Chapter 41. Proof.

Luke Cage had been trying to hide his uniqueness.

Including working two jobs at the same time, not taking part in any dangerous things, not provoking gangs, not doing bad things, and doing everything possible to avoid exposure.

However, he didn't expect that the outsider who suddenly came to Harlem and appeared in the barbershop could easily point out his biggest secret.

At this moment, Luke Cage's mind kept thinking about a lot of things.

He even had some suspicions that Ryan was the one sent to capture him from the private detention centre where he had been held before.

"Who the hell are you?"

"My name is Ah Xing, and I'm from Peng Lai, a secret island in the East."

[Reputation points from Luke Cage +85]

[Reputation points from Henry Hunter +40]

Sure enough, this kind of setting as background had to be thrown out one by one to have an effect. When everything was released all at once, it wouldn't be as shocking.

Looking at the considerable points on the data panel, Ryan was slightly distracted, but he quickly gathered his thoughts. After all, he wanted more than reputation points.

"The East? Peng Lai?"

With the somewhat difficult-to-pronounce name, Luke saw Ryan in a new light.

The guy was still in the same red sweatshirt and ridiculous hairstyle that Pop had cut. However, they couldn't hide the mysterious aura emanating from his body.

"I thought I've lived long enough to see everything..." Henry shook his head. "Seems like there's still a lot to see."

"Ah Xing, what kind of place is Peng Lai?"

"Peng Lai is a legendary immortal island in the East China Sea. We live on Peng Lai Island, maintaining the principle of seclusion, and rarely appear in front of mortals except under very special circumstances."

Since he threw out the background setting, naturally, he had to go even higher. The introduction, the style... So, even though Ryan was the only person from Peng Lai for now, he still acted mysterious, as he explained to Luke and Pop with conviction.

"Very special circumstances?"

Luke Cage keenly noticed the content of Ryan's words, thinking of what he said yesterday in the barbershop. His heart rippled, "The story you told us yesterday, was all that true?"

"There really is a 'Beast'?" Thinking of what Ryan called that person earlier, Luke couldn't help but frown, "The ultimate king of killers..." The name sounded ominous.

"Of course, did you think I was lying?!"

With a thumbs up for Luke in his heart, Ryan looked surprised on the surface.

In the barbershop, Luke and Pop looked at each other. Compared with believing the so-called 'Beast' that popped up out of nowhere, it was easier to believe that it was all a lie.

"Ah Xing, it's not that I don't believe you. It's just that this Peng Lai thing is hard to believe, and the Beast is ... it's kind of ..." Henry didn't finish his words, but the meaning was quite obvious.

Although he had seen a lot of extraordinary things from Luke, skin that couldn't be cut by a blade and superhuman strength, things that were undoubtedly powerful...

However, these abilities were less significant compared to what Ryan had said.

In the face of Henry's doubtful attitude, Ryan naturally understood. After all, in the absence of sufficient evidence, the perfect set-up was just empty words.

Nodding his head, Ryan glanced at the barbershop and then settled on the vending machine in the corner.

"Although it's not much evidence, but ..."

　　...

Harlem's Paradise.

The nightclub during the day, without the exquisite colours of the night lights, had a violent shady atmosphere.

'Diamondback' -- Willis Stryker was standing on the dance floor on the first floor, looking at the men gathered in front of him. Then, he turned his head and gestured some to the thugs behind him.

Nodding, one of the thugs turned around and pulled a bruised and battered figure from the corner.

Staggering out, Shameek spat out some blood from his mouth and opened his swollen eyes to look at the crowd gathered in Harlem's Paradise. Clearly, it wasn't a pleasant night for him.

"Boy," Stepping in front of Shameek, Willis reached out and patted his bruised cheek, "You should be glad you were lucky enough I didn't feed you to my dogs. So, down the road, if I catch you lying to me in the slightest, I promise I will definitely show you what it feels like to wish for death."

"Don't worry, everything I said is true."

After one night's encounter, Shameek obviously changed. Facing Willis's threat, he answered back with a bloody grin.

"It's for the best."

Pushing the other man's head away, Willis ignored Shameek, who had fallen to the ground, and turned toward his men in front of him, shouting, "As we all know, Harlem has always been our kingdom, a paradise that makes white people shudder. However, just yesterday, a little runt challenged our authority and hurt our brothers. So, brothers, for the brand-new Harlem!"

"For the brand-new Harlem!"

"Let's go!!"

　　...

"Ah Xing, are you sure you wanna show us that legendary Peng Lai island... here?"

In the back alley of the barbershop, Pop looked at Ryan, who was carrying a can of drink with a bland expression, looked around for a moment and asked with a somewhat subtle expression.

"That's right."

Ryan nodded and finished the last sip of the drink in the can in his hand.

"Peng Lai is too far away from New York, I can't make it appear in front of your eyes." Turning his head to look at Luke and Henry standing next to him, Ryan seriously explained.

As the mysterious Peng Lai currently existed only in his set-up, naturally, Ryan couldn't create it out of thin air, but he still had his own way.

Although Peng Lai couldn't be conjured up, he could indirectly prove the existence of Peng Lai by his actions.

"But I can use other methods to prove that everything I say is true."

As he spoke, Ryan let go of the can.

His right leg took a step back, and then the Mighty Steel Leg kicked with force. With a whistling sound, the kick hit the falling can.

"That's my proof."

Ryan raised his hand and pointed to the cans that cut through the sky and flew off to who knows where and turned his head to Luke and Pop, who was standing behind him.

"..."