Kingpin was a meticulous thinker, his intellect far surpassing the average man.
Carl's words just now, mentioning his wealth and how Kingpin could "help recover it", might have confused most people.
What does your wealth have to do with me?
But Kingpin understood immediately. This was extortion. And not just any extortion, this amount was outrageous.
Ten billion dollars?
Are you dreaming? Do you think money grows on trees?
Kingpin was the undisputed underground emperor of New York City, arguably the entire United States. His influence reached across the globe.
He had his hands in everything from real estate and technology to biology and heavy industry.
By his own estimate, Kingpin's net worth exceeded 30 billion.
A staggering sum.
In many ways, Kingpin was a classic rags-to-riches story in the Marvel world.
After all, his father had been nothing more than a small-time thug.
Kingpin had risen entirely by his own strength.
Among tens of millions, perhaps no one else could have achieved what he had.
Because this was thirty billion.
In U.S. dollars.
Even with his vast accumulated wealth, enough to earn a spot among Marvel's elite, Carl's demand was still far too much.
Ten billion.
Even Kingpin didn't have that kind of liquid capital.
Assets and cash, there's a big difference.
Assets could include anything: businesses, buildings, even flour…
As long as it held value.
But liquid capital? That had to be actual cash.
Carl wanted cash, money that could be wired straight into a bank account.
It wasn't that Kingpin didn't want to pay, it's that he physically couldn't.
Nearby, Daredevil had finally recovered from his shock.
He realized what Carl's exchange with Kingpin actually meant.
Extortion?
He was stunned.
What the hell was going on?
Who was this Asian man who appeared out of nowhere?
He'd saved Daredevil, stopped Kingpin, and had an overwhelming power about him.
He looked every bit the righteous hero.
No doubt about it, this guy had to be a superhero.
But just as that thought solidified, Daredevil watched Carl extort Kingpin?
This scene…
To someone who knew the full scope of Kingpin's empire, it felt surreal.
Who would've thought the underground emperor would ever be put in a spot like this?
…
Carl noticed Kingpin's hesitation and found it rather odd.
Sure, ten billion was a lot, but any sane man would still choose life over money.
Did this mean Kingpin didn't want to live?
Carl had already given him a chance, but clearly, Kingpin didn't value it.
What was going on in this guy's head?
Carl's smile didn't waver, but his eyes glowed faintly red.
Staring at Kingpin, he chuckled, "Seems like you really can't help me find that money."
"What a shame."
He prepared to finish the job.
Kingpin saw the red light gleam in Carl's eyes and instantly panicked.
"Mr. Carl, please, don't do this!"
Carl ignored him.
Panic surged in Kingpin's chest.
Was this the end?
This Carl's powers were just too strange.
Bullseye had been melted instantly.
He probably wouldn't fare any better.
Should he fight?
Too bad, the asking price was just too high.
Even if he gathered all his cash, it might not even reach a few billion.
Kingpin's mind raced through possibilities.
And just then,
Carl suddenly stopped.
Looking at Kingpin, his expression grew odd.
"…You're poorer than I expected."
"What?" Kingpin froze. What did that mean?
Was he poor?
He didn't think so.
He'd clawed his way up from nothing to build an empire worth over 30 billion. The word "poor" never once crossed his mind.
Yet Carl's words left him speechless.
Even Daredevil looked bewildered.
He'd fought Kingpin countless times, knew the man's vast operations.
Especially the flour trade, he'd disrupted it over and over again.
He knew exactly what Kingpin did.
Even if he wasn't a good guy, Daredevil would never call him "poor."
Then Carl continued, "Since you're not as wealthy as I thought, I guess we'll change the arrangement."
"Of course, the total amount stays the same."
He paused, then said, "You'll still help me recover ten billion. But for now, I'll settle for two billion upfront."
"The rest, give it back when you have it."
"But I want interest. Bank rates."
Then Carl asked, "How's that sound to you?"
"…What?"
Kingpin was stunned. He hadn't expected this sudden change.
He had no idea what was going on.
But after thinking for a moment, he quickly nodded.
"Alright."
Two billion was still a lot, but at least it was doable.
After all, survival came first.
Dead men can't spend money.
"Here's my account number. Memorize it."
Carl handed over his bank details.
Once Kingpin confirmed them, Carl smiled again.
"By the way, I want to see the two billion deposited within three days."
"The other eight billion, plus interest, within three years."
"I'm sure you wouldn't want anything unfortunate to happen, right?"
Kingpin nodded furiously. "Yes, yes, of course."
But…
Something about Carl's words sounded familiar.
Thinking back,
Wasn't this almost exactly what he'd said in the letter he sent Carl when he tried to buy his bar?
Realization struck, and Kingpin gave a bitter laugh.
This guy really holds a grudge.
Still, why the sudden change in plan?
Why switch to extortion?
But he couldn't say anything. All he could do was agree.
"I'll wire it as soon as possible. No later than tomorrow."
"Good," Carl nodded.
In truth,
Just moments ago, when he was wondering why Kingpin hesitated to pay…
He'd discovered something in his Silver Superman template.
A power called telepathy.
He activated it instinctively.
From that moment on, he knew everything Kingpin was thinking.
That's why he adjusted his approach.
Two billion was more realistic.
Honestly…
Kingpin had far less cash than Carl expected.
Even just a few billion made them about equal.
So much for being the underground emperor of New York. What a joke.
He didn't even have enough for a proper bribe. How pathetic.
As for why Carl didn't kill him
There wasn't really a deeper reason.
The guy had shown some sense, and didn't fight back.
He paid the price, literally.
More than anything, Carl was just acting on a whim.
At the end of the day, he had no personal grudge with Kingpin.
The guy had just happened to cross paths with him at the wrong time.
As for the whole "hero versus villain" thing…
Carl wasn't interested in playing that game.
If someone annoyed him, he'd wipe them out on the spot.
He wasn't about to go hunting bad guys for sport.
That would be far too boring.