Among the hundreds gathered in the meeting hall, the majority were Americans, with a few Asians, and a roughly equal distribution of men and women.
Among them, the oldest was nearly sixty years old, with white hair and faces marked with wrinkles and scars. The youngest was around fourteen years old, still in their adolescence, with a face and physique exuding a youthful innocence.
They wore either full suits, leather combat suits, casual attire, or even some in extravagant and distinctive robes.
Receiving the message for the Carl Family's meeting, most of the Cardinals, who were dispersed all over the world, immediately returned to the island base within twelve hours through the nearest Spatial Teleportation portals.
At this moment, three generations of Cardinal Disciples, trained over sixty years, had all gathered in the meeting hall on the third floor without exception. They appeared tense and serious, sitting upright in their chairs, suppressing their excited emotions as they waited in silence.
(Ranking in Carl Family for the Disciples- Red, Black, Jack (Knight))
Three generations of Cardinals. Except for a few Black-Tier Elites from each generation, who had the privilege to freely return to the family base and receive an annual supply of Infinity Formula, the majority of Cardinals would leave the family base after a set period.
With abilities and knowledge far surpassing ordinary individuals, they became elites wherever they went. Some established affiliated families, some became leaders of mercenary groups, officials in high-ranking positions in many nations, and those with better opportunities even became nobles and royalty in some countries.
As long as they used legitimate means, the money and valuable items earned by Cardinals outside could be exchanged for family contribution points, which could then be used to exchange for Infinity Formula, advanced equipment, Lifeform Cards, and more at the base.
Under such a virtuous cycle, the Carl Family had experienced continuous growth. From 1945 to the present, even the Cardinals within the family might not know the true extent of the main family's industry and influence!
The foundation of the Carl Family had grown infinitely, like a snowball rolling down a hill. Thus, the betrayal of a Cardinal might bring about the pursuit of all other Cardinals, which had prevented any Cardinal from ever betraying the family to this day!
Furthermore, since the first generation of Cardinals were bestowed with Ability Cards by Kyle, they regarded him as a god, not to mention the second and third generations of Cardinals who, even if they hadn't seen Family Head Kyle, had been warned and educated by the first-generation Cardinals.
Their loyalty to the Carl Family and Family Head Kyle was deeply ingrained in their bones.
"Step, Step!"
Footsteps echoed from outside the door, causing every Cardinal in the room to straighten their posture. Their burning gazes all focused on the entrance.
A man with silver hair strode into the hall, his black coat billowing behind him. Raina followed closely behind him. In the midst of the concentrated attention, the two of them slowly made their way to the main seat at the round table.
There were five chairs there! One exclusive for the Family Head, and four more on either side as vice seats!
The silver-haired man took his seat directly in the main seat, while Raina sat in the vice seat on his right.
As the two of them settled into their seats, over a hundred Cardinals stood up in perfect unison, greeting, "Family Head, Supervisor, greetings!"
"Please be seated." Kyle raised both hands slightly and gestured downwards. The Cardinals immediately took their seats in response.
Surveying the room, Kyle looked at the remaining vacant vice seats on either side of him and sighed lightly.
Howard and Logan were one thing, but he didn't expect Lucy to join them on that Interstellar Spaceship. Twenty-odd years had passed, and Kyle had returned, but the three of them remained missing.
"An inventor, a Wolverine, and a young girl with Elf's Divine Protection, quite an unusual combination." Kyle sighed inwardly as he thought of this, his furrowed brows soon relaxing.
With all three of them combined, their combat power was undoubtedly impressive. In the universe of the human world, as long as they weren't unlucky enough to land on a dead planet, there was a high probability of their survival.
"For this matter, I can ask Heimdall for help in locating them."
Kyle quickly formulated a plan and, with a stable heart, surveyed the hundreds of Cardinals before him. He chuckled and said, "I've called all of you together for the family's meeting to tell you one thing..."
"I'm back." Kyle's words were calm, but they carried an indescribable power, causing the hundreds of Cardinals in the hall to quiver slightly. Tears welled up in the eyes of some of the older first-generation Cardinals.
No matter how much the Carl Family had expanded, even if several key core members left, they could still maintain their strength and power. However, without a Family Head, it was like a ship without a soul, forging ahead in development but lacking a clear purpose for the future.
Kyle's return could be likened to flipping the switch for the Carl Family's aircraft carrier. Only he could command all the members of the Family and have the Cardinals willingly give their all.
"There's another matter that's equally important," Kyle said decisively, tapping his fingers lightly on the table. "The Carl Family has been hidden for more than half a century. With the changing times, it's time for a portion of our influence to come to light."
As these words were spoken, all the Cardinals widened their eyes, revealing expressions of longing and eager anticipation.
They had been waiting for this moment for too long!
Carl Family's Cardinals, whether within the base or building their own forces outside, were not allowed to reveal their "Cardinal" identity to the outside world.
Only a small fraction of the world's population knew about Cardinals, and they simply thought it was a code name for a professional assassin organization. They had no idea that Cardinals were members of the Carl Family!
Hardly anyone knew what it meant to be a Cardinal or what the Carl Family truly represented!
"The island base of the family will remain as it is. I will purchase another building in New York to serve as the Family's gateway to the outside world, allowing some Cardinals to reside there," Kyle pondered, gazing at the Cardinals and saying in a deep voice, "As for your Cardinal identities, there's no need to conceal them from the outside world anymore."
"However, remember this: don't use your Cardinal identities to engage in any dirty or evil activities. Otherwise, don't blame me for cleaning the house."
As Kyle uttered the final sentence, his golden pupils glowed, a faint golden flame ignited on his body, and the oppressive aura of a god of fire swept through the entire hall. The indoor temperature of the entire hall rose several degrees Celsius.
The Cardinals were not ordinary people and their senses were extremely keen. Now, looking at Kyle exuding the aura of a god, they felt as if they were facing a ferocious dragon with its fangs bared at them. The overwhelming power gap left them with a deep sense of powerlessness.
They broke out in a cold sweat and subconsciously nodded in agreement.
This was the Family Head, this is an incredibly powerful man! He is terrifyingly powerful! His level of evolution far surpassed theirs!
The Carl Family's meeting ended briefly and simply. It was only after the Cardinals had gradually dispersed that the meeting hall on the third floor became quiet.
Kyle, sitting in the main seat, turned to Raina, who maintained her regal and graceful demeanor, and sighed, "Raina, you've worked hard."
With Howard, Logan, and Lucy leaving, almost the entire burden of the Carl Family had fallen on Raina's shoulders. It was no wonder she had become the formidable Black Queen.
Managing and overseeing the family's internal and external forces for over twenty years, it would have been difficult for her not to become the Black Queen.
**(End of this chapter)**