These past few days, he had practically been driven insane.
The bank's collection calls came eight hundred times a day, the mortgage on his home was about to be overdue, and most fatally, the hundred or so brothers working under him were all counting on him for their wages to buy bread for their families.
If the contract for clearing the ruins fell through like this, not only would Toomes go bankrupt, but he would also be saddled with a lifetime of unpayable debt. His wife and lovely daughter would be homeless, wandering the streets...
Therefore, even though Toomes heard that this new mayor's background wasn't exactly clean, the moment he received the call from City Hall, he still brought two of his brothers and rushed over as fast as his legs could carry him.
Thinking of this, Toomes lowered his hands, and a heart-palpitating ferocity flashed through those cloudy eyes.
In fact, for Toomes to start from scratch, reach the middle class, and open his own company, he was definitely no coward to be slaughtered at will. He had already prepared for the worst—his 'Plan B'.
Before the Disaster Control Bureau forcibly took over the site, he had secretly intercepted a batch of Chitauri weapon cores and technological debris that hadn't been destroyed yet, hiding them all in his private Inventory.
If the government was really this shameless, if this new mayor was also a bastard who only knew how to speak in official jargon, and if this damn World insisted on pushing an honest man like him to his death... then to hell with morality! To hell with the law and justice!
To save his home and let his brothers survive, he didn't mind using that batch of alien technology to pull off something big!
Click.
Just as Toomes' mind was filled with dangerous thoughts, the mahogany double doors were pushed open from the inside by Wesley.
"The Mayor will see you now."
Wesley, now the mayoral secretary, was also in high spirits, wearing small gold-rimmed glasses and looking every bit the refined scoundrel.
The three men immediately reined in their thoughts and walked into the luxurious office with fear and trepidation.
The moment they saw the man inside the office, the breathing of all three involuntarily hitched.
Fisk was not sitting in a chair. Instead, with his hands behind his back, he stood quietly before the floor-to-ceiling window like a mountain of flesh, overlooking the post-war reconstruction of New York City.
He wore a well-tailored, wrinkle-free, expensive white suit and was fiddling with a Cuban cigar in his hand.
If the old Fisk, no matter how decently he dressed, still exuded the violence of a mob boss in his bones, then now, this new mayor of New York—who had successfully laundered his reputation and held great power—had evolved an elegance belonging to a high-ranking official, though it was equally oppressive.
Power is a very nourishing thing.
Toomes swallowed hard, feeling even more nervous.
Because he could tell at a glance that this new mayor was definitely not a pushover, let alone some Mr. Nice Guy.
It was almost impossible to expect such a person to show mercy or grant a reprieve.
Hearing the footsteps, Fisk slowly turned around.
There was no extra expression on that face full of rugged flesh.
Fisk leaned forward slightly.
A low voice echoed in the spacious office.
"I heard that you are the ones who previously contracted the cleanup of the alien debris in New York?"
As soon as Mason heard this, he wanted to seize the opportunity and directly ask for the withheld project funds.
"Mr. Mayor, since you know, then our contract and the final payment for the equipment—"
Before he could finish, Toomes pressed down on his shoulder, forcibly cutting Mason off.
Toomes took a deep breath, restraining his racing heart, and tried to keep his posture humble: "It is us, Mr. Mayor. I wonder why you specifically called the few of us here... what are your orders?"
Fisk did not answer immediately.
He unhurriedly brought the cigar to his lips and took a deep drag, the thick smoke slowly dispersing in the air.
Then, through the smoke, his eyes locked onto Toomes with indifference.
"I heard that there seems to be a batch of alien weapons that you neither destroyed according to regulations nor returned to the Disaster Control Bureau?"
Boom—!
The casual sentence was like a heavy hammer, smashing hard against Toomes' skull!
Toomes felt a chill rush up his spine to the back of his head, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.
Mason and Herman standing beside him also froze.
The two exchanged a glance, and both could clearly see the flash of panic and fear in the other's eyes.
Those were the Chitauri weapons they had hidden in the private Inventory!
That was the final trump card Toomes had prepared to use when he was driven to a dead end to protect his wife and child!
But this newly appointed mayor had actually investigated it clearly long ago?!
Toomes had been pushed to the edge of a cliff, with no way to retreat.
He put his hands behind his back, his Adam's apple bobbing with difficulty as he stammered, trying to brush it off.
"M-Mr. Mayor, what are you saying... I don't quite understand. All the debris has already been handed over..."
Even as he said this, behind his back, his slightly trembling fingers had already slipped into his sleeve, gripping a sharp fruit knife.
If this last path of retreat was also cut off by the government, if this damn mayor insisted on driving his whole family to a dead end...
Then Toomes would only have one path to take today.
Even if he died, he would take someone down with him!
Just as a fierce light flared in Toomes' eyes and he raised his gaze, prepared for a life-and-death struggle—
Fisk calmly took another puff of his cigar, not even looking at the small movements hidden behind Toomes' back, and simply said to the air, "Wesley, put the gun down."
As soon as the words fell, Toomes jerked his head around.
He saw that behind him, the refined man was holding a Glock pistol equipped with a silencer.
The dark muzzle was aimed right at the back of Toomes' heart!
When did he?!
All of Toomes' strength was instantly drained away, as if he had fallen into a deep abyss of despair.
What kind of monster was this new mayor?!
Was he really going to crush an insignificant ant like him to death?
However, life's ups and downs were never more extreme than this.
Fisk did not let Wesley fire, nor did he berate them because of Toomes' murderous intent.
On the contrary, this mountain-like mayor actually laughed for once, laughing like a generous and kind elder.
"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Toomes. I'm not like those idiots at the Disaster Control Bureau; I have no interest in cutting off people's livelihoods."
Fisk stubbed out the cigar in the ashtray and leaned forward. "I have a brand new contract in my hand. As long as you sign it, I will not only help you cover all previous equipment losses and liquidated damages, but also... let you make a fortune."
"What do you think?"
Huh? For real?
The three of them, including Toomes, were collectively dumbfounded.
Had they been scared into having auditory hallucinations by this mayor?
There was actually such a good thing as pie falling from the sky?!
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