Chapter 81 To prevent Corruption, I need you, Hughie!
Hughie subconsciously took a few steps back and reached for the phone in his pocket.
Lucas noticed his little movement.
"Relax, Hughie, I’m not here to cause trouble."
"Then what are you..."
"I know a lot, including the things you and your little friends are doing in the shadows..." Lucas sat down on the sofa, his posture casual.
Hughie fought the urge to wet his pants.
It seemed that besides Translucent, he had already had conflicts with other Supes, otherwise he wouldn’t be this nervous.
But it was hard to say.
In the early stages, Hughie was afraid of everyone.
Robin didn’t understand at all; she ran over carrying two glasses of water and a T-shirt.
"Thanks. Your girlfriend will make a good wife someday."
Lucas said.
"What exactly are you here for?"
He lowered his voice, not wanting Robin to hear.
"If you’re trying to find Butcher through me..."
"I have no interest in Butcher, kid! He can’t even find his own wife, why would I look for him? I have something I’d like your help with," Lucas said.
"Help?"
Hughie’s expression was one of disbelief.
One of the most powerful Supes in America ran all the way to a run-down apartment in Brooklyn to ask an unemployed loser for help?
"Sit down, don’t just stand there. I’m not here to collect a debt, and you don’t want Robin to know what you’re doing, do you?"
Hughie hesitated for a moment, then finally sat down.
"Um... I saw the news. The things you did... were great!!"
Robin went to fetch a plate of fried eggs, heated them up in the microwave, and drizzled some sauce on them.
In short, this female fan was overly enthusiastic.
"Robin, could you..." Hughie wanted Robin to leave.
"No need, she can listen in."
Lucas put down his glass and got straight to the point.
"You both know about the incident on Little St. James Island."
Robin answered eagerly, "Of course I do! I watched the whole thing, and I’ve rewatched the replays several times. I cried for so long... those children are just too pitiful..."
Hughie nodded.
He didn’t cry.
Well, he shed a few little pearls.
Forget it, no point in pretending; he cried more like a girl than Robin did.
"Those rescued victims need long-term medical and psychological treatment. I’m personally donating a sum of money—not much, just 300 million dollars—to be used for relief efforts."
"Vought has found a professional financial team to manage these funds in real-time, including audits, investments, and donations."
"But, well, there aren’t many decent people in America, and Corruption is prevalent, so I need a supervisor."
Hughie was stunned.
"A supervisor?"
"Yes, someone with a kind heart, a sense of responsibility, and who won’t get chummy with Vought’s top brass."
"Someone who, as an ordinary person, dares to stand up to power."
"How about that? Does it sound familiar?"
Hughie’s first reaction was that Guardian was joking.
But Lucas’s demeanor didn’t seem like he was lying.
Guardian was dealing with millions of dollars every minute, occasionally even handling deals worth hundreds of millions.
He wouldn’t fly all the way here just to play a prank on him.
"You... you mean me?"
"Yes."
"Let me supervise the distribution of these funds?"
"Yes."
"Aren’t you afraid I’ll embezzle the public funds?"
"You’re just supervising, kid. Besides, would you divert money meant for the victims to your little group?"
Hughie shook his head; certainly not.
Marvin (MM) and Frenchie were both somewhat moral people.
Butcher... hard to say, but he probably wouldn’t do something like that either.
"This is 300 million dollars, sir!" Hughie stood up. "This kind of thing should be done by a professional regulatory agency! The SEC, the FBI, or some independent audit committee... what’s the point of coming to an unemployed wanderer like me?"
"As for a professional team, I have an audit group from PwC, an asset management department from Goldman Sachs, and two former SEC officials as advisors..."
"Then why come to me?"
"Because corruption is inevitable, and Oppurtunists is always around."
Lucas said, "With 300 million dollars sitting there, those accountants are experts in investment and calculation, and I’m too lazy to micromanage. If left for too long, there will definitely be problems. Vought... heh, they were involved in the incident on the island this time. Do you think I should trust them?"
"You represent a third party. You only need to put in a little effort to monitor the flow of funds in real-time, and you can help me solve the supervision problem. This is a great opportunity to exercise justice."
The reason Lucas chose Hughie for this task was because he was one of the few people with a conscience in the entire show.
A steadfast, saintly character.
Hughie’s expression was extremely complicated.
If he had any doubts before, he was now convinced that Guardian was truly a breath of fresh air among Supes.
A truly good person!!
"I still don’t understand, why do you trust me?"
"You’ve saved us, and you know what I’ve done. How do you know I won’t take bribes?"
Lucas smiled. "Because you’re with Butcher. As for Butcher, I know a little bit—or rather, a lot—about him. He has an extreme hatred for Supes, and that kind of hatred can be utilized."
"Think about it, Hughie! If you discover any signs of corruption during the supervision process, even if it’s just a one-cent discrepancy, you can go ahead and expose it."
"For Butcher, that’s a perfect opportunity to smear Vought, isn’t it?"
"Conversely, your starting point is good, because for those victims, it ensures their life-saving money isn’t embezzled by Corruption."
"I can ensure my reputation remains untarnished, you can do something for justice, and the recipients can be saved!"
"It’s a win-win-win situation!"
Hughie’s pupils dilated slightly; he understood.
Guardian wasn’t simply trusting his character; he was utilizing his position.
Butcher was a bastard who hated Supes; he would never help cover up a Supe scandal.
This could also be considered a kind of mutual interest.
But... if you look at it that way, Guardian’s ability to think things through was just too impressive!
"But..."
Lucas changed the subject.
"I also have one request."
"What?"
"Every time you find any signs of corruption, tell me first and let me handle it."
"Don’t go straight for the big move; that won’t do anyone any good."
"If I let such corrupt behavior slide, feel free to expose it; I won’t stop you."
Lucas spread his hands, the benevolent father figure exuding absolute confidence.
He could send any corrupt individual to take a hot bath inside the sun.
Hughie stood there, his brain singing a little tune of evolution.
Thinking...
Thinking finished...
No loopholes.
The conditions Lucas proposed were very sincere. For him, this was a chance to get close to Vought and the Superheroes.
What would Butcher say?
"Boy! This is a golden opportunity! Even if Guardian wanted to shove two steel balls into your orifice, you’d still have to clench them and go to work!"
"Clenching steel balls is absolutely out of the question!"
Hughie said subconsciously.
Lucas: "???"
Robin: "?????"