William's good mood peaked when he saw the name flashing on his phone screen.
Jessica Jones.
He answered the call, preempting her before she could even speak.
"Let me guess, a burst pipe, or the landlord hounding you for rent again?"
"I have to remind you, Jessica, my business does not include unsecured personal loans, especially for clients like you whose credit rating hovers at rock bottom year-round."
There was a two-second silence on the other end, followed by a distinct "gulp" of hard liquor being swallowed and the clinking of ice against a glass.
"Shut up, Xiao Wei."
Jessica's voice sounded utterly exhausted, with a suppressed anger, as if she'd just fought an entire rugby team. "I'm not in the mood to flirt with you."
"That's truly my honor."
William shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa. "After all, the last time you said that, I woke up the next day with a sore back that lasted three days."
"…" Jessica seemed to choke, her breathing on the phone growing heavier. "Let's get to the point. We're in trouble, big trouble."
"Your trouble, is my business opportunity."
"Please, do tell."
"The Hand and HYDRA, somehow, got together."
Jessica was concise, omitting all unnecessary complaints and curses.
"We've been dealing with their mess these past few days, from human trafficking at the docks to drug deals in Hell's Kitchen."
"But their numbers keep growing, like unkillable cockroaches."
"Luke, no matter how tough his skin, needs to sleep, and Danny's fist, no matter how bright, eventually runs out of power."
"As for Matt… he can barely get out of bed and walk right now."
William's smile faded slightly.
HYDRA's efficiency was higher than he expected.
They hadn't come directly for him, the "source of pollution," but had started from the periphery, from Daredevil and his "accomplices."
This was a test, and also a form of pressure.
"So?"
"So we need manpower, people who can fight."
Jessica's voice carried a hint of impatience.
"Didn't you claim to be the golden Agent of New York's superhuman circle? Wide connections, unconventional methods. Now, here's your chance to prove it."
William raised an eyebrow, about to use his professional sales pitch to introduce the concepts of "referral fees" and "consulting services," but Jessica cut him off first.
"Danny Rand said,"
Her tone paused, as if she found what she was about to say slightly absurd, "as long as you can find reliable help, for each person you refer, Rand Corporation will pay a five hundred thousand U.S. dollar 'talent recommendation fee.'"
William's breathing stopped for half a second.
Five hundred thousand?
Each?
U.S. dollars?
Countless "$" symbols cascaded through his mind like a waterfall, sweeping through his mental backend.
He had just been smug about Thor's unconfirmed Asgardian insurance policy, and in the blink of an eye, an even more direct, more brutal, more tangible sum of money had just slammed into his face.
Defenders, no, what kind of alliance was this!
This was clearly his ATM Alliance!
He instantly sat up straight, his previous lazy posture vanishing without a trace, replaced by the most focused and enthusiastic attitude a golden insurance consultant would display when facing a top client.
"My dear Jessica!"
His voice was filled with sincerity and concern.
"Why didn't you say so sooner! Your current situation is so critical, and as your staunchest supporter, your most reliable risk management consultant, I am simply burning with anxiety!"
"Mere remuneration is not worth mentioning; saving my clients from dire straits is William Rodriguez's undeniable responsibility!"
"Save it," Jessica scoffed on the other end. "I can practically hear you counting money. Yes or no, give me a straight answer."
"Of course, yes!"
William was decisive. "I happen to have several excellent 'freelancer' resources. Their professional abilities are outstanding, they're experienced, and… their schedules are wide open. I'll recommend them to you one by one right now."
He cleared his throat, his brain working at lightning speed, reviewing his hidden "client list."
"First up, Moon Knight."
"Who?"
"Moon Knight."
William's tone was filled with a professional recommendation. "He is an… um, Egyptian mythology-themed performance artist, and also a very dedicated night security specialist."
"His advantages are a highly watchable combat style, powerful self-healing abilities, and at least three different personalities, allowing him to perfectly adapt to various combat environments. Buy one, get two free, extremely cost-effective."
Silence on the other end.
Jessica seemed to be processing the words "performance artist" and "buy one, get two free."
"Speak English."
"A fighting lunatic."
"…Alright, next."
William's lips curled into a smile.
"Second, this one is quite special, codenamed Deadpool."
"Sounds like a killer."
"No, no, no, you can't define him with such a narrow profession."
William's tone grew even more enthusiastic.
"He is a unique mercenary, a master linguist, a philosopher who breaks the fourth wall."
"His combat skills might not be the absolute best, but he possesses true immortality and a powerful ability that can drive any enemy insane—chatterbox."
"Believe me, throw him into a battlefield, and HYDRA Agents will be crying and begging you to kill him."
"An unkillable, neurotic chatterbox?"
Jessica summarized.
"A very incisive summary."
"…Next."
Jessica's voice sounded somewhat numb already.
"Third, a newcomer, still growing, but with huge potential."
William's mind conjured the image of the teenager swinging between buildings in Queens in a homemade suit.
"He calls himself Spider-Man."
Pushing Peter Parker to the forefront was a risky move. But William instantly understood.
Instead of letting him be secretly observed as a "potential asset" by Osborn's people in the shadows, it was better to directly pull him into this already chaotic battlefield.
Under the wing of Defenders, at the intersection of S.H.I.E.L.D. and HYDRA's sightlines, he would actually be safer.
Most importantly, this would completely derail those people's "observation plans."
"Spider-Man?"
Jessica seemed to have heard the name.
"That kid who climbs all over Queens? That high schooler under your wing?"
"Are you going to send me Cloak and Dagger next?"
"Heroes come from all walks of life; age is not an issue."
William stated righteously,
"He possesses extraordinary strength, speed, and reflexes, and an intuition I call 'Danger Prediction.'"
"Most importantly, he's cheap to hire; a pizza can get the job done, which perfectly suits your current tight financial situation. I can make the decision, his five hundred thousand recommendation fee, you can just deposit it directly into my account."
A fighting lunatic.
An immortal chatterbox.
A friendly neighborhood boy.
Jessica was silent for a long time on the other end; William could even hear her taking another big gulp of alcohol.
"Rodriguez,"
She finally spoke, her voice filled with an inexpressible weariness, "Sometimes I really don't understand whether your client list is a talent directory or a patient roster from Arkham Asylum."
"My dear, you just don't understand."
William leaned back on the sofa, a satisfied smile on his face. "To deal with lunatics, you need even crazier lunatics. That's called risk hedging."
"Send me their contact information."
Jessica gave up arguing.
"The money will be in the account within twenty-four hours. One point five million, not a cent less."
"Pleasure doing business."
Hanging up the phone, William tossed it aside and sank into the soft sofa.
He held up three fingers and wiggled them in the air.
Five hundred thousand, one million, one point five million.
With just one phone call, a huge sum of money, enough to comfortably live out the rest of his life in any corner of this World, had been so easily acquired.
This World, its chaos was truly reassuring.
He picked up his private phone and began editing contact information.
"contract, do me a favor."
"contract: Sir, please proceed."
"Create an encrypted temporary communication channel, pull Moon Knight, Deadpool, and Spider-Man into it. Then draft a 'Talent Outsourcing Service contract,' with Rand Corporation as Party A and the four of them as Party B. Oh, right, at the end of the contract, in the smallest possible font, add a supplementary clause."
"contract: Please indicate the content of the supplementary clause."
William's face broke into a cunning, profiteering smile.
"This talent recommendation service is exclusively provided by William Insurance Brokerage Company, with final interpretative rights reserved by this company."
"All accidents, casualties, psychological trauma, and property losses arising from this service are unrelated to this company."
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