A Very Clever Alexander

In any organization or company, as long as it’s not a dictatorship, it’s highly likely that the decision-makers will have differing opinions and disagreements.

Hydra was no exception.

At the very least, a phone call last night informed him that Alexander Pierce and his allies had not been involved in this decision; it was entirely made by another individual, Daniel Whitehall.

Lake naturally didn’t believe it.

However…

Lake didn’t voice his disbelief on the spot. Sometimes, no matter how well things are said, it’s easy to see whether actions align with words or if it’s just talk when the time comes to act.

Lake chuckled then, looking thoughtfully at List on the phone and saying, "If I recall correctly, Daniel Whitehall was released by Alexander Pierce, wasn’t he?"

List on the other end of the line was instantly shocked.

After all…

List and Alexander Pierce knew that Lake… no, that the Black King knew them well, but they likely never imagined the Black King knew even that.

In 1945, Daniel Whitehall was captured by the Strategic Scientific Reserve, the predecessor to S.H.I.E.L.D. at the time. Ms. Peggy Carter had ordered that as long as she was in her position, he would never have a chance to rise again. In fact, when Operation Paperclip was initiated, other Hydra scientists joined the Federation’s Project Paperclip team, but Daniel Whitehall alone was excluded.

This was because, at the time, Daniel Whitehall was not only a high-ranking Hydra executive but also a close friend of Red Skull.

However…

Ms. Peggy Carter never imagined that Operation Paperclip would not only give Hydra scientists a chance to see the light of day again but also allow Hydra, which should have been swept into the dustbin of history, to revive once more from the ruins.

In the late 1980s.

Ms. Peggy Carter retired from S.H.I.E.L.D. Afterward, Alexander Pierce took over and secretly activated Daniel Whitehall, who had been imprisoned for over thirty years, even arranging for him to receive treatment under the guise of medical parole.

Immediately after.

Daniel Whitehall died of a sudden heart attack.

But the truth?

Daniel Whitehall reversed time and returned to his youth by transplanting organs and blood from Skye’s mother, the Inhuman Jiaying.

Afterward…

Alexander Pierce, much like Ms. Peggy Carter, likely never expected that Daniel Whitehall, who owed his freedom to him, would directly regain control and, within this second iteration of Hydra, wield power that could suppress him.

If God were to give Alexander Pierce another chance, he probably wouldn’t have released Daniel Whitehall, no matter what he said.

After all, it was because of Daniel Whitehall’s reappearance that Alexander Pierce, in an effort to contain him, transformed Hydra, which was originally his personal domain, into the seemingly democratic decision-making body it was now.

It was obvious.

Alexander Pierce’s instructing List to call the Black King was a precautionary measure.

It just goes to show, sometimes, living longer doesn’t necessarily make one wiser. Look at Daniel Whitehall; he’s completely turned himself into an old scoundrel.

This was true for Alexander Pierce.

As for Lake?

Lake was indifferent. He would face whatever came his way. When the enemy reached the city gates, he would show no mercy.

Either he would ride out to meet his death.

Or Lake would breach the city, slaughter everyone, and not sheath his blade!

As he always said.

Jump, jump as high as you like, jump however you please, just don’t come crying like a little girl when Lake settles the score later.

A short while later.

Lake sat on the sofa of his private jet, sipping fine wine, as the last guest was brought to the aircraft by airport personnel.

John Wick walked into the plane, a frown on his face.

The cabin door closed immediately.

The next second.

The private jet began to move, entering the taxiing procedure, preparing for takeoff.

"Mr. Wick!"

Lake gestured to the seat opposite him: "Sit!"

John Wick stood at the cabin door, looking at Lake, then took a step and sat down opposite him.

"Would you like a drink?"

"No, thank you."

"That’s a shame."

Lake withdrew his hand, which had been reaching for the wine bottle, and said to John Wick, who was sitting opposite him, "Mr. Wick, you seem to be heading to Texas as well. Coincidentally, I’m going there too, so I hope you don’t mind the company."

"Who are you."

"…What?"

John Wick’s gaze shifted downwards, landing on Lake’s right hand, which held a wine glass: "You’re not just some Homeland Security Director."

Lake smiled, "Aren’t you the same, Mr. Wick? At least, your demeanor and your hands tell me you’re not a house designer either."

John Wick didn’t reply.

Lake chuckled.

He guessed Hydra probably didn’t know what they were messing with. The John Wick in front of him, known as Baba Yaga in the assassin world, could turn the entire assassin world upside down for a dog.

And now?

Hydra used John Wick’s brother as bait, and perhaps they had already killed his brother. Guess what kind of reaction John Wick would have?

This was also why Lake dared to accept the appointment despite knowing that going to Texas this time was walking straight into a trap.

He wasn’t alone.

With John Wick, the number one ranked assassin in the world, accompanying him, Lake felt even more fearless.

The plane tilted upwards and instantly soared into the sky.

High above the clouds.

Lake retrieved a laptop from the plane’s bedroom. As it booted up, he sat down again and looked at John Wick, "Mr. Wick, we know what your brother was doing in Texas. At the same time, we are also certain that your real brother is probably already dead."

John Wick stared at Lake expressionlessly.

Tony was online.

Lake turned the computer screen towards John Wick, "Because this trip to Texas is a trap set by a mysterious organization for Tony Stark and me. Your brother was just bait to lure us into this trap."

Tony didn’t say anything on his end, instead letting Jarvis brief John Wick on the key points.

Lake got up and walked into the bedroom.

Tony’s call came through to Lake’s satellite phone.

"Are you sure you can tell him about this?"

"Why not."

"I’ve looked up information on this John Wick."

"Heh."

Lake said into the phone, "Tony, there are some worlds you don’t even know about, but I can tell you that John Wick is a top talent, no less than Bucky Barnes."

Lake never disdained to hide things from his allies.

Tony said gravely, "Jarvis is capturing more and more photos related to Bucky Barnes."

Lake said, "If you come, then you’ll have fallen into their trap."

"If I don’t come, they might realize that their plan has been seen through by us."

"Yes."

Lake nodded, "But we are in the open. Even if they know, they will still proceed because what we have the most of is time, and what they lack the most is time."

Once Lake and Tony Stark found the truth, Hydra would not be far from being exposed to the sunlight once again.

Therefore…

Even if Tony Stark didn’t go to Texas, Daniel Whitehall’s plan this time would not change in any way. For Daniel Whitehall, it was already a done deal, with no turning back.

After all…

So many benefits had already been given out. If they didn’t kill Lake before the Black King changed his mind, what if the Black King had a change of heart?

Hydra had many assets, but the two major groups Daniel Whitehall had given to the Black King this time accounted for one-third of his personal total assets.

Give more next time?

This time, Daniel Whitehall had paid a heavy price for greater rewards, and if it happened again, heh, Daniel Whitehall wasn’t sure if he would have such great courage.

"Alright."

Tony Stark took a deep breath, "Whatever help you need, just say it. I’ll give it without reservation."

Lake smiled, "Okay, maybe one day I’ll ask Stark Bank for a loan of tens or hundreds of millions. When that time comes, you can pull some strings for me and approve it."

After speaking.

Lake hung up the phone directly.

In a manor in France.

Daniel Whitehall was also remotely receiving various information from the Federation through his intelligence network. Assisting in consolidating the information was Dr. Zola, an electronic life form who agreed with Daniel Whitehall’s plan.

"Lake Edwin has already departed for Texas. Just as we predicted, he enjoys and personally participates in the investigation of such major cases."

"We already knew that, didn’t we?"

Looking at Lake’s case investigation records over the years, such as the [Russian Spy Anna Case], the [Langley Russian Deep Dive Spy Shot Case], and the [Island Nation Terrorist Case]…

Lake’s shadow was present in these major cases, and he participated on the front lines throughout. Undoubtedly, he was someone who enjoyed solving major cases and used the influence gained from these cases for rapid promotion.

Now, with such a clone case, as long as Hydra leaked even a little bit of true information, just as they predicted, Lake Edwin would personally show up.

This was the same as the psychological profiling done by Hydra’s behavioral analysts.

It’s just…

The outcome is the same, but the profiling process was a bit off. After all, Hydra’s psychological profiling was based on the assumption that Lake and the Black King were two different people.

If Hydra had known the Black King and Lake were the same person, they would have realized that Lake’s enjoyment of solving cases and being on the front lines had other reasons.

For instance, he was passively drawn into these cases each time, and then, because the people involved in those cases provoked him, and furthermore, because he had no fear of death, he showed no hesitation.