Restart, Spider-Man! [118]
Swish~
A stream babbled, reflecting the moonlight in sparkling glints.
The SUV moved slowly through the forested park, finally stopping at the base of a small hill.
"We're here."
A group of suited men escorted Xia Luo into the forest, leading him to a hidden cave at the base of the hill.
"I thought we'd be meeting at a unique café or maybe a nightclub full of ladies," Xia Luo remarked, shrugging as he eyed the dark cave entrance. "Guess Kingpin didn't plan on buying me a drink. I mean, if he brought in a dozen ladies for Spider-Man to dance with, this trade would be perfect."
"Move it. Enough chatter," one of the men snapped, shoving him forward. "You're Spider-Man's friend, so you should know heroes aren't interested in cheap thrills."
"So that's your impression of Spider-Man? You don't understand him at all," Xia Luo replied, taking a few steps. "It's dark in here—remember to turn on the lights."
"They're on."
"Great, thanks. I'll repay you later."
The group continued down a narrow passage until it opened up, revealing a small, hollowed-out mountain chamber. A towering mini pyramid, about ten meters high, stood illuminated under dim lights, its surface reflecting a soft golden glow.
Various scientific equipment surrounded the pyramid, while dozens of suited guards positioned themselves at every exit.
"Where's your boss?" Xia Luo asked.
He didn't see Kingpin anywhere.
"He'll be here soon."
As soon as the man spoke, an armored, custom-built vehicle rolled in from the other side of the cavern.
Vroom!
The engine roared, echoing throughout the chamber, and even the ground trembled slightly beneath them.
The SUV came to a halt, and one of the guards respectfully opened the door. A golden cane hit the ground first, followed by the towering, massive figure that stepped out.
Kingpin!
He was colossal, his face a mask of cold authority. Dressed in an impeccable white suit, he wore no other accessories, save for the large gemstone atop his cane that glinted with wealth.
"Boss!"
The moment Kingpin appeared, every suited man immediately bowed in greeting.
"Hm."
Kingpin gave his men a cursory glance, nodding slightly.
Suddenly, his gaze fixed on one of his subordinates. Frowning, he loomed over the man, his immense presence casting a shadow.
The guard froze, trembling as he looked down, barely daring to breathe.
It felt like a demon from hell was staring him down.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
The guard felt his mouth go dry, cold sweat gathering on his brow. In just those few seconds, he felt as though he was about to break.
Finally, Kingpin spoke.
"Next time, you'll disappear from this world forever."
With those words, the guard's legs nearly buckled. His face went pale, completely clueless as to what he'd done wrong.
Kingpin turned away.
Kailin, one of his trusted aides, approached with a smirk, lightly tapping a speck of dust on the man's collar with her polished black fingernail.
"I warned you. Don't let there be a next time," Kailin said with a soft chuckle, then turned and sauntered after Kingpin.
Watching this scene, Xia Luo's expression turned strange.
Does he have a cleanliness obsession?
No wonder all his thugs are dressed so neatly, forced to wear suits in this heat. Must be torture for them.
And fighting in them? Even worse.
As Kingpin approached, the man next to Xia Luo quickly stepped back and bowed.
"So, you're Xia Luo Parker?"
Kingpin stood before Xia Luo like an impenetrable wall.
Xia Luo looked up at Kingpin's layers of chins, cracking a grin.
"Yep. Has no one told you? This is a death angle."
"Hm?" Kingpin's brow furrowed.
"What do you mean?"
"When you're photographed from this angle, it's… not flattering."
Kingpin: "…"
Seeing Xia Luo's lack of fear, Kingpin's expression softened, a slight smile appearing.
"Good. You're Spider-Man's friend; I'm starting to take an interest in you."
"Hopefully not that kind of interest."
Looking around, Xia Luo asked, "Got any chairs?"
With a wave of Kingpin's hand, a luxurious sofa was immediately brought over by one of his men.
"Wow, that's accommodating."
Xia Luo plopped down on the sofa, showing no regard for Kingpin.
The surrounding guards stiffened instantly.
This kid had guts—acting so casually. They were already picturing Kingpin's inevitable rage and were mentally preparing to tear this brat to pieces.
But, to their shock, Kingpin simply took a seat across from Xia Luo, calm as ever. In fact, he seemed ready to chat with him.
The guards stared in stunned disbelief.
"How old are you?"
"Just turned eighteen."
"Got a girl you like?"
"I do."
Xia Luo pointed to the man who'd captured him. "He likes the same girl."
Without looking at the man, Kingpin rested his hands on his cane, gently rubbing the gemstone. Kailin gave a subtle wave, and another guard stepped forward, dragging the man away.
"No, boss, please listen! That kid's lying! I don't even—no! Kid, tell him it's not true! You said you'd repay me!"
Bang!
A gunshot echoed, silencing the scene.
So much for Xia Luo's "repayment."
Kingpin smiled. "Satisfied?"
Xia Luo nodded. "Very. To return the favor, I'll let you in on a little secret."
"Oh? What's the secret?" Kingpin tilted his head, intrigued.
Xia Luo gave him a mysterious smile. "I was lying."
Kingpin: "…"
For a moment, Kingpin was taken aback. Then he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Fascinating. Absolutely fascinating. It's been a while since I've found something this funny."
While Kingpin laughed, his men looked on, terrified, bracing themselves for the inevitable fallout.
But to their surprise, that was all there was.
The boss was genuinely amused.
"Xia Luo Parker, you remind me of my late son. He used to lie to me all the time, too."
Kingpin looked at Xia Luo. "Be my son. You'll inherit my empire and become the world's one and only king of darkness."
Xia Luo: "???"
"Hold up, big guy. Aren't you rushing things a bit? Shouldn't we do a DNA test first?"
"Call me 'Dad'!"
"Call you what?"
Xia Luo stood on the sofa, pointing at Kingpin and yelling.
"What nonsense are you spouting? I hate when people try to claim me like that. Don't think I don't know what's going on here. You've got some twisted ideas, don't you? I'd never let you get away with it, you sicko, you—%#$@!"
Xia Luo's rant left Kingpin momentarily speechless, and even Kailin seemed unsure what to do.
Let him keep going?
"No, the boss hasn't given the order yet."
Finally, just as Kailin was hesitating, Xia Luo took a deep breath.
Kingpin reacted too, waving his hand slightly. His suited men reached for their weapons, ready to take Xia Luo out.
But in the next moment, Kingpin spoke up, "Get him a coffee."
Suited man: "???"
"Would you like sugar with that?" Kingpin asked.
Kailin: "???"
Xia Luo thought for a moment. "I'll have juice instead."
"Alright."
"Make it two."
"Fine."
Kingpin had juice brought over, and Xia Luo downed it in one go, exhaling slowly.
"I'll forgive you this time, but don't bring this up again."
"Alright, I'll give you some time to think."
Kingpin watched as Xia Luo finished the second glass of juice, then continued, "You're friends with Spider-Man. How did you two meet?"
"Nothing special, just a chance encounter. We hit it off; that's all."
"We're getting along quite well, too."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Kingpin settled beside Xia Luo. "Captain Carter from S.H.I.E.L.D. is your elder, Spider-Man's your friend, and Dr. Curt Connors treats you well too. You're quite fortunate."
Xia Luo rolled his eyes. "So, what are you trying to say?"
"So, you have the potential to become a Dark Emperor."
Xia Luo: "…"
"Let's not talk about that."
He glanced at the time. "If Spider-Man doesn't bring what you're after, what happens to me?"
"You die," Kingpin replied without hesitation.
Xia Luo raised an eyebrow. "Just now, you were saying you wanted me as your son."
"You haven't agreed."
Kingpin chuckled as he let the words slip.
"You cheeky little punk. I'd really hate to kill you."
"But I wouldn't mind."
Xia Luo replied casually.
In any universe, Kingpin was undoubtedly ruthless.
Not particularly powerful, but absolutely merciless and cunning.
His reason for wanting Xia Luo as a son was simple—having Xia Luo would shift the dynamics with S.H.I.E.L.D., Spider-Man, and Dr. Connors. They would no longer be adversaries, or at least, not hostile.
How genuine his intentions were, nobody knew.
But Xia Luo wouldn't hold back for that reason.
Before making any move, he needed to confirm whether the Kingpin in front of him was the real deal or a stand-in.
The Hydra Captain had taught him that lesson, though the clone hadn't caused much trouble.
But Kingpin was different. A single mistake could expose his identity and bring a whole mess of problems.
With that in mind, he looked at Kingpin. "Didn't think you'd show up here in person. Aren't you afraid?"
Kingpin's lip curled up, his tone disdainful.
"My whole life has been about turning losses into wins. You think I'd be scared?"
"What a terrible line."
Xia Luo looked to the side. "And what's that?"
"It's the pyramid that drives the power of the Time Tablet. As soon as I learned how to use it, it was stolen by that notorious thief, the Black Cat."
Thinking of it, Kingpin's expression darkened.
"Two damn thieves—the Black Cat and that cursed Lynx—they both have to die."
He glanced at Xia Luo. "If Spider-Man decides to help them, he'll die too."
Xia Luo shrugged. "You can't beat Spider-Man."
"I told you, my whole life's been—"
"Turning losses into wins. You don't need to say it twice, or three times."
Just as Xia Luo finished, the communicator in Kailin's hand went off.
"Boss, Black Cat's here. She brought the Time Tablet."
"And Spider-Man?" Kingpin frowned.
Kailin shook her head. "He's not here; must be hiding."
"Hmph, seems I overestimated him."
Kingpin sneered. "Let her in."
"Yes."
Soon, Kingpin's suited men stepped aside, clearing a path as Felicia, carrying a large briefcase, walked slowly into the mountain.
"Xia Luo, I knew they'd brought you here," Felicia said with a frown.
Xia Luo shrugged. "Sorry, they had guns. Hard to say no."
"Hmph. What a liability. No idea what Spider-Man sees in you."
Felicia expressed her displeasure, but Kingpin didn't care about the chatter.
"Since you brought the item, you can go die now."
"Wait, how do you know what's inside is real?"
Felicia casually raised the briefcase, and Kingpin chuckled darkly.
"What you're holding is a fake. Someone else will deliver the real thing to me."
"What?" Felicia was startled.
Could it be—
The next moment, a curly-haired man emerged from the crowd, holding an identical briefcase.
"Sorry, Felicia."
The man placed the briefcase in front of Kingpin and opened it. The Time Tablet inside glowed, resonating with the light from the pyramid.
Seeing the real Time Tablet before Kingpin, Felicia was stunned.
"Ryan, you betrayed me!" She could hardly believe it.
Ryan scoffed. "Just betrayal. What's so surprising?"
Kingpin, satisfied with the sight of the Time Tablet, motioned for it to be brought to the pyramid.
"Anything can be traded—even love, right, Ryan?" he said with a grin.
Ryan nodded with a grin of his own. "Exactly."
He turned to Felicia, his gaze mocking.
"Girl, I've spent too much time and effort on you. I even loaned you the underground clinic for your father's treatment."
"And despite all that, you still wouldn't go to the hotel with me. I can't wait any longer."
"The boss promised that once this is over, you'll be mine, along with a nice payday. There's no better deal."
Thinking about the allure of Felicia, Ryan's heart trembled with excitement.
Felicia clenched her teeth. "You bastard, I trusted you. I gave you the real Time Tablet to keep safe. That was like entrusting you with my life. Don't you understand?"
"Oh, I understand perfectly. Your family's tradition, right? You said you had to pull off the perfect heist with me before we could truly be together. It was just an excuse."
Ryan sneered. "So I changed my mind. I don't need you forever. One night—or two, or three—is enough."
"You scum, I'll make you pay for this!"
"Hahaha! I'm so scared!"
As they argued, Kingpin watched, amused.
Meanwhile, Xia Luo was bewildered.
"Are they… a couple?"
He remembered. In another universe, Black Cat had been hurt by her boyfriend, which was why she hated all men except for Spider-Man.
Yes, it seemed she already had a boyfriend. But she'd still chosen such a bizarre path.
It's tough to understand, really.
Well, he didn't get it anyway.
What a dramatic mess.
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