Chapter 428 - 400: The Extinguished Reactor

"Reports indicate that the NYPD recently launched a surprise raid on the United Construction Company and arrested company boss Wilson Fisk."

"Founded in the year 2000, United Construction Company’s business activities include building construction contracting, concrete production and sales, aggregates, as well as machinery and equipment leasing. Around 2001, they began to acquire large amounts of land in various regions including Brooklyn, Queens, and others."

The owners of these lands were mostly low-income residents.

This included a section of Manhattan known as ’Hell’s Kitchen,’ where real estate development was undertaken."

"Information disclosed by the investigating authorities reveals that the company engaged in coercing local residents and bribing local housing officials during their land acquisitions."

"In a recent inspection of the supposed affordable housing constructed for the poor by this company, numerous building code violations were discovered, with no one knowing how these construction plans managed to get approved by the regulatory agencies."

"Additionally, the company has experienced delays in the delivery of affordable housing, and for unknown reasons, local residents and officials have not protested, perhaps due to the criminal gangs associated with the company."

"Surprisingly, the NYPD decided to raid the company simply because the property management subsidiary of United Construction Company illegally entered a homeowner’s residence."

"According to the victims, these criminals had already illegally detained them, and if NYPD officers hadn’t arrived on time, it’s hard to imagine what would have happened—"

"Two lawful citizens cornered by criminals in their own home—I can’t think of anything worse than that."

"The investigation into United Construction Company is ongoing, but rumor has it that Wilson Fisk is also known in the underworld as ’Kingpin,’ a notorious criminal leader."

"This leader apparently received sentences including the death penalty and life imprisonment over a decade ago, marking him as a serious felon."

"It remains unknown how such a serious felon could be ’resurrected’ after being sentenced to death, but I believe, as the NYPD and the Justice Department delve deeper, we will uncover the truth."

"Moreover, it’s said that Mayor Flor is actively communicating with the state government and legislature to rectify the fatal mistake made by the judicial system—"

"A man who should have died escaped from prison and has since taken many civilian lives, subjecting these citizens to live in fear; I can’t imagine living in such a community.

And before Mayor Flor took office, we even thought everyone there was a criminal, and we thought relief should be cut...

Looking back, it seems unlikely that these reliefs were ever really meant for low-income people to improve their lives."

"Here, I support Mayor Flor—at the very least, we should execute what should have been done to Kingpin over a decade ago."

"I’d like to say that justice may be delayed but never denied, but unfortunately, those who have lost their lives due to so-called ’delayed justice’ won’t be made any better by this tardy justice."

"Justice delayed is not justice; it is a disgrace to civilization, and those officials who betrayed the trust of the citizens should be tried alongside."

The events of New York City spread across the globe, including to the newly established Roxon Energy Group.

At the Dubai headquarters, CEO Dalio Agger rubbed his temples—

This was a rather troublesome matter.

In order to integrate global business into the newly established Roxon Energy Group, he had been traveling around the world for the past two years.

New York had always been very stable: he knew about Kingpin, the mob boss, who he had long sensed was securing an increasingly firm hold in New York City.

Dalio’s plan was to wait until the mob boss reached an appropriate stature, naturally looking for someone to fawn over him, and it wouldn’t be too late for him to make an appearance then.

What he didn’t expect was for this year’s subprime crisis to suddenly erupt, and at the most critical moment, a person named Lille, along with that lowlife Anthony, preempted the New York mayoral election.

Losing control of New York was a serious problem, but thankfully, Roxon was truly a global enterprise.

They also had other world financial, trading, and logistics centers, including Houston, London, Amsterdam, and Dubai.

"How interesting, to dare to do such a thing over such trifles, not old in age yet not small in audacity."

If there was any lesson for Dalio from these events, it was that Lille, like himself, was someone who disregarded the law.

He had previously interpreted abiding by the law as restraint before achieving his goals.

Because he truly didn’t care about those ordinary people—those losers, those NPC-like individuals in the game of life.

Ordinary people should just follow his lead, sprinkle money on them, and they would grovel at his feet, crying out to him as ’Daddy.’

It’s a pity New York is such a nice place.

Dalio made a call to Tony.

[Dalio: My friend, have you seen the news? New York doesn’t seem very safe right now.]

[Tony: Yeah, I saw how crazy the new mayor is, but if what’s reported on TV is true, I think he’s doing a good job.]

Dalio shrugged; he had no intention of contradicting Tony.

As far as he was concerned, Kingpin was just another loser trying to get hooked up with Roxon.

[Dalio: Survival of the fittest, that’s how this world works—Alright, the latest batch of high-energy concentrated oil has arrived in Africa; this batch has an even higher energy density, your soldiers can be activated.]

[Dalio: I really want to see the Mei Country government use it to severely strike down the arrogance of the Somali pirates.]

[Dalio: Let’s hope that our fellow countrymen digging in the Mount Kilimanjaro region aren’t related to those pirates.]

[Tony: I’ll find out.]

[Dalio: Are you moving your headquarters out of New York? I’d recommend Houston to you.]

[Tony: I’ll think about it.]

[Dalio: Of course, a major decision like this requires careful consideration, London, Amsterdam, Dubai...you could consider these places too.]

New York, Stark Tower, Tony’s private lab.

In front of him was a circular device about half a meter in radius, with a similar design existing in a larger version at the Stark Industries campus. The computer beside it displayed its name—

[Arc Reactor Miniaturization Attempt, Result of the 33rd trial:]

[Discharge duration: 12043.558 seconds]

[Continuous positive output time: 5620.557 seconds]

[Output energy ratio: 0.99997]

[Comprehensive evaluation: An exhilarating failure]

This device seemed to have been recently tested, but the results were far from what Tony wanted to achieve.

Although Tony Stark was an extreme supporter of war for some reasons, he wasn’t a fool.

He could support Roxon controlling the world’s oil supply, but did that mean we should use oil forever?

Nuclear energy research was another joint project between Stark Industries and Roxon, with Roxon being the financial backer.

He had intended to discuss with Dalio about needing some fresh inspiration, such as Vibranium.

But after his old buddy suddenly mentioned "survival of the fittest," Tony felt he could first find other ways, especially since the Iron Soldier was under his and the Defense Department’s control.

More accurately speaking, his grip was even stronger.

"Jarvis, we need some fresh inspiration. Move up the investigation into Captain Carter’s whereabouts on the schedule—

By the way, do we have the results from the satellite analysis?"

[Jarvis: Not yet, sir.]

"All right, seems my luck isn’t great today, that will be all for now. Help me prepare the plane for the Washington trip."

[Jarvis: Very well, sir.]

The lights in the studio turned off one by one as Tony left, entering privacy mode.

But not long after, the lights symbolizing work mode quietly came back on.