"Finally, a call. I thought he had forgotten about me." Daniel Davis felt a wave of relief after hanging up the call from Happy. Stark had a history of such things; Daniel had only waited a few days, but Killian had once waited on a cold rooftop all night.
After the call, Daniel started packing his things because someone would come to take him to meet Stark soon. For the negotiations to go smoothly, he needed to prepare.
Shortly, a man in a bodyguard uniform rang the doorbell, saying he was there to pick up Daniel.
Daniel wasn't Spider-Man, so he didn't get the VIP treatment from Happy himself.
"This doesn't seem like we're going to Stark Industries. Could we be heading to Stark's mansion?" Tony Stark had many mansions and even several private islands worldwide, but his most important residence seemed to be the beachside mansion in California.
Daniel hadn't delved deeply into Stark's background. A simple check was understandable as preparation for meeting him, but excessive investigation would arouse suspicion.
With Stark's AI system, JARVIS, over-inquisitiveness could easily be detected.
Don't think hackers are invincible. They might seem impressive, hacking into the Department of Defense today, the FBI tomorrow, or the military, but that's just on the surface.
Most hackers are in it for the money. If it were so easy to hack into top-secret facilities, like national research labs or big companies like Stark Industries, they wouldn't have to work so hard to sell information.
Obtaining something like the manufacturing blueprints for Stark Industries' weaponry would fetch an astronomical price. They could even hack banks for money transfers, which would be faster and safer than robbing a bank directly.
The reason there aren't many hackers isn't due to some hacker code of ethics, though that might restrain some. Ultimately, some people will do anything for money.
The reason they don't do these things is that they can't, or even if they could, they'd easily get caught.
Besides personal skill, a hacker's equipment is crucial. Compared to state-level or corporate-level resources, individual hackers' gear is vastly inferior.
Moreover, states and companies have their powerful hackers.
If someone were found collecting information on Stark, the FBI or S.H.I.E.L.D. would soon be knocking on their door.
Manhattan.
The car soon arrived at a lavish, expansive mansion in Manhattan, with Happy standing at the gate.
"I wonder if Coulson needs to be checked when he meets Stark." Daniel thought this as he was checked at the gate. After the check, Happy led Daniel into the mansion.
There weren't many bodyguards outside the mansion, which was normal. Given Tony's style, he would rely on electronic security and JARVIS. Unless someone attempted a direct assault, sneaking in unnoticed would be impossible.
"Hello, Mr. Stark." Once inside, Daniel was surprised to find himself directly in Stark's lab. Pepper Potts was also present.
"Just in time. Can you tell me how you did this?" Stark asked immediately, pointing to a red vial on the table. He seemed very curious about it.
"It's hard to explain all at once, Mr. Stark. Why don't you tell me what confuses you the most?" Daniel suggested.
"Alright." With a wave of Stark's hand, a holographic image of the red vial's composition appeared between them. Pointing to some areas, Stark asked, "How did you combine so many functions?"
The potion Daniel made was effective both internally and externally.
"I used all traditional Chinese medicine ingredients, which I assume you're somewhat familiar with, Mr. Stark." Daniel explained after a moment's thought.
At Kamar-Taj, besides learning magic, Daniel had also studied traditional Chinese medicine, thanks to the Ancient One. With the abilities of the Op-Op Fruit, Daniel's proficiency in traditional Chinese medicine had soared. He had become a well-known doctor in the area around Kamar-Taj through free clinics, gaining practical experience.
If someone investigated Daniel, they'd likely conclude he had been studying medicine in Kathmandu for those two years.
The red potion was created by Daniel using the Op-Op Fruit to combine various traditional Chinese medicines. The biggest challenge in traditional Chinese medicine is understanding the properties of the herbs, which was the easiest part for someone with the Op-Op Fruit's abilities.
"Wait, what do you mean by mutual reinforcement and restraint?" Stark interrupted when Daniel explained terms like mutual reinforcement, mutual restraint, mutual inhibition, and guide drugs.
"It's like neutralizing agents in chemistry," Daniel clarified.
Even after the explanation, Stark still seemed to not fully grasp it. However, perhaps to avoid appearing ignorant, he nodded as if he understood.
Westerners often struggle to understand Chinese concepts, much like how Chinese food undergoes significant changes when it enters the Western world. They even add milk, ice, and sugar to tea, treating it like coffee, which some find hard to believe.
"I think I get it. Name your price, I want to buy it." After Daniel's explanation, Stark got straight to the point.
"Given the market potential of this product, I'm here to discuss a partnership, not to sell the formula. I'll contribute the technology and take a 51% stake; the rest will be yours, but you'll run the company." Daniel stated his bottom line directly.
"Ten billion dollars for a buyout." Stark responded bluntly, "Stark Industries will never let anyone else hold a controlling stake."
Unlike other publicly traded companies, Stark Industries had always maintained absolute control, even during its most dangerous times, with Stark holding 51% of the shares.
Other companies attempting this might go bankrupt, but Stark Industries was different. Howard Stark wasn't just a genius scientist but also one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., unlike Hank Pym, whose social skills were lacking.
Consider the treatment of Hank Pym, the inventor of the Pym Particles, and Anton Vanko, and compare it to Howard's achievements—it's night and day.
Had Howard not been assassinated, Stark Industries' achievements would have been even greater.
"The effects of this product are well known to Ms. Potts, who has used it. Ten billion dollars is far too low. If word of this product's effects got out, there would be countless investors lining up. I'm here because I trust you, Mr. Stark. Otherwise, I could find other investors."
Daniel had a good impression of Tony Stark, but in the world of capital, control is crucial. He wasn't about to give it up.
"How about this: we'll take 51% of the shares and compensate you with ten billion dollars," Pepper suggested.
"Sorry, what I mentioned before was my bottom line. This condition is because of my trust in Mr. Stark. If it were someone else, the conditions would be different. If we can't agree, let's leave it at that. Consider the vial a gift for Ms. Potts. Goodbye." Daniel said, preparing to leave.
"Wait a minute." Pepper pulled Stark aside, seemingly to discuss something. Taking the opportunity, Daniel glanced around the lab. Though not Stark's main lab, it was still top-notch.
"We agree to your terms, but we have some conditions," Pepper said as she and Stark returned. She laid out their conditions.
"Alright, I agree." Daniel considered Pepper's conditions briefly before agreeing. If it had been Stark, he might have refused, but Pepper had used the potion and knew its market potential. She couldn't let the opportunity slip away.
Pepper's condition was simple: the new company would not merge with Stark Industries but be an independent entity. This way, there would be no impact on Stark Industries. As for staffing, it was easy; there were professional managers everywhere.
"By the way, you mentioned you came to me first because you trust me. What do you mean?" Stark asked.
"It's simple. If it were anyone else, I probably wouldn't leave here alive. But you, Mr. Stark, wouldn't do that."
Daniel's words made Stark very happy; it was a backhanded compliment.
"Are you interested in working for my company after you graduate?"
"We'll see after I graduate."
For Stark, it was easy to find out Daniel was about to attend Empire State University, where Stark Industries had many scholarship programs.
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Read Ahead
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"Yes, I'm a billionaire too!" Upon being dropped off at his home by Happy, Daniel Davis couldn't help but excitedly pump his fist into the air as soon as he stepped inside.
Overnight wealth—it was that simple. Although it was worlds apart from Stark's fortune, compared to most people, he was definitely a wealthy man now. Of course, all this would take about a month to materialize.
Launching a new product, especially something like a health supplement which is essentially a drug, is extremely complex. It requires multiple rounds of testing to ensure it's harmless to humans. This is about being responsible to the public.
Skipping these tests is impossible without a very powerful backer. Even then, at least a couple of short-term tests are mandatory.
In the US, there are stories of certain pharmaceutical companies rushing untested drugs to market. However, these are usually the actions of those desperate for quick success. Any issues with the drug would eventually surface, unless you plan to pull off a one-time scam and disappear. Otherwise, the consequences are inevitable.
Norman Osborn of Oscorp is the best example of this—injecting himself with an untested human enhancement drug, which resulted in personality disorder and the birth of the Green Goblin.
Rushing for success is a common flaw among scientists. Doc Ock's attempt to create an artificial sun and Umbrella Corporation's virus research all suffered due to this.
Umbrella's virus leaked not just because of Marcus's unexpected revival but also due to Spencer's constant pressure to complete the virus research quickly. Spencer wasn't unaware of the risks, but he was too old and running out of time.
Drug testing in the US has even given rise to a profession—professional drug testers. These people circulate among pharmaceutical companies, specifically testing new drugs.
Testing any kind of drug involves unpredictable risks, hence drug testers are paid handsomely.
This is for legitimate companies with ethical standards. Those less scrupulous or with ulterior motives make it extremely dangerous for drug testers, not to mention companies posing as drug testers while actually testing biochemical weapons.
Many of these are backed by the military. Dr. Banner's lab was researching super soldier serum for the military, trying to stabilize the serum's effects using gamma radiation, which resulted in the Hulk.
With global nuclear deterrence making large-scale wars difficult, the focus shifted to winning local conflicts with minimal resources. This research falls into two categories: creating enhanced soldiers or developing external armors, like Iron Man suits, jetpacks, and gliders.
Iron Man suits weren't Stark's original idea; there were already military companies researching this, such as Exploration Aerospace, Oscorp's biggest competitor.
Both Exploration Aerospace and Oscorp are secretly backed by the US military. However, the military isn't monolithic; personal preferences differ, with some favoring enhanced soldiers and others preferring enhanced armors.
The dominant faction's favored company receives greater military support and research funding.
Originally, Oscorp and Exploration Aerospace were neck-and-neck, but the Raccoon City incident led to many military leaders supporting enhanced soldiers stepping down. Naturally, Oscorp was abandoned by the military.
Except for a few madmen, nobody wants a biochemical virus turning people into zombies, not even HYDRA. If everyone is dead, whom would HYDRA rule over?
In such a scenario, it wouldn't be long before New Yorkers saw the Green Goblin flying everywhere. Unfortunately, Spider-Man was nowhere to be found.
Daniel wasn't worried about the Green Goblin. Unlike movies, reality wouldn't require Spider-Man to deal with him. The police, FBI, and S.H.I.E.L.D. weren't just decorations.
"No wonder Pepper Potts earned Stark's trust." At Stark's mansion, after deciding to collaborate, Daniel barely spoke to Stark anymore; he mostly dealt with Pepper.
From Pepper's series of plans based on the potion Daniel developed, a new commercial empire could be built, far beyond just women's health products.
They could enter the beverage market, alcohol industry, cosmetics, and more.
Pepper wasn't yet the CEO managing Stark Industries. Currently, Tony's uncle managed it, while Pepper was just Tony's secretary.
Once this new company was established, Pepper would become its lifelong CEO. This decision further improved Stark's impression of Daniel.
Tony hadn't realized his feelings for Pepper yet, but the fact that she was the only woman to stay by his side for years spoke volumes.
Other women never lasted more than a week around Tony.
Daniel left the company's matters to Pepper, surprising both her and Stark. In the world of capital, such trust is rare. Typically, someone giving up control like this would end up with nothing. Daniel's confidence in Stark and Pepper's integrity was a compliment.
"You can't get a better compliment than that."
"Looks like I can shut down my online store." With his own company, Daniel no longer needed to sell figurines online. He had met some psychologically troubled people through the figurines, including fans of serial killers.
Daniel's craftsmanship was exceptional, and he offered customization. Many fans of serial killers wanted custom figurines, which he refused. It baffled him—would these fans remain if the killer murdered their family?
"Wakanda, Vibranium, Heart-Shaped Herb." Looking at the online information about Wakanda, Daniel couldn't help but smile and shake his head. Like during the UN meetings, people doubted what an agricultural country could contribute to the world. Perhaps only the Ancient One knew the truth about Wakanda.
Vibranium and the Heart-Shaped Herb—Daniel wanted both. Many scientists had failed to develop enhancement drugs, but the Heart-Shaped Herb merely needed to be juiced and drunk for enhancement. Scientists would be outraged by this simplicity.
As for Vibranium, it fetched $10,000 per gram on the black market, and it was rarely available.
"Wakanda seems to have a shield. I don't know if it can block teleportation, but their technology is very advanced. Better to be prepared before going. First, I'll create an Ant-Man suit. Looks like I'll need to borrow some things from HYDRA again. Don't blame me."
Thinking of the Heart-Shaped Herbs that were burned, Daniel felt it was a great pity.
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Read Ahead
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