"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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