Chapter 185: Negotiation

This answer did not seem to surprise either Wilson or Dr. Vogelbaum; instead, they showed an expression that said, "As expected."

At this moment, Minister Wilson finally reached out for the cup, picked up the coffee, and took a sip.

The coffee had cooled slightly, tasting bitter as it went down.

After taking a sip of coffee, Minister Wilson looked at the woman.

He spoke in a deep voice.

"Ms. Becca, I believe I have made the stakes clear enough to you."

"Moreover, I have had enough patience to wait for you to consider until today."

"But I didn't expect you to give such an answer."

"Frankly, I am very disappointed."

"Are you really not worried that Homelander will ruin your life?"

Leaning against a pillar in the hall, Becca took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one, and then asked, "You don't mind, do you?"

"Back in the day, I spent so much effort trying to quit smoking."

"But now, I can't get through a day without this."

"So if you mind, I can only ask the two of you to bear with it."

She blew out a smoke ring before saying.

"I'm sorry, Minister Wilson."

"The things you've said, the possibilities you've envisioned."

"I've been thinking about them every day, pondering them every day."

"I've put myself and Ryan into the situations you described, and I've even imagined myself being killed by Homelander and Ryan avenging me."

"But all these things, all these possibilities you mentioned."

"Are just your speculations."

"Up until now, at least until today, I haven't seen, heard, or felt that Homelander wants to destroy the world."

"Frankly, what good would it do him to destroy the world?"

"And as far as I know, he cares deeply about his reputation and approval ratings, so he has no reason to do so."

Wilson looked at her and said, "If it were a year ago, I would completely agree with you."

"But over the past year, Homelander has changed a lot."

"So much so that it's like he's a different person."

"He no longer cares as much about so-called approval ratings and reputation."

"He even publicly killed a federal official at the Empire Hall."

"If we weren't worried that provoking him would anger him, and if we didn't have a good way to restrain him, he would have been thrown in jail a hundred times over!"

Dr. Vogelbaum said, "Putting aside the possibilities Minister Wilson has envisioned, but your husband, William Butcher, did indeed die because of Homelander."

"Don't you intend to avenge him, ma'am?"

Becca took a drag from her cigarette and said, "You say this is related to Homelander, so where's the evidence?"

"You only gave me a video."

"Yes, Homelander was indeed present in the video."

"But the one who killed William was another woman."

"You call her what, oh, Stormfront."

"You say Stormfront was ordered by Homelander, but that's just your side of the story."

"Whether that's the truth or not, I can't be sure."

"So I can't, and shouldn't, bet Ryan's future on a video that can't be verified as true, and doesn't even have sound."

"So I think I still can't hand Ryan over to you."

"He's my child, and I want him to grow up simply and happily like other children."

"He'll meet a girl he likes in the future."

"He'll start his own family."

"He'll raise his own children."

"Living an ordinary life, that's what I hope for."

Minister Wilson shook his head and said, "But the fact is, your Ryan is not an ordinary child."

"He's a superhuman, he's Homelander's son, he might be the only one on this planet who can stand up to Homelander!"

"He should be the nuclear deterrent against Homelander, but you want to turn him into a good boy."

"My God, do you know what you're doing?"

"You're not helping that child, you're erasing his future, you're putting the safety of the federation at risk."

"To put it bluntly, I could completely consider you guilty of treason!"

Becca smiled and said, "Respected Minister Wilson, after everything I've been through."

"Yes, your words no longer scare me."

"In any case, as Ryan's mother, I have the right and the duty to protect my child."

"I have the responsibility to guide him towards a better life, not to raise another super bastard!"

Minister Wilson let out a long breath.

"So, your mind is made up?"

Becca had finished her cigarette: "Yes, and it won't change."

Wilson closed his eyes for a moment, then said, "Then at least, let me talk to Ryan."

"He's your child, not your slave."

"He has the right to decide his own future."

Becca nodded: "You're right, Minister."

"However, he's still young."

"He's only eight years old."

"He can't yet distinguish right from wrong, so, if you want to talk to him, of course you can."

"But it will have to be after he's grown up."

Wilson opened his eyes and smiled: "Ms. Becca, I admire your courage."

"Alright then, I respect your decision."

He finished the cooled coffee, put down the cup, and said, "We've taken enough of your time."

Becca saw them to the door, watched as the two gentlemen got into their car, and drove out of her sight.

Only then did Becca go back into the house, she sighed, shook her head and whispered, "Forgive me, Butcher."

"Ryan is my everything."

"I can't let him avenge you."

"But I believe that woman will be punished in other ways."

Becca checked the time, it was almost time to pick Ryan up from school.

She went back to the bedroom, opened the wardrobe, and prepared to change.

Just then, she heard a sharp whistling sound, followed by the sound of the living room window shattering.

Becca turned and opened the door, just about to see what had broken the window.

But as soon as the door opened, she saw a flash of fire from the direction of the living room.

Then in her ears was the sound of a violent explosion, and in her vision was a surge of fierce, blazing flames rushing towards her!

She was thrown into the air.

The flames washed over her body.

Her consciousness disappeared instantly.

In the last second before her consciousness disappeared, an image of an eight-year-old boy flashed through her mind.

Ryan!

A ball of fire rose, followed by billowing black smoke, with sparks flickering within, drifting up into the sky.

Standing on a high slope.

Minister Wilson watched the direction of the rising smoke through binoculars, then got into the car.

The car drove back towards Becca's house.

In the car, Dr. Vogelbaum said softly, "Ms. Becca underestimated your determination, Minister."

Wilson said with a grim face, "If possible, I wouldn't want to do this either."

"But I can't leave the fate of the federation in the hands of a woman."

"If she doesn't want Ryan to be controlled by the federation, then she has to disappear."

Dr. Vogelbaum nodded, then looked out the window, a look of caution flashing in his eyes.

Not long after they left Becca's house, Wilson gave the order to attack, and the soldiers who had been prepared fired a rocket launcher, destroying Becca and the house together.

A moment later, they arrived at the scene.

Soldiers were already on site checking the situation.

Soon, Becca's body appeared before Wilson's eyes.

Wilson looked at the body, which was severely burned and unrecognizable.

Wilson said expressionlessly, "Don't blame me, Ms. Becca."

"I didn't want to kill you."

"But you were in our way, in the way of the federation."

"No one can stand above the federation."

"You are no exception."

"But you can rest assured, we will protect Ryan, we will train him to be an excellent soldier."

"Believe me, you will be proud of him."

After saying this, Wilson added, "How's the video fabrication going?"

A man hurried over, carrying a laptop, and turned the screen towards Wilson.

On the screen, Wilson saw a video.

In the video, a beam of golden laser shot into the house, followed by a earth-shattering explosion.

Then the camera turned, and Homelander appeared in mid-air.

Homelander's eyes glowed with a terrifying golden light, a sneer appeared on his lips, then he turned and flew away, disappearing in an instant.

Wilson nodded.

At this moment, a car arrived nearby.

Then an eight-year-old boy got out of the car, shouting "Mom," and ran towards the house.

Several soldiers quickly stopped him.

Wilson waved his hand, signaling the computer engineer to bring the laptop and follow him.

They came to the boy's side.

"You must be Ryan."

"I'm Wilson."

"I'm sorry, Ryan."

"It seems our arrival has attracted Homelander's attention."

"He probably came to kill me."

Minister Wilson gave a look, and the engineer showed Ryan the fabricated video.

Watching Homelander shoot the laser and cause the house to explode.

The little boy's eyes immediately glowed red.

*

*

*

Keaton Manor.

"Lucy, Lucy, where are you?"

On the TV screen was a scene of burning ruins.

A mother was searching for her child in the ruins, her eyes red, her face stained with dirt, her clothes torn and stained with blood.

She was desperately searching for her child, then found the child under a pile of rubble, but the mother obviously couldn't move the rubble.

At this moment, Queen Maeve arrived, and the superhero easily moved the wall that was pressing on the child.

Letting the child and mother hug tightly.

Queen Maeve then said, "Let's get out of here, it's not safe yet."

As soon as she finished speaking, an explosion occurred in the distance.

Then a team of fully armed soldiers ran past the camera, among them was a soldier wearing an exoskeleton armor.

Next, Starlight and other superheroes appeared in the shot.

Those superheroes were in the midst of battle.

Finally, a figure draped in the stars and stripes flew down, continuously shooting red beams.

After a sweep, the battle ended.

At this moment, Queen Maeve appeared in front of the camera.

"Our order is constantly being challenged, our citizens are always in danger."

"Superpowered criminals keep appearing."

"But don't worry."

"Because we are here."

"The Department of Superhuman Affairs!"

"This is a department commanded by the Department of Defense, composed of the 'Delta Force' and the 'Seven'."

"We will go further, more accurately strike superpowered criminals."

"Protect the order of the federation, protect all citizens."

"If you discover superpowered criminals, please call the 'Department of Superhuman Affairs' hotline."

"The number is at the bottom left."

Lying on the bed.

Azul, who had just finished a 'battle' with Angelina.

Laughing, he said, "Is this the promotional advertisement for the 'Superhuman Regulatory Department'?"

"Shot so poorly."

"It's been so long since I last wore that suit, and they still have a stand-in put on a Stars and Stripes flag."

"Moreover, they're firing red lasers."

"This is really perfunctory."

Lying face down on the bed, revealing a smooth back.

Angelina's black hair fell down, her back as white as milk.

Due to intense exercise, her back was covered with glistening sweat beads.

She said lazily.

"I heard Queen Maeve mention this issue."

"It is said that the Department of Defense believes that your previous image fits the theme better."

"And also better embodies the identity of the federal guardian."

"So they had the stand-in wear your original suit."

Azu shook his head: "They are really boring."

Placing his hand on Angelina's smooth back, Azu gently moved up and down, and casually asked.

"How is the construction project of the experimental base going?"

Angelina turned over, grabbing Azu's hand.

"Master, do you remember a guy named Christ Hank?"

Azu, while his hand restlessly kneaded here and there, said: "My memory is not bad."

"Christ Hank, isn't he the guy who competed with us for the venue at the last auction house?"

Angelina's breathing was somewhat hurried: "Yes, that's him."

"Christ is indeed very powerful, he used some means to force me to negotiate with him."

"Negotiate?" Azu laughed, "What negotiation?"

Angelina said: "He wants to buy our venue, and has arranged to meet me tomorrow night."

"Really?"

"It seems the lesson we gave him last time wasn't enough."

"He still dares to target me."

Azu's hand slid down: "Tomorrow night, I'll go with you."

Angelina hummed in agreement.

In the blink of an eye, a day passed.

Night.

Christ Group Building.

Top floor.

Christ Hank stood by the window, the night wind blowing fiercely, making his clothes flutter.

He silently closed the window.

In the window, his figure was immediately reflected.

This man had a gloomy expression, raised his hand, and a beautiful assistant, like a supermodel, handed him a lit cigar.

Christ Hank took a puff of the cigar, then exhaled a cloud of smoke.

He was waiting.

Waiting for Angelina Keaton.

At the thought of this woman, Christ Hank couldn't help but snort.

Thinking back when he came all the way from Italy, eager to make a big impact in the federation, paving the way for his family.

Unexpectedly, he suffered a loss at the hands of that woman during a venue auction.

Now recalling that day, Christ Hank still doesn't know why he suddenly started talking nonsense.

Thus offending many dignitaries present.

That situation was as if he was possessed by a demon.

After that night, he was truly frightened, and even sought a priest to exorcise him.

Of course, nothing happened.

Afterwards, Christ Hank's personal doctor believed that it might have been due to extreme nervousness, causing a neurological disorder.

Thus losing control of his behavior.

Christ Hank reluctantly accepted this explanation.

Later, he also found himself back to normal.

And recently, relying on some connections and influence from his family.

He forced Angelina to the negotiation table.

"Hmph, a woman dares to fight with me!"

Christ Hank decided that tonight he would not only take the venue from Angelina's hands but also get that woman into his bed.

Only by freely galloping over that woman could Christ Hank wash away the humiliation of that day.

At this moment, footsteps came from behind.

A male assistant came in to report that Angelina's people had arrived.

Moments later.

Christ Hank saw Angelina, and the blond man who was seen at the auction house, suspected to be Angelina's boyfriend.

Tonight, this man wore a black shirt and white suit, his blond hair parted three to seven, wearing glasses, elegant and graceful.

Angelina, like a little bird clinging to a man, held the man's arm, making Christ Hank somewhat jealous.

He called over an assistant, said something, then laughed heartily.

"Miss Angelina, good evening."

"Your beauty is only matched by the stars."

Christ Hank didn't even glance at the man beside Angelina, as if he were transparent.

Being treated as air, Azu wasn't angered, but Angelina's eyes flashed with anger.

This woman raised her chin, coldly hummed, then when looking at Azu, she changed to a spring-like smile.

"Mr. John, this is Christ Hank."

She even omitted the 'Mr.', showing she had no goodwill towards Christ Hank.

Christ Hank was stunned, not expecting Angelina to disrespect him so, feeling displeased.

He then said.

"Since Miss Angelina has arrived, shall we begin the meeting?"

After saying that.

He invited Angelina to take a seat.

Just as Azu was about to follow.

The assistant who had spoken with Christ Hank earlier came out, extending a hand to stop him, saying.

"Sorry, sir."

"Tonight, Christ Hank only invited Miss Angelina, if you wish to listen in, please sit here."

He pointed to a corner.

The intention to belittle was evident.

Angelina was about to flare up, but Azu gently patted the back of her hand.

Azu smiled: "Tonight, I am indeed not the main character, it's okay, listening in is fine."

He walked to the corner pointed out by the assistant.

At this time, many in Christ Hank's team whispered among themselves.

"Who does he think he is, just good-looking, became Miss Angelina's boyfriend. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the right to set foot in such a place."

"Mr. Hank is still being kind to him, such a person, doesn't even have the right to listen in. If it were me, I would have kicked him out of the meeting room long ago."

These words, though low, naturally didn't escape Azu's ears.

He wasn't angry, sitting in the corner, with a mood of watching monkeys perform in a zoo, watching these people.

Watching their common human behaviors.

Over there, after everyone was seated.

Christ Hank looked around, smiled at Angelina, cleared his throat, and said.

"Then, regarding the acquisition project of the N174 venue, let's begin the meeting now."

[T/N: If you're into anime mashup worlds, crazy girls, and a protagonist everyone somehow falls for, give "Animania: Everyone Loves Me" a shot. I had a blast translating it. Maybe you'll have just as much fun reading it.]

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