Inside the isolation room.
Observing Eddie’s despondent expression, Raina, sensing that the groundwork had been laid, adopted a resolute tone to get straight to the point, “Eddie, now you only have two options in front of you.”
“Ah, two options? Isn’t it just one – jump off this rooftop and be done with it?” Eddie forced a smile, feigning casual self-deprecation.
“The second one is tailor-made for you after considering your situation,” Raina continued, her voice gently coaxing. “We can cover the One Million Dollars, erase the criminal records from the police and military, and even eliminate any unfavorable rumors circulating in the public sphere.”
“Stop!” Eddie’s eyes lit up more and more, and he suddenly interrupted Raina’s words. Under Raina’s puzzled gaze, he raised his head with a slightly bitter smile, “Do I have the option to refuse?”
“No,” Raina replied nonchalantly, her answer elegant and decisive.
Eddie spread his hands and said, “Then it’s settled – tell me your conditions. I don’t believe you’d help me out of the goodness of your heart.”
“You’re a smart man,” Raina praised.
Due to the presence of Venom, she couldn’t read the other’s thoughts casually, so she had to gently guide without revealing too much, fearing that Eddie might reject the negotiation due to psychological resistance. Unexpectedly, the other party was so cooperative, willingly jumping into the prepared pit.
Eddie sighed lightly, “Thanks for the compliment. After all, I’m a journalist with a background in news. I know how to seize the moment. You obviously have me all figured out, and the difference in our status and power is so vast, with you holding leverage over me. I don’t have the qualification for a third option.”
“I’ll be direct then,” Raina paused, looking directly at Eddie. “The condition is for you to join the Supernatural Incident Bureau and become a temporary employee.”
“What?!” Eddie was a bit stunned. Was this a coercive condition, or an online benefit?
Keep in mind that the Supernatural Incident Bureau never recruits externally. Even the service staff are members of the Carl Family. If he agrees, he will be the only external employee in the agency.
But what exactly was a ‘temporary employee’?
Cautiously, Eddie asked, “Doesn’t my profession mismatch with the requirements of the company?”
“It’s acceptable. The agency happens to need an internal media person for external information releases. However, what we value more is your combat potential and value,” Raina explained. Handing over the file she had been holding, she said, “Of course, this temporary employment contract is not only for you but also for your Symbiote inside.”
“You were well-prepared,” Eddie forced a bitter smile, taking the contract and discovering it was a temporary employment contract. As he flipped through the nearly one hundred clauses filling ten pages of standard A4 paper, he felt his scalp tingling.
When he reached the last page, he pressed the contract down in his hand, took a cold breath, and said, “What kind of messed up terms are these?”
Not to mention the myriad of restrictive conditions, just the first one: “After signing the temporary employment contract with the agency, the cooperation period lasts for one hundred years. During this time, the temporary employee cannot unilaterally terminate the contract. Otherwise, they must compensate the agency One Hundred Billion Dollars…”
There was also the fifty-sixth clause: “The temporary employee must obey the orders of the agency’s Boss, and 24 hours a day are considered working hours. Once there’s a mission, immediate departure is required…”
The final one hundred and first clause: “For all the clauses of the temporary employee’s contract, the final interpretation belongs to the Supernatural Incident Bureau.”
“What kind of contract is this? Clearly, it’s a contract of selling oneself!” Eddie, feeling indignant, couldn’t find the words to express his frustration.
“Eddie, you absolutely cannot sign it. Look at the signatory at the bottom of the contract,” Venom suddenly spoke in Eddie’s mind with a heavy tone.
Eddie reopened the contract and looked again. The signatory of the temporary employment contract was: Eddie and his Symbiote. In other words, this contract would bind them together and make them work for the Supernatural Incident Bureau for their entire lives.
“Don’t worry. Besides the additional clauses, temporary employees enjoy all the benefits and perks of the agency’s regular employees and even the Red-Tier Cardinals of the Carl Family. Plus, we won’t force you to do anything illegal or commit murder,” Raina said, shifting the conversation, “Additionally, the decision for you to sign this contract isn’t just my decision but also the Boss’s decision.”
“Boss?” Eddie tilted his head in confusion.
“The owner of this building, the head of the Supernatural Incident Bureau,” Raina said softly.
“Are you actually referring to the Symbol of Peace?” Eddie’s whole body trembled, and his previous melancholy and worry disappeared. At least, the legendary hero Symbol of Peace wouldn’t trick a good citizen of New York like him, right?
“The Boss’s reputation is indeed far-reaching,” Raina observed Eddie’s relieved expression, feeling a sense of emotion.
Naturally, she didn’t come up with this temporary employment contract herself, but the Boss had left it to her to handle.
“Well then, I’ll sign it!” Eddie pondered for a moment and made a determined decision.
Venom couldn’t contain himself and roared low in Eddie’s mind, “Eddie, don’t drag me into this for your own sake; the contract includes half of me!”
“You were the one who insisted on attaching yourself to me in the first place. I am you, and you are me. We are inseparable.”
Eddie calmly analyzed, speaking in a low voice, “This is not just for me. Don’t you want to deal with those extraterrestrial Symbiotes and find your own origin and purpose on Earth? These things are too difficult for just the two of us, but if we become members of the Supernatural Incident Bureau and get their help, we can both achieve our goals smoothly.”
“You… make sense,” Venom hesitated slightly.
After Eddie and Venom reached an agreement, guided by Raina, they signed their names on both the paper and electronic contracts.
The God AI recorded the files directly, making Eddie and Venom the first external temporary employees recruited by the Supernatural Incident Bureau.
Raina collected the contracts, smiled faintly, and said, “From now on, you are one of us. You probably won’t be able to escape this circle, no matter life or death.”
“I’ll talk about repaying the One Hundred Billion Dollars when I gather enough money,” Eddie nodded.
Raina clapped her hands, and immediately a female Cardinal entered the isolation room carrying a suitcase, placing it by Eddie’s bed.
The suitcase opened to reveal a set of black combat suits made of an unknown material, an identity card, boots, gloves, a demon mask, a high-tech electronic watch, and two injection vials labeled with the English words ‘Super Agent’ and ‘Infinity Formula.’
While Eddie was still in a daze, Raina revealed a devilish smile and said, “So, Temporary Employee Number 001, your first mission has arrived.”
(End of this chapter)
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