Chapter Twelve: Reaching Consensus

“So, you want me to find evidence of their crimes, is that it?” Jessica thought she had guessed Gu Zhongyan’s intention.

But Gu Zhongyan shook his head. “I’m not interested in evidence of their crimes.”

“The Russian mob isn’t operating on its own. They’re under the control of the underworld power that rules Hell’s Kitchen—Wilson Fisk.”

“However, their leader Vladimir doesn’t see it that way. At least in his eyes, he and Fisk are partners, equals in status.”

“Two tigers can’t share one mountain. For now, their cooperation is stable, but once there’s outside interference, this alliance—based on incompatible ideals—will inevitably fracture.”

“Unfortunately for them, outside interference is coming soon. To ensure that they turn on each other, I need you to take photos that will spark irreconcilable conflict between them. That shouldn’t be difficult for you, should it?”

“You want them to fight each other? Why? Wouldn’t it be simpler to find their criminal evidence and give it to the police?” Jessica asked, puzzled.

Matt didn’t say anything, but the tight line of his lips made it clear he didn’t agree with Gu Zhongyan’s suggestion.

Gu Zhongyan understood these so-called superheroes all too well. They believed in the law, yet didn’t wholly trust it. They did things outside the law, yet always hoped the law would resolve everything. You could call them hypocrites, but they had their own logic. If you couldn’t convince them, they’d dig in their heels and be impossible to move.

“Because of the demon.”

Looking gravely at the two of them, Gu Zhongyan said, “I know you’ve always been skeptical about the demon. I don’t expect you to change your minds right away.”

“But you need to understand—the terror of the demon is far beyond anything Fisk or the Russian mob could compare to.”

“We need to take down Fisk, but the demon is our true enemy. Fisk is the key to controlling the demon. Before we can contain the demon, we can attack Fisk, but we can’t utterly destroy him.”

“Otherwise, once he’s gone, the demon will be even harder to find.”

“Besides the bigger picture, there’s the reality: Fisk controls the police, the media, the judges, and can even threaten the jury in secret. If we don’t take down his men first, then even if we gather evidence, he’ll just walk free.”

“And worse, it would alert him—he’d hide the evidence, making him even more difficult to bring down.”

“By provoking a fight between Fisk and the Russian mob, we’ll distract him, weaken his grip on the city, and buy ourselves the time and opportunity to truly gain the power to defeat them both. Do you understand?”

At these words, Matt and Jessica fell silent.

After a long pause, Matt suddenly turned to Jessica. “Tell me, what did Shaun do just now that calmed your heartbeat?”

“What?” Jessica looked at Matt in confusion, unsure what he meant.

But Gu Zhongyan understood, and smiled slightly. “Sorry, I forgot to mention—Matt is blind. He’s always relied on his hearing to perceive the world.”

“He wants to know if I really used magic just now. Tell him what you saw.”

Jessica glanced at Matt, surprised that this seemingly normal man was blind. Still, she described what she’d witnessed.

“Well, he recited an incantation, then a silver light appeared at his fingertip. It looked like a freshly sprouted seed, drifting by my side. Um, that’s about it.”

“Could you touch it?” Matt pressed.

Jessica looked at Gu Zhongyan, questioning. She didn’t know how the guardian spirit worked; was it safe to touch?

Gu Zhongyan smiled reassuringly. “Go ahead. Try it.”

Jessica turned to the thumb-sized guardian spirit, carefully reaching out a finger and tapping it.

The guardian spirit passed through her finger like a wisp of mist.

“No, I can’t touch it. It’s just a light—no warmth, no substance. I can see it, but that’s all.” Jessica shook her head.

Matt fell silent. “You really are a wizard? There really are demons in this world?”

Gu Zhongyan nodded solemnly. “No matter how many times you ask, my answer is the same. I am truly a wizard, and yes, there are demons in this world.”

“Just as you guard the nights of New York, there are many others protecting the world in ways you don’t know.”

“Magic is like science—another way of describing the true nature of reality. At its heart, it’s no different from your own special gifts.”

“What sets it apart is that it exists on the hidden side of the world, and so few can master it. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.”

“Trust me—I mean you no harm. Everything I do is for the good of this city, of the world.”

Listening to Gu Zhongyan’s steady heartbeat, Matt nodded and clapped him firmly on the shoulder.

“Thank you. I understand now. Sorry I doubted you for so long. From today on, I won’t question your decisions. Do what you need to do—I’ll help however I can.”

Gu Zhongyan smiled, knowing that from this moment, Matt had truly joined his cause—not just as a partner with the same goal, but as an ally in every sense.

Just as Robin stands with Batman, or the Winter Soldier with Captain America, unless he one day turned into a true villain, Matt would always be at his side.

“Thank you for your trust, Matt. I won’t betray it.”

He gave Matt a firm clap on the shoulder in return.

“Um, sorry to interrupt your little bromance,” Jessica interjected. “So that’s settled? Don’t I get a say?”

Gu Zhongyan withdrew his hand and turned to her with a smile. “I believe you’ll agree with us.”

“Even if you weren’t a person with a strong sense of justice, you wouldn’t refuse me—not with this, right?” He pointed confidently at the guardian spirit.

Jessica glanced at the gentle light floating by her side. After feeling such long-lost peace, she had to admit she couldn’t refuse Gu Zhongyan’s proposal.

“All right, this bait is too tempting. I’m in. But first—you have to tell me how you know about Kilgrave!”