Chapter 121: Exposing the Scandal
May 2, 2023 Author: Yue Shang Xintou
[Bronze Mark (80/100)]
[Faith (11684/10000)]
Anti-World Manhattan, 890 Fifth Avenue.
Inside the Dark Avengers' base.
Colin opened his eyes and stretched his stiff body.
In the Main World, he had already boarded the train back to New York, and what awaited him was another long journey.
Taking advantage of the return trip in the Main World, Colin shifted his attention back to Anti-World's New York.
"...New York Mayor Wilson Fisk has been discharged from the hospital and will return to his municipal duties. Previously, Wilson had been hospitalized for treatment after an attack by 'Spider-Man', one of the anti-registration activists."
"According to reports, Wilson's injuries have largely recovered. When asked by reporters about his feelings as he left, he gave reporters a thumbs-up. Simultaneously, he briefly accepted an interview, stating that he would not back down due to the previous attack and would continue to push for the implementation of executive orders..."
"You (Anti-Registration Faction) think you can defeat me through such means, but I assure the citizens of New York right here, as long as I, Wilson Fisk, am the Mayor of New York, I will not cease my struggle against these lawbreakers. New York City does not need your protection; get out of this city!"
The 'Spider-Man' attack provided Kingpin with ample excuse to push his agenda against anti-registration superheroes.
Since the incident, the activity of superheroes throughout New York City had drastically decreased. Some heroes who were once active on the streets had also abandoned their crime-fighting actions due to public opinion.
The majority of the public, unaware of the full picture, began to develop a sense of antipathy towards New York City's superheroes, influenced by Kingpin's rhetoric.
The latest polls indicated that over fifty percent of New York citizens now believed that anti-registration superheroes posed a threat. Before Kingpin's hospitalization, only about fifteen percent of citizens held such views. New York had instantly transformed from the city most welcoming to superheroes into one that was antagonistic towards them.
In his temporary residence, Colin pinpointed Howard's location using his [Super Hearing].
He then took a deep breath and, in the blink of an eye, changed his clothes back to the attire of The Frontline reporter, Clark Kent.
In front of the mirror, Colin adjusted his glasses, ensuring his appearance was in order.
Since unlocking Superman's [Super Speed] ability, his previously tight schedule seemed to have become much more accommodating.
"How is it? Any results?"
Approaching the control console, Colin looked at the silent Howard and asked.
Shaking his head, Howard turned his gaze to Colin's reporter attire for a moment before replying in a hoarse voice, "No."
"In fact, I've already infiltrated the entire city's surveillance equipment and found no loopholes."
As Howard responded, Tony in the base chimed in, "It seems Kingpin was well-prepared."
Colin had been working tirelessly to find clues proving Spider-Man's innocence.
However, it was clearly not easy, and even with the help of The Resistants, not much useful evidence had been found.
"Looks like our Spider-Man is going to be unemployed."
Even as an artificial intelligence, Tony was still as annoying as ever.
Ignoring Tony's voice, Colin's gaze swept across the dense surveillance footage on the control console, and he quickly made a decision.
"Howard, I need you to do me a favor."
A faint blue light flashed within his mechanical eye. Howard stared at Colin before him and said silently.
"Speak."
*Their father-son emotional contrast is quite significant.*
Muttering to himself about the reactions between Howard and Tony, Colin proceeded to state his idea.
"I need some evidence of Kingpin's connections to underground organizations, any time period will do."
Upon hearing Colin's request, the pupils of Howard's mechanical eyes contracted automatically. "You intend to...?"
Nodding, Colin didn't hide his purpose. "The reason New York citizens trust Kingpin is because, in their eyes, he's a successful self-made businessman. Once they know that the mayor they support isn't clean himself, they will naturally begin to doubt his actions."
"A crisis of trust, once it occurs, cannot be easily resolved with mere words."
Since he couldn't find evidence of Spider-Man's innocence, he might as well drag Kingpin down with him and muddy the waters.
"A good idea."
Before Howard could even speak after hearing Colin's plan, massive amounts of data began flashing across the screens on the control console, and soon, some photos of a young Kingpin appeared.
"Clearly, Kingpin is very careful about his underground identity and rarely exposes himself. Especially as the influence he wields has grown, many clues related to him have been handled, including records within the police system."
"However, the younger Kingpin didn't seem to be this cautious."
Tony had found a twenty-year-old report on the poor public safety in 'Hell's Kitchen'. The report mentioned the name of a gang at the time, and Kingpin's figure appeared in one of the blurry photographs. Due to the angle of the shot, the photo wasn't very clear, only allowing one to vaguely associate the burly figure with Kingpin's appearance.
Because of its age and the fact that the newspaper agency that published the report had gone out of business, not many people had paid attention to its contents. Even Kingpin himself hadn't noticed this news report and hadn't destroyed it.
If not for Tony's search, this old news report might have remained buried in history.
"Thanks, Tony."
Looking at Kingpin's blurry figure in the photograph from the news report, Colin's lips curled slightly.
He thanked Tony in the base, even though he was merely an artificial intelligence system created by Howard.
"You're welcome, this is just a task I can complete with ease."
"However, I need to remind you that this single blurry photograph might not be enough to bring down Kingpin, who is now the Mayor of New York."
"In fact, this is perfect."
Shaking his head, Colin had a different opinion on this matter.
"For the media, it's precisely because it's blurry that there's an opportunity for public opinion manipulation. Too definitive a result would instead lose its potential for manipulation."
Originally, this single news report wouldn't have been enough to truly force Kingpin out of office.
Since that was the case, it was better not to be too clear, thus giving readers who saw the news more room for imagination.
Creating a crisis of trust.
Feeling down, he decided to look at the United States in books, where the military was losing and the economy was in decline, finding some solace...
(end of chapter)