Chapter - 6019

Hank and his group had fallen apart.

They couldn't comprehend why this Chinese man wanted to pursue them when they had been involved in illicit activities in the United States and on private properties.

It would make sense if a dog lived with a mouse, but when they were thousands of miles apart yet remained entangled, wasn’t that a bit excessive?

As the leader of the group, Hank was in a panic and instinctively asked, "Mr. Wade, why do you feel the need to complicate our lives? We’re not nearly as ambitious as Mr. Rothschild. We’ve made enough money and experienced all the pleasures that typical people enjoy. Now, in this world, only the more unconventional pursuits bring us joy. If you take that away from us, what is left to our lives?"

As he pleaded, he added, "Mr. Wade, how about we strike a deal? We promise never to force anyone against their will. Everything would be mutual consent; that should work, right? We'll ensure sufficient financial incentive for the other party to agree! Plus, we’ll choose absolutely private locations in the future, committing to keeping everything confidential. This way, we won’t negatively impact society. What do you think?"

Hank had just considered that if necessary, they might agree for now and act secretly if they couldn’t openly pursue their desires.

However, he quickly realized he couldn’t take that risk because Charlie’s terms included needing to allocate a significant amount of money to establish a fund aimed at incentivizing actions against people like them. Once set in motion, many would strive to expose the hidden deviants. If that happened, no matter how well they concealed themselves, they could suddenly find themselves in dire trouble.

During his time in Brooklyn Prison, Charlie had developed a deep disdain for these deviants, especially for the priest John Lawrence, who was incarcerated for molesting a young boy.

Additionally, Charlie began to notice the profusion of hypocrisy in Western society.

In public, people appeared well-dressed and proper. Many were renowned entrepreneurs or role models to aspiring youths worldwide. They would feel offended if their ties were slightly crooked or their suits ill-fitted. Yet, in private, they often exhibited more perverse behavior than anyone else.

If no one had been apprehended, who would have guessed that those high-profile individuals who endlessly preached about charity, environmental protection, and global welfare were, in fact, some of the worst offenders?

What baffled Charlie the most was that even a celebrated scientist, who sat in a wheelchair and could barely move other than his neck, was a frequent visitor to those islands.

Just imagining such sordid scenarios made Charlie, a man with a strong sense of justice, seethe with anger.

Thus, Charlie looked at Hank and replied with a smile, "Alright, enjoy yourselves. Since you've lost that ability, you can let others indulge in your preferences from now on. That's also one way to go about it."

"But..." Hank replied, his expression sorrowful. "You have to help us regain that ability, right?"

"I'm afraid not," Charlie said, still smiling. "You’ve truly upset me, so I can’t allow you to regain your ability. Instead, I've presented you a solution: if you wish to indulge, simply change your role in that longing. Even then, you’ll still be able to pursue your desires."

Hank felt utterly defeated for a moment.

He found himself in a dilemma.

He wanted to regain that ability but was unwilling to accept Charlie's offer.

However, refusing that offer would mean Charlie would be disinclined to assist him further. If they parted ways on bad terms, wouldn't that condemn him to a future without the greatest pleasures of his life?

For a brief moment, everyone exchanged uncertain glances, unsure about their next move.

Steve, breaking the tension, scoffed, "You folks are acting without thinking. If you agree to Mr. Wade’s proposal, while you might not indulge in those perverse activities from now on, you at least preserve your masculinity and ensure basic pleasures remain. But if you refuse his terms, you might lose everything. Do you genuinely want to become homosexuals?"

Steve's words jolted everyone back to reality.

Choosing between retaining basic functions and completely losing them, the former was clearly more appealing.

Even if they had to invest an additional billion dollars, they realized they had already amassed enough wealth to live comfortably without concerns over basic needs. What was the point of money if they lost that ability?

Exchanging glances, Hank finally spoke up, "Mr. Wade... We... We agree!"

Charlie inquired, "Are you truly willing? Don’t feel pressured."

Hank clenched his teeth, "I am willing, no doubt about that!"

Charlie sighed, "Oh, you folks really have turned around. If you can gather more than 10 billion dollars to combat these deviants worldwide, your public standing will soar. You’ll be celebrated as the foremost fighters against depravity; it’s a great honor."

Hank was gripped with fear. "Mr. Wade, we can certainly pay, but you must keep our identities confidential. We still wish to live..."

Choking back his emotions, he added, "You don’t realize that in the U.S., plenty of individuals are even wealthier and more depraved than us, residing on those private islands in the Caribbean. If they found out we funded efforts to eliminate them, they would hunt us down first..."

Charlie turned to Steve and questioned, "Is that really true?"

Steve cleared his throat and replied, "It's well known that the world's wealthiest often visit those islands. It's somewhat of an open secret, although the details and evidence remain unpublicized. There are also numerous Oscar-winning stars mixed up in these rumors."

Charlie sighed heavily, "Alright, you American-Chinese certainly have your vices, but here, celebrities embroiled in scandals usually face repercussions."

Then, Charlie waved his hand cheerfully, "Since you're willing to invest so heavily for justice, I can allow you to stay under the radar, but you'll need to provide me a list of everyone you know involved in these activities. Once the fund is in place, I will offer rewards of hundreds of millions in the underground network. The wealthier the deviant, the greater their secretive spending. Raising a hundred million or even a billion dollars is doable. I want those affluent perverts to use their ill-gotten gains to hire bodyguards, ensuring they live in constant fear!"