William Rodriguez sank into the soft leather sofa.
A cup of steaming Blue Mountain coffee was held between his fingers.
The rich aroma, mixed with the languor of surviving a disaster, made every nerve in him relax.
Last night's fright felt like ancient history.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
William Rodriguez's brow furrowed.
Who would visit at this hour?
He walked to the door and looked out through the peephole.
A man stood in the hallway.
He was tall and well-built, wearing a well-tailored off-white suit, and his black hair was meticulously combed.
His face was gentle, with the refined air of a scholar.
A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose.
He looked like a Wall Street elite, or perhaps a curator at a museum.
William Rodriguez's memory couldn't place this face.
He opened the door, a professional smile on his face.
"Good morning, sir. Who are you looking for?"
The man pushed up his glasses, his gentle gaze falling on William Rodriguez's face, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Mr. William Rodriguez? I believe we met last night."
The smile on William Rodriguez's face froze.
His mind raced, superimposing this gentle face with the white specter shrouded in Moon Knight last night.
Absurd, yet incredibly real.
He actually sought him out?
Not only did he know his name, but he also accurately found his address?
William Rodriguez's heart pounded, but he maintained an unshakeable composure on his face.
"I'm sorry, sir, you might have the wrong person. I was home all night."
"Oh, really?"
The man didn't argue.
He just watched him with those calm eyes.
His gaze wasn't as sharp as Moon Knight's, but it was like a bottomless lake, capable of drawing in and dissolving all lies without a trace.
"That 'Unified External Image and Crisis Public Relations for Multiple Personalities' service proposal is very interesting."
One sentence shattered all of William Rodriguez's psychological defenses.
He stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.
The expression on his face had shifted from feigned bewilderment to the wariness and respect one holds for a top predator.
"Please come in, it's windy outside."
The man entered the apartment, his gaze casually sweeping over the interior decor, finally resting on the steel jungle outside the window.
"Nice view."
"I work tirelessly every day for this view."
William Rodriguez closed the door and turned to pour him a glass of Water.
"What should I call you?"
"Steven,"
The man took the Water glass, his fingertips lightly touching the glass wall.
"Steven Grant."
It was him, indeed.
"Mr. Grant."
William Rodriguez sat back on the sofa, leaning slightly forward, adopting a business negotiation posture.
"You're here today for..."
"For the service you mentioned last night."
Steven cut straight to the chase, without any prevarication.
He took out an exquisite leather wallet from his inner suit pocket.
"You said the first experience is free. But I never accept charity."
He pulled out a black card and placed it gently on the polished coffee table, pushing it towards William Rodriguez.
It was a black card with no spending limit.
"Name your price. I need your professional service, and I need it now."
William Rodriguez's breathing paused for half a second.
He stared at the card, a symbol of endless wealth, then looked at Steven's calm and serious face opposite him.
He picked up his tablet from the coffee table, his fingers tapping lightly on the screen.
"Mr. Grant, before I give you a formal quote, I need to understand your specific needs."
"My needs?"
A hint of bitterness appeared at the corner of Steven's mouth.
"You should know very well."
"No,"
William Rodriguez shook his head, his eyes becoming sharp and focused.
"What I've seen is just the tip of the iceberg. To manage your image and handle crisis public relations, I must understand all the characteristics of the 'product'."
He paused, choosing his words more carefully.
"Or rather, I need to understand all your 'sides'. Their behavioral patterns, trigger conditions, and... their individual demands."
Steven fell silent.
He took off his glasses and gently pressed his fingertips to his brow, a deep weariness showing beneath his refined demeanor.
William Rodriguez thoughtfully offered him a pack of cigarettes and a lighter.
For the next half hour.
Moon Knight's other identity began to tell his story.
The listener asked questions at appropriate times.
This made the simple narration not boring.
"Some things... even I don't fully understand."
"You don't need to understand, you just need to authorize. I will create a complete 'personality profile database' for you."
On the tablet screen, a brand new project proposal had appeared.
"Moon Knight Project Overall Image Strategy (Draft)".
"Step one, image differentiation. We need to set clear external 'personas' for your different personalities to avoid image confusion leading to public misunderstanding."
"Step two, establish internal communication channels and a crisis early warning mechanism. When a certain personality is about to 'go online', I need to be notified immediately so that I can activate the corresponding public relations contingency plan."
"Step three, and the most important step, interest integration."
William Rodriguez's gaze was burning.
"I will prove that a unified, stable, and positive external image benefits 'all of you'."
Steven looked up, his eyes flickering with complex light.
"You seem to have a lot of experience with this."
"My business is to deal with all kinds of 'risks'."
William Rodriguez smiled, his smile full of confidence.
"And a superhero with multiple personalities is inherently the most unstable source of risk in this World, and also the top... potential brand."
Steven was amused by the word, a laugh mixed with absurdity and recognition.
"Brand?"
"Of course."
William Rodriguez leaned back on the sofa, his posture relaxed.
"Batman has his fear symbol, Iron Man has his tech halo. So what about Moon Knight? Is he a chaotic punisher, or a schizophrenic madman?"
"Public opinion will choose the simplest, most sensational label. And my job is to choose one for you, or create one, the most advantageous label."
Steven didn't speak for a long time, just looked out the window.
In the sunlight.
One side of his face was bright, the other hidden in Shadow.
Just like the souls coexisting within him.
After a long pause, he finally turned his gaze back to William Rodriguez.
"Can that... 'physical risk termination' procedure also be offered as a service?"
William Rodriguez's heart skipped a beat.
"Theoretically, yes,"
He chose his words carefully.
"But that falls under 'high-risk asset liquidation' services, and the fee... would be very expensive."
Steven nodded, seemingly unconcerned about the price.
"Let's start with image public relations."
He pushed the black card further forward.
"This is the deposit. I need to see your plan, a detailed plan."
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