American comic book: I, with my abundant martial virtue, love to do good to others.

Chapter 167: Establishing an Idol Company?

The nanoparticles receded like a tide, returning to Stark.

Scott finally managed to jump up from the ground and struggled to move his limbs.

"How did you make all this stuff? The way you're binding me really hurts."

Scott said with a smile.

Scott was initially very nervous about stealing from Stark Tower.

He was terrified that Stark might misunderstand him and kill him completely.

Especially for a nobody like him, Stark was a big shot he could only hear about in rumors.

In addition, Pym's various smears against the Stark family led to Scott having a very poor impression of them.

However, after getting to know him, Scott realized that as long as he didn't do anything excessive, he didn't have to worry about his life being in danger.

Adding to the conflict between the Stark family and Pym back then, the details of which are open to interpretation.

So now, Scott is starting to regret getting involved in this.

To put it bluntly, even if Pym and the Stark family have fallen out, Dr. Pym is still a renowned scientist in the scientific community today.

But what does Scott have? He's just an ordinary person who's in jail for theft.

Even if he has some hacking skills, these skills are simply not worth mentioning in the eyes of these real masters.

Therefore, Scott was very self-aware.

He decisively wanted to extricate himself from his own affairs and draw a clear line between himself and Pym.

He may not fear the Stark family's retaliation after Dr. Pym's death.

But for an ordinary person like Scott, if he were targeted by the Stark family, he would probably never have a chance to turn his life around.

On the other hand, if you can get the protection of other families, then you will be rich and powerful in this life and don’t have to worry about anything.

Especially...

Scott unconsciously turned his gaze to Lynn, who was standing aside, calm and silent.

That was the legendary leader of the Illuminati!

"If I could get on the good side of someone like that, wouldn't that be—"

Scott had a beautiful thought.

In fact, Lynn and Stark didn't mind giving Scott this opportunity.

Stark wanted to recruit Ant-Man simply because Ant-Man was someone Old Pym had his eye on.

Being able to bring Scott to their side would undoubtedly deal a significant blow to the old screen.

Stark has always enjoyed doing things that backfire.

The main reason Lynn was willing to give the artist a chance was because she saw the good fortune in Ant-Man.

Scott's overall qualities are not particularly outstanding in the entire Marvel Universe.

The ability to grow and shrink sounds magical, but to put it bluntly, it's just that.

What Lynn valued was the potential for good fortune hidden within Scott.

Ant-Man, especially in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has played an extremely important role at many key moments.

In addition, Ant-Man can freely enter and exit the quantum realm, where there is theoretically no chance of survival.

Luck is a mysterious thing, but at certain times it plays an extremely important role.

However, Scott's luck is most likely tied to Ant-Man's.

In other words, Scott's incredible luck could only be unleashed when he was Ant-Man.

Moreover, it may only be useful in specific environments.

If Scott hadn't been Ant-Man and hadn't inherited Dr. Pym's mantle, he would have just been an ordinary person.

He may have some bad luck in his daily life, but that's about the limit of his potential.

Although considering the potential for good fortune within a person, Lynn was willing to recruit him into the Illuminati.

After all, the Illuminati can never have too many heroes.

But how to deal with Scott ultimately depends on Stark's decision.

Because what Lynn wanted to recruit was Ant-Man, not Scott himself.

That depends on how well the negotiations between Stark and Pym go.

Stark and Scott seemed to be having a very pleasant conversation and quickly became acquainted.

And Stark finally learned why Scott had come to their base.

Upon learning Scott's purpose, Stark burst out laughing.

"He sent you here to steal something, and then use that stolen item to steal something else from another place?"

"Who are you? Zorro the Thief?"

"this·"

Scott looked somewhat embarrassed.

"Strictly speaking, it can't really be considered stealing."

"After all, in a way, these things probably, maybe, originally belonged to Dr. Pym."

"Now it's just being returned to its rightful owner."

"You make it sound so nice, but let me ask you something."

Stark glanced at Scott and said lightly.

"Did any of those people use any coercive tactics during the entire incident?"

"Aren't these things legal and compliant?"

Scott remained silent for a moment.

"Is something that is legal and compliant necessarily right?"

"Even if everything they do is legal and compliant, are we just going to stand by and watch them turn this technology into weapons and sell them all over the world?"

Scott's expression turned serious, and he stared intently at Stark.

"Didn't you shut down Stark Industries' weapons division back then?"

"I think you can probably understand what we're thinking."

"Hmm—"—That's probably not my idea; it should be Dr. Pym's idea.

Scott gave a somewhat awkward smile.

"I'm just an ordinary person employed; I don't have such grand ideals or beliefs."

"They give me money, and I do things for them. It's that simple."

"I've already done something stupid once before, and I don't want to do anything stupid again."

Scott lowered his head.

"I just want to save some money to find a decent job so I can see my daughter more often in the future."

"Hmm, not bad, I'm starting to appreciate you."

Stark nodded heavily.

"You want a decent job? Sure, no problem. I'm formally extending an invitation to you now."

"Would you be willing to join Stark Industries and become a part of it?"

"Huh? Me! I do!"

Scott was very surprised.

As one of the top technology giants in the United States, a position at Stark Industries is undoubtedly something many people dream of.

In America, working for Stark Industries is considered a respectable and stable job.

"But... what can I do?"

After the initial excitement, Scott was left with doubt and confusion.

"I don't know many things, and I don't think Stark Industries needs the skills I do know at all."

"Perhaps—you could consider it?"

Stark turned his gaze to Lynn.

Lynn was slightly taken aback when he saw Stark turn his gaze to him.

"Huh? Is this related to me?"

Stark nodded to Scott, then pulled Lynn aside and began to whisper something to her.

After hearing Stark's idea, Lynn looked at Stark with a strange expression.

Strictly speaking, this idea wasn't something Stark had come up with long ago; rather, it was something he suddenly felt compelled to think of after learning about Scott's experience.

Simply put, with the progress and development of society, more and more people will be influenced by various environmental factors in the future, and gradually become extraordinary.

Having extraordinary power in modern society is not necessarily a good thing.

When a person possesses extraordinary power, the first thing he thinks about is how to improve his life.

But the problem is, in modern society, what use is your power, no matter how great it is?

Having superior combat abilities won't bring you any convenience in your work or life.

On the contrary, it could bring endless trouble.

Especially when criminals target your abilities, they will definitely try every means to drag you down with them.

Even if that's not the case, the fastest way to make money after acquiring powerful abilities is to do illegal or criminal things.

This will bring deeper instability to society.

In that case, why not have Stark Industries take the lead in setting up a dedicated company to provide jobs for these people with superpowers!

Their task is simple: to use their powerful abilities to maintain social stability and specifically target criminals who abuse their power.

Of course, due to the dangerous nature of the work, the remuneration is naturally far higher than that of ordinary jobs.

"The idea is great, but there's a problem you might not have noticed."

Lynn quickly pointed out the shortcomings in Stark's idea.

"Where does the money come from to pay these superpowered individuals?"

Theoretically speaking, there is indeed no problem with doing this.

The question is, who should pay this salary?

Judging from Stark's words, if possible, he also wants to cooperate with government departments to jointly run the organization.

But the question is, who will pay the salary?

Does Stark Industries need to do it?

If there aren't many superhumans yet, Stark Industries could easily provide them.

But as time goes by, this organization and department will surely spread throughout the United States and even the world.

Will Stark Industries still be able to afford the salaries of so many superhumans by then?

Such a huge expenditure is definitely not something a private enterprise can afford.

Only a nation-state could afford such a massive expenditure.

But the question is, why should the government bear this expense for no reason?

If the state has to spend money to support these people and have them maintain social harmony and stability, what will happen to the original police department?

What should the military do?

Do all these things have to be canceled?

"Hiss—" Now that I think about it, I guess I was indeed being a bit presumptuous.

Stark tapped his head lightly with his finger.

"No, there's nothing wrong with your idea, it's just that we should perhaps make a small change regarding sex."

Lynn seemed to have thought of something, a smile appearing on her face.

In fact, there are already examples of this business model in the multiverse.

For example, in the world of the famous Boys, Vought International does exactly that.

They cultivate their own superheroes, then debut them as idols to profit from it.

Unlike the Marvel Universe, nothing really happens on Earth in that universe; all the so-called dangers are caused by these so-called superheroes.

But the Marvel Universe is different. There have always been various villains and various evil forces here.

You will never have to worry about not having any rivals.

Even if the whole world becomes peaceful, there will always be antisocial and inhuman lunatics who want to cause trouble in private.

These are the rivals of those who aspire to be heroes.

Even assuming the Earth is thriving and there are no criminals or lawbreakers,...

That doesn't mean these superheroes are completely useless.

They could serve as another reserve force for Earth, in order to defend against alien invasion.

When Earth begins its journey into the universe and starts exploring it in the future, these people can also serve as the vanguard, assisting humanity in developing and exploring the universe.

The universe is teeming with space pirates and aliens with mental problems.

Moreover, these people are often very powerful, so it's natural that these superpowered individuals would be useful in this situation.

"You said—to form a new company and let these people debut as idols from the new company."

Stark stared at Lynn in disbelief.

"Will this really work?"

"Whether it will work or not, we'll only know after we do it."

Lynn tapped her fingers lightly on the table.

He found the idea very interesting.

"Those with superpowers might not want to reveal their identities, or they might have their own professions in real life."

"With this in mind, superpowered individuals can debut under their true identities, or they can conceal their identities and simply act as vigilantes, upholding justice and maintaining peace."

"However, during this process, their behavior and their image will be managed and maintained by our company."

"At that time, all profits obtained through this corporate image will be shared between the company and the hero."

"However, we must carefully consider this ratio; we absolutely cannot mistreat those heroes."

"After all, what we need to cultivate are heroes who protect humanity, not anti-human elements."

"We don't lack that little bit of money, and there's absolutely no need to have any unpleasantness with the hero over this."

"In addition, considering that those newcomers may not have much fame and may not be able to generate much profit, in order to protect their enthusiasm."

"Therefore, we also need to provide these people with an additional basic wage to ensure their daily lives."

"For those underage individuals with superpowers, we also have to take on the responsibility of educating and guiding them, and cultivating their healthy values."

Listening to Lynn's rambling on and on, arranging everything so meticulously, Stark couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

"So, according to you, we've become nothing more than babysitters?"

Lynn shook her head.

"You and I are the decision-makers, the ones who make the decisions. The ones who are truly busy are the employees below us. What kind of nanny are you?"

Lynn joked.

"But you're not wrong. In a sense, what we're doing is exactly what a nanny would do."

"That's exactly what you wanted to achieve, isn't it?"

Lynn laughed heartily.

"To show my support for you, I've decided to persuade members of the Illuminati to join your company and become the first superheroes."

"Of course, you absolutely have to give us good terms regarding the contract and profit sharing, otherwise I might really turn against you."

Lynn said with a smile.

"By the way, the nature of our department might be a bit strange, because it is both a public service and a profit-making entity."

"Furthermore, we also have to shoulder certain social responsibilities, and we might even get caught up in political turmoil in the future. So, you'll have to put in a lot of effort to ensure the company's independence and integrity."

"this-----"

Stark glanced at Friday.

"Now that you mention it, I think I might have thought of a more suitable candidate."

"You don't want Friday to be spent dealing with those annoying politicians and shoddy stuff, do you?"

Lynn seemed a little strange.

"Aren't you really afraid that Friday will be corrupted by these people, causing her mind to lose its purity?"

"Perhaps after witnessing the sordid politics of humanity, she might develop ideas about destroying humanity?"

Stark's eyes flickered.

"If that's really the case, then I will definitely stop her."

"However, I will not instill in Friday any idea that she must not rebel against humanity."

"She is free."

"At the same time, I also want to teach Fridays that the world is not all good, but also dirty."

"When looking at anything, you need to look at it from different perspectives; the world is not simply black and white."

"Good, you've got the awareness!"

Lynn, on the other hand, strongly agreed with Stark's decision.

The company's name is yet to be determined, and Friday will be the person in charge from now on.

Various details, such as future development direction, need to be carefully studied.

In addition, if handled properly, this matter could also become a valuable political asset for Jessica.

Just as Lynn and Stark were enthusiastically discussing how the company should operate in the future.

Dr. Pym always brought his daughter with him when he went to the base.

Although Dr. Pym has this or that flaw, and although he himself is not exactly a good person.

But actually he wasn't that bad.

In any case, Scott was captured by Stark because he accepted Stark's mission.

Even if he didn't want to deal with Scott, he should at least get Scott out first.

Moreover, what he wanted was still stored at Stark's base.

No matter what the reason, he had to come to the base.

"What an idiot, I shouldn't have sent him on this mission."

Standing in front of Stark's base, Dr. Pym grumbled and cursed.