Chapter 85: Towering Hatred
"Eddie, free tonight? I just bought a new painting and want to invite a successful gentleman to appreciate it together~"
Inside the Daily Bugle's office, a buxom woman with golden blonde hair perched half her bottom on a desk, addressing the desk's owner, Eddie Brock.
While speaking, the woman licked her lower lip with her tongue tip, not concealing her sexually suggestive behavior in the slightest.
Eddie's nostrils flared, taking two deep breaths of the blonde woman's perfume scent, then leaning back enjoyably against his chair.
Three days ago, he'd used explosive material provided by that anonymous source to transform General Ross from a so-called "hero protecting public safety" into a "criminal attempting to create monsters, treating human life as worthless."
Under tremendous public and political pressure, military tribunal rapidly filed the case and publicly announced results. Due to irrefutable evidence, General Ross was relieved of all duties and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Correspondingly, Eddie Brock became a "journalism hero." Even the Pulitzer Prize he'd dreamed of had rumors circulating that this year's award belonged to none other than him.
These three days, champagne, flowers, ladies, applause, and flattery surrounded Eddie Brock. He'd already reached the pinnacle of his life, high-spirited.
Editor-in-Chief J. Jonah Jameson had also light-speed promoted Eddie from intern reporter to ace reporter. One more step would make him the Daily Bugle's unique chief reporter.
Newspapers carrying Eddie's personally exposed content had skyrocketing sales. Nearly everyone in New York had a copy, yet production still increased.
All this was everything Eddie dreamed of obtaining. Now everything had been so easily acquired.
The blonde woman currently perching half her bottom on his desk was named Betty—the woman all male colleagues at the Daily Bugle except JJJ desired. Eddie Brock was no exception.
In the past, Eddie couldn't even find opportunities to chat up Betty. But times had changed. Eddie lazily appraised Betty:
"Sorry, Betty. I already have plans tonight. Stark Industries is hosting a charity gala requiring my personal attendance."
This was a gala he previously couldn't even enter, but Stark Industries had personally sent an invitation requiring Eddie's attendance.
"Well then..."
Before Betty finished speaking, a roar suddenly erupted from Editor-in-Chief JJJ's office:
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"...Okay, I'll do it immediately."
For the first two sentences, Editor-in-Chief JJJ still looked furious, roaring loudly, even his thick mustache trembling slightly.
But when the third sentence was spoken, JJJ's face had become extremely ugly, gaze evasive, occasionally glancing toward Eddie Brock through the transparent office glass.
The Daily Bugle was currently completely silent. No one knew what had happened to cause JJJ such fury, or what content he'd heard to become so cautious.
"I've never seen JJJ this angry yet this careful."
Eddie looked over at the voice. The speaker was a veteran employee who'd worked at the Daily Bugle for years.
His heart jumped. An ominous premonition surged. Coincidentally, JJJ had already hung up the phone, his gaze sweeping across numerous reporters' and editors' faces, finally settling on Eddie:
"Eddie, call just came from above. You're—fired."
"What?!" Eddie's roar was more exaggerated than JJJ's earlier roar. "Just because of one phone call?"
JJJ's face remained ugly, hands hanging at his sides trembling slightly:
"Not only are you fired, newspapers in increased production at the press also need destroying."
This also meant those increased-production newspapers were completely scrapped—no small loss for the Daily Bugle.
"Whose call? I'll call them back!" Eddie Brock suddenly stood up. "Voicing truth is a reporter's duty. Who exactly—"
"Eddie." JJJ interrupted Eddie Brock's words. "It was the World Security Council. They'd planned to arrest you for creating terrorist propaganda but didn't."
The newsroom fell silent. At this moment even Eddie Brock understood why the usually harsh JJJ's face had been so ugly.
World Security Council—a massive organization most nations participated in. Provoking it was almost no different from becoming a world enemy.
Ring-ring-ring.
The Daily Bugle's public phone suddenly rang. The operator picked up the phone, then set it down a dozen seconds later, saying to Eddie:
"Eddie, Stark Industries called. They found another suitable reporter to attend tonight's charity gala..."
"Pack up your things and leave, Mr. Eddie Brock." After Editor-in-Chief JJJ finished speaking, he slammed the door shut and returned to his office.
Eddie slumped in his seat, gaze traveling up the bottom perched on his desk. He saw blonde bombshell Betty purse her lips, turn her head, and also leave.
Ten-plus minutes later, amid colleagues' sympathetic, pitying, or schadenfreude gazes, Eddie Brock alone packed his belongings and numbly walked out of the Daily Bugle building.
His honor, his career, his faith—completely destroyed within a mere ten minutes.
He looked up at the sky. Rain began falling, drenching Eddie thoroughly and chillingly.
Eddie Brock stood dumbly in place like this. Until after the heavy rain had fallen for over half an hour, an umbrella suddenly shielded Eddie's head.
Eddie numbly turned his head bit by bit. What he saw was a kind face wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
Wearing a gray suit, he looked at Eddie with a smile, introducing himself:
"Mr. Brock, I'm Martin Li."
Martin Li extended a hand, wanting to shake hands with Eddie Brock.
Eddie didn't grasp Martin Li's extended hand, asking in a hoarse voice:
"How do you know my name?"
Martin Li smiled, pointing at Eddie Brock's press credentials still hanging on his chest.
"I can sense your heart is filled with hatred. Whoever this hatred targets—I can help you. Just come with me," Martin Li said.
Eddie Brock's heart was indeed filled with hatred. Hatred for General Ross, Betty, JJJ, Stark Industries, that anonymous evidence provider—he equally hated everyone who'd made him lose everything.
"Fine. I'll go with you," Eddie Brock said.
"Good. We'll go with you."
In a Manhattan hotel, Professor Connors and Dr. Banner exchanged glances, simultaneously addressing Batman.
"Actually, only staying with you gives me peace of mind. Otherwise, once I transform into a lizard monster elsewhere, I can hardly imagine who could quickly subdue me without harming others."
Professor Connors said.
Dr. Banner smiled wryly, as though the green monster who could furiously tear down dozens of floor slabs in minutes had nothing to do with him. He added:
"But once I discover you're like General Ross, trying to trick me into certain experiments, the big guy inside me might not be too pleased."