章 35: Chapter 51: Remember, I’m Not Negotiating with You
The venue for the match was MetLife Stadium in New York City, with over a hundred thousand spectators expected. Cyrus was responsible for the security at the event, which kept him busy until evening. Only after finishing his work did he finally meet with A-Train.
A-Train was feeling a bit nervous about this meeting.
"This steak tastes pretty good; you should try some," Cyrus said, cutting his steak into small pieces with a knife and fork before slowly chewing. "You look a bit uneasy—are you worried that Vought will discover you using Compound V tomorrow?"
"Come on, I really need to win this match. If I lose, my country will kick me out of the Seven."
A-Train spoke in a low voice, pleading with Cyrus.
Cyrus wiped his mouth with a napkin, his gaze as cold and piercing as a sword. "Why should I care if you get kicked out of the Seven? Your annual earnings haven't given me a single cent."
"Five million dollars. If you promise to keep my secret, I'll give you five million dollars." A-Train's face showed signs of reluctance. While he cursed Cyrus in his mind as a greedy vampire, he grit his teeth and said, "You're asking for a lot, but I'll make the sacrifice."
"Sorry, I'm quite satisfied with my salary from Vought," Cyrus replied after finishing the last piece of steak.
A-Train was nearly driven mad by Cyrus's demands.
"So what do you want, exactly? Do you want me to make you the president of Vought? Just tell me how much it will take to make this go away."
"Five million dollars, plus access to Compound V for your girlfriend."
As soon as Cyrus finished speaking, A-Train refused immediately. "Impossible. I can give you the money, but I don't have access to Compound V, and neither will Kimiko tell me."
With a sharp crack, Cyrus crushed the glass he was holding, picking up a shard and grinding it into powder. He poured the powder into A-Train's drink and then handed the glass back to him, indicating he should drink it.
"Remember, I'm not negotiating. No matter what methods you use, whether it's threats or bribes, I only want what I want. If I don't get it within three hours, you'll face the consequences."
Cyrus's tone was indifferent.
Seeing A-Train's face flush with humiliation, Cyrus sneered, "I'd advise against any thoughts of silencing me, as it would be laughable. If I wanted, I could make your end far worse than this broken glass in a second."
Cyrus knew how to deal with people who feared strength and respected weakness. The only way to make them comply was to be even more formidable. Soft negotiations would only make him appear foolish.
"Agree to this, and you can remain the Speed King in people's eyes, continuing to bask in glory. Refuse, and you'll become a worthless outcast discarded by Vought. I think you're smart enough to know how to choose."
"Do you want to be the Speed King, or a worthless failure?"
Cyrus's words were like a devil's whisper. After a moment of hesitation, A-Train took the glass from Cyrus and drank it in one gulp.
"I look forward to your good news." Cyrus smiled slightly as he watched A-Train leave.
...
An hour later, Cyrus received texts from both the bank and A-Train.
Seeing the six million six hundred sixty thousand dollars added to his account, Cyrus chuckled softly. "Am I being treated like Satan? It's the first time I've seen money used to insult someone—quite creative, I must say. Keep up the good work."
Cyrus then read the message from A-Train.
The message was simple, just one line.
"Mercy Hospital in the Central District. Look for a nurse named Kimiko."
Mercy Hospital… I see. If Cyrus remembered correctly, this matter should be related to Vought's Isobel, the bisexual with rubber powers he had seen at the nightclub. She was Vought's charity ambassador, responsible for distributing Compound V to hospitals worldwide that collaborated with Vought.
A-Train's girlfriend must have obtained Compound V through the hospital.
Cyrus had guessed wrong. Most superheroes were aware of the hospital's distribution of Compound V. The Compound V that A-Train had was provided by his countrymen.
Cyrus first bought an SUV from a dealership and then drove to the hospital. After tipping the staff, he successfully met Kimiko.
"This is a one million dollar check. You should know what I want."
"Sorry, I don't understand," Kimiko said, preparing to leave. She didn't like doing business with strangers due to the high risks involved.
"Popclaw mentioned you."
Kimiko frowned. "Two million, or no deal."
"Deal." Cyrus agreed readily, pulling out his checkbook and handing Kimiko a two million dollar check.
"Give me five minutes." Kimiko took the check and went back into the hospital.
When she returned, she carried a box wrapped in black cloth.
"This is a controlled substance. If anything goes wrong, our hospital is not responsible."
"I understand the rules."
Returning to his car, Cyrus opened the black box, revealing neatly arranged vials of Compound V. There were ten vials in total, each priced at two hundred thousand dollars, ten times cheaper than the official price.
Cyrus guessed that the production cost of this substance must be low, otherwise Vought wouldn't be so generous in providing so much Compound V for research every year.
"Let's hope it works. After all, the fusion speed of carbon-based superpowers is really too slow."
Cyrus opened his panel, noting the fusion progress was at 13%.
He took out a vial, cut the tip with his fingertip, and poured the blue liquid into his palm. As he absorbed a few drops of Compound V, his right hand's palm opened like a zipper, re-sealing itself after ingestion.
Initially, he felt a slight sting throughout his body, but it wasn't too intense.
Was it because the dosage wasn't enough? Cyrus transformed his right index finger into a slender tentacle, which then slithered into the Compound V, slowly absorbing the liquid. To avoid any accidents, the tentacle absorbed the liquid very slowly.
As the dosage increased, Cyrus closed his eyes and sensed changes within his cells. Instead of discomfort, his cells became highly active, greedily absorbing the Compound V, and their structure grew more complex.
When Cyrus opened his eyes again, one vial of Compound V was completely absorbed.
He wasn't sure if it was because he already had Translucent's abilities, but this absorption didn't grant him a completely new superpower.
However, it didn't matter. Cyrus looked at the panel with a slight smile.
[Carbon-Based Superpower Fusion in Progress, Current Progress: 33%]
(End of Chapter)
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