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*****
The next day, dark clouds loomed, and a light rain draped over all of New York.
In the Bronx cemetery, Old Carlson stood leaning on his cane, gazing at his son's tombstone. The sorrow of an elderly parent burying their child arose naturally, and despite his hardened expression, a few tears slid down his face.
"Let's go. There's more important business to attend to today."
Wiping away the tears from the corners of his eyes, Old Carlson turned and walked out of the cemetery, escorted by his men.
Not far from them, in front of another tombstone, George was also casting a spell.
"Snake Emerges from the Cave!"
As the spell took effect, a gray black mamba appeared before him, slithering quickly into the grass and making its way toward Old Carlson.
A minute later, George heard Old Carlson's agonizing scream, followed by the panicked shouts of his men.
The nearest hospital was a thirty-minute drive away, but with Old Carlson's frail condition, he wouldn't survive more than fifteen minutes after being bitten by the black mamba.
Once Old Carlson was dead, chaos would consume the Carlson family. The power struggle among the upper ranks for leadership would provide George the opportunity to eliminate most of them amid the confusion.
Even if sniper rifles were used, no one would suspect an outside force. They'd assume the bloodshed was the result of internal conflicts among the family's leaders.
Three days later, at night, on a rooftop.
"The Carlson family's infighting over the past few days has severely weakened them. I plan to move in tomorrow and take over all their territories," Leon said respectfully as he looked at George.
Leon was deeply shaken by how George had dismantled much of the Carlson family—one of the Thirteen Families—in just a few days.
The deaths of those shot afterward didn't bother him, but the initial deaths of Old Carlson and his son, especially the eerie way they happened, unsettled him.
Even knowing George was responsible, Leon couldn't detect any signs of foul play. Everyone believed the Carlsons had simply met with terrible luck—one slipping to his death, the other bitten fatally by a snake.
Sometimes Leon wondered if, should George decide to kill him, he too might die in some "accident" without even realizing it.
It was terrifying, like Satan coming to claim your soul, no matter how hard you resisted, there was no escape.
His fear and respect for George only deepened.
"Where should I transfer the money when it's time?"
"No need to transfer it to me. Keep it in your account. I'll take what I need from you when necessary."
George nodded as he replied.
He didn't have an account to transfer money into. And putting it in Wolverine's or Gabriella's account would risk exposing his identity.
It was better to leave it with Leon. He could withdraw cash as needed for daily expenses, and when large sums were required, Leon could handle the payments.
After everything that had happened, George trusted Leon wouldn't dare tamper with his money.
"By the way, after taking over the Carlson territories, convert as much of it into liquid assets as possible. If necessary, mortgage anything that can be used as collateral for bank loans. Then wait for my call."
"Huh?"
Leon froze at George's request, clearly not understanding the reason behind it.
George didn't bother explaining further. He simply said:
"If you trust me, follow my instructions. You'll make a fortune. If not, no problem—just use my share to buy Stark Industries' stock."
He didn't need to tell Leon about his plans to rescue Tony Stark. Saying too much would only complicate things. As long as Leon made money in the end, he would naturally trust George more and more.
"I believe you! I absolutely believe you!" Leon immediately replied, thumping his chest.
This wasn't just out of fear of George but genuine belief in the extraordinary abilities George had demonstrated.
Leon thought George might even have the power to predict the future, and that's why he advised him to buy Stark Industries stock, knowing it would likely soar.
If that were the case, Leon stood to make a huge profit, possibly even more than from taking over the Carlson family's territory.
Despite being one of the Thirteen Families in the Bronx, they were like ants compared to the giant that was Stark Industries.
After all, the Bronx was merely the poorest and most chaotic district in New York, while Stark Industries was the richest company on the planet.
One day later, the newly risen Leon family of the Bronx went all out, sweeping through the weakened Carlson family, which had been crippled by internal strife. They claimed 80% of Carlson's territory, leaving only 20% to the last surviving senior member of the family.
Two days after that, Leon frantically gathered funds, even going as far as to mortgage his extended Lincoln to the bank, showing his complete determination and trust in George.
Three days later, the grounds of the mutant school slowly opened, and an invisible jet took off, flying towards Baghlan Province, Afghanistan.
Onboard the X-Jet were only George and the pilot, Issa.
Originally, George had planned to have Leon send someone to escort him to Afghanistan. But after consulting with Professor X and the others back at the school, Issa revealed she was now able to fly the X-Jet smoothly.
This was thanks to Professor X giving her some professional training during his lucid moments.
Since Issa could pilot the jet, it was the ideal solution. Flying straight to the desert saved time and avoided the risk of being exposed while changing transport.
As for why he didn't bring Wolverine along?
George's current strength was more than enough to deal with the Ten Rings terrorists. Moreover, Wolverine was a well-known figure, and Tony would likely recognize him.
Even if Tony didn't recognize him, Jarvis could easily track his identity later.
George didn't want Tony to know who he was just yet. The more people who knew, the higher the chance of being exposed. Even if that person was Iron Man, caution was still necessary.
In a couple of years, once George's strength had grown further, and Professor X and Wolverine had regained their powers, and the young mutants could effectively use their abilities in battle, he wouldn't need to be so careful anymore.
The X-Jet was incredibly fast. In just a few short hours, they were flying over the desert outside Baghlan Province, Afghanistan.
"Reveal the direction!"
With George's incantation, a golden arrow made of dust appeared in front of him.
As Issa moved the jet, the arrow shifted accordingly.
However, the arrow could only indicate cardinal directions—north, south, east, and west—on a flat plane. It was useful for finding someone in the desert, but in a city, it wouldn't be as practical.
In a city, tall buildings would obscure the target. If the person you were looking for was on the 18th floor while you were on the ground floor, no matter how much the arrow pointed, you wouldn't find them.
This tracking spell wasn't suited for complex environments. For that, he needed a spell that could trace footprints or movements—something he hadn't mastered yet.
(End of chapter)