Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

Page 22

She is "The Cat Whisperer," whose real name is Allison Green. She is a Class D hero registered with the Association, and her ability is assessed as: limited emotional communication and information transmission with small mammals (especially felines).

Mrs. Marjorie Fisher, an elderly woman with gray hair and red eyes, waited anxiously at the door. She paused, surprised to see Allison approach, clearly not expecting the so-called "hero of the association" to be such a young girl.

"You...you're here to help find Tommy?" Mrs. Fisher asked suspiciously.

“Yes, madam. My name is Allison. The association sent me to help you.” Allison’s voice was soft, with a soothing quality. She didn’t say much, but simply knelt down, took a delicate little bowl from her canvas bag, and poured in some cat food that smelled faintly of fish. Then, she closed her eyes, gently placed her palm on the cold ground, as if sensing something, and uttered a very soft, almost silent, rhythmic syllable.

Mrs. Fisher and several neighbors, drawn by the online news and secretly filming from a distance, watched the scene with curiosity.

A few minutes later, Allison opened her eyes and looked at the dense bushes in the backyard of a house across the street.

“Madam, Tommy didn’t run far. He was just scared by a big dog that passed by yesterday and hid under the azalea bushes at Mr. Smith’s house across the street. His right front paw pad may have been scratched by a small branch and is a little sore, so he’s afraid to come out.”

Mrs. Fisher was skeptical. Allison got up, walked to the opposite yard, and again uttered those soft syllables towards the bushes. A moment later, accompanied by a slight rustling sound, a plump orange cat timidly peeked its head out from among the branches, its blue collar around its neck particularly conspicuous. Its right front paw was indeed slightly dangling, hesitant to touch the ground.

"Tommy!" Mrs. Fisher exclaimed in surprise.

Allison slowly reached out her hand, continuing to soothe the frightened cat with that special "language." The orange cat hesitated for a moment, but ultimately couldn't resist the allure of the familiar scent and the kindness emanating from Allison. It limped out and affectionately rubbed against her trouser leg.

Allison carefully picked up Tommy and placed him back into the arms of the overjoyed Mrs. Fisher.

"Thank you so much, child! Thank you so much!" The old woman hugged her beloved cat, who had been lost and found again, and wept with joy. "I thought... I thought the association wouldn't care about such a small thing..."

“The association’s mission is to help those in need, madam,” Allison smiled, the sunlight warming her freckled face. “No matter how small the task.”

She took out the association's dedicated mission terminal and performed a simple operation. 【Mission NY-2023-048-001: Completed】. A negligible 1 point appeared in her account.

In the distance, the neighbors who had initially been ready to laugh at them silently put away their phones, their faces showing a mixture of shame and respect. Some even began to applaud.

Live videos and photos quickly spread online. While the mocking voices didn't completely disappear, they were drowned out by more moderate comments.

"Look! This is a hero! He doesn't refrain from doing something just because it's small!"

"That girl's ability is so cool! Communicating with animals!"

"I'm so moved, seeing the old lady crying while holding her cat..."

"The association is serious. Even if a task only costs 1 point, there will be heroes who will complete it diligently."

At S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury looked at the updated "Cat Whisperer" ability assessment report, his single eye flashing, seemingly calculating something.

Tony Stark's laughter gradually subsided. He looked at the photo on the screen of Allison smiling while holding the cat, pursed his lips, and muttered under his breath, "Tsk... at least they still have some humanity."

On the top floor of the Fisk Tower, Kingpin shut down the public relations report regarding the mission's aftermath. His face remained expressionless, but a faint hint of satisfaction seemed to flicker deep within his eyes.

[Ding! The quest "Find the Lost Cat" has been completed.]

[Hidden mechanism triggered: "The devil is in the details."]

[Results: The association's public affinity slightly improved; attention to potential talents with special non-combat abilities increased; and internal heroes showed a slight increase in their acceptance of the "no task is too small" philosophy.]

The 1-point mission, like a pebble thrown into a lake, creates ripples far exceeding its intrinsic value. In an unexpected way, it reveals another side of the Hero Association to the world—not just a sword against monsters, but also a candle that warms hearts.

At that moment, no one knew that the anxious Mrs. Fisher, who had issued the task, had gradually lost her kind and anxious expression after carrying Tommy back into the house and closing the door, replaced by a barely perceptible, almost obsessive fanaticism. She gently stroked Tommy's soft fur and whispered:

"Alright, the data has been collected... 'Cat Whisperer,' emotional communication ability, potential... Rank B. Where should we plant the next 'seed'?"

Outside the window, the sun shines brightly. In the shadows of the city, something is quietly brewing.

Chapter 49: The Rookie Hero "The Cat Whisperer"

Fisk Tower, the headquarters of the Hero Association, is located on the floor where the "Potential Assessment and Development Department" is situated. The atmosphere here is neither as tense as the Tactical Command Center, nor as noisy with metal and energy as the Logistics and Equipment Department. Instead, it has an almost laboratory-like quietness, and a... faint smell of animal fur and hay.

Department head Dr. Helen Shaw, a former wildlife behaviorist, stands in front of a one-way mirror, observing the scene in the assessment room. Beside her stands Allison Green—"The Cat Whisperer"—who has just returned to headquarters to report on her mission and further document her capabilities.

The assessment room was set up like a miniature natural environment, with lawn, small trees, artificial hills, and a pond. Several cats of different breeds and temperaments, a rabbit with its ears perked up, and an African grey parrot standing proudly on a shelf were scattered throughout.

“Relax, Allison,” Dr. Helen’s voice came through the microphone, gentle and encouraging, “just like you always do. We just want to understand the limits of your abilities more systematically.”

Allison took a deep breath and nodded. She changed into a lighter green uniform, more practical for movement, provided by the association, with a simple paw print emblem on the chest. Facing the official assessment, she was still somewhat nervous, far less composed than she had been at Mrs. Fisher's doorstep.

She walked to the center of the assessment room, slowly closed her eyes, and cleared her mind. She didn't make any exaggerated movements, but simply lowered her hands slightly, her fingertips lightly touching the ground, her lips moving silently.

Almost at the moment her ability was activated, the behavior of the animals in the room, who were originally either lazy, wary, or curious, changed instantly.

The aloof Ragdoll cat, which had previously ignored the staff, gracefully stood up, strode over to Allison's feet, and affectionately rubbed against her leg. The timid rabbit, its perked ears relaxing, hopped closer, its pink nose twitching slightly. The grey parrot on the shelf tilted its head, its large eyes fixed on Allison, and suddenly uttered a clear, human-like sound: "Hello. Beautiful."

Inside the monitoring room, various indicators on the data panel began to fluctuate. Bioelectric signal analysis showed that Alison was emanating an extremely weak but uniquely frequencyed biofield, which resonated harmoniously with the brainwaves of the indoor animals.

“It’s not language translation,” Dr. Helen whispered into the recording equipment, “it’s closer to… an emotional resonance and an intuitive transmission of information. She can convey basic emotions such as ‘safety,’ ‘friendliness,’ and ‘help,’ and she can also receive simple information from animals, such as ‘fear,’ ‘hunger,’ and ‘location of pain.’”

The following tests were more specific.

A staff member remotely controlled a small toy car, which made a noise and rushed towards the rabbit. Startled, the rabbit instinctively tried to run away. Almost simultaneously, Allison conveyed a strong yet gentle message of "soothing" and "stillness." The rabbit's movements abruptly stopped; although its body was still trembling slightly, it actually stopped in place and did not run away.

"Emotional impact test passed. Significant effect on docile small mammals."

Then, the staff placed a small piece of cat food, hidden under an opaque container, behind the artificial hill.

"Alison, find out where the food is and guide the Ragdoll cat to it using the instructions," Dr. Helen commanded.

Allison closed her eyes again, conveying the concepts of "searching," "food," and "behind the rockery," along with her imagination of the smell of food, to the Ragdoll cat. The Ragdoll cat first looked at Allison with a puzzled expression, then its nostrils flared as if it had actually caught something in the air. It gracefully turned around, walked straight to the rockery, and accurately retrieved the cat food behind it.

"Information transmission and guidance test passed. It can transmit simple and specific instructions and directional concepts."

The tests were conducted one by one. Data showed that Allison's abilities were most effective within a radius of approximately fifty meters; as the distance increased, the clarity and impact of the information transmission gradually decreased. Furthermore, her abilities were significantly less effective against larger, more aggressive, or less intelligent creatures. With the grey parrot, she could only elicit its desire to mimic speech, but could not engage in effective information exchange.

“Comprehensive assessment,” Dr. Helen concluded, entering the information into Allison’s file, “Ability rating: D (potential to grow to C or even B). Ability role: Special support type. Non-combatant, but irreplaceable in intelligence reconnaissance (utilizing urban animal networks), search and rescue, exploration of specific environments, and calming frightened animals to reduce collateral damage.”

The assessment concluded, and the animals were taken away by staff. Alison emerged from the assessment room, her forehead beaded with sweat, looking somewhat tired, but her eyes sparkling.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Helen handed her an energy drink.

“It’s… amazing.” Allison took the drink and sipped it. “I used to figure things out on my own, but now I know that my abilities can be categorized and applied in this way.”

“That’s the significance of the association,” Dr. Helen said with a smile. “It’s not just about providing a platform, but also about helping each member understand themselves, discover their potential, and find the place that best suits them. Not everyone needs to be like Sandman and directly destroy monsters.”

Just then, Allison's association-specific communicator vibrated slightly. She looked down and saw a notification that the mission had been completed and points had been credited to her account.

[Mission NY-2023-048-001 (Finding the lost cat "Tommy") has been completed.]

[Reward Settlement: Association Points x 1.]

[Contribution Points: +5 (First successful task execution, ability application validated).]

[Note: If the mission generates a positive social impact, an additional "Association Newcomer Encouragement Award" will be awarded—which can be redeemed for a free customized D-level standard equipment or an equivalent training course.]

Looking at the lone "1" point, Allison felt no disappointment; instead, she smiled happily. For her, this one point meant far more than its monetary value. It represented recognition, and that her seemingly "useless" ability could truly help others through this platform and bring her rewards.

“Dr. Xiao, I want to use this incentive award to redeem a basic course on ‘Biosignal Enhancement Theory’!” Alison said excitedly. She longed to become more professional and more powerful.

“A very good choice.” Dr. Helen nodded approvingly. “Your abilities largely depend on your own mental strength and biofield intensity. Systematic theoretical learning, combined with specialized meditation and mental training, can effectively expand the scope and precision of your communication.”

Allison left the assessment department and walked down the wide, bright corridor of the association headquarters. Occasionally, a tough-looking hero in combat uniform brushed past her. They noticed the light green stripes on her uniform that indicated "non-combat support personnel" and the paw print emblem, and most of them cast curious but friendly glances at her. Some even gave her a thumbs up, clearly having seen the news about the "Find the Cat" mission.

This feeling was novel. In her past life, her ability to "talk to cats" was often seen as a quirk, or even an ominous sign. She was ostracized by her peers and looked at with strange eyes by those who didn't understand her. But here, in this place, her "difference" was accepted, studied, and given value and a direction for application.

She is no longer that "weird girl" hiding in the corner; she is the "Cat Whisperer," a D-class hero registered with the Hero Association.

She walked to the hero bulletin board in the headquarters lobby, where the hero leaderboard, mission briefings, and some internal notices were scrolling. At the bottom of the support player list, she saw her newly updated name and a pitiful 1 point, and a satisfied smile spread across her face.

She knew that compared to S-class and A-class heroes who amassed hundreds or thousands of points and fought terrifying monsters, her starting point was insignificant. But she wasn't discouraged. The association's system told her that as long as she continuously completed missions, improved her abilities, and accumulated contributions, she could gradually rise through the ranks, acquire more resources, help more people, and perhaps... one day, play a unique role on a larger stage.

“Hey, ‘Cat Whisperer’!” a cheerful voice rang out from the side.

Allison turned her head and saw a young man wearing a red and blue bodysuit and a hood, grinning at her. It was Spider-Man Peter Parker, who had just finished a patrol mission.

“I saw the news, well done!” Peter said sincerely. “Really! Sometimes, making an old lady laugh again is more meaningful than beating down a big, stupid weirdo.”

Allison smiled a little sheepishly: "Thank you, Spider-Man. I just did what I could."

“Don’t mention it! You might need my help dealing with the neighborhood ‘informants’—I mean, those stray cats—in the future!” Peter winked at her, then waved and nimbly disappeared into the end of the hallway.

Allison watched the direction Peter had disappeared in, a warm feeling welling up inside her. This association was more humane than she had imagined...

She clenched her fist, making up her mind. She would study hard here and strive to improve, not just for points and levels, but to prove that even the smallest light has its value and the power to illuminate corners.

Unbeknownst to her, deep within the core data processing center at headquarters, all the data related to her ability test was being quietly archived by the system. A new information stream was marked as "Special Talent Reserve - Animal Communication Branch," with the following note:

[Target: Cat Whisperer (Alison Green). Potential Assessment: Grade B (Requires strengthening of mental abilities and expansion of the range of species she can communicate with). Recommendation: Include her in the "Urban Ecological Sensing Network" preparatory node training sequence.]

Kingpin stood before the holographic map on the top floor, watching the green dot representing Allison move within the headquarters, his gaze deep.

“The improvement of non-combat sequences is an indispensable part of the Association’s maturation.” He murmured to himself, “The world’s order needs a sharp sword, but it also needs… ears that can hear the subtlest sounds.”

The 1-point task, like the first piece of a puzzle thrown into the water, is quietly connecting to form a grander and more diverse heroic picture.

Chapter 50: The Data Maverick: "Traffic is King"

Times Square, the beating heart of New York City, the city that never sleeps. Giant LED screens, like the Mount Olympus of the digital age, are where brands vie for attention, cascading billions of tons of dazzling light, flooding every inch of space and the faces of passersby. The air is filled with electronic sounds, the clamor of the crowd, and the faint aroma of caramel, creating a never-ending urban symphony.

However, a very discordant note has been mixed into this symphony today.

In the northwest corner of the square, a giant screen that had been playing an advertisement for a luxury brand was suddenly covered by glaring static. Then, a distorted, deformed face took over the entire screen. The face still vaguely revealed its original delicate features, but now it was covered by a morbid fanaticism and digital code-like patterns, with its eyes flashing with a blinding white light, like a cell phone flash.

"Family members! Do you see this? This is Times Square! This is the center of the world!"

A sharp, excited voice, with the distinctive tone of a live streamer, swept across the square like a tsunami through the giant speakers built into the screen. Pedestrians stopped and looked up in astonishment.

"But that's not enough! The buzz isn't enough! Where are your likes? Where are your shares?! I want to become a top influencer! A true top influencer!"

With his roar, the face on the screen suddenly opened its mouth, and an invisible wave, carrying a strong sense of mental pollution, rippled outwards from the screen. Wherever the wave reached, strange things began to happen.

Almost everyone using a mobile phone had their screen involuntarily and automatically redirected to an unknown live streaming platform interface, where a huge, constantly rotating "like" icon occupied the center of the screen. No matter what they did, the phone remained unresponsive, as if controlled by an invisible force.

Even more chilling was the sight of those affected pedestrians; their eyes instantly became vacant and fanatical. They stood frozen in place, their fingers moving uncontrollably and frantically across their phone screens (or simply in the air), repeatedly swiping and tapping, muttering to themselves:

"Like...Follow...Three-in-one..."

"That's amazing... Streamer..."

"Traffic...it's all traffic..."

Some people even began to unconsciously move closer to the central screen, like a swarm of bees drawn to nectar, their faces showing a pilgrimage-like, intoxicated expression. A corner of the square instantly fell into a strange, silent revelry, with only the maniacal laughter of the strange figure on the screen and the unconscious whispers of the people echoing in the background.

"Yes! That's it! Give me your attention! Your traffic!!"

Hero Association Headquarters, Monitoring Center.

"Alert! High-intensity abnormal mental fluctuations and energy field distortions detected in the Times Square area of ​​New York! Event classification: Extraordinary threat!"

"Energy readings are rapidly increasing...reaching Tiger-level standards!"

"Target feature analysis... 99.8% match with the biosignal of registered user 'Xuanguang Liqi'. Determined to be a loss-of-control mutation!"

"Code name generated: 'Traffic is King'"

On the holographic projection, large red warning areas were marked on the live feed of Times Square, and the distorted face on the screen in the center was highlighted, with a data stream scrolling rapidly beside it.

Kingpin stood before the control panel, his mountain-like frame casting a massive shadow in the flickering lights. His face was expressionless, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle's.

"Preliminary assessment of the target's capabilities: regional mental interference, forcibly acquiring 'attention' and converting it into its own energy. The physical destructiveness is unknown, but the degree of disruption to social order is extremely high," the analyst quickly reported.

"Initiate standard response procedures." Kingpin's voice was deep and steady, without the slightest hint of emotion. "Notify nearby heroes on standby to prioritize the evacuation of civilians and attempt to disrupt the target's energy source. Technical department, analyze its signal transmission patterns and identify weaknesses."

The order was issued swiftly. The association's efficient machinery began operating.

A few minutes later, two black SUVs painted with the association's logo sped up and stopped outside the cordon. Four Class C heroes in standard uniforms jumped out of the vehicles: "Ironwall" (skilled in defense and obstacle construction) and "Swift Shadow" (possessing superhuman speed) and their squad members.

"Good heavens..." Xunying stared at the bizarre scene in the center of the square, clicking his tongue in amazement. "What kind of new breed of weirdo is this?"

"Don't get distracted!" Iron Wall shouted, pressing his hands to the ground. A semi-transparent energy barrier quickly rose up, attempting to block the spread of the invisible mental fluctuations and isolate the people who were being controlled and were unconsciously approaching the screen.

However, the mental fluctuations did not seem to be purely physical or energy attacks. The energy barrier's blocking effect was limited, and some fluctuations still penetrated through, making the heroes who were close to the barrier feel uneasy and subconsciously want to take out their communicators to check.

"No! This thing is not quite the same as electromagnetic waves; it's more like... conceptual pollution!" Iron Wall was sweating, and maintaining the barrier became extremely difficult.

Xunying attempted to use his speed to rush forward and directly attack the giant screen. However, as soon as he entered the core area, his movements noticeably slowed down, and his eyes glazed over for a moment, almost causing him to bump into a pedestrian who was mechanically "liking" the screen.

"Be careful! The closer you get to the center, the stronger the mental interference!" He quickly retreated, still shaken.

At the same time, the association's technical department also encountered obstacles in remote analysis.

"Minister! The target signal source is not a simple electronic signal; it is mixed with strong bio-electric waves and spiritual energy! Our standard electronic jamming methods are of negligible effect!"

"Try to locate his physical body! The screen might just be a medium!"

"Unable to pinpoint its location! His biosignals are entangled with the entire region's wireless network and data streams! Like...like a virus!"

Leo Fitz, the head of the technology department, looked at the jumbled data on the screen and scratched his already disheveled hair: "Damn it! Did this guy 'upload' himself into the network? Physical attacks can't reach him, electronic interference is ineffective, how are we supposed to play this?"

Chaos in Times Square was escalating. The controlled crowd began to shove and push, some people becoming inexplicably angry because they couldn't get a front seat, their previously mechanical movements turning aggressive. Traffic was completely paralyzed, the piercing horns mingling with the maniacal laughter of strange people and the murmurs of the crowd, composing an absurd lament of the digital age.

The internet exploded. Although the signal in the core area was interfered with, footage and photos taken by witnesses in the periphery had already spread like wildfire.