William leaned back in the passenger seat and closed his eyes.
He seemed to be dozing, but in reality, his mind was highly focused, extending all his senses to their limits.
The modified engine from Stark Industries beneath him hummed with a steady, powerful thrum at idle, like the heartbeat of a Beast.
His Radar Sense constructed a three-dimensional outline of all objects within ten meters in his mind.
This included the security personnel who, while feigning indifference, had their guns secretly aimed at their location.
Most of his attention was immersed in perceiving the alloy case behind him.
The faint electrical hum of the life support system.
The steady heartbeat of the woman in the gel.
Both were like the most precise metronomes, constantly reminding him that he was carrying a ticking time bomb capable of detonating the entire New York underworld.
Jack didn't press further.
He wasn't Stephen; he didn't need high-sounding reasons.
Nor was he Mark; he didn't need to analyze pros and cons.
He was Jack Lockley, a taxi driver from the streets of New York.
He only trusted his eyes and his intuition.
His intuition told him that the 'insurance consultant' in the suit beside him was more dangerous than anything he carried in his trunk.
He turned the key.
The Beast, disguised as a classic car, let out a deep roar, starting almost simultaneously with the distant convoy of heavy trucks serving as bait.
The black Audi A8L was left behind.
Like an abandoned symbol from another World.
The taxi slowly drove out of Ferguson Pier, merging into the chaotic and dirty bloodstream of Hell's Kitchen.
The car felt sluggish due to the overload, emitting a grating groan every time it passed over a pothole in the road.
This was precisely the best disguise.
No one would spare a second glance for this dilapidated taxi, which looked like it could fall apart at any moment.
All eyes, all malice.
Would be drawn to the ostentatious 'Royal Guard' composed of heavy trucks and four black SUVs.
William's plan was proceeding smoothly.
"Point A, the industrial district."
William opened his eyes, reminding him in a calm voice.
Jack didn't respond, simply skillfully turning the steering wheel and veering into an even more rundown alley.
On both sides were abandoned factories and warehouses.
The walls were covered in graffiti.
Broken windows gaped like black holes, peering at everything that passed.
This was one of the most likely locations for Hellcat to make her move, according to the plan.
The visibility was complex.
The alleys crisscrossed.
It was easy to hide and launch a surprise attack.
William's Danger Prediction ability was like a fully drawn bow, sensing any potential malice within a thirty-meter radius.
Silence.
Aside from the sound of a homeless person rummaging through a trash can and a distant siren, there was no threat directed at them here.
William's heart settled slightly.
It seemed Jessica had succeeded.
With that carefully fabricated lie, she had successfully diverted Hellcat's attention in another, incorrect direction.
Achieving victory without bloodshed, minimizing risk.
This was the first act of his script.
The taxi smoothly drove out of this labyrinth of steel ruins.
"Well done, your lady detective."
Jack's voice suddenly broke the silence, tinged with a hint of mockery.
"It seems she's at least worth what you paid."
"She's worth more," William responded calmly. "Professionals should command a professional price."
He didn't relax his guard.
The success of Plan A was just an appetizer.
The real test was at Point B — the Queensboro Bridge.
That was a major thoroughfare; any conflict there could cause a complete traffic standstill in the entire area.
If Jessica's lie was exposed, that would be Hellcat's last and best chance for an interception.
Traffic began to thicken.
The taxi, like a yellow fish, weaved through the steel torrent.
When the iconic Stark Tower appeared in his line of sight, William's heart began to beat uncontrollably fast.
His Danger Prediction ability screamed wildly in his mind.
It was no longer a vague warning but focused like a spotlight, locked onto a single direction.
Straight ahead, at the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge.
A person stood there.
Dressed in a yellow and blue tight-fitting battle suit, wearing a cat-eared helmet, she stood amidst the flowing traffic like an abrupt, out-of-place signal light.
Hellcat, Patsy Walker.
She simply stood in the middle of the road, her gaze sharply scanning every heavy vehicle driving onto the bridge, clearly waiting for her target — Kingpin's decoy convoy.
Jessica's plan had failed.
Or rather, this woman was a little smarter and more persistent than he had imagined.
She hadn't been completely fooled by the false intelligence.
Jack Lockley's pupils instantly constricted, and his hands gripping the steering wheel clenched tightly, his knuckles turning slightly White from the effort.
His warrior's instinct ignited the moment he saw the figure blocking the road.
"Don't stop."
William's voice came in time, cold and steady, like ballast, forcibly suppressing Jack's impending surge of impulse.
"We're just a passing taxi."
He turned his head, looking directly into Jack's eyes.
"Keep your foot on the gas, maintain a steady speed, and drive past her. Don't look at her, don't let her notice us."
Jack's face, usually screaming "don't mess with me," was tense with muscle.
Forcing him to face a potential threat without reacting was more difficult than sending him into battle.
He could feel two other voices arguing fiercely within his body.
Stephen was screaming "take a detour," while Mark was growling "run her over."
Ultimately, Jack Lockley's choice was to silently execute William's arrangement.
He released his clenched hands.
And resumed that numb, indifferent expression characteristic of taxi drivers.
The taxi drove at a moderate speed towards Hellcat's position.
Fifty meters.
Thirty meters.
Ten meters.
William could see the impatience on Hellcat's face and the glinting weapons at her waist.
Hellcat's gaze swept over them.
It lingered on the taxi's dirty windshield for Zero point five seconds.
Then, she shifted her gaze.
In her perception, the target was the imposing convoy.
A dilapidated, overloaded taxi, with even its meter flashing a fault Red light, was simply not worth a second glance from her.
The taxi brushed past her.
Through the rearview mirror, William saw Kingpin's massive decoy convoy finally appear at the bridge entrance.
Hellcat moved.
Like an arrow released from a bow, she charged towards the convoy without hesitation!
It was a success.
The huge stone that had been weighing on William's heart finally fell halfway.
He had walked the most perilous tightrope between Kingpin and Hellcat with his 'Shadow Plan.'
"Get out of here."
William's voice returned to calm.
The taxi smoothly crossed the bridge, merging into the labyrinthine streets of Queens.
Half an hour later.
Feeling that enough time had passed, William took out his phone and pressed a red, pre-prepared virtual button on the screen.
"Initiate Plan B."
As his voice faded, several kilometers away, next to the tree-lined avenue leading to Kingpin's mansion, at the abandoned gas station whose usage rights he had purchased in advance.
The internal circuitry of the used truck, filled with high-concentration alcohol disinfectant, was instantly detonated by a faint signal.
Boom—!
A dull roar echoed, and even across several blocks, a massive Fireball could be seen soaring into the sky, painting half the sky Red.
Thick smoke billowed, and chaos descended.
A cold arc curved on William's lips.
He had accurately calculated human nature.
Hellcat.
Patsy Walker.
Even if she had already blasted open the empty container and realized she had been tricked.
When she saw the disaster-like explosion, her 'hero's script' would compel her to rush into the inferno immediately to 'rescue.'
This would buy them valuable time, at least fifteen minutes.
"Now, Jack."
William leaned back in his seat, as if he had completed a trivial task.
"Let's see just how fast Mr. Stark's 'Urban Survival Suit' really is."
A hint of excitement finally curved on Jack Lockley's lips.
He slammed his foot on the accelerator.
The taxi's disguised engine instantly let out a terrifying roar, completely inconsistent with its appearance, like a jet plane!
The New York map on the meter screen instantly disappeared, replaced by an optimized route precisely calculated according to the contract.
Below the side skirts of the car, several aerodynamic spoilers silently popped out.
The entire car, like a Ghost freed from its shackles, sped towards the city's edge, tearing through the air!
William felt the powerful G-force, and the last stone in his heart finally settled.
Everything was under control.
-------------------------------
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