Joining Up

"Work for me?"

Bert Wang thought for a moment, then asked Earth Demon, "I seem to have heard that you elemental demons are actually fallen angels."

"Angels?"

Everyone was astonished. This guy had once been an angel? Earth Demon nodded bitterly. "I really was an angel once, following the archangel Michael. Later, I fell and was cast out of Heaven by Michael, becoming an exiled demon."

Coulson asked excitedly, "So Heaven really exists?"

Earth Demon glanced at Coulson and said, "Of course it exists, but it’s completely different from what you imagine."

"We can talk later. Let’s get out of here first, before the media and police latch onto us. Coulson, call someone to handle this!"

Bert Wang said, "Send the bill to Watchmen Company!"

Coulson was speechless. Was it really appropriate for a Blood Clan member to order S.H.I.E.L.D. around like this? Anyone who didn’t know better would think he was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s higher-ups! Still, Coulson did not refuse. He walked aside to make a call, while Bert Wang turned and shouted to Frank, "Frank, load Hero Number One back into the truck!"

"Okay!"

Frank nodded and got to work. Damon stared at Hero Number One with gleaming eyes, but he did not ask Bert Wang for it because he knew he could not afford it.

Five hundred million dollars—how many bad guys would he have to rob? Bert Wang said, "Let’s go first. I found the Ghost Rider Cop."

"Really?"

Damon was overjoyed. Before long, everyone had finished packing up and driven away. Frank drove the large truck, while everyone else, including Earth Demon, piled into Bert Wang’s silver-white sports car! It was worth mentioning that Frank’s Hero Number Two had been modified so it could open directly from the middle, no longer requiring specialized machinery!

Coulson sat in the back seat and asked in surprise, "Mr. Wang, this sports car is extraordinary. There’s barely any vibration at all!"

Bert Wang laughed. "Of course it’s extraordinary. This car is worth five hundred million dollars!"

"Five hundred million dollars?"

Coulson and Damon were both stunned. Even Earth Demon was no exception. This car was actually worth as much as a suit of armor? Seeing Earth Demon’s expression in the rearview mirror, Bert Wang asked in confusion, "I get why the others are surprised, but Earth Demon, why are you surprised? Demons don’t need money, do they?"

"How can anyone survive on Earth without money? I may not need to buy food, but every month I have to pay water bills, electricity bills, internet bills, and that damned rent!"

Earth Demon complained, "You humans are too ruthless. You know I have no identity, so you exploit me. You don’t even pay me minimum wage. Compared to me, you’re the real demons."

"Huh?"

Bert Wang and the other two were full of question marks. Wasn’t he a demon? How had he become an illegal worker? Damon could not help asking, "That can’t be right. You’re so powerful. How could humans exploit you?"

"My abilities are powerful, but would I dare use them? When I first came to the human world, I was arrogant for a while. Then Kamar-Taj’s mages chased me halfway around the world, hacking at me with two spatial blades!"

Earth Demon sighed. "After that, I didn’t dare use my abilities again. I obediently lived as an ordinary person, terrified Kamar-Taj would find me again."

"Kamar-Taj’s mages are that brutal?"

Coulson clicked his tongue. They had actually turned a demon into an illegal worker by force? From humanity’s perspective, that was reassuring, but from S.H.I.E.L.D.’s perspective, it was hardly good news. After all, S.H.I.E.L.D. liked to control everything! Bert Wang laughed. "If Kamar-Taj wasn’t brutal, how could Earth be this peaceful? You don’t see any demons or monsters anywhere!"

Damon thought of something and asked, "Wait, that’s not right. You used your abilities pretty freely when you were chasing me earlier."

"That’s because I found someone to back me up. His power lets me avoid being detected by Kamar-Taj!"

Earth Demon said, "Still, I didn’t dare go too far. Otherwise, those agents earlier would have suffered more than just serious injuries."

Only then did Coulson understand why Earth Demon had held back earlier, and he was even more awed by Kamar-Taj’s deterrence.

Bert Wang asked, "Who is backing you? Did he send you to kill Damon?"

"That’s him!"

Earth Demon answered honestly, "Blackheart is backing me. He’s Mephisto’s son."

Damon was completely confused. "I’m Mephisto’s Rider. Why does Blackheart want to kill me?"

"Because Blackheart wants to seize the contract and build a new Hell in the human world. I saw him destroy Mephisto’s projection with my own eyes."

Earth Demon replied, "Demons don’t care about family ties. Blackheart wants to kill Mephisto more than anyone. Otherwise, he can only be a prince for the rest of his life!"

"Can a prince remain a prince forever? Having a Demon King who can’t die is indeed depressing."

Bert Wang laughed. "How many people does Blackheart have?"

"Besides me, there are Water Demon and Wind Demon!"

Earth Demon said, "Because of the Three Sanctuaries, demons cannot enter Earth, so Blackheart approached us and promised us plenty of benefits. Our lives were too miserable, so we decided to pull off something big with him!"

Thinking of his current situation, Earth Demon lowered his head dejectedly. "But the moment we made a move, we fell into your hands. If I’d known, I would’ve kept being an illegal worker. Sigh, I still haven’t got this month’s rent, and that damned landlord raised the rent again!"

Everyone was speechless, feeling their worldview shatter. This was a demon—could anyone believe it? Coulson could not help asking, "Demons can’t get in, so why can you and Blackheart? You’re demons too!"

"The protective network formed by the Three Sanctuaries does not intercept weak life forms."

Earth Demon explained, "When we were cast out of Heaven, we were only weak souls, so the protective network did not stop us. Later, we fused with Earth’s elements and became elemental demons, gaining our current strength.

"As for Blackheart, I don’t know how he did it. Not only can he enter himself, he can even keep Kamar-Taj from detecting us when we act!"

"Is that so?"

Coulson’s expression turned ugly. "Doesn’t that mean Blackheart can summon a large number of demons to Earth whenever he wants?"

Earth Demon shook his head. "No. If he really had that ability, why would he need the three of us to help him?"

Bert Wang asked, "Are Water Demon and Wind Demon also illegal workers like you?"

"Wind Demon is pretty much the same as me. I work at construction sites, while he delivers packages. He’s always complaining that people don’t tip him."

Earth Demon said, "As for Water Demon, he’s been hiding in a swamp as a shut-in, usually picking up things humans throw away and using them!

"To be honest, human things are really interesting. Comics, novels, and so on—I can never resist buying them. Wind Demon likes movies. Every night, he stays in the theater watching movies until dawn because it’s cheaper that way!"

"You aren’t three demons. You’re three poor bastards!"

Damon could not help mocking them. Those three were simply the shame of demonkind! "What else could I do? If I didn’t keep a low profile, the only outcome would be getting hacked to death by Kamar-Taj!"

Earth Demon said helplessly, "You have no idea how brutal Kamar-Taj is, especially the Sorcerer Supreme. Back then, even Hell Lords and archangels chose to back off before her and stopped using Earth as a battlefield!"

Coulson was stunned. "The Sorcerer Supreme is that powerful? What exactly happened?"

Earth Demon said, "How would a little foot soldier like me know the details?"

"I see?"

Bert Wang thought for a moment and said to Earth Demon, "Let me formally introduce myself. I’m Bert Wang, chairman of Blood God Group and Osborn Corporation, and one of the richest people in the world!"

"Osborn Corporation, the company that manufactures suits of armor? No wonder you could deploy so many of them!"

Earth Demon froze for a moment, then said excitedly, "Mr. Wang, I really want to work for you. Please—no, I beg you, give me this chance!"

Damon could not help turning his head. Wasn’t this too humiliating for a demon? Bert Wang said, "Your sincerity is commendable. Fine, follow me from now on!"

"Mr. Wang!" Coulson hurriedly said. "This isn’t safe!"

Bert Wang said, "If he causes trouble, I’ll take responsibility."

"Thank you, Boss!"

Earth Demon was overjoyed. Then he thought of something and asked hesitantly, "Boss, can you help me stay hidden from Kamar-Taj? The ability Blackheart gave me can only last for a while!"

Bert Wang said, "That’s no problem. I’ll get you a temporary government or S.H.I.E.L.D. identity. Kamar-Taj has always stayed out of mundane affairs. Once they see you’ve been recruited by humans, they definitely won’t hunt you down again!"

Coulson glanced at Bert Wang helplessly. S.H.I.E.L.D. really was not his personal property! "That’ll work!"

Earth Demon was overjoyed. "Boss, just give me orders from now on. As long as you pay me minimum wage, I’m good!"

Everyone was speechless. His demands were truly low. For a demon to end up like this, he was probably unprecedented!

Bert Wang said, "Don’t worry, I won’t shortchange you. You can control earth. That ability will be very useful in the future!"

In the near future, Manhattan would be reduced to ruins by aliens.

A demon doing construction work had potential! "Great, Boss! I can help persuade Water Demon and Wind Demon. We only worked for Blackheart because we had no other choice. Now that we have a rich boss like you, who has time to care about him?"

Earth Demon said excitedly, "Blackheart obviously has no future. His father has struggled for so many years and still can’t beat the Sorcerer Supreme, let alone him!"

Coulson looked at Earth Demon speechlessly. Hadn’t he just said Blackheart was his backer? Damon could not help shaking his head. "Blackheart is really pitiful. He finally found three subordinates, and all three are traitors!"

Bert Wang said, "Then go persuade them to surrender. If you succeed, I’ll give you the newest phone produced by Osborn Corporation!"

"Boss, I definitely won’t disappoint you!"

Earth Demon said happily, "It’s a pity our phones were destroyed earlier. Otherwise, I could persuade them to surrender right now!"

Coulson looked at Earth Demon and really wanted to tell him that if he was willing to join S.H.I.E.L.D., they would give him not just one phone, but two! In the end, however, Coulson said nothing. After all, when it came to throwing money around, they could never outspend Bert Wang, that damned rich bastard!

Bert Wang thought of something and asked, "Right, what did you mean earlier when you said Blackheart was looking for a contract?"

"In Texas, there is a village called San Venganza Village. Everyone in the village worshipped God. Mephisto laid a scheme and made them slaughter one another. In the end, everyone in the village died. Their souls became resentful spirits, unable to leave the village or ascend to Heaven, damned for eternity!"

Earth Demon explained, "The San Venganza Contract is the contract Mephisto made with those villagers. Whoever holds this contract can collect all the resentful spirits there!

"More than a hundred years ago, after Mephisto’s scheme succeeded, he sent Ghost Rider Cop to San Venganza Village to collect the souls. But Ghost Rider Cop thought it was too evil, so he ran away with the San Venganza Contract. Mephisto’s plan therefore fell short at the last moment! What Blackheart wants are those thousands of resentful spirits! He told us that once he obtains them, he can create a new Hell in the human world. At that point, he will become the new Demon King of Hell."

"Create a new Hell in the human world?"

Coulson sucked in a breath. Though there was still much he did not understand, Blackheart absolutely could not be allowed to succeed! "Can a thousand resentful spirits really be that useful?"

Bert Wang asked suspiciously. It was only a thousand or so souls, not difficult to acquire. Bert Wang merely lacked a tool for collecting souls. Otherwise, with a little money, plenty of people would be willing to gather souls for him.

Earth Demon shook his head. "I’m not too sure either. Blackheart said those resentful spirits were extraordinary."

"In any case, we can’t let Blackheart have his way!"

Damon said, "Bert, did you really find Ghost Rider Cop? I searched for months and found nothing!"

Coulson also looked toward Bert Wang. Bert Wang shrugged. "What’s so difficult about it? Put up a reward on Twitter for legends about Ghost Rider Cop, then have a group of intelligence experts analyze the information.

"Finally, obtain records of Texas Rangers from more than a hundred years ago and cross-reference them. Then you can determine who Ghost Rider Cop is."

After a pause, Bert Wang continued, "Once you identify Ghost Rider Cop, put up another reward for information about him and sort through it piece by piece. As long as your luck isn’t terrible, you’ll definitely find him!"

Damon and Coulson both looked astonished. "That actually works?"

"Of course it works! Ghost Rider Cop is named Carter Slade. He was a Texas Ranger more than a hundred and fifty years ago!"

Bert Wang said, "Someone found Carter Slade’s grave in a cemetery near Houston. That grave has always been maintained, which means Carter Slade is hiding there! Other than himself, who else would remember someone from over a hundred and fifty years ago? He has no descendants, after all!"

"That makes perfect sense!"

Damon sighed in admiration. If the police had resources and manpower like this, would they still fear being unable to solve cases? Damon asked, "Where is that cemetery?"

Bert Wang smiled. "We’ll be there soon!"

At a cemetery outside the city, Frank stood guard outside while Bert Wang, two others, and one demon strode in. A gravekeeper holding a shovel saw Bert Wang and Earth Demon and cursed loudly, "Filthy things, get out of here!"

"Looks like this is our target. That was really easy!"

Bert Wang smiled and said to the gravekeeper, "I bought this land a few days ago, so you have no right to drive me away. On the contrary, I can throw you out anytime I want, Carter Slade!"

Old cowboy Carter Slade’s expression changed. He shouted, "Who is Carter Slade? And this land belongs to no one!"

"Stop pretending. There’s a demon here, S.H.I.E.L.D. is here, and there’s a Ghost Rider here. You can’t keep it up!"

Bert Wang took a top-quality Cuban cigar from his pocket and tossed it to him. "Have a cigar, and let’s talk. Don’t worry, we’re not enemies!"

Carter Slade caught the cigar and said irritably, "How did you find me? I’ve been hiding for over a hundred years. Even Mephisto couldn’t find me!"

"Mephisto doesn’t know how to use a phone!"

Bert Wang smiled. "Let’s talk inside!"

"Fine, follow me!"

Slade did not waste words. Carrying his shovel, he led everyone toward his house.