Outside Gwen's House.
Gwen's face was flushed as she got out of the car. Just thinking about what she had said earlier made her want to disappear. After stepping out of the car, she didn't even bother to say goodbye and just ran straight into her house.
Pikachu, still sitting in the passenger seat, watched Gwen walk away, staring blankly: "Pika…."
"It's fine, she'll be okay by tomorrow," Alan said, pressing the accelerator. Suddenly, he remembered the new house he had Red Queen buy recently. It seemed like it was still under renovation.
Might as well go check it out.
"Red Queen, navigate to our new house. I want to take a look."
"Understood, Master."
After glancing at the navigation, Alan stepped on the gas and sped off.
Back at Gwen's Home.
The warmth was still lingering on Gwen's face. Hearing the door open, Gwen's mom came out to greet her. "Hey, Gwen. Why are you standing at the door and not coming in?"
"It's nothing, Mom. I just wanted to catch some fresh air," Gwen replied with a smile.
"Fresh air?" Gwen's mom, wearing a face mask, looked at Gwen suspiciously. Standing at the door to catch some fresh air? "How odd."
"Mom, isn't Dad home yet?" Gwen quickly changed the subject.
Her mom glanced at the time and realized it was already late. She then slowly responded, "He texted me this afternoon, saying he had an important task. He probably won't be coming home tonight."
Gwen nodded and walked inside. Both mother and daughter were used to this by now. When Gwen was younger, she would complain about it, but over time, she came to understand.
"Mom, I'm heading upstairs. I have something to take care of."
"Alright, but don't forget to take a shower and go to bed early."
Upstairs, Gwen opened her laptop. "Red Queen, did anything major happen at the precinct today?"
Red Queen appeared on the screen, responding, "Yes, Miss Gwen. The NYPD, where Mr. George works, uncovered a human trafficking operation today."
"Human trafficking?" Gwen's face changed. This kind of thing usually involves desperate criminals. If they decide to fight, it could lead to a massive shootout.
"What about my dad? How did the operation go?"
"Don't worry, Miss Gwen. Mr. George and his colleagues are all fine. The mission was successfully completed."
"And Daredevil was also at the scene."
Gwen finally relaxed. "Did Daredevil help my dad and the others?"
"No, Daredevil didn't intervene. Mr. George and his team apprehended all the criminals before Daredevil could act."
"They've already been taken back to the precinct for questioning."
"So Daredevil isn't that special after all, huh? The job was done before he even had a chance," Gwen muttered. "Anyway, that's all for now."
Just as Gwen was about to go take a shower, her face suddenly turned red again. "Oh, right, Red Queen."
"Yes, Miss Gwen?"
"Can you help me look up various terms related to… you know, that kind of stuff?"
"No problem, Miss Gwen. I'll organize the information and place it on your desktop shortly."
Gwen smiled, feeling relieved. Now she wouldn't embarrass herself with awkward words anymore. "Thank you! And…"
"Miss Gwen, go ahead."
"This… must never reach Alan's ears."
Red Queen paused for a moment, then replied, "Understood, Miss Gwen."
"Alright, I'm going to take a shower now."
At the NYPD Precinct.
Daredevil, perched atop a tall tree, gazed down at the entrance of the precinct. A large group of detectives was busy processing the newly captured criminals, granting them their luxurious accommodations behind bars.
At the entrance, George and an international inspector watched as one international criminal after another was escorted into the station. The two of them felt like it was all too surreal.
Tonight had gone so smoothly, it was almost absurd. Especially for the intercom detectives, who had spent two years preparing to track down this human trafficking ring.
Two years of preparation, and it was all over in less than an hour. They had expected a deadly shootout tonight, but nothing happened.
Everything went so smoothly… it was enough to make the detectives question their very existence. Were the past two years of work all for nothing?
"Chief George, it was a pleasure working with you."
"The pleasure was mine," George replied, shaking hands absentmindedly. Neither was sure if this had been a real operation or just a pre-scripted rehearsal.
Even Daredevil, perched in the tree, was bewildered. He hadn't done anything tonight.
Shaking his head in confusion, Matt murmured to himself, "Oh well, at least Kingpin's human trafficking operation was shut down. Better head back; there are still plenty of cases to tackle tomorrow."
With a few swift leaps, Daredevil disappeared into the night.
Back at his home, Matt took off his Daredevil suit. Just then, he felt a slight chill. "Achoo…"
"Am I catching a cold?" Daredevil wondered aloud. Ever since gaining his superpowers, he hadn't been sick.
"Today has been an incredibly bizarre day," Matt concluded, imagining how furious Kingpin would be once he found out his human trafficking operation had been completely wiped out.
Despite years of fighting against Kingpin, Matt had never seen him suffer such a significant loss.
New York City.
In a room within a red-light district, the pink lighting illuminated the space. The henchman who had left Kingpin's spa room was feeling quite satisfied as he lit a cigarette.
However, the woman beside him, a dark-skinned lady, was noticeably less content, though she still fawned over him and lit his cigarette. "Boss, you're amazing. Will you be back again?"
The man glanced at the woman beside him, exhaled a puff of smoke, and replied with satisfaction, "Of course, I'll be back tomorrow night."
He added smugly, "I'm telling you, tomorrow I'm going after a billionaire. Once I complete the task, our boss will definitely reward me handsomely. I could keep you for a whole month, no problem."
The woman's eyes sparkled at the prospect. Even though the man wasn't particularly impressive, the idea of being taken care of for a month sounded appealing. It wasn't too much effort to deal with him, and she'd get a month's worth of money.
"Boss, you better keep your word. I won't take any other clients tomorrow night, just waiting for you."
"Alright!" The man leaned in for another kiss, but just as he was about to go for round two, his phone, tucked in his clothes, started ringing. Irritated, he picked up his clothes and answered the call, snapping, "What? Don't you know I'm busy—"
He didn't finish his sentence. The news on the other end made him break out in a cold sweat.
"No… no way… everything was fine when I left."
"Boss, what's wrong?" The woman tried to cuddle up to him, but he pushed her away harshly. "Get off!"
"Damn it, I'm dead this time!"
"I need to get back immediately," he muttered, quickly throwing on his clothes.
The woman, seeing how hurried he was, called out, "Boss, you haven't paid yet." He angrily pulled out some bills from his pocket and threw them at her face before dashing out the door without a backward glance.
Turning on the light, the woman counted the money on the bed and instantly felt as though she had eaten something vile. "Damn it, not even enough money! Fuck!"
In Kingpin's Room.
Kingpin sat contentedly on his bed, surrounded by a variety of exhausted maids lying haphazardly around him.
So far, no bad news had reached him, which put him in a great mood. This meant that whoever was targeting him might only have evidence against his dealings with ordinary people, leaving his core operations untouched.
As long as his foundation remained secure, nothing else really mattered.
Feeling pleased with himself, Kingpin thought that taking him down in New York City was indeed no easy feat.
Just then, his private phone rang. Only his partners knew this number, and Kingpin guessed what the call was about.
Usually, after a deal was completed, they would call to congratulate him and praise the quality of his "goods."
Answering the call with confidence, Kingpin asked, "So, are you satisfied with my goods? Don't worry, as long as you and I…."
"What!"
The massive figure of Kingpin suddenly leapt from the bed. The maids, startled by his outburst, screamed in fear. Kingpin clenched his fists, and the small phone in his hand sparked briefly before being crushed to pieces.
"Someone, get in here!" Kingpin roared, his terrifying voice causing the maids to cover their ears in pain. His guards immediately rushed into the room.
"Boss, what's the matter?"
Kingpin scanned the room, asking, "Where's your leader?"
With so many men under his command, Kingpin only recognized the leaders. The one he had sent to monitor the deal was the head of this group of bodyguards. But he wasn't among them now.
The guards exchanged confused glances until one of them stepped forward and said, "Boss, our leader has been out for quite a while."
"Go find him, bring him back to me! And notify all the high-ranking members; they need to get here immediately for a meeting. Move!"
Under the weight of Kingpin's fury, everyone sprang into action.
Somewhere in New York.
In a dark corner of the city, a man huddled by a trash bin, covered in dirt and wearing a trench coat that was clearly scavenged from the garbage. This man was none other than Kingpin's head bodyguard.
After leaving the red-light district, he had called his informants, only to learn that all of Kingpin's transactions tonight… had been completely foiled.
Not only that, but everyone involved in the deals had been captured alive. The news made his legs go weak on the spot.
Going back to Kingpin? That would be suicide!
So, he disguised himself as a beggar.
"I can survive this. As long as I hold out until Kingpin is dead, I'll make it."
He knew all too well how devastating this failed operation would be for Kingpin. Especially since all the participants had been captured. If even a few of them talked, Kingpin would be in endless trouble starting tomorrow.
He might even face a life sentence in prison or worse…
Death!
All he had to do was stay hidden until then.
"That should keep me safe!"
"Quick, you search over there!"
"I'll check this side!"
Hiding behind the dumpster, he soon heard the hum of motorcycle engines and the chaotic noise of people searching. As the sounds drew closer, panic set in. It wouldn't be long before they found him.
Glancing at the nearby trash can, he made a desperate decision.
"Damn it, if it's for survival... I'll risk it!"
He climbed into the garbage bin. After a while, a few thugs on motorcycles arrived in the area.
They searched around the trash bins but couldn't stand the stench, so they left. When the outside noise finally faded, the man cautiously lifted the lid, peeked around, and, seeing no one, crawled out of the bin.
"You think you can catch me? No way—"
Thud!
A heavy blow to the back of his head knocked him out.
"Damn, he's good at hiding."
"Let's take him back to Boss Kingpin!"
"How did you find me?"
The thug who knocked him out chuckled. "Heh, you can ask Boss that yourself."
"Notify the others—we've got him. Time to pull out."
"Boss ordered us to avoid causing trouble and not to make any side money for a while."
Elsewhere, a few other thugs, having received the retreat order, were not pleased.
"Damn, he's the one who messed up, and now we can't make any extra cash."
"If we don't make some side money, what are we supposed to eat?"
A thug with spiky hair muttered curses under his breath after hanging up the phone. He only dared to complain within his own small crew; in front of Kingpin, he wouldn't have the chance to say a word.
Vroom... Vroom...
Just as they were about to retreat, they heard the roar of an engine from the other end of the street. The thugs immediately recognized the sound—someone was driving a nice car.
"Boss, everyone's running low on cash lately."
"Should we...?"
The spiky-haired thug was tempted but hesitated, remembering Kingpin's orders.
"Forget it. If we disobey Boss Kingpin..."
"Boss, we still have to live. Besides, if we do it cleanly, who else but us will know?"
The skinny-faced thug made a throat-slashing gesture.
The spiky-haired thug, thinking about his own empty pockets and his unfulfilled desire to visit the red-light district, finally decided.
"Let's do it!"
They quickly rode their motorcycles into the middle of the road, blocking it. After a while, they spotted a car approaching.
"Boss, it's a big catch!"
An Audi R8! They immediately recognized the car.
The driver was of course, Alan Ford. Seeing a group of thugs blocking his way, he rubbed his chin with a hint of annoyance.
"Why is it that some people just have a death wish?"
Alan stopped the car—he didn't want his car getting scratched or damaged. As he stopped, the thugs, well-practiced in such matters, approached with their weapons. Pikachu, sensing the aggressive intentions, had electricity crackling across its cheeks.
"Do you dislike them?"
"Pi... ka... chu!" Pikachu said in the cutest voice, despite its deadly intentions.
"Go ahead, Pikachu."
Pikachu excitedly jumped out of the car window and onto the hood. Due to the darkness, the thugs couldn't see clearly and thought it was just a stuffed toy. They began to laugh mockingly.
"Hahaha, trying to scare us with a doll?"
"I suggest you get out of the car and hand it over to us!"
"Otherwise, we'll take you and the car—"
Inside the car, Alan instructed, "Red Queen, disable all the nearby cameras."
"Already done, Master."
Alan smiled and softly said, "Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"
Zap!
After a flash of intense lightning, Alan drove away, leaving behind only a few charred corpses on the ground.
...
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