Chapter 26: Fledgling Imprinting, Kimiko's Absolute Loyalty
The manor's somewhat chilly basement had long exuded a musty, cement-like odor.
Kimiko's small palms tightly gripped the hem of Lin Yuan's green scaled garment.
Her knuckles were slightly pale from the excessive force.
She huddled inside the thick military coat, as if she had grasped the only straw of hope in this hellish world.
Even after washing her face, tiny, indelible specks of black grime remained under her fingernails.
Lin Yuan looked down at the dirty little hand.
"Stop clutching it; you're about to pull the hem right off, seriously."
He crouched down and pulled a rough white paper tissue from his pocket.
"Rip."
He wiped firmly at Kimiko's somewhat gaunt, blood-stained cheek with the tissue.
A large patch of dried yellow mud and black bloodstains came off.
Kimiko flinched nervously.
But she stood her ground, not daring to move an inch.
"This green outfit of mine might be ugly, but it's custom-made by Vought. If it gets dirty, Ashley will nag me endlessly. Seriously."
Lin Yuan tossed the dirty tissue with blood on it into the broken trash can nearby.
He stood up and patted the wrinkles on his suit under the basement's incandescent light.
This was a very secluded private manor he had purchased in the suburbs of New York.
It covered over a dozen acres and was surrounded by towering explosion-proof electric fences.
Even a seagull flying in would be charred to a crisp; it was very secure.
Lin Yuan had settled Kimiko in the basement security room of the manor.
Because the girl refused to sleep on the soft bed on the second floor.
She preferred the dark, damp territory where she could smell the earth.
"Boss, Great White Shark says this girl devoured three pounds of raw beef in the yard today, even chewing up the bones. Seriously!"
Timothy's sticky, wet voice sounded in the earpiece at the right moment.
"Let her chew; she needs the calories to repair the blood vessels in her body burned by compound v. No doubt about it."
Lin Yuan replied in his mind and reached for a slightly damp cigar from the iron box on the table.
A match struck with a hiss, and the spicy scent of tobacco quickly permeated the musty basement.
In just a few short days.
Kimiko had developed a deadly "fledgling imprinting" on Lin Yuan.
She was like a duckling that had just opened its eyes.
As long as Lin Yuan appeared in her line of sight, her gaze would never waver.
When Lin Yuan walked in front, she followed half a meter behind.
Silently stepping in his footprints.
Even if Lin Yuan just went to the restroom, she would stand guard at the door.
Looking exactly like a dirty door god.
In Kimiko's world, this man who once crushed a termite with a finger and severely injured A-Train with one hand was her only supreme deity.
"Come here, kid."
Lin Yuan tapped heavily on the blackboard with white chalk.
Chalk dust fell, landing on his leather shoes, turning them white.
He wrote two Chinese characters crookedly on the blackboard — "Lin Yuan".
"Write it. This is my name, alright."
Kimiko walked over timidly.
She extended her wound-covered finger and scraped hard against the blackboard with her nail.
It made a harsh, screeching "creak, creak" sound.
She painstakingly drew two distorted square characters.
"Lin... Yuan..."
Kimiko recited silently in her heart, her eyes fixed on Lin Yuan.
"Seriously, you write like a sea crab climbing a tree. It's pathetic."
Lin Yuan flicked the chalk dust off his hand and spat out a mouthful of tobacco-flavored saliva.
"But at least it's legible. From now on, when you're out there, writing this name means I'm the one covering you."
Besides teaching her to read.
Lin Yuan focused more on training the tyrannical power of the compound v inside her.
In the original story, Kimiko only knew how to claw wildly like a mad dog, full of openings.
But in the eyes of Lin Yuan, an expert with top-tier Viltrumite combat skills, that was child's play.
"Punch! Use your waist and abdomen to generate power! Don't just use those two fingernails!"
In the underground training room, Lin Yuan caught her violent punch with one hand.
"Thud."
The dull impact echoed in the empty room, shaking the explosion-proof pads on the walls.
"Again! Too slow! If Reggie used this speed, I would have stomped him into mush already!"
Lin Yuan scolded while silently activating [Gravity FieldControl].
He increased the gravity around Kimiko tenfold in an instant.
Kimiko's legs went soft, and her knees slammed into the hard rubber floor with a dull thud.
She gritted her teeth, the veins on her neck bulging, and let out a beast-like "roar—roar—" low growl.
She stood up from the ground, resisting the tenfold gravity, and swung a punch at Lin Yuan again.
"Yes, that's the raw strength. Seriously."
Lin Yuan smiled faintly, his fingers moving slightly, neutralizing her violent attacks one by one without a sound.
Under Lin Yuan's systematic and cruel devil training.
The potential of the compound v in Kimiko's body was squeezed out at full power in an instant.
Her healing speed was three times faster than before.
The force of her punch was enough to smash through a light armored vehicle; it was quite impressive.
Most importantly.
She learned to hide her killing intent, becoming calm, rational, like a deadly viper lurking in the dark.
A night reaper, more terrifying and loyal than in the original story.
Was quietly taking shape in Lin Yuan's secret manor.
"Boss, that old woman Madelyn is looking for you everywhere. Ashley has almost blown up my internal line. Seriously!"
Timothy's voice in the earpiece sounded somewhat gloating.
"Let them look. The goods were snatched; they are no different from rabbits in the wilderness now. No doubt about it."
Lin Yuan sneered and threw the cigar butt into a soda can filled with wastewater nearby.
With a "hiss," white smoke rose, emitting a bitter smell of tar.
"Tonight, we'll go meet those mad dogs first, then go back to the company tomorrow to settle scores with Ashley."
Lin Yuan turned and walked toward the metal ladder leading to the top floor of the manor.
Kimiko followed silently behind him like a shadow.
Night fell.
The sky in the suburbs was pitch black; not even a star could be seen.
Cold wind howled on the balcony of the manor's top floor, blowing the back of Lin Yuan's suit violently.
Lin Yuan pressed his hands on the rusty iron railing, overlooking the fog-covered New York downtown in the distance.
Kimiko stood by his side.
She was wearing a newly bought black bodysuit, her hood pulled low, covering most of her face.
She stood motionless.
In the howling cold wind, she became a silent sculpture carved from black granite.
In her dark eyes, there was only Lin Yuan's tall reflection.
As long as Lin Yuan gave a look, or extended a finger.
Even if the flying giant baby Homelander was standing in front.
She would charge forward without hesitation and tear the opponent's throat with her black fingernails.
"Boss, Butcher and the others have already set up lookouts at the warehouse entrance. They brought explosives. Seriously!"
Timothy's intelligence arrived on time again.
"Alright, then tonight I'll give this group of sailors an absolutely unforgettable gift."
Lin Yuan grinned in the cold wind, revealing a row of stark white teeth.
He turned around, looking at the silent black sculpture beside him, his eyes cold.
"Kid, there are quite a few prey tonight. Might be a lot of mortal blood spilled."
Lin Yuan's voice was low, sounding somewhat ethereal in the night wind.
"Are you afraid?"
Kimiko shook her head.
A glimmer of red light, like a hunter looking at prey, lit up in her eyes.
That expression was as cold and hard as Lin Yuan's.
She had even learned the bloodthirsty cruelty in his bones to the fullest.
"Seriously, this girl is the sharpest blade by my side."
Lin Yuan smiled, patting her somewhat cold cheek.
"Let's go, put on your claws. We're going to the pier to pick up the goods. No doubt about it?"
The Gravity Field opened silently around them, enveloping their forms in an instant, and they took off.
The two plunged straight into the vast sea fog.
"Alright, little kitty, it's late. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to see that old woman Madelyn. Let's see what expression she has on her face when she sees you. Seriously."
Chapter 27: Madelyn's Warning, The Deep Must Be Obedient
The night wind from the suburban estate gently brushed across the surface of the Hudson River, pushing thick sheets of gray-white sea fog into the streets of Manhattan.
Lin Yuan had just returned to that spacious office in the Vought International headquarters building.
Before he could even take off his coat, the intercom on his desk began to buzz sharply.
It was a call from Vice President Madelyn's personal secretary, whose voice was cold, like a soulless typewriter.
She informed him to go to the executive conference room on the top floor of the building immediately.
"Well, this woman has a sharp nose. She came looking for me so quickly, truly impressive."
Lin Yuan spat to himself and casually tossed his mud-stained leather gloves into the drawer.
He tugged at the back collar of his suit.
The collar was soaked with sweat, mixed with melted cheap foundation, sticking stickily to the skin on the back of his neck.
That unclipped tag was still scratching against his skin, feeling incredibly itchy.
He strode across the soft carpet toward the elevator.
He pushed open the heavy mahogany doors of the conference room.
The air conditioning in the room was cranked up so high that the air felt icy, freezing cold.
Madelyn was sitting alone in a large leather chair, holding a white porcelain coffee cup with light blue patterns.
On the rim of the cup, a bright red lipstick stain was clearly visible, looking somewhat eerie under the cold white light.
The coffee was a bit burnt, and a bitter, charred smell permeated the conference room.
"Kevin, sit."
Madelyn didn't even lift her eyelids, slowly stirring her coffee with a small silver spoon.
The metal scraping against the porcelain made a harsh, teeth-grinding "swish" sound.
Lin Yuan's expression instantly became somewhat awkward, and his shoulders slumped slightly.
He pulled out the chair next to him, sitting on only the edge of it, while his hands rubbed nervously against his thighs.
"Ms. Madelyn... did you call for me? Was it something I did at the press conference today..."
He stammered, his eyes darting around the tabletop in a panic—truly cowardly.
"Your press conference today was quite successful, Kevin; even Ashley was praising you to the skies in front of me."
Madelyn lifted the cup and took a sip, her sharp gaze piercing through her gold-rimmed glasses, fixed firmly on Lin Yuan's face.
"Vought International's stock price rebounded by a full three percentage points because of those fifty million of yours, impressive indeed."
Lin Yuan hurriedly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, revealing a fawning smile.
"I... I did that all for the company's benefit! Reggie was injured, and I had to step up!"
"For the company's benefit? Kevin, you really know how to flatter yourself."
Madelyn slammed the cup onto the table.
It made a dull thud, and coffee spilled out, dampening several documents on the table.
"Do you know whose limelight you stole today?"
A condescending, icy scrutiny flashed in her eyes.
"John, the only savior of The Seven."
"The citizens are actually discussing that you are more responsible than him? Discussing that The Deep is the only conscience of Vought?"
Madelyn tapped her fingers, painted with red nail polish, forcefully on the table, making a harsh, hollow sound.
"Are you worthy? Kevin?"
Lin Yuan jumped up from the chair in terror, his whole body trembling like a sieve, his hands clutching tightly at the hem of his clothes.
"I'm not worthy! I know I'm not worthy! This is all just nonsense written by the media, Ms. Madelyn!"
He argued loudly, sweat beading on the tip of his nose, and his glasses even began to slide down.
"John is the god! I'm just a loser who talks to seafood! I never meant to steal his spotlight!"
Watching Lin Yuan's terrified, spineless appearance, scared out of his wits.
The vigilance in Madelyn's eyes eased slightly, but her arrogant sneer deepened.
"Remember your status, The Deep."
She held her coffee, leaning back slightly into the comfortable chair.
"You are just a product of Vought International, packaged by us with our money."
"We can prop you up as a god in front of the media, and tomorrow, we can make you fight rats for food in the sewers."
"We need you to be obedient, understand?"
Lin Yuan, like a puppet in front of the table, bowed and scraped frantically before her.
"I'll be obedient! I'll be absolutely obedient! Ms. Madelyn, I'll do whatever you say."
"I'll patrol with a low profile from now on, and I won't say another word in front of the media!"
He lowered his stance to the extreme, even deliberately breathing heavily, appearing completely powerless.
"As for that civilian support foundation of yours, go hand it over to the Public Relations Department tomorrow and let them manage it."
Madelyn waved her hand, adorned with a ruby ring, dismissively.
"You just need to smile in front of the camera and take a few photos holding children; don't be too clever for your own good."
"Okay! Okay! I'll get it done first thing tomorrow morning. Thank you for your guidance!"
Lin Yuan agreed repeatedly, his face filled with the ecstasy and gratitude of someone who had just received a favor.
This submissive, low-level hero persona was flawless, thanks to his superb acting skills.
Madelyn looked at his face, which was flushed from being suffocated by foundation, and a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes.
"That's enough, get back to your locker room; you're giving me a headache."
She turned her head away with her cup and began to flip through other top-secret documents at hand.
As if granted an amnesty, Lin Yuan bowed repeatedly and retreated, scrambling back to the mahogany door.
He reached out with his slightly sweaty hand and silently turned the brass door lock.
"Click."
The door opened, and the smell of musty candle wax from the hallway rushed to meet him.
Lin Yuan stepped out of the conference room and silently closed the heavy door behind him.
The moment the door lock clicked shut completely.
Lin Yuan's previously hunched and trembling back straightened instantly, emitting a slight sound of bones cracking.
The fawning, terror, and sweat on his face hardened instantly, and even the fear in his eyes vanished without a trace.
Replacing it.
Was a deep, cold, and heavily mocking, playful smile.
This hypocritical and arrogant woman.
Her mind was filled with nothing but power all day, and she had no idea she was walking step by step toward an endless hell.
"Boss, Madelyn pinched her fingers behind your back just now; her suspicion of you has decreased by more than half!"
Timothy's sticky, watery voice rang out in his earpiece at the right moment.
"Of course she would believe it, because in their eyes, The Deep is forever that cowardly clown."
Lin Yuan strode down the elevator, the smile on his lips deepening.
"She wants me to be a product? Well, I'll just use this skin to swallow the whole empire behind her."
He pressed on his wrist, feeling full of explosive power throughout his body.
"Boss, Assistant Hughie has arrived at the bottom of the building. He's wearing a designer suit bought by Ezekiel, looking quite dashing!"
Timothy reported the new development.
"Dashing? I didn't expect that little guy to look like something after changing clothes."
Lin Yuan tugged at his collar, feeling itchy where a thread was scratching the back of his neck.
He scratched it with his finger, scraping off a bit of dried blood scab, and flicked it into a nearby flower pot.
"Go tell Ashley to bring him upstairs to report in, and arrange a separate office for him while you're at it."
"Okay, Boss, I've already sent the instructions to Ashley!"
Timothy swam quickly in the tank, stirring up large white splashes.
Lin Yuan looked at the misty rain outside.
In his mind, the system's notification sound rang out crisply once again.
"Ding."
[Successfully planted an absolutely loyal mole within The Seven: A-Train.]
[Fate deviation increased, major reversal in the main plot.]
[Obtained huge evolution points: 15,000 points.]
This move not only completely dismantled the alliance between A-Train and Madelyn but also planted a thorn in the very core of The Seven.
He turned around, looking at the empty leather chair, his eyes filled with a wildly arrogant and cold smile.
The show in this building is only just getting interesting now.
Lin Yuan tugged at the back collar of his suit.
"Get lost, Reggie. Remember, as long as I don't tell you to bark, you keep that mouth of yours shut tight."
"Robin changed where she's staying today; the apartment Ezekiel arranged is very clean, and there's hot water."
There was a hint of undisguised gratitude in Hughie's voice.
"As long as it's clean. Don't hang those ragged clothes of hers on the balcony; it's too flashy."
Lin Yuan spat impatiently.
"I know, I've even locked the doors and windows tight; no one can see her."
"Alright, don't be late for work tomorrow; Ashley hates people who are late."
Lin Yuan brushed the dust off the table.
Hughie stuffed the letter and money tightly into his inner jacket pocket and nodded, biting the bullet.
"I understand, I will cooperate."
He pushed open the door to his office, and the scent of high-end candle wax rushed to meet him.
"Mr... Mr. Lin Yuan! You're back!"
Hughie jumped up from the leather chair like a rabbit.
"Sit down, Hughie. Don't act like you're visiting a prison in the company; it's pathetic."
Lin Yuan sat down elegantly in the boss's chair, smoothing the buttons of his suit.
"Did you take the letter to hand over to Ashley?"
"I did! I did! She arranged a separate clerk's office for me."
"Very good. Listen more and watch more in there, and talk less nonsense."
Lin Yuan stuffed the tracking watch into Hughie's hand.
"I understand! I'll be careful, thank you for your guidance."
Hughie bowed deeply, grabbed the watch, and quickly slipped out.
Watching that mahogany door close silently, the playful smile on the corner of Lin Yuan's lips lit up in the shadows.
He stared at the bill stamped with a bright red official seal on the corner of the table and spat out coldly.
"Alright, Madelyn, the path is paved for you. Next time you cry, make sure your voice is loud enough."
Chapter 28 Lin Yuan's plan: to make the Homelander suspicious
Lin Yuan watched his cold reflection on the metal door inside the elevator, while the elevator cables rubbed against the oil, emitting a series of harsh, creaking sounds.
The narrow space was filled with the stench of cheap cologne left behind by executives, mixed with the smell of sweaty, heating circuit boards; it was unbearable.
He decided to accelerate his plan, using Homelander's sensitive, suspicious, and frantically insecure psychological flaws to kill with a borrowed knife.
The annoying tag on the collar of his suit was still rubbing against the skin of his neck, itching intensely.
He scratched at it hard with his fingernails, scraping off a few dry scabs, and flicked them casually into the corner of the elevator.
"Timothy, have you had your subordinates edit those audio clips Hughie sent over yet?"
Lin Yuan pressed his earpiece and whispered through the mental link.
"Done! Boss! The electric eels and fiddler crabs in the sea used their pincers and electrical pulses to chop up Madelyn's past voice recordings into pieces, it's perfect."
Timothy's slimy, wet voice sounded in his mind, carrying a sense of pride as if asking for credit.
"We spliced together her speeches from three meetings; the voice is indistinguishable, and we even matched the sound of her gasping while pouring coffee, it's perfect."
"Alright then, today we'll serve that giant baby in the red cape a truly unforgettable dish."
Lin Yuan stepped out of the elevator.
He strode across the empty executive corridor, which smelled of high-end floor wax.
Hughie was standing outside Madelyn's office door, trembling, clutching a stack of documents.
His tie was crooked, his forehead was covered in sweat, and there were grease stains from eating fried dough sticks this morning under his fingernails.
Lin Yuan walked past him.
Their shoulders brushed against each other, and Hughieflinched in terror, what a coward.
"Is it done?"
Lin Yuan asked in a very low voice, pretending to inquire about work progress.
"It's in! Right in the crevices of the leather sofa in Madelyn's lounge, it's perfect."
Hughie swallowed dryly, his voice shaking as if he were playing an erhu.
"It reeks of a mixture of yogurt and expired perfume; it almost made me vomit on the sofa."
"John goes to that room every afternoon at two; he's used to lying on that sofa while Madelyn warms milk for him, how pathetic."
Lin Yuan patted Hughie's thin shoulder, with enough force to make him almost drop the documents in his arms.
"Well done, Assistant Hughie. Now go to the staff cafeteria, have an iced cola, and wipe that miserable look off your face."
"I know! I'm going now!"
Hughie clutched the documents and scurried toward the end of the corridor like a fugitive.
A cold smirk spread across Lin Yuan's lips.
He strode away and returned to his Chairman's lounge.
The suite was clean, with only Timothy in the tank using two tentacles to pick at the green moss on the coral rock.
"Boss, Hughie also overheard something from Madelyn's internal phone line just now, it's perfect."
Timothy was rummaging through a small pebble at the bottom of the fish tank.
"What is it? Did he manage to track down the location of that batch of compound v raw material?"
Lin Yuan walked to the table and set his warm coffee back on the desk.
"Unexpectedly, Madelyn has secretly arranged for special police to protect the raw materials arriving on that Russian cargo ship tonight."
"She claimed publicly that it was a batch of 'marine fish feed samples'; she's treating everyone like idiots, it's perfect."
Timothy blew a long string of bubbles, its tentacles dancing wildly in the water.
"She's desperate to stabilize the stock price; she has no other excuses left."
Lin Yuan sneered and tightened his black leather gloves.
"If she doesn't use this raw material to create a new drug, those old shareholders will kick her out of the Vice President's seat sooner or later."
"Since that's the case, I'll help her crush this last glimmer of hope into mud tonight."
Lin Yuan put on his gloves and clenched his fingers tightly, the leather emitting a dry, friction sound.
Lin Yuan sat in the large chair, opened the drawer, and pulled out the waterproof high-tech receiver.
The screen flickered, revealing the infrared micro-surveillance footage inside Madelyn's lounge.
"Boss! Look! John is inside! His walking posture is weird, like a dog holding its pee, it's perfect."
Timothy shouted in the earpiece.
Lin Yuan stared intently at the screen.
In the footage, Homelander John, dressed in his magnificent Stars and Stripes suit, pushed the door and entered the lounge.
He looked extremely agitated.
He stomped his feet on the thick carpet, causing it to bunch up into several large folds.
Ever since he was slapped away by Lin Yuan on the high seas, his nerves had been frayed to the point of collapse.
Whenever he closed his eyes, he could smell that indescribable stench of silt and rot from the bottom of the bay.
Only in this room of Madelyn's, smelling the perfume on her, could he barely find a shred of security.
John slumped helplessly onto that large red leather sofa.
His head buried deep in the cushions.
"Madelyn... where is Madelyn? Where has she gone again?"
He growled, clutching his forehead, his voice full of infantile anxiety and longing.
In the ten-thousandth of a second that his head tilted back and half his body sank into the sofa crevice.
The micro-player that Hughie had secretly tucked into the sofa crevice activated silently due to gravity sensing.
"Shh... Shh..."
It was a harsh burst of static.
John's perverted super-ears caught this subtle sound instantly, and his pupils contracted sharply.
Then, the highly recognizable, fake voice of Madelyn, carrying a hint of laziness and disdain, drifted slowly from the sofa crevice.
"General, you don't need to worry about that guy John."
"In my eyes, he's just a giant experimental baby that can be discarded at any time."
"He cries on my lap every day asking for milk; it's so disgusting that I want to throw up my dinner every night."
Hearing the words "giant experimental baby."
John, who had been lying on the sofa, was instantly hit as if by ten thousand volts of high-voltage electricity.
His body stiffened instantly like a piece of dead iron.
Even his breathing stopped.
"Once the Ministry of Defense's special police team finishes extracting the new generation of compound v raw material, and the rules of the Star Alliance are established."
"We can stop this monster's medicine at any time and let him die in the waste pool."
Madelyn's cold and ruthless voice continued to play.
Every word and sentence was like a rusty steel saw.
Cutting raw into the dead nerve in John's brain called self-esteem.
"Madelyn... you bitch..."
John clenched his molars.
His voice sounded hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together continuously.
His face, which had previously held a trace of reliance, twisted instantly, turning as white as a sheet of paper; it was terrifying.
"Boom—!"
The pair of originally azure eyes in his sockets erupted with the most blinding scarlet light in a thousandth of a second.
Destructive heat vision erupted out of control in his rage.
It instantly sliced the expensive mahogany coffee table in front of him in two.
The crystal cup and the leftover blueberries on the coffee table were instantly vaporized by the high temperature, kicking up a sky full of scorching black smoke.
"Ah—! How dare you lie to me! You actually treated me like trash!"
John roared.
His hands gripped the leather armrests of the sofa so tightly that his fingernails tore the tough leather into shreds on the floor.
The marble floor was silently kicked into a large pit by his toes.
The explosion-proof layers on the walls cracked and collapsed under the high temperature, revealing the pitch-black steel bars inside.
His whole body trembled violently with rage, and his Stars and Stripes cape fluttered wildly in the black smoke.
The seeds of suspicion and slaughter, in this instant.
Were already taking root and sprouting wildly in his extremely sensitive, giant-baby heart.
Lin Yuan watched all this from the other end of the surveillance screen, leisurely taking a sip of warm black coffee.
He even reached out his index finger and tapped lightly on John's distorted, angry face on the screen.
"Pop."
A crisp flicking sound.
"Boss, John has gone crazy! He burned Madelyn's lingerie to ashes with his red light, it's too barbaric, it's perfect!"
Timothy was so excited in the fish tank that its eight tentacles were twisting wildly in the water.
"Boss, that old woman Madelyn is rushing to the top floor right now; the Seagull saw her car, it's perfect!"
Timothy reported the movements outside the building.
"Let her rush. Once she pushes that door open, she'll find a completely insane monster waiting for her."
"She thinks she can soothe John like a pet, but she doesn't know she has handed over a boning knife for slaughtering sheep herself."
Lin Yuan curled his lips, feeling that this play of killing with a borrowed knife was indeed staged beautifully.
"Boss, should we leave footprints of The Boys at the scene? Butcher and his team threw some cigarette butts on the beach earlier, it's so dirty."
"Yes, leave them there; if there aren't any traces of the resistance force at the scene, how will the police bite those mortals to death?"
Lin Yuan adjusted the back collar of his suit.
"Point all traces to Butcher; let Vought and those rats fight to the death, and I'll just sit back and reap the rewards."
"Understood! Boss! The Great White Shark has already opened its mouth at the bottom of the bay and is ready to feast at any time!"
"I need him to go crazy. If he doesn't go crazy, how can I fish in troubled waters?"
Lin Yuan sneered, closed the screen, tossed the phone aside, and stood up.
He walked to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the foggy New York outside, with rain hitting the glass and sliding down in dirty streaks.
"Once he snaps that old woman Madelyn's neck, the board of directors will be begging me to come out and take charge of the big picture."
"Boss, are we still going to pick up the goods later? The Seagull said the Russian ship has already transported the crates to the warehouse."
"Pick them up, of course."
Lin Yuan put on his black leather gloves and thoroughly brushed off the white chalk dust from his suit.
"After those two packs of dogs finish fighting, I'll go and take every single crate of the compound v raw material."
He turned around and grinned at the little octopus in the tank.
The smile was hidden in the shadows, cold and icy.
"Boss, Ashley is holding a high-level meeting tomorrow morning; will you be attending?"
Timothy whispered a reminder in the earpiece.
"Attend, of course I will."
Lin Yuan stuffed his mask into his pocket.
"If Madelyn dies tomorrow, the Vice President position will open up; I can just use my shares to swallow it whole."
"By then, this skyscraper, glinting with golden patina in the sun, will be under my sole command."
Lin Yuan tossed the half-moldy orange on his desk into the trash can, expressionless.
"Look, Timothy, the poison of suspicion has already been poured into his brain. Tomorrow morning, all of New Yorkwill hear this giant baby's sniveling wails."
Chapter 29: The Boys Reassemble, Butcher's Ambition
In a dark underground hideout in New York, the damp, earthy smell of soil was mixed with the acrid stench dripping from a broken pipe, making it unbearable.
A muffled roll of thunder occasionally rumbled through the air, which felt as hot and stifling as a giant pressure cooker, leaving everyone feeling sticky.
Homelander's tyrannical presence seemed to reach across the distance, causing the large green-bottle flies in the hideout to stop buzzing around.
Butcher was smoking a two-dollar pack of cheap tobacco, blowing thick clouds of white smoke from between his yellowed teeth.
He stared intently at the moldy pine table, looking at the second big gift sent anonymously by Lin Yuan.
A map of the security loopholes in the Vought laboratory, marked with red crosses, looked particularly glaring under the cold light of the flashlight.
Next to it lay a handwritten list recording all the routes A-Train had used to smuggle Compound V at the East District docks over the past three years.
"Frenchie, can you stop humming in my ear, for f*ck's sake? Seriously."
Butcher scratched his messy hair, and dandruff fell through his fingers onto the tabletop.
Frenchie was currently hunched over on the ground, prying open a large, olive-drab wooden crate that smelled of fresh pine.
The screwdriver pried open the metal sheeting with a harsh, screeching "creak."
"Mon dieu! Butcher! Come look at this treasure!"
Frenchie pulled a shiny, black, heavy anti-materiel rifle coated in thick machine oil from the crate, his eyes shining like two lightbulbs.
"This is the military's latest armor-piercing round! It can punch right through the steel plate of an armored vehicle, seriously!"
Mothers Milk sat on a broken sofa missing a leg, carefully wiping his sweaty forehead with a rag stained with black mud.
"Besides this scrap metal, that Swiss bank card had a full three million dollars added to it this morning, no joke."
Mothers Milk set the empty wine bottle heavily on the coffee table, producing a dull thud.
"There's no sender's name, just a 'Deep' symbol written in encrypted code."
"Butcher, what do you think this monster behind us, sending money and guns, is really planning?"
Butcher exhaled a throat-burning cloud of smoke, which swirled around the room under the breeze of an electric fan.
"Who cares what he's planning? As long as he provides me with the knife to make Vought bleed, he's my savior."
Butcher sneered.
He walked over and kicked the empty ammo crate, causing it to shatter and reveal large packages of plastic explosives inside.
"With these goodies, The Boys won't have to hide in the sewers like rats anymore, using knives to slit the throats of those supes every day."
At that moment, his ambition for revenge was infinitely magnified by the massive funds and weaponry sent by Lin Yuan.
"Butcher, are you really planning to attack Vought's underground warehouse according to the route map he gave us?"
Mothers Milk's hand, gripping the gun barrel, was slick with sweat, and he looked very nervous.
"What if this is a trap? What if that red-eyed giant baby is waiting outside the gate for us to walk right into it?"
"A trap?"
Butcher crushed the cigarette butt with his sole and spat out a mouthful of black, ash-filled saliva.
"Reggie's legs are broken; he's lying in a hospital bed, and he needs help even to take a sh*t. He has no mind to play games with us."
He jabbed his finger hard at Gate 3 on the security loophole map.
"Here, between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM, there will be a full ten-minute static loop in the surveillance, no doubt about it."
"This is a blind spot that the mysterious person personally helped us erase."
Frenchie toyed with the bolt, producing a series of crisp "click-clack" sounds, like bones being knocked together.
"Also, Lamplighter is on duty in that ward tonight. My little bird says he's been acting mentally unstable lately, seriously."
"Lamplighter?"
When Mothers Milk heard that name, his eyes turned bloodshot in an instant, and his knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists.
That was the culprit who had burned their former director's grandson to death years ago. He was also the enemy they wanted to tear to pieces most in this life.
"Yes, it's him. Alright, this time we'll settle both old and new scores."
Butcher walked back to the table and pulled out another cigarette to stick in his mouth. A match struck, and the orange flame illuminated his face—filled with murderous intent and coarse features—looking complicated.
"Frenchie, take all the thermite explosives. Before 2:00 AM, I want that nursing home's power room completely paralyzed."
"Mothers Milk, did you bring enough heavy machine gun ammo? Tonight, if you see any Vought security in black suits, leave none alive. Blast them all into mincemeat for me!"
Butcher's voice was low, carrying an irresistible madness and paranoia.
"I brought three big crates of armor-piercing rounds. It's enough to turn that red-brick building into a beehive, seriously."
Mothers Milk patted the iron crate at his feet, his eyes turning cold.
In the face of a deep blood feud, mortal fear was instantly drowned out by infinite rage.
"Never thought we'd have a day where we use heavy firepower to greet Vought. This feels amazing, doesn't it?"
Frenchie grinned weirdly, his face flushed with an unhealthy red. He stuffed packages of explosives into his tactical vest, the zipper making a crisp "zzip" sound.
"Butcher, we're using Vought's dirty money, holding guns smuggled by Vought, to blow up Vought's own laboratory, seriously."
Mothers Milk held the thick Swiss card, feeling a mix of amusement and frustration. "This feels too absurd, like watching a comedy play, doesn't it?"
"That's the most beautiful part, Mothers Milk." Butcherspat hard, spitting the last bit of cigarette ash onto the table.
"Those high-and-mighty capitalists are nailing their own coffins shut, alright."
"And they even paid us for our hard work. A real bargain."
He laughed loudly, the flesh on his face gleaming with oil under the light, looking dirty.
"I don't care. Anyway, tonight I'm going to hang those beautiful polymer explosives all over the load-bearing pillars of that building, seriously!"
Frenchie shrieked from the side.
"Watch it, for f*ck's sake, don't blow your own thumb off along with it. That would be pathetic."
Mothers Milk slapped the back of his head, annoyed.
"Don't worry! My hands are steady as a rock; I wouldn't even miss a measurement on a chemical vial, alright!"
Frenchie wiped the gunpowder soot from under his fingernails, unconcerned.
The game of chess Lin Yuan had set up in the shadows with funds and weapons had completely domesticated The Boys, this pack of mad dogs, into the sharpest heavy hammer he could point at Vought's upper management.
Butcher exhaled a thick cloud of spicy smoke, which swirled in the damp basement, completely shrouding the map of Vought Tower.
Tonight, he was going to orchestrate a shocking riot that all of New York, Madelyn, and John could never dream of.
He wanted to muddy the waters completely. Only then would that mysterious ally who had been watching from the shadows reveal their true information.
"Boss, Butcher and his crew really started moving the weapons. Great White Shark saw them loading the trucks at the docks, seriously!"
In the earpiece, the sticky, wet sound of Timothy rang out right on cue, carrying a fervor like that of a spectator watching a show.
"Let them go. Butcher has a natural dog-like temper. As long as he sees his enemy, he doesn't care if he's walking into a hail of bullets, alright."
Lin Yuan lay on the leather armchair in the manor, eyes closed, tapping his fingers lightly on the slightly sticky blanket on his knees.
"As soon as Sage Grove is in chaos tonight, that old hag Madelyn's days are numbered, no doubt."
"Then... will that little guy named Hughie be working overtime at the company tonight?" Timothy asked, curious.
"He's a smart man. Staying honestly in the Public Relations Department as a quiet assistant is his greatest safety, seriously."
Lin Yuan replied indifferently, casually splashing the cold, leftover tea from his cup into the flowerpot nearby. A scent of moldy tea leaves rose from the soil, smelling terrible.
"Boss, are we going to the scene later to watch them fight?"
"No, I'm going to drink comfortably in the manor. When dawn breaks, I'll go clean up the mess for Mr. Butcher. A real bargain."
Lin Yuan grinned, revealing a row of stark white teeth; his smile was extremely cold.
"Boss, Butcher and the others have set off. Great White Shark says two trucks are already speeding across the Hudson Bridge, seriously!"
Timothy's voice was filled with electronic-like excitement.
"Let them run. It should be quite lively on the bridge tonight, no doubt."
"Madelyn's bodyguards are busy moving crates in the warehouse right now; they can't pay attention to any other intersections, alright."
Lin Yuan replied indifferently, crushing the empty soda can in his hand into a thin sheet with one finger.
"As soon as Butcher fires the first shot, the entire New Yorkpolice force will rush toward Breakwater 12."
"By then, that madman John will completely rip off his mask in the office, seriously."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, enjoying the flow of gravity within his body, every pore on his skin relaxing.
"The seed of suspicion has already grown into a big tree in John's mind. Tonight, he will clean house himself, alright."
He tugged at the back collar of his suit and turned over. The system's notification sound rang out crisply the moment he closed his eyes.
"Ding."
[Successfully guided and reorganized the anti-enemy resistance force: The Boys.]
[Main storyline deviation significantly increased, reaching 35%.]
[Obtained massive evolution points: 12,000 points.]
Hearing this sound, the irritation in Lin Yuan's heart caused by hair gel and sweat instantly dissipated by more than half.
"Seriously, these 12,000 points can help my Omni-Man body expand another cell cluster, no doubt."
He muttered silently in his heart, enjoying the comfortable sensation of the Viltrumite genes in his body constantly evolving in the dark.
Meanwhile, in the pitch-black underground hideout, Butcher spat out the cigarette filter.
"Plop." He stepped into the stagnant water, splashing up a few muddy droplets.
He took a deep drag of the last remaining smoke, turned his head, and looked at Mothers Milk and Frenchie behind him.
He pulled hard on the collar of his sweat-dampened red and black striped trench coat and adjusted the micro-radio in his pocket.
"Stop the f*cking chatter, boys."
Butcher grinned, revealing a very ferocious and cruel smile.
His fingers pressed hard against the cold steel stock of the new gun at his waist.
"Get ready to move. We're going to make these gods bleed."
Chapter 30: A Clash in the Shadows, Lin Yuan Holds All the Cards
The beam of a tactical flashlight flickered over the blueprints of Vought Tower in the basement, and Butcher's low growl echoed through the empty room.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan was sitting in a luxury suite on the top floor of Vought Tower, holding a high-end crystal glass and sipping red wine at a leisurely pace.
The red wine emitted a slightly acidic fruity aroma mixed with the charred scent of oak barrels, which seemed somewhat out of place in the vast, dry room.
The white chalk dust on his suit had been completely washed away, and he had changed into a loose black silk bathrobe.
The floor was covered with a thick, soft wool carpet; walking on it made not a sound. It felt wonderful.
"Boss, Boss! The crabs in the sea say that Butcher and his pack of mad dogs have already loaded the last crate of plastic explosives onto the truck. It's done!"
Timothy's slimy, wet voice sounded in the mental link right on time.
"They're speeding towards the West District in a truck. That kid in the plaid shirt almost drove into the green belt; it was hilarious."
"Let them make their mess, Timothy. The bigger this show is tonight, the better."
Lin Yuan swirled his glass, the bright red liquid leaving sticky, blood-like streaks on the glass walls. It was so red.
He closed his eyes, and the system panel in his mind flickered with a pale blue light in the darkness.
[ Current plot deviation: 38%. ]
[ Evolution point balance: 37,000 points. ]
Watching the rapidly rising numbers, Lin Yuan felt every pore on his body relax. He was in an excellent mood.
Once these points were spent—
His body would be able to completely break through the bottleneck and advance madly toward the [ Intermediate Omnipotent Hero Form ].
He could clearly feel the Viltrumite genes within his body undergoing astonishing changes at the cellular level.
His muscle fibers were tightening and reorganizing like steel cables, and a faint metallic hum emanated from deep within his bones.
His skin density was terrifyingly high. He tried pinching the back of his hand hard with his thumbnail.
"Click."
It didn't even leave a red mark; instead, his nail tore off a few tufts of wool from the thick carpet. It's done.
"Boss, John is still in that woman's lounge. His eyes are as red as burning charcoal; even the Great White Shark is terrified!"
Timothy blew white bubbles in the water, his tentacles picking at the green moss on the coral rock.
"Of course his eyes are red. Anyone would go crazy if they discovered they were being treated like trash and a giant baby by their only relative."
Lin Yuan walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window and wiped the condensation off the glass with his coat sleeve, creating a clear spot to look through.
"The poison of suspicion has already been poured into his mind. Now, every time he sees a smile from Madelyn, he thinks she's mocking him."
"And... and what about A-Train? Will he really be obedient and come to kowtow to you tomorrow morning?"
Timothy asked, curious.
"He has no choice but to come, Timothy, unless he thinks his pathetic life is too long."
Lin Yuan looked down.
Watching the rolling sea fog over New York Harbor outside the window.
"Reggie is a smart man. He knows that only if the USB drive in my hand rots in the drawer can he continue being his speedster."
"And Charlotte, she's hiding in the safe house, crying every day while holding the bread Ezekiel bought her. It's pathetic."
The smile on Lin Yuan's lips deepened. Every chess piece in this building was moving along the grid lines he had designed.
"Boss, that girl named Annie is currently hugging a thick Bible and crying there. It's done."
Timothy swam quickly, stirring up large waves of white foam.
"Crying? She still has the heart to cry."
Lin Yuan leaned back on the sofa; the itch from the loose thread on his suit had completely disappeared.
"She treats me like a savior now. Tomorrow morning, she'll be very happy to speak up for me in front of the cameras."
"As long as she says one sentence that The Deep is a good person, all the brainless fans across America will shout 'Long live The Deep' together."
"And what about Mothers Milk? Can his shotgun really break the skin of a super-human? I think it's doubtful."
Timothy said with some disdain.
"It can't break their skin, but it can break their nerve. Reggiehas woken up, and those guards are on edge."
"As long as Mothers Milk fires the first shot into the air, those idiots will go crazy and retaliate with heavy firepower."
"By then, the only things left at the scene will be the cigarette butt Butcher dropped and a bloody warning letter."
Lin Yuan pointed at the screen.
"Boss, that girl named Annie is currently lying on the balcony, staring blankly at your poster. The Seagull saw it!"
Timothy shouted in the mental link, sounding like he was gossiping.
"She treats me as the only lifeline in this filthy company now."
Lin Yuan spat in disdain.
"As long as she stands on my side, Vought's Public Relations Department will never be able to slap the 'evil' label on me."
"She is my most righteous shield. As long as I don't fall, she will wholeheartedly block the wind for me."
Lin Yuan downed the remaining red wine in his glass.
The spicy, slightly acidic liquid tugged at his throat, bringing a fiery warmth.
In this world.
Whether it's the Vought conglomerate that considers itself superior, or the mortal resistance group, The Boys.
They have all become puppets on his chessboard, with the strings wrapped around his fingertips.
"Boss, the sound of helicopter rotors is starting to ring out in the West District. It looks like they've started fighting!"
Timothy's sonar system once again captured the sonic booms in the distance.
"Let them fight. The more miserable the fight, the livelier this building will be when dawn breaks."
Lin Yuan placed the empty wine glass on the windowsill; the glass base shook loose a small patch of dust on the sill.
"If Reggie dares to lose even one crate of the goods tonight, Madelyn will have to kneel in my office tomorrow and beg me."
Lin Yuan adjusted the belt of his bathrobe.
He looked up, peering through a thin mist at the Vought golden headquarters that shone with a cold luster in the moonlight.
"Boss, that old woman Madelyn is rushing to the top floor right now. The Seagull saw her car!"
Timothy reported again.
"Control? If she could control him, John wouldn't be going crazy in her lounge every day."
"She's just making a deathbed struggle. That old fox Stan Edgar has already decided to kill her."
"As long as the raw liquid in the warehouse is stolen tonight, Stan Edgar will have an excuse to kick her out of the board of directors completely."
"By then, with the shares in my hand plus the political bill from that head-popping woman Victoria Neuman, this Vought International will be mine."
Lin Yuan sneered, tapping the crystal glass in his hand against the corner of the mahogany table.
It made a crisp "clang-clang" sound, and the red wine inside shook violently, like a pool of blood.
"Boss, you really are the most terrifying and powerful human god I have ever seen!"
Timothy's tentacles rubbed against the gravel at the bottom of the tank.
"Stop sucking up. I'm just a concerned citizen who pursues long-term stability and occasionally likes to watch a show."
Lin Yuan straightened his silk bathrobe; the torn piece of the label at the collar had been completely ripped off.
"Alright, Timothy, watch the house. Wait for me to bring back the most valuable crate tonight."
Lin Yuan looked at the fog-filled New York outside, where rain hit the glass, sliding down in dirty streaks.
"Reggie, I'm waiting for you in the office. Don't make me wait too long."
He muttered to himself.
"Tomorrow morning, get your broken leg fixed up and come to my office to report."
"If you dare to be late by even one minute..."
Lin Yuan paused, the smile on his lips becoming even colder and more arrogant.
"I'll pull your large intestine out from your neck and use it as a jump rope, understand?"
He poured himself another half glass of red wine.
The bright red liquid shimmered with an eerie, bloody light in the dim suite, its aroma pungent.
Everything was perfectly closed in his calculations.
The Boys have reorganized, A-Train and Crimson Countessare under control, Starlight has submitted, and Homelander has gone mad.
This massive web covering New York Harbor and Vought Tower has already begun to slowly close in.
He turned around.
Looking at the dead-bolted, blast-proof floor-to-ceiling window, outside, the sea fog and heavy rain were swallowing the entire city whole.
He pressed his wrist, and his skeleton let out a series of crisp, popping sounds in the dark night.
Lin Yuan swirled the red liquid in his wine glass, looking down at the brilliantly lit New York night scene below, and whispered softly.
"The show is about to begin."
Chapter 31: Starlight's Growth, Rejecting Hypocritical Heroes
The neon lights of the New York night sky flickered outside Lin Yuan's suite, illuminating the thick fog in a kaleidoscope of colors, exuding a tacky air of debauchery.
Meanwhile, in a dim lounge in the building next door, the fluorescent lights hummed with a harsh, crackling electrical sound.
Starlight Annie was holding a cheap fountain pen all by herself.
Underneath her fingernails, there was still some cheap gold glitter from the poster shoot this morning, shimmering miserably in the cold light.
In front of her lay a commercial contract, revised by Vought's upper management, with every line dripping with hypocrisy and sycophancy.
"Annie, hurry up and sign it. Everyone's exhausted in the middle of the night, seriously."
Seth, the head of the Public Relations Department, stood to the side, tugging forcefully at his sweat-soaked shirt collar.
The collar was stained with a ring of yellow sweat, emitting a nauseating, bitter stench of stale coffee and cheap tobacco.
"This costume... isn't it a bit too revealing?"
Annie bit her lower lip, the tip of her pen leaving a tiny black ink smudge on the smooth paper.
"Besides, last night there was clearly a serious smuggling explosion at Pier 4."
"Why does the contract say I went to the suburbs to rescue ten stray cats stuck in trees? Isn't that just lying, seriously?"
She looked up, her eyes filled with confusion and pain.
Today was her first day wearing this white and gold costume that was so tight it made people want to roll their eyes.
The neckline was terrifyingly low, and her inner thighs were chafed raw; this was nothing like the superhero life she had imagined.
"Oh! My dear girl! Citizens don't want to see news about smuggling explosions early in the morning!"
Seth rolled his eyes and tapped his fingers impatiently on the table, making a crisp "tap, tap" sound.
"They need warmth! They need positive energy! Stray cats are the best PR medicine!"
"Sign it quickly. Ashley needs to use it to stabilize the company's stock tomorrow morning, got it?"
Annie stiffened in her seat, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the pen, her fingernails slightly deformed.
Her mind was filled with the cold warnings Lin Yuan had given her earlier in front of the locker room and the restroom.
"In this godforsaken place, being too curious or too obedient will only make you die faster."
She didn't want to be a hypocritical puppet who only knew how to please fans by wearing revealing costumes and telling lies.
But if she refused, she would be ruthlessly kicked out by Vought, and her mother's hopes would be completely dashed.
Just as she hesitated, tears welling up in her eyes, in that very instant.
"Click." The heavy alloy door of the lounge was pushed open.
Lin Yuan walked in silently, dressed in clean gray casual clothes, with his hands in his pockets.
"Seth, it's the middle of the night. Why are you being so loud? Seriously, you've scared my fish."
Lin Yuan's voice was languid, yet it carried an immense pressure that made one's whole body go cold and instinctively want to shrink away.
Seth jumped, quickly moved the coffee cup off the table, and greeted him with a face full of smiles.
"Oh! Mr. The Deep! What brings you here? I'm just getting Annie to sign the PR contract for tomorrow morning, you know."
He sycophantically offered him a cigarette, but Lin Yuanwaved his hand to refuse.
Lin Yuan walked to the table and looked down at the contract bearing the golden Vought emblem.
"Let me see." He scratched his fingernail across the picture of the stray cat on the contract, making a harsh sound.
"Rescuing kittens? And wearing this new costume that uses so little fabric it could double as a rag?"
Lin Yuan looked up at Annie, who had stood up uneasily. "Annie, do you want to sign this thing?"
Annie bit her lip hard, her hands bunching up the hem of her skirt, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum.
"I... I don't want to lie. But Seth said if I don't sign, I'll be kicked out of The Seven..."
Seth panicked on the side. "Annie! Watch your language! This is a company decision!"
"Kicked out? Seriously, I'd like to see what Ashley uses to deal with the cameras and reporters downstairs tomorrow."
Lin Yuan sneered. He placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, his massive shadow instantly pinning Seth down.
"Seth, your boss Madelyn is busy dealing with John's red eyes right now; she doesn't have time to worry about these pieces of trash."
Large beads of sweat broke out on Seth's forehead, his lips turned pale, but he didn't dare to utter a word of rebuttal.
He knew all too well how dangerous The Deep was now; even a waste like A-Train acted as submissive as a dog toward him.
Lin Yuan turned his head to look at the teary-eyed Annie. "Annie, look at me." Lin Yuan's voice was low.
"A true hero doesn't need to prove themselves by pleasing capital; power and the hearts of the people are the only trump cards that matter, got it?"
These words were plain, yet they hit like a heavy hammer, smashing into Annie's tormented, righteous heart.
A trump card. So, a real superhero doesn't need to wag their tail and beg for pity from these profit-driven capitalists at all!
Annie's breathing became heavy. She looked down at the contract filled with the stench of money and lies, a flicker of unprecedented determination flashing in her eyes.
"Thank you, Senior." She whispered. The next second. "Rrrrip!"
Annie suddenly reached out with both hands and tore the thick commercial contract in half in an instant.
White scraps of paper flew into the air, landing on her golden curls, feeling greasy.
"Rip! Rip!" As if venting, she tore the contract repeatedly until the floor was covered in shredded paper.
Seth's jaw dropped in shock. "Annie! Have you lost your mind? This was finalized by Ashley herself!"
"Get out, Seth." Lin Yuan spat out the four words coldly. He tapped his fingers lightly on the mahogany desk, making a dull "thud" sound.
"Go back and tell Ashley that Starlight will be attending the press conference with me tomorrow morning. As for the contract, I will talk to her about it personally, got it?"
Seeing The Deep's pitch-black, ice-cold eyes, Seth trembled with fear. "Okay... I'll leave now... you two talk..."
He scrambled to grab his briefcase, fled the lounge in a panic, and slammed the door shut. "Bang."
The room returned to dead silence. Only the white paper scraps on the floor swirled in the cold draft.
Annie stood in the center of the wreckage, a tear still hanging from the corner of her eye. But for the first time, her back was straight as an arrow, like a canary that had finally broken free from its cage.
She turned her head, her sparkling eyes full of sincere gratitude and admiration. "Senior The Deep, if it weren't for you, I might have really become their accomplice just now."
"But, Senior, what if Ashley tells on me to Madelyntomorrow?" Annie nervously twisted her fingers, looking at him with pleading eyes.
"She doesn't have the guts, Annie. Vought is counting on us to stabilize their stock price right now, you know."
Lin Yuan flicked his finger against the mahogany desk, dusting off a speck of white chalk. "We are their brand. If the brand is smashed, Madelyn herself will have to go feed the fish in the ocean, seriously."
"So, just keep your back straight. I'll handle the rest of the messy business, got it?" Lin Yuan brushed the dust off his suit.
"I understand! Thank you, Senior!" Annie nodded heavily, her eyes full of sincere reverence.
Lin Yuan pulled out a wet wipe to clean the chalk dust and red wine stains off his hands. "Alright, stop being so sentimental, seriously. I don't like watching mortals cry."
He tossed the dirty tissue into the trash can, his expression calm. "Go back, take a hot shower, and take off these dirty clothes that show off your thighs. Tomorrow morning, there's a bigger show waiting for us."
"Yes! I'll listen to you, Senior!" Annie nodded vigorously and stomped hard on the crumpled remnants of the contract under her feet.
Watching her push the door open and leave with excitement, a hint of playful and cold mockery surfaced in Lin Yuan's eyes once again.
Annie, this girl, had now been completely drawn into his web. She would become his most useful fig leaf, allowing him to stand in an invincible position before Vought's upper management. What a bargain.
"Boss, Boss! That hypocrite named Ezekiel just mentioned you on the secret radio, seriously!" Timothy's slimy, watery voice sounded in his earpiece at the right moment.
"Ezekiel? Why would he mention me, seriously?" Lin Yuanwalked to the window, watching the sea-fog-filled New York, and rubbed his slightly itchy back of the neck.
"When he was fundraising from believers, he said The Deep is the incarnation of a god on earth and is helping him consolidate church funds across North America. He's such a bullshitter!"
"Boss, that hypocrite Ezekiel also mentioned something else on the phone just now, seriously." Timothy clawed at a small piece of coral at the bottom of the fish tank.
"What is it? Did he find Vought's other black market funds?" Lin Yuan walked to the table and casually poured warm water into a flowerpot.
"Unexpectedly, he also merged the Pentagon's black money that's supposed to be laundered next month into his charity accounts, seriously."
"Those soldiers want to launder money, and Ezekiel is worried about not having a big backer to cover for him, you know." Timothy spat out a long string of bubbles, his tentacles dancing wildly in the water.
"The soldiers' money? That's blood-stained hard currency. I can use it to buy more Compound V."
"Since he's serving it up on a silver platter, I'll just help him swallow this entire capital chain into the Star Alliance Foundation tonight, got it?"
Lin Yuan put on his gloves and clenched his fist, the leather making a dry, rubbing sound. The sneer on Lin Yuan's lips deepened.
Ezekiel, that spineless coward. Since he reached out, he could take this opportunity to swallow the entire religious power behind Vought whole, got it?
"Boss, Great White Shark says they've already surrounded Ezekiel's yacht, which is full of smuggled gold bars, at the bottom of the port, seriously!"
"Let them surround it. The gold bars on it will sooner or later fall into my pocket, every last bit, got it?"
Lin Yuan pressed his wrists, his bones cracking like a string of firecrackers in the dark night.
In this world, whether it's the giant baby in the red cape or those hypocritical religious leaders, in the face of absolute power and profit, they are all just persimmons that can be crushed at any time, you know?
Lin Yuan slowly closed his eyes, enjoying the comfort of his intermediate Viltrumite body expanding in the shadows once again.
"Alright, Annie. Tomorrow morning, let's go see our old friend Ezekiel and see how much his 'miracles' are actually worth, seriously."
Chapter 32: Ezekiel's Secret, Co-opting Religious Forces
The fragments of the contract Starlight had torn up were silently swept away by a cleaner using a grimy bamboo broom.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuan was already sitting in the back seat of a Rolls-Royce nanny van, the windows covered in a layer of sticky condensation.
The interior of the car gave off a strange smell of high-end leather mixed with air conditioning, making one's throat feel dry.
Lin Yuan was flipping through a plastic-cased tablet in his hands.
On the screen, secret photos that Timothy had secretly collected in the upscale coastal villa area using crabs and fisheye cameras were scrolling by.
The protagonist of the photos was none other than the superhero "Ezekiel," who wore white robes and proclaimed miracles on television every day.
"This old guy, I never expected him to play so wild in private, truly something."
Lin Yuan scratched his chin, the rough stubble pricking his fingernails until they hurt.
In the photos, where was the slightest trace of the conservative, compassionate saintly facade that Ezekiel put on for television?
His private life was wildly depraved, and he was even suspected of embezzling large sums from the church's tax-exempt funds in private—truly filthy.
"Boss, he's throwing a party tonight at that private club with the copper spire on the bay. The seagulls saw his car, truly something!"
Timothy's sticky, wet voice muttered in his earpiece.
"Alright then, I'll go teach him tonight how to be an obedient saint."
Lin Yuan closed the tablet.
The nanny van glided smoothly along the coastal road in the dead of night, its tires rubbing against the wet asphalt with a soft, rustling sound.
Sea fog rolled in, shrouding the palm trees along the road in a deathly, white void.
The car stopped silently at the back door of a private club with glowing pink neon lights and cheap white paint on the exterior walls.
The air was thick with the smell of pool disinfectant, mixed with the stench of cheap champagne and the sweat of men and women—truly pungent.
Lin Yuan tugged at the back collar of his suit.
The uncut price tag was scratching against his skin again and again, itching terribly, and he spat in annoyance.
With a flicker of his figure, aided by the cover of the thick fog and the silent shielding of his Viltrumite Gravity Field.
He moved like a weightless black ghost.
He silently pushed open the side door of the club and slipped inside.
The lobby was blasting deafening heavy metal music, shaking the marble floor.
And Ezekiel was sprawled out brazenly on a pink leather sofa chair covered in suntan oil.
He held a cup stained with lipstick marks, exhaling smoke, his face flushed with the exhaustion of indulgence.
"Ezekiel, my old friend, partying so fancy in the middle of the night, truly something."
A low, emotionless voice.
Suddenly sounded without warning right behind Ezekiel's ear.
The voice was as cold as ice shards, making the hair on the back of Ezekiel's neck stand up instantly.
He jolted, and the chipped cup in his hand fell to the floor with a "clatter," splashing champagne all over his feet.
"Who! Who dared to break into my..."
He turned around furiously, but his voice stuck in his throat the moment he saw Lin Yuan's cold, emotionless face.
"The Deep? How the f*ck did you get in here? This is a private club!"
Ezekiel scrambled to pull a towel from nearby to cover his crotch, his eyes darting around frantically—truly pathetic.
Lin Yuan sat brazenly on the armrest box next to him.
With his glove stained by oil, he patted Ezekiel's expensive leather cushion, leaving half a black handprint.
"How I got in doesn't matter, Ezekiel; what matters is this, wouldn't you agree."
Lin Yuan slid the tablet in his hand over, slamming it heavily onto Ezekiel's bare thighs.
The screen lit up.
The photos of him stretching his body and doing the doggy paddle in the water began to play on a loop.
Ezekiel's face instantly turned as white as a freshly pasted sheet of paper.
"Where... where did you get this? Delete it now! The Deep! I order you to delete it!"
He shrieked.
His hands gripped the plastic frame of the tablet tightly, his nails scraping against it with a clicking sound, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
His face was twisted by extreme fear like a wrung-out rag.
"Order me? Truly something, Ezekiel, do you really think that stretchable worm body of yours can withstand a punch from John? Hardly."
Lin Yuan sneered.
He nudged the champagne bottle that had fallen on the floor with his toe, and it rolled away, leaving a trail of liquid.
"I'm going to have this broadcast on the morning news tomorrow."
"Do you think your ultra-conservative followers will smash their donation boxes onto whose head, truly something?"
"No... don't do this, Kevin! We're old friends! For God's sake!"
Ezekiel was completely terrified, his stretchable rubber arm trembling as he grabbed Lin Yuan's pant leg.
"I have money! I'll give you the church's black market dividends for this month! Thirty million! No! Fifty million!"
"As long as you delete this backup, I'll give you whatever you want, wouldn't you say?"
He gasped for air, snot and tears streaming down his face, smearing his chapped chin—truly pathetic.
Lin Yuan looked down at him from above.
Watching this deity who was worshipped on television, now wriggling like a worm at his feet.
"Do you think I care about your petty cash, Ezekiel?"
There was not a shred of warmth in Lin Yuan's eyes.
"I want your trust fund, and I want the secret channels you use to launder the church's dirty money."
"From now on, every cent you launder must pass through my League ledger, understand?"
"Pick up the pen on the floor and stamp the contract properly; don't act like a dying, complaining shrew."
Lin Yuan tapped on the table, looking impatient.
"I'll sign! I'll sign! I'll stamp it right away, please don't release this tablet, truly something."
Ezekiel tremblingly picked up the ballpoint pen from the floor and wrote on the agreement stroke by stroke.
"Write it neatly; if the handwriting looks like chicken scratch, that woman Ashley will nag again, wouldn't you agree."
"Yes, yes, yes! I will write it neatly! I won't delay your business, alright."
Ezekiel wiped his nose and rubbed the pen tip on the red carpet.
Ezekiel's knees went weak.
He fell to his knees with a thud on the floor covered in suntan oil, his head pressed firmly against Lin Yuan's dusty leather shoes.
His back twitched violently.
He let out a desperate whimper, like a dead dog with a collar around its neck.
Lin Yuan looked down at him.
He slowly extended his right hand, covered by a black tactical glove, declaring his absolute control over him.
"Boss, Ezekiel is completely obedient now, his arms even shrank from fear, truly something!"
Timothy's sticky, wet voice sounded gloating in the earpiece.
"If he's not obedient, let him go feed the Great White Shark in the sea, wouldn't you agree."
Lin Yuan muttered to Timothy in his mind.
"Go tell Hughie to prepare the foundation's account opening contract and have Ezekiel stamp it tomorrow morning, alright."
"No problem! Boss! The crabs have already left marks on his yacht, and we can move his gold bars at any time, so easy!"
Timothy rolled frantically at the bottom of the fish tank.
Lin Yuan looked at Ezekiel kneeling at his feet, his eyes as cold as a stagnant pool.
In this world.
So-called faith and saints are no match for a collar when faced with absolute violence and leverage.
He lifted his right foot and patted Ezekiel's limp shoulder lightly.
"Stop lying there, great saint, and wipe off your dirty snot."
Lin Yuan sneered and brushed the dust off his suit collar.
"Boss, Hughie just overheard something else from the Vought Security Department, truly something."
Timothy reported the new information.
"What is it? Did he find other black market funds belonging to Vought?"
"Unexpectedly, Madelyn arranged for SWAT teams to protect the raw materials shipped by the Russian freighter tonight."
"She claimed it was a batch of 'marine fish feed samples,' treating everyone like idiots, truly something."
"Let her ship it. The more enthusiastically she ships it, the harder Butcher and his pack of mad dogs will bite, wouldn't you agree."
Lin Yuan replied indifferently in their mental link.
"Have the crabs deliver Ezekiel's black card to Hughie and have him go clean up the office at the Public Relations Department tomorrow morning."
"Alright, Boss, I've got it all arranged. The League Foundation can start laundering the soldiers' money tomorrow, so profitable!"
Lin Yuan slowly closed his eyes.
Feeling the comfort of his Viltrumite combat body undergoing another transformation in secret.
He raised his head, looking at the thick sea fog that had begun to spread over the pier outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Rain hit the window, sliding down in dirty streaks.
He pressed his aching wrist and grinned at Timothy in the fish tank.
"Truly something, the big fish has taken the bait. Timothy, have the crabs keep a close eye on that ship; I'm going to the pier tonight to 'pick up the goods' myself."
His smile, hidden beneath the mask, was cold.
"Boss, will the pier police be patrolling nearby tonight?"
Timothy gripped the coral rock tightly with two tentacles, sounding worried.
"Police? In the middle of the night like this, you won't even see a ghost at Berth 12, wouldn't you agree."
"Vought pays them so much black money every month just to keep their eyes closed and sleep."
Lin Yuan sneered and tucked his black mask into his pocket.
"Then... what about that flying red-eyed giant baby? Will he fly over and cause trouble?"
Timothy shrank its head in the water; it instinctively feared Homelander's destructive heat vision.
"John? That idiot is probably curled up in his office doubting life right now; he wouldn't dare step out tonight even if he had the guts."
"The last time I crushed the brass handle with one finger, he'd clench his pants tight every time he heard my footsteps now, truly something."
Lin Yuan spat with disdain and threw the half-moldy orange on the desk into the trash can.
"Besides, even if something happens, isn't The Boys there to take the heat?"
"If anyone dies tonight, the scene will only have the footprints of Butcher and his pack of mad dogs and a bloody warning letter."
"Alright, they're definitely taking the fall for this, no one can get out of it."
Lin Yuan pressed his wrist, his bones making a popping, teeth-grinding sound.
"Boss, you are the baddest and most powerful Deep Sea God I've ever seen, truly something!"
Timothy frantically slapped its tentacles at the bottom of the tank, its eyes full of shallow sycophancy.
"Stop buttering me up; I'm just a concerned citizen who pursues long-term stability and occasionally likes to watch a show."
Lin Yuan turned his head, looking at the thick sea fog that had begun to spread over the pier outside the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Lin Yuan tugged at the back collar of his suit.
"Alright, my great saint. Wipe your tears, sign this agreement, and from now on, every cent of dirty money you launder must pass through my ledger, truly something."