The hustle and bustle of Queens was left far behind.
In William's office on North Brother Island, the aroma of coffee mingled with the sea breeze.
Emil was training deep in the island's training ground, while William's two intern specialists were "interning" in New York City.
William pushed a white porcelain coffee cup across to Morris, the old boatman opposite him, the cup clinking softly against the solid wood table:
"Try some? Blue Mountain No. 1, I had someone direct mail it from Jamaica."
His custom cufflink flashed, and his smile was as soft as the sofa.
Morris's work jacket was frayed at the edges.
His fingers rubbed the rim of the cup, his palms calloused, his fingernails still embedded with dock grease.
His weather-beaten face was filled with wariness, and his cloudy eyes scrutinized William, as if looking at a con artist about to sell him a burial plot.
"Mr. Rodriguez,"
Morris's throat produced a hoarse cough.
"Dragging me to this island in the middle of the night to drink coffee... Let me just say, I don't have any special fetishes."
William laughed, waving his hand, "Brother Morris, you're joking. I just saw how hard you work at the dock and wanted to chat."
He leaned back on the soft sofa, asking in a casual tone, "Brother, you're already this old, why are you still working so hard? Don't your children support you?"
"My children all settled in New Jersey; my daughter-in-law doesn't like the smell of fish on me."
He spoke quickly, as if reciting a memorized line.
"The children have their own lives to live. This old bone of mine can still move, so I'll earn my own retirement money."
Morris clearly didn't want to talk much, speaking vaguely.
"Alas, young people nowadays don't have it easy either."
William sighed, feigning understanding for ordinary people, "Everything in New York is expensive—rent, utilities, raising children... It's like a huge mountain crushing people, making it hard to breathe. It's too difficult for people without connections to live well."
He rambled on.
He talked from New York traffic to baseball games, then to rising prices and the dock union's greed.
Every word struck a chord with Morris, and the old man's tense face relaxed.
Morris even accepted the cigar William offered, lit it, and took a puff.
In the smoke, his gaze was no longer so guarded.
He felt that although this young man was rich, he spoke without airs and was quite agreeable.
Seeing that the atmosphere was about right, William finally got to the point.
"Brother Morris," he leaned forward, his tone serious, "Have you ever thought about a different way of living?"
Morris's hand, holding the cigar, paused, and he looked up at him.
William continued, "My company is just starting, and everything needs to be set up. I have people for security, technology, and marketing. Guess what I lack most? I lack someone who understands 'Water'!"
"Water?"
Morris frowned.
"Yes, Water!"
William's eyes lit up. He stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pointing at the pitch-black sea outside and painting a grand vision with almost cult-leader-like passion.
"Brother, look at this sea! It's like the blood vessels connecting the World! Our company will do global business in the future, and transporting things will all rely on Water routes! I need someone who understands the sea, ships, and shipping routes to manage transportation!"
He turned around, his gaze fixed on Morris, burning brightly:
"This position is tailor-made for you. You'll be the head of transportation for our company, equipped with good ships, advanced navigation, and a professional team! Your experience can be put to great use here!"
Morris was taken aback by these words.
Head of transportation?
He was just an old man who had driven broken boats for decades; this vision was a bit too grand.
As William passionately described the future, a system prompt box, visible only to him, clearly appeared in his mind.
Ding! Potential client "Morris Bench" detected.
Target characteristics: Possesses the potential for Water elementalization. Can completely elementalize himself into liquid Water, and can merge with and control the form of large bodies of Water. Capable of high-speed jetting through narrow pipes, forming high-pressure Water columns. Under specific conditions, can achieve transformation into solid ice or gaseous steam forms.
System suggestion: Consider selling "Liquid Form Integrity and Reconstruction Assurance" or "Superpower Accidental Water Hazard Liability Insurance."
That's right, from the first time he saw this down-and-out old man at the dock, William knew he wasn't ordinary.
The reason he had been patient and waited until today to reveal his hand was that he was waiting for the right moment.
Waiting for a foundation of emotion strong enough to move someone's heart.
Now, the time had come.
Seeing Morris both suspicious and a little tempted, William knew it was time to pull out his last trick. He took a document from the drawer and placed it in front of Morris.
"Of course,"
William showed his gentle smile again.
"As the future head of transportation, your safety is paramount. According to company rules, I've prepared a special insurance for you."
On the cover, the gilded words "Rodriguez Risk Management Co., Ltd. Executive Exclusive Personal Accident and Special Risk Protection Agreement" glittered under the light.
"The company pays?"
"No, you pay yourself."
Morris's expression instantly froze.
He slowly put down the cigar in his hand, the ash falling onto the expensive carpet, unnoticed.
The familiar atmosphere of "one of us" in the air vanished.
Morris looked up, his cloudy eyes fixed on William, asking word by word, "You mean, you want me to come work for your company?"
"Exactly."
William nodded with a smile.
"And then,"
Morris's voice deepened.
"I still have to pay for this insurance myself?"
"Yes, that's company policy, and it's also responsible for your future."
William's smile remained perfect, as if he were stating something self-evident.
Morris fell silent.
He looked at William's young and handsome face.
He looked at the sincere smile on his face, without a single flaw.
The next second, the old man suddenly slapped the table, stood up, pointed at William's nose, and roared with all his might:
"Are you f***ing taking me for a fool?!"
William's smile didn't diminish in the slightest; he even considerately poured another cup of coffee for the old man and pushed it in front of him.
"Brother Morris, you're a bit hot-tempered," William's tone remained gentle, "I'm thinking about your future."
"Thinking about me?"
Morris's face turned crimson.
"You want me to work for you, and I still have to pay for insurance myself? Is there such a thing in this World?"
"Of course there is."
William nodded, "Think about it, what if you have an accident at work, for example... being drowned by Water?"
"Or,"
William continued, his voice carrying a subtle hint.
"For example, what if your body suddenly becomes... unstable? Sometimes liquid, sometimes solid? In such a situation, ordinary medical insurance won't work."
The air suddenly grew cold.
Morris slowly sat back down, his eyes fixed on William, trying to figure out what he was up to.
"What do you know?"
The old man's voice became hoarse.
"I know more than you think."
William took a small sip of coffee.
"For example, why are you still working at the dock at this age? Why don't your children want to be near you? And why do you always live alone?"
He gently placed the coffee cup on the table, making a crisp sound of porcelain clinking.
"Because you're afraid, Brother Morris. You're afraid that at some unwitting moment, you'll lose control of your body, and then..."
William made a gesture of fingers flowing.
"Turn into a puddle of Water."
Morris's face completely changed.
"You don't have to deny it." William waved his hand, "I've seen too many people like you. Abilities suddenly awakened, not knowing what to do, and not daring to tell anyone. Only bearing it alone, fearing alone."
He picked up the insurance contract from the table and gently patted the cover.
"This insurance isn't ordinary accident insurance. It's specifically designed for situations like yours. Elementalization accidents, loss of control over form changes, property damage caused by runaway abilities... These are all covered."
"How do you know?"
"Because I do this for a living."
William shrugged.
"In New York, there are more people like you than you imagine. Spider-Man, Moon Knight, Daredevil, even Tony Stark have bought my insurance, and those two young people are also my employees; they're the same."
Morris was silent for a long time.
"What if," he finally spoke, a trace of uncertainty in his voice, "What if I don't agree?"
"Then you'll continue to be my Captain, continue to live alone, continue to worry about losing control in front of your grandchildren someday."
William spread his hands.
"I won't force you."
"However," he changed his tone, "since you already know my secret, and I know yours, our relationship is no longer simply strangers."
Morris's eyes became wary.
"Don't worry, I'm not threatening you."
William smiled.
"I just want to say, instead of guarding against each other, why not cooperate? You need a boss who understands you, and I need an employee with special abilities. Isn't this a good arrangement?"
The old man looked at William, at the insurance contract, his heart fiercely conflicted.
"Your schemes are quite deep."
"The business World is like a battlefield, Brother Morris." William spread his hands, "I'm just helping those who need help in my own way."
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