Chapter 58: Snake Swallowing an Elephant: The Idea of Incorporating the Hand

Madripoor, Void Bar.

Madam Gao, leaning on her cane and looking frail and elderly, walked slowly into the bar surrounded by her subordinates.

There were many people in the bar—some there to talk business, some to probe for information, and others just there to watch the show.

As soon as Madam Gao entered, the originally noisy atmosphere suddenly went quiet.

Clearly, many people recognized Madam Gao’s identity.

The Hand’s revenge had arrived!

Many quick-witted people had already quietly stood up, preparing to leave.

Whether for business, intelligence, or their own safety, staying here was not a smart choice.

As for those who wanted to eat melons and watch the show, the Hand’s people stared at them for a few moments, and they sensibly cooperated and left with regret.

In less than five minutes, the bar, which had been filled with a mixed bag of factions, was left with only Madam Gao’s Hand.

Behind the bar, Maki Matsumoto, in a black and white tight-fitting dress, had a look of eagerness in her eyes.

Dottie Underwood and the White Queen sat on the long-legged chairs in front of the bar, their long legs even longer than the legs of the chairs.

The four Winter Soldiers were not here, but there were sixteen tall and burly super-soldiers here instead.

Including Maki Matsumoto, these people all came from the containers on the Rand Corporation’s cargo ship—all goods the Hand had prepared to sell.

The difference was that, except for Maki Matsumoto, the White Queen had left absolute obedience commands in the minds of the others.

This was the difference between them and Su Quan.

Su Quan’s ideal super-soldier legion was one that possessed self-awareness and loyalty; creating a group of puppets was meaningless. ===== CHAPTER 121 =====

The Winter Soldiers were an exception; their minds were unclear and their identities were special, so they could only be given orders of absolute obedience for the time being.

In the future, things would naturally change depending on the situation.

The White Queen and the others didn't have that requirement for self-awareness regarding super-soldiers; they didn't have to worry about loyalty anyway—as long as they were obedient and could complete their tasks, that was enough.

So, overnight, the Void Bar had sixteen extra super-soldiers and Maki Matsumoto.

"My surname is Gao; you can call me Madam Gao. You should have already guessed my purpose for coming here."

"So—have you thought about how you want to die?"

Madam Gao spoke in Chinese, and after she finished, a subordinate in a suit translated it into English.

Although Madam Gao looked old, her words were extremely arrogant; she demanded lives the moment she opened her mouth!

Dottie Underwood chuckled: "Who will die is not necessarily certain!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she waved her hand.

The surrounding super-soldiers instantly rushed toward Madam Gao and her subordinates.

Madam Gao’s expression didn't change, showing complete composure. Although she hadn't brought many people, they were all experts—a mere dozen or so people—

"Bang!"

One of her elite experts was actually sent flying into the wall by the opponent’s unrefined punch, then fell to the ground with a thud and couldn't get back up.

How is this possible?!

"Bang!"

Another subordinate was flattened by two people attacking from both sides.

These people clearly hadn't received any professional training; they fought like street thugs, without any technique.

But their strength, defense, and reaction speed were all top-notch. Where did they find these people?

In just a few minutes, all the people she brought were lying flat, having lost their combat effectiveness.

The super-soldiers were also injured, but not seriously; with their physical fitness, they would recover before long.

Sixteen super-soldiers, even without any prior combat foundation, were still bullying Madam Gao’s elites.

"I heard you know 'Qi.' Let me see it."

The White Queen stood up and walked toward the isolated Madam Gao.

Madam Gao didn't hesitate and struck with her palm.

Even though there was still some distance between them, an invisible force slammed into the White Queen.

The White Queen, who had diamondized her entire body, staggered back a few steps, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.

Is this Qi?

Invisible and traceless, not fierce, but extremely penetrating.

Her diamond form couldn't even completely block the attack of "Qi"!

"You—what kind of ability is this?!"

Madam Gao looked at the White Queen, who had turned into a diamond person, and asked in surprise.

"This is my innate talent!"

The White Queen activated her psychic abilities. Madam Gao seemed to sense it, her expression changing as she retreated a few steps, using Qi to guard her mind.

"I underestimated you. I admit defeat this time!"

"But business is about making money. I don't want the factory anymore, and I don't want the docks anymore, but you must allow my ships to dock here, resupply, and move freely."

"We will consider it."

"Good."

Madam Gao glanced at her subordinates, who were almost certainly unable to follow her, slowly turned around, and pushed the door out of the bar.

The older one gets, the more timid one becomes.

So many super-soldiers had already given her a shock.

The White Queen’s diamond form and psychic abilities made her feel even more uneasy.

Moreover, it wasn't just the White Queen; there was also someone named Dottie Underwood, and this whole incident had started because of her.

If she stayed any longer, it might be difficult to even leave unscathed.

As for the docks and the factory, she couldn't take them back anyway; even if she didn't give them up, they were already in their hands.

By giving them up, at least her people could still come to Madripoor to do business.

And whether one gives them up or not, words are often useless; strength is the key!

Madam Gao had entered the bar with her subordinates in high spirits, but when she came out, it was only Madam Gao herself, looking solemn.

This surprised the various factions waiting nearby for the result.

Even Madam Gao’s personal appearance wasn't enough; it seemed the final outcome of this matter was already set in stone.

After Madam Gao left, the bar quickly returned to its noisy state, becoming even livelier than before.

"Ring-ring-ring—ring-ring-ring—"

Su Quan, who had watched almost the entire process through Friday’s network monitoring, received a call from Dottie Underwood.

She first briefly reported the situation on all fronts, then mentioned Madam Gao’s proposal.

"What do you think of the Hand?"

"The Hand—are you thinking of incorporating the Hand? I know what to do."

With one counter-question, Dottie Underwood understood Su Quan’s intentions.

With their current size, incorporating the Hand was like a snake swallowing an elephant, but once successful, it would be no exaggeration to say they were building a skyscraper from the ground up.

After all, the Hand had been operating for so many years, and its influence and information channels were spread all over the world.

The benefits of incorporating the Hand didn't need to be stated.

"I—I have one more thing."

"Speak."

Dottie Underwood said hesitantly.

"I heard from Emma about the Gotei 13. I have no problem being a captain, but, but can we change the name?"

"Gotei 13 sounds weird. Didn't you say you wanted to put the Na Dou Tong headquarters here? Why don't we just call it Na Dou Tong uniformly."

PS: I originally intended to use names everyone is familiar with, like Gotei 13 and the Four Emperors, but everyone didn't seem to like them, so I won't use them. ===== CHAPTER 122 =====