The next day, early morning.
Queens, Umbrella Corporation Factory No. 1.
Despite the new production line, the atmosphere in the factory had dropped to freezing point.
The rolling shutters had been forcibly pulled to the top, and the once spacious shipping lane was now completely blocked by several official vehicles painted with various department insignias.
Red and blue police lights flashed alternately within the dim factory building, their glare heart-wrenchingly sharp.
"Power cut, all operators leave your stations. I repeat, this is not a drill."
A pot-bellied senior inspector from the Health Department, dressed in a deep blue uniform, was standing in the center of the workshop.
His face was oily, and he waved an inspection form that wasn't even fully filled out, spitting as he spoke onto the brand-new stainless steel operating table in front of him.
"Someone has filed a report under their real name regarding serious biosafety hazards here. According to Chapter 402 of the New York City Public Health Code, I have reason to suspect you are producing prohibited biochemical agents. Seal it up—seal all the raw material drums."
Behind him, several firefighters in heavy protective gear were roughly dragging packing crates stacked in the corner with iron hooks.
The sound of tearing cardboard was particularly piercing in the empty factory.
"The aisle width is only 1.1 meters; the legal requirement is 1.2 meters. This is a first-class fire hazard."
The leading fire Captain took off his mask and coldly glanced at the bewildered workers nearby.
"And these fire extinguishers—even though they're new, their placement height doesn't comply with ergonomic standards. Issue a notice of suspension for rectification immediately; set the term for three months first."
At the door of the factory office, Sarah Wilson was backed into a corner.
Standing before her were two field agents from the IRS, dressed in black suits with sinister expressions.
"Ms. Wilson, we have monitored frequent and illogical fund transfers between your personal account and the company account."
One of the agents pushed his glasses up, his tone as unpleasant as if he were reading an obituary.
"Under federal tax law, we have the right to freeze all assets under your name for an audit. Please hand over the keys to the finance office now and come with us."
Sarah's face was deathly pale, her lips trembling uncontrollably.
As an ordinary citizen from the bottom of society who had never stepped out of line, she felt nothing but deep powerlessness and fear in the face of the crushing weight of the state machine.
She instinctively looked to her side.
Standing there was her only life-saving straw.
A young lawyer wearing red circular sunglasses and holding a blind cane.
Matt Murdock, the startup legal counsel Alice had previously hired.
"Attorney Murdock, please, tell them our paperwork is complete, that we are legal," Sarah said, her voice carrying a hint of a sob.
Matt Murdock tilted his head slightly.
In his World, what lay before him wasn't just a few arrogant officials, but a panorama composed of heartbeats, smells, and lies.
This was a carefully planned hunt.
Matt took a deep breath, and with a tap of his blind cane, he accurately cut into the health inspector's path like a scalpel, blocking the dirty hand reaching for the raw material drum.
"Officer, please wait."
He said in a calm yet powerful voice.
"I am the legal representative for the Umbrella Corporation, Matt Murdock. According to the New York City Administrative Procedure Act, any surprise inspection of a private enterprise must be conducted only after presenting a search warrant signed by the High Court and in the presence of at least two independent witnesses."
He slightly adjusted his posture to face the fire Captain, his speech steady and precise.
"As for the aisle width you mentioned, according to the 2008 revision of the Old Industrial Zone Redevelopment Exemption Regulations, this factory building, built in 1990, enjoys grandfathered immunity. And in my perception, the fire extinguisher you kicked over has its pressure gauge needle perfectly resting in the green zone. Officer, are you sure you want to call a stag a horse in front of a body camera?"
The air froze for a second.
The health inspector clearly hadn't expected to be publicly confronted by a blind man; the humiliation and rage made the fat on his face tremble.
"What does a blind man like you know about the law? Can you even see the legal statutes?"
The inspector suddenly reached out and pushed the blind cane aside, even roughly shoving Matt in the chest, causing the blind lawyer to stumble back half a step.
"In here, if I say you have a problem, you have a problem!"
The inspector closed in on Matt, his breath—a mix of corruption and greed—hitting him in the face.
"You can go to court and sue me, blindy. But in the six to eight months it takes for the court to schedule a hearing, this factory won't be allowed to move a single screw. By the time you win your lawsuit, this crappy factory will have been on the bankruptcy liquidation list for a long time, understand? That's called procedural justice!"
Being so blatantly humiliated and threatened, Matt's knuckles turned slightly white as he gripped his blind cane.
In his sensory radar, the muscles of the surrounding law enforcers were tense, and someone even had their hand on the baton at their waist.
But in fact, as long as he was willing, he could completely break the wrists of everyone in this room within ten seconds.
But his current identity was that of a lawyer.
At this moment, violence would only plunge Umbrella Corporation into a deeper abyss.
"Lawyer, if you dare obstruct official business again, I have the right to handcuff you along with this woman on charges of obstructing justice and assaulting an Officer," the IRS agent nearby added coldly.
Matt fell silent.
He loosened his grip on the blind cane, a deep sense of powerlessness welling up in his heart.
He was proficient in the law, he could hear lies, but he could not wake a group of Bandits pretending to sleep, let alone use a legal code to fight against public power corrupted by capital.
He turned slightly, shielding Sarah behind him, and faced Alice, who had been standing in the shadows without saying a word.
In his senses, this fifteen-year-old girl was as calm as a deep, bottomless lake.
Her heartbeat was even slower and more powerful than his, despite his professional training.
"I'm sorry, Miss Mason," Matt sighed, a hint of helplessness in his voice. "This is targeted malicious enforcement; the conventional legal defense system has failed."
Not far away, a black stretch Lincoln limousine was parked quietly by the roadside.
Justin Hammer rolled down half the window, an expensive Cuban cigar between his fingers, watching the scene at the factory gate with great interest.
Seeing that little lawyer who didn't know the heights of heaven and depths of the earth being shoved into silence, he let out a burst of piercing laughter.
"See that? That's reality."
Hammer blew out a smoke ring, his eyes sinister and smug.
"That little girl thought she could stop me by hiring a blind lawyer fresh out of school? Too naive. In New York, the law is the watchdog of the rich, and I am the one holding the bone."
At the factory gate, the situation had completely collapsed.
The inspector held the yellow seizure seal, a victor's sneer on his face, as he swaggered toward the expensive vacuum emulsifier.
Her face covered in tears, Sarah closed her eyes in despair, not daring to watch.
"Miss Mason, our best course of action now is to apply for an administrative reconsideration, though that will take time," Matt tried to offer a final suggestion.
"Thank you for your hard work, Attorney Murdock."
Alice, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
She didn't look at the arrogant law enforcers but instead raised her wrist and glanced at her inexpensive electronic watch.
"You've done an excellent job, because you've already proven our innocence on a legal level."
Alice's voice was calm to the point of being cold, completely out of place in the noisy surroundings.
"But they don't care about the law at all," Matt frowned.
"I know. What happens next is beyond the scope of the law; it's a game of power."
Alice lowered her hand, a mocking curve appearing at the corner of her mouth.
"And in New York, only stronger magic can defeat magic."
No sooner had she spoken.
Vroom—Vroom—
A low, violent roar suddenly came from the street corner in the distance—the growl of a cluster of high-displacement V8 engines.
It wasn't just one car, but an entire motorcade.
------------------------
There are already 70+ chapters available on my Patreon!
The story will continue to update 1 chapter per day on Webnovel,
while early access chapters are posted on Patreon.
Maybe it's not worth it today but it could be later
[email protected]/Kazenova223
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"