Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 857 Espionage (First Update)

His Holiness's preparations for guiding Stephen Strange lasted at least half a century.

However, that work is now completely finished. Kamar-Taj's spies in the secular world will guide Stephen Strange to his final destination. The problem now is how to instill despair in Strange without causing him too much harm—in fact, this isn't difficult. Even for a high-paying profession like surgery, Stephen Strange's mortgage isn't paid off. Not everyone can pay for a penthouse in full after finishing renovations, like Salomon. Once Stephen Strange loses his income, his previously high-quality A-grade mortgage will instantly be downgraded to B or even C, then packaged and sold by the bank as one of countless bonds to allow the bank to cut its losses or even make a profit.

After that, the letters demanding repayment weren't from the bank that provided the loan, but from the bank that bought the debt, or even gangs. The biggest underground brokerage in New York was none other than Wilson Fisker, who had a group of people specializing in finance. His transactions with banks were an unspoken rule in the financial market. Since the 08 subprime mortgage crisis, some banks would choose to sell their completely unrecoverable, lowest-grade subprime loans at low prices to gangs eyeing brokerages to recoup their losses. The gangs would then send thugs to collect the debts, resulting in countless murders. Strange, a former doctor, would be completely defenseless in such a situation.

Salomon understood Stephen Strange's mindset well. This obnoxious, arrogant fellow had almost no friends to rely on, and even in dire straits, he might rather starve than stay in a shelter that provided food and lodging for the homeless and drug addicts, simply because he couldn't bring himself to do it. Salomon was methodically writing his proposal while simultaneously arranging the acquisition of the hospital where Strange worked.

He added many details to His Holiness's plan.

In the original plan, even after entering Kamar-Taj, Strange was expected to maintain his arrogance, as if it were part of his very being, because he was always mindful of his past social standing and constantly yearned to return to that state. Salomon intended to attack his psyche from all sides, wreak havoc on his life, and make him realize that the root of all his misfortunes lay within himself.

For example, he could make Christina a hospital administrator or find a good person to marry, completely destroying Strange's psychological defenses. To kill, you must destroy his spirit. Although Salomon didn't want Strange dead, he wanted to kill the arrogant and conceited Strange, making this step essential. In this regard, he made a special phone call, focusing on learning from Wilson Fisk's experience, because no one understands better than the mob how to drive someone to the brink of despair on a social level. Natasha Romanoff's experience was equally important. Although she didn't know why Salomon suddenly wanted to learn this, she truthfully told him how to induce someone to work for an organization. Like the card-forcing trick in card magic, ensuring the opponent can only get the planned card no matter what.

He didn't hide anything from Natasha Romanov when he made the call.

He didn't let Stephanie handle the matter either, because she was already busy enough.

The Immortal City is larger than Rome, but its permanent inhabitants number less than ten thousand. Industrial facilities and military bases converted into fortresses occupy most of the restored land. Rome, for example, has a population of three million, while much of the Immortal City remains vacant. In future plans, these idle lands will be fully utilized. The Wakanda construction team responsible for building the Immortal City intends to transform them into a biological center, a weapons research institute, an aircraft manufacturing plant, a tank manufacturing plant, and a heavy weapons factory. Meanwhile, the undersea transport tunnel is under construction, and at the Wakanda construction team's pace, it will take over a year to complete its initial phase. This figure, provided by the Malik family actuary whom Stephanie consulted, is similar to what was stated in the report Shuri gave to Salomon.

All these facilities and existing buildings, except for the undersea tunnel, will be contained within a massive, heavily guarded fortress, becoming the political and military center of the Immortal City. Furthermore, the post-war personnel reshuffle will require a vast amount of manpower and paperwork; Stephanie has many things to attend to, and Salomon doesn't want to bother her with matters unrelated to the Immortal City.

"There are no names on this plan." Natasha Romanov looked at the sorcerer with suspicion. "Who are you planning to target?"

"You regret telling me those things now? You'd be better off not telling me in the first place."

Salomon put down his pen with satisfaction, praising his own handwriting. It was the Gothic script Athena had taught him, not easily deciphered by most, so it was often used to write things Salomon didn't want others to see. But Natasha Romanoff was no ordinary person; she read the first few pages as smoothly as if they were popular novels, then an inexplicable urge to be annoyed by Salomon's handwriting overwhelmed her, and she finally put the document down and refused to look any further.

She didn't realize that she had forgotten what she had just seen.

In Salomon's hands, this document transformed into enchanted pages. The patterns on the borders weren't decorations, but rather a disguise to conceal magical runes. Like a devil's pact, the more elaborate the paper, the more hidden its contents.

"No, that's not it. I'm just curious who's so important that you'd write a hundred-page plan to arrange things, even going so far as to call the head of New York's biggest mob to learn from their experience. Unfortunately, I know you once attended the same charity gala as Wilson Fisk. Because your adoptive mother is an investor in the gallery of Wilson Fisk's partner, your connection with the New York mob is unknown." Agent Romanoff shook his head. "It's not that I'm worried you have any dealings with the mob, it's just that I rarely see you taking things so seriously unless something big happens."

“Spies don’t always get intelligence, Natasha. If you know this name, you’ve hit the jackpot today,” Salomon said. “But don’t worry, Earth is safe after Finnbowent. I told Stark the same thing, so you can go home and sleep soundly without worrying about waking up to find the world destroyed.”

"Looks like you've prevented the world from being destroyed again, great hero. So, can you tell Finnbowent what happened that's more important than this hundred-plus pages of plans?"

"Darling, if I don't want to say it, you won't be able to get it out of me even if you're in bed with me."

The female spy widened her bright eyes. "I know, but I still want to try the process."

Natasha Romanov left satisfied. She meticulously listed the still-healing wounds on Salomon's body after the Finnbowent incident, as well as the scars that had healed but stubbornly remained on his skin. Based on this, she made a relatively credible assessment of the danger level of the Finnbowent incident. Although spies don't always obtain intelligence, she was no ordinary spy. She discovered that Salomon had a particular fondness for Slavic women, which was evident in the sorority girls; she had questioned them all and knew where they came from.

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(End of this chapter)