Kobayashi Miu's heart pounded wildly; her agent's instincts screamed a warning. Meanwhile, Catherine's cheeks were already flushed, her eyes glazed over, completely captivated by his close proximity and words.
Hawk watched the struggle, hesitation, and faint flicker of excitement intermingle in their eyes. The smile on his lips deepened.
"For instance," he leaned down, his warm breath brushing Catherine's ear, though his eyes remained fixed on her, "how do you evaluate the marginal utility increase in a relationship... as it deepens?"
The next second, before either could answer, Hawk sealed Catherine's slightly parted lips. At the same time, the arm wrapped around Catherine tightened slightly, pulling her even more intimately against him.
The wall of rationality collapsed in that instant.
In the spacious master bedroom of the luxury penthouse, the mirrored surfaces of the crystal chandelier reflected a dizzying, blurred light. Expensive bedding lay in disarray, and the air was thick with the scent of passion.
Hawk, like an experienced conductor, precisely orchestrated every note, allowing this unexpected 'threesome' concerto to ascend to a wild, soaring climax.
In a quiet corner of the city, S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent Coulson watched the two fixed signals on his communicator stay motionless at Hawk Lane's apartment for an extended period. He finally rubbed his temples and muttered into the air:
"Alright... at least... biologically speaking, they did get 'deeply close' to the target. It's just... how the hell am I supposed to write this mission report?!"
Inside the bedroom, Hawk looked at the two beautiful 'classmates' sleeping beside him, exhausted. There wasn't a trace of sleepiness in his own eyes. A playful smile crept onto his face.
"I don't know which agency you two are from, but this 'practical seminar'... is certainly unique."
As Hawk smoked a post-coital cigarette, his phone, which lay nearby, suddenly rang. It was Emilia.
"Hello?"
"Hawk, there are two things I need to tell you today."
"Go ahead."
"AIM has requested a meeting with you; they want to talk in person."
Hawk raised an eyebrow at that, a smile of predictable amusement curving his lips. "Oh? They came around that quickly? Seems the Doctor's emotional control is stronger than I thought. That's fine with me. Schedule it for tomorrow morning. I have class tomorrow afternoon."
Emilia nodded, arranging Hawk's schedule as she continued:
"The other thing is, this afternoon, someone from a financial company in the Midland Circle area contacted me about acquiring our former TCRI building. We aren't short on cash, so why sell a building we just got? I refused without a second thought. But after I refused, their people were incredibly persistent—they wouldn't give up, even offering double the market price."
Emilia elaborated, "I figured there must be something wrong there, so I called you. I wanted you to look into the situation, so you don't end up finding out I've been inexplicably taken out and have no idea who did it." She sensed a dangerous undercurrent.
"Midtown Circle financial company?"
Hawk frowned slightly, then thought for a moment.
He quickly remembered: the Midland Circle financial company... wasn't that just a shell corporation for the Hand? It was the equivalent of TCRI being a front for the Foot Clan.
Strange. Why would the Hand be looking for him?
Just because he reported their drug factory?
Are these guys really that bold? Have they never heard the name Lane? They dare to come looking for trouble? Aren't they afraid of being run out of New York? No matter how notorious they are, they're just a low-level gang. Do they want to test the power of a financial conglomerate? Who do they think they are, Hydra?
"Emilia, you don't need to worry. That Midland Circle financial company is just the Hand we discussed. I'll have Won-bin stay with you; they won't be able to stir up any trouble."
Hawk scoffed.
The Five Fingers of the Hand are all traitors to K'un-Lun. Although they've lived for hundreds of years, they are essentially just useless relics whose lives have achieved nothing. They've been fleeing K'un-Lun's pursuit like terrified rats scurrying in the sewer. Odds are, they can't even beat Won-bin.
"They're the Hand? Hah, they genuinely startled me. No wonder they had such a heavy aura of menace about them. I initially thought they might be military personnel." Emilia let out a sigh of relief.
With the Lane Group backing her, even the Italian Mafia was nothing.
She then asked, confused, "But why would a gang absolutely need to buy our building?"
Hawk was pondering that question, too. TCRI's ownership had been major news, so the fact that they still dared to look for trouble... the situation might not be simple.
"Unless... they have a reason why they absolutely must do this."
Hawk's expression turned odd. He thought he might have guessed the reason.
...If that's the case, then this is truly a windfall from heaven.
Emilia keenly noticed the shift in Hawk's tone. She asked, "Do you know something?"
"I have a guess, but I can't confirm it yet. I'll tell you later," Hawk said. "Did the other party leave you any contact information?"
"No," Emilia replied. "But they did leave an invitation. They're hosting a banquet tomorrow night, and the CEO of the Midland Circle financial company wants to talk to me personally."
"I also had some friends on Wall Street run a check. The Midland Circle financial company isn't well-known, but they're reasonably capable, with about a few billion dollars in assets. They count as a small giant on Wall Street."
"Alright," Hawk nodded. "Then I'll accompany you to the banquet tomorrow night. Let the CEO of that Midland Circle financial company talk to me."
If his guess was correct, even if he got the item, he wouldn't know how to use it—but the Five Fingers of the Hand would come in handy.
He had three cards to play: Invite them, Decapitate them, or Take them as his dogs!
He hoped the Five Fingers of the Hand wouldn't be foolish enough to reject his terms.
"Alright."
The two girls beside him were sound asleep. They hadn't managed to glean a single piece of information. Only women who had experienced Hawk's 'baptism' could truly feel the powerful impact and the unparalleled skill that delivered the ultimate sensory experience.
——————————
Want to read ahead of schedule? Head over to my Patreon ——— patreon(.)com/PrimalDemon [remove the parentheses ( )]
There are 50+ advance chapters available for you to read!