Read Marvel's Superman Chapter 361 - 358 After This Battle, I'll Go Home And Get Married. online for free - AllNovelFull
'Since I can't resist, just enjoy it.'
That was what Baron Strucker thought.
Simple and unpretentious.
As a mature hydra, he knew that he wasn't in a position to make demands.
What's more, Superman had a lot of means that even he couldn't counter.
If he didn't make the right choice, he would reunite with Red Skull in the underworld.
As a villain, Baron Strucker's advantage lied in his outstanding qualities of being able to judge where the wind was blowing, making the best of it, and never wanting to resist and fight to the end.
In the face of the situation that this person was better than the others, there was absolutely no need to pay too much attention to personal dignity. If he could kneel, he would kneel and lick the other party's boots.
Of course, villains had no loyalty to speak of.
When disaster struck, if Strucker didn't backstab him, it could already be considered sincerity.
"Hail Hydra!"
After saying that, Baron Strucker figured it out.
Surrendering to Superman and living a long life was actually quite good and not a bad thing.
As Zemo said, with the help of S.H.I.E.L.D, all the stubborn Hydra faction leaders would be taken down.
'Today, they are indifferent to me. Tomorrow I'll pull you all down!'
A step ahead of the others, he joined under Superman's banner. In the future, he could mingle with the big guys.
Baron Strucker, who had reassured himself, began to think about what kind of argument to use to deceive … No, it should be, to persuade the remnant party forces entrenched in the red empire.
'A covert operation to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D. and infiltrate the enemy?'
Hydra was once based in Europe, which was known as 'the top of the world'.
Later, they went into exile in Siberia, where the climate was cold and snowy.
Now, it was time to get back on the big ship, sailing to North America.
Baron Strucker, who had experienced so many twists and turns, stood in front of the mausoleum and suddenly realized that he was already a relic of the old days.
Zemo, who was also a member of Hydra, had a different mood.
He thought that it was time to get rid of the past and embrace a beautiful new era.
There was no future in holding on to the little power in his hand, hiding in the corner and fiddling with national politics.
If Hydra wanted to rise, it needed a broader stage.
On the surface, the world was polarized between two powers, but in Zemo's view, Superman was fully qualified to be the third pole.
Being attached to such a strong man, Hydra wasn't ashamed.
Every day, Whitehall talked about the 'Inhuman God', the so-called 'great being', and Madame Viper, who might not be much stronger than Superman.
'The furthest distance in the world is probably standing beside each other with completely different ideas.'
Luke took in the subtle expressions of the two.
A sigh of relief.
An ambitious expression.
"So be it. I hope the next time we meet, it will be in Washington, D.C."
After negotiating the merge of Hydra into S.H.I.E.L.D., Luke waved his hand and left.
Baron Strucker and Zemo, who were standing in the cold wind, needed a little time to consolidate the forces at hand.
'I came alone and left alone.'
'Leaving with a lot of new baggage.'
With this in mind, Luke smiled with satisfaction.
'A trip without harvest would be incomplete!'
He had always followed that thinking wherever he went. He just had to include some worthy collectibles in his bag.
It could be a person or an object.
"It's another beautiful day."
At the thought of having pulled Marvel Universe's green villain into his camp, Luke felt that he had made another contribution to the peace of the world.
Without Hydra as a troublemaker, maybe the Avengers would have a bit of an easier time in the future, and the number of times the earth would be invaded would decrease.
In that case, he was really a good man.
'I wonder if the Cold War will continue to brew.'
Luke went to Red Square, ignored everyone's eyes, shrugged off earth's gravity, and slowly rose to the sky.
He overlooked the Red Square, the Kremlin, and even Moscow.
When he looked up, his eyes seemed to penetrate the atmosphere, breaking the barriers of space and looking farther into the distance.
The Hydra's quest was probably a countdown of his stay on Earth.
After picking up the Kryptonian ship, it was time for him to embark on a journey to the stars.
This small planet was like a room.
Staying here, growing up, becoming Superman, he increasingly felt restrained.
'No wonder those dimensional demon gods would eventually leave Earth.'
Luke grimaced. For those veteran powerhouses huddled in dimensional worlds, planets might just be cramped rooms.
Especially in the eyes of the Lord of Oblivion Cyttorak and the Trinity of Vishanti, the Earth was probably like a glass marble.
'This reminds me that there's a maniac at the studio next door, who likes to collect planets and civilizations like people collect figurines.'
Luke wandered above the clouds, enjoying a moment of peace.
...
...
A few days later, the meeting, which was more superficial than practical, finally ended.
The competition between the two superpowers wouldn't be stopped just because of a discussion.
Leviathan welcomed Superman's imminent departure from Moscow with open hands. They were eager to see him off.
Despite losing the master spy Taras and the elite agents of the Red Room, Leviathan didn't show too much anger.
On the one hand, they were too afraid and could only curse in their hearts.
On the other hand, compared to Hydra, who was packed up and taken away, they ended up quite well.
At least Superman left something for Leviathan and didn't take everything away.
Therefore, a person's judgment about his own experience mostly depended on the surrounding environment.
As long as they weren't the unluckiest ones, then everything was within an acceptable range.
"Send them here."
Luke and his group appeared at the Irkutsk airport. Hydra's relocation activities would probably have to wait for a while.
On the return trip, he, Captain America, and the Winter Soldier were the only ones in the group.
In addition, the master spy Taras and three female agents of different sizes, namely B, C, and D.
"Steve, can Bucky recognize you?"
Luke walked up the ramp. Since Winter Soldier was brought back, Captain America had been watching over his every step.
Every day serving him food and water, cleaning his body, it was really exciting to think about ... Oh, no, it was touching.
This deep friendship between brothers was simply a tear-jerker.
"He refused to admit that he grew up in Brooklyn and refused to accept the fact that he was my friend."
Rogers was frowning. Although Luke persuaded Bucky to admit his identity last time, it couldn't cure the root cause.
The latter was brainwashed by Hydra for too long and completely forgot his previous memories.
'Winter Soldier' had become the label branded on his body.
"Perhaps you can use a different approach, such as using scene reenactment, to stimulate Bucky's mind."
Luke casually said.
Regarding the brainwashing of the Winter Soldier, he had asked Baron Strucker for a solution.
But brainwashing was like putting together Lego.
It took a lot of time to assemble a complete model, but it only took a few seconds to break into parts.
Hydra's brainwashing technique stimulated the mind with various physical pain, cut the complete memory into pieces, and then instilled new perceptions.
The general idea was similar to reinstalling a computer operating system.
Once installed, restoring the previous data needed a lot of technical work.
"Reenactment? You mean, take Bucky back to Brooklyn, let him walk through the old familiar places, and awaken his deepest memories?"
Rogers's eyes lit up. It was a good idea.
"No, those aren't deep enough and stimulating enough."
Luke's mouth slightly tilted as he suggested, "Steve, I remember you said that after this trip to the Soviet Union, you would go back to Brooklyn and marry your girlfriend, right?"
"I still remember that you told Bucky that you would ask him to be your best man when you got married."
"Simply put, why don't you just complete that life-long vow, stimulate Bucky's memory and awaken his emotion at the same time?"
Captain America instantly froze.
Luke's suggestion sounded reasonable and convincing.
But why did his inner instincts tell him that this might be a trap?
Marriage?
Rogers, holding a complicated mood, fell into tangled thinking.
...
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Luke, who returned to Washington, D.C., couldn't live a quiet life for a few days.
People from the White House, and the Pentagon, took turns visiting every day.
The Red Square Conference had made the conflict between the two superpowers and the future situation very clear.
The whole world wanted to know whose side Superman was on.
To be more precise, everyone was worried.
Would Superman become a 'weapon' and be placed on the battlefield?
Luke never wanted to be Dr. Manhattan at all. In case Howard couldn't get over it and saw him as the biggest threat to the world.
Then he devised a series of conspiracies and finally used the lives of nearly 8 million people in New York as the price to end US-Soviet hegemony over the world and the outbreak of World War III.
And he would stay alone, far away on Mars, completely losing his humanity ...
That was boring.
The Watchmen's plotline in the Marvel universe wasn't impossible.
Therefore, in order to avoid the harassment of politicians and to prepare for Captain America's bachelor party before he got married, Luke took Howard to Las Vegas for a special trip.
They were sitting on a passenger plane flying to Nevada, but due to the conditions and not wanting to be victimized by the publicity...
They didn't call a bunch of stewardesses and pole-danced in the first-class cabin.
That kind of corrupt and decadent extravagant life could only be achieved by Iron Man.
"Why would you want to open a hotel and casino in Las Vegas?"
Howard asked curiously.
Nevada, mostly a barren desert, was discovered by Mexican traders and subsequently by a group of Mormons.
It was only with the opening of the Union Pacific railroad that the area began to flourish.
Then came the gold rush that prompted the influx of people.
But just like the mining towns of the West, when the gold and silver resources were depleted, the gold miners would leave and look for the next location.
"First of all, gambling is legal in Nevada."
"Secondly, the Department of War had built a lot of military bases there so that I could spread my influence."
"Finally, I believe Las Vegas will become a rich man's paradise and a gambler's paradise."
Luke said with a smile.
The Las Vegas plan he considered before had long since been completed and put into operation.
By the Mafia people that traveled from Sicily to North America.
At Luke's behest, they didn't compete with their compatriots for turf, nor did they have any conflicts with the Irish people.
Cossa Alessandro, a newcomer, brought his brothers over to gain a firm foothold in New York. They only managed the underground casino business in a few blocks.
In Luke's words, 'let them practice first'.
Running a casino wasn't easy. From security to customers to chip exchange, capital circulation, and so on, they needed to accumulate experience.
Most of the gangsters had no skills.
Apart from using violence, not many knew how to use their brains.
That's why they were keen on high-risk businesses like smuggling and drug trafficking.
In legitimate businesses, there were thresholds in place.
The Wall Street stockbroker's favorite clients were gangsters before.
Because they were quick to pay and never asked about the financial status of the account.
It was just like the entertainment circle of later China, where the most popular investors were the coal bosses.
There were great similarities in nature between the two.
Later, there was also a shocking case in which a daring con man, disguised as Morgan Stanley's to-level broker, tricked the heads of the five Italian families, and even the accountant hired by the Mafia didn't notice anything wrong.
In just half a month, the swindler had extracted nearly 1.5 million dollars and then slipped away.
Of course, later, the heads of the five families issued a 'wanted notice'. With greater efficiency and speed than the federal police, they caught the man four months later.
As for his end?
The swindler wasn't dismembered or drowned.
But in accordance with legal procedures, locked up in a local prison.
Two weeks later, he died of a rectal fissure.
It was said that he had 'roommates' four times.
From fierce men to perverts.
Each roommate had a special interest in men.
It was daily torture.
Finally, he was overwhelmed and died of a rectal fissure.
This incident also revealed that gangsters were good at fighting and getting revenge.
But when it came to economic thinking and dealing with wealth, it was the complete opposite.
Luke didn't want Alessandro's gang to become 'thugs' who were dependent on him and could only do illegal business.
The more stable the social environment was, the less room there would be for gangs to survive.
Sooner or later, they would wash up onshore. Why not stop going to the sea from the beginning and reduce the stains on their bodies?
Just like the saying, 'the way to get rich is written in the law,' the existence of profitable business was basically illegal or in the gray area.
The only thing worth investing in, in a free and democratic country, was probably gambling.
From the past to the present, there were two kinds of businesses: business of the flesh and gambling.
They had never been outdated and were always a 'hard-wired' human need.
"Paradise for the rich ... I do have many friends who are attracted to Las Vegas."
Howard pondered, but the "Vegas" this time wasn't known around the world yet.
Its name only spread in the small circle of rich people. Those bastards who had money and no place to spend loved to take their lovers to Las Vegas in droves.
New York's bars, horseback riding, and golfing were no longer enough to satisfy them.
Once the threshold of desire was raised, it was difficult to lower.
"But you're involved with the Mafia?"
Howard, who was leaning back in the plane seat, asked.
He had heard of the legendary story of Superman assisting the Allied forces in raiding Sicily.
But an Army Lieutenant General shouldn't and couldn't actively get involved with the Mafia.
"I was originally an Irish immigrant, and my Uncle painted houses for the Irish Mob."
Luke shrugged and turned to ask, "Do you know how influential the International Truck Drivers Union is? Their President, Jimmy Hoffa, has over 2 million registered members and 8 billion dollars in pensions under his belt."
"How many voters is that? How much glittering money for investment is that? Howard, don't underestimate gangs. Their time is not over until the Cold War ends and peace comes."
Even Kennedy Jr., who would become President in the future, had a delicate relationship with the Irish Mob.
Many people say Italians do business by laundering what was originally illegal, while Irish people fight and engage in politics.
It means that the Mafia went to the sea first and came ashore later. From a gangster to a business tycoon.
And the Irish specialize in uniting unions, making political contributions, and investing in politics.
Their greatest success was probably sending Kennedy Jr. to the White House.
But it didn't turn out so well. The Kennedy brothers weren't as disciplined as their father.
There should be fair trade and exchange of benefits.
After they came to power, they turned around to fix the problems of collusion between unions and the Mob before they could even warm up their seats.
"That's true. Jimmy Hoffa has always been the man of the hour."
Howard looked at the scattered clouds, ended the topic about gangs, and brought up another matter.
"Rogers is really going to get married?"
Luke nodded. His thoughtless words were listened to by Captain America.
A wedding to awaken a former best friend seemed like a solid plan on the surface.
"Steve is going to spend his last night of bachelorhood in Vegas."
When talking about this, Luke was in high spirits.
...
...
On the other hand, in Las Vegas.
An old man with a fedora and a silver cane appeared in the deserted desert.
Perhaps the sun was too hot, and the temperature was too high; his figure looked distorted.
"I can smell ... a tantalizing scent."
The old man sniffed, and his mouth opened with a smile.
Like a hungry diner, seeing a feast on the table.
"The last time I was here, there was nothing here."
The old man muttered and stepped forward.
It was as if the space shortened automatically. He quickly disappeared into the desert.
"The insatiable greed, the inexhaustible lust ... It's more like hell than Hell."
...
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The first time Howard arrived in Las Vegas, he was captivated by the city that never sleeps, standing in the desert.
It was like a hot girl clad in tulle, sexy and charming.
There was an urge to explore and discover more.
"You should have brought me to a wonderful place like this earlier! I'm sure Rogers would have loved it too!"
Howard was sitting in a stretch limousine and enjoying the roadside scenery through the window.
The roaring waves and undulating curves reminded people of the beaches and bikini girls in Hawaii.
"Steve, with his old-fashioned personality, may not know how to enjoy such a degenerate life of luxury."
Luke shook his head and smiled. Compared with Howard's status as a capitalist, Captain America was a national hero.
"True. If we say a dirty word in front of Captain Rogers, we might get lectured."
Howard exhaled.
A few days ago, Luke took Malèna, then Rogers took his girlfriend, and Howard was left alone to act as a third wheel.
They held a family party together in Brooklyn. As a result, Howard said 'Oh shit!' and was seriously lectured by Captain America.
'Don't swear in front of Captain Rogers' -- it had become a classic phrase, circulating in S.H.I.E.L.D.
"The Italian family business seems to be doing well."
Howard and Luke had just got off the plane when members of the Mafia came to greet them.
Moreover, it was a big spectacle, with an extended version of the convertible luxury car and four police motorcycles with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department logo clearing the way.
"Of course. Any visitor who comes to Las Vegas would be protected by the Mafia, as long as they enter the casinos and spend money."
Luke smiled and lightly said so.
"So, thieves and robbers stay in the old city. If they dare come to the new city and attack those guests, they would be cut off by the Mafia and thrown into the desert to feed the vultures."
The police in Las Vegas were only responsible for maintaining law and order in the old city.
As for the order in the casinos and hotels, it was the job of the gangsters.
In this respect, everyone had a good understanding and a clear division.
"It sounds a bit like Hell's Kitchen."
Howard remembered a place in New York.
To be honest, when he saw a group of big men wearing black suits and sunglasses lined up in two rows...
Treating him with respect somehow satisfied the sense of vanity in men.
"Should Stark Industries invest in several projects, it would definitely become a gathering place for the rich in the future."
Luke suddenly said.
About the Las Vegas project...
In the beginning, he planned to invest money to build two luxury hotels.
Of course, building a hotel was just a cover.
As a complementary entertainment facility, the casino and spa for guests were the main priority.
The plan submitted to Alessandro included the construction of a golf course and a resort in the later stages.
"You're that optimistic about Las Vegas?"
Howard was a little surprised.
The investment was no problem.
He was an arms tycoon and a scientific adviser to S.H.I.E.L.D.
No matter from the company's size and competitiveness, or connections and back office, there was no shortage of business orders from the Pentagon.
However, Howard was curious about where Luke's confidence came from.
Everyone knew that Nevada was a deserted desert 20 years ago. Only few people would come, except for gold diggers and workers.
"Never doubt my prediction of the future."
Luke's answer revealed a trace of mystery, just like a bluffing trickster.
Las Vegas became the future 'Casino City' and 'Entertainment Capital of the World'.
In addition to the support of the local government, it was also related to its own geographical advantage.
First of all, it was the only water source in the Mojave Desert in the Southwestern United States, and it was also a transportation hub.
If someone wanted to go from the east to the southwest corner cities such as Los Angeles and San Diego, they had to pass through Las Vegas.
Later, the railroad was opened to form the 'Los Angeles - Chicago' junction.
After the rise of air transportation, Las Vegas would become the four major air cargo transfer stations in the United States -- Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, and this world-famous 'Vegas'.
As we all know, it was a superior position for traffic.
It could gather popularity and attract investment.
The highlands and valleys, combined with the natural hot springs, made Las Vegas a great place for a vacation.
With all these conditions, the rise of Vegas wasn't a coincidence but a foregone conclusion.
"What I asked of Alessandro was that the city attracts not only gamblers but also the rich and famous Hollywood celebrities."
Luke lowered the window, and the hot air from the weather poured in.
The honey-colored thighs wrapped in shorts could be seen everywhere on the streets, and people couldn't take their eyes off them.
No wonder Howard was so excited just now.
A lot of people's perception of Las Vegas was limited to the well-developed gaming industry and mob money.
Little did they know that it was actually the world's number one hospitality center.
It would have the largest and best race track, top golf course, and ski resort on the West Coast.
Because of its special climate and non-industrial environment, it was one of the best places in the United States for lung disease treatment.
If the Mafia could operate seriously and build it steadily according to Luke's plan...
A few decades later, Las Vegas would become a huge inexhaustible gold mine for them.
"You always have a wider perspective."
Howard wasn't shocked by Luke's grand plan.
SkyNet, a company financed by Stark Industries with the technology provided by the former, was mainly engaged in telecommunications.
The scope of its business development, as well as the research and development technology, were basically implemented according to Superman's vision.
ATT, which was the owner of Bell Labs, was unable to resist SkyNet's dominance.
"You know what? I recently found a Chief Financial Officer."
Howard sighed.
"He's a very capable and insightful young man. He admired your proposal, and I feel like he has a pair of eyes that can see the future, watching everything that will happen in the near future."
Luke picked his eyebrows. 'The CFO Howard found was not Obadiah Stane, right?'
That was the villain that almost brought the Stark family to its end.
"General, we have arrived at the hotel."
The stretch limousine was parked on the side of the road, and a soft carpet was directly rolled out from the hotel to the car door.
On both sides stood ladies of various complexions and nationalities, each with their own characteristics.
"Isn't this a bit too high-profile!?"
Howard felt the slight movement of the 'beauty radar' on his lower body, and his intuition told him that tonight would be a sleepless night.
"General, Mr. Stark, please have a look upstairs."
The ladies surrounded the two who got out of the car and walked into the elevator under the envious eyes of tourists.
...
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"It's boring ..."
Staying at the Mafia's Flamingo Hotel, Howard, who had been having fun for a whole week, was paralyzed on the sofa. His eyes seemed unfocused, and he looked bored.
He was bored of the Baccarat, Texas Hold'em, and other games.
The ski resort was under construction, and there was nothing to do but play golf.
He enjoyed the natural hot springs every day, lying in a hot spring pool that could accommodate hundreds of people, overlooking Las Vegas below. It was simply the height of luxury.
And there were beautiful women who could give him back rubs and shower him.
It sounded like a comfortable life in paradise, but for Howard, who enjoyed new things and got bored very quickly, after experiencing it a few times, he had already lost interest.
Even if Alessandro, the leader of the Mafia, had hinted that the hotel's ladies, the sexy dealers, and the waitresses, were available to serve...
Howard, who could enter a time where he didn't even bother with women any time he wanted, didn't go along with the flow. Even if it was free prostitution, he refused such illegal behavior.
Well, the reason for this was...
Actually, it was because he overexerted his body on the first day he arrived in Las Vegas, playing multiplayer sports.
Nevada was the only place in the United States where the sex trade was allowed and considered legal at this point in time.
A playboy like Howard, who had only been around for a few days, was already out of ammunition and out of energy.
"No wonder it's a rich man's paradise. You can do whatever you want here!"
Howard collapsed on the sofa and took a sip of juice.
He acted so bored because Luke didn't hang out with him.
For men, going out to enjoy themselves was something that had to be done as a team.
If they were alone, their excitement was automatically reduced by half.
"He clearly agreed to avoid the White House, the Pentagon's people and help Captain Rogers prepare for a bachelor party, but he's still talking about work."
Howard complained.
Luke had experienced the local customs on the first two days he arrived in Las Vegas.
Not only did he set a record of winning 43 Blackjack games in a row in the casino of the hotel, but he also played all kinds of games.
Poker, craps, big six wheels, slot machines, roulette ...
These games developed by humans weren't a challenge for Luke.
Therefore, it was just a short moment of immersion.
He pulled himself out and went back to work.
Las Vegas wasn't only the casino city of Nevada; it was also a national security zone.
The U.S. Department of Energy had established the Nevada Test Site in the southeastern desert of Nye County, where the military had conducted over 900 nuclear weapons tests.
This also attracted a large number of 'nuclear explosion tourists'. The atomic bomb took Nevada by storm and became an instant sensation.
There were many 'Miss Atomic Bomb' in Las Vegas -- beautiful girls in mushroom cloud bikinis, which was a unique feature.
Anyway, Luke was here, and naturally, as a war hero, he had to visit various military bases to pay his respects.
So, he left Howard in the hotel.
"This is a rare vacation. How can I waste my time in a hotel room? "
Howard, who had slept for a while, narrowed his eyes. He touched his mustache and decided to go out and have some fun.
Even if he played golf or went to a hot spring for a while...
Staying in a room for too long wasn't his style.
"Is there anything worth visiting nearby?"
Putting on a brand new high-end suit, spraying some cologne, and grooming himself to look more like a hustler, Howard caught a glimpse of the attendant in charge of the elevators.
"Sir, there's a newly opened 'Hotel Inferno' two blocks away from this hotel. I heard that it's very interesting."
The attendant pocketed the tip and gave directions.
"Hotel Inferno..."
Howard muttered.
This name seemed a bit interesting.
"A depraved soul like mine should visit hell."
He said to himself as he picked up a glass of champagne.
He followed the directions given by the attendant and soon saw the newly opened 'Hotel Inferno'.
"Wow, the atmosphere is great, and there's a long line."
Howard raised his eyebrows. Waiting quietly in line wasn't something he would do.
"Hey, man, if you're willing to give me your spot, this is all yours."
Using money to make things easier was always one of the best ways to solve a problem.
The two guards at the door took one look at him and placed a stamp with the pattern of a horned devil on his arm.
"Go in."
The security guard said in a hoarse voice.
Howard walked through the door with one hand in his pocket.
He sniffed and slightly frowned.
'It smells like sulfur.'
Howard thought to himself.
But his attention was soon drawn to the decorations inside Hotel Inferno.
A dark red color filled every corner of his view.
The soft carpet gave off a bit of heat.
There was also a faint flow of glowing light as if it was lava.
The walls were carved with a variety of frightening and eccentric patterns, and there were waiters dressed like demons and devils going back and forth.
"A hotel with Hell as the theme; it's really unique."
Howard got interested and went to the front desk, where the chips were exchanged.
"Sir, we don't take checks or cash here."
The waiter, who had curved ram horns on top of his head and a hawk's hook snout, said so.
He refused the check signed by Howard and the bills he pulled out of his wallet.
"Then what do you accept here?"
The corners of Howard's mouth curled up as he asked curiously.
"The soul. The Hotel Inferno uses souls to exchange for chips. There's a place to weigh your soul over there."
The waiter answered.
"You guys are really acting like the real deal."
Howard looked in the direction where the waiter pointed to. There was indeed a huge scale, not far away.
Many guests who entered the hotel stood on it, waiting for the final result.
"Soul for chips? What if I can't exchange my soul for enough chips, or if I lose all my chips and still want to continue the game?"
Howard crossed his arms around his chest like a guest who was deliberately making things difficult.
"You can sign a contract to mortgage your soul to Hotel Inferno."
The waiter, expressionless, took out a thick pile of paperwork.
"We have short-term mortgage contracts of 10, 30, 50, and 100 years, respectively, and long-term mortgage contracts of 200 to 1,000 years."
Howard just glanced at it, and the dense words were enough to cause a headache.
He grimaced and casually pulled out a pledge contract of unknown duration and signed his name.
The waiter's dark eyes flashed with a touch of fiery light.
He counted out several piles of chips of different denominations, packed them neatly on a tray, and handed them to Howard.
"Welcome to Hotel Inferno.. We hope you have a great time."
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Southern Nevada, Lincoln county.
It was a top-secret U.S. military base, which was ostensibly used for secretly developing and testing Air Force aircrafts, while carrying out other research projects behind the scenes.
Because of the air traffic control and the fact that it was a restricted area, the outside world often made up all kinds of strange anecdotes.
For example, many people claimed to have seen UFOs.
It was also believed that an alien corpse was kept in this military base.
Every newly elected President of the United States would come and visit.
Yes, this was the place that would later be known as 'Area 51'.
"General, the soldiers are very happy to see you. They regard you as an idol, just like a celebrity in Hollywood! They want to take a picture with you and shake your hand!"
A military official said with excitement.
"I'll be in Las Vegas for a while, and when I get a chance, I'll be ... participating in these fun events."
With his standard business smile, Luke took a special tour of the military base with a sense of curiosity.
As a result, no alien remains were found, and no frozen Cybertronians were detected.
He had to say; this was somewhat disappointing.
The mysterious 'Area 51' was really used as a bomb and artillery test area.
After the end of World War II, it was abandoned and later selected by Lockheed's Skunk Works as a test site for the U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, with a 7,000-meter runway built specifically for it.
After the veil of mystery was lifted, Area 51, which had caused so much controversy, appeared to be so plain and ordinary.
"According to Nick Fury's habit of building safe houses all over the world, this is a good place."
Luke looked around and finalized his ideas.
Then, he was in the midst of a crowd of either adoring or admiring eyes.
The tall and straight figure rose to the sky, causing a great burst of air in the atmosphere.
"Superman!"
Below were the excited American soldiers.
'Area 51' was only 130 kilometers away from downtown Las Vegas. With Luke's speed, he could be there in a matter of seconds.
Bang!
There was a shadow passing over the clouds; the rolling wave of air emitted an explosive sound.
The dark red cape whipped up with the strong gust of wind, and Luke landed steadily on the tarmac of the Flamingo Hotel.
"Alessandro, you look a little nervous. What happened?"
Luke pushed open the tempered glass door and saw Alessandro, the hotel owner, city council member, and mafia boss, with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
The Italian man's forehead was dripping with sweat, his eyes were wary, and there was a hint of worry.
"General, you're finally back."
Alessandro looked like he had seen a savior. He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his face, wiping away the oily sweat.
"Mr. Stark, who came with you, has been missing for two days."
Luke raised an eyebrow. It was a bit of a surprise to him that something would happen to Howard, that kind of guy.
As a result of the last Essex Biotech assassination, the latter became even more vigilant and took his portable armor with him wherever he went.
As for the Mark 1 armor, it was kept in the basement of the Stark mansion.
If someone wanted to attack Howard, whether it was a sneak attack or a personal visit, the process wouldn't be easy.
"Is it kidnapping or something else?"
Luke's calm voice quickly calmed Alessandro's anxious mood.
"Neither."
The Mafia boss struggled to organize the words, and he looked like he had some doubts about what to say.
"2 days ago, Mr. Stark entered a newly opened hotel and never came out again."
"I was worried that something had happened to Mr. Stark, so I sent a few people to look for him."
"However, after they stepped through the doors of the hotel, it was as if they had disappeared."
Luke listened patiently and took the elevator to his room.
"What's the name of the hotel?"
He raised the key question.
"Hotel Inferno."
Alessandro replied.
Luke thought about it and approached the sofa.
He was just suspicious before, but now he was basically sure.
Howard's disappearance must have been caused by the old Lord of Hell, Mephisto.
It's just that, why was that old devil after Iron Man's father?
Although it's said that Howard was an uncompromising capitalist...
In order to gain wealth, his hands were covered in blood -- after all, arms dealers were selling death.
But the soul of a person didn't carry a lot of weight just because he did good or evil.
The weight of the soul depended on the firmness of one's will, a strong spirit, or some kind of passionate belief.
"When did this hotel appear?"
Luke collected his thoughts and calmly asked.
This wasn't the first time he had dealt with the old devil.
In other universes, in order to help Stephen Strange win the Sorcerer Supreme position, he fought with Mephisto.
The old devil was still no match for Superman in hell, let alone now, in the human world.
"Uh, I don't remember exactly. I think ... it was a week ago, or two weeks ago."
Luke looked at Alessandro, who seemed to have been affected by some strange power, and his memory was all messed up.
Obviously, this was also Mephisto's doing.
'Did this guy move Hell to Las Vegas?'
Luke lifted up his eyes, looked through many obstacles, and saw the dark tower towering into the clouds.
The shape was obviously so peculiar, with smoke and flames billowing out.
But the pedestrians passing by were oblivious, and instead, were unwittingly attracted to join the long queue.
'The more we meet, the more we get to know each other.'
Luke's mouth curled up in a small arc, and he smiled lightly, "If you've been beaten once, there would always be a second time."
...
...
Mephisto, with a silver cane, stood at the top of Hotel Inferno.
With a condescending gaze that looked down on all beings, he looked down at the crowd of beings below.
The long queue outside had blocked the traffic along the street.
But people kept joining in as if they were possessed.
"Too tempting, too satisfying!"
Mephisto took a deep breath. The city that lied beneath his feet was home to 1.7 million people.
To the old devil, this was 1.7 million delicious souls, and it also had a huge and incalculable value.
'They all voluntarily offered their souls to me.'
Mephisto's lips smiled in triumph. He didn't get those human souls by means of coercion or extortion.
Every guest who walked into Hotel Inferno exchanged their souls for chips and signed a contract.
'I didn't violate the Sorcerer Supreme's rules. Even if the Ancient One came here, their souls would be marked and will fall into Hell, sooner or later.'
Thinking of that, the smile on Mephisto's face grew wider and wider.
He felt a little annoyed that he didn't think of this method earlier.
In the old devil's long lifetime, he kept looking for people who had a hard time fulfilling their desires, who were ambitious, or were extremely desperate and easily fooled.
Then, he sold Hell's insurance to them.
The devil had to use a lot of words to persuade the person to sign the contract.
Describing how slow the process was and how long it took was unspeakable.
In the past, the old devil liked to play such games- watching those human beings getting seduced by their own greed, tyranny, and malice with his own eyes.
Watching them kill each other for money, power, or women, and finally falling into Hell with regret, resentment, and fear.
Mephisto enjoyed tasting the complexity and distortion of human nature and regarded it as a glass of richly flavored wine.
However, playing the same game for so long would inevitably feel boring.
'It's time to change the game.'
Mephistopheles poured himself a glass of red wine. The scarlet liquid rippled in circles.
Ring ring! Ring ring!
The ear-splitting phone call interrupted the old devil's personal time.
"Mundus, I hope it's really an emergency. Otherwise, I will throw you into the ninth level of Hell, where you will be eaten by evil spirits that have been starving for thousands of years."
In the gentlest tone, Mephisto spoke of the worst possible punishment.
The casino manager, Mundus, shuddered, and a heavy dose of fear appeared on his flesh-covered face.
The demons in hell knew that Mephisto had always been merciless to those who didn't do their jobs properly.
"There's a human! He's winning all the time! He won a lot of chips!"
There was a hint of panic in Mundus's voice.
"Hachem can't keep up!"
Mephisto frowned slightly. Hachem was the champion of the World Poker Competition in his lifetime, especially in Texas Hold'em. He could be called the King of Gambling.
Of course, he was able to possess such a high level of skill because of his contract with the old devil.
The young gambling king, Hachem, who was on the rise, died in a car accident, and his soul smoothly fell into Mephisto's hands.
Now the enslaved Hachem's soul was put to good use by the old devil in the poker area of the casino as a stabilizing presence.
There were many human souls like Hashem's in Mephisto's hands.
In his casino, it was impossible for anyone to win all the time.
"Trash! You guy's let a human act cocky in Hotel Inferno?!"
Mephisto cursed and directly hung up the phone.
Then, a dark flame rose up and revealed the scene of the casino on the 12th floor --
At the Texas Hold'em table, two men sat opposite each other, surrounded by a large group of semi-transparent shadows.
'Hachem is actually the best in Texas Hold'em.'
Mephisto's brow furrowed even more.
He couldn't figure out how Hachem could have lost in the game he had pride in.
The old devil caught a glimpse of his opponent's chips, which had piled up into several small hills.
Obviously, he had been winning and never lost.
"I'm sorry, my cards are still better than yours."
The young man sitting across the table from Hachem spread his cards and once again won a pile of chips of various colors, branded with a picture of a ram-horned devil.
"It looks like you're having a bad day.. Lady Luck lifted her skirt for me and raised her middle finger for you."
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Turn back the clock to one hour ago.
Luke looked up at Hotel Inferno, where smoke and black flames were billowing out, and walked to the head of the long line.
As Howard did, he held a few bills with his fingers and handed them to the black guy wearing a big gold necklace.
The latter readily took it and gave up his position.
No matter when and where the smell of ink on bills was always addictive.
"Residents of Las Vegas are oblivious to the oddities of this hotel, but they flock to it in droves."
Luke used the 'All-Seeing Eye' spell from the 'Book of Vishanti' to glance over at the two guards guarding the door.
Beneath the human skin was a ferocious body haunted by the flames of hell and crowned with the horns of a demon.
Walking into the hotel's entrance, the welcoming ladies, dressed like seductresses, weren't much different from them.
They all had red skin, enchanting bodies, evil breasts, and a slender tail that kept shaking.
'This is to Howard's taste.'
Luke suddenly remembered something very serious.
According to Alessandro, Howard walked into Hotel Inferno and never came out.
He had a preconceived notion that Mephisto was up to something.
But thinking about it differently, Howard was such an old pervert; it was possible that he was drained by a succubus.
In the exhausted state of having no ammunition left, his legs would be weak, and he wouldn't be able to walk.
After careful thought, Luke thought it was possible.
After all, Howard had even banged a female vampire, and his taste was diverse.
'I'll look for Mephisto first; where is the old devil...?'
Luke walked up to the front desk where the chips were exchanged, and his attention was instantly drawn to it.
Under his 'All-Seeing Eye', the chips in blue, red, and white, which were branded with the demon pattern and horns, turned into twisted faces.
They were all human souls!
'Pain and suffering are the currency in Hotel Inferno.'
The waiter who exchanged the chips recited the script and expressionlessly said, "Sir, everything you need can be obtained in Hotel Inferno."
"Provided that you dedicate your soul to win game after game."
Luke pursed the corners of his mouth. 'Mephisto is also a genius.'
The soul chips casino model was used to build a circulation system.
It seemed that the old devil had skillfully learned all kinds of ways to profit after wandering the earth for the past few years.
Those so-called Devil Security Company, Hell's Loan Company -- their slogan should be 'No limit loans, guaranteed minimum interest, no forceful debt collecting.'
"Can I go to the table without chips?"
Luke glanced at the soul weighing scales. He wondered if he was going to expose himself by standing on them.
"It's okay. We have a guaranteed contract here. If you sign your name, you'll get your chips."
The waiter took out several paper contracts. The edges of the papers were decorated with beautiful patterns.
"A 10-year contract can be exchanged for one blue-chip, a 30-year contract for three, and so on."
The blue chips were equivalent to $10,000 for the casino, followed by red chips and white chips, which represent different values.
"Wow, there's a 1,000-year pledge contract?! "
Luke deliberately exaggerated. 'The old devil still had a hard time gaining profit.'
Anyone who thought this was just an act would sign the contract.
Once they lost all their soul chips, they would have to work for Mephisto for 1,000 years, never being able to rest.
"I want to sign the 1,000-years one."
Luke took out the contract and signed the name -- 'Sorcerer Supreme' without hesitation.
All these contracts were binding, so it was better to use the Ancient One as a shield.
Anyway, the Sorcerer Supreme should be very experienced in refusing debt collectors.
"Okay, Sir. Here are your chips."
The waiter put away the contract and handed the tray full of blue chips to Luke.
"Let me see what's interesting ... Texas Hold'em, let's go with that."
Luke made his way around, squeezed into the crowded poker area, and casually picked a table to sit at.
'Here comes another lamb.'
Hachem, pretending to be a gambler, glanced at the chips in Luke's tray and coldly smiled.
...
...
Back to the present.
Texas Hold'em had always been a popular game in casinos.
The number of participants generally ranged from two to twelve players.
There were three main types of tables: limited bet tables, pressure limit tables, and unlimited bet tables.
The rules were too complicated to elaborate on, and it was easy for others to misunderstand them as trying to increase word count.
So, to sum it up briefly, at the beginning of the game, each player would be given two cards facing down.
After several rounds of dealing and calling, the player should combine the cards facing down with the cards exposed to make a bigger hand and compare the numbers with the other players.
There were about ten types of cards, from big to small.
The biggest one was the royal flush, while the smaller ones include three of a kind, two pairs, one pair, and so on.
Texas Hold'em was a game of calculation and psychological manipulation.
Master players could read and predict the cards.
Basically, they would know what type of hand they should play in what round and predict their opponent's card through psychological hints.
For example, some people would wildly call to put pressure on their opponents. They obviously didn't have a big hand.
There were also some veterans who were very good at 'bluffing'.
Talking loudly, acting arrogantly...
The ultimate goal was to scare the opponents into calling or getting suspicious of their actions.
Hachem was the reigning champion of the World Poker Tournament and had mastered a variety of poker games, including bridge, stud, blackjack, and more.
Texas Hold'em was his specialty. His innate talent for reading cards enabled this guy to set up the most suitable hand in every round and win his opponent's chips.
Since his soul fell into hell and lost its freedom.
Hachem endured the heat, the smell of sulfur, and the chattering of those inferior demons every day.
Hell wasn't a nice place.
Otherwise, why would those devils, demons, and even Mephisto himself, go around wandering the human world?
It wasn't until the establishment of Hotel Inferno that Hachem, who was a gambler all his life, was remembered by Mephisto.
He had already become the devil's minion and temporarily left the worst area of Hell.
He became the regional manager of the hotel-casino, specializing in all aspects of the poker area.
Hachem had bankrupted dozens of guests within a few days, taking all their soul chips and making them into slaves for the Lord of Hell.
In short, he had a great track record.
Until Hachem met the bastard sitting opposite him, a young human who won 32 games in a row!
"You're definitely cheating!"
Hachem was enraged. The veins on his forehead bulged out.
The bloodshot, bulging eyes were staring straight at Luke's unfolded cards.
A, K, Q, J, 10; five cards have the same color and suit, which made up a royal flush.
"How can such a hand appear!?"
His cheeks were thin, so it made Hachem look like a drug addict. It gave off a feeling that his brain was about to explode any moment now.
According to his calculation, the occurrence ratio of a royal flush was 30,939 to 1, translating to a 0.003 probability.
That meant that, unless there was a miracle or Luke cheated, it was completely impossible to pull off such a rare hand that would dominate the entire field.
"Can't afford to lose? Accusing an opponent of cheating without evidence is a very unpleasant thing to do."
A blue chip with the largest denomination rolled through Luke's fingers. Within 2 hours of entering the casino, he had already won five people's worth of souls.
"Let's call it a day. You've made me lose interest in continuing the game, and you've lost everything."
Luke flexed his fingers and flicked the rolling chip to the succubus lady next to him.
The chip, branded with the devil's emblem, fell right into the middle of the latter's breast.
"You're so amazing! Hotel Inferno will always welcome guests like you!"
A blue chip was roughly equivalent to one-third to one-fifth of a human soul.
This wasn't a small amount.
The succubus couldn't wait to glue her body to Luke's.
Hotel Inferno also had a work assessment. They worked for Mephisto and were able to earn a certain amount of soul chips.
The old devil knew how to motivate the 'employees' under his command, and all the demons could enjoy the benefits, like social animals.
"Wait! I can still play!"
Hachem's face showed a hint of ruthlessness as he thought about his own work and the bonus.
"I can wager my soul!"
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"How can you use your soul as a bargaining chip when it does not belong to you?"
Luke hugged the succubus lady, let the latter carry the tray full of chips, and then strutted to the next table.
He didn't even look at the devil's pawn who lost all his chips. This was the contempt of the winner for the loser.
"And no matter how many more rounds we play, you can never be my opponent."
Luke spoke with the standard villainous tone, full of sarcasm.
The human gambling game wasn't the least bit difficult for him.
Hachem's pride in card reading and card counting was nothing in front of Superman.
Not to mention the ridiculously low probability of getting a royal flush. If Luke wanted, he could play ten of such cards.
Besides, his super eyesight could see his opponent's cards.
Playing Texas Hold'em, no one could beat him.
Luke really wanted to throw a smug emoji pack at the other party.
"Blackjack."
Leaving Texas Hold'em table, he moved on to the next place.
Leaving that face of despair, self-effacing, and incomparable defeat of the man.
'If Mephisto doesn't come out, I'll win all the chips in every table. '
Luke thought so. Anyway, in order to gain profit, the old devil's casino had no limit on the number of bets.
Theoretically, as long as he won chips fast enough, he could close down this Hotel Inferno.
"Ladies and gentlemen, all the expenses tonight will be paid by this gentleman!"
Luke walked halfway down and whispered something into the succubus lady's ear.
The latter conveyed the exact words, which immediately caused a wave of cheers inside the casino.
One of the easiest words in the world to get people's favor was 'to treat'.
And one of the easiest things to do was 'freeloading'.
Hearing that someone was paying the bill, guests who came in for fun flocked to the buffet.
They haven't realized that they would never leave the hotel if they couldn't earn enough soul chips.
"I hope you have a good time."
Luke was like a rich guest, throwing out a lot of red and white chips.
Once again, a large group of people came around and clamored for the chips while he sat down at the blackjack table with the succubus lady in his arms.
As a result of the previous actions, he won a lot of chips. The money he threw away made Luke seem like a God of Gambling at this time.
Not only did the guests next to him give up their seat voluntarily, but even the sexy dealer's hands were shaking a bit.
Luke pushed out all the chips in the tray with a relaxed smile around his mouth and whispered, "Let's get started."
This was a calm and relaxed look that made the succubus lady nestled next to him blissfully happy and starry-eyed.
She couldn't help but get closer, and her slender tail swung around.
Luke kept his eyes open and focused on the table.
He wasn't interested in the succubus, who smiled from ear to ear. Even in friendly matches, the player should also be at the level of the Queen of Limbo.
...
...
"Mundus, how many did he win?"
Sitting at the top floor, staring at the casino, Mephisto's expression was indescribable.
"The human won seventeen times in a row, and each time he won exactly ... twenty-one."
Even across the telephone line, Mundus could feel the Lord of Hell's anger.
This kind of behavior would provoke a 'serious warning' from the casino, even if it was a normal casino.
What's more, the owner behind Hotel Inferno was Mephisto, an old devil with absolutely no mercy and compassion.
"Oh, it's all blackjack ... such arrogance."
Mephisto's tone was soft, but the more so, the more his inner anger accumulated.
The rules of Blackjack were very simple. The sum of cards in one's hand should not exceed twenty-one, that was a blackjack hand, and should be as big as possible.
Generally speaking, players would continue to hold when the sum was around four to eight.
At seventeen and above, players wouldn't take any more cards for fear of 'blowing up' -- exceeding twenty-one.
If someone could win seventeen games in a row, it could still be attributed to good skills and good luck.
But on this basis, not only can he win seventeen times in a row, but the cards were exactly twenty-one -- that was also a rare hand, just like a royal flush in Texas Hold'em.
As long as someone got it, they were sure to win.
The disadvantage was the high degree of difficulty and risk.
When the number of points reaches nineteen, the probability of 'blowing up' would increase indefinitely.
In order to get enough for twenty-one, Mundus couldn't think of any other method except cheating.
"It's time to meet this guest. Don't let anyone say that Hotel Inferno doesn't entertain our guests well enough."
Mephisto hung up the phone and stood up.
The ferocious face squeezed out a smile, and the hellish flames that lingered on his body turned into a red suit.
He built Hotel Inferno on earth just to harvest more souls.
But Luke's presence brought the old devil's plan to a slight halt.
Winning Texas Hold'em with a royal flush.
When he played Blackjack, he would always get a twenty-one -- the points of the two cards at hand would add up to twenty-one in total. For example, an Ace and a suit, or a 10.
This was simply pointing at the casino owner's nose and saying, 'I'm cheating. What can you do about it?'
Mephisto has never been a good-tempered devil, and some people had offended him before.
Except for the previous Sorcerer Supreme, this generation's Sorcerer Supreme, and the next generation's Sorcerer Supreme, all the others were dead.
With his silver skeleton cane, Mephisto arrived at the casino.
He walked straight up to the Blackjack table, looked at Luke, and said, "I'd like to play a few games with you."
"Okay."
Luke nodded and agreed.
After gaining the authority of the God of Death, Set, the light of his soul that was shining like a firefly in the night, could finally be hidden.
Otherwise, the old devil wouldn't think that he was a human being.
If Mephisto could see the light of his soul, he would have seriously considered it.
What he was doing would provoke the fearsome entity in front of him.
"How about Stud poker?"
Mephisto snapped his fingers. The waiter behind him pushed a small cart loaded with blue chips, which could cover the entire gambling table.
"No problem, I also like this exciting method of playing."
Luke nodded once again, seemingly oblivious to the fact that the succubus lady sitting next to him had gradually distanced herself.
Rushhh!
Stacks of blue chips were pushed onto the middle of the gambling table, one fresh soul after another.
"Two for the player and two for the dealer."
The hands of the sexy dealer, who was issuing the cards, slightly trembled.
"Looks like you're really confident ...?"
Mephisto glanced at his up-card and down-card and took a sip of the red wine that was served to him.
"I just feel that Lady Luck seems to be on my side tonight."
Luke slightly smiled. He couldn't see the old devil's hand.
The black flames were so dense and unparalleled that they wrapped around the area where the old devil was.
It seems that this Lord of Hell had sensed that the means Luke used might not be 'cheating methods' in the usual sense.
"Let's play."
Mephisto, who had confirmed his cards and no longer looked at them, seemed confident that he had won.
In his long life, he had also been addicted to the gambling games invented by humans.
In other words, the old devil was actually a veteran gambler.
"Nineteen! What do you have to beat me with?"
Mephisto turned over his down-card. The number of points added to the open card was exactly nineteen.
It was just a little bit away from being 'blown up.'
The old devil was watching Luke the whole time and didn't find anything unusual about his opponent.
No one could cheat in front of him without being found out!
Mephisto firmly believes in this.
With Luke only having to take one card, a rough estimate of the sum of his points would be between eight or ten.
'I win!'
"If you can beat my nineteen points, I'll eat this table!"
The old devil sneered and said so.
A glint of fire flashed in his eyes as he looked right through Luke's cards.
'Sure enough!'
'Only ten in total!'
"You're the one that said it, Lord Mephisto."
Luke's lips curved up at the corners, and he spread out all the cards in his hand.
"Sorry, blackjack."
'I was set up?!'
Mephisto reacted, and his eyes, filled with the fires of hell, fiercely glared at Luke, who became the winner.
"Who the hell are you?"
The old devil asked with a gloomy face.
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Thinking of the Sorcerer Supreme, Mephisto couldn't help but remember some bad memories.
As the most famous devil in Hell, he has dealt with two generations of Sorcerer Supremes.
Guys like Beelzebub, and Samael, were all standard 'hell shut-ins'.
Only when something amazing happens in Hell, will they open their eyes and take a look.
The rest of the time, they would either be sleeping or eating.
They seldom devote their time and energy to this world.
And Mephisto was an anomaly, he was keen on doing things, and liked to play tricks.
As long as he was idle, he would sneak into the human world and find some delicious and powerful souls to improve his diet.
Luring heroes to fall, enjoying human tragedies, witnessing moral collapse ... These were Mephisto's favorite things to do.
The so-called, getting your feet wet when you walk on the beach.
The very active old devil met Agamotto, who was just starting out at that time.
The latter was the result of tears from the ancient god Oshtur, who was gifted in magic.
He was determined to clean up the world, expel the minions of darkness, and rebuild a stable order.
Mephisto, a wily old fox, confronted Agamotto, who was quite rash.
At the beginning, the two sides were still in an evenly matched state.
However, in the world concept of the Marvel Universe, a 'god's offspring' like Agamotto's growth was unreasonable, and its plug-ins were amazing and aboveboard.
Oshtur, the ancient god, directly poured all of her white magic into Agamotto.
It was like someone eating up EXP, instant full level skills.
Later, she gave Agamotto the precious Time Stone to make a magic weapon.
When they met again a few days later, Mephisto was almost beaten to a pulp.
Unable to beat him in a fight, the old devil thought it would be okay to play a little trick.
After investigating his background, Mephisto found that his mother was an ancient god, and she was a leader. She was better than Chthon, the God of Chaos, and Set, the Serpent God.
'Forget it!'
'I can't afford to mess with you.'
Mephisto, who had always been reluctant to suffer and had an explosive temper, silently swallowed the broken teeth with tears of blood and treated everything as if nothing had happened.
The old devil endured in Hell for hundreds of years, until Agamotto retired with honor.
He swaggered into the human world, thinking that he could finally make his mark.
At this time, his heart was proud, thinking that Kamar Taj had lost Agamotto, and everything was under his control.
Therefore, Mephisto, who laughed so much that his mouth was crooked, took the initiative to create some trouble for the Ancient One.
And then--
He was beaten to a pulp.
Moreover, the Ancient One, who inherited the Sorcerer Supreme position, was even more violent than Agamotto.
Not only did she beat Mephisto violently in this world, but when she was in a bad mood, she also opened a portal and went to Hell to beat him up like a sandbag.
For some time, Mephisto was the unlucky 'sandbag'.
Therefore, the feelings of jealousy and hatred towards the Sorcerer Supreme were completely burned into the old devil's bones.
When Mephisto saw Luke shrouded in pure white light and felt the familiar aura of the Vishanti, which lingered like a nightmare and made people fear it, he almost turned away and retreated to Hell.
"Are you the Sorcerer Supreme?"
The old devil asked, in a trembling voice.
'When did the Ancient One abdicate?'
He didn't get the memo!
"To some extent, I'm indeed the Sorcerer Supreme."
Luke shrugged his shoulders and lightly said so.
It seemed that the Vishanti's approval was mutually applicable in all parallel universes.
He simply called out the names of Oshtur, Hoggoth, and Agamotto and received a quick response.
The Sorcerer Supreme of this universe was naturally the Ancient One.
But Luke was the one in Earth-91 -- he named the universe where he participated in the Sorcerer Supreme Battle '91'.
He was also a Sorcerer Supreme appointed by the Vishanti.
"What did you say just now?"
Luke stood up and looked directly at Mephisto, who revealed his demonic body.
"Misunderstanding, it's a misunderstanding."
When the old devil saw that the situation wasn't right. He quickly put away his anger and squeezed out a smile, and said, "Master, let's sit down and talk slowly. Fighting and killing isn't a good thing, it's what barbarians can do."
The devil's body gradually shrunk and became human again.
The blazing fire of Hell changed back into a red suit again.
"Ah, Lord Mephisto, that wasn't your attitude before."
Luke's face was expressionless, as he lightly said so.
He wasn't a person with a good temper, who could be easily fooled by a few nice words.
'After spitting out harsh words, you want to swallow them back up while not paying the price? How would that work?'
"Ah, that ... I just lost the match, and lost my temper for a while, please don't take it to heart."
Mephisto skillfully lowered his posture, and it's not the first time he's given in to the Sorcerer Supreme anyway.
The dignity and reputation of the Lord of Hell were certainly important.
But his own life was more important!
Not every devil could repeatedly survive in front of the Sorcerer Supreme and despite all kinds of death.
Mephisto survived for so long, it was all because of the speed of his persuasion.
Moreover, Hell didn't have rules, saying that pride had to be above everything.
The powerful had to survive and continue.
Being able to live for a long time was considered a great thing.
In the perception of the creatures of Hell, a moment of strength was of no use.
The longevity of one's existence was the essence.
"Lord Mephisto, I'm not a narrow-minded person, who has no tolerance and is vindictive."
Seeing the old devil's extremely good attitude, Luke couldn't press too hard and had to change the subject.
"It's just that, I have a friend who went into your Hotel Inferno and never came back out."
The corners of Mephisto's eyes twitched as he realized that his opponent didn't seem to want to let go of him.
He clutched the crystal ball that contained the souls in his hand, and a hint of anger came out of his eyes.
'Do you really have no regard for the Lord of Hell?'
'Sorcerer Supreme is that great, huh?'
'Can you be that arrogant just because you have the Vishanti backing you up?'
The three questions echoed in Mephisto's heart.
And then, he grimaced and answered.
The other party really had the right to ignore the Lord of Hell.
Sorcerer Supreme was really impressive.
With Vishanti's backing, he really could act arrogant.
Mephisto glanced at the white light rippling out behind Luke.
He silently put away his discontent and put on a smile.
"Master, your friend, I wonder what his name is?"
'You can tolerate this?'
Luke was a little surprised.
He thought Mephisto would get angry, then turn against him and fight him.
Unexpectedly, the old devil was this weak, and the ability to submit to humiliation was first-class.
"Howard Stark."
Luke said the name.
"Hmm, I seem to have heard of him somewhere."
Mephisto slightly frowned, then remembered a loathsome human being.
"The bastard who harassed the casino dealer is your friend?"
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'Harassing the casino dealer?'
Luke picked his eyebrows, but he wasn't surprised.
In his impression, Howard was indeed someone likely to do this kind of thing.
He would first tease with a few words, then put on a 'I'm funny, handsome, and charming. Do you want to roll in bed together?' look of confidence.
The reason why such tricks could go all the way was more because his name was Howard Stark.
And wealth and status could endow men with a deeper charm.
For example, when Howard was holding a bunch of keys to a luxury car and talked about the billions of orders from Stark Industries...
At that time, his attraction to most women would multiply.
'Stark Industries, arms tycoon -- these words don't mean much in Hell.'
Luke shook his head and smiled, guessing that Howard had hit a wall.
Hell, and Heaven, there was no shortage of historical celebrities and high-level elites.
The bosses of the two camps liked to 'collect' these kinds of souls.
For example, Beelzebub and Mephisto in Hell once fought for the soul of the Fuhrer.
After the death of a certain celebrity, the popular saying was -- what does God want, so shall he taketh.
Under Marvel's world concept, it wasn't nonsense.
"Lord Mephisto, will you do me the honor of forgiving Howard's unreasonable behavior?"
Luke looked at the old devil, whose attitude turned 180 degrees. He came here for Howard.
They were supposed to take each other out for a tour and prepare for Captain America's bachelor party.
Who would have thought that they would happen to meet Mephisto, who left Hell and came to start a business on earth?
"No problem."
The old devil readily agreed.
If he could send away this Sorcerer Supreme, who came out of nowhere for the price of a human soul, then he would certainly be happy to send it off with both hands.
"Then, in place of Howard, I thank Lord Mephisto for his generosity."
Luke's eyes flashed as he kept his smile.
He spoke well, but he had other plans in mind.
Besides Howard, so many soul chips in Hotel Inferno were also very attractive.
'As Superman, a positive figure, I can't just sit back and watch Mephisto harvest souls and kill people! I must do something to stop it!'
Luke silently thought so.
Seemingly feeling the strength of this belief, he suddenly looked righteous, his eyes bursting with light.
The sudden change made the old devil sitting across the table jolt.
'Why do I feel a change in the atmosphere?'
Mephisto was afraid to say anything, afraid to ask anything.
The two bitter failures in the devil's career had proven that if he went against the Sorcerer Supreme, there was a high probability of a bad ending for him.
"Master, I'll take you to the vault. Your friend should be there."
Mephisto walked ahead and quickened his pace.
He just wanted to send the other, thousands of miles away, so as not to disturb his business.
'When did such a young Sorcerer Supreme appear on earth?'
The old devil thought as he led the way.
The familiar aura of the other party's power from the Vishanti was absolutely impossible to fake.
The blessing of pure white light -- this was a treatment that only the Sorcerer Supreme could get.
The authenticity of the identity was unquestionable!
'Mephisto isn't trying to lead me into some kind of trap, is he?'
When the old devil was speculating about Luke's identity, the latter was also in doubt.
Usually, the better a devil's attitude towards you...
Like a nanny, he had to be ready for everything.
And he should be vigilant, watching out if the other party had dug a deep pit, waiting for him to step in.
"Here we are."
After crossing the corridor outside the casino and taking the elevator all the way down, Mephisto took Luke to Hotel Inferno's vault.
He took out a bunch of keys, raised his hand and waved back the demon security guard with a round waist, and opened three thick and solid alloy doors.
"What's the point of this?"
Luke narrowed his eyes. Mephisto, the lord of hell, actually set up a whole set of human security systems in his hotel.
'This wasn't his style!'
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Master, please."
Mephisto opened the last door of the vault. A dazzling golden light filled his eyes, almost blinding Luke.
The gold bricks were stacked neatly, lighting up the large vault.
'In just a few days, Mephisto harvested so much profit?'
Luke was a little surprised.
In his 'All-Seeing Eyes', those golden bricks were twisted souls, all of which were marked by Hell.
"Howard Stark ... please wait a moment, let me look for it."
Mephisto paced slowly, holding the crystal ball in his palm as if searching for the personal information of every soul.
Before long, his eyes were fixed on a 'golden brick'.
"That's him."
Picking up the gold brick, Mephisto respectfully handed it to Luke.
The latter caught a glimpse of it. Just as Franklin's head would be printed on the bill...
Howard's face was also on this brick, but it was slightly distorted with fear.
"Yes, look at this mustache."
Luke also didn't need Mephisto's help and crushed the gold brick himself. An illusory shadow jumped out.
"Save me! Luke, you're finally here!"
Howard, in a ghostly state, shouted for help, eager to hug Luke's thigh.
Presumably, the treatment of a soul being harvested by the old devil wasn't good.
"Calm down, Howard. Every time you have fun, you seem to get into trouble."
Luke soothed the other's emotions and smiled lightly, "From vampire to the Lord of Hell. I hope you keep up the good work."
Howard smiled, not answering.
"Master, your friend's soul is returned, and his physical body ... is in the guest room upstairs."
Mephisto lowered his posture as he walked outside.
The implication was obvious. 'Get out of here!'
"No rush."
Luke pinched Howard's soul into a chip, put it in his pocket, narrowed his eyes and spoke with a smile, "Lord Mephisto, your vault ... is really good."
"Really spacious and sturdy ..."
Mephisto's heart jolted once again.
He had no intention of chatting with Luke at all and tried to pull the other side out again after a perfunctory sentence or two.
"There are countless souls in the vault. It seems that you, Lord Mephisto, is not only proficient in gambling but also making money. It's just that ..."
Luke paused, glanced at the anxious old devil out of the corner of his eye, and continued, "I'm curious about one thing. Do you have a legal business license?? Have you paid your taxes on time?"
"If none of the above, then you are operating without a license, and conducting tax evasion, which is an illegal act."
"I am obligated to have you rectified, corrected, and punished."
A series of question marks appeared above Mephisto's head.
'You want me, a devil from Hell, to obey the law?'
...
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"Unlicensed business? Tax evasion?"
Mephisto looked dumbfounded.
Can human law still be administered in Hell?
"Yes, Lord Mephisto. First of all, I don't have any prejudice against Hell, and I keep the same attitude towards devils and demons."
Luke held his head high and spoke in a loud voice.
"So, this is definitely not personal or revenge."
Mephisto's face was full of disbelief. 'You're obviously targeting me!'
"Master, aren't you stretching your hands too far?"
The old devil said with a sharp tone and an eerie voice.
"Don't treat the human world as Kamar Taj, calling the shots yourself. The rules formulated by the Temple of the Three don't need to be observed by human beings. Similarly, the laws of the world are invalid for masters and the devil."
"Besides, what position do you have to intervene in human law? Didn't Kamar Taj claim to be independent of the world and never ask questions about the world?"
Mephisto clasped his arms over his chest and kept sneering.
He was suppressing the anger in his heart. If he weren't afraid of the pure white light, the power of Vishanti, he would have rushed up and ripped off the other party's head!
Not every Sorcerer Supreme was as powerful as Agamotto and the Ancient One.
The old devil thought so.
Kamar Taj had produced two generations of powerful people in a row, and it was bound to fail once in a while.
"I have repeatedly tolerated it because of my good manners, not because of fear."
Mephisto tacitly said.
He felt that his patience was approaching a critical point.
The other party was a Sorcerer Supreme, but he came here and lectured the devil about the law. 'Was he that Idle?'
Mephisto had been doing this all his life. Why should he explain things to a mortal?!
Not to mention obeying the laws of the federal government, he didn't even care about the commandments issued by the Temple of the Three.
If he had nothing to do, he would sneak here and wander the world.
'Tax evasion?'
Being charged with this? The old devil wanted to laugh.
If they were able to do so, the IRS would have to come to hell and collect the missing taxes from him personally.
"You mean I'm not qualified?"
Luke's tone was the same as usual, not much anger.
"Whether on earth, in Hell, or in Kamar Taj, there's a set of rules for proper operation."
Mephisto said in a deep voice.
"Random interference will only lead to worse consequences."
"Even if my Hotel Inferno doesn't conform to human laws. You shouldn't be the one to deal with it."
The old devil continued to use words to squeeze his opponent, trying to force him to stop.
He had made it very clear that human laws couldn't control Hell.
Even if he could manage it, it's not the Sorcerer Supreme's responsibility.
"I'm sorry, in fact, besides being the Sorcerer Supreme, I'm a Lieutenant General of the Pentagon and the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Luke's mouth turned up as he placed all his cards on the table.
He looked at Mephisto, who once again looked puzzled, and slowly said, "With my identity and scope of power, I can replace the tax bureau to deal with social vermin who operate illegally and evade tax."
"So, let's continue to talk about the immediate suspension of your Hotel Inferno and the payment of the fines."
The old devil's brain was a mess. His thoughts were like intricately intertwined threads that he couldn't sort out.
"Who the hell are you?"
After a long silence, Mephisto asked again.
When he first came to the human world, he didn't have the habit of reading newspapers or watching TV. So, it was normal for him not to know who Superman was.
"It doesn't matter who I am. The focus of the matter is what are you going to do, Lord Mephisto?"
Luke put away his smile, and a touch of menace appeared in his eyes.
"Are you going to resist the law or accept punishment violently?"
The pure white light suddenly glowed brightly.
Terrifying fluctuations shook the area.
The solid and thick vault seemed to be crumbling and ready to collapse at any time.
"I am the Lord of Hell, and human law can't restrain me!"
Mephisto's face twitched with the most ruthless tone; he uttered the most persuasive answer, "But since Sorcerer Supreme is acting on its behalf. Fine! "
Luke regretted it a bit. He wanted a chance to whack the old devil.
After all, as the Sorcerer Supreme, if he didn't beat Mephisto, it felt incomplete.
But the other party did well. If he were aggressive, he would easily look like a villain.
"It's okay to make mistakes, as long as you correct them. Even when dealing with the devil, I will remain fair and impartial."
Luke smiled and looked at the neatly stacked and incalculable number of gold bricks.
Mephisto was a little flustered. 'The Sorcerer Supreme isn't trying to profit from me, is he?'
'What does he need souls for?'
Kamar Taj didn't belong to either of the two camps, Heaven or Hell.
The Trinity of Vishanti had little demand for souls.
If we compare the earth to a large market, Heaven and Hell occupy a position of absolute monopoly.
About 80% of souls flow into these two camps, and only then would the various gods and dimensional demons get their share.
"As for Hotel Inferno. First of all, you don't have a business license, which is illegal. According to the normal path, you need to close down immediately and re-submit an application to the municipal government, and by the way, cover a certain number of fines."
Luke looked back at Mephisto, who was nervous.
"This isn't an unsolvable problem. The local government in Las Vegas is very supportive of entrepreneurs like you."
The old devil had a wry smile on his lips. Intuition told him that the main event was coming.
Sure enough, Luke didn't stop there. After a short pause, he went on to say, "But tax evasion is a very serious matter for the federal government!"
Benjamin Franklin once said, 'nothing is certain except death and taxes.'
There was no need to go into the story of Al Capone, the gangster, who ultimately fell at the hands of a diligent accountant and was sent to prison for failing to pay his taxes in time.
Since then, the Mob has passed down three classic quotes -- 'Heavy machine guns are better than submachine guns, you should pay taxes to the government on time, and you must wear condoms when you have sex.'
Similarly, the three stupidest, most idiotic, and most deadly things in the world-- 'Drug trafficking in China, hostage-taking in Russia, and tax evasion in the United States.'
With the above warning, it was easy to see how difficult dealing with the IRS was.
"So, Lord Mephisto, you won't only have to pay the missing taxes, but you will also have to pay a large fine and a long prison term."
Luke displayed an 'I can't help you either' look of distress while the old devil was already cursing his mother in his heart.
"Oh, what prison on earth can hold me?"
Mephisto tried to maintain the last shred of dignity as the Lord of Hell.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. has entered into a partnership with Kamar Taj to create a special prison for fallen masters, evil creatures, and demons from Hell."
Luke smiled as if to remind him.
"Then, Master, do you have any ideas?"
The old devil asked weakly.
He already understood that this Sorcerer Supreme was even more annoying than Agamotto and more shameless than the Ancient One.
In fact, he was trying to coerce him into paying a certain amount of money.
To put it bluntly, the Hotel Inferno couldn't be opened without paying protection fees and sharing some benefits.
'This is simply robbery! Bastard! The Ancient One really doesn't know how to judge people. She made such an asshole the Sorcerer Supreme!'
Mephisto bitterly scolded away in his heart.
After quietly venting his emotions in his heart, the old devil still had to wait for Luke to make an offer.
'I hope he doesn't go too far. Otherwise, I don't even want to stay in this world!'
"Lord Mephisto, have you ever considered bringing in the other great devils of Hell to create a complete joint-stock company?"
Luke picked up a 'gold brick' and lightly said, "The market in Las Vegas is too small. We can expand this business to the whole world."
"When the time comes, being listed in 3 years, becoming one of the top ten in the world in 5 years, and surpassing heaven in 10 years ... it won't be a problem at all."
Mephisto was dumbfounded once again.
'Hell Group... A chain of hotels all over the world?'
...
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