Chapter 9 Eddie Goes Dark

"The Life Foundation is craftier than we thought," Eddie reported to Anton, sounding frustrated. "They've set up such thorough defenses, both internally and externally, that we can't find a single weak point."

"After all this time, you mean you've found nothing?"

Anton was taken aback.

In the movie, the Life Foundation hadn't seemed this difficult to deal with.

It was a reminder not to view this real situation through the lens of a movie plot.

"Well, not exactly nothing," Eddie replied. "From talking to some research staff, we've confirmed that the Life Foundation is planning a mysterious experiment. They need a large number of human subjects, and they're set to increase funding for the trials. But we can't get inside Homeless Haven to obtain solid evidence of their crimes. Without it, we're helpless. Unless…"

Anton narrowed his eyes and finished Eddie's thought: "Unless you disguise yourself as a homeless person and infiltrate Homeless Haven to find a new angle."

"Yes."

Eddie sounded hesitant.

The risk of impersonating a homeless person was incredibly high.

And to send his team in while he stayed safe in New York… With the Life Foundation's power in San Francisco, the exposure of a journalist's identity would likely spell a death sentence.

The most probable outcome would be becoming one of the Life Foundation's experimental subjects, ending in a tragic fate.

It would not only be pointless but would actually benefit their enemy.

This put Eddie in a dilemma, unable to make a decision.

Gradually, a thought started to form in his mind.

"A mysterious experiment?"

Anton was certain that the Life Foundation had begun its research on the symbiotes.

Knowing Carlton Drake's obsession with the symbiotes, it was only a matter of time before he would turn into a supervillain.

But that didn't concern Anton too much.

Drake was based in San Francisco, while Anton was busy filming in Los Angeles and primarily operated in New York.

In this world, the divide between cities was almost like the separation between nations, each with its own factions and territory.

The Life Foundation would have a hard time causing trouble on foreign turf.

Of course, if they ended up at complete odds, that would be a different story.

Anton considered the situation and asked, "Couldn't we bribe some Life Foundation staff?"

"Most of the employees don't know anything, and as for the higher-ups, Drake has leverage over all of them. That scumbag even threatens their families to ensure their cooperation," Eddie confessed, frustration evident in his voice. "We're stuck."

Then, resolutely, he said, "Anton, I have to go to San Francisco myself. I can't let that scumbag Drake get away with this."

"If that's what you've decided, then good luck."

Anton didn't object to Eddie's decision.

With the investigation at a standstill, if Eddie was willing to take the risk of going to San Francisco, Anton felt it was best to respect his choice.

Eddie's frustration was entirely understandable to Anton.

Giving up didn't feel right to him either.

He had already assured Jonah Jameson that he'd pursue this story, and quitting now would not only betray Eddie's trust but also let down Jameson.

After all, Eddie was essentially the protagonist of this storyline.

In other words, he was likely protected by plot armor.

Surely he wouldn't go down so easily.

Pushing the thought aside, Anton added, "Before you leave for San Francisco, make sure to take care of your responsibilities here, especially regarding my novel."

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Eddie, grateful for Anton's support, replied with determination.

In his lowest moments, the Daily Bugle had given him a job.

And with a boss who showed him such trust, Eddie resolved to do his best on this assignment.

Anton, however, didn't dwell on it too much.

The demanding pace of film production had left him exhausted, and after hanging up, he soon drifted off to sleep.

Half a month later.

The film's production progressed faster than expected. Under Anton's supervision, the post-production team was also advancing quickly, and everything was on track.

The crew gradually began to change their opinions of Anton.

They'd seen the first half hour of footage Anton had edited.

It was impressive.

The storyline flowed seamlessly.

To speed up the process, Anton had cut some planned locations, choosing to use creative techniques and effects instead.

Most of the location shooting was handled by the assistant directors, further accelerating progress.

In just under 50 days, they had completed two-thirds of the film.

This only made Jim, who occasionally visited the set, more irritated and convinced that he'd made a serious misstep by taking on this project.

Anton couldn't care less.

After wrapping up that day's shoot, he returned to his room, feeling a gnawing sense of worry.

Eddie was missing.

Since Eddie had arrived in San Francisco over a month ago, he'd been calling every couple of days, both to check in and to update Anton on the investigation.

But a week ago, after infiltrating Homeless Haven, Eddie had gone silent.

Did something happen?

Anton's mind was racing.

Though Eddie's fate might not directly impact him, Eddie's return to San Francisco was, after all, tied closely to Anton.

First, he had approved Eddie's risky plan.

Second, he genuinely respected Eddie.

A person with such a strong sense of justice and integrity was hard not to admire.

After a moment of thought, Anton took out his phone and dialed a number Eddie had left him before entering Homeless Haven.

It belonged to a young reporter Eddie had sent to San Francisco.

Phil Urich.

Phil was also a Daily Bugle employee.

"Hello?"

A young voice answered.

"Phil Urich?"

"It's Anton, from the Daily Bugle."

"Oh."

Phil sounded nervous—he'd certainly heard of Anton.

Though only the deputy editor, Anton was effectively the owner's grandson and held a level of influence that could make or break careers.

Phil replied quickly, "Hello, sir, this is Phil Urich."

"How's the situation there?"

Anton cut straight to the point. "It's been a while since Eddie last contacted me. Has something happened to him?"

"I… I don't know," Phil stammered. "Homeless Haven seems to have some kind of signal jammer. We completely lost contact with Eddie after he went inside. We've managed to bribe one of the guards at the Homeless Association, and he told us that no Life Foundation personnel have been there recently. So we assume Eddie is safe—for now."

By the end, Phil's voice had softened, lacking confidence.

"So what you're saying is that once the Life Foundation personnel arrive, his safety isn't guaranteed?" Anton asked, his voice cold and measured.

"Uh…"

Phil hesitated, unable to provide a reassuring answer.