Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

William walked into the church and found Gareth talking to M. Gareth smiled and nodded at William, while M was visibly surprised to see him. It was well known that M did not like William, but as the organizer of the funeral, she had to put on a smile for him. However, to William, her smile looked more painful than crying. She shook his hand and said, "Thank you for coming, William. Craig would have been very happy to know you are here."

"My condolences, ma'am. Maybe that guy Craig isn't dead at all and is just faking his death to enjoy a quiet retirement somewhere. Craig was a good man. If it were me who got shot by my own people and survived, I would definitely come back and take out everyone involved."

William disliked M just as much as M disliked him. Given the chance, he would certainly take a jab at her, creating obstacles for Craig's return and trying to grab some credit while also causing trouble for the Security Committee.

M's face darkened at William's mockery. "Maybe you're right. I hope you are. Excuse me, William, I need to greet the other guests."

William politely said, "Please go ahead," and looked around. It was clear that no one else needed her attention; she was simply upset with him.

M, clearly irritated, walked over to her assistant and complained, "God, the Devonshire family are all jerks. William and his grandfather Henry are both insufferable. They never miss a chance to slander others. Claiming Craig faked his death to shirk responsibility—what nonsense! William knows nothing about Craig but still dares to talk nonsense in front of me. God, I hate seeing William's face. I just want this to be over so he can disappear from my sight."

M's assistant, Bill Tanner, looked helplessly at the smiling William, silently cursing him for his lack of respect for elders. Must he always clash with M?

At 10:00 a.m., the funeral began on time. Watching the empty coffin being lowered into the grave and listening to the pastor's eulogy, William found it amusing. He wondered how the attendees would react when Craig returned.

After the funeral, Gareth dragged the reluctant William, who wanted to return to Oxford, to his office. If William wasn't interested in hearing what Gareth had to offer, not even three people could have pulled him along.

Once in the office, Gareth poured William a glass of whiskey and looked at the impatient William sitting in the chair. Gareth suddenly didn't know how to begin. William had grown rapidly over the past six months, excelling at making money and gaining fame. He was now connected with royalty and nobility. If Gareth didn't have some leverage, he wouldn't know how to approach William at all.

After a few minutes of silence, Gareth decided to play on William's emotions. "God, considering I've shielded you from all sorts of troubles, help me this once. This matter is really thorny. I don't even know whom to trust anymore."

"Sorry, Gareth, it's not that I don't want to help, but finding a mole is too troublesome. Anyone who can stand against you must be formidable. Getting involved would bring me no benefit and could make me a target of a powerful enemy."

William continued to deflect Gareth. Emotional appeals didn't work on someone as money-minded as William. If Gareth wanted William's help, he should just mention the benefits. Otherwise, William would prefer to stay home and continue transporting treasures. 

The Templar treasure still had gold, jewels, coins, silverware, statues, books, and paintings waiting to be handled. Though the books and paintings were tricky, requiring caution, the other treasures could be brought back to Oxford Castle via the portal, ensuring their safety at home.

Thus, even seeing Gareth's pleading face didn't sway William. He shook his head. "I don't have time. Maybe you could look for Craig in some remote area of Morocco. I have a feeling that guy isn't dead and is hiding somewhere nursing his wounds."

Gareth rolled his eyes at William. "You think we haven't been searching for him? We didn't find his body, so we haven't given up. But even if we find him, what then? He was shot by M4 and fell from a bridge over thirty meters high. Even if he's alive, he's likely crippled. Plus, we can't be sure Craig won't hold a grudge for being shot by a colleague. This funeral was partly for Craig to see. Some people are worried he might come back for revenge."

If this had happened to William, he definitely would seek revenge. "Isn't there anyone in England's Special Forces better suited for this? I can't believe you don't have anyone more capable than Craig."

Gareth, frustrated by William's refusal, thought for a moment and then explained, "After the Montenegro incident, Craig captured a man named White. During interrogation at a secret safe house, M's personal assistant suddenly shot White. Though the assistant was killed by Bond, White, who was only wounded, escaped. William, do you understand the severity of this? M's personal assistant of almost twenty years turned out to be an enemy agent. How can I trust anyone now? I don't even trust M. Several members of the Security Committee are considering forcing M to retire."

This attempt to play the patriotism card was useless against William, who didn't care for England. "You know, Gareth, I've never been serious about the W team. I haven't even recruited many members. Without manpower, what can I do? Plus, I don't understand Special Forces operations. Not only would I be useless, but I might also mess things up. You should cooperate with other departments and bring in some veterans. Or, I could donate some funds. I can't guarantee much, but I could donate a few hundred thousand pounds."

"F, K, do we look like we need a few hundred thousand pounds?" Gareth wanted to punch William. This scoundrel seemed to forget how much trouble Gareth had shielded him from.

"Fine, William, let me show you something." Gareth took some documents from his desk drawer and handed one to William.

William flipped through the document, his face turning red. He realized it detailed all the troubles Gareth had dealt with for him.

"Understand now? I've shielded you from all these problems. Without my help, you wouldn't be enjoying a comfortable life in Oxford. After helping you so much, it's time for you to repay me."

William pondered silently for a few minutes. "Weren't these problems yours to handle? Don't forget, I had your authorization in Miami. In Montenegro, I was acting in self-defense against armed kidnappers, saving hundreds of guests and several security personnel. Montenegro didn't interfere, so why would you need to?"

___________________

Read Ahead

[email protected]/Mutter