My Sister Looks Great in Purple

"Shocking! The mastermind behind the plot to murder the Stark brothers turned out to be their uncle, Obadiah Stane, one of Stark Industries' founding veterans. Was this a distortion of humanity or a collapse of morality?"

"Yesterday, Obadiah Stane jumped to his death from the top floor of a five-star hotel out of guilt. Numerous pieces of evidence of his crimes were promptly reported by concerned citizens, including but not limited to—"

"Harboring assassins, premeditated murder, racial discrimination, interfering in other nations' internal affairs, harassing underage girls, providing weapons support to multiple foreign terrorist groups..."

"...That concludes this report."

"We will continue to follow any developments in this case."

Stark Tower.

Obadiah's office.

It had now become Leon's office.

Sitting in the executive chair with one leg crossed over the other, Leon closed the news page on his computer and shook his head with a sigh. "If you'd known this would happen, why bother in the first place?"

"If you'd just behaved yourself and stopped stirring up trouble, how would I have ended up sitting here?"

That was right.

With Obadiah, one of the company's key figures, out of the picture, Pepper had once again drafted Leon into service.

Pepper had forcibly saddled Leon with the position of executive director, even though Pepper was supposed to hold that role in the original storyline.

Looking at Stark Industries' stock plunging off a cliff on the computer screen, Leon curled his lip. "Just wait. Sooner or later, you'll regret this."

Because Obadiah's scandal had come to light.

Stark Industries' already teetering stock price had suffered another sharp drop.

Now, countless shareholders were dumping their scattered shares like hot potatoes, hoping to cut their losses in time.

But how could they know that all this was merely the growing pain Stark Industries had to endure before reaching new heights?

Once Tony publicly announced that he was Iron Man in a few days, Stark Industries would rise from the ashes and reclaim its glory. Everything would come back.

Leon was already buying up shares from shareholders who had lost faith in Stark Industries, taking as many as he could get.

At first, he had wanted to kindly remind those shareholders not to give up their stock so easily, to have faith in Stark Industries and in Tony.

But their insults had been far too filthy.

Calling Tony impotent was one thing. After all, that was true.

But they had even slandered Leon by saying he could no longer get it up.

Could Leon tolerate that?

So he immediately decided to stop being a decent person.

Once the stock surged, he would flip the shares and fleece them all. Leon would make those loose-mouthed bastards live on air, damn it!

Just then.

A knock sounded outside Leon's office.

"Come in."

Leon coughed twice and put on an act, interlacing his fingers beneath his chin.

But the instant he saw that the visitor was Pepper, he reverted to his true form, slumping in his chair like a salted fish with no dreams.

Pepper, dressed in a secretary outfit with black stockings, walked over to Leon's desk with a stack of documents in hand and a smile on her face. "Leon, is the executive director's chair comfortable?"

"Don't mention it, Pepper."

Leon gave a bitter smile. "If flirting with girls were a subject, I'd definitely get full marks. But managing a company? I really can't do it. Aren't you worried I'll run our family business into the ground?"

"Leon, given the company's current condition, it may go bankrupt before you get the chance."

"So, as Stark Industries' second young master, it's time for you to set an example."

Knowing Leon's nature well, Pepper placed a stack of profiles in front of him. The women in them were all quite attractive, ranging from young girls to mature women. She continued:

"Even if you do nothing but sit in the office, as long as people think that Leon Stark, who used to do nothing but fool around, is now working hard for the company's survival, that will be enough."

"Even if, in reality, he's merely changed locations to pick up girls."

"You really get me, Pepper."

"Long live understanding!"

Leon looked deeply moved and reached for the profiles, intending to inspect their assets, but Pepper pressed the stack down with her hand.

"Leon, even so, don't get the wrong idea. They're all good girls applying for the position of executive director's secretary, not concubines I prepared for you."

Pepper narrowed her eyes in warning.

"I know, I know."

Leon waved a hand, slipped the stack of profiles out from under Pepper's hand, and began examining them seriously.

At the same time.

Pepper gave him a pointed introduction from the side:

"Leon, these women all hold doctorates in economics and management from prestigious universities. In terms of ability, they'll definitely have no trouble assisting you with managing the company."

Hearing that.

Leon raised an eyebrow, sensing the implication in Pepper's words, and took the initiative to ask, "Then, Pepper, who do you think I should choose?"

"They're all pretty big... No, I mean, they're all pretty outstanding. I'm getting a little dizzy just looking at them."

Pepper shot Leon an annoyed glare, then purposefully pulled out the profile at the very bottom of the stack.

Since Leon had not finished looking through all the profiles, he had no idea what the woman in that one looked like. His curious gaze followed the document in Pepper's hand.

"Sharon Kate—"

"A graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, proficient in Russian, French, Chinese, and Italian, with dual doctorates in finance and management, as well as marketing and real estate."

"And..."

"And she's your junior? You also want to look after your junior as her senior?" Leon teased. He knew Pepper had also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania.

"That's right."

Pepper nodded and admitted, "Even so, she really is the most outstanding and capable all-around talent in business and diplomacy among these people."

"She's exactly what you lack most, Leon."

"That really is true."

Leon took the profile from Pepper and examined it carefully. "Whoa~ She was also an exchange student at Huaxia Qingbei University for a while?"

"Yes, so I think you two should get along well."

"Her, then." Leon made his decision. "Pepper, you should've just brought her straight to me. Why go through all this trouble?"

"You're hiring a secretary, not me." Pepper rolled her eyes at Leon. "So your opinion matters most."

"Besides, we should give every applicant an equal opportunity."

"Pepper, just like earlier, as long as someone is human, they'll have selfish motives. There has never been true equality in this world."

"Alright."

"Our young master occasionally says such philosophical words now. That's quite an improvement."

Pepper covered her mouth and laughed, speaking in the tone one would use to humor a child.

"Oh, come on, Pepper." Leon was speechless. "Don't talk to me in that tone. You're giving me goosebumps."

"Okay."

"I've already notified her. She should be here shortly."

Pepper sent a message on her phone, then repeatedly cautioned Leon with concern. "Kate is a good girl, so don't go putting your hands all over her."

"You should know that she's passed the bar too. She might get you slapped with a sexual harassment lawsuit."

"Alright, Pepper, I promise I won't put my hands all over her." That was what Leon said, but what he thought was: I'll only put my hands all over her little sister.

Leon's style had never been to refuse a lamb delivered right to his mouth.

Besides.

She had nothing to do with being a good girl. As a female S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, not a single one of them was pure-minded. Leon would feel no psychological burden no matter how much he toyed with her.

Rather than let her fool around with Captain America later, get abandoned after he had his way with her, and ultimately turn into a villain, Leon might as well enjoy her now.

Leon happened to be in desperate need of such a "capable" high-quality female secretary.