Daniel Whitehall’s Self-Destructive Actions

"Gentlemen, we’re in trouble!"

It was still a dimly lit room, the opening remarks were similar, and the attendees were still the same group of people, the five top figures of Hydra, gathered once again.

"Oh, God!"

Baron Strucker, wearing pajamas, rubbed his eyes. "Gentlemen, I don’t know what time it is where you are, but it’s late at night here."

Daniel Whitehall said directly, "Lake Edwin and Tony Stark are already suspicious. The Bucky Barnes lying on the dissection table isn’t the real Bucky Barnes."

Alexander Pierce frowned upon hearing this and looked at Daniel Whitehall. "You mean you handed over the clone? I thought we handed over the original."

He said, Alexander Pierce said with some displeasure, "You know, our relationship with the Black King has improved. What are you doing, Daniel?"

He was very angry.

Not only did he have to clean up Nick Fury’s mess, but he also had to clean up Hydra’s mess. Damn it, Hydra isn’t mine alone, so why does it feel like I have the most work?

Daniel Whitehall looked at Alexander. "Pierce, the current clones, after one activation, will stop growing for unknown reasons within two years at most. Bucky Barnes is a sharp weapon."

Alexander Pierce sneered, "Yes, and a weapon that might hurt us."

"You’re afraid of these two people."

"I just think that without any conflict of interest, there’s no need to create unnecessary enemies."

"He knows about us."

"Yes, but it’s all thanks to me. The Black King is currently our friend. Similarly, thanks to you, this Black King, who just helped his woman conquer the land, will become our enemy again."

"Are you accusing me of bringing trouble to the organization?"

"Yes."

Alexander Pierce looked at Daniel Whitehall and said bluntly, "Do you know an old saying in China, ‘a single bad apple spoils the bunch’?"

Damn it.

How much did they pay to quell the Black King’s anger before? They lost a senior executive, and now they were carefully disguising themselves with clones. They had finally turned an enemy into a friend.

And now this screw-up happened.

Daniel Whitehall narrowed his eyes. "Be careful, Mr. Pierce. Watch your words. When I was serving the organization, you…"

Alexander Pierce interrupted directly. As he took off his glasses and left the group chat, he said, "You’d better hand over that damn Bucky Barnes, or you can play by yourselves."

Saying that, Alexander Pierce directly left the group chat.

In the study room of a villa in the Special Administrative Region.

Alexander Pierce stood up, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and drank it down in one gulp, calming his inner turmoil.

A pig teammate.

Relying on his long life and seniority, acting like the boss – that’s Daniel Whitehall.

In the group chat channel.

Baron Strucker, who was an ally of Alexander Pierce, saw his ally leave and said to Daniel Whitehall, "Mr. Whitehall, do I need to remind you that it was our unanimous decision to hand over Bucky Barnes at that time?"

Daniel looked at Baron Strucker with a smile. "So I handed him over."

"…You handed over a clone."

"They don’t know."

"They know now."

"There’s no evidence."

"…Ha!"

Baron Strucker was silent for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh. His sleepiness was completely gone, amused by Daniel Whitehall’s words. "Do you think that Immortal Royal Family’s Black King needs evidence?"

Daniel said, "We need to deal with Lake Edwin, not the Black King."

"They are bound together. Remember how we first provoked the Black King?"

"I can handle the Black King."

"What?"

Daniel Whitehall looked at Baron Strucker and said word for word, "I said, if we keep the Black King out of this matter, do you still think we are wrong to keep Bucky Barnes?"

Baron Strucker frowned. Although he didn’t know where Daniel Whitehall’s confidence came from, he still felt something was wrong. "I think you’re playing with fire."

Daniel Whitehall said, "This Lake Edwin is just an ordinary person. If I use half of our European industry as the price for the Black King to abandon Lake Edwin, how do you think the Black King will choose? Lake Edwin is a threat to us. Isn’t it good to get rid of him directly using this opportunity?"

Baron Strucker looked at Daniel Whitehall with a shocked expression. "You’re crazy."

Half of their European industry?

Damn it, do you know how much that’s worth?

Daniel said calmly, "I can feel that this Lake Edwin will be our biggest hidden danger, just like we thought Steve Rogers wouldn’t become our hidden danger back then. We lost that time, and this time, we must not lose again."

Speaking.

Daniel Whitehall surveyed the remaining people at the conference table. "I propose we eliminate this Lake Edwin."

The remaining people exchanged glances.

After a pause.

Baron Strucker chose to abstain from voting. "I don’t approve, but I also don’t oppose this plan. You decide. Just don’t touch the businesses under my name."

Gideon Malick smiled and said, "Same here. I’m semi-retired anyway. Once my daughter can take over my position, the world will be yours."

Dr. Zola, participating as an electronic lifeform, stated, "According to my plan, because of Lake Edwin, there’s a seventy percent chance of us being exposed. If we can solve it permanently, I agree."

Daniel nodded. "Alright, it’s passed. Since none of you are willing to get involved, I’ll make the arrangements myself."

With that.

The meeting was adjourned.

A little while later.

Alexander Pierce learned of Daniel Whitehall’s intentions from Baron Strucker after the meeting. For a moment, he felt an urge to say something.

From the perspective of the Hydra organization, Alexander Pierce did indeed agree with Daniel Whitehall’s plan.

But…

Alexander Pierce’s sixth sense told him that Lake Edwin wouldn’t die that easily. Even though, based on the intelligence they had, Lake Edwin was just an ordinary person, Alexander felt something was off.

After thinking for a moment.

Alexander Pierce directly dialed List’s number, spoke a few words to him, then hung up the phone and sat on his chair, drinking the whiskey in his hand.

New York.

Homeland Building.

Morgue.

Olivia took off her gloves and said to Lake, "The autopsy results indicate he died during the car accident. But there’s something strange."

Lake, who had just walked in, asked, "What?"

Olivia pointed to the four bodies lying on the dissection table. "Traces of tissue extraction were found on all four bodies."

"Extraction?"

"Yes."

Olivia nodded, walked over to a body, and with a snap, opened its skull. "I don’t know about the rest. It wouldn’t be useful if I told you. Their brains are gone."

Lake handed Olivia a list of equipment worth eight million seven hundred thousand, which he had obtained from the office. "Take a look. Can this equipment be used to create clones?"

Olivia didn’t take it. "Brother, I’m a coroner, not a scientist."

Lake said, "Isn’t cloning part of medical studies?"

"…Cloning is a medical study topic?"

"Isn’t it?"

"Did you teach it?"

"I guessed."

"…"

Olivia opened her mouth, and finally, with a dark expression, pointed outside. "Go find a medical student and ask them if they teach cloning. That belongs to biology."

Lake tilted his head. "Really?"

Olivia, too lazy to deal with Lake, simply rolled her eyes at him, looking like she didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

Lake shrugged and turned to leave.

Returning home.

Skye, who was playing on her laptop on a high stool, turned and greeted Lake.

Lake walked over. "Didn’t you go out today?"

Skye shook her head.

Lake said "oh" and turned to take out a bottle from the wine cabinet. Work is work, and life is life. Lake never thought about work after returning home.

Besides.

Investigating cases also takes time. A complex murder case that can be solved within a month is already a great success.

"What do you want to eat?"

"I just ordered pizza."

"Impressive."

Lake took a sip of Bourbon. "Didn’t you go down to tinker with the car you’ll be able to drive next year today?"

Skye said, "I’ve fiddled with it enough. I’ll just leave it as it is to keep that new car smell."

"It’ll get dusty."

"Alexis and I are going shopping tomorrow. I’ll buy a car cover then and put it over him. That way, there won’t be any dust."

"Alright."

Lake nodded, looking at Skye, who was typing away on the keyboard. "What are you doing?"

Skye looked up at Lake and didn’t say anything.

Lake blinked.

"You said I don’t have to tell you if I’m doing something bad."

"Generally, yes. But if you’re doing something bad and I don’t know about it, how can I help you clean up the mess?"

"I’m in the backend of the Child Welfare Department’s system."

"No way."

Lake’s interest was piqued. He got up and stood behind Skye, looking at the dazzling code flashing on the computer screen. He smacked his lips. "To be honest, I’ve always been curious about how hackers break into systems."

Skye asked curiously, "Don’t the agents in your department do that?"

Lake smiled slightly. "I’m qualified to know what’s even in Area 51, so if I want any government information, I don’t need to hack to get it."

Skye: "…"

Eight chapters! Please, please give me a full subscription! Old Mi is begging, sob sob, boo hoo hoo!