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The Stark Expo was run by Stark Industries, but it wasn't entirely about that company. Anita Stark only acted as the main organiser of the expo. Apart from her, other companies were present at the expo with their best products.
Today's event was an opportunity for all American companies to show themselves and their best inventions, attract investors and promote projects.
Officially, the exhibition will open tomorrow at noon for everyone, but tonight was a private show. It was attended by the main representatives of companies with their best projects and the most wealthy strata of American society - millionaires and multi-billionaires.
Young companies were looking for sponsors for their projects, and the bigwigs were looking for opportunities for a profitable contribution. A kind of symbiosis was formed.
Of course, as the main organiser, Anita Stark had the best seats at this exhibition. The new products of Stark Industries were in full view. After a change in domestic policy, Anita's company stopped producing armaments and replaced them with civilian products. Electronics and building materials were the new products of Stark Industries.
From the military sphere of production remained a little, elements of armoured personal protection and ground and air transport. Stark has completely changed, giving the market of military technology to its former competitor, Hammer Industries. "Stark Industries entered the civilian and construction industry, taking most of the major industrial companies as competitors.
- Hera, look what a multifunctional refrigerator, - trying to interest her daughter Norma pointed with her free hand at one of the new products of Stark company.
- Aha," the girl replied emotionlessly without taking her eyes off her phone.
Norma sighed regretfully, all of her daughter's attention given to the phone. All attempts to interest Hera in something were hopelessly failed. The woman looked around, searching with her eyes for the main star of the show, Anita Stark.
Anita was found near her main exhibit. The red-haired girl was surrounded by a huge crowd of visitors, she presented them an electric car produced by her company. The car was by all parameters better than the competitors' cars and after the start of mass production nobody had any doubts that Stark Industries electric car would become very popular.
Norma took her daughter by the hand and moved closer to listen to Anita's presentation. The girl spoke eloquently and with a dose of smugness about all the possibilities of her main product. The confidence in Stark's voice did not cause any doubts about the presented parameters of the car.
The presentation ended and after answering a few questions, Anita moved off the stage on a wheelchair. The audience admiring her presentation was left to look at the electric car. Norma decided to take the chance to talk to Stark face to face. In the new realities of the company, Osborne and Stark could work together in a complementary way.
After waiting for a while, Osborne followed the red-haired girl with her daughter.
The electric car at this show was the highlight of Stark Industries this year. Anita had decided to present it herself. A lot of effort and time was spent on the creation of the car. We had to sign contracts with many companies to get all the necessary parts, Stark Industries only dealt with the electronic component.
- Did I do well? - Anita smiled relaxedly, leaning back in her chair.
- Not bad," the mercenary replied briefly.
August wasn't dressed in his typical costume today. Stark had forced him to change into a presentable-looking three-piece suit. This suit cost over forty thousand dollars combined with the shoes. The mercenary was surprised when he learnt the price of the rags he was wearing. He had an idea to sell the suit given by Anita later and get a couple of tens of thousands of dollars.
- Hello Miss Stark, my name is Norma Osborne, and this is my daughter Hera Osborne, - a couple of black-haired women approached the resting Anita, the older of them politely introduced herself and smiled, and the younger put her phone away and stared at the blond-haired man standing next to Stark.
Hera's eyes flashed with surprise, followed by interest mixed with inexplicable attraction. The young man's exotic appearance interested young Osborne.
August's appearance was very attractive, even Norma couldn't help but cast a few glances at Stark's companion.
- Your companion has a fine appearance Miss Stark," Norma smiled and walked a little closer, about to kiss Augustus' hand.Glancing at the woman, the mercenary quickly processing the information in his head saw the elder Osborn approach him in slow motion and how she was looking at his hand.
- What are you going to do? - Augustus asked Norma coldly, realising that she was about to kiss his hand. The local feminine gesture of greeting men in the high society circles of this world. And, of course, the mercenary did not like this gesture. After the question, he folded his hands in a lock on his chest, blocking Ozborn's opportunity for a kiss of his hand.
- Mrs Osborne, August is my bodyguard and he is unnerved by close contact with strangers, please refrain from doing so," Anita stopped Norma.
- I read in the news about your male bodyguard, but frankly I thought it was a media fabrication," the elder Osborne stopped approaching August. - Miss Stark, I have a few suggestions for your company. I'd like to discuss them with you privately, face to face.
- Medical equipment? - Anita asked absentmindedly, interested.
"Ozcorp was a large multinational pharmacological company, a joint co-operation with Norma could support Stark Industries in a new trade area.
- Right," Norma nodded her head.
- August/Hera I'll be right back," Anita and Norma said at the same time and then looked at each other and smiled.
- Are you sure you don't need an escort? - The mercenary asked quietly, leaning over to the red-haired girl in the chair.
- I brought something with me, you remember, no need to worry," Anita replied quietly and went to the wheelchair, Norma following her.
- Can I help you Miss Stark? - The black-haired woman asked politely.
- No need, I'm doing fine on my own.
The two women went to Stark's private office, while August stayed with the black-haired young woman. The business conversation was likely to drag on, so the mercenary decided not to wait for the women to return soon and went to the banquet hall. He was going to drink some wine and eat some expensive snacks while he had free time.
Heading towards the banquet hall, Augustus squinted his eyes and looked at the Osborn daughter following him. The girl silently followed him into the banquet hall.
- Why are you clinging to me? - The mercenary asked without slowing down. The question reached its destination, and Hera smirked, blushing slightly.
- Are you really Stark's bodyguard, or are you just warming her bed?
- Are you really Norma Osborn's daughter, or are you just pretending to be? - The mercenary answered in the same manner, not a little offended by the younger Osborn's question.
- Pfft, what a rude man," Hera said with a wry look on her face.
- You don't pay me to be polite to you.
August reached the banquet hall and found a seat in the far corner. Hera sat down next to him, not about to leave the mercenary alone.
- Why are you sticking to me like a bath sheet, go play somewhere else," August waved his hand.
- You're only a few years older than me," the girl grinned, "I'm much older than you.
- I am much older than you.
- Don't lie to me, you don't look more than twenty-two, - Hera moved closer to the table. - I'm curious, do you dye your hair yourself or is it white from birth? And that stylish patch over your right eye, why do you need it?
The mercenary didn't answer anything and stopped paying attention to the spoilt girl. Hera continued to talk to August, but seeing his indifference, she tempered her fervour and took out her phone. The man thought that the younger Osborne had finally calmed down, but she hadn't. The phone's camera emitted a distinctive flash.
- Did you just take a picture of me?
- Why, do you mind? - Hera asked cheekily and took another picture.
August had run out of patience, so to get his attention she decided to take a picture of the man on her phone. He was annoyed by the phone's camera flashes and after another click, the mercenary made a sudden movement with his hand and snatched the phone out of Osborn's hands.
- Hey! Give it back! - The girl jumped up, attracting the attention of the people around her.
- If you take another picture of me, I'll break your phone," the mercenary smiled bloodily.
Hera's cheeks flushed, taking her phone from the man's hands, she tried to look away to hide her embarrassment. August's fleeting smile proved too crushing for the young girl. Though the smile was bloodthirsty, it looked attractive in its own way on the mercenary's graceful face.
The younger Osborne couldn't stand it and took another picture to capture that smile in her phone's memory.
- I told you so," August snatched Hera's phone after the photo and squeezed it mercilessly in his hand, turning the expensive smartphone into rubbish.
The rest of the meal went on in complete silence. Having lost her phone, the black-haired girl sitting next to her simply watched the man and blushed occasionally.
August finished the bottle of wine he had taken and got up from the table. He told Hera that he was going to go to the bathroom. In fact, he used it as an excuse to escape from the spoilt girl's company.The mercenary left the expo and went to the park adjacent nearby. The main building of the Stark Expo was surrounded on all sides by a park, and behind the park was a high fence. August walked along the fence, going to check the perimeter. He had a walkie-talkie hanging on his belt, so if Anita got free early, she would contact him through it.
Once the fence was all the way round, the mercenary sat down on a park bench and lifted his head, gazing up at the dark starry sky. After a couple of minutes, he was distracted from gazing at the stars by the soft smell of floral perfume and tart tobacco. He lowered his gaze and came across a white-haired, scarlet-eyed beauty standing ten metres away from him.
The girl paid no attention to the mercenary sitting on the bench. She was holding a cigarette with one hand and watching something on her phone with the other.
The girl's beauty was comparable to that of the red-haired Stark, so August involuntarily glanced at the blond beauty. He liked her too much, everything this girl had going for her. A good face and a nice figure along with the right clothes.
[Assignment received!
Light knight saves the dark queen.
Description: Save a blonde stranger from an attack by unknown assailants.
Reward: Poison Creation level 4]
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