Phantom Kid in the World of American Comics

George walked out of an exhibition hall with a tired expression on his face.

He had searched every jewelry exhibition organizer, but none of them had received Kid’s teaser letter.

The hot sun shone on George’s body, but his heart was icy.

Reluctantly, he took out Kid’s teaser letter. Now, he is completely clueless about the victim, and could only get useful information by deciphering the riddle.

”Hmm?”

Suddenly, George noticed that something was wrong.

When the blazing sunlight shone on the card, it seemed to have changed. But when he looked more closely again, it seemed that nothing had changed at all.

”Does it change at a specific angle?”

He pointed the card at the sun and kept adjusting the angle.

Finally, a gold pattern appeared on the four sides of the card, which looked like some kind of strange symbol.

When the angle of the card changed again, the mysterious symbols disappeared.

”I have to tell Bob this news quickly.”

George thought so, and intended to dial Bob’s phone, but did not expect that before taking out the phone, the phone rang already, and it was Bob who called.

”George, I have the idea to crack the teaser letter!”

After opening the first chapter of “The Key of Solomon”, Bob revealed a triumphant smile, and then rushed back to the pen store without stopping, while calling George’s phone.

At the news, George’s face was full of joy.

”Bob, asking you for help was really the right thing to do, but I have also made a new discovery.”

”Oh? Is it about the person who received the Kid teaser letter?”

”No, not that, it’s just …”

George told Bob about the card in the sunlight and the mysterious symbol pattern.

Just after listening to George’s words, Bob laughed.

”Sure enough, George, I was right! Look at that symbol, is it like this one?”

Bob sent a picture to George’s personal email.

”Yes, it’s exactly like that you have.”

”That’s actually a symbol commonly used in alchemy. It doesn’t matter what it represents, I think Phantom Kid is just reminding us to use knowledge in alchemy.”

”It seems you are very confident in your interpretation. Now, stop hinting at me and quickly tell me what these avalanches and earthquakes really mean.”

George urged.

”George, we actually misunderstood the concepts. The meaning of those six disasters themselves, or what they represent, actually does not matter at all!”

Bob said with astonishment.

”The devil with a fake smile holds the Golden Fleece

Who knows that the punishment under the moon is coming

Avalanches, hurricanes, riots, earthquakes, festers, sandstorms

When the six disasters come together

I will take back the badge of honor that does not belong to you”

”The key to solving the mystery is actually the legend of King Solomon, the so-called hypocritical devil, which actually refers to the fact that Solomon is apparently a wise king full of wisdom, but in reality, he is making a deal with the devil.”

”The Solomon seal is also known as the six-pointed star. The following deliberately mentioned the number six actually implies that we have to think in the direction of Solomon.”

”And the message that really contains Kid’s actions are all in those six disasters.”

George kept listening in confusion.

”Didn’t you just say that the meaning of the six disasters is not important, how come you are now saying that the real message is hidden in them?”

”You may not believe it when you say it, but it’s true, the puzzle Kid gave us this time is actually very simple, he told us the only answer in the teaser letter from the beginning.”

”That is, in the phrase “When the six disasters come together,” you need just to gather them, literally.”

Hearing this, George seemed to get it, and without Bob continuing, he began to decipher it himself with uncertainty.

”You mean he actually just wants us to bring together the initials of those six disasters, avalanches, gales, riots, earthquakes, ulcers, sandstorms?”

”That is, agreus?”

Bob agreed, “Yes, it’s that simple, Agreus is the Greek word which is thought to be the source of the name Agreas, the second of Solomon’s seventy-two pillars of magic, Agares.”

”But what information do we gain by knowing that it refers to Agreas?”

”This brings us to the alchemical symbols on Kid’s card. In the numerical order of the practice of gold, Agares is the third rotator of Leo, which means that the time when Phantom Kid strikes is the third week of Leo, that is, between August 6 and August 13.”

”And because Agares is the second in the rank of the 72 demon gods, the correct time would be the night of August 8.”

”August 8 … I remember there should be no official jewelry exhibition to be right.”

George recalled for a moment and frowned.

”Don’t forget there’s a charity gala that day.”

Bob reminded him

”You mean, Wilson Fisk? Phantom Kid had his eye on him?”

”That’s right, we all know Fisk’s true identity. We are just suffering from the lack of evidence to take off his mask yet. He is the largest underworld emperor in the United States, a bright and shiny philanthropist. Comparing him to Solomon is quite precise.”

Bob also did not forget to praise Kid for the accuracy of his wording.

”The “Golden Fleece” and the “Badge of Honor” actually both refer to one thing: the Dresden green diamond that was set on the Golden Fleece badge. After all, its first owner was precisely one of the members of the Knights of the Golden Fleece.”

”Such a glorious honor certainly does not belong to Kingpin.”

After Bob finished explaining the full information of the teaser letter, George was in a difficult position.

After all, this matter involved the Kingpin, and the slightest mistake could trigger huge trouble.

Moreover, this explains why no one had so far reported that they had received a teaser from Kid. It is because Kingpin was the kind of being who could not possibly cooperate with the police.

”I’m going to the Wilson Charitable Foundation right now.”

No matter how much hate he had towards Kingpin, George was still determined to do his duty.

He was an extremely rigid and rule-following person, so even if Phantom Kid wanted to steal from Kingpin, he would not sit idly by.

Because the Dresden Green Diamond was bought by Kingpin using legal means. Unlike what Daggett did, Kingpin did not persecute the original owner, he managed to have a proper transaction.

Then legally, George must stop Phantom Kid’s attempt to rob him.

”George, in fact, I think that we do not need to intervene in such matters.”

Bob and George’s mindset is different. Many of the CIA’s secret jobs can be done in cooperation with certain criminals, things like blackmailing. Bob was okay with such things.

But unfortunately, George’s stubbornness would not allow him to do so.