Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

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“The specific principles involve the core protocols of the system, which I cannot disclose. You only need to know that the Association’s ability to deal with threats has been enhanced.” He looked around at everyone. “As for the scientific explanation… Doctor, Banner, this may be the next topic that the ‘Strange Phenomenon Research Center’ needs to tackle.”

He skillfully kicked the ball back.

Otto and Banner exchanged a glance, both seeing incredibly complex emotions in each other's eyes—fear, curiosity, and awe, but more than anything, the ultimate excitement of top explorers facing the unknown.

Peter whispered to Max, "I think it's best to avoid making the boss angry in the future... If he gets angry, he might not even need to lift a finger; just one glare from him and my suit is gone..."

Max nodded in deep agreement, the blue light flashing with extreme caution.

Kingpin watched as the group fell back into deep thought (and a touch of awe), silently checking the manufacturing progress of the [Armor of Order] in his mind. On the materials list, several key items were marked with a red "scarce" tag.

“It seems,” he thought, “that it’s time for the association’s resource collection department to ‘visit’ certain ‘friendly’ forces that possess special minerals.”

Chapter 107: Xavier's Academy for Gifted Youngsters Officially "Takes Over" Today!

Association headquarters, president's office.

Kingpin was reviewing a grant request submitted by Otto and Banner for "reverse derivation of a high-dimensional information transmission model using the residual energy of a Dragon-level disaster" (this time, the request was for funding to build a "quantum decoherence shielding laboratory"), and his temples were throbbing. Just then, James Wesley's internal communication came through, his tone carrying an unusual subtlety.

"President, Professor Charles Xavier is visiting and hopes to meet with you. He is accompanied by... Mr. Eric Lansher."

Kingpin raised an eyebrow. He'd heard of Professor X—the mutant leader with the strongest psychic abilities, dedicated to peaceful coexistence between humans and mutants. As for Magneto… that guy's reputation was far more formidable, practically synonymous with "the walking metal disaster" and "the root of headaches for human governments." It was interesting that these two old rivals with such contrasting ideologies were visiting together.

"Please invite them to the meeting room."

The atmosphere in the reception room was far from harmonious. Professor X, Charles Xavier, sat in his wheelchair, his face gentle, his eyes wise and compassionate, as if capable of calming all the world's restlessness. Standing beside him, Magneto, Erik Lansheer, was like a drawn sword, his posture upright, his eyes sharp, scrutinizing and undisguisedly vigilant, emanating an aura that subtly made the metal decorations in the room tremble.

“Mr. Fisk, I apologize for the intrusion.” Professor X’s voice was gentle and magnetic, like a warm current flowing through one’s heart. “First of all, please allow me to thank you again for your tacit approval and support of our spiritual connection during the Amazon crisis.”

“Each to their own advantage, Professor.” Kingpin said succinctly, turning his gaze to Magneto. “Mr. Lansher, I’ve heard so much about you.”

Magneto gave a soft snort in response, his gaze sweeping over Kingpin like a searchlight, trying to see through this man who had "professionalized" superpowers. "Fisk, your 'Association' is quite the big shot lately. But incorporating mutant abilities into your 'order' framework, rewarding them like mercenaries? This runs counter to the lofty status I seek for mutants."

Charles glanced helplessly at his old friend, then turned to Kingpin, his tone becoming serious: "Wilson, we are here today not to argue about ideologies. Rather, it is because... we have encountered trouble, and perhaps, it is also an opportunity for the association."

He gently pressed a button on his wheelchair, and a holographic projection unfolded, displaying a classic and beautiful castle-like manor—Xavier Academy for Gifted Youngsters. However, in the image, some malicious surveillance outposts could be vaguely seen around the academy, and even invisible reconnaissance drones flew overhead.

“Because I used large-scale psychic abilities during the Amazon incident, and the rise of the Association has attracted global attention, the location and existence of the Institute are no longer a secret.” Charles sighed. “Some human extremist forces, and… some remnants of the Brotherhood of Mutants who are dissatisfied with our ideology, are all eyeing us covetously. The children in the Institute, most of whose abilities are still in their developmental or unstable stages, need a safe, stable environment that can guide them to correctly understand and use their abilities, rather than living in constant vigilance and fear.”

Magneto, arms crossed and face grim, added, “Charles’ idealism crumbles in the face of reality. My methods may be radical, but at least they ensure our people are not bullied. However, now… (he glanced at Kingpin) it seems a third option has emerged. An organization with formidable military power, independent of the government, and… (his tone was somewhat strange) capable of ‘disciplining’ troublesome figures like Banner and Octavius.”

Kingpin immediately understood their purpose. They had come to find a "custodian" and "bodyguard" for the academy.

"So," Kingpin leaned forward slightly, crossed his hands on the table, and gave a standard smile that was somewhere between a business negotiation and a mafia boss, "you two want to 'incorporate' Xavier's Academy of Geniuses, along with its students and teachers, into the Hero Association, seeking protection and a platform for development?"

“It’s ‘cooperation,’ Fisk,” Magneto emphasized.

“It’s about seeking an ‘alliance’ that can better secure the children’s future,” Charles corrected tactfully.

Jin didn't pay attention to the wording; his mind raced, calculating the pros and cons. Mutant students meant a vast and diverse pool of superpowers, a huge supplement to the Association's power reserve and a vital force for future crises. But at the same time, it also meant taking on a bunch of troublemakers with out-of-control powers, rebellious teenagers, and potential targets from various factions.

Just then, the system in his mind suddenly popped up, broadcasting in an excited tone:

[Ding! High-quality talent resource package detected – “Xavier Academy for Gifted Youngsters” has applied for access!]

[The resource pack includes: High-potential mutant trainees (N in total), top-tier psychic (X1), top-tier magnetizer (X1, currently an unstable ally), and various rare ability templates!]

[Recommendation: Sign a "trusteeship" agreement immediately! This will greatly enrich the diversity of mutant abilities within the association and provide a valuable model for future research on "standardized management and application of mutant abilities"!]

[Note: Dear customer, please remember to purchase 'Campus Accident Insurance' and 'Teacher Mental Health Insurance' after taking over! After all, you know, when their mutant abilities get out of control, they can destroy things much faster than a husky!]

Kingpin: "..." Does this system have some kind of obsession with insurance business?

He looked at the two mutant leaders, his smile unchanged: "Cooperation is fine. But I have my conditions."

"First, the academy maintains internal teaching autonomy, but all students must register with the association and receive competency assessments and basic behavioral norms training."

"Secondly, while enjoying the resources and protection provided by the association, faculty and students have an obligation to provide assistance to the best of their ability when the association issues relevant tasks."

“Third, and most importantly,” Kingpin’s gaze sharpened, “no one may use the Association’s resources to carry out indiscriminate hostile actions against ordinary humans or other superhuman groups. My order has no place for extremism, regardless of which side it is on.”

Professor Charles nodded with a smile almost without hesitation: “A very reasonable request, and this is exactly the direction I’ve been hoping for.”

Magneto frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the third point, but under Charles's gaze and the pressure of reality, he finally snorted coldly, which could be considered as acquiescence.

The agreement was reached with astonishing efficiency.

A few days later, a convoy consisting of the Association's rapid response transport boats and several sturdy-looking (anti-tamper) buses drove into Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. The mutant students, who had already received the news, gathered at the castle gate, watching this scene with curiosity, trepidation, and excitement.

As Kingpin's mountain-like figure stepped off the lead transport ship, many students instinctively took a step back. After all, the name "Kingpin" was incredibly intimidating in both the underworld and the superpowered world.

“Children, don’t be nervous.” Professor Charles wheeled himself forward and gently reassured them, “From today onwards, the Heroes’ Association will be our new partner and home. This is President Wilson Fisk.”

A boy with blue fur and pointed ears (Kurt Wagner, the Nightcrawler) couldn't help but disappear with a "poof," only to reappear at the back of the group a second later. He whispered to a girl beside him who could control the weather (Aurora Monroe, the Storm), "He looks like he could punch a castle through..."

Ororo looked at Kingpin, her eyes sparkling with curiosity: "But he can also protect the castle, can't he?"

The handover ceremony (or "trusteeship" ceremony) was held in the college auditorium. As Kingpin and Professor Charles signed the cooperation agreement and exchanged documents, a murmur rippled through the students in the audience.

"So, will we have to do things like those heroes, earning points by completing tasks and exchanging them for snacks?" a boy (Amalias) who could secrete plexiglass asked worriedly.

"The key question is, will our abilities be 'formatted'?" asked a girl (the absorber) who could absorb and release kinetic energy, looking wary.

"Come on, have some ambition!" A girl covered in diamond-like crystals (Emma Frost, a younger version of the White Queen?) elegantly tossed her hair. "This means we have a bigger stage and more resources! Maybe we can even be in the association's official promotional video!"

After the ceremony, Kingpin, accompanied by Professor Charles and several Academy faculty members (Cyclops Scott Summers, Jean Grey, etc.), toured the Academy. As they passed the training grounds, they happened to see Spider-Man Peter Parker and Electro Max demonstrating (or rather, showing off) their abilities to a few curious students.

Peter nimbly swung between the obstacles in the training field, constantly exclaiming, "Look! This is a spider web shooter! It's super sticky! And it conducts electricity! Max, give us some sparks to liven things up!"

Max skillfully released some harmless, firework-like arcs of electricity, eliciting gasps of surprise from several younger students.

A boy who can control ice (Bobby Drake, the Iceman) scoffs, "Hmph, it's just about shooting silk and generating electricity, watch me..." He rubs his hands together, and a burst of cold air instantly freezes a nearby metal dummy into an ice sculpture.

Then he saw Kingpin and his men walking over as well.

Kingpin's gaze fell on the ice sculpture, then he looked at the somewhat smug Bobby, said nothing, and simply stretched out his finger and gently tapped the ice sculpture.

Microscopic matter manipulation!

Before everyone's stunned eyes, the hard ice sculpture, starting from the point where Kingpin's finger touched it, melted and disintegrated silently and rapidly, like snow exposed to sunlight, eventually turning into a barely perceptible wisp of water vapor and disappearing completely. Only the bare metal mannequin remained, without even a trace of water.

Bobby: "!!!"

Other students: "!!!"

Cyclops Scott subconsciously adjusted his quartz glasses.

A flash of shock crossed Jean Grey's eyes.

Peter's mouth dropped open, and it took him a while to close it. He whispered to Max, "See? The boss's cheating again... His account deletion ability is even better than my trash talk..."

Max nodded in deep agreement, the blue light flickering in fright.

Kingpin withdrew his finger, as if he had done something trivial. He looked at the group of stunned mutant students, then at the X-Men veterans beside him with their varied expressions, and slowly spoke:

"Ability is not about strength or weakness, but about control and application. The association provides a platform and guidance, but how far you go in the end depends on yourselves."

"Welcome to Xavier Academy. I hope you can find your own 'order' here."

Professor Charles looked at Kingpin, then at the students who were looking at him with a mixture of fear and admiration, and a meaningful smile appeared on his face. Perhaps this somewhat authoritarian order wasn't necessarily a bad thing for these young mutants who needed guidance.

Magneto stood not far away, watching this scene with a complex expression. He had to admit that Kingpin's methods were indeed... extraordinary. He began to wonder where this "order" would ultimately lead.

Meanwhile, the system was merrily scrolling through Kingpin's mind:

[Ding! The premium resource pack "Xavier's Genius Academy" has been successfully integrated!]

[Unlock new achievement: "Mutant Conservation Expert" (fake)!]

[New title acquired: "Troublemaker... oh no, I mean, Future Star Collector!"]

[Friendly Reminder: Host, your talent (relocation) team is constantly expanding. Please be sure to purchase "Headquarters Expansion Insurance" and "Emotional Distress Insurance" (for teachers) in advance!]

Kingpin believes that the maintenance budget for the association's headquarters is likely to see another surge.

Chapter 108: When Mutants Meet KPIs: This Freshman Class is Hard to Manage!

Beneath the “Center for Research on Strange Phenomena,” Dr. Otto Octavius ​​was furiously confronting a violently trembling energy confinement container. Inside, a constantly shifting, rainbow-like mass of energy was thrashing about.

"Damn it! Which little brat's ability has gone out of control again?!" Otto slammed one of his mechanical tentacles angrily against the control panel. "This is the third time this week that my high-dimensional particle collision simulation experiment has been interfered with! This time, the energy signature... is that brat who can materialize emotions! Code name 'Mood Rainbow'! Tell him, if he dares to be heartbroken while I'm doing an experiment again, I'll use his tears to cool down the reactor!"

Bruce Banner (in professor form) from the next lab poked his head out helplessly: "Otto, calm down. That kid's only thirteen. Heartbreak is a normal part of adolescence... Besides, don't you think this kind of energy, purely driven by emotion, is quite valuable for research?"

“Value?! My experimental data is far more valuable!” Otto roared, but another tentacle honestly began recording the energy fluctuation spectrum of the “Mood Rainbow.” “…However, this irrational energy fluctuation pattern can indeed supplement our database on the psychological triggers of monsters…Damn it!”

Meanwhile, the headquarters' public rest area has become a large-scale "capability demonstration (or rather, out-of-control) site".

A boy who can turn himself into a rubber man (codename "Bounce Ball") is trying to reach the limited edition Coke on the top shelf of a vending machine with his elongated arms. As a result, his arms get tangled, and he ends up rolling around in a corner like a colorful rubber ball.

A girl who can communicate with small animals (codenamed "Beast Whisperer") is chattering incessantly at a pigeon flying by outside the window: "What? You said that there's a metal lump (referring to Iron Man's armor) over at Helipad Three that scared your eggs? Okay, okay, I'll file a complaint for you... Wait, do pigeons lay eggs?"

The most outrageous part was the restaurant. A mutant student (codenamed "The Taste Magician"), who could subtly alter the flavor of food, secretly used his ability to replace the mayonnaise in Peter Parker's favorite chicken sandwich with toothpaste flavor as a prank. When Peter took his first bite, the bizarre taste—a mixture of minty coolness and savory chicken—hit him like a ton of bricks. He almost thought his newly awakened ability was "taste suicide."

"Pfft—!!!" Peter spat out his sandwich, his face contorted in pain. "Who?! Who did this?! This tastes worse than being thrown down from the sky by a vulture!"

Not far away, several mutant students were suppressing laughter, their shoulders shrug. The "Taste Magician" even raised his chin smugly.

However, their joy was premature. Max Dillon, who was "recharging" and studying a new energy channeling plan in a corner of the restaurant, was splashed with chicken pieces covered in toothpaste and mayonnaise by Peter.

With a soft "sizzle," the blue lightning around Max instantly transformed into a strange, minty-green flickering state, emitting a faint toothpaste scent.

Max: "...???" He stared blankly at his discolored body, feeling the strange coolness, and didn't react for a moment.

Peter was stunned, realizing he had "contaminated" his colleague, and quickly apologized: "I'm sorry, Max! I didn't mean to! It was these little brats..."

The pranksters turned pale with fright when they saw their senior, Electric Man, being "defiled," and turned to run away.

A deep voice rang out, not loud, but carrying an invisible pressure that instantly silenced the entire restaurant. Kim had appeared at the door without anyone noticing; he had just finished a meeting with Professor Charles regarding the "Student Behavior Management Regulations."

His gaze swept over the frozen students, then over Max, who was sporting mint green electric sparks and looking completely innocent, and Peter, who was still spitting.

“It seems you all have plenty of energy,” Kingpin said slowly. “Perfect timing. Logistics reports that the energy buffer pads at Training Ground 3 need manual calibration, and the ‘ruins’ of the simulated city streets also need to be rebuilt. Since you all enjoy ‘changing’ things so much, go there and use your abilities to ‘assist’ in completing these tasks. Mission level: D, Points: 5 points per person.”

The students' faces instantly fell. Manually calibrating the buffer pads? Using abilities to build up ruins? That would be an absolutely tedious and time-consuming physical task! 5 points? That's only enough to buy a bag of potato chips!

"President..." a student tried to whine.

Kingpin gave him a look, and the student immediately swallowed his words.

“Peter, Max,” King then turned to the two victims, “you are in charge of oversight. Make sure they ‘fully’ understand that every use of their abilities comes with responsibility. Once the task is completed, their points will go to you as… compensation for emotional distress.”

Peter's eyes lit up: "No problem, boss! I guarantee they'll understand the principle that 'with great power comes great responsibility, and with great trouble comes great consequences'!" He rubbed his hands together, ready to give these unruly kids a good "instruction".

Max nodded, and the mint green electricity around him seemed to brighten a bit (probably because he was angry).

This was just a minor incident. What truly put immense pressure on the association's management was the intense clash between the mutant students' diverse and highly unpredictable abilities and the association's increasingly sophisticated "Hero Performance Evaluation System (KPI)."

The department head in charge of hero rating assessments approached Wesley with a long face, holding a thick stack of preliminary evaluation reports for mutant trainees.

“Mr. Wesley, this can’t be assessed!” The supervisor pointed to the report. “This ‘Phantom Cat’ has the ability to pass through matter, and is rated as having potential A, but last week she got stuck halfway through a wall because she was ‘thinking about what to have for dinner and got distracted’! Is this an ability failure or a subjective error?”

"And then there's this 'Colossus,' whose defense is S-rank in his transformed state. But during his first teamwork test, he got so nervous that he crushed the remote-controlled robot that was the target of the exercise into a metal biscuit... How are we going to calculate his 'teamwork' score? Deduct points? But he did stop the 'target'!"

"The most outrageous thing is this!" The supervisor flipped to the last page, his voice trembling. "Jean Grey! Telepathy and telekinesis, potential rating... The system gave her three question marks '???'! The note is: 'Energy reaction is unfathomable, there is an unknown high-level energy attached, observation is recommended, and she will not be included in the regular assessment system for the time being'! Does this mean we recruited an 'outside the rules' existence that cannot be measured by KPIs?!"

Wesley rubbed his temples, feeling his hairline receding at a visible pace. "...First, file the '???' level separately and list them as top-level observation targets. As for the others... let them start with the lowest-level 'community service' tasks, such as helping an old lady find her cat (provided they don't scare the cat away), cleaning up river trash (they can't use their abilities to make the trash disappear; they have to pick it up by hand)... Let them learn control first, then we'll talk about performance."

Professor Charles sat in his new office (in the headquarters education area), watching all this through the ubiquitous surveillance (with his permission), a mixture of amusement and satisfaction on his face. He could "hear" the complaints, frustrations, and smug satisfaction of those young minds, and... the growing sense of responsibility and deeper reflection on their own abilities that gradually emerged under the association's somewhat "cold" but absolutely clear rules.

He even "heard" Cyclops Scott (as a senior student assistant) privately complaining to Storm Ororo: "I feel like the discipline at Xavier's Academy was just child's play. You lose points for being a minute late! They even have to write usage reports for my Cyclops energy output! This is like the 'corporate slave' life of the superpowered world!"

Ororo laughed and replied, "But at least we don't have to worry about waking up one day to find the academy being targeted by missiles, right? And Scott, has your energy control precision really improved a little bit?"

Scott: "...Okay, a little bit."

Kingpin stood in the command center, looking at the hundreds of new dots on the screen representing mutant trainees, most of which were still flashing yellow or orange to indicate "unstable" or "needs observation".

System Log Update: 287 new member units added. Average capability potential assessment: B+. Average stability assessment: C-. Headquarters energy consumption is projected to increase by 12.3%, and maintenance budget is projected to increase by 35%. Recommendation: Strengthen behavioral norms training and establish a tiered supervision mechanism.

Chapter 109: KPI Hell and the Self-Cultivation of Ability Users

The young mutants at Xavier Academy have officially begun the Hero Association's "unique socialist superpower education"—a hardcore training system combining militarized management, quantitative performance evaluation, and the King's unique "resource incentive method." The peaceful (relatively speaking) days are gone, replaced by ubiquitous rules, indicators, and...points.

Association headquarters, Education Zone (former residence of Xavier College faculty and students), 6:00 AM.

The piercing wake-up call, comparable to an air raid siren, rang out precisely on time throughout the area. Unlike the gentle morning bell of Xavier Academy in the past, this call was filled with the oppressive feeling of "If you don't get up, you'll lose all your points."

"What the hell..." Bobby Drake, still half asleep, sprang out of bed (literally, his bed was covered in a thin layer of ice), rubbing his eyes and complaining, "What time is it..."

His roommate, "Shadow," who could control shadows, had already neatly donned the training suit distributed by the association, complete with an identification code and miniature sensors. He said quietly, "Stop dawdling, Bobby. You need to be at Training Ground One by seven o'clock for the 'Morning Ability Stability Test.' One minute late, and you'll lose 5 points."

Bobby jolted awake, instantly snapping out of his daze. Five points! That's enough for him to buy five bags of his favorite spicy potato chips from the vending machine!