Empire State Building, Underground Third Floor.
'Drip, Drip, Drip—'
In the dimly lit underground corridor, the footsteps of two individuals echoed subtly.
A female Cardinal led the way, guiding Eddie, who had changed into a black leather jacket, deeper into the dimly lit and deserted underground facility.
Eddie, feeling uncomfortable in his tight-fitting combat suit, followed along reluctantly, enduring Venom's continuous complaints.
The words of Raina, who had just issued the Mission, lingered in his ears: "The first test mission for the new temporary employee— find and independently eliminate the remaining two extraterrestrial Symbiotes in New York within a day, preferably before the Boss returns."
"In the end, I still have to face those Symbiotes that kill without hesitation." Eddie sighed helplessly.
Venom snorted coldly, saying, "I told you earlier, that woman is very dangerous. You insisted on going along with her and signed the contract. It's too late to regret now."
"In our situation, besides cooperating with them, do we have any other option?" Eddie responded mentally, shrugging his shoulders.
He seemed to notice the well-defined abdominal muscles on his body and couldn't help but touch them. The muscles were resilient, elastic, and filled with potential explosive power, surprising him with the remarkable changes in his body in a short period.
"Humanity has indeed mastered incredible technological advancements," Venom remarked, unable to contain its amazement. Being symbiotically attached to Eddie, it had a more direct perception and understanding of his body.
Crossing the interstellar universe, it said unbelievably, "The basic injection of the 'Super Agent' medicament just now triggered evolution and transformation in your body, from muscle, bones, hormones, cells, to genes, the overall improvement is about two and a half times compared to before. And that 'Infinity Formula' injection extended your vitality by several years, suppressing aging factors while keeping your body in optimal condition."
"No wonder those cardinals could barely withstand our monstrous attacks." Eddie had a look of understanding on his face as he heard this.
"Eddie, with your body foundation and my symbiotic armament, those two Symbiotes are no match for us!" Venom said joyfully, unable to hide its excitement.
It had a premonition that encountering those two Symbiotes might lead to further progress in its pursuit.
"You have such confidence; I'm glad," Eddie's attitude was relaxed. Joining the Unnatural Affairs Agency, despite numerous conditions and restrictions, provided a glimpse of hope in the midst of despair.
The female cardinal leading the way suddenly stopped in the underground corridor. Eddie, lost in thought, almost bumped into her back, hastily stepping back to regain his balance, feeling awkward.
As his gaze swept forward, Eddie was astonished to find himself in a concealed underground garage. Around him were countless items resembling vehicles, separated into three levels by sturdy Iron Man racks.
"God, please turn on the lights," The female cardinal clapped her hands a few times and called out softly.
As her words fell, the lights in the underground garage suddenly turned on, emanating from the ceiling and transforming the spacious area into a brightly lit environment.
"This..." Eddie widened his eyes. The revealed underground garage was easily over a thousand square meters, with sturdy racks dividing it into three levels. The place was filled with various branded four-wheel cars and two-wheel motorcycles. Glancing around, it was impossible to count how many vehicles were stored.
It was like an oversized luxury car exhibition. These representations of the primary means of transportation in the new era, ranging from cool to monotonous, luxurious to low-key, were illuminated by the lights, displaying their brilliance against the Iron Man shells.
"My goodness. Maybach AOL is limited to only five worldwide. Lamborghini Kki, limited to only one in the entire United States, is actually here. And there's the globally unique limited edition Ferrari 600..."
Regardless of the category or brand, these vehicles were clearly custom-made, exhibiting exquisite and perfect craftsmanship.
Eddie stared, adrenaline rushing through him, drool hanging from the corner of his mouth. For men, cars were undoubtedly as important as women.
"This is Kyle's private garage," the female cardinal, Red Sixteen, said calmly. Her reaction to Eddie's exaggerated response indicated that she was used to seeing such reactions.
"Unexpectedly, Mr. Kyle... uh, Boss Kyle, also has such a love for cars," Eddie wiped his mouth, marveling at some of these limited edition vehicles that hadn't even been released by manufacturers yet and had been snapped up by others.
Many car enthusiasts could only watch the pictures with envy, never expecting that these cars would be casually parked here, collecting dust.
"No, these were all gifts," Red Sixteen shrugged as she spoke.
"Gifts?" Eddie's expression froze.
"Yes," Red Sixteen explained, "Some were gifts from car manufacturers and Stark Industries, and most were gifts from members of the Carl Family. Everyone gets one."
Eddie began to question the meaning of life, asking, "Wait, everyone gets one? Are you saying members of the Carl Family are all wealthy?"
"It's not accurate to describe them as 'very wealthy.' Let's just say they're not short on money," Red Sixteen replied.
Looking at him, Red Eleven smiled and asked, "Although you're just a temporary employee, you are now one of us. Let me ask you, when you possess extraordinary powers beyond ordinary people, what would you do?"
Eddie scratched his head and replied, "It's hard to say. I will probably still yearn for money, beautiful women, power, and enjoy life."
This was the pure thought of an ordinary person becoming stronger, which was why there were many Superpowered people but few heroes.
"Exactly," Red Sixteen nodded, continuing to ask, "But what if, under the premise of extraordinary power, you also gained youth and extended lifespan?"
Eddie hesitated for a moment, clenched his fist, and said, "I understand."
Red Sixteen said with a proud look on her face, "Now you understand. Initially, you would pursue mundane and inevitable things like money, beautiful women, and power due to transcending ordinary strength. However, as your lifespan extends, those acquired things won't satisfy you anymore. You will return to pursuing strength and evolution. This is the life norm for every Cardinal in the Carl Family."
She paused and continued, "Of course, whether it's power or lifespan, these were originally bestowed by the Family Head. Adhering to the principle of not violating the family rules, we are Cardinals in secret, but openly in the world, we have a second different identity— playing the game of life as small country kings, large country presidents, corporate directors, oil tycoons, heads of assassin organizations, and more."
"What kind of family is this? It's clearly an organization— Earth's most powerful organization hidden among humans," Eddie exclaimed in shock with a gaping mouth.
"So, never offend the Cardinals unless you plan to escape Earth," Red Sixteen sympathetically patted Eddie on the shoulder.
"That's way too late," Eddie mourned. He had indeed offended them and almost took down three Red-Rank cardinals.
Red Eleven pushed him forward and said, "Enough talk. Raina the overseer let you see if there's anything suitable here. Pick a vehicle as your transportation for the mission. Hurry up and get going."
"Yes," Eddie responded, torn between pain and joy.
(End of this chapter)
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