"This will probably ruin a lot of people," Daniel thought with a grin as he browsed through the ledger he had obtained from Wilson Fisk. The ledger contained the details of bribes, showing amounts paid to people from members of Congress down to ordinary police officers.
Even though keeping such records was dangerous, underground organizations always maintained them as leverage. In these kinds of transactions, without written proof, people would often refuse to honor their deals—especially when it came to illicit dealings.
"Matt is going to be very busy," he mused. With the downfall of Madame Gao and Fisk—two of New York City's major crime bosses—their subordinates would be left without leadership. In the ensuing power struggle, the Hell's Kitchen police, who were already compromised by bribes, would find themselves overwhelmed. The National Guard might even be required to restore order.
"And now, it's time to go after Gao's network of drug dealers. These people have really thrown all caution to the wind just to come to the USA," Daniel thought. Madame Gao's primary business was drug trafficking. Like certain factions from Russia who used taxi drivers as cover, Gao's people took it a step further by employing blind individuals to manufacture and distribute drugs. Gao herself acted as both supplier and manufacturer, accumulating an immense fortune.
Despite her humble attire, Gao spent a considerable amount on health and longevity each year, taking her obsession with survival to an extreme. From her memories, Daniel learned that many Chinese immigrants, who had smuggled themselves into the USA, willingly worked for her, lured by the high pay. Although Gao only paid a fraction of her earnings, the salary was still quite generous. For those willing to sacrifice their sight, a few years of this work could secure them a fortune back home.
This reminded Daniel of a story he'd once read about a man who, during China's early days of reform, sold his family's ancestral courtyard for tens of thousands and went to the USA. After decades of hard work and amassing a small fortune, he returned to find that his old family home was now worth a billion. He had worked his entire life, only to realize he would have been better off staying at home.
Of course, Daniel wasn't judging him—nobody knows the future without hindsight. But he did wonder about those willing to go so far as to give up their eyesight for money. For Daniel, living without the ability to see this vibrant world—or to appreciate beautiful sights—wouldn't be worth any amount.
"Let's see how the International Disability Alliance handles this," he thought, as he notified the authorities, then published Fisk's "confession" online, burning down his mansion afterward. Copies of Fisk's ledger were sent to every major news outlet in the country and even circulated among the hacker community.
As expected, the ledger's exposure, combined with Fisk's confession, plunged New York into chaos. Matt Murdock, by day a lawyer, found himself overwhelmed with cases, while at night he continued his vigilante duties across the city. Public confidence in the police plummeted, as nearly every officer in Hell's Kitchen was implicated.
But Daniel had little interest in the aftermath in New York, as he was now with Yakushiji Ryouko and her two maids in Japan.
Ryouko had reached out to him the day after witnessing his strength against the Hand's forces. If it had been anyone else, Daniel might not have agreed, but Ryouko, a beauty, had her own charm.
She invited him to Japan to personally examine ADDC9, the drug at the center of the recent scandal. Though he initially suggested having a sample sent to him, he eventually agreed to the trip as a convenient reason to leave New York. After all, he knew of a certain military research facility soon to experience a violent incident. Even though the incident wouldn't directly connect to him, leaving town for a while seemed wise. Plus, he was curious about the so-called "Elixir of Eternal Youth." Could it really reverse aging?
Upon arriving in Kamurocho, where the research facility was located, Ryouko's family easily acquired a sample of ADDC9 for testing in their company lab.
"I can confirm it now—this drug is highly toxic," Daniel said after analyzing the sample. He found that the drug caused discoloration in the eyes, which was why the victims had their eyes removed post-mortem.
Although Ryouko's family primarily ran a security company, their enterprise was actually a diversified conglomerate. Her father, a former police commissioner, had numerous retired officers and detectives working in their firm, giving her family considerable influence in Japan.
"Now let's see how she handles it," Ryouko said as she rose from her seat, preparing to launch a counterattack. With the toxic side effects of ADDC9 exposed and numerous victims found eyeless, government officials had no choice but to investigate.
If ADDC9 had truly been successful, it would have been a monumental achievement for Japan, providing significant political and economic benefits. However, if it turned out to be a fraud, those involved would face disgrace—and some might even end up in jail.
In addition to Japanese officials, investors who had poured substantial funds into ADDC9 would likely lose everything, and some might be driven to desperate measures.
"After this scandal, the Yakushiji family's business might even see growth here in Japan," Daniel mused. Through Gao's memories, he had learned that the rivalry between Ruriko Shido and the Yakushiji family was more than just personal. Both were in the security industry, and in such a field, competition was often fierce.
But Ruriko had conflated business rivalry with underhanded schemes, thinking that eliminating the Yakushiji family would automatically lead to her company's success. She failed to realize that a reputation for protection couldn't be built on mere power plays.
"I find one thing odd. Wouldn't this situation normally be handled by your older sister?" Daniel asked Ryouko as they sat across from each other in a restaurant in the Yakushiji family's corporate building.
"I'm the next in line to lead JACES, so it's my responsibility," Ryouko replied, surprising Daniel. Noticing his puzzled expression, she added, "You watch too many TV dramas. Not every family falls apart over inheritance. My sister is…"
She trailed off, but Daniel could see she had a good relationship with her sister.
"Congratulations," Daniel replied sincerely. He admired how their family had managed to avoid the rivalries that often plagued business dynasties.
"Ryouko, what exactly are you up to?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted. Daniel looked up to see two striking women approaching. One, a short-haired woman with glasses, glared angrily at Ryouko, while the other looked on with a helpless expression.
"Well, if it isn't the wandering actress herself. How nice of you to drop by. And Midori, it's been too long," Ryouko said, her tone warm for Midori but icy for the woman in glasses.
"Both of you, stop fighting; we have company here," Midori said, trying to defuse the situation.
Introductions revealed that these two were Ryouko's former classmates from law school. They had all been popular at the university—talented, beautiful, and from notable families. The woman with glasses, whose father was a retired police commissioner, had a contentious relationship with Ryouko, while Midori's father was a senior prosecutor.
"So what's the big deal? I'm exposing corruption, unlike some pretty vase who only knows how to look good. Go on and keep being the city's model deputy mayor," Ryouko taunted.
The glasses-wearing woman's face flushed with anger. Clearly, she wasn't as skilled as Ryouko in verbal sparring.
Daniel took this as his cue to excuse himself, realizing he was playing the third wheel. Despite the apparent animosity, it seemed to be their way of interacting as friends and rivals.
"So this is the Elixir of Eternal Youth, huh?" Daniel examined a sample, which his clone had obtained from a lab. Previously, the clone had taken Gao to recover her assets, which led them to Japan. Here, Daniel instructed it to investigate the Tsukuyomi Association.
What the clone found was disappointing. The so-called elixir was nothing more than a catalyst that enlarged biological organisms, creating the illusion of increased vitality when, in reality, it merely accelerated the depletion of their life force.
The Tsukuyomi Association had already conducted experiments, which all ended with subjects rapidly aging and dying. The deaths were attributed to food poisoning, and the matter was quietly covered up.
"Even the experiments of the Golden Lion Shiki were better than this," Daniel noted. Shiki had tried to create giant creatures to combat the navy and world government, with far more success.
"ADDC9 was a scam, and so is the Elixir of Eternal Youth. Ruriko really is playing everyone for fools," Daniel thought. His clone's investigation also uncovered Ruriko Shido's role as a high-ranking member of Japan's secret intelligence bureau, the Shibankan. Officially, the Shibankan was akin to the FBI but operated under much stricter secrecy.
Night fell, and gunfire echoed around the Yakushiji building as two heavily armed groups clashed in the streets.
"They've truly torn off all pretenses. They've even brought in tanks and helicopters. It's a wonder the public actually believes this is a military drill," Daniel mused, noting the absurdity. The civilians in the area had been evacuated under the pretext of an anti-terrorism drill, with real weapons being used.
The official story was that any damage would be compensated by the government. With these assurances, and the area blocked off, the two factions could battle it out freely.
"Only Japan's Self
-Defense Forces would be this mismatched against mercenaries," Daniel observed. Ruriko's forces primarily consisted of members of the Self-Defense Forces, while Ryouko's side was made up of ex-soldiers and mercenaries from war zones worldwide.
Most security companies recruited former soldiers and mercenaries. Compared to the Self-Defense Forces, these people had far more experience and superior weapons.
"Wait, is that a Tyrant? She's using bio-weapons now? How reckless—does she not fear an outbreak of bioterrorism?" Daniel shook his head as Ruriko deployed her experimental bioweapon in a desperate bid to gain the upper hand. Although an antidote to the T-virus had been developed, a localized outbreak could still devastate a city.
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