Mike was awakened from his sweet dream by his phone ringing.
"Are you insane? Are you absolutely insane?! Do you know how much trouble you've caused? Thirty million U.S. dollars, thirty million U.S. dollars!" As soon as the call connected, Fat Jerry's roaring voice came through, "I've arranged a boat. Get out of NY first."
"Calm down, calm down. Can you please calm down?"
"How the hell am I supposed to calm down? Thirty million U.S. dollars! If you don't leave, what if I get tempted?! I can't control myself anymore."
Is that why you're excited? Mike was speechless. He really chose the wrong friends.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Are you deeply moved?"
Other than "damn it" and raising a middle finger of "gratitude," how else could Mike respond?
"I thought you couldn't wait for me to die so you could inherit my game coins and equipment."
"How could that be?!" Fat Jerry roared from the depths of his soul, "Am I that kind of person? Am I that kind of person?! Game coins, equipment, bank accounts, passwords—they're all mine… mine!"
"My money is for my son, what are you… "
"Dad!"
Mike was choked by something called "shamelessness."
Good heavens.
Mike immediately hung up the phone, transferred one U.S. cent to Fat Jerry via online banking to show his admiration, and then called Fat Jerry again.
Fat Jerry: "Thank you, Dad."
Mike: "…"
Why did he feel such a deep sense of powerlessness instead? What was that saying again? "Shamelessness is invincible"?
Fat Jerry: "No more joking. Seriously, I have a boat on the Hudson. You can take the boat to New Jersey and then find a way to leave the U.S.. Don't worry, although the boat was rigged with explosives, they've already been removed."
"Uh, why emphasize that the boat was rigged with explosives?"
"Because the boat really was rigged with explosives! This was for escaping. If any scumbag dared to steal or rob it, I'd blow him to kingdom come, alright." Fat Jerry said angrily, "The main thing now is, you need to run away quickly."
"Heh heh!"
"Heh heh?" Fat Jerry was puzzled.
"To be honest with you, I'm playing a very big game, a game worth thirty million U.S. dollars."
"Tell me about it?" Fat Jerry was very interested. As long as it involved money, he was interested.
"Simply put, it's similar to the Deacon Frost incident last time."
"This time the bounty is thirty million U.S. dollars. The Deacon Frost incident was at most a hundred thousand. You call that similar?"
"Don't worry, a mere few dozen or hundred assassins can't do anything to me. I have connections!"
"Connections… a female superior?" Fat Jerry suddenly made a lewd joke, catching Mike off guard.
"Stop!" Mike quickly hit the brakes. He couldn't speed. There was great terror at 404.
"Tsk!" Fat Jerry scoffed, then asked again, "Are you really going to be okay?"
"No, just treat this as a sting operation targeting criminals. If anything really goes wrong, I'll be the first to run."
"Oh, alright then. Good that nothing will happen. You scared your dad to death. Be careful, I'm hanging up…"
Call me dad for money, then call yourself dad when nothing's wrong. Where's your integrity?
"Wait! Did you forget how we handled Deacon Frost's bounty?" That time, Mike, through Fat Jerry, actively sold his information to Deacon Frost.
He wanted both the money and his life.
"This time it works too?"
"Why not?"
"Heh heh…" x 2.
Finally, the two scoundrels agreed to split the profits fifty-fifty and hung up the phone.
Not long after hanging up, Mike received an unexpected call, from Kingpin.
Kingpin was the biggest underworld boss in NY, and even the entire U.S.. As the Continental Hotel's biggest client, he knew about the hotel's bounty as soon as it was announced.
Unexpectedly, Kingpin only called to tell Mike to be careful of assassins from The Hand, Japan's yakuza, Russia's mafia, and so on. Although they usually obeyed Kingpin, their relationship was more like an alternative partnership. Kingpin provided the plan, and these gangs implemented it. If Kingpin could make them money, they would be obedient to him. If not, they could easily become rebellious traitors.
As an underworld emperor, Kingpin's methods were like those of ancient emperors: first, ruthless killing methods; second, the art of checks and balances among the various underground gangs.
However, thirty million U.S. dollars was not a small sum. Kingpin ordered them not to participate, but there were definitely some who would feign compliance while secretly defying him.
This kind of feigned compliance was something Kingpin was willing to see. If Mike could be killed, that would be best. If not, this call would become a friendly signal, and afterwards, Kingpin would deal with those who feigned compliance, while also deterring the people in the underground, killing two birds with one stone.
Mike was well aware of Kingpin's intentions—the power tactics that the old ancestors of China had been playing for thousands of years.
As for how Kingpin knew Mike's phone number… well, it was on his business card.
"It's almost time to set off. What surprises await me on the way?" Mike showed an expectant smile.
Many times, it seemed like trouble actively sought him out. If he wanted to hide, couldn't he hide? If he couldn't hide, weren't there more efficient, less troublesome methods?
The answer was: yes.
But Mike subconsciously ignored them.
Why?
Because he also wanted to live an exciting life.
It was bad enough without a system; this World was too dangerous. With a system, would he really be content to be just a supermarket owner?
Having skills but only wanting to be a lazy bum?
Some people might want that, but that person would definitely not be Mike.
The so-called "fantasy materialization" ability largely reflected the ability user's subconscious and desires.
Momochi Zabuza – Silent Killing: "Throat, spine, lungs, liver, carotid artery, subclavian artery, heart, kidneys… Eight places. Which vital point do you want me to attack?!"
Roronoa Zoro – "Nine mountains and eight seas, nothing I cannot cut… Three Thousand Worlds!"
Senbonzakura – "Scatter, Senbonzakura!" and "Bankai, Senbonzakura Kageyoshi!"
Above, which one isn't a master of showing off?
Mike, he didn't want to be a superhero. He wanted to live an exciting, thrilling life.
"Phew~"
He habitually lit a cigarette, exhaling white smoke. Mike's face became hazy in the smoke.
A ball of black energy floated out from Mike's heart.
"Eh?"
Mike was stunned, and then the black energy floated into his glabella.
System notification:
[You silly, chuunibyou, older youth, from tonight onwards, your name shall echo through the stars. Fight! Kill! You!]
Mike: "Uh…"
Can I take it back? I won't get hyped up by myself anymore. Can you please retract "silly, chuunibyou, older youth"?
Please let me go.
However, the system not only exploited the workers but was also cold and ruthless, completely ignoring the workers' tearful protests.
The black energy entered his consciousness space, condensing into a… black seed?
What does that mean?
It gave him fruit before, now it gives him a seed… cutting corners?
What's the use of a seed?
Will it take root and sprout, and bear special destiny fruits by itself?
No way, no way…