Chapter 684

Madame Gao was the one who had poisoned Vanessa.

And now she had to tag along while Fisk begged someone else to save her.

What exactly had she gotten herself into?

Gao was deeply uncomfortable. She had no desire to come here, but staying away wasn’t an option.

By the time Wesley had informed her about Fisk’s plan, Fisk and his people were already on their way. There had been no time to stop them. And given her guilty conscience, convincing Fisk to turn around would have been difficult even if she’d tried.

Worse, Gao knew Fisk well.

The man was calculating and ruthless, but in ordinary conversation he was surprisingly stiff and inarticulate. Now, with Vanessa’s life hanging in the balance, he was so frantic that his ability to think clearly had nearly deserted him.

Gao was terrified he’d say the wrong thing and offend those two monsters.

If the Eredar twins lost their temper, Fisk could become mincemeat before anyone had time to blink.

That would destroy the business she’d spent so much effort building. Worse, it could seriously damage the Hand’s plans, which had been years in the making.

And if the twins were angry enough that killing Fisk wasn’t sufficient to satisfy them, Gao herself might be caught in the fallout.

So, despite every instinct telling her to stay away, she’d come along.

Her purpose was simple: keep Fisk from putting his foot in his mouth. Whether they could convince Gospel Corporation to save Vanessa was secondary. The first priority was making absolutely certain they didn’t anger the people in charge.

And if everything went catastrophically wrong anyway, Gao intended to do everything in her power to make sure neither she nor the Hand was dragged into the mess.

Two people with very different motives sat waiting in the room.

They waited.

And waited.

At last, the door opened.

Evenson strolled inside.

Fisk and Gao both froze.

Even Gao, who had prepared herself for almost anything, had no idea what expression she was supposed to make.

Evenson’s outfit was bizarre.

He was bare-chested, with nothing over his upper body except a black cloak draped over his shoulders. His lower half was covered by an extremely loose pair of pants that almost resembled a skirt, while his feet were stuffed into a pair of slip-on shoes.

Around his neck hung a heavy chain, attached to an iron ring bearing the symbol of the Burning Legion. It rested directly against his chest.

He looked less like a doctor and more like the high priest of some extremely questionable cult.

Fisk slowly looked around the room.

Had he come to the wrong place?

He had brought Vanessa here because he’d heard Gospel Corporation possessed advanced medical technology.

Advanced medical technology.

Not whatever this was.

He’d come to save his wife, not summon a demon.

"You must be Wilson Fisk."

Evenson ignored everyone’s bewildered expressions. He didn’t even bother with a greeting. He simply dropped onto the sofa, crossed one leg over the other, and nodded toward them.

"And you’re Madame Gao?"

Gao wasn’t offended by his blatant rudeness.

She immediately stood, bent at the waist, and clasped her hands in greeting. At the same time, she jabbed Fisk with her elbow until he reluctantly stood as well.

"I am but a junior before your presence. The honorific is far too generous. Please, allow me to offer my respects."

Fisk had been about to exchange the usual pleasantries.

Instead, he swallowed the words.

He stared at Gao in disbelief.

They had known each other for a long time, and he’d never once seen her behave like this.

Fisk was confused.

Gao wasn’t.

Her unusual cultivation method allowed her to detect even the slightest flaws in the Eredar twins’ disguises. At this distance, there was no chance of her failing to perceive Evenson’s true power, no matter how thoroughly he tried to conceal it.

The instant Evenson sat down, she knew.

His power belonged to the same origin as that of the two Eredar women.

But there was a difference.

The twins’ power felt like mist and clouds, impossible to grasp or understand. Being near them felt like falling endlessly into an abyss. The fear was constant, but there was no way to tell when the fall would end.

Evenson’s power was different.

It was clear.

Direct.

It told you exactly what it represented.

Destruction.

Pain.

Gao immediately reached a conclusion.

He was probably weaker than the twins.

Her own strength might be unimpressive, but several centuries of experience had taught her how to judge power. She could recognize the difference.

That said, weaker than the twins did not mean weak.

She was still nowhere near his level.

And even if she were?

The two Eredar women were sitting behind him.

Who would dare make a move?

That was why Gao was being so respectful.

Evenson, however, seemed completely unmoved by her almost excessive deference.

"You’re one of the Five Fingers of the Hand, aren’t you? A leader in your own right. There’s no need to humble yourself quite so much."

He leaned back.

"Isn’t that right, Old Gao?"

"Old... Gao?"

For a moment, Madame Gao didn’t know how to react.

At her age, nobody had ever addressed her that way.

Then she forced a smile.

"Call me whatever you please. If it is comfortable for you, I have no objection. May I ask your name, sir?"

"Chris."

Evenson casually dropped his new alias.

"So you are Mr. Chris."

Gao immediately clasped her hands again.

"I have heard of you. It is an honor."

Evenson nearly laughed.

Heard of me?

Five minutes ago, he hadn’t even been called Chris.

Where exactly had she heard of him?

"Mr. Chris..."

Fisk finally stood.

He couldn’t take this anymore.

A little polite small talk was fine, but how long were they going to keep this up?

His wife was lying in a life-support pod nearby, waiting for someone to save her life.

"We came here because—"

Fisk had never been particularly eloquent. Under pressure, he became even worse, his words occasionally catching in his throat.

Gao immediately stepped in.

"We have come to ask for your assistance. Mr. Fisk’s wife was suddenly afflicted with a strange poison yesterday. Our own abilities are insufficient to treat her, but we have heard that your company possesses extraordinary capabilities. That is why we have come to trouble you. We will, of course, provide generous compensation afterward."

"Oh. We’re here to save someone."

Evenson sounded as though he’d only just realized why they were there.

During Gao’s explanation, he hadn’t even looked up.

He’d been staring at the back of his left hand with mild fascination, as though he’d discovered something fascinating there.

"No rush."

He finally glanced toward Vanessa’s life-support pod.

"Now that she’s here, she won’t die."

Fisk’s face darkened.

The man’s casual attitude was infuriating.

But Gao repeatedly gave him warning looks, and Fisk forced himself to stay quiet.

"However..."

Evenson lifted his head.

His gaze settled on Vanessa.

"Saving someone comes with its own rules. We don’t do it for free."

He drew out the last words deliberately.

"You said you’d provide generous compensation. So tell me..."

"What exactly counts as generous?"

"Name your price."

Surprisingly, Fisk wasn’t angry anymore.

In his mind, there was a simple conclusion to draw.

If Evenson was openly asking for payment, then he was confident he could save Vanessa.

That was all Fisk needed to know.

Money wasn’t the issue.

If Vanessa could be saved, he’d pay whatever it took.

"I’m not sure it’s appropriate for me to name the price," Evenson said.

Gao’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Do you need to consult the two honored ladies?"

She assumed Evenson didn’t have the authority to make the decision himself.

"No need."

Evenson waved the suggestion away.

"They don’t have the time to bother with this."

Gao hesitated.

"Then..."

She was becoming increasingly confused.

If neither of the twins was making the decision, who was?

Evenson suddenly extended a finger toward Fisk.

"You name the price."

His eyes sharpened.

For a moment, his gaze seemed capable of piercing straight through Fisk’s considerable bulk and reaching the man’s heart.

"How much is this woman worth to you?"

His voice was quiet.

"What is she to you?"