Chapter 49 strike first

"Putting Kingpin in prison is harder than killing him," Matt said calmly. As Kingpin's longtime adversary, he was well aware of Kingpin's true identity.

Wilson Fisk, a real estate and energy tycoon who grew up in Hell's Kitchen, was an incredibly successful businessman with ventures in various industries.

Moreover, his influence extended deep into the underworld, with nearly 40% of criminal activities in the U.S. linked back to him. Busting a drug lab, stopping a smuggling ring, or capturing some gang members could all disrupt Kingpin's empire.

Especially in New York, where his control was overwhelming. Petty crimes meant nothing to him, and there was never enough solid evidence to convict him of serious crimes. That was the real challenge.

"You may not know, but Bullseye, whom you sent to the police station, will be released tonight."

Facing Anton with his unseeing, sunglass-covered eyes, Matt said slowly, "The police can't convict him. Although he's widely known as an assassin, there's no evidence of his murders… That's the power of Kingpin."

"Bullseye? If I can catch him once, I can catch him again," Anton replied dismissively.

"This is part of your 'no-kill' principle?" Matt asked. "Wouldn't it be simpler just to kill him rather than sending him to prison?"

This question showed that Matt had some understanding of Batman.

"Not killing is a boundary, but for my enemies, staying alive only brings them more suffering," Anton replied.

"Even if you send Kingpin to prison, there'll be another to take his place," Matt continued. "What's your plan?"

Anton explained, "The High Table is my ally. After Kingpin's downfall, the High Table will take control of Hell's Kitchen. They're an organization with rules, and if you know anything about them, you'd know that Hell's Kitchen won't be more corrupt than it was under Kingpin."

"You're right."

After a moment's silence, driven by his hatred for Kingpin, Matt was willing to see another organization rise in Hell's Kitchen if it meant Kingpin would fall. He stood up and extended his hand to Anton.

"Pleasure working with you."

Anton shook his hand with a smile.

With their partnership established, the two talked for a while longer, and Anton gathered valuable information on Kingpin from Matt.

The most surprising revelation was that Kingpin's weapons came from Stark Industries.

"Tony Stark likely doesn't care about this revenue, but as the head of a weapons giant, he's a carefree playboy who loves inventing but isn't great at management. Many leeches have cropped up within his company. I only know that most of Kingpin's weapons come from Stark Industries, but I haven't found out who's dealing with him. I can only guess it's someone with considerable power," Matt said.

"Stark Industries…" Anton stroked his chin, thinking of a person.

He had planned to let Tony handle this person once he returned, but it seemed that he might have to deal with it himself before then.

"Do you have a lead?" Matt picked up on the subtle change in Anton's tone.

"Indeed, I do," Anton said bluntly. "Obadiah Stane, Stark Industries' CEO. He's no saint, but I'm not sure he's the one selling weapons to Kingpin."

"If it's him, it would make sense."

Matt nodded.

"I'll investigate this matter. Meanwhile, keep looking for evidence of Kingpin's crimes," Anton instructed. "The best time to strike will be once we have proof. Otherwise, it's all pointless."

"Understood."

"Stay in touch."

"Will do."

With that, Anton said goodbye to Matt.

Leaving Hell's Kitchen, he took out his phone and saw a message from Eddie. He met up with Eddie on the outskirts of Hell's Kitchen.

"How's it going?" Anton greeted Eddie.

"I ran into an old friend, Ben Urich. He's a fellow reporter, works for another outlet, and has a passion for taking down criminals," Eddie said with a grin. "Coincidentally, he's also investigating Kingpin."

"Did he find anything?" Anton asked.

"Oh, he's found more than we could've imagined." Eddie chuckled. "This time, you'll definitely have to double my bonus."

"Give it a rest; you're already a millionaire!"

…

The Next Day

The Daily Bugle fired the first shot.

"King of the Underworld: Kingpin and His Criminal Empire"

The headline and content on the front page were written by Eddie and other Daily Bugle staff members who pulled an all-nighter to compile the real facts.

The article revealed Kingpin's true identity: Wilson Fisk, a wealthy real estate and energy tycoon with investments in multiple fields, one of the top-tier elites.

No one had suspected this man of being a major crime boss.

Although the article didn't provide concrete evidence of Kingpin's crimes, it thoroughly uncovered his background.

Wilson Fisk grew up in Hell's Kitchen. His father was a small-time gang leader who was killed in a gang war on the streets.

For young Wilson—arrogant and self-aware—his father's death didn't bring sadness; it deepened his understanding of the brutal survival rules of society. From that moment, he was driven to build his own "criminal empire."

Driven by this goal, Wilson joined a New York gang and rose through the ranks with brutal efficiency, eventually claiming the title of gang leader. But this wasn't enough for him. In his almost obsessive pursuit, Wilson unleashed his wicked intellect on rival gangs, slaughtering them and consolidating power. Eventually, he seized control of New York's—and even the nation's—organized crime scene.

Wilson's "criminal empire" grew from a dream into a reality.

From then on, he hid his true identity, adopting the name "Kingpin."

By day, Wilson Fisk was a successful businessman and philanthropist in New York. By night, Kingpin was the undisputed ruler of New York's underworld and beyond.

An inspiring story—except he took a path of no return.

With the Daily Bugle's credibility and the public's awareness of its close ties to Batman, readers had no doubt about the report's accuracy.

Resourceful internet sleuths even discovered that one of the people Batman apprehended recently—Bullseye—was Kingpin's subordinate.

This confirmed that Batman had already crossed paths with Kingpin.

Additionally, word spread that Bullseye had been released without charge due to a lack of evidence.

This left the public in shock and outraged, leading to a social media firestorm targeting the New York Police Department.

George Stacy, the NYPD commissioner, faced tremendous backlash and mounting pressure.

"Damn it!" he gritted his teeth.

Meanwhile, someone else wore a similar expression: Wilson Fisk, or Kingpin, in his office at Fisk Tower in Manhattan.

"Is this how you handle things?" Kingpin glared at his subordinate, clenching his fists, itching to crush the man before him.

"I-I… I didn't expect him to go this far!" Wesley stammered, trembling.