章 56: Chapter 72: Standing at the Pinnacle of Vought Tower, Overlooking New York
"Isn't this a perfect opportunity? It helps you and helps me," Cyrus said.
"I can't do that. Madeline will kick me out of the Seven," Starlight shook her head. She was more concerned with keeping her current position than exposing Deep Sea's ugly side.
"To me, it's clear you don't really understand Madeline. Even if she wanted to fire someone from the company, she wouldn't touch a member of the Seven. Vought isn't her Vought; it belongs to the shareholders. Firing you would only cause a drop in Vought International's stock price, which she can't afford," Cyrus explained.
Starlight was silent for a few seconds. She had to admit Cyrus's argument made sense.
But that alone wasn't enough to convince her to accuse Deep Sea. Starlight said firmly, "I don't think I can face Madeline's wrath. And what about Deep Sea? Your move would not only offend Madeline but also Deep Sea."
"Could you pass me a napkin? Thanks."
The server handed over a napkin and quietly stepped away, maintaining their professional decorum by not eavesdropping on the conversation.
Cyrus wiped his mouth with the napkin and smiled. "First of all, as long as you keep quiet, no one will know I'm behind the scenes. Even if they guess, it doesn't matter.
Secondly, I've already spoken with Deep Sea. Contrary to what you might think, he's not angry with me; in fact, he's extremely grateful."
"Why?" Starlight asked instinctively.
"If even you are displeased with Deep Sea's rise, imagine how others feel," Cyrus said, cutting a piece of steak and taking a bite.
Starlight wasn't foolish. She quickly realized who Cyrus was referring to.
"Homelander!"
"Correct. Given Deep Sea's current surge in popularity, he might even become a threat to Homelander. So, when Deep Sea learns that his popularity might surpass Homelander's, do you think he's scared or worried?" Cyrus said with a smile after swallowing a juicy bite of steak.
"Is all of this part of your plan?" Starlight looked at Cyrus as if he were a monster.
"Pretty much," Cyrus replied nonchalantly.
Starlight still didn't understand Cyrus's motives. Supporting Deep Sea only to then bring him down seemed pointless, as if he were just looking for trouble.
Clearly, Cyrus wasn't simply bored, and a single steak wouldn't satisfy his appetite.
"I don't get why you're doing this... Ashley, that's it. You want Ashley out so you can become the head of the HR and PR departments," Starlight suddenly realized Cyrus's motive.
"But how can you be sure Madeline will promote you? She could easily choose someone else for the position."
Cyrus wiped his mouth with a napkin, "Because, for Madeline, that person's opinion matters too. So, we've arranged a simple cooperation. He wants Deep Sea's popularity to plummet, and I want the HR and PR department head position. It's a perfect deal for both parties."
"Terrifying," Starlight remarked.
"Thanks for the compliment." In truth, from the plane crash incident to President Edgar stepping in, every step was part of Cyrus's plan. Perhaps it was a bit like having a protagonist's luck, but for Cyrus, it was just an experiment. Even if it failed, he wouldn't lose much, so why not try?
Moreover, if Deep Sea's scandal broke, it would deliver a significant blow to Madeline's authority.
Cyrus wasn't just targeting the HR and PR department head position. Vought is a unique company; only department heads or higher executives have the authority to intervene with superheroes. To better analyze and integrate superhero abilities in the future, Cyrus had to climb up the ranks, aiming to stand at the very top of Vought Tower, overlooking all of New York.
"So, have you thought it over?" Cyrus asked after finishing his last piece of steak.
"Actually, you don't need to worry too much. What you lose pales in comparison to what you'll gain. From what I know, the Women's Protection Association has millions of members. Exposing Deep Sea will surely earn their support. Remember, female empowerment can be a powerful tool," Starlight realized.
Starlight felt that Cyrus was like a devil from ancient legends, luring others into moral decline.
"I'll think about it," Starlight said, quickly leaving the restaurant as if being chased by wolves.
Cyrus watched her departing figure and took the last sip of his juice. He was confident that Starlight would agree eventually. After all, people's personalities don't change overnight.
...
Meanwhile, the investigation team formed by Hughie and the others made significant progress on the Compound V case.
Through one channel, they discovered that since 1971, "Samaritan's Embrace," founded by Izzy, had secretly supplied Compound V to over fifty hospitals worldwide with the backing of Vought. This meant that no superhero was born naturally; they were all ordinary people injected with the drug.
"Was Starlight also injected?" Hughie asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
Over the past few days, he had been trying to get closer to Starlight at Billy's request. Although they hadn't become a couple, their relationship was still amicable.
"Exactly. She was also turned into a superhero by Compound V."
Milk put down the thick stack of documents and continued, "Aside from Homelander, we have records on everyone else. However, there's no documentation on how Homelander became a superhero."
"That's enough. Finding out this much is already a pleasant surprise," Billy said, satisfied with Milk's findings.
However, Frenchie raised a different point, "But what about Kimiko? We rescued her when she wasn't in a hospital but rather in a warehouse where Compound V was injected."
"Perhaps..." Frenchie's words seemed to contradict Milk's investigation.
Billy furrowed his brow, trying to make sense of it, but he was certain that everything was tied to Vought.
"Milk, you're in charge of continuing the investigation. See if you can find any leads on Kimiko," Billy instructed. Then he turned to Hughie and said, "Come with me. Let's check out a lead."
Hughie followed Billy to a support group consisting of indirect victims of superheroes. Many of these individuals had been saved by superheroes but were left permanently disabled due to their injuries.
So, this group had formed a support network.
Billy had known about and interacted with this organization for a long time. After his wife, Becca, was raped by Homelander and went missing—almost everyone believed she was dead—Billy, in his profound grief, had stumbled into this support group.
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