If Corin, whose temperament was outstanding and whose clothes were exquisite, looked only a bit eye-catching when he came out of the luxurious Manhattan hotel, as he gradually walked into the heart of Hell's Kitchen, he became completely out of place.
Neon tubes flickered shadows on the peeling bricks, and whispers of drug deals came from behind rusted iron doors.
The glass of abandoned bars was covered in filthy grime, inside curled emaciated junkies.
White mists of rot steamed from the manhole, and behind every door there seemed to be a pair of greedy eyes.
Even the stray cats carried coins with bullet holes in their mouths.
This was a paradise of crime, Hell's Kitchen. [T/N: From Dareveil franchise]
Wearing the mask and transformed into a noble prince, Corin ignored the women who came to flirt and walked straight into an antique shop.
Although the shelves were full of moldy old books and dried bone statues, a biometric scanner was embedded in the wall.
After confirming Corin carried no weapons, the guard in the shadows relaxed his grip on his gun and the entrance to the underground exchange slowly opened.
It was Corin's first time here. After a flight of stairs down there was a spacious hall.
The hall was not luxurious but it was clean.
The air filtration system blew cedar scent, a strong contrast to the rot on the floor.
All kinds of people flowed through the private rooms, but when they saw Corin many revealed looks of admiration.
There was even an attendant who looked the part of a retainer who specially invited Corin to dine with his mistress.
After politely declining, Corin went to the service desk and called softly three times before waking the receptionist, who looked at him with starstruck eyes.
After choosing the board for taking tasks, he entered a small room according to the number on it.
There was only a chair and a screen in the room. After Corin sat down he seemed to hear a faint female voice from the speakers, ["Oh my God, he is so handsome!"]
When the door closed the screen automatically displayed a dense list of bounty tasks, scrolling in a loop.
Finding people, assassinations, kidnappings, threats, cutting off hands and feet. The bounty amounts always left Corin somewhat unsatisfied.
Of course, after taking in two million at once, anyone would feel the other amounts were just so-so.
Suddenly Corin's gaze was drawn to a task scrolling by:
[Protect Tony Stark, bounty 1,000,000 dollars.]
Among so many tasks, commissions to protect someone or serve as a bodyguard were almost none.
It was as if the clients tacitly believed the gentlemen of Hell's Kitchen were better at killing and destruction.
A smile tugged at his mouth. Tony really was a popular figure.
Not for any other reason, Corin had already seen several contracts related to Tony Stark. Most were assassinations.
The highest bounty was only 800,000 dollars.
This protection mission was as high as 1,000,000, the highest-priced bounty so far.
There were indeed many who had designs on Tony.
Without hesitation, Corin chose to take the mission to protect Tony Stark.
At the same time, people in other private rooms of the exchange saw the notification that the bodyguard task had been claimed and they discussed it:
"He dares take a Tony Stark-related job, this guy must be tired of living!"
"Exactly. Whoever targets Tony's head is top capital magnates or a local overlord. Retail players who can only pick tasks here aren't worth their while."
"Good luck, brave soul!"
———
Corin did not know these remarks. He only saw a drawer pop up at the bottom of the screen containing a phone and a card.
Just as he was puzzling over the card, the phone rang.
First-timers here did not know the rules. Staff prompts sounded around him, ["The employer is calling, please answer."]
Corin realized and picked up the phone.
["Hello, Mr. Courage, glad you took this task."]
The encrypted dial and muffled voice allowed Corin to barely catch the content but not discern the timbre.
["Mr. Stark will soon go to Afganistan for business activities. I will arrange you to be by his side so you can complete the bodyguard task."]
Corin listened and felt it made perfect sense.
But then the phone content took a one hundred eighty degree turn, ["By the way, Mr. Courage, would you like to hear about a deal worth 3,000,000?"]
Corin's eyes brightened at the sound of three million. A new high.
"I'd be willing to hear it."
The man on the other end seemed very pleased and continued explaining, ["It's like this. Protecting Mr. Stark pays one million. I also have a task to kill Mr. Stark, worth three million. Mr. Courage, any interest?"]
Things got interesting.
A hint of playfulness showed in Corin's eyes as he waited for further explanation.
["Sir, do not be suspicious, it is just business. As I said, protect Mr. Stark on his return from Afganistan and one million will be paid in full. The kill contract on Mr. Stark is valid at any time."]
Corin was curious, "Respected employer, I understand the task rules, but why choose me? I mean the latter task."
A low laugh sounded from the other end of the line:
["Mr. Courage, it's not that I chose you, you chose the task. When you took the bodyguard task, I knew you had extraordinary nerve."]
'Nerve my foot. Probably no one dares take a Tony task.'
Corin mentally scoffed, then thought that Tony had not yet gone to Afganistan, so there would be room to maneuver.
After a pleasant exchange, they hung up.
Per the staff's explanation, the card in the drawer was the voucher for taking the task. It contained the employer's bank account number and code.
Corin Roch did not know a code was required, so he improvised a phonetic term for his name, Cockroach.
Amid the receptionist's reluctant farewells, Corin left the underground exchange with the mission contact phone.
———
Back in the Manhattan hotel, Corin lay on the bed and considered the upcoming mission.
He remembered Tony had suffered a lot in Afganistan and that the rare compassion in his arrogant personality had awakened.
In short, he almost died under a missile developed by his own company, and felt the chill down his back.
That was why he later decided to cancel all weapons development projects.
Corin thought that as a bounty hunter he should show some respect for his first job, 'Whether or not this is the future Iron Man, if he comes into my hands now, sorry, I am an emotionless bounty hunter.'
With that, Corin knew the direction his abilities should develop.
He realized he lacked a long-range attack method.
Before this, relying on Jeet Kune Do mastery to roam Brooklyn, in the gunfire of Afganistan facing fully armed Taliban, Corin understood he must have an outstanding long-range strike method.
"Guns? Bows? Or something else?"
Carefully flipping through the system shop, Corin fell into deep hesitation.
Any one would be fine. But they were expensive.
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