Hawk set down his phone, his serious expression returning as he walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.
Andy's efficiency was, as always, astonishing.
The "King" signature Hawk had deliberately left on the Busan base's main server, along with the "accidentally" photographed luxury watch during the base's destruction, were like huge stones dropped into a calm lake.
Bates Capital must be in complete turmoil right now, facing potential fury from Alexander Pierce over the secret exposure, desperately trying to cover their tracks, and possibly even making more desperate and foolish moves. This was exactly what Hawk wanted: chaotic enemies are easier to trip up and easier to eliminate entirely.
The intervention of S.H.I.E.L.D. was the crucial next step in the plan.
If he hadn't drawn Conceptual Immortality, he might have remained low-key, perhaps only taking secret action against Bates Capital. But with conceptual invincibility, he felt he had boundless capital, giving him the courage to poke S.H.I.E.L.D.'s eye and slap Hydra's rear.
The ability description for Conceptual Immortality clearly stated its scope was the entire All-Mighty Cosmos and below. This implied that it would take a God-tier being of at least Universal power to personally erase him; otherwise, death itself would be hard to achieve.
Considering this was most likely the Cinematic Universe timeline, even looking at the entire Marvel multiverse, how many beings were truly Universal-level? Even the most powerful figures at the MCU's current peak couldn't truly erase him. Even if Thanos gathered the Infinity Gauntlet, Hawk would likely return soon after a temporary disappearance.
Furthermore, at this point in time, Tony was just a playboy, Captain America was still frozen in the ice, Doctor Strange was practicing neurosurgery, and Captain Marvel was God knows where in the cosmos…
What did S.H.I.E.L.D. have to fight him with? Skrulls? Hawkeye and Black Widow? Or were they planning to launch a hundred Quinjets at him?
He didn't have to be afraid at all!
The assassins sent by Bates Capital had genuinely angered Hawk. Since the incident conveniently involved both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra, it was necessary to send them a warning.
Nick Fury's sole eye would never ignore any lead concerning supernatural or super-powered events, especially those involving bioweapon programs.
In Hawk's view, Hydra, lurking in the shadows, was far more dangerous than S.H.I.E.L.D. With a project of Project Witch's caliber, who knew what other secrets Hydra was hiding, or how many similar projects existed?
Hawk needed the "attention" of the King of Spies; he needed S.H.I.E.L.D.'s vast intelligence network and deterrent power to muddy the waters and divert pressure from Hydra or even deeper forces. However, he wasn't yet ready to fully expose his identity as "King" to S.H.I.E.L.D. The time wasn't right, so he opted for a partial reveal—a strategic ambiguity.
"I'll leak the information that I'm King, but if you ask me directly, I won't admit it!"
Let S.H.I.E.L.D. chase the clues of "King" and the Busan wreckage; he, Hawk Lane, would remain the untouchable commercial heir.
Hawk's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desktop, the rhythm steady and cold. "Next target is you, Bates Capital…" Hawk lifted his now-cool coffee, his light brown eyes reflecting the data and reports on the screen.
The screen displayed plenty of dirt on Bates Capital, from small-time extortion to murder and arson… as well as numerous cases of corporate crime. Hawk bundled it all up and sent it to Andy.
Just as he prepared to go to bed, his phone suddenly vibrated. Glancing through the 9999+ unread messages, he saw one fresh message from Adriana Lima.
"Dear Mr. Hawk, are you asleep?"
Hawk casually replied: "Yes."
"Mr. Hawk, I'm downstairs, please let me up. I'm begging you!"
Hawk craned his neck to look downstairs. Sure enough, a woman wrapped in a coat stood in the wind. He sighed.
"Come on up. The code is 004321."
Yes!
Adriana Lima downstairs jumped up excitedly. She rushed into the lobby, inputted the code under the astonished gaze of the security guard, and entered the elevator.
Adriana Lima was a Brazilian supermodel, a Victoria's Secret Angel, and a contract model… and one of the many supermodels who attended Hawk's yacht orgies…
A moment later, Hawk opened the door for Adriana. The enchantingly beautiful woman, wrapped in a thick coat, walked in with a beaming smile. She was only 25, but she exuded the captivating charm of a mature woman, yet her eyes were filled with the naiveté of a young girl.
As soon as she entered, she shed her coat, revealing a figure-hugging black pencil skirt that accentuated her slender waist and perky hips. Her smooth, long legs were encased in black fishnet stockings, making them exceptionally alluring.
"Long time no see." Hawk smiled faintly, welcoming her in.
"A long time indeed. What has our handsome young Mr. Hawk been busy with lately?"
In truth, they weren't that close; they had only been intimate a few times. The fact that Adriana was seeking him out so eagerly meant, predictably, that she was here to exchange favors for affection.
And sure enough.
Ten minutes later!
The click-clack of Adriana's high heels echoed down the bathroom hallway.
Two hours later, Hawk looked down at the captivating Adriana Lima, gently stroked her delicate face, and finally pinched her smooth chin, saying with a smile:
"Alright, just say it. What do you want? I'm in a good mood right now, so even a slightly unreasonable request is fine."
Adriana was worth a few million dollars, was still very young, and had a long career ahead. While that kind of wealth was insignificant compared to the Lane name, she wasn't some casual escort whose time anyone could buy. When Adriana sought him out, Hawk knew she had an agenda.
But for Hawk, any problem that could be solved with money wasn't a problem at all.
Adriana looked at Hawk with a hint of resentment. Did he really have to put things so crudely? It was better for both of them to know the score without saying it out loud—what was the fun in breaking the tension? 'I can do it, but you shouldn't say it!'
However, seeing Hawk's growing impatience, Adriana quickly explained her issue. She was in the ascent phase of her career and had recently been selected as a candidate for the cover of the prestigious global men's magazine, GQ. Though confident, her competitors were formidable.
Clearly, she was another lost lamb looking for a shortcut.