Many people assume that Kingpin is the emperor of New York City's underworld.
They believe he controls most of the city's dark side, making him the uncrowned king.
But that's not actually the case.
Kingpin's criminal empire is based on the East Coast, and in New York, the dark forces are too intertwined. Even in Hell's Kitchen, he only controls a portion of the territory.
His rivals include the notorious Hand and even Hydra.
However, one thing is certain: Kingpin's reputation in the underworld is immense, and his influence is vast. His businesses span numerous industries, and he has a presence in the underworld, legitimate businesses, and even politics.
The New York Police Department has naturally been infiltrated by him long ago. Many officers are his people, so every time Chief Stacy's informants manage to find some evidence and plan to take action, Kingpin is already prepared.
He either clears himself or counterattacks the police, teaching them a lesson.
But at this moment, Kingpin cannot immediately demand that the police release the Green Goblin.
This is because Spider-Man has clearly become more cunning this time. He has made the Green Goblin's defeat a city-wide sensation, and the entire New York is watching the Green Goblin.
If it were just that, it would be fine, but then Norman Osborn immediately made his move, accusing the Green Goblin—Mendel Stromm—of stealing Osborn Enterprise's property.
"That idiot Stromm!"
Kingpin sat on a black chair, his body as broad as a mountain.
As a very cautious man, Kingpin found it hard to imagine how Norman Osborn found so much evidence of Stromm's crimes.
Kingpin already knew that not long after the Green Goblin was captured, Norman had gone to him with a large stack of documents, at least dozens of pages long.
The speed and comprehensiveness of it were as if Stromm had handed the evidence directly to him.
Moreover, the Green Goblin is arguably the first superpowered mutant villain to be apprehended, attracting the attention of many.
Bailing him out directly is simply impossible.
"Mr. Fisk, do you need me to arrange a jailbreak?"
Bullseye asked tentatively.
Kingpin was silent for a moment. Of course, he wouldn't risk himself for someone worthless. However, according to his intelligence, Stromm should still have a few unused Lizard Serums, which are Green Goblin Serums.
The value of the serums was enough for him to take a risk.
But he didn't believe that if he saved the Green Goblin, the other party would honestly hand over the serums.
Kingpin leaned back in his chair, the leather sinking deeply.
He took a puff of his cigar, exhaling a thick cloud of smoke. "Not now."
Kingpin believed that to prevent the Green Goblin from escaping judgment, the guards would be at their strictest now. Breaking him out now would not only be troublesome, but the Green Goblin might not even be grateful.
The crime lord showed a sinister smile, holding people's hearts firmly in his grasp. He said, "He needs to know his situation first before I can control him better."
When Kingpin was twelve, he had already begun using all factors to intimidate and control others.
The obesity he was once mocked for had since become his tool for ruling others.
To this day, beneath the white suit, there wasn't much fat left.
Bullseye understood his meaning.
Meanwhile, at the New York Police Department, Stromm, bound and restrained, still wore his damaged Green Goblin armor. His green skin and crimson eyes intimidated anyone who stood before him.
Norman and Matt stood outside the one-way glass, looking at the monster.
"I'm surprised you'd ask me to be your lawyer, Mr. Osborn." Matt wore sunglasses and held a white cane, not appearing particularly reassuring.
"Someone recommended you."
In fact, Norman was also surprised after receiving Matt's profile.
He found it hard to imagine how a blind lawyer like Matt could manage a lawsuit so smoothly and even win.
However, due to Ben's recommendation, he had abandoned Osborn Corporation's professional team and hired Matt for a sum of money.
"Then I must thank him for bringing me such a big business." Matt smiled, not asking further questions, and began discussing the case.
"Your evidence is very complete," he paused here.
Clearly, he had discovered that some of the evidence didn't quite add up.
However, he didn't expose it.
Some things are never black and white. The Green Goblin had recently attacked Norman Osborn and his son, so it was understandable that Norman wanted to make him suffer even more.
"Most of your demands can be met, but getting back the remaining serums will be almost impossible." Matt said.
Those who were after those vials were far more numerous than they imagined.
Underworld forces, the military, and many special organizations...
For the past seventy years, the entire United States had been trying to replicate the Super Soldier Serum and recreate the myth of Captain America, but with little success.
Although the Lizard Serum had side effects, many people didn't care.
Norman had anticipated this.
After all, he researched the Lizard Serum and other human enhancement agents with military support. Now that the results were in front of them, even if it was a semi-finished product, it was funded by the military. How could they give it up?
So Norman nodded, the corners of his mouth turning down, and said, "The serum isn't important. To be honest, Osborn Enterprise has no interest in failed products."
There was a bit of a boastful tone to his words.
However, Norman was indeed trying to abandon the path of the serum.
It wasn't that this path was destined to fail, but rather that the cost of investment was too high, and the returns were very small.
Before, there was military investment, with hundreds of billions pouring into this bottomless pit. Plus, he himself needed the serum to change his fate, which is why he jumped into this huge pit without hesitation.
After all, he wasn't the one who would feel the pain if the family's land was sold off. Spending the military's money didn't burden him at all.
But now, things were different.
His and Harry's genetic defects had been cured, and the fate of the Osborn family had been completely rewritten. Naturally, he was no longer in a hurry.
On the other hand, there was still the same problem.
Insufficient funds.
He wasn't like Ben, who could turn into Grey Matter to conduct research, thereby compressing R&D costs to almost zero.
Relying on himself to develop the serum might even drag Osborn down and still not succeed.
Norman also had no intention of accepting military investment again.
The military was like a greedy wolf.
Once their funds were invested in Osborn Enterprise, they would definitely want more than just the serum.
If Norman had nothing in his hands, it would be fine. But now, the Self-Healing Serum was nominally developed by him and Primus. However, no one would believe that the real serum came from Primus.
In most people's eyes, Primus was just a shell company used by Osborn Enterprise.
Norman's deception of Stromm using this shell company to regain all of Osborn's shares was the best proof.
To the military, since the superhuman serum wouldn't yield results anytime soon, it would be good to take the Self-Healing Serum to quench their thirst in the meantime.
Besides this, there was one last reason why Norman temporarily put aside the path of continuing to research the Lizard Serum.
That was that Ben did not intend to research animal enhancement serums.
For Ben, with the Lizard Serum as a blueprint, optimizing the side effects wasn't difficult.
But some things in the Marvel Universe couldn't be explained by science alone; they also involved mysticism.
Just like the Lizard Serum, theoretically, he could optimize it completely, but whether it could actually be done was uncertain.
Because it might also involve the power of Animal Totems.
The so-called Animal Totem was actually a mysterious power derived from the worship of supernatural deities in the multiverse.
The most famous totem was naturally the Spider Totem, whose power came from the ancient goddess Neith and the "Web of Life and Destiny." Those chosen by the Spider Totem would gain the power of a spider or transform into a spider monster.
Once chosen by a totem, one would become a link in the supernatural food chain.
Spider-Man was like this, and so were most of the enemies who fought against Spider-Man. This was why Spider-Man's enemies were always based on animals.
And once you got involved with this, it was hard to get rid of it.
Just like Spider-Man had adjusted the antidote for Connors' serum more than once, but without exception, Connors always turned back into Lizard Man every time.
Connors seemed fine now, but Ben couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't suddenly go mad again one day.
In fact, the first Obedience Disk Ben used after returning from Sakaar this time was not in the Green Goblin's body, but on Connors.
Regardless.
Ben didn't want to get involved with these superstitious things until his own strength was sufficient.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have to go through so much trouble. He could have just copied a dozen Lizard or other superpower serums and injected them into Uncle Ben and Aunt May, and then he wouldn't have to worry about their safety.
"Since you don't care about the serum, I imagine others will also make concessions," Matt said.
Negotiation was a process of mutual compromise. Of course, he couldn't just say he didn't want the serum from the start; instead, he had to firmly assert that everything stolen by Stromm was Osborn's property.
Then, after a period of back-and-forth, he could give up the serum in exchange for other demands, which would be much simpler.
Matt and Norman left the police station together.
And not long after they left, a police officer walked up to the Green Goblin's cell.
"Stromm, you've greatly disappointed that gentleman."
These words immediately made the Green Goblin look up, his ferocious expression turning anxious. He growled in a hoarse voice, "Are you Fisk's man? Then hurry up and let me out!"
His gaze seemed to pierce through the police officer, but the other party was clearly disguised. Although wearing a police uniform, he was completely covered from head to toe.
Hearing Stromm mention Fisk's name, the police officer showed no emotional fluctuation.
He calmly said:
"You need to prove your worth."
"He wants the serum? That's impossible!" Stromm grinned and said angrily.
"You have plenty of time to consider."
The police officer didn't say anything more in response to Stromm's refusal. He turned around, left, and locked the door again, leaving the Green Goblin baring his terrifying fangs in the darkness.
Ben didn't pay much attention to everything that had happened at the Police Station.
What concerned him more was the upcoming Stark Expo.
The specific date was two months away.
This was information Felicia had given him.
"The school is almost repaired, but since summer vacation is just around the corner, they've decided not to reopen for the semester," Felicia said, holding a drink and swaying on her chair.
After Ben returned to Queens yesterday, he hadn't forgotten to greet Felicia.
So, they had arranged to meet today.
She was just as curious about Ben's whereabouts over the past month, but Ben could only brush it off by saying he was doing research.
Fortunately, Felicia was easy to fool.
Or rather, when a girl's mind is completely filled with you, she'll subconsciously believe anything you say.
"It's incredible."
She exclaimed joyfully, her beautiful eyes looking at Ben.
"Not long ago, your grades were similar to mine, but now, you've founded your own company, achieved great success, and even learned to invent things!"
Ben noticed that her eyes, like Mary Jane's, were emerald green, like a deep spring.
"How did you do it?"
"I guess I just had a sudden breakthrough."
Ben found it difficult to explain the watch to her, though she might have been willing to try on Four Arms's size...
Fortunately, Felicia didn't press further. She thought Ben must have been a genius all along, just one who hadn't shown it much before and had only recently started to shine.
"I wish I could be like you," Felicia sighed. As a rich girl, she was more ambitious than most.
But reality was always cruel.
Then she shook her head, casting aside such unrealistic fantasies, and regained her energy, looking at Ben: "So, are you planning to visit the Stark Expo?"
She blinked her sparkling eyes, her golden eyelashes trembling in the sunlight, giving off a "Quick, invite me to go with you" vibe.
"I do plan to attend, but as a company, not as a spectator, but as an exhibitor."
"You received an invitation?"
Felicia said in surprise.
"If Primus, who invented the Self-Healing Serum, isn't on the invitation list, then this exhibition doesn't deserve to be called a World Expo."
Hearing this, Felicia's eyes immediately filled with admiration.
It was known that although the Hardy Foundation was quite wealthy, it couldn't compare to truly rich people.
It was like this expo; even if they emptied the foundation's assets, Hardy couldn't organize it, though they did have the qualification to exhibit.
And so, Ben and Felicia agreed to attend the expo together.
However, before that, Ben first needed to finalize his exhibit.
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