9: Rebirth Group

"These guys are all scum,"

Andrew Evans muttered as flames flickered in his eyes. In an instant, the souls of the board members were ignited by Hellfire.

This was the Penance Stare of the Spirit of Vengeance.

"No!" 

The board members screamed in terror and agony simultaneously. But just as suddenly, the flames vanished, leaving them drenched in sweat, slumped in their chairs, their eyes filled with fear, and their muscles twitching uncontrollably.

Susan was stunned, completely unable to understand what had just happened—due to her position, she couldn't see the flames in Andrew's eyes.

Andrew stood up and instructed, "Howard, have them sign the contracts. Buy their shares in the company at market price. These shares will be registered under your name and Abigor's (Wind Demon)."

He continued, "Also, rename Doom Corporation to Rebirth Group Corporation. Handle the necessary procedures, and Susan, prepare to take over the company. I don't want any chaos."

Howard, who also served as a lawyer, nodded and said, "Yes, BOSS."

Susan hesitated and asked, "But.. Mr. Evans, they didn't seem to agree to sell their shares?"

"Agree? I agree to everything! I'll sign the contract right now and transfer the shares to Mr. Evans for free," one of the terrified board members quickly blurted out.

Ned screamed in terror, now only wanting to get as far away from Andrew Evans as possible. The other board members felt the same, their hearts filled with fear. From now on, the mere mention of Andrew Evans' name would make them tremble in terror.

Not only that, the scene they had just witnessed would haunt them for the rest of their lives—unless they were willing to make amends for their wrongdoings.

"Giving it away for free? You're making me sound like a bandit," Andrew said, clearly displeased. "I won't rob you. I'll buy your shares at market price. As for the money to buy the shares, you'll give me an interest-free loan."

Howard couldn't help but comment, "How is that any different from robbing?"

"Civilized people don't rob. This is called righteous justice," Andrew shrugged and left the office—he had a meeting scheduled with the owner of the *Daily Bugle* to discuss a potential acquisition.

"If I want to gather more souls, I need my own media empire. Otherwise, how will the public learn the truth? Without knowing the truth, how will they feel fear? And without fear, how will they be driven to sell their souls to me?"

Andrew mused to himself.

"I wonder what this world's Spider-Man is like? Tobey's Spider-Man? The Amazing Spider-Man? Or perhaps the saintly Spider-Man who got Aunt May killed?"

…

While Andrew was negotiating the acquisition price with the *Daily Bugle*'s owner, others were discussing him—which was only natural, given that he didn't know the meaning of the word 'low profile.'

"Andrew Evans appeared in Las Vegas a little over half a month ago, winning repeatedly, without a single loss. The casinos collectively lost at least a billion dollars to him."

A balding white man reported to a one-eyed, bald-headed Black man on the computer screen: "Several people have tried to cause him trouble, but they've all disappeared without a trace. They're likely dead. 

"Over ten days ago, Dr. Doom of Doom Enterprises transferred his shares to Andrew Evans. Additionally, this afternoon, all of Doom Enterprises' board members sold their shares to him at market price. We suspect he's a superpowered individual with hypnotic abilities."

"Why do you think he's a superpowered individual and not a mutant?" S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury asked, his tone noticeably cooler at the mention of mutants. The reason was simple: he couldn't control mutants, which meant the world was less secure.

"He stayed in Las Vegas for several days. Vegas is Hellfire Club territory. If he were a mutant, the Black King would've definitely tried to recruit him," Level 7 Agent Phil Coulson explained. The three major mutant factions were the moderate X-Men, the extremist Brotherhood, and the elitist Hellfire Club—this world's Hellfire Club was still active.

"Good point," Nick Fury considered this and then said, "I'm occupied with another matter right now. You handle this Andrew Evans case. Gather evidence, assess his abilities, and then apprehend him."

Since Andrew Evans was a billionaire, they needed evidence before taking action. If he were an ordinary person, Nick Fury would've had him brought in for questioning immediately.

Coulson replied, "His abilities are quite unusual. I request Agent Melinda May to assist me."

"Melinda's unavailable. Send Natasha; she's in New York watching a basketball game," Nick Fury said. "Once Andrew Evans is captured, transfer his funds into a S.H.I.E.L.D. secret account—don't put it in the public accounts."

Coulson understood what Nick Fury meant. After a brief hesitation, he nodded and said, "Understood."

…

That night, under dim lighting, Andrew Evans was escorting Susan Storm home after she had stayed late working—negotiations for acquiring the *Daily Bugle* were nearly complete. However, there was still a lot of work to be done, as it was a major newspaper with its own television station.

The *Daily Bugle*'s owner initially didn't want to sell, but Andrew's offer was too good to refuse.

"Seriously, I'm a Hell Lord who wants fun. Why am I working overtime? This doesn't make sense!"

Andrew quietly complained to himself. Once the preliminary work was done, he definitely needed to find someone to manage Rebirth Enterprises for him. He was here to enjoy life, not work.

At that moment, Andrew noticed that Susan seemed to want to say something but was hesitant. Smiling, he asked, "Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Yes." Susan nodded and asked, "Mr. Evans, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but are you a mutant?"

"Just call me Andrew. I know what you're getting at, but I'm not a mutant. Doom gave me his shares because we made a deal—a completely fair one," Andrew explained. "As for those board members... Susan, have you ever heard of the Ghost Rider legend in Texas?"

Susan said, "I've heard a little about it. Something about a cowboy engulfed in flames, traveling around to judge the wicked."

"The Ghost Rider was originally an angel of God..."

Andrew began, explaining the story of the Ghost Rider. He then added, "If I told you that I am the Ghost Rider and that the reason those board members were so terrified was because I used the Penance Stare on them, would you believe me?"

Susan smiled and replied, "Andrew, I'm a scientist. But I must admit, dating the Ghost Rider sounds pretty cool."

Andrew chuckled. "I ordered a Harley online. When it arrives, I'll take you for a ride. You might like it."

Susan responded, "I might not have the time. My boss recently dumped a lot of work on me. On my first day working for him, I ended up working late into the night."

"Your boss sounds awful... Wait, isn't your boss me?" Andrew feigned surprise, and they both laughed. 

As they walked, they noticed a group of tattooed men beating up two homeless people dressed in tattered clothing. Susan, with her strong sense of justice, immediately stepped forward and shouted, "Stop it! What do you think you're doing?"

One of the tattooed men turned around and, eyeing Susan greedily, said, "We're getting rid of monsters. Got a problem with that?"

"Monsters?" 

Both Andrew and Susan were taken aback. When they looked down, they saw that one of the homeless men had an unusually large head, covered in bulging veins, giving him a grotesque appearance. The other had scales on his face, looking quite eerie.

Seeing Andrew and Susan's reaction, the two homeless men quickly pulled their cloaks over themselves and tried to escape, but the tattooed men weren't letting them go and kicked them back to the ground.