Chapter 685

How much was Vanessa worth to Fisk?

And what was she to him?

The question struck far deeper than any price tag ever could.

Fisk fell silent.

For a long moment, he said nothing, staring into the distance as he wrestled with the answer.

Madame Gao, meanwhile, couldn’t help silently applauding Evenson’s approach.

Brilliant.

Everything in the world had a price, and Vanessa was no exception. No matter how important she was to Fisk, there had to be some point in his mind where the cost of saving her became too much.

If Evenson simply named some outrageous figure, what would happen?

If it exceeded Fisk’s personal limit by too much, Fisk might either be unable to pay or simply decide it wasn’t worth the cost. Then they’d have accomplished nothing.

Were they supposed to stand around haggling like merchants in a street market?

By making Fisk name the price himself, Evenson avoided the problem entirely.

And there was little risk of Fisk lowballing him.

The man had been desperate enough to bring Vanessa here personally and beg Gospel Corporation for help. That alone proved how much she meant to him. As long as Fisk genuinely wanted her saved, he wouldn’t dare offer an insulting amount.

Whatever number he gave, it would inevitably be close to the maximum he was willing to pay.

Gao couldn’t help admiring Evenson’s understanding of human nature.

Truly, this is the thinking of an expert.

Evenson himself was rather proud of the idea.

He knew his own weaknesses.

He was frequently hampered by the limitations of his imagination whenever money was involved. If he named the price himself, there was always the possibility he’d either ask for too little or demand too much and become a laughingstock.

Better to make the other party name the number.

Then he could simply add a little something on top.

As long as Fisk didn’t suddenly pull out some absurd romantic line about Vanessa being his "everything," this plan was practically foolproof.

Unfortunately, that was exactly when the life-support pod began screaming.

An ear-piercing alarm erupted from the machine.

Warning lights across the various life-monitoring systems flashed red.

Inside the pod, Vanessa’s body suddenly began convulsing violently.

She was dying.

"Vanessa!"

Fisk slammed his hand against the table and shot to his feet.

The force shattered the edge beneath his palm.

He crossed the room in three strides and rushed to the life-support pod, but there was nothing he could do.

He could only stand there and watch the woman he loved writhe in agony.

For all his power, all his wealth, and all the fear his name inspired across New York, Fisk suddenly felt exactly as helpless as he had when he was a bullied child.

What good was power if he couldn’t even protect the woman he loved?

What was the point of everything he’d built if he couldn’t save her?

"Two thousand dollars for the table."

Evenson rolled his eyes.

He looked utterly unconcerned.

Then he raised one finger and crooked it toward one of Fisk’s bodyguards.

The man immediately collapsed to his knees.

His body trembled.

Then something strange happened.

A translucent silhouette peeled away from him, identical to his own form. It seemed to wrench itself free from his body before dissolving into a thin stream of green mist.

Evenson moved his finger.

The green mist drifted through the air toward Vanessa’s life-support pod.

It slowly seeped into her body.

Instantly, the red warning lights turned green.

Vanessa’s convulsions stopped.

Color returned to her previously deathly pale face.

Fisk stared.

His mouth hung open.

What had he just witnessed?

Magic?

Was this really what people meant when they said science eventually reached the realm of the divine?

Was the pinnacle of medical technology actually just... sorcery?

Madame Gao was even more horrified.

Her eyes remained fixed on the bodyguard.

He looked several years older than he had moments ago.

Cold sweat trickled down Gao’s back.

The Hand claimed to serve life itself. For centuries, they had believed their understanding of life was second to none.

Their resurrection technique, known as Resurrection, could steal life force from one person and use it to restore another.

But the requirements were brutally demanding.

Saving a single person could require the sacrifice of a dozen people, sometimes dozens. Their blood had to be drained slowly, and the ritual required precious resources brought back from K’un-Lun.

Because of that, only the most important members of the Hand could ever receive such treatment.

Yet their supposedly miraculous Resurrection technique was nothing compared to what Evenson had just done.

It was like comparing a pebble at the foot of a mountain to the mountain itself.

He had merely moved a finger.

A person’s life force had been extracted and transferred directly into another body without any visible effort or loss.

It had happened as casually as picking something up off a table.

Extraordinary power.

Gao remembered the phrase she’d used earlier as a polite compliment.

Now she realized she’d chosen her words remarkably well.

"Extraordinary power" was almost an understatement.

Fisk and Gao were still struggling to comprehend what they’d witnessed.

Evenson wasn’t.

He looked as though he’d just performed the most mundane task imaginable.

"Mr. Fisk."

He glanced toward him.

"You still haven’t answered my question."

His voice remained perfectly calm.

"How much is this woman worth to you? What is she to you?"

After witnessing Evenson’s ability firsthand, Fisk no longer had the slightest doubt that Vanessa could be saved.

And after nearly losing her for a second time, he finally understood just how much she meant to him.

"Everything."

His answer came without hesitation.

"She’s everything to me."

Evenson’s eyebrow twitched.

"Everything."

He liked that answer.

Very much.

It seemed the fat bastard was actually a hopeless romantic.

Madame Gao’s expression became bitter.

If she’d known this was how things would turn out, she never would have poisoned Vanessa.

She should have kidnapped the woman instead.

Keep her as leverage.

Then Fisk would have had no choice but to obey every demand the Hand made.

"Everything..."

Evenson repeated the word.

"I have to say it again. I really like that answer."

There was something deeply satisfying about negotiating a price while having the other party voluntarily offer everything.

But Evenson wasn’t finished.

"If that’s what you’re saying, then does that mean you’ll give me everything you have if I save this woman?"

Fisk didn’t hesitate.

"Yes."

His voice was firm.

"That’s exactly what I mean. If you save Vanessa, everything I have is at your disposal."

"At my disposal..."

Evenson rubbed his chin.

That wording was interesting.

Fisk hadn’t said everything belongs to you.

He’d said everything is at your disposal.

But there was an obvious problem.

"How much use will you actually be to me?"

Evenson’s smile faded slightly.

"If you suddenly lose everything, you’ll be useless to me."

Fisk frowned.

"What do you mean?"

There was clearly something behind those words.

Evenson sighed.

"I’ve heard that a masked vigilante has appeared in Hell’s Kitchen recently. He’s been causing quite a bit of trouble on your turf."

His expression became almost mournful.

"Your little empire doesn’t look particularly stable right now. If you lose everything in the next few days, what exactly am I supposed to get out of our arrangement?"

Fisk’s jaw tightened.

"I’ve been careless lately."

His voice was low and heavy.

"I guarantee I’ll deal with him soon. That clown isn’t a real problem."

If he really were a clown, that would be the real problem.

Evenson kept the thought to himself.

His expression hardened.

"Don’t give me guarantees."

He stared directly at Fisk.

"I want a plan."

Fisk hesitated.

It sounded as though Evenson already had something in mind.

So he surrendered the initiative.

"Then what do you suggest?"

"If that vigilante exposes all your crimes, your assets will be seized."

Evenson’s tone was matter-of-fact.

"And everyone doing business with you will probably find themselves under serious scrutiny from the FBI."

He paused.

"Believe me, that’s the last thing I want to see."

That part wasn’t even a lie.

Gospel Corporation was currently helping Fisk launder money. They were careful, and the operation was well concealed, but there was always the possibility that something could go wrong.

Evenson wasn’t interested in letting Fisk’s problems become his company’s problems.

"So I’ll give you another option."

He leaned back.

"Move all your assets into a secure account."

Fisk’s eyes narrowed.

"That way, even if things go badly, your losses can be minimized. More importantly, your assets will remain protected."

Evenson’s gaze sharpened.

"And once everything is secure, you’ll still be in a position to work for me."

He smiled faintly.

"You’ll be able to do a lot more for me in the future."

...