Extracurricular Assignment

Once Black Widow adjusted her classes and stopped talking about how to seduce men—or women—they were actually quite interesting. Her driving skills and use of all kinds of high-tech gadgets opened the trainees' eyes.

As Daisy was leaving the classroom, she heard someone calling her.

"Miss Johnson." Phil Coulson, a man with an honest-looking face who seemed more like a counselor than a teacher, greeted her from nearby.

People with kind faces were more likely to earn goodwill. Daisy could sense no hostility from him, so she stopped and walked toward the man who, in the original timeline, had seemed almost like a father to her.

She had changed the original course of events, so their relationship could no longer develop into the mutual trust and father-daughter-like bond they had shared in the original timeline. Still, Daisy knew Coulson was a good man—a genuinely kind one.

"Mr. Coulson, just call me Daisy. Is something wrong?"

Coulson smiled warmly. "All right, Daisy. I heard from the Director that you'll also be taking on some work?"

So they were assigning me a task already? She was a little displeased. Director Fury was far too impatient.

But remembering her promise, and how much studying at S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy had helped her, Daisy nodded and confirmed it.

"What kind of task?"

As though he had not noticed her dissatisfaction, Coulson calmly explained, "It's not really a task. You can think of it as coursework, if you like. Do you know Tony Stark?"

It would have been a little absurd for Daisy to claim she did not know someone so famous, so she nodded.

"Then do you know that his father, Howard Stark, was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders?"

Daisy could not figure out what he was getting at. Was there anyone within S.H.I.E.L.D. who did not know that piece of history? She could only keep nodding.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to understand Tony Stark's personality, methods of doing things, and research capabilities."

Daisy could not help asking, "You must have gathered piles of information on that already, right? You still need me to collect it?"

Coulson seemed to have expected her response and continued explaining evenly. "A person's personality can change. Our previous observations were all conducted in secret. For various reasons, Nick Fury hopes you can make contact with him this time, prepare a detailed analysis report, and provide a reference for future operations."

Coulson had made it very clear: she only needed to meet him and chat. Compared with the life-or-death battles she had faced, Daisy felt this really did not count as a mission.

Her Skye Data Analysis Company had gotten on track, and this week they were preparing to meet with Stark Industries executives. Nick Fury must have known that, which was why he had handed the assignment to her.

Daisy had not originally planned to attend the meeting, but now she could only change her plans.

"All right. I'll get in touch with Mr. Stark. I'll submit a report afterward."

Coulson handed her a set of car keys and bade her farewell with a smile.

Daisy returned to her room to get ready, changed into ordinary clothes, and told Sharon that she would be out for two days. Then she found her new ride in the underground parking garage.

A brand-new Chevrolet. In this world, Chevrolet seemed to have deep ties with S.H.I.E.L.D. As the saying went, not everyone who drove a Chevrolet was an agent, but every agent definitely drove a Chevrolet! She fastened her seat belt, floored the accelerator, and left S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy.

After returning to New York, she drove straight to the company.

After more than two months of development, Skye Data Analysis had begun to take shape and had earned a certain reputation within a small circle. This time, it had caught the attention of Obadiah, president of Stark Industries, who had requested a meeting. Their small company was putting all its effort into preparing for it.

James Wesley handled the daily management and external affairs. Spending every day among successful people made him feel like a fish in water.

The shut-in David Lieberman was still leading his small team in research and development, simplifying algorithms. Big data covered too many areas and involved too many vested interests. If she tried to scoop everything into her own bowl, she would be in great danger. Daisy had decided that the company's next major focus would be healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Only by securing that field could they remain invincible.

The legal team led by Matsumoto Maki was also developing steadily. Thanks to its abundant cash flow, the company had already won a lawsuit—a case accusing them of collecting citizens' information and violating privacy rights.

"Miss, you're back!" Matsumoto Maki, whose face had been tense, instantly broke into a smile when she saw Daisy enter.

"I've been keeping an eye on that guy. There haven't been any problems so far." She closed the door and secretly reported to Daisy. The "that guy" she meant was James Wesley, the former gang strategist and current company manager.

Daisy greatly appreciated Matsumoto Maki's loyalty and said they could go home together that evening and eat the "Chinese cuisine" she cooked.

Several people met in James's office and discussed the procedures for meeting with Stark Industries.

There was actually not much to discuss. The other side was a giant, while they were tiny shrimp. They were not even on the same level.

Still, James was thrilled that they had entered the sight of such a corporation, and he came up with several possible response plans.

Only then did he frown at Daisy. "You're planning to go dressed like that? Why not change into something more formal?"

Daisy also realized it was inappropriate. No one attended a business negotiation in jeans and canvas shoes. Even the wild and unruly Tony Stark wore a suit and tie in public.

After thinking it over, she realized she really could not refuse such a reasonable request. She gritted her teeth and agreed.

After the meeting, Matsumoto Maki went with her to buy formal clothing.

After trying on two skirts, Daisy nearly collapsed. In those pencil skirts and straight skirts, she could barely walk. She was terrified that if she exerted too much force, she would tear the skirt apart.

She immediately decided to wear dress pants instead. They were not as comfortable as tactical gear, but at least they were pants!

A white shirt, black blazer, and black dress pants. Daisy looked herself over in the mirror from front to back. No matter how she looked at it, this outfit made her look like an agent! Although she was an agent now, there was no need to announce it so openly.

To look less like an agent, she changed into a light pink women's suit with matching pants. This time, she looked much more comfortable.

Replacing skirts with pants had barely solved the clothing problem, but she could no longer avoid the issue of shoes.

Whether paired with pants or a skirt, high heels were indispensable.

Fortunately, this was not a runway show. Daisy picked out a pair of black pointed-toe heels with five-centimeter heels and tried walking a few steps. With her strong physical condition and balance, it was not too difficult apart from the slight sense of embarrassment.

She also bought a handbag, necklace, earrings, and a bunch of other accessories. It would have been awkward if Stark, that filthy rich bastard, discovered she was wearing fakes. A full set of designer brands cost a fortune, sending Daisy right back into the ranks of the invisibly poor.

Her previous hairstyle had been far too casual, so Daisy got a new hairstyle with Matsumoto Maki accompanying her.