Chapter 118: The Remnants of the Hand

Inside the headquarters of the Yena Group in Chicago, Yena's CEO, Isobel Biscuwar, hung up the phone, her face betraying a thoughtful expression.

At that moment, a middle-aged woman sitting on a nearby sofa suddenly asked, "So, the 'Battle Through the Heavens' plan didn't work?"

Biscuwar nodded slightly, then said, "Actually, it's not surprising. After all, Clark Lee is a golden screenwriter. It's not hard to see that behind the seemingly brilliant script, there are countless traps. What really surprised me is that they actually agreed to our plan to buy the 'Battle Through the Heavens' rights, but the condition is the acquisition of DC Comics."

The woman was not surprised by Clark's steep demands, instead asking with interest, "What are they willing to pay as the price?"

"All rights to 'Battle Through the Heavens' and all movies owned by Nirvana Studios!"

"That's not enough," the woman, Alexandra, shook her head lightly. "Even though Clark Lee's return and subsequent moves have inflated the value of those rights, their worth is definitely still less than $10 billion, far less than DC's value. To acquire DC, an equitable exchange is necessary."

Hearing this, Biscuwar abruptly stood up, "Alexandra, you're not seriously considering selling DC to them, are you?"

"Why not?" Alexandra revealed a charming smile, telling Biscuwar, "Although DC brings in a handsome income annually, if we're looking at immediate income, 'Battle Through the Heavens' and Nirvana movies' rights won't fall short by much, especially since those are the hot topics now."

Biscuwar was still somewhat unwilling. After all, he felt that DC could bring them greater long-term value.

However, he didn't voice this concern, just looking at Alexandra's captivating face, unable to make up his mind.

"I know what you're hesitating about," Alexandra shook her head gently. "But don't forget, our primary task now is to take down Nirvana Group."

"Have you not realized why Clark Lee wants to buy DC at this time?" Alexandra continued.

Biscuwar was stunned, then it dawned on him, "He wants to make superhero movies? My God, has he lost his mind?"

Before Clark's arrival in this world, the superhero movie industry, tainted by "Batman & Robin," saw a resurgence after 2000. For instance, the "Spider-Man" trilogy, Ang Lee's "Hulk," and the "X-Men" series.

But don't forget, whether it's Spider-Man, Hulk, or mutants, those are Marvel's creations.

And in this world, Marvel Comics doesn't exist!

Thus, superhero movies have remained untouched to this day, still deemed untouchable.

No wonder Biscuwar was so shocked upon guessing Clark's intentions.

"He may or may not be insane, but this is definitely a godsend opportunity to take down Nirvana Studios. Since he's jumping into the fire pit himself, as his opponents, we must lend him a hand. Just winning the upcoming battle could severely damage Clark Lee's reputation."

After taking a sip of her wine, Alexandra continued, "Normally, such a blow wouldn't be fatal, but now he's willingly staking everything, and we should certainly facilitate that. Therefore, negotiations must proceed quickly, and conceding some benefits is absolutely worth it."

"Once we successfully strike Nirvana Studios' first movie release, they'll have no chance of recovery and will have to leave Hollywood!"

"By then, you could even buy DC back from them for less."

Hearing Alexandra's words, Biscuwar's face finally showed realization. Picking up the decanter on the table, he poured another glass and raised it towards her, "With your strategy, how can we not win this battle?"

Alexandra gently clinked her glass against his, her eyes glinting with boundless murderous intent.

Clark Lee, you destroyed the Hand's foundations in New York and even replaced them with that Daredevil, feeling quite pleased, aren't you?

But no matter, I will reclaim everything the Hand has lost, starting with destroying your Nirvana Studios! ...

In a room at Kamar-Taj, Clark Lee and Mordo sat opposite each other.

Between them floated a chessboard, not made of gold or wood, radiating an orange glow, constructed not from any known material but by their Vishanti magic.

This game, designed to practice magical control while being entertaining, was of course Clark's idea.

The game was in its end phase, with Clark down two major pieces, seemingly in an insurmountable disadvantage, on the verge of a complete loss.

"Checkmate!" Under Mordo's control, his rook aimed directly at Clark's "king," who now had no escape: "You've lost."

Clark shook his head slightly, and with a thought, a "knight" piece suddenly emerged from the board, kicking Mordo's "king" to pieces.

Mordo received +777 impression points from Clark!

Surprised, Mordo exclaimed, "That's cheating!"

Clark had already withdrawn his control of the board, and the magic chessboard, no longer supported by both, immediately collapsed.

Looking at Mordo's animated expression, Clark shook his head, saying something profound, "To live in the present yet adhere to ancient ways is to court disaster."

Mordo: ??? Seeing his confused face, Clark laughed, "It means, living in the present but insisting on ancient behaviors is a self-destructive act."

Mordo, skeptical, looked at Clark, "Is that your excuse for cheating?"

Clark's expression became serious as he addressed Mordo, "If my opponent were a god from another universe, and my victory or defeat concerned the fate of the Earth, in an irreversible defeat, do you think I should take risks and touch the forbidden rules?"

Mordo had never heard cheating justified so elegantly before.

No longer wanting to argue, Mordo simply shook his head, "Let's call this game a draw, consider it a parting gift from me."

Clark also stood up, "Thank you, Brother Mordo. I'll say goodbye to the Ancient One and then leave."

Clark's cheating wasn't about not being able to lose the game. In fact, with his current intellect, he could easily outplay Mordo.

His actions were inspired by Mordo's stubbornness, hoping to change his perspective.

Of course, as stubborn as Mordo was, his philosophy wouldn't be easily shaken.

Even the Ancient One couldn't achieve that, let alone Clark Lee. But he merely wanted to plant a seed in Mordo's mind, whether it would grow or influence Mordo's future decisions was beyond his control.

Hearing this, Mordo also stood up, "The Ancient One is not currently at Kamar-Taj, but she asked me to take you to the New York Sanctum to choose a magical artifact for protection before you leave."

Oh? Clark's eyes lit up at the news.

What kind of treasure awaited him?

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