Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 435 Backdoor Listing (Second Update)

Harold Finch found the meeting less than satisfactory, unable to stop Salomon and Elijah's conversation from veering into a downward spiral. His assessment was correct; Elijah did indeed know who Salomon was, the former mob boss seemingly privy to everything happening in New York City. While Salomon initially paid little attention to the chubby, bald man, Elijah's words forced even him to scrutinize the seemingly unremarkable middle-aged man with caution.

The two sides discussed the influence of New York's gangs outside of Manhattan. By the time Mr. Finch realized something was amiss, Salomon and Elijah had already opened a bottle of wine and were gesturing wildly as they described the extent of New York City's contraband trade. The gang leaders living near Salomon's apartment were all local whites and Italians, and the cleanup of the surrounding area was tantamount to breaking the peace between the gangs—although they fought regularly, it had never happened before that all the leaders were wiped out at once.

"Don't bother with black people, they don't live long." Elijah explained to Salomon in a soft voice the situation of black gangs in New York: the reason he didn't interfere too much in the affairs of black gangs was because, compared to gangs of other races, black gang leaders always had short lives.

"There's also the factor of police intervention, because no Black person can openly bribe the police. Irish, Russians, Latinos, even Chinese can, but not Black people. Everyone can tell they're criminals." He swirled his glass and said slowly, "But Black gangs distribute their goods very quickly, whether it's cocaine or damame. If you go to a Black community, you'll see Black kids helping to sell. Everyone there is a gang member; they have no hope, selling contraband is their only means of survival. The competition between Black gangs is also brutal; they don't understand the concept of unity. It's not just because their communities are connected, but because every sale represents their livelihood tomorrow; if someone else sells one more, it means they sell one less."

Harold Finch strongly opposes Salomon's collaboration with Elijah. Compared to Elijah's extensive network of informants throughout New York, Mr. Finch can only investigate through cameras—but the sorority members have destroyed all the nearby cameras pointing towards the apartment, making it impossible for even Mr. Finch to monitor the area around Salomon's residence.

He didn't know what kind of armed forces Salomon possessed, but Elijah did. The former mob boss believed that unless the National Guard entered the city, and unless the methods were too inhumane, Salomon's high-tech weaponry was enough to wipe out all gangs. Even with the New York Police Department patrolling the streets, New York City's crime rate would be at its lowest.

Elijah didn't mind letting Salomon eliminate the corrupt police officers, promising that all their cash and real estate would belong to Salomon, making him one of the biggest landowners in New York City.

Using Salomon to strike at enemies, especially corrupt police and gangs with whom he had severed ties, came at a price. Salomon didn't want dollars; he wanted gold. Elijah was clearly interested in such a deal. He promised that once Salomon eliminated his old rivals, he would help Salomon exchange the gangs' money for gold, and he would profit from the difference.

This was also Harold Finch's biggest objection: he wanted to use legal means to eliminate corrupt police officers, rather than resorting to violence. Elijah didn't mock him; on the contrary, he greatly admired Harold Finch's ideas, but he said it wouldn't work, and idealists only suffer failure.

Moreover, Harold Finch didn't have enough manpower to deal with those corrupt police officers, and if they forced a war, it would mean casualties.

"Why not go after the Punisher?" Salomon asked before leaving the prison. "You should know he's indiscriminately attacking gangs right now, shouldn't you?"

“Frank Cassell, a land-based monster, the best of the best.” Elijah raised an eyebrow. “That guy’s a madman. You said it yourself, he attacks gangs indiscriminately, and I used to be a gang leader. Do you think he won’t kill me?”

"I think as long as you stay in this prison, no one will take your life."

"According to the custom of war, the victor can do whatever he wants with the defeated side." Elijah's eyes were hidden behind his frameless glasses, making it impossible to see his gaze. Salomon could only know that he really liked Caesar's "The Gallic War".

"I've already lost, so even in prison, other people can still get in," he said. "Thank you for visiting, but it's not safe here, at least I don't think it's safe here. I'll find a way to make the deal that I think is safe."

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Dina helped Salomon remove his striped suit jacket and leather shoes. The sorority members responsible for guarding the apartment bid Salomon farewell and returned to their rooms. The maid, head bowed, reported to Salomon on the situation within the Immortal City, including the situation of Lorelei and the research progress of Princess Shuri of Wakanda.

As for Maya Hansen, she had a vacation provided by Salomon and was closely protected by two sorority members who stuffed bolt pistols into her handbag.

The first vehicle for the Sisterhood has now been assembled. The aircraft is unnamed, but tests have shown it can fly into near-Earth orbit and, in conjunction with the android's powered armor and Steel Wing modules, can perform orbital drops. Mass production will then begin, but due to limitations in raw materials and technology, production capacity will ultimately be limited compared to large military industrial enterprises.

This research project had been initiated long ago, but Shuri was busy with other work at the time. Now, she seems to have received advice from the Wakanda royal family and has completely distanced herself from the gene-editing project, focusing all her energy on machinery instead. Salomon has tacitly approved of this behavior; to him, Wakanda remains an irreplaceable force.

However, the goals of the two sides are not entirely aligned, and the Wakandas will eventually be replaced.

"Anything else?" Salomon took the water glass from Dinah. "Any news from S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Yes, Master." Diana produced a report. This report, generated by the AI, revealed that the S.H.I.E.L.D. ship "Star of Lemuria" was now listed with a bounty on the dark web. The bounty details about the ship were extremely detailed, including the identities of all crew members and whether it possessed any armed forces. Someone had already won the bid, and according to the AI's investigation, they were a group of notorious mercenaries.

"Let AI track down the person who posted the bounty." Salomon handed the report back. "I know what's on the Lemurian Star. What I'm curious about is the address where Nick Fury posted the bounty. If we find that place, we'll have Nick Fury caught in the act."

"Master, isn't Nick Fury our current target for cooperation?"

“No longer,” Salomon said. “We need to gather intelligence quickly. Our organization can’t stay underground in the Immortal City forever. My funds are running out. We must don a different guise to acquire resources, or rather, we must take over the entire power of another organization.”

"We will become Hydra."

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(End of this chapter)