Hong Fei slid the Bone Spikes skill card into place, then stripped off his shirt. The moment he activated the ability, a crawling itch spread across his forehead, back, chest, shoulders, elbows, and the ends of his metacarpal bones. His skin began to swell in those areas, then ruptured as snow-white bone spikes burst through. The process was painless, almost natural.
A row of spikes sprouted along his spine, while his chest ribs branched outward to form interlocking plates of bone armor. Each shoulder bore a single spike. Most measured around ten centimeters, but the elbow spikes were longer—over twice the length, angling sharply upward with needle-fine tips. Four spikes extended from his metacarpals, gleaming white, each about twenty-five centimeters long.
The metacarpal spikes gave him one more than Wolverine. Stranger still were the two thick, horn-like spikes protruding from his forehead, each at least thirty centimeters long. Using his Psychic Power, Hong Fei observed himself from a third-person perspective. A thought struck him: Is this even human anymore? He resembled a cross between Abomination and a demon—nothing remotely benevolent. After a moment of focus, he realized he could control the spikes' growth by channeling energy.
With a surge of energy, the spikes retracted across his body, leaving only the ones on his hands. To test their hardness, he clenched his fist and pressed them lightly against the wooden tabletop. The spikes slid in effortlessly, piercing straight through. Hong Fei pulled them free, then turned to the wall and pushed harder. The outer coating crumbled away, but the spikes soon hit their limit. Useful, but not overwhelmingly so.
Unless he enhanced his physical strength or, like Wolverine, had his entire skeleton reinforced with Adamantium, the spikes had their limitations. He removed the card, pulled his shirt back on, and expanded his Psychic Power. His voice echoed directly in Number One's mind: "Come to the rooftop." Number One froze, glancing around warily. "Stop looking. Just get up here."
Hong Fei needed a blade—something hard and sharp enough to give him a fighting chance against Abomination. With an ordinary knife, chipping it on impact would be the best-case scenario; more likely, it would shatter. If he couldn't penetrate the defense or match the enemy's strength and stamina, he'd be reduced to dodging in a fight—pointless. Psychic communication was proving its worth, saving him a lot of hassle.
Before long, Number One arrived beside Hong Fei, his tone uncertain. "Boss, you called for me?"
"Hand the tank sales to Number Two and Samuel. I need you to find someone for me—Ulysses Klaue. Start at the Salva Great Docks in Africa. Check Tony Stark's social networks too, but be discreet. If you locate him, don't tip him off—just notify me directly."
"Understood, Boss."
After thinking for a moment, Hong Fei extended his index finger and tapped Number One on the temple, using his Psychic Power to transmit the image of Klaue from his memory to Number One. "This is what he looks like, don't forget." "Understood, I will firmly remember his appearance!" Number One was astonished by such an unimaginable method from Hong Fei, and his gaze instantly became even more submissive and respectful. Ulysses Klaue's family had been in the Vibranium business for generations. Over eighty percent of the Vibranium circulating outside on Earth was brought out from Wakanda by them.
Tony's father was also a buyer, Captain America's Vibranium shield also originated from the Klaue family, and Tony himself knew Klaue. He was very wealthy and had gathered a group of loyal desperate outlaws around him. But ultimately, he was still an ordinary person, and that was the opportunity. Once he obtained the first Vibranium blade, he would use Abomination's blood to hone its edge first. In the evening, Hong Fei went to the small woods again to meet with Jessica Jones. After some tossing and turning, Jessica lay on the ground, exhausted once again.
"You don't need to come for the next few days." Hearing this, Jessica, already drained of strength, forced herself to turn her head, adjusting her heavy breathing, and asked in astonishment: "Why?" "I'm going away for a while. When I return, I will contact you naturally." Hong Fei said as he walked away. Jessica called out: "Wait! How much longer do you think it will take for me to have hope of revenge?" "I don't know." What a joke. The skill card hasn't even been obtained yet, and you're already thinking about giving up? Dream on! Jessica was indeed still far from ready.
She could be allowed to take her revenge in the future, but she still had to take the beating! When he returned home, Peter, whom he hadn't seen for many days, arrived at the estate accompanied by Mei. Seeing Hong Fei, he immediately let go of Mei's hand and ran forward. Hong Fei stooped down, picked him up, and smiled: "On break?" "Yes, it's the weekend tomorrow!" "Good, then stay here and play for two more days." Peter shook his head: "Not this week, I promised a classmate I would go to his house to play." Hong Fei shrugged regretfully: "Alright then, you can come again when you're free."
Peter smiled and pulled a ticket out of his bag, handed it to Hong Fei, and then said with a serious expression: "Hong, I want to invite you to go with me." Hong Fei took it curiously and immediately saw a line of large text on it. Stark Industries Expo. So soon? Peter watched him without blinking. Seeing him remain silent for a long time, disappointment flashed in his eyes, but he immediately smiled: "It's okay if you don't have time. I know you must be very busy. Next time we can go see something else together." Hong Fei came to his senses and could clearly see the change in his emotions.
After putting him down from his arms, he put away the ticket and pinched his cheeks with both hands. "I didn't say I didn't have time. Don't worry, I have time. I'll come to pick you up then, and we'll go together!" "That's awesome!" Peter immediately waved his arms and started running in circles, shouting. Mei walked up and said apologetically in a low voice: "Sorry, Mr. Hong, this is really bothering you. If you are busy, you can refuse him. How about I tell him?" Hong Fei hurriedly stopped her: "Don't, I really have time. Look at me, every day I'm just idling around.
"Peter's just keeping me occupied," Mei said. "If he's free on weekends, bring him by more often. At least the air and environment here are good." She left with Peter shortly after.
Hong Fei busied himself packing his luggage, assigning tasks to a few trusted individuals before turning in for the night. "I'll be delivering goods to a client tomorrow," he announced. "The trip will take about two weeks. Samuel, you're in charge of the estate."
Big Head blinked, caught off guard. Hong Fei's brow furrowed. "Did you hear me?"
"Ah, yes! Got it, got it!" Big Head stammered.
"The estate runs itself most days—just stick to the routine. But keep your eyes open. Don't let outsiders sneak in, especially anyone claiming to be FBI or some other nonsense agency. No search warrant, no entry. Even if they've got a nuke pointed at your head, you don't budge. Understand?"
"Understood!" Big Head nodded vigorously, then hesitated. "But... Boss, what if they do have a search warrant?"
Hong Fei shot him a withering look. "Is your Psychic Power just for decoration?"
Big Head's face cleared. "Right. Got it."
"Number One's out," Hong Fei continued. "Number Two and Number Three, you're assisting Samuel with estate affairs. If there's an emergency, go to Frank first. If he can't decide, he'll find me." He turned to Samuel. "Also, find an opportunity to share your research on the Hulk serum and Abomination with Dr. Cho. If you're interested, you can join her project, but remember—she's in charge."
Samuel nodded eagerly. Once the others had left, Hong Fei pulled Samuel aside for a private word.
"You're smart—exceptionally so. You learn fast, and your potential is limitless. You could master knowledge most people can't even imagine and make breakthroughs no one's ever seen. But all that depends on the future. And sometimes, the future is worth precisely nothing." His tone was calm, but the warning was unmistakable.
Samuel swallowed hard. "I understand."
Hong Fei studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Someone's planted a lot of cameras in New York. Find a way to disable or jam them."
He leaned in closer, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Also, get some explosives and place them..." Hong Fei switched to psychic communication, his words silent but sharp. Samuel listened, his spine tingling with unease. Tony's thirst for revenge was legendary, but Hong Fei's was no less fierce.