American comic book: God among men, Saiyan-Kryptonian hybrid

Chapter 20 Natasha's Analysis, Arctic.

"If Tony were still alive, your product would definitely scare him. I really want to see his surprised face."

After hanging up the phone, Bulma heard Pepper Potts' voice behind her, slowly walking to her side with a sense of mourning for the deceased.

"what are these?"

Pepper Potts asked curiously.

What comes into view is a world map covered with photos: deserts, grasslands, wilderness, open fields, an endless Gobi Desert, and a vast, boundless sea.

There are elegant graduation photos of students receiving their degrees, and there are also lonely ships dancing in the gale-force winds during a tsunami.
But the photo placed in the very center is from the morning when she first met a boy, next to a haystack on a wheat farm.
"An adventure from the past."

Bulma's words are filled with wistful reminiscence, the innocent confusion of two naive children, a journey without end, and a destined encounter.
"Carrot El?"

Pepper Potts had already guessed who the man in the photo was.

I must say, he's actually quite handsome.

"Ah."

Bulma nodded and looked at her with a smile:
"So, after seeing the great prospects of our company, are you interested in coming back to be my assistant?"

Upon hearing this, Pepper Potts was momentarily at a loss for words and could only manage an awkward laugh.

To be honest, it's impossible not to be completely unmoved.

When the boss dies, the employees get a new boss; that's only natural.

But somehow, before she could actually see Tony Stark's body, Pepper Potts still clung to a last glimmer of hope.

This is also why she has never left Stark Industries.

Even after Obadiah took over, those whom Tony had previously relied on were promoted in name only, while in reality they were being sidelined.

"Please believe me, I was indeed tempted just now, but thank you for your kindness anyway."

Pepper Potts waved her hand apologetically, but still frankly declined Bulma's offer.

"Oh, you rejected me so readily?"

Bulma was surprised and glanced at him sideways. She never expected that the arrogant playboy would have such a charming personality.
So, he's... won her over?

"I'm sorry, Bulma, your new assistant board member has already been chosen."

Just then, Hope Dane strolled in, her cool black high heels gleaming in the breeze.

Hope Dion, Hank Pym's daughter, who received Ant-Man training from a young age, is currently in charge of security for the core experiments along with Wanda.

Hank Pym and Britzfe are both getting old and have retired from active roles to enjoy their retirement.

With the two companies now merged, the handover of authority over the children has been tacitly completed.

Unlike Bulma, a wild child who doesn't like to get involved in things, Hope Dane is a strong, career-driven woman.

For this reason, the two of them can be said to have completely complemented each other's strengths and weaknesses.

With the addition of Carol El, the two elderly people could say they could retire in peace.

Bulma turned around in confusion, and Hope Dane walked in with two other women.

"Hello, Dr. Bulma. Natalie Rose is here to apply for the position of your assistant."

The blonde woman using the alias Natalie is none other than the infamous Black Widow, a secret agent.

Natasha glanced at the girls present and couldn't help but feel a little surprised.

Wow, why are there only women here?

Could this Carrot be the playboy type too? "Louise Lane, a reporter at the press conference, from the Daily Metropolis."

Unlike Natalie's alluring charm beneath her gentle beauty, Louise Lane's expression was noticeably more solemn.

She arranged a news interview purely through official channels.

However, both of them had the same goal: Carrot El.

Bulma looked them up and down. She had a strong impression of the reporter, so she greeted him first.
"Hello, I remember you. Is this an interview? I don't recall receiving any appointment from you?"

Louise Lane shook hands with Bulma, and as a veteran journalist, she naturally understood the industry norms and said:
"My appointment was placed in Mr. Al's account, but he wasn't online, so the company automatically transferred it to you."

Bulma's face darkened, and she nearly slapped herself on the forehead.
"Depend on!"

The next second, Natalie, also smiling, chimed in:

"My application was also submitted to Mr. Al, and after being accepted, I don't know how it was automatically assigned to me."

Hope Dane looked on with amusement; and to be honest, the antics between Bulma and Al were truly entertaining.

Bulma glared at her and pouted in annoyance: "You'd better change this program for me right now."

The next second, Bulma looked at Louise Lane with a somewhat helpless expression and replied:
“Alright, Miss Louise, since there is a procedural problem on our part, I can make an exception and agree to this interview, but I can only give you five minutes.”

"No problem, Dr. Bulma, thank you for your understanding."

Louise Lane's usually serious expression finally softened into a relaxed smile after hearing Bulma's answer. Using clever tricks to sneak into various venues is a common tactic among reporters.

"I only have one question to ask, which is about Mr. Al's whereabouts."

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Natasha looked at Louise Lane with surprise, a hint of astonishment flashing in the corner of her eye.

Was she also here for Carrotelle?

interesting.

Bulma paused for a moment, seemingly not expecting that this was the question she was asking. She had thought the other person would ask about some miscellaneous information about the development process of the Capsule of Miracles.

After scrutinizing the two for a while, Bulma silently stepped aside, making room for everyone and gesturing for them to look at the wall in front of them.

“I don’t know where he is right now, but he’s somewhere in these places.”

Louise Lane was stunned. She stared at the photos covering the entire wall and the huge world map hanging above, and for a moment she didn't know what to say.

"this?"

However, unlike Louise Lane's bewildered expression, Natasha's eyes quietly calmed down, and she cleared her mind.

For the world's top ace agents, that's enough.

As the eye moves across the scene, the location of each photograph corresponds to the map behind it.

For adventurers, there is no need to conquer places they have already been to.

The map above is very old, with countless line drawings outlining illogical yet ambiguous routes.

The process of elimination was based on the degree of wear and tear on the map and the photo frame hanging below.

The world is indeed vast, but wherever one goes, there must be a destination.

The area on the entire map with the highest degree of wear and tear, yet never appearing in the frame, is...
Natasha's gaze slowly settled on a pure white area at the very top of the map, the most difficult area to reach on the entire map, but also the one with the highest wear and tear.

That's the Arctic!
Thank you all for your comments. Eight out of ten people bet that I'd mess up the ending; that's quite an honor.
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(End of this chapter)