaimed Kingpinof New York City's underworld.
"Kingpin!"
"Senior Superintendent Stacy."
Kingpin looked at George, Beckett, and Devoe as they walked over from the warehouse and said, "Senior Detective Kate Beckett, Chief Inspector Cree Devoe, am I correct?"
"What's the matter, Kingpin? Do you have goods in the warehouse behind us?"
"No."
Kingpin laughed loudly and looked at George with a smile. "I was just in my office when my subordinates told me that someone was actually using my port for illegal transactions. I'm here to thank you."
"Oh?"
"Thank you for arresting those damn bastards."
Kingpin spoke with a look of sincerity, extending his hand toward George. "Thank you."
Beckett raised an eyebrow and gave George a subtle shake of her head.
George glanced at Beckett, chuckled, and then looked up at Kingpin, who was a head taller than him, directly reaching out to shake Kingpin's right hand.
I dare you to crush my hand.
George thought to himself.
But... Kingpin's grip was light. It seemed that, just as he had said, he was there to thank George. After shaking hands, he pulled out a business card. "Mr. Stacy, would you like to inspect my port or other warehouses? I am a legitimate businessman. If there's anything I can do to cooperate with the Police Department, I will certainly do my best."
George withdrew his hand. "Not today. I didn't bring any other search warrants."
"Is that so?"
Kingpin paused slightly and sighed. "That's a pity."
George smiled. "I don't find it regrettable. Starting next month, the 47th Precinct will be under my command. Regarding some criminal issues reported by the public, perhaps I will come over frequently to chat with you, Mr. Kingpin."
Kingpin smiled. "Certainly. When you come by then, Mr. Stacy, be sure to let me know. I'm always available."
With that said.
Kingpin didn't say anything more. He turned around, leading Bullseye and the others with him, and stepped into a black, specially customized, stretched and widened Lincoln limousine.
George watched the Lincoln disappear, withdrew his gaze, and turned to the Officers and SWAT members. "Back to work."
In the Lincoln driving back toward the Kingpin estate.
"Ma Gucci has been arrested. The team was led by the FBI, but I heard the lead Agent, Seeley Booth, was brought in directly from Quantico."
"A pity."
"Should we..."
The professional assassin sitting in the passenger seat—or rather, Kingpin's personal hitman, Bullseye—turned to look at Kingpin, who was swirling champagne in the back, and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Kingpin looked at Bullseye. "Didn't you hear what he just said? He's coming over next month."
Bullseye nodded.
If we don't kill him, we don't kill him. Too bad, there goes a nice bonus.
But... Kingpin's tone shifted. "However, it wouldn't hurt to say hello. After all, he intercepted thirty million dollars' worth of my goods without even a word of greeting."
Although there was no evidence, the Gucci Family warehouse had been storing thirty million dollars' worth of his goods that had arrived just this morning.
Bullseye's eyes lit up. "How should we say hello?"
Kingpin looked at a photo that had just refreshed on his phone, turned it around, and pointed the screen at Bullseye. "Her. But don't kill her; just say hello."
Bullseye stared at the picture of Gwen on the screen and licked his lips.
"Fine!"
"Understood."
Three hundred and ninety-five. Gwen transforms?
"Woof!"
"...Gwen?"
Inside the pet store, Cindy's eyes lit up slightly as she watched Gwen suddenly frown and raise her hand. She seemed to have found something interesting and pointed at the back of Gwen's hand: "What's going on?"
Looking at it...
The transparent fine hairs on the back of Gwen's hand stood on end.
It was very unscientific.
Gwen, however, looked around, frowned, smoothed the fine hairs on the back of her hand, and smiled at Cindy, saying, "When I touched your clothes just now, I might have gotten static electricity."
Cindy blinked: "Is that so?"
Although static electricity could explain it, Cindy always felt something was off.
Gwen just smiled, feeling a bit suspicious inside, then looked at the female doctor wearing a mask and holding the white spider Jelly, who was walking out, and seemed to realize something.
Could it be Jelly...? Gwen's heart skipped a beat. She got up from her seat with Cindy and walked over: "Becky... No, Mrs. Wick, what happened to Jelly?"
The doctor's name was Emily Becky.
At least, in May of last year, her surname was Becky. However, this time when Gwen came, Dr. Emily Becky had already gotten married and changed her surname. So, her name should now be Emily Wick.
When Gwen had just arrived, she had even seen the wedding photos that Dr. Emily Wick had shown her.
Dr. Emily's new husband was named John, and he was very handsome.
But... not as handsome as Locke.
Emily seemed not to be afraid of the white spider at all. She held it with both hands and handed it to a nervous Gwen, smiling and reassuring her, "It's nothing serious."
Gwen looked down at the unhappy white spider Jelly in her hand: "Then why did Jelly suddenly lose her appetite?"
Emily shook her head: "The specific reason is still unknown, but it's certain that all of Jelly's physical data and everything else have improved compared to before; not a single one has decreased. Maybe she's just in a bad mood."
Gwen blinked.
The white spider Jelly, obediently lying in Gwen's palm, also subtly rolled its eyes.
Nonsense.
How could she be in a good mood?
It was already unlucky enough to be stranded on this backwater planet, but that wasn't even the unluckiest part. The unluckiest part was that she suddenly found herself inexplicably bound to a creature, which was Gwen.
But, the unluckiest part was yet to come.
Just as she was about to turn her grief and indignation into an appetite, diligently eating to restore her abilities, and then figure out a way to leave this broken planet and return to her homeland, she suddenly saw Locke for the first time.
And then... the poor white spider instantly went full Spartan.
Although the white spider couldn't know what kind of existence Locke was, she was very certain that Locke was an extremely dangerous being. In fact, his level of danger was such that the white spider found the feeling her so-called gods gave her in the memories of her bloodline inheritance.
No, that's not right.
Locke was even more dangerous than the gods in her memory. To be more specific, the white spider felt that if their gods were to fight Locke, Locke could send their gods flying to the ends of the universe with a single slap.
So, at that time, the poor and weak white spider could only continue to pretend to be a so-called white spider, but she wasn't a white spider at all. However, the white spider, who was already half-resigned, didn't think much about it then. She just wanted to eat diligently and hide herself. Anyway, she had no intentions towards Gwen. Their species could only bond with one person in their lifetime; if the host died, she would also die.
Who did I provoke?
As soon as the white spider thought of Locke's smile yesterday and his parting words, she suddenly felt pain everywhere. She didn't have much self-awareness, but that didn't mean she was stupid.
That man, who was even more terrifying than their god, had taken an interest in her.
At this thought...
The white spider immediately felt that the fresh mulberry leaves Gwen brought back were so tasteless. Why eat? She was about to be eaten by someone else. Why eat so much?
To be a buffet for that terrifying man?
"Sigh."
The white spider wiggled herself, moved a bit in Gwen's palm, found a comfortable position, and completely lay flat.
Forget it.
Let it be. After finally escaping from that hateful black spider, her life was still doomed. Forget it, accept her fate. The sooner she died, the sooner she could be reborn.
Thinking this...
The white spider flipped over with a plop and lay completely flat in Gwen's hand.
Gwen watched the white spider's movements, blinked, and looked up at Emily Wick in front of her.
Emily smiled: "See, she's still quite active."
If Emily weren't a well-known pet doctor in the area, Gwen would have seriously suspected Emily was a quack.
"Alright."
Gwen thanked Emily, then carefully placed the white spider back into the transparent box she had brought, which had a few mulberry leaves in it. She glanced at Cindy, then walked out the door.
After a while...
The shop door was pushed open again.
John Wick, dressed in a suit and tie, with a beard, who had recently completed his retirement mission and completely retreated from the world, looked at his newlywed wife Emily and said, "I just saw someone with a spider."
"That's Gwen, the daughter of a senior superintendent at the NYPD."
"...Is that so?"
"Yes."
Emily smiled: "Wait for me, I'll tidy up the treatment room, then we can go home and stop by the supermarket."
John Wick showed a heartfelt smile: "Okay."
At the entrance of the apartment building not far away.
Gwen got out of the car with the white spider and said to Cindy inside the car, "Thank you, Cindy. See you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow."
Cindy, sitting in the car, waved to Gwen: "Goodnight, Gwen."
"Goodnight."
Gwen smiled, watched Cindy drive away, then turned, holding the small box, and entered the apartment.
Entering the door...
Gwen looked at her mother, Helen, who was putting on her coat: "Are you going out?"
"Mm."
Helen looked a bit helpless: "Your grandpa said he bought something for little George and asked me to bring little George over. Are you coming with me?"
Gwen looked down at the white spider in the small box and shook her head: "I'm not going."
The white spider Jelly was still lying on its back in the small box. If the white spider hadn't moved just now and taken a mulberry leaf to cover its belly, Gwen would have thought its condition had worsened.
So, Gwen decided to stay home and watch over the white spider carefully, lest it die unexpectedly without even a chance to be rescued.
Helen shrugged and put on her scarf: "Alright, but then you'll be home alone tonight."
Gwen was slightly stunned: "Dad is going too?"
Hadn't George always maintained an attitude of avoiding going to Grandpa and Grandma's house in Long Island if possible?
Helen smiled: "He has to work overtime at the police station tonight. Besides, I don't want him to go to Long Island. If they start arguing, whose side do I take?"
Gwen looked at Helen with sympathy: "Mom, I sympathize with you."
Helen's lips curved upward: "You'll be there soon too. Locke and George don't get along either."
Gwen opened her mouth.
"Oh, right."
Helen, who had already picked up Andy and was about to take him along, looked at Gwen, who was standing still, after opening the door, and smiled: "You can ask Locke to come over and keep you company tonight."
After saying that...
Helen didn't wait for Gwen to speak, said "See you tomorrow," then directly closed the door and went downstairs.
Gwen opened her mouth, turned, looked at the closed door, stood still, shook her head, glanced at her little spider, and then walked upstairs.
Not tonight.
Gwen didn't plan to call Locke over. After all, if Locke came, she wouldn't be able to focus on the white spider Jelly. Besides, she had read a book yesterday.
It said that appropriate frequency maintains better freshness.
Gwen thought it made a lot of sense. After all, Locke always exhausted her every time. Although it was very comfortable, she couldn't get addicted.
Back in her room...
Gwen carefully opened the small box.
The white spider, after completely lying flat and giving up, opened its crimson eyes, looked at Gwen, chirped twice, and then was placed in the large glass enclosure by Gwen.
In the evening...
After Gwen video-called Locke, she saw Locke in the video, who, upon hearing that no one was home tonight, was preparing to leave. She quickly stopped Locke's actions, stating that Locke was not allowed to come over.
Locke, who was at the Starfall Tower and already preparing to leave, was slightly stunned.
Gwen shrugged and aimed the camera at the white spider in the glass enclosure: "Jelly's mood suddenly worsened for some reason. Don't come over. I need to watch Jelly tonight to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Locke stroked his chin.
See?
This was why he didn't choose to chop up the white spider after knowing it was an extraterrestrial life form.
Gwen would be sad.
But... in a bad mood.
Was it because Locke had scared the white spider?
Locke thought to himself, remembering the scene of the white spider being startled last night. He stopped putting on his jacket: "Alright then, I'll pick you up tomorrow morning."
Gwen hummed, and after exchanging goodnights, she hung up the phone.
After a while...
After showering, holding a cup of hot cocoa, and blow-drying her hair, Gwen rested her chin on her hand, looking at the white spider in the glass enclosure, which was lying on mulberry leaves, also covered with mulberry leaves, with its eyes open and blinking. She smiled and said, "Jelly, you can't be unhappy, okay? You know, I've already asked Locke to help you inquire about your kind. If we can find them, and you want to go back, Locke and I will send you there together."
Mm.
Gwen had originally planned this way. After all, no matter how she looked at it, Jelly was not an ordinary spider. Gwen was afraid that if she sent Jelly back, it would be dissected or something, which was why she kept it here.
The white spider's crimson eyes in the glass enclosure seemed to light up with hope upon hearing these words, and it chirped twice.
Gwen seemed to understand: "I promise to respect your choice, Jelly."
The white spider flipped up from its prone position with a whoosh.
The next second...
Both Gwen and the white spider were suddenly stunned.
Then...
They all bristled!
...Recommendation tickets!!
Monthly passes!!
Begging for them!!!
Just a quick note: Xiaomei will be attending training camp from next Monday until the twentieth of next month. She's taking advantage of the pre-New Year training to prepare for the new batch of medics who will arrive after the New Year. Updates will be adjusted to three chapters a day, and I'll have a burst of updates when I return.
Thank you for your understanding, dear readers!
Cute!