The next day, Chen Ye sat quietly in the restaurant, patiently awaiting the System's upgrade.
He decided to brew himself a pot of fragrant tea, entering a state of self-care and relaxation to soothe his frayed nerves.
The tea slowly unfurled in the cup, releasing a faint, pleasant aroma.
Chen Ye took a gentle sip, savoring the tea's smooth texture and subtle sweetness.
However, his gaze gradually drifted into deep thought.
Yesterday's threat from Black Egghead, using Hell's Kitchen as leverage, had made him realize he needed to prepare.
He recalled the early days when he only had the restaurant and his apartment, never imagining such a situation could arise.
But now that his territory had expanded to encompass all of Hell's Kitchen, he had to carefully consider how to defend it.
*It would be great if I could get my hands on Wakanda's force field technology,* he thought, *the kind that surrounds their entire city.*
*That way, even if Loki brought Thanos's henchmen, we could at least withstand the initial assault.*
The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea. After all, Wakanda had plenty of vibranium.
While Chen Ye didn't need vibranium himself, it was worth a lot of money!
However, he also knew it wouldn't be easy.
Wakanda's technology was their unique secret weapon and wouldn't be shared lightly. But that was a problem for later. Chen Ye wasn't in a hurry.
If all else failed, he could always pay them a visit and apply some friendly pressure. Since Wakanda was entirely Black, Chen Ye felt no moral qualms about it.
But that was a problem for the future. Chen Ye wasn't in a hurry.
He believed that with enough patience and determination, he would eventually get what he wanted.
Thinking of this, Chen Ye's mood lifted again.
He continued to savor his tea, enjoying the tranquility and peace.
Just then, a man in a suit and silver-rimmed blind glasses entered the restaurant.
The man walked straight toward Chen Ye, who was sipping his tea, and asked, "Excuse me, is there still a room for rent here?"
Chen Ye, delighted to hear someone was looking to rent, looked up and replied, "Yes, there is."
But as soon as Chen Ye looked at the man in the silver-rimmed blind glasses, his brow furrowed.
*This blind guy is Matthew Murdock,* Chen Ye thought. *How many more superheroes is this place going to attract? It's practically a superhero convention.*
*Did this guy get kicked out for not paying his rent?*
Chen Ye quickly added, "I have a room for rent, but I don't want to rent it to you."
Hearing his refusal, Matthew frowned. "Why not? Do you have any other requirements?"
Matthew didn't understand why he'd been rejected. He'd come this time to see Chen Ye, the newly crowned king of Hell's Kitchen, known as the Lord of Hell.
His second reason was his empty pockets. After being kicked out by his former landlord, he'd come to try his luck.
Chen Ye set down his teacup and replied indifferently, "I don't rent to people who can't pay. I've already got a pile of tenants who are behind on rent. If this keeps up, my apartment will be overflowing with homeless people."
Matthew's face flushed with embarrassment, but he quickly regained his composure. "Sir, you must have misunderstood. I'm a lawyer, not someone who can't pay rent."
Chen Ye smiled slightly, his voice carrying an unfathomable depth. "I know all lawyers have stable incomes—except for you, Matthew Murdock. Or should I call you Daredevil?"
Matthew recoiled, his eyes widening in alarm. "How do you know my identity?"
He wasn't surprised that Chen Ye knew his name. As a blind lawyer, he had a certain reputation in Hell's Kitchen.
He was deeply surprised that Chen Ye knew his secret identity as Daredevil.
Daredevil was his clandestine persona, operating nightly to combat criminals and dismantle Kingpin's empire.
And now, Chen Ye had uncovered this secret.
Matthew grew worried. As Kingpin's godfather, would Chen Ye retaliate against him for this?
However, Chen Ye didn't answer Matthew's question immediately.
He remained seated on the sofa, his gaze profound and steady as he studied Matthew.
After a moment, he spoke slowly, "Don't worry. If we'd wanted to trouble you, we would have done so long ago."
"You don't really think your identity is that mysterious, do you? Consider how many blind people there are in Hell's Kitchen. Add their capabilities and a little investigation, and it's not hard to find out."
Matthew felt a pang of frustration.
He had always believed his secret was well-hidden, only to realize it was as transparent as glass to people like Chen Ye.
But Chen Ye wasn't finished.
"It's not just me who knows. Uncle Kingpin does too. He was just washing his hands of the criminal underworld at the time, using you to destroy those who wanted to keep operating outside the law."
This revelation left Matthew utterly stunned.
It turned out that every action he took was controlled by others, and his so-called independence and freedom were nothing more than being a pawn in someone else's game.
Chen Ye actually admired Matthew Murdock before him. After transmigrating, they had almost identical experiences.
Both were born and raised in Hell's Kitchen, as native residents. Both went to college and tried to change the status quo of their neighborhood.
The only difference was that Chen Ye had the System and Kingpin's backing.
Strictly speaking, Chen Ye felt that in his previous life's movies, he couldn't be considered a hero, only a villain who wasn't *quite* as bad.
But Matthew Murdock had all the makings of a villain: he was blind, lived in a hellish world, had a miserable life, was bullied as a child, and his girlfriend left him. Even after becoming a lawyer, he couldn't afford his rent.
Despite all this, Matthew still wanted to change Hell's Kitchen through his own efforts, and he even upheld a no-kill principle like Batman. In the comics, even supervillains were brought to justice through legal means.
"This guy is basically a poor man's Batman," Chen Ye thought to himself.
Matthew chuckled self-mockingly at Chen Ye's explanation.
He'd always thought he was hiding his identity well, but it turned out to be riddled with flaws in others' eyes.
A bitter taste rose in Matthew's heart as he acknowledged the gap between himself and Chen Ye.
Chen Ye possessed an exceptional mind and broad vision, capable of transforming the entire environment of Hell's Kitchen, while Matthew could only struggle in its fringes.
He admitted his failure and accepted that Chen Ye was simply superior.
After a moment of silence, Matthew sighed deeply. "Thank you for the explanation. I should get back to house hunting." His voice carried a hint of helplessness and disappointment as he turned to leave.
Watching Matthew's dejected figure, Chen Ye still felt a pang of sympathy.
*Sigh, I'm too soft,* he thought. *I'm already behind on rent for more than one place. What's one more?*
"I've changed my mind," Chen Ye called out. "You can stay here for free, but only if you work for me." It was as if he were pointing Matthew toward a new path.
A warm current surged through Matthew's heart at these words.
He looked at Chen Ye with confusion, wondering what it meant to work for him.
-----------------------
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