I'm in an American comic book world, and I'm starting out giving Aunt May special treatmen

With waivers, huge sums of cash, and new positions offered, several core partners at Bates Capital finally succumbed to the pressure.

Not only did they cease their resistance, but they also turned against the company, secretly handing over more hidden transaction records, evidence of irregularities, and even high-level corruption as a "pledge of allegiance."

These fatal blows from within completely shattered Bates Capital's organizational structure and will to resist.

2007 January 12

The Bates Capital headquarters in Midtown Manhattan, once a brightly lit trading hall filled with arrogance and the clamor of money, is now shrouded in gloom and despair.

The glaring red numbers on the screen jumped wildly, representing a massive amount of money evaporating every second.

“Damn it! The Ryan family’s bitches!” Richard Bates, chairman and CEO of Bates Capital, slammed his fist on the desk.

His eyes were bloodshot and bloodshot, his hair was disheveled, and his expensive suit was wrinkled; he had long lost his former elite demeanor.

"Investigate! Find out which traitors they are! I want them to pay the price!" he roared at his equally overwhelmed subordinates.

“Richard, it’s too late!” The chief risk officer stared palely at the flood of liquidation orders and account freeze notices popping up on the screen. “Clients are withdrawing funds like crazy! Banks are pulling out loans! The stock price… the stock price has already fallen below the issue price! Short selling… God, it’s like they knew all our cards all along!”

“Those reports…that evidence…” another partner’s voice trembled, “It was too detailed. It’s impossible without an inside job! We’ve been betrayed! We’ve been stabbed in the back by our own people!”

Panic spread like a plague.

The traders looked dejected, watching helplessly as the net asset value of the funds they managed plummeted.

The phone rang incessantly, filled with devastating news of debt collection, questioning, and termination of cooperation.

The air was filled with despair.

The once arrogant financial elites are now like a flock of stripped vultures, helplessly watching their nest collapse in the raging fire.

Ultimately, Bates Capital suffered a series of defeats under the onslaught of the Lane Group, with a large amount of assets being sold off, and the main beneficiary being Hockley.

For Bates Capital, those short twenty days felt like a long and brutal ordeal.

In response to a run on its funds and regulatory pressure, Bates Capital was forced to sell off its core assets at rock-bottom prices—including a large amount of real estate, private equity, and even some valuable art collections.

These high-quality assets, like flesh and blood thrown into a shark tank, instantly triggered a frenzied scramble among Wall Street vultures.

Among these contenders, the fastest, most ruthless, and most generous acquirers all pointed to a series of extremely secretive offshore funds and shell companies that were ultimately inextricably linked to the Lane family.

Andy was like a skilled hunter, not only accurately shooting his prey but also arranging the most efficient division and transportation teams in advance.

A large number of high-quality assets that had been held by Bates Capital for a long time and whose value was severely underestimated quietly flowed into Hawke's capital empire at astonishingly low prices.

This was a meticulously planned "profiteering" operation, and the results far exceeded expectations.

Having lost its core assets and liquidity, and then being strangled by internal traitors and external regulators, Bates Capital is now defunct in name only.

Partners jumped ship one after another, employees resigned en masse, offices were seized, and funds under its management were liquidated.

The once invincible financial tycoon, like a fortress on the beach, completely collapsed and turned to dust in the face of the overwhelming waves stirred up by the Ryan family.

Unable to sustain the situation, the executives of Bates Capital turned to their master for help, namely Alexander Pierce…

In a secret, abandoned warehouse with almost no electronic devices, Richard Bates dialed his number using a disposable encrypted phone.

His fingers trembled violently with fear and anger.

The call connected, and a cold, tired voice, tinged with barely concealed irritation, came from the other end: "Bates? I told you, don't contact this number before I get back from Korea!"

“Mr. Alexander! Save us!” Richard’s voice was choked with sobs, completely devoid of his usual composure. “The Lane family! That little devil Hawk Lane! We’re finished! He’s like a mad dog, relentlessly attacking us! The SEC, the media, short sellers, internal traitors… We can’t hold on any longer! If this continues, we’ll all be in jail! We might even die a mysterious death!”

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, followed only by heavy breathing.

Alexander Pierce is currently in unprecedented trouble.

The most important base of Hydra's "Witch" project, which cost a fortune, was precisely destroyed by a mysterious force a few days ago, resulting in heavy losses. A large amount of valuable research data and equipment were lost, and many core researchers were either dead or missing.

Like a shark smelling blood, Nick Fury has already uncovered some intelligence that shouldn't have been revealed so quickly.

His rhythm has been completely disrupted.

Pierce himself is also implicated and is using all his resources to cover up the traces, divert attention, and quell internal doubts. These internal doubts refer to both S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra.

12. If the team's morale is low, it will be difficult to lead!

Is Bates Capital important to him? Absolutely!

However, compared to his current situation, the fate of Bates Capital is merely like two apple trees that accidentally caught fire while his 8,000-square-meter backyard was on fire.

“Richard,” Pierce’s voice was cold, weary, and impatient, “listen, I don’t have the resources to deal with your feud with the Lane brats right now! You’ll have to face the consequences!”

"But……"

"No buts!"

Pierce abruptly interrupted him, roaring:

"Abandon your illusions. Bates Capital is a shell company, now defunct. Listen, my final instructions to you are: use the last remaining channels you can control to completely destroy any information of value to us in the core database. Then, transfer any clean cash you can transfer to a Swiss account as quickly as possible through the 'old channels.' After you've done that, pray to that damned Jesus that you'll survive, then find a place to hide and wait for my next message. Remember, clean up your tracks before you die. If you leave any clues pointing to us... I'll drag you up from hell and devour you alive."

Pierce's voice, like a poisoned icicle, pierced Richard's last glimmer of hope.

“This…this is too ruthless! Mr. Alexander! We are working for the organization…”

“The organization doesn’t need losers, much less risk of exposure!” Pierce’s voice suddenly rose, carrying an undeniable coldness. “Bates Capital is just a pawn, Richard, a pawn that has been exposed and has lost its value. Now, carry out the orders, and then disappear. This is your last use.”

"Beep beep beep..." The phone was abruptly disconnected.

The cold, busy tone of the machine echoed like a death knell in the empty warehouse.

Richard Bates stood in the darkness, his body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

He understood that he and the company he had worked so hard for half his life had been abandoned by their owner like trash.

The former power and extravagance have now turned into a deep-seated fear and despair.

Richard staggered backward, leaning against the cold wall, and slowly slid to the ground, his hands digging deep into his hair.

He felt incredibly wronged at that moment. It was you who first gave the idea to take over the Ryan family, and you also agreed to bring the puppet team into the country to assassinate the Ryan Group's top executives. You were the one who orchestrated it all.

How can you turn your back on me after you've pulled up your pants?!

On the other end of the line, Alexander Pierce, having hung up the phone, looked at the pile of rubble before him and sighed heavily.

He suddenly realized that Hydra's situation was no longer what it used to be, and now it was facing a major crisis. The Bates family had always been loyal, and if they were to abandon them at this time, what would the other members of the organization think?

Won't I feel disheartened?

If morale is low, the team will be difficult to lead!

He sighed, picked up the phone again, considered his words carefully, and dialed back.

At this moment, Richard Bates, who was already in despair, saw the familiar number on his phone, his eyes lit up, and he quickly answered the phone, afraid that the call would be hung up the next second.

"Richard, I was a little out of line just now."

Upon hearing this, Richard immediately stood up, seemingly flattered: "Not at all, it's all for the organization."

"Well, it's good that you know. Last time you hired the Clay Doll Group through me to assassinate the Ryan family, but it failed. I should have made preparations then, but I underestimated them, so I also bear responsibility."

"No, no, no, Mr. Alexander, it's all my fault for not investigating the Lane family's background properly. It's all my fault." Richard fell silent, repeatedly taking the blame upon himself.

Alexander shook his head: "It's too late to say anything now. Listen to me, I will arrange for you to leave the United States. I will guarantee your safety. I believe that the assets you have transferred during this time are enough for you to live comfortably in any country for the rest of your lives... Well... that's it..."

"Dudu-"

Richard was about to say something when he heard another busy signal on the phone.

At this moment, the Tri-wing Building

Nick Fury, who was still working overtime, saw his communicator ring and his eyes narrowed slightly when he saw the name Pierce.

Indeed, after thinking it over, Alexander Pierce concluded that the only person who could properly protect the Bates family and was highly reliable was Nick Fury. He decided to entrust the promise he had made to the Bates family to him.

At the same time, he will also give Fury some information he wants to know, such as some research results of the Witch Project, in the hope that he can exchange this for Fury's temporary suspension of investigation.

He believed that Nick Fury must be interested in the witches known as the Moving Calamities.

Although the destroyed Busan base was the earliest, largest, and most important base built for the Witch Project, it produced T0 and T1 level witches such as Goo Ja-yoon, Shin Si-ah, and the Clay Doll Group.

However, it is not the only base for Hydra and its own organization.

Our organization is the original founding organization of the Witch Project. Its predecessor was the Gene Editing Corporation. It possesses a large number of finished witch combat forces and is an organization as old as Hydra. It is entrenched in East Asia and Europe.

“Hello, Pierce.” Fury’s voice was as light as ever, as if he were just having a casual chat with an old friend, but his one eye narrowed sharply, like a searchlight locking onto a target.

“Nick,” Pierce’s voice came through, trying to remain calm, but the fatigue and irritation he was trying to suppress were like an undercurrent beneath the surface of the water, which Fury could hear clearly.

"Still working overtime so late? You're really working hard for world peace."

Fury grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and leaned back in his chair. "Serving the people, huh? But you, Alexander, sound like you just finished a marathon? By the way, how's your business in Korea going?"

There was a half-second silence on the other end of the phone, then Pierce practically gritted his teeth: "...We've definitely run into some trouble. Nick, I need your help, on a personal level."

He decided to get straight to the point.

"Oh?" Fury's tone rose, a hint of curiosity in his voice. "A 'personal favor' that Pierce would ask for must be quite significant. Tell me about it?"

“Bates Capital is finished.” Pierce’s voice dropped, carrying a heavy, declarative tone. “Richard Bates and his core team are in deep trouble. That little wolf cub Hawke from the Lane family bit too hard, and they couldn’t hold on. Now they’re surrounded by wolves outside, and internally… they’ve collapsed too. I need your help to get them safely out of the United States and find a quiet place to ‘retire.’”

Fury rubbed his dark head, hissing slightly in embarrassment.

13 The Warlords

“Alexander, you know how it is with cross-border personnel transfers, especially when it involves ‘trouble’… But don’t worry, I’ll do my best to handle it…”

He spoke slowly, giving the other party ample room to raise the stakes.

Pierce cursed under his breath, "That greedy one-eyed bastard! When he said 'I'll do my best,' he really meant he wouldn't do it for you!"

But... damn it, now we can only rely on him.

Fury must have already sensed the connection between Bates Capital and me...

Pierce took a deep breath, as if making a decision: "Nick, I know this request is a bit... unusual. Of course, I won't let you help for nothing. We've recently been dealing with the aftermath of some... 'failed projects,' and we happened to come across a batch of research data and preliminary analysis reports on 'individuals with special abilities,' codenamed 'Witch.' This is... highly sensitive but potentially huge data. I think, given your interest in 'expanding the boundaries of human potential,' it should be of some value?"

Fury was secretly surprised: Pierce was really pushed to the limit? But this was certainly significant.

Fury paused for a moment as he tapped his fingers on the table; this was the only sign of "interest" he showed.

A barely perceptible hint of inquiry crept into his voice: “'Witch'? Sounds... fantastical. More specifically? You know, I'm always... well, reserved about things that sound unrealistic.”

"It covers areas such as gene enhancement, neural potential development, explosive strength, and superpower development," Pierce carefully chose his words, "and includes in-depth analysis of some successful physiological data and failed cases. Although it's not as 'perfect' as the final product, its groundbreaking ideas and exploration of limits will definitely provide you with a completely new perspective on your 'Avengers' project. The core data... I will arrange an absolutely secure encrypted channel and send it to your designated address within 24 hours."