9 Chapter 9 Rebirth Group
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Daniel Frederiksen water-Demon
Laurence Breuls Earth-Demon
Abigor Air-Demon
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"These people, not a single one of them is commendable."
Andrew's eyes flickered with an intense gleam as the directors' souls were instantly consumed by the fires of damnation.
[This was the Penance Stare of Spirits of Vengeance.]
"No!"
All the directors cried out in fear and agony. Suddenly, the flames vanished, leaving the directors slumped in their seats, drenched in sweat, their eyes brimming with terror, and their muscles twitching involuntarily.
Susan watched in astonishment, oblivious to the reason behind this occurrence. Due to her position, she couldn't perceive the fiery gleam in Andrew's eyes.
Andrew stood up and commanded, "Howard, negotiate with them. Purchase their company shares at the market price, and register those shares under your and Abigor's names.
Additionally, rename Doom Corporation as Rebirth Group. You will oversee the necessary procedures. Susan, prepare to assume control of the company. I don't want any chaos."
Part-time lawyer Howard nodded and replied, "Yes, boss."
Susan hesitated and asked, "Mr. William, it appears that they haven't agreed to sell their shares?"
"They will agree. I assure you. I will immediately sign the contract and give the shares to Mr. William."
Ned screamed in terror. He simply wanted to distance himself from Andrew, and the other directors felt the same way. They were consumed by fear, and from this moment forward, not only would they never oppose Andrew, but even hearing the name Andrew William would cause them to tremble with dread.
Moreover, the previous scene would haunt them for the rest of their lives unless they were willing to make amends for their mistakes.
"Gift? It sounds like I'm a bandit."
Andrew expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "I'm not stealing from you. I'll purchase your shares at the market price. As for the funds to buy the shares, you can provide me with an interest-free loan."
Howard mocked, "How is this any different from robbery?"
"Civilized individuals don't engage in theft. How can you call it robbery? This is a virtuous correction."
Andrew shrugged and exited the office. He had a meeting with the head of the Daily Bugle to discuss an acquisition.
"To acquire more souls, I require a media conglomerate of my own. Otherwise, how will the public learn the truth? If they remain unaware, how can they experience fear? And without fear, how can I sell their souls?"
Andrew pondered to himself, "I wonder what kind of Spider-Man exists in this world? Tobey's Spider-Man? The Amazing Spider-Man? Or perhaps Spider-Man who has the best Aunt May?"
...
While Andrew negotiated the acquisition expenditure with the head of the Daily Bugle, others were also discussing him, which was unsurprising given that he had no concept of being discreet.
"Andrew William appeared in the gambling city half a month ago and has been gambling and winning consistently. He has never lost, and the major casinos have lost hundreds of millions of dollars to him."
A balding white man reported to a computer screen where a one-eyed bald black man was present. "Many people have attempted to cause trouble for him, but they have all vanished. It is likely that they were killed."
"Ten days ago, Dr. Doom of Doom Corporation gifted his shares to Andrew William. Additionally, today at noon, the directors of Doom Corporation sold their shares to him at the market price."
"We suspect that this individual possesses some kind of mutate abilities for hypnosis."
"Why mutate and not mutant?"
Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. inquired. When mutants were mentioned, his tone noticeably soured. The reason was simple: he had no control over mutants, which meant the world was not safe.
"He remained in the gambling city for an extended period, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Hellfire Club. If he were a mutant, the Black King would have undoubtedly dispatched someone to recruit him." Level 7 agent Phil Coulson said.
"The three major mutant factions are the moderate X-Men, the extremist Brotherhood, and the elite Hellfire Club."
"That makes sense."
Nick Fury pondered for a moment and declared, "I have other pressing matters to attend to. I will leave this Andrew William to you. Gather evidence, learn about his abilities, and then apprehend him."
After all, Andrew was a billionaire, and they needed solid evidence to take action. If he were an ordinary person, Nick Fury would have unquestionably brought him in for interrogation.
Coulson proposed, "His abilities are quite unique. I request Melinda's assistance."
"Melinda is occupied. Dispatch Natasha. She happens to be in New York, attending a basketball game."
Nick Fury instructed, "Once Andrew William is captured, transfer his funds to a classified S.H.I.E.L.D. account, not a public one."
Coulson understood Nick Fury's intentions. After hesitating briefly, he nodded and replied, "Understood."
....
Under the faint glow of dim lights, Andrew accompanied Susan home from work during the nighttime. The extensive discussions about the acquisition of "Daily Bugle" had taken place, but there remained a substantial amount of work ahead. After all, it was a prominent newspaper company with its own television station.
Initially, the owner of "Daily Bugle" had no intention of selling, but Andrew's irresistible offer of a substantial sum of money changed their mind.
"As a mighty demon king, why am I working overtime? It defies logic!" Andrew silently complained. He had come here to enjoy himself, not to toil, once the initial preparations were completed. He needed to find someone to assist him in managing the Rebirth Group.
At that moment, Andrew noticed Susan beside him, hesitating to speak. With a smile, he inquired, "Is there something you would like to ask me?"
"Yes," Susan nodded and asked, "Mr. William, I hope you don't find this offensive, but are you a mutant?"
"Just call me Andrew. I understand your question. I am not a mutant. Doom gave me shares as a result of a completely fair trade," Andrew responded. "Regarding those directors, Susan, have you ever heard of the legend of the Ghost Rider?"
"I've heard some things. It seems there are some rumors in Texas; about a cowboy engulfed in fiery flames, seeking to pass judgment on wrongdoers," Susan remarked.
"The Ghost Rider was once an angel of God..." Andrew proceeded to explain the tale of the Ghost Rider and continued, "If I were to tell you that I am the Ghost Rider, and the reason those directors are so afraid is that I use the Penance Stare to intimidate them, would you believe it?"
Susan laughed and said, "Andrew, I'm a scientist, and while it would be fascinating to go on a date with the Ghost Rider, I'm not inclined to believe it."
Andrew chuckled and said, "I've actually ordered a Harley motorcycle online. When it arrives, I'll take you for a ride, and who knows, maybe then you'll change your mind."
Susan replied, "I might not have the time. My boss has assigned me a lot of work lately. I've been working overtime since my first day on the job."
"Your boss is despicable, uh, your boss seems to be me?" Andrew feigned surprise, and they both shared a laugh. Just then, they noticed a group of tattooed men up ahead, attacking two disheveled homeless individuals.
Susan, driven by a strong sense of justice, stepped forward immediately and shouted, "Stop! What do you think you're doing?"
One of the tattooed men turned his head towards Susan with a greedy expression and retorted, "We're driving away monsters. Any problem with that?"
"Monsters?" Andrew and Susan were both taken aback. They looked down and noticed that the two homeless men possessed peculiar features—one had an abnormally large head with bulging veins, while the other had fish scales on his face, giving them an eerie appearance.
As Andrew and Susan observed them, the two homeless men hastily covered themselves with their cloaks, attempting to crawl away. However, the tattooed men continued, forcefully kicking them back to the ground.
