Hawk didn't give this matter much thought.
After returning home, he continued to connect his computer to his phone's hotspot, beginning to browse relevant information online.
The Battle of New York took place in June; it's been three months since then. Therefore, some photos and videos of people possessing Chitauri Soldier weapons have circulated online, more or less.
You can even find the related weapon's value.
Like the bottom-tier trade website Hawk is currently browsing.
He stumbled upon this while surfing the web—he initially thought it was just an ordinary trading website until he saw a video of a Western European girl being auctioned at a marked price with live bidding.
However, Hawk just glanced at it and moved on to see other things.
First, as he just told Spider Spirit, he isn't kind-hearted; at least he wouldn't soften up and help when seeing others suffer.
In the past, when he needed help, needed someone to come out and uphold justice, no one came out to assist him.
So...
Let go of the helping obsession, respect others' fates.
Of course, Hawk thinks that while he is not good, he certainly is not an evil person either.
So he chose not to continue watching the auction but opted for peace of mind.
A little while later.
After browsing some posts selling Chitauri weapons on the black market forum, Hawk gained a rough estimate for his five trophies.
The weapons of the Chitauri Soldiers—those four riffraff soldiers—are roughly within the fifteen thousand to twenty thousand range.
Of course, that's the price for a single weapon.
As for the weapon he captured from the Chitauri squad leader, there isn't anything similar on the forum, but he already has a baseline price in mind.
Minimum forty thousand.
Calculating based on a single weapon's price of sixteen thousand, four weapons would be sixty-four thousand, plus the squad leader's weapon, that totals one hundred and four thousand.
Hmm.
Let's call it one million.
Hawk pondered, then chose to open an anonymous post, his hands typing away at the keyboard.
『Selling four nearly new Chitauri Soldier Energy Weapons, plus one Chitauri Squad Leader Energy Weapon, package price one million, contact if interested.』
Click, send.
After sending the post, Hawk originally thought it might take a long time before someone responded, yet as he turned to pour himself a glass of water, someone contacted him.
Ding dong.
Hawk heard the message notification sound, held his water cup, sat back down on his folding stool, and then opened the message.
"Can I see the photos?"
"... Sure, hold on."
Hawk stroked his chin, replied with a message, then got up and returned to his bedroom, subsequently dragging out the weapons he had wrapped in bedsheets from under the bed.
After pulling out the bedsheet, he gazed at the tightly wrapped sheet, blinked, shook his head, uncovered it, looked at the five weapons inside, then picked up his phone, took a picture, and returned to the living room.
Quickly.
Photo upload succeeded.
The opposite side soon sent a new message.
"Received, looks nice."
"Thanks, interested?"
"Of course."
Seeing the response, Hawk raised an eyebrow.
Goodness.
Is luck this good, selling so soon?
Hawk found it fascinating.
But then he thought, these are alien weapons; Earth doesn't have them, they're scarce, and it's that kind where selling one lessens one more, so whoever sees them would naturally try to buy them immediately.
At this moment, the other side sent a message again.
"One million is fine, I want them, but it has to be a face-to-face transaction."
"..."
Hawk stared at this sentence, couldn't help but murmur.
He seemed to think of something; some law enforcement officers, like the FBI or CIA, like to squat in bottom-tier black market networks doing fishing enforcement.
So, chatting with him could possibly be a federal agent on the other side of the computer, excited they've caught a big fish?
Hawk was hesitant.
But soon he laughed.
Who is he.
He dared to break into Quantico Military Base, is he afraid of the FBI?
If so, it happens to break some of his ideas, and he can recklessly throw caution to the wind.
Hawk pondered, then his hands typed on the keyboard, responding.
"No problem, you choose the address or I do."
"You choose then, I see your IP is in New York City; I'm also in New York City, anywhere in the city works for a trade."
"..."
Hawk looked at the message sent and raised an eyebrow.
He eliminated the possibility of the other being a federal agent.
Indeed.
His computer tech skills are just so-so, not a master, so it's easy for the other side to locate him via IP, and if they were federal agents, by now they should be knocking on his door shouting, "FBI! Open The Door!"
Hawk thought, instinctively turned to look at the door.
Hmm.
No comedic effect whatsoever.
The door is silent, the corridor outside quiet.
Don't know why, Hawk felt a bit disappointed, but he turned back, looked at the computer text, thought, then typed back to the other side.
"How about Calvin in Glendale."
"Okay, what time?"
"Tomorrow morning?"
"Okay, do you want cash or a check?"
"Hehe."
Hawk looking at the other's question couldn't help but laugh: "Of course cash, checks need to pay taxes."
Especially those unexpected income taxes, IRS charges harshly.
Let's put it this way.
Unexpected income exceeding sixty thousand ninety-three hundred results in a thirty-seven percent tax charge by the IRS.
Meaning if he takes a check, IRS does nothing but gets thirty-seven thousand off him.
It's literally robbery.
And it's legal robbery.
"Aren't you afraid IRS will notice a problem next year when you file taxes, and come for you?"
"Let them try."
This is income earned by his ability; why should taxes be taken from him.
No matter what, Hawk won't pay this tax.
If others had his ability, they would've already lived in luxury; he obeys the law so much, just wants to earn money to improve life, if IRS even wants to rob him then, don't blame him for flipping out.
The opposite side, seeing Hawk's reply, seemed to pause.
A moment later, the opposite responded again.
"Okay, I've just arranged for someone to gather the money, one million cash is no problem, but now there's only one last question."
"What?"
"Tomorrow at the location, how do I contact you."
"I'll find you."
"Good, deal."
"Deal!"
"..."