In a basement just hundreds of meters from Vought Tower, Frankie and the others lounged on sofas resting.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed from the staircase entrance. Frankie and M.M. exchanged glances before each grabbing a heavy rifle, cautiously aiming their barrels toward the sound. Understandable—they'd just committed an extremely reckless act. Once news about kidnapping Ryan got out, it would undoubtedly become a massive nationwide scandal.
"Super villains, well done! You've finally grown up—truly heartwarming to see," Billy teased as he appeared.
"I think you should call next time you come back. You wouldn't believe how fast my heart raced just now." Frankie lowered his rifle while flipping Billy the middle finger.
"Really? Probably just excitement. After all, not everyone can pull off kidnapping Homelander's son," Billy removed his coat, revealing the black shirt underneath.
"Thanks to you, we've truly become legitimate super-villains now." M.M. skillfully pulled the gun bolt, ejecting a loaded round.
"How's Ryan doing? Any tracking device inside him?"
Billy examined the homemade EMP rifle Frankie built while asking.
"He inhaled excessive halothane—it'll take a while before he wakes up. Also, I already checked—Vought didn't implant any tracker in him. Could be negligence, or maybe other reasons. Either way, I found no such device on him."
Ryan had been locked inside a pre-prepared storage room guarded by Kimiko to prevent escape.
"Guys, without doubt, this operation was flawless."
"You should've seen Homelander's expression during the tryouts. He discovered the chocolate he ate was actually dung beetle feces—but still forced himself to stay calm, even managing that stiff smile for the audience." Billy animatedly described.
Meanwhile, Hughie bitterly snapped, "Who the hell cares whether Homelander ate chocolate or crap besides you bastards? Not a single one of you bothered informing me beforehand!"
"It was my order to keep this secret from you." Starlight entered with her mother.
Hughie stared at Starlight's mother in shock. "Good Lord, how much have you two done behind my back?"
"This will be the last time—I promise." Starlight approached Hughie, meeting his gaze with an apologetic expression.
"Fine then. How exactly did Billy help rescue your mother? Even though I wasn't involved, at least let me know what happened." Under Starlight's gaze, Hughie quickly relented.
"The Lamplighter—he revealed where Starlight's mother was imprisoned and secretly helped her escape."
Actually, The Lamplighter kept Billy's contact information. Distrusting both Vought and its Vice President Jervis, he hedged his bets—using Vought's resources to regain former glory while preparing to team up with Billy against Vought should Jervis betray them.
"So it was him." Hughie suddenly understood.
This meant even after Starlight left the Seven, they could still obtain Vought's internal secrets through The Lamplighter.
Currently, the Seven stood nearly shattered—Starlight fled, Trainwreck killed, Mave wavering, reserve member The Lamplighter becoming a new insider, Deep One fully siding with Xia Shang, Black Noir's presence minimal, obeying only Edgar's orders. Remaining were Homelander and Stormfront.
One worried over Ryan's life, the other obsessed solely with creating new life with Homelander...
The next morning arrived swiftly.
Early in the morning, Xia Shang received a summons to the CEO office.
Edgar, reviewing documents, merely glanced at Xia Shang upon entering but remained silent.
Click! Xia Shang locked the door behind him, standing silently in place.
Thus, the air pressure within the room steadily dropped. Except for the faint rustling of paper pages, absolute silence reigned—like a deathly stillness.
Ten minutes later, Edgar slammed the folder shut, finally looking up at Xia Shang.
"You understand why I called you here. Regarding Trainwreck's death, do you have anything to say?" His expression remained neutral.
"Vought doesn't need a useless waste with no value."
Xia Shang's response darkened Edgar's expression further. He looked down at the file in hand. "Whether Trainwreck had value isn't your decision to make. Nor is mine. Only the Board's final judgment determines retention or removal."
"Jervis, my tolerance has limits. This time, you recklessly killed Trainwreck—knowing how much damage this brings Vought? Currently, the Board remains unaware of your murder. I could choose not to prosecute. Just remember—submit your resignation letter later."
Edgar stated casually.
He decided to abandon Xia Shang. Perhaps Ashley, with her softer personality, would better serve corporate control.
"Anything else?" Seeing Xia Shang motionless for so long, Edgar assumed Xia might beg forgiveness—having seen similar scenarios countless times. "I don't easily change decisions. You clearly don't suit continuing as Vice President. Complete the transition with Ashley, then leave."
Unexpectedly, Xia Shang didn't depart. Instead, he reached out to adjust his suit collar, smiling gently. "Mr. Edgar, I hope you consider this matter carefully. Regrettably, I currently cannot leave Vought—as certain responsibilities require personal handling."
"Your responsibilities will transfer to Ashley. Also, I won't repeat myself again!" Edgar's tone sank lower, his expression turning pitch-black. What nonsense—how dare this mere Vice President threaten him? Curious about where such courage originated.
"Ashley, dispatch several guards to my office. Hurry."
Edgar pressed the red button on his desk, eyes shadowy.
Since Jervis refused an elegant exit, he'd grant that request.
"Mr. Edgar, having personally promoted me, I've always held deep respect for you. Just one Trainwreck dead—besides, he possessed numerous Vought-related scandals. Remember—only the dead keep secrets."
Standing opposite Edgar, morning sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating both figures.
Light versus darkness.
Under the sun's glow, Xia Shang's premium suit shimmered like scattered golden fragments, while Edgar's upper body remained cloaked in shadows.
End of Chapter