Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

Chapter 242: Chapter 242: Community of Interest



William was unconvinced by Barney's assurances about Archer. He didn't believe that a guy who had struggled in Africa for half his life and would do anything to leave would risk everything for a woman, especially with millions of dollars in hand. Keeping Archer around would only be a liability.

"Don't forget, once we spread that evidence and start shorting Davis, Davis will definitely come after Archer. If they find him, our shorting activities will be exposed. You guys don't want Davis, a diamond giant, targeting you in the future, do you?"

Barney and Christmas were well aware of William's concerns. If their shorting activities were exposed, Davis would surely retaliate. However, Barney reassured him with a smile, "Don't worry, boss. Archer is quite smart. He's already planned his escape route. He said that during his time in South Africa, he learned Chinese to collaborate with a major company from China. Through that cooperation, he gained some insights into China. He plans to get a new face, buy a Sierra Leonean identity, and invest in Guangdong, China, to get a green card. Once he has the green card, with his Chinese skills, China is big enough for him to hide."

Hearing this, William chuckled and interrupted Barney before he could finish, "Forget it. Getting a green card in China is impossible. China only issues a few hundred green cards a year, sometimes none. Archer, with no skills and no long-term residency, has no chance of getting citizenship. But investing in real estate in Guangdong is a good idea. In ten years, it could increase five or six times."

"God, only a few hundred green cards a year?" Barney and Christmas were shocked by William's figures. The U.S. issues over a million green cards annually, and even England issues hundreds of thousands.

"That's right," William said with a proud smile, which puzzled Barney and Christmas. But looking at William's black hair, they suspected that his mysterious father might be Chinese, explaining William's interest in China.

Barney, with a wife and kids, and Christmas, with parents and a sister, wouldn't risk their families' safety by vouching for Archer without good reason. Their mercenary instincts told them that Archer was trustworthy.

Men like Barney and Christmas, who live on the edge of death, highly trust their instincts, honed through life-and-death situations. With their guarantee, William couldn't afford to appear too heartless. Archer had completed his task, and with a way to minimize the risk of leaking secrets, eliminating him would make Barney and Christmas uneasy.

So, William thought for a moment and said, "Changing his face is a good idea. If he changes his face and identity, the chances of him being found are greatly reduced. But is Archer willing to part with his handsome face?"

Barney and Christmas exchanged a knowing smile and nodded to William. "Boss, if you look at the data on the USB drive, you'll understand. He has no other choice but to change his face."

Curious, William asked, "What do you mean he has no other choice?"

Barney chuckled, "The data contains photos and videos with Archer and Davis's leaders. Archer has exposed the entire interest chain of the blood diamond trade. Without changing his face and identity, Archer has no way out."

William immediately understood Barney's hint. Barney was subtly telling him that Archer, in completing the task, hadn't considered his own safety. After thinking for a moment, William said, "Send him to Brazil. It's the best place for him to hide. But if he has any problems, your team is responsible for taking care of it. Understand?"

Barney and Christmas nodded, "Of course, boss. If anything happens, we'll take care of it."

William handed the USB drive back to Barney and said, "I have important things to do, so I won't look at the USB drive. Take it to Switzerland and meet with Brian and his team. Have Brian quietly release the evidence to the media. After delivering the USB drive to Brian, head to Lion City in Asia and wait for further instructions. I'll arrange equipment in Malaysia for you. I'll notify you of the specific tasks."

"This time, I allow each member of your team and Brian's team to invest $2 million in the shorting operation. Make sure Brian keeps your money in the secret accounts I've provided to avoid detection. The profits will be your commission for these missions."

"Understood," Barney and Christmas stood up and saluted, thrilled. This was a risk-free opportunity to make several times their investment with ease.

Both teams had 11 members, with a total of $22 million invested. Compared to William's investment, this was nothing. Involving them in the operation created a community of interest with William.

William trusted Brian's team. All five members were in their forties or fifties, with wives and children, making them cautious and reliable. They had already made big money from their previous missions with William and had become even more careful, not letting wealth change them.

Barney's team only provided money and didn't participate in the shorting activities. The funding sources wouldn't be linked to the shorting, and the evidence was gathered by the Daredevil Squad, making them the primary target if anything went wrong. With Gunnar following William and seeing hope, quitting drugs, and becoming more cheerful, William wasn't worried about problems with the Daredevil Squad.

After finalizing these arrangements, William retrieved the Devonshire Model 1 armor set for the seven members of the Daredevil Squad and himself. Without major tasks, he felt safer keeping the equipment with him.

After sending Barney and Christmas off, he called Yuri Orlov, who had just divorced in New York, to order two helicopters for Malaysia.

Yuri, needing money after his divorce, highly valued William's order. After negotiating the price, Yuri thanked William several times for the cash payment last time, which prevented his saintly wife from taking half.

Laughing, William reminded himself not to end up like Yuri, having half his wealth taken by his wife. He resolved to sign a prenuptial agreement before getting married.

After greeting his mother, William retreated to the basement to begin his life as a coder.

Three days later, early in the morning, William received a furious call from Gary. After three days and nights of work, William had finally created the prototype AI from the system knowledge in his mind. He had no energy to deal with Gary, hastily saying, "I'll get the job done," before hanging up and testing the AI.

After spending a few minutes checking the equipment, William excitedly pressed the Enter key. A mechanical voice came from the speaker, "Good morning, Mr. Devonshire. I am your AI butler. Please name me."

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