NOVEL NEXT Chapter 266: Drake
With Smith Dole's command given, the massive machine of the League of Assassins began to operate. First, members of the Brotherhood of Assassins headed to San Francisco to investigate information about the Life Foundation. At the same time, on the financial side, they began gathering intelligence on this company and its dealings. Meanwhile, the artificial intelligence DaiDai constantly searched and compiled related data on the Life Foundation.
Elsewhere.
Night had fallen.
Eddie Brock was on a date with his lawyer girlfriend, Anne Weying, in a bar. During the date, Eddie complained that his boss wanted him to interview Carlton Drake, a fraud.
"Anne, I don't know why he gave me this assignment."
"This isn't the kind of show I do."
"Compared to interviewing that fraud Drake, I'd rather visit Smith Dole or Iron Man over and over."
Hearing her boyfriend's complaints, Anne spoke up:
"I don't work for Drake. He's just one of our firm's clients, like any other."
"My mom always told me that anything in life worth having requires patience and hard work."
"And that's you."
Eddie shook his head with a smile.
"I'm not."
Anne looked deeply into her boyfriend's eyes and continued:
"I mean you're worth having."
Eddie quickly replied:
"Meeting you is the luckiest thing in my life."
Then he joked:
"And besides, I'm in high demand. My mom told me so."
Anne laughed at that, then asked:
"I heard you did an exclusive interview with God. So, is he really as powerful as the rumors say?"
When Anne mentioned the interview, Eddie thought for a moment before replying:
"He's very calm, even like some media portray him—as if he stepped out of a comic book, a god among men."
"And he hopes more people will devote themselves to the cause of superheroes. For those with extraordinary abilities, he believes every newborn holds the potential to become one."
"Maybe one day, our children could become powerful extraordinary beings too."
Hearing Eddie's praise, Anne was surprised:
"You rarely speak so highly of anyone."
"You know most of your interviews are about digging into the dark side. I was worried you'd repeat the mistakes you made in New York."
Eddie quickly explained:
"Smith Dole is different. He's really doing good things. He works hard, and his Capsule Corporation is genuinely changing people's lives."
"And I wasn't kicked out of New York. I still have a reputation there. I came to San Francisco for you, my love."
Anne looked at him and said directly:
"Stop talking. Kiss me."
After a passionate kiss, Eddie rode his beloved little motorcycle, taking Anne home. Back at the apartment, the two continued what they couldn't at the bar, sharing intimacy. Later, after Anne had fallen asleep, Eddie woke up in the middle of the night to get some water. He noticed the laptop on the desk was left on, and he fell into thought. He remembered that Anne's current work involved the Life Foundation.
After a few seconds of hesitation, Eddie entered the password and unlocked the laptop.
The computer opened to a document left unclosed:
(Litagreen Life Foundation Legal Memorandum – Confidential)
(Dear Ms. Weying, attached is a case summary for your reference.)
(If you need anything further, please contact me. Thank you.)
(Mr. Litagreen, Assistant Attorney, Life Foundation Legal Memorandum)
Eddie looked at the attachments and opened one. It displayed:
(Life Foundation Abnormal Death Compensation Case No. 02-93).
The file stated that most of the experimental volunteers came from impoverished backgrounds.
It also detailed the projects, listed the names of the deceased, and marked that these cases would not be reported.
After reading, Eddie memorized the key information, then carefully restored the computer to its previous state before returning to bed.
······
The next day.
Eddie brought his entire interview team to the Life Foundation headquarters in San Francisco to interview the founder, Carlton Drake.
At that moment, in the headquarters, Carlton Drake was addressing a group of visiting elementary school children, talking about his company's vision and inventions.
Just then, Dr. Skirth came over and said:
"Sorry to interrupt."
Then to Drake:
"You need to change clothes for your interview."
Hearing the interview team had arrived, Drake smiled:
"Alright, kids, sorry, I have to go now."
"See you next time!"
After saying a few words to the children, he left to change clothes and meet Eddie for the interview.
······
In the hallway of the Life Foundation building, Eddie Brock stood with his cameraman and assistant, ready to begin his interview with Carlton Drake.
Standing beside Drake, Eddie began walking and asking questions:
"At nineteen, you developed a new type of gene therapy that doubled the life expectancy of pancreatic cancer patients, right?"
Carlton Drake smiled. "Actually, it tripled their life expectancy."
Eddie noted it down and continued under the camera's gaze:
"Alright, then at twenty-four, so young, you founded the entire Life Foundation."
He spread his arms, highlighting the vastness of the company.
Drake explained: "Actually, there was a lot of preparation before that."
Eddie continued: "Then you invested huge sums into building rockets, sending them into space, and exploring the mysteries of the universe, correct?"
At the mention of rockets, Drake's interest grew. He spoke passionately:
"To be honest, I've always believed this. Exploring space is critical—it could even solve many of Earth's problems."
Eddie asked curiously: "How so?"
"Think of it this way: after the oceans and land, we must look to the cosmos. The universe holds vast untapped resources."
But Eddie suddenly changed the tone:
"From what I see, your pharmaceutical companies already hold plenty of untapped resources."
"All of this is part of your grand plan, isn't it?"
Drake nodded: "Of course. It's all about the financial cycle. After all, launching rockets and exploring space requires funding."
······
(End of Chapter)
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