~Hellfire Club~
In the top-floor private lounge, Sean leaned back on the sofa, surrounded by the soothing strains of music...
A bottle of high-end red wine and a cigar box sat on the table... even though he had no interest in them, Wesley had prepared everything meticulously.
One had to admit, Kingpin's former personal assistant was a shrewd and cautious man.
'Was he worried I'd still hold a grudge over the Punisher's intrusion? Eager to prove his loyalty?' Sean smirked.
He didn't care about loyalty, that was as flimsy as a gangster's morals... easily bought and sold.
As long as those in power remained strong, their subordinates wouldn't dare act out. Wesley's loyalty was built entirely on Sean's overwhelming strength.
"Boss." Wesley entered but didn't sit immediately.
Instead, he stood and began his report: "We've confirmed it. Yesterday's earthquake in Hell's Kitchen was a shallow-focus quake. The cause is still unknown, but one thing is certain... it's connected to the Hand. The epicenter was Midland Circle Financial, radiating outward. That's one of the Hand's shell companies. They've worked with Kingpin before."
Impressed, Sean nodded, "You found all this out in two hours. Good work."
Wesley remained humble, "The Hellfire Club is the biggest intelligence hub in Hell's Kitchen. Brokers and middlemen from every gang and crime syndicate come here to do business. Gathering intel isn't hard."
Sean leaned back deep in thought. The Hand was clearly planning something big... yesterday's earthquake was just the prelude. With such a blatant move, weren't they worried about attracting S.H.I.E.L.D.'s attention?
But that shadowy organization (still unknown to most) probably wouldn't care about gang wars in New York...
The calculating Director Fury was likely busy compiling dossiers on superhumans. Mutants alone were enough of a headache... why would he spare attention for Hell's Kitchen?
"What about the people I told you to monitor? Any movement?" Sean was curious about what Hell's Kitchen's street-level heroes were up to.
Wesley chose his words carefully, "Matt Murdock... the blind lawyer has been doing pro bono work. Nothing unusual. Jessica Jones is investigating the disappearance of an architect. Luke Cage just got out of prison and is already tangled up in a series of mysterious deaths in Harlem. As for Danny Rand… he only arrived in New York yesterday."
"Good. Keep watching them, but don't get caught. They're not ordinary people."
Sean studied Wesley's respectful demeanor, a glint of approval in his eyes.
No wonder Kingpin had valued him so highly. Having a subordinate who handled every detail flawlessly was a luxury... There was no need to micromanage, his is to just steer the ship and let others handle the rest.
"Boss, I noticed something else. The Hand is also keeping close tabs on Danny Rand." Wesley added.
"Of course they are." Sean chuckled, "Danny Rand is the key to their entire plan."
At Wesley's questioning look, Sean explained plainly, "As a child, Danny survived a plane crash that killed his parents. He was taken in by monks from K'un-Lun, a hidden city in the Himalayas. There, he trained and eventually earned the title of the 'Immortal Iron Fist', becoming its sworn protector."
"K'un-Lun?" Wesley had never heard of it.
Even his thorough background check on Danny hadn't uncovered this.
"A mystical city existing in another dimension. The monks there believe in harnessing 'qi', the life force within all humans. But five of them grew corrupt. They sought immortality, desperate to escape death. The elders deemed them heretics and cast them out like Lucifer falling from heaven..."
"...Those five became the 'Fingers of the Hand'. Using an artifact stolen from K'un-Lun, they've lived for centuries. You might recognize one of them, Madame Gao, who controls Hell's Kitchen's drug trade. She's one of their leaders."
Wesley's face paled. If anyone else had told him this, he'd have dismissed it as cheap fiction. But coming from Sean, it had to be true...
The Hand (a group Kingpin had once partnered with) had such a dark, ancient origin?
"The other four have their own identities; an African warlord, an arms smuggler, even a corporate tycoon. Each Finger rules their own territory. And now, they've all gathered in New York."
Wesley exhaled, "Boss, if you ever wanted to be an intelligence broker, you'd be the best."
Sean smiled. Foresight was the greatest advantage of a transmigrator. Before the timeline becomes completely derailed by his presence, he needs to seize every opportunity just as he had with Frank D'Amico and Kingpin.
The Hand would be his next stepping stone. This global shadow organization had just become his prey...
"Are you planning to move against the Hand?" Wesley's mind worked quickly.
Sean wouldn't have dug so deep into the Hand's secrets or monitored Hell's Kitchen's vigilantes without reason.
There was a saying: Know thy enemy...
If his enigmatic young boss understood the Hand's plans this well, he was undoubtedly preparing to strike...
"I told you a long time ago; one day, I'd kick the Hand, the Russians, and the Mexican cartels out of Hell's Kitchen." Sean's lips curled into a faint smile as he met Wesley's gaze, "...King of Hell's Kitchen... that's my promise to you."
Even with his usual composure, Wesley couldn't suppress a surge of excitement.
Looking at his calm, unreadable boss, he said sincerely, "Thank you, boss."
"You've earned it. Don't limit yourself to Hell's Kitchen, Wesley. The world is far bigger than you imagine."
Sean stood and clapped his subordinate's shoulder on the way out, "Keep watching the Hand. Report anything new."
With that, his tall figure disappeared into the crowd, drowned out by blaring metal music and gyrating bodies...