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Chapter 445: The Death of Luthor
Lex Luthor looked up at the skyscraper, the corners of his mouth twitching stiffly into something that wasn't quite a smile, then stepped inside.
The A.R.G.U.S. headquarters was more bustling than he had imagined.
It wasn't the typical scene one might imagine—a lobby full of smiling, long-legged young women in professional attire watching people come and go. Instead, this place was teeming with countless burly men. Each had a conspicuous bulge at their waist, clearly indicating a concealed weapon, and they all sized each other up with fierce expressions.
Luthor even spotted a few internationally wanted criminals.
"Are you guys always like this? This would scare the timid, and I've always been a rather timid person," Luthor remarked, following a man into the elevator. With his hands on his hips, he observed the lobby through the transparent glass walls.
"You must understand, sir, that those who come to us at A.R.G.U.S. have never been ordinary people," a brawny man with bulging muscles said stiffly, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Luthor glanced at him discreetly, a thoughtful expression on his face, and replied, "That's true."
Perhaps this warrior before him was also an undead warrior injected with a super-serum. A.R.G.U.S. was filled with such warriors.
The brawny man's lips twitched into what was meant to be a polite but incredibly stiff smile, looking rather unsettling.
They went straight up to Crane's office. The brawny man gestured, then stood guard by the door, his eyes behind his sunglasses fixed intently on Luthor.
Luthor raised an eyebrow and pushed the door open. A man who appeared to be in his thirties was waiting for him inside. His gentle gaze through his glasses gave off a reassuring feeling.
But Luthor knew that was an illusion. Anyone who underestimated the man known as "Scarecrow" wouldn't even know how they died.
Records in the underworld showed that every person who had ever broken into A.R.G.U.S. to assassinate Crane was dead. In other words, every assassin who had laid eyes on Crane's face had been eliminated.
The A.R.G.U.S. headquarters was fraught with danger. Was Crane, the man who ostensibly controlled A.R.G.U.S., really just some sweet little boy? The kind who couldn't even hold a knife?
Impossible.
"Mr. Luthor, please have a seat. I'm very interested in your proposal." Crane didn't move, his voice as gentle as ever as he gestured to the chair opposite him.
Hmm, a swivel chair.
Luthor sat down with a casual elegance, giving the chair an unconscious spin. The black chair made his white suit, and by extension Luthor himself, stand out all the more.
"You said in the email you sent me that you want some Kryptonian bodily tissue?"
"That's right. A piece of skin, a chunk of flesh—anything will do. A full corpse would be even better, of course. Oh, and by the way, I intend to use it for my own research. If anyone else approaches you asking for biological tissue, it has nothing to do with me," Luthor said.
Crane raised an eyebrow and pushed up his glasses. "Luthor, do you realize what you're saying? Tony and we left the corpses of two hundred thousand criminals for you; we only took the dozen or so Kryptonian bodies."
"But I think the Kryptonian corpses are the most valuable materials. Otherwise, the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't have gotten involved personally, and he certainly wouldn't have left a single one behind," Luthor said. "I can share my research with him. If he wants to discover something, I can help you."
Crane suddenly burst out laughing. He calmly removed his glasses and began wiping them with a small cloth.
Anyone familiar with him knew that when Crane made this gesture, he was done with the conversation.
Lex Luthor? Alright, Crane had indeed heard of him—the man in charge of LexCorp and a scientific genius.
If Oscorp had wanted a few cells, Crane might have put in a request with Tony. But Lex Luthor... on what grounds?
"Luthor, you seem to have misunderstood something," Crane said, putting his glasses back on. "Neither you nor I have the right to demand anything from Tony."
"No, this is not a demand, but an expression of willingness to cooperate. On behalf of LexCorp, I am submitting a proposal for cooperation to A.R.G.U.S. Isn't this what you always do? Many large corporations have close working relationships with you—of course, if you disagree, it's no matter. I have never demanded anything from Tony."
"Alright... if you insist..."
Crane sighed, seeming somewhat helpless, and opened the drawer beside him as if reaching for his phone.
Opposite him, Luthor was already contemplating his next move.
Really use LexCorp as a bargaining chip? If the return was great enough, a mere corporation was nothing.
He was just looking for an excuse.
It was a risky move, but the worst that could happen was a rejection from A.R.G.U.S. and Tony. It shouldn't be dangerous...
With that in mind, Luthor's expression remained impassive as he quietly awaited Crane's reply.
But Crane simply sighed softly. Before Luthor could react, he spoke in a tone filled with regret, "Mr. Luthor, you're a smart man, but sometimes, you're too smart..."
Crane withdrew his hand from the drawer, and in it was... a pistol!
Bang!
A muzzle flash erupted, like a fleeting meteor across the sky, freezing in Luthor's horrified eyes. A flower of blood blossomed on his chest, expanding little by little, soaking his white suit like a brilliant red flower.
Luthor was knocked down by the shot, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The moment the bullet entered his body, the powerful impact caused his internal organs to violently shift and rupture. Blood surged up his esophagus.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Crane, who had so suddenly attacked him. His gaze was filled with utter confusion.
His brain raced, calculating furiously, but the more he thought, the more lost he became.
Why? Why had Crane suddenly attacked him? He had only asked for a small sample of Kryptonian tissue. He had already investigated thoroughly; he wasn't the first person to make such a request.
A.R.G.U.S. was a massive and complex organization with connections to all sorts of parties. Before Luthor had even arrived, nineteen representatives from various factions had already visited the A.R.G.U.S. headquarters.
Luthor had approached them precisely because he was convinced there was no danger in doing so.
But... why?
Luthor opened his mouth, about to bite down, but in the next instant, the mild-mannered Crane's hand shot out, precisely grabbing his chin. Then, with a vicious twist, he snapped it with a sickening crack.
Ignoring the saliva, Crane reached into Luthor's mouth and broke off a tooth containing a hidden, unknown liquid.
"Even if you used a super-serum, you couldn't escape A.R.G.U.S. But I've always been a timid person, so it's better to be safe and handle things myself."
(end of chapter)
Lex Luthor looked up at the skyscraper, the corners of his mouth twitching stiffly into something that wasn't quite a smile, then stepped inside.
The A.R.G.U.S. headquarters was more bustling than he had imagined.
It wasn't the typical scene one might imagine—a lobby full of smiling, long-legged young women in professional attire watching people come and go. Instead, this place was teeming with countless burly men. Each had a conspicuous bulge at their waist, clearly indicating a concealed weapon, and they all sized each other up with fierce expressions.
Luthor even spotted a few internationally wanted criminals.
"Are you guys always like this? This would scare the timid, and I've always been a rather timid person," Luthor remarked, following a man into the elevator. With his hands on his hips, he observed the lobby through the transparent glass walls.
"You must understand, sir, that those who come to us at A.R.G.U.S. have never been ordinary people," a brawny man with bulging muscles said stiffly, his eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses.
Luthor glanced at him discreetly, a thoughtful expression on his face, and replied, "That's true."
Perhaps this warrior before him was also an undead warrior injected with a super-serum. A.R.G.U.S. was filled with such warriors.
The brawny man's lips twitched into what was meant to be a polite but incredibly stiff smile, looking rather unsettling.
They went straight up to Crane's office. The brawny man gestured, then stood guard by the door, his eyes behind his sunglasses fixed intently on Luthor.
Luthor raised an eyebrow and pushed the door open. A man who appeared to be in his thirties was waiting for him inside. His gentle gaze through his glasses gave off a reassuring feeling.
But Luthor knew that was an illusion. Anyone who underestimated the man known as "Scarecrow" wouldn't even know how they died.
Records in the underworld showed that every person who had ever broken into A.R.G.U.S. to assassinate Crane was dead. In other words, every assassin who had laid eyes on Crane's face had been eliminated.
The A.R.G.U.S. headquarters was fraught with danger. Was Crane, the man who ostensibly controlled A.R.G.U.S., really just some sweet little boy? The kind who couldn't even hold a knife?
Impossible.
"Mr. Luthor, please have a seat. I'm very interested in your proposal." Crane didn't move, his voice as gentle as ever as he gestured to the chair opposite him.
Hmm, a swivel chair.
Luthor sat down with a casual elegance, giving the chair an unconscious spin. The black chair made his white suit, and by extension Luthor himself, stand out all the more.
"You said in the email you sent me that you want some Kryptonian bodily tissue?"
"That's right. A piece of skin, a chunk of flesh—anything will do. A full corpse would be even better, of course. Oh, and by the way, I intend to use it for my own research. If anyone else approaches you asking for biological tissue, it has nothing to do with me," Luthor said.
Crane raised an eyebrow and pushed up his glasses. "Luthor, do you realize what you're saying? Tony and we left the corpses of two hundred thousand criminals for you; we only took the dozen or so Kryptonian bodies."
"But I think the Kryptonian corpses are the most valuable materials. Otherwise, the Sorcerer Supreme wouldn't have gotten involved personally, and he certainly wouldn't have left a single one behind," Luthor said. "I can share my research with him. If he wants to discover something, I can help you."
Crane suddenly burst out laughing. He calmly removed his glasses and began wiping them with a small cloth.
Anyone familiar with him knew that when Crane made this gesture, he was done with the conversation.
Lex Luthor? Alright, Crane had indeed heard of him—the man in charge of LexCorp and a scientific genius.
If Oscorp had wanted a few cells, Crane might have put in a request with Tony. But Lex Luthor... on what grounds?
"Luthor, you seem to have misunderstood something," Crane said, putting his glasses back on. "Neither you nor I have the right to demand anything from Tony."
"No, this is not a demand, but an expression of willingness to cooperate. On behalf of LexCorp, I am submitting a proposal for cooperation to A.R.G.U.S. Isn't this what you always do? Many large corporations have close working relationships with you—of course, if you disagree, it's no matter. I have never demanded anything from Tony."
"Alright... if you insist..."
Crane sighed, seeming somewhat helpless, and opened the drawer beside him as if reaching for his phone.
Opposite him, Luthor was already contemplating his next move.
Really use LexCorp as a bargaining chip? If the return was great enough, a mere corporation was nothing.
He was just looking for an excuse.
It was a risky move, but the worst that could happen was a rejection from A.R.G.U.S. and Tony. It shouldn't be dangerous...
With that in mind, Luthor's expression remained impassive as he quietly awaited Crane's reply.
But Crane simply sighed softly. Before Luthor could react, he spoke in a tone filled with regret, "Mr. Luthor, you're a smart man, but sometimes, you're too smart..."
Crane withdrew his hand from the drawer, and in it was... a pistol!
Bang!
A muzzle flash erupted, like a fleeting meteor across the sky, freezing in Luthor's horrified eyes. A flower of blood blossomed on his chest, expanding little by little, soaking his white suit like a brilliant red flower.
Luthor was knocked down by the shot, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. The moment the bullet entered his body, the powerful impact caused his internal organs to violently shift and rupture. Blood surged up his esophagus.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Crane, who had so suddenly attacked him. His gaze was filled with utter confusion.
His brain raced, calculating furiously, but the more he thought, the more lost he became.
Why? Why had Crane suddenly attacked him? He had only asked for a small sample of Kryptonian tissue. He had already investigated thoroughly; he wasn't the first person to make such a request.
A.R.G.U.S. was a massive and complex organization with connections to all sorts of parties. Before Luthor had even arrived, nineteen representatives from various factions had already visited the A.R.G.U.S. headquarters.
Luthor had approached them precisely because he was convinced there was no danger in doing so.
But... why?
Luthor opened his mouth, about to bite down, but in the next instant, the mild-mannered Crane's hand shot out, precisely grabbing his chin. Then, with a vicious twist, he snapped it with a sickening crack.
Ignoring the saliva, Crane reached into Luthor's mouth and broke off a tooth containing a hidden, unknown liquid.
"Even if you used a super-serum, you couldn't escape A.R.G.U.S. But I've always been a timid person, so it's better to be safe and handle things myself."
(end of chapter)
