"Put down the phone," both Alexandra and Maverick sneered. "Sincerity? Really?"
Alexandra immediately began to rally her forces. Give up half the dragon bone? In her dreams—she wouldn't even hand over a fragment. After all, the dragon bone was the lifeblood of the Hand.
"Bakuto, Sowande, Murakami," Alexandra declared, "our Five Fingers need to reunite."
Maverick didn't summon anyone. He simply used the Purple Man virus to control Yoshioka Shin and instructed him to leave and return to Murakami's side.
Mercury watched Yoshioka Shin stagger away and asked worriedly, "Blood God, will your control still work once he's gone?"
"It will," Maverick replied. "As long as they don't find out, it'll remain effective."
"The Hand won't realize Yoshioka Shin is under control," Maverick added. "They're warriors, not sorcerers."
"That's good. Blood God, your move is really powerful." Mercury said with admiration. She didn't doubt him at all; after all, wasn't it natural for the Blood God to control others using blood?
Maverick chuckled. "That's right, my blood shadow magic is unmatched."
Madam Gao scoffed, "I've told you, that's not martial arts."
Maverick rolled his eyes and said to Mercury, "Pack up; we're heading to the security company."
"You're telling me the Hand's members know Qigong, have lived for hundreds of years, and can even resurrect?" Frank looked at Maverick as if he were joking. The Snowman beside him added, puzzled, "Blood God, isn't that a bit off? Ninjas are from Japan, and Qigong is from China. They're not the same at all."
"Can't a criminal organization be international?" Maverick retorted. That's how it was set up; what could he do?
"While the Hand's main force consists of Japanese ninjas, their leaders are five traitors from Kunlun, China," Maverick explained briefly. "They worship an evil entity called 'The Beast' and have committed countless heinous acts."
"Our goal is to eliminate the Hand," he continued.
Frank hesitated. "Maverick, the most important thing in war is knowing both sides' strengths. As you say in Eastern philosophy, 'Know yourself and your enemy, and you'll never lose.' But Qigong and ninjas are beyond my understanding. It's hard to gauge the Hand's true power."
"Simple solution," Maverick said with a grin. "Madam Gao, have a sparring match with the Snowman. Snowman, be careful. Your strength is roughly equal to one of the Hand's Jonin, and Madam Gao is one of the Five Fingers."
The Snowman looked at Madam Gao, who seemed frail enough to be knocked over by a gust of wind. "Blood God, are you sure I can't beat her?"
Frank shared his doubt. Westerners often think bigger muscles mean more strength, so they were skeptical.
"You'll see when you fight her," Maverick replied. He and Mercury stepped back with Frank, leaving the makeshift battlefield to the Snowman and the stoic Madam Gao.
Madam Gao turned to Maverick. "Can I be serious? I really want to hit someone right now."
"Go ahead." Maverick encouraged. "Vampires are hard to kill anyway."
"Very well." Madam Gao nodded. Her anger had lessened, but she was still under Maverick's control thanks to the virus affecting her mind.
"Careful, old lady," the Snowman taunted. "Don't hurt yourself."
Annoyed, he lunged at her, throwing a quick, powerful punch toward her face.
Just as he attacked, Madam Gao swiftly crouched and unleashed a lightning-fast palm strike. The Snowman flew back like a rag doll, crashing into the wall with a heavy thud, leaving a large dent.
But she wasn't done. Filled with pent-up frustration, Madam Gao struck again, sending the Snowman hurtling through the wall and out of the building.
After a moment, a distant crash echoed from outside. Maverick asked calmly, "What floor are we on?"
"Seventh," Mercury replied without emotion.
"Send someone to fetch him," Maverick sighed. "I warned him, but he didn't listen. Serves him right."
Mercury stepped out to get help. Only a few people were in the high-level conference room.
Maverick thought to himself, "He's really not up to par. Maybe I should have the Snowman learn Wing Chun. Iron Fist not knowing Wing Chun just feels off."
Frank's eyes were wide with shock. A frail old woman had just sent a strong man flying through a wall. If he hadn't seen it himself, he wouldn't have believed it.
"This is a Kunlun elite who's lived for centuries," Maverick told Frank with a smile. "And that wasn't even her full strength. Decades ago, she could destroy a tank with one palm."
Frank gave a wry smile. "I believe you now. Is the Hand really that formidable?"
"Only the Five Fingers are this strong," Maverick explained. "The other ninjas are divided into Jonin, Chunin, and Genin. Jonin have Qi and are about as strong as the Snowman. The others aren't pushovers either, especially with their years of experience."
He added, "Plus, they can resurrect, so they're not afraid to die. They'll often use bombs to take out enemies along with themselves."
Frank considered this and frowned. "This won't be an easy fight."
"It's manageable," Maverick assured him. "I can handle the Five Fingers. Plus, we have Madam Gao, and the Hand doesn't know she's under my control."
"In that case, the odds are better," Frank agreed, brightening up. "But we'll need a solid plan. The Hand has been around despite their crimes; they won't be easy to defeat."
Maverick laughed. "That's where you come in, Instructor Castle."
"Earning that million-dollar salary isn't easy." Frank joked, but his excitement was clear. For a man like him, the battlefield was where he truly felt alive.
He became serious. "I need more intel—the Hand's exact strength and the manpower they'll bring."
"Madam Gao, provide him with all the details," Maverick instructed.
Madam Gao nodded silently. Frank glanced at her and asked Maverick, "Are you sure your control over her is solid?"
"Absolutely," Maverick confirmed. "My blood controls her from within."
"Good to know." Frank didn't question it further. The Blood God's ability to control others with blood seemed natural enough.
As Frank questioned Madam Gao, Mercury returned with the Snowman. Though injured, he had recovered enough to move after receiving some blood.
Mercury confronted him coldly. "Do you realize your mistake?"
"I underestimated the enemy," the Snowman admitted, clutching his aching ribs. "I didn't expect that old lady to be so strong."
"Your mistake was doubting the Blood God," Mercury snapped. "He told you she was powerful, yet you didn't believe him? Who gave you everything you have today?"
The Snowman was taken aback, then broke into a cold sweat. "You're right. I'll go apologize to the Blood God immediately."
"Don't let it happen again," Mercury warned. "Whatever the Blood God says, you believe it. Everything you have is because of him."
"I understand," he nodded earnestly. Then he hesitated. "Why are you helping me? You're pureblood, and I'm just a hybrid."
"Even hybrids are part of the bloodline," Mercury replied. "I don't want the security company falling into human hands. As the person in charge, you need to stand firm. No one should take your place."
Realizing she was referring to Frank, the Snowman said, "Instructor Frank is highly capable, and I respect him. But the position of leader is mine."
"Good," Mercury approved. She led him back to the conference room, where Madam Gao was detailing the Hand's plans. "The other Four Fingers will definitely be involved, and they can mobilize about two hundred ninjas."
Seeing Mercury and the Snowman return, Maverick gestured for them to listen. He turned to Madam Gao. "Two hundred ninjas? The Hand has quite the presence in New York."
Two hundred might not sound like a lot, but these were core members. The Hand also had many thugs they could summon quickly if needed.
Maverick's vampire security company, along with Mercury's guards, could muster about 150 skilled fighters on short notice. The main vampire force was busy establishing Maverick's new order.
"Since this negotiation involves the dragon bone, the Hand will only use their core members," Madam Gao explained. "They have more people elsewhere. I suggest you meet them soon, before they bring in reinforcements."
"Agreed," Maverick nodded. "How many Jonin and Chunin do they have, and where will they want to meet?"
"The Rand Corporation has a dock in Hell's Kitchen," she said. "They'll likely choose to meet there since we control the company."
For the next hour, Maverick and Frank gathered detailed information. Madam Gao grew increasingly annoyed—they hadn't even offered her a chair. Where was the respect?
The Snowman, unaware of her thoughts, might have retorted, "Respect? My ribs are still broken."
Frank took a sip from his thermos and smiled at Maverick. "We can win this fight."
"Then it's in your hands," Maverick replied cheerfully. Hiring Frank at a million-dollar salary was proving worthwhile.
After wrapping up, the Snowman approached Maverick. Bowing his head, he said, "Blood God, I shouldn't have doubted you. Please forgive me."
Seeing his sincere apology, Maverick's irritation eased. "It's good that you recognize your mistake. Don't let it happen again."
"Yes, Blood God." The Snowman nodded quickly, casting a grateful glance at Mercury. Without her guidance, this would've been tougher.
Mercury ignored him as her phone rang. After a brief conversation, she returned. "Blood God, Ms. Carter is at the café. She wishes to see you."
"I'll go meet her," Maverick said, signaling for Frank to continue his planning. He left with Mercury.
At the café, Maverick found Carter looking sharp in her business suit. She got straight to the point. "Are you planning to short Stark Industries?"
Maverick sat down and nodded. "Yes. Why?"
"Tony was attacked in the Middle East," Carter said intensely. "We don't know if he's alive or dead."
Maverick smiled slightly. "Seems my prediction was accurate. Mercury, inform the financial team to proceed."
"Yes, Blood God," Mercury replied, stepping away to make the call. Shorting Stark Industries now would yield significant profits. The Blood God's foresight was impressive.
Carter pressed on. "Did you know this would happen?"
"I received some insider information," Maverick replied calmly. "But I had nothing to do with it. I hold no grudges against Tony; he even designed a mask for me recently."
"Do you know who's behind it?" Carter asked urgently. "Tony is my nephew—I don't want anything to happen to him."
Maverick didn't answer directly. "Ms. Carter, we all know the U.S. military favors Stark weapons. Do you know what weapons terrorists prefer?"
"What are you implying?"
"Also Stark's weapons. The attack on Tony might have used weapons he designed himself."
"Impossible." Carter exclaimed. "Stark Industries wouldn't sell to terrorists."
"Times have changed, Ms. Carter," Maverick said coolly. "Tony's predicament is a result of Stark Industries' own actions. That's all I can tell you."
Carter was momentarily stunned. "You mean it's an inside job at Stark?"
Maverick changed the subject. "How's the formation of the Council of Blood going?"
She sighed, setting aside her concerns. "Overall, it's progressing. We've moved from chaos to order, but there's a problem with our Blood Department. To research artificial blood, we need top experts, but they're either employed elsewhere or aren't interested in joining a new venture."
"I'm planning to return to England soon," she continued. "I have contacts there who might help us recruit."
"I see," Maverick mused. "Have you heard of the Rand Corporation?"
"Yes—a major company worth nearly ten billion. They focus on pharmaceuticals but also dabble in real estate and other sectors," Carter replied. She had done her homework to be an effective president.
"The Rand Corporation has been under the Hand's control," Maverick revealed. "I'll be taking down the Hand in the next few days, which means we'll gain control of Rand."
He added, "Prepare a plan to acquire their medical division and use it to build our Blood Department."
"Take over Rand?" Carter was astonished. A company worth ten billion—just like that?
"Looks like we'll profit nicely from defeating the Hand," Maverick said thoughtfully, stroking his chin. "What can I say? I'm already wealthy, and now I'm getting even richer."