Kingpin's gentle inquiry was like an invisible noose around William's neck.
And it was tightening with every passing second.
The gazes of the surrounding guests had now become the eyes of vultures, circling and waiting for an inevitable death.
Madame Hydra's smile was like poisoned honey.
Jessica's taut body was a volcano on the verge of eruption.
In William's mind, the supercomputer named 'Survival Instinct' was already smoking from overload.
"Option A: Refuse. Triggers the 'Kingpin's Wrath' event, 0.01% survival rate. Failure penalty: Become part of Fisk Tower's new foundation, in a physical sense."
"Option B: Accept. Triggers the 'Pledge of Allegiance: Hellcat' mission. Mission objective: Confront one or more superheroes. Survival rate: Unknown, but lower than bank deposit interest rates."
Was this even a multiple-choice question?
It was asking him if he wanted to be shot or tortured to death.
William felt his smile was about to shatter.
But he knew he couldn't let it.
In these shark-infested waters, any trace of blood would attract a frenzied tearing.
"Of course it's effective, Mr. Fisk."
William's voice rang out, as steady as if he were broadcasting the evening news.
He even showed a brighter, more professionally enthusiastic smile, as if what he had just heard wasn't a death threat, but a lucrative additional investment.
He took another small step forward, a movement that completely removed him from Jessica's control and brought him closer to that mountain of flesh.
"In fact, the situation you've presented falls precisely within the scope of our 'third-party malicious interference' rider."
He bluffed, his brain working at lightning speed, blending sales pitch with survival instinct into a completely new language.
"However..."
He changed his tone, a professional, slightly troubled expression appearing on his face.
"Given the nature of the risk source, which has escalated from 'potential threat' to 'active attack,' according to standard procedure, we need to make a slight adjustment to the policy's risk coefficient and premium rate."
He paused, meeting Kingpin's unfathomable eyes, and spoke word by word in a business-like tone:
"After all, preventing a premeditated robbery and dealing with a pile of broken glass after a robbery don't have the same cost."
Jessica gasped.
She thought William was crazy.
Bargaining with Kingpin?
Was he in a hurry to die?
To everyone's surprise.
Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin of New York's underworld, actually showed a hint of... pleasure? on his perpetually icy face.
He let out a deep, chesty laugh.
"Ha... ha ha..."
He wasn't amused by William's courage.
Rather, he was like a chess player who had found an interesting piece and made an unexpected move.
"Well said, Mr. Rodriguez."
Kingpin's laughter subsided, and his massive body leaned slightly forward, the pressure almost twisting the air.
"I appreciate your professionalism. So, what do you think this 'adjusted' policy is worth?"
William's back was drenched in cold sweat, but he still wore an impeccable smile.
"For clients like you, we never talk money, Mr. Fisk."
He bowed slightly, his posture humble, but his words were audacious.
"I only ask for one promise from you."
"Oh?"
"If my team successfully 'neutralizes' this risk," William looked up, his gaze burning, "and if there's a possibility of future cooperation... I will design an insurance policy for you personally."
He showed his true intentions.
William wasn't sure if this insurance for protected items could extract Kingpin's abilities, but if Kingpin successfully purchased the insurance, he would definitely be able to extract them.
He was gambling.
Kingpin looked at him deeply, his gaze as if to peel away his soul and examine it under a microscope.
After a long moment, he nodded.
"Alright."
He waved his hand, as if shooing away a fly.
"Go, handle your work, and let me see your value."
The order was given, the judgment concluded.
William felt as if he had received a great pardon, his strained nerves almost snapping on the spot. He maintained his last shred of dignity, bowed again, and then pulled the already petrified Jessica, turning to leave.
The crowd silently parted.
The path they had taken to arrive now seemed like a stairway from hell to the human world.
"A clever little fellow."
Madame Hydra held her Persian cat, leaning languidly beside Kingpin, a playful curve on her red lips.
"I just wonder if he has the claws to match that cleverness."
Kingpin said nothing, merely turning his gaze back to the row of silent black trucks outside the window, his eyes as deep as the sea... "Are you out of your mind?!"
As soon as they stepped out of the ballroom and into a secluded corridor leading to the exit, Jessica violently shook off William's hand.
Her voice was suppressed to the extreme, like the growl of a trapped beast, every word filled with rage and disbelief.
"Do you have any idea who you were just talking to? You were making a deal with the devil!"
She grabbed William's collar, the expensive custom suit deforming in her grip.
"He'll swallow you whole, skin and bone, and not even leave a trace!"
"Calm down, Jessica."
William's face was pale, but his eyes were unusually calm, "This is our only choice."
"Choice? That's not a choice, that's jumping into a pit of Fire!"
The Fire in Jessica's eyes was almost spewing out.
"To confront a superhero? For Kingpin? William, do you think you have too many lives?"
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
William didn't struggle, letting her hold his collar. He looked directly into her eyes and retorted, "Refuse him on the spot? And then? Who do you think would walk out that door alive, you or I?"
Jessica was speechless.
Of course, she knew the consequences.
But rationality was one thing; watching someone you cared about willingly walk into the abyss was another.
"This isn't for Kingpin, Jessica."
William's voice dropped, tinged with fatigue, "This is for ourselves. In that room, we were meat on a chopping block. The only difference is, I bought us a chance to pick up the knife, instead of lying there waiting to die."
He gently pulled Jessica's hand away and straightened his wrinkled collar.
"Besides..."
He looked up at the coldly glowing door at the end of the corridor, a self-mocking smile on his lips.
"Do you really think Ms. Hellcat is 'justice' as it's called?"
"The thing she wants to steal is in Kingpin's mansion, with Fisk himself present. What do you think it would be, ordinary jewelry or a famous painting?"
William turned to look at the bewildered Jessica, and said something that sent a shiver down her spine.
"I bet what's in those trucks isn't art at all."
"But something... a thousand times more dangerous than art."
With that, he stopped explaining and walked straight to the door.
The cold night wind blew, dispelling the false warmth of the ballroom.
William stood at the mansion gate, looking at the dazzling lights of Manhattan in the distance, feeling like an exiled prisoner.
He pulled out his phone, his fingers rapidly tapping on the cold screen, sending an encrypted message to Matt Murdock.
"Situation changed."
"I took a job, the client is Kingpin, the target is Hellcat."
"Yes, you didn't... mishear."
"Now, I'm the villain."
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