Billionaire in Kingsman with a Marvel System

Seeing William trying to evade the issue, Gareth smiled and said, "What about Paris? I helped you fend off quite a few people who wanted to investigate that incident."

William boasted, "Haha, Gareth, don't make it sound like you're the absolute authority in the Security Committee. Don't think I don't know; you couldn't have completely blocked those who dislike me. They're definitely investigating in secret. If they had evidence, they wouldn't be this quiet.

Even if they had evidence, it wouldn't matter. Let them take it to the American intelligence agency. I had authorization from the Americans to assist their special agents in dealing with armed criminals. If they make it public, the Americans might even give me a medal or something."

William shrugged, knowing that enough time had passed without anyone coming to trouble him. This meant that Brian had handled everything well. It seemed like his move to get Brian into politics was indeed the right one. With his funds and Brian's connections among retired special agents, dealing with sensitive issues would be easier in the future.

Yawning, William impatiently said, "Anything else? If not, I'll be leaving. I don't want to interrupt your manpower search."

"Don't rush, William. Let's talk about your money in the Swiss National Bank. Here, take a look at this document."

Damn, William thought as he watched Gareth pull out another document from the stack. "Damn it, Gareth, are all these documents related to me?" he asked, sweating.

There seemed to be at least three or four more documents in that pile. Without waiting for Gareth to react, William reached out and snatched the documents from the desk, leaving only the one Gareth was holding.

Blocking Gareth's attempt to take them back, William said, "Sit down, Gareth. Don't be so stingy. You took them out to show me, didn't you?"

William smiled as he used one hand to easily fend off Gareth's attempts to reclaim the documents.

Frustrated, Gareth yelled, "Damn it, scoundrel! Without my permission, you can't look at these documents. William Devonshire, think carefully about the consequences. I am the chairman of England's Intelligence and Security Committee. What you're doing is a crime."

Hearing Gareth's serious tone, William paused before opening the documents. Calming down, he put the documents back on the desk and pressed them down, carefully considering what leverage the Security Committee might have on him.

"Tell me, what do I need to do to see these documents? Don't talk to me about legalities. I must see these documents to ensure the safety of my mother and me."

Gareth remained silent, staring at William with an expressionless face. Seeing this, William realized that persuasion wouldn't work, so he decided to try a different approach. Smiling, he said, "Gareth, we're friends. You've got to help me out. You took them out to show me, didn't you? Consider it a favor I owe you."

Gareth's eyes flickered, and he cursed, "Go to hell. Don't you owe me enough favors already? Only a scoundrel like you would always talk about benefits and disregard friendships. Didn't you just say we shouldn't talk about personal relationships? Now you're saying we're friends?"

Gareth continued to berate William with all sorts of harsh words, calling him ungrateful, selfish, without a sense of mission or honor. He accused William of being someone who only said nice things when he needed help and kicked people away when he didn't, never treating him as a friend.

William listened to Gareth's tirade without getting angry. Suddenly, he realized he was overthinking. If it really involved magic, Gareth, as a head of special agents, wouldn't show it to him openly. Let him rant. As long as it wasn't related to the system or magic, everything else could be solved through exchanges of benefits. If helping Gareth brought benefits, William didn't mind.

Understanding this, William put on a contrite expression, hiding his inner calculations. He knew that he and Gareth could never be true friends. In situations involving interests, a friend in the morning could become an enemy in the afternoon.

William believed that in reality, true bonds formed through life-and-death situations certainly existed, but not between people like Gareth and M. To them, subordinates were just pawns. William had no intention of sacrificing himself for England.

Once Gareth finished venting, William stood up and poured him some more whiskey. "I apologize, Gareth. I was just too worried about my family's safety. I promise it won't happen again. Let's have a drink and let bygones be bygones. Gareth, how about I invite you to my castle in Oxford for a meal? I have some excellent Akhal-Teke horses. You're welcome to come and ride anytime."

Gareth gave William an annoyed look but eventually drank half a glass of whiskey with him. "My dignity is worth more than a drink and a meal, plus a couple of hours riding horses. William, you really are shameless, a true heir of Henry, treating shamelessness as a virtue at such a young age."

"Heh, with you special agents, what's the point of being dignified? These days, no one in England talks about selflessness. Even the royal family has separated from England. We ordinary people should be more pragmatic."

"It seems you haven't learned much else, but you've certainly mastered shamelessness. I wish I had family elders to guide me. I wouldn't still be stuck in this hellhole. Forget it. William, will you help me?"

"Gareth, of course, I'll help you. But my abilities are limited. I'm not sure how much help I can be. Also, can I look at these documents first? I need to be sure I won't be backstabbed while working for you."

Gareth no longer hoped to sway William with notions of patriotism and honor. This guy was undoubtedly a self-serving individual. "Whatever. The documents are right there. If you want to look, go ahead."

William happily flipped through the documents. The first one detailed how Arthur Kane, the head of the Kingsman Academy, had reported to the Security Committee about Henry secretly leaking classified information to William. That old man had even requested a covert investigation and potential detention of William.

Damn, William cursed inwardly. Old bastard, if I get the chance, I'll definitely take you out.

The second document revealed that the Americans wanted England's assistance in investigating whether William was involved in the Declaration of Independence theft case. Reading this, William chuckled. He knew those guys wouldn't give up. Fortunately, he had returned to England quickly, keeping things calm.

It seemed that ignoring Gareth's request wasn't an option. If Gareth had a hard time, William would lose an ally. Helping Gareth was, in a way, helping himself. However, he still needed to negotiate for benefits and couldn't agree too easily, lest he arouse suspicion.

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