What If I Refuse?

His face was dark and ashen, his suit immaculate, his expression unreadable. Two cups of coffee sat on the table.

When Lin Mo came in, he picked up one of the cups and took a small sip before looking Lin Mo over.

"Have a seat. This is our second formal meeting."

It was true. Lin Mo had met him once before. Edgar had made a point of visiting him several years ago. As the man directly responsible for designing the Homelander Project, Edgar had felt it necessary to meet both Lin Mo and Joanna.

After talking with Lin Mo back then, Edgar's keen eye had given him a good sense of what kind of person Lin Mo was. He felt confident about this conversation.

"Lin Mo."

"I know who you are."

Lin Mo pulled out a chair and sat down.

"You're in charge of the Joanna Project at Vought."

Edgar did not deny it. He was the one who had let that information out.

"More precisely, I decide the direction of her commercial career."

"That sounds a lot nicer than being in charge of the experiments."

Lin Mo leaned back and gave a lazy yawn.

"So you came all this way just to tell me what your job is?"

Edgar looked at him and smiled, showing a fine set of teeth.

"I like talking to intelligent people."

"Then skip the nonsense," Lin Mo replied evenly.

The conference room fell silent for a moment.

Edgar studied Lin Mo. Something about him seemed different from a few years ago, though Edgar could not put his finger on it. The matter at hand was more important.

"Fine."

"I'll get straight to the point."

He picked up a document beside him and slid it across to Lin Mo.

Several English words stood out at the top.

[THE SEVEN]

The Super Seven.

Lin Mo glanced at it without reaching for it.

"What does this mean?"

"I intend to have you join the Super Seven."

Edgar had stated his purpose.

"Alongside Joanna."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

Just as he had expected. Vought was bound to find something for him to do.

Edgar continued, "You're both about to come of age."

"There's no point keeping you in the underground Research Center any longer."

"Joanna will become the new leader of the Super Seven as Homelander. And you qualify for The Seven as well. You'll have the same public profile as Joanna: a hero name, a private residence, commercial resources, your own team, and even a degree of freedom to act."

"You had none of those things before. Accept, and they can all be yours."

Lin Mo laughed.

"Sounds pretty good."

Edgar's expression did not change.

"It is."

"Ordinary people could work their whole lives and never have access to those resources."

"Do you think I'm an ordinary person?"

"Of course not."

Edgar leaned forward slightly and pointed to the document.

"That's why Vought is willing to offer you more."

A better offer. That was a nice way of putting it. It only meant he was valuable to Vought.

He had stopped caring about that long ago. Instead, he asked Edgar a question.

"So how much am I worth to you?"

Edgar paused.

"It isn't a question of price."

"Isn't it?"

Lin Mo tapped the document on the table and spoke with open scorn.

"All this talk of a public identity, a hero name, commercial resources, and so-called freedom sounds like you're offering benefits."

"But all you're really doing is repackaging company merchandise. We're tools to you."

Edgar's gaze sharpened.

Lin Mo gave a cold laugh. "You'd move me out of the underground lab and put me in front of a camera."

"Design me a costume, make up an American Dream story about how Vought discovered me as a child, raised me, and watched me choose to become a Superhero when I came of age. Then let advertisers use my face to sell soda, sneakers, insurance, and toys."

"Oh, and while you're at it, tell every Asian American—"

"Look at that!"

"Vought supports minorities too."

The conference room went still.

A faint smile lingered on Lin Mo's lips, but the biting chill beneath it bore straight down on Edgar.

"Am I right?"

Edgar watched him for a long moment before saying, "You're more perceptive than the research reports suggest."

"Research reports?"

Lin Mo affected a look of sudden understanding, his smile deepening.

"Right. You've written plenty about me."

"Psychological assessments, behavioral analyses, my emotional bond with Joanna."

"Let me guess."

"There's another line, isn't there..."

"Using me is an effective way to keep Joanna emotionally stable?"

For once, Edgar did not answer at once.

Because Lin Mo was right. That had been Vought's thinking all along.

Lin Mo leaned back and continued.

"So you didn't come to give me freedom."

"You just figured I could make more money as an asset on camera than as an asset in a lab."

"More importantly, with me beside her, Joanna won't lose control."

"You can put her in front of the public without worrying, let her make money for Vought, increase your influence, and help you climb step by step to the top of the company."

"As for me..."

"You might as well get some use out of me too."

Lin Mo stared straight at Edgar.

"Right?"

This time, Edgar did not deny it.

He simply said, "I'm a businessman. Both sides use each other."

"You need freedom. I need a stable Super Seven."

"You need to leave this place. Vought needs you and Joanna to generate profits."

"Everyone gets what they need. There's nothing unfair about it."

"That's how the world works."

Lin Mo narrowed his eyes.

That was Edgar all right. He never pretended to be a good man or wasted time talking about morals. Profit was profit, and a deal was a deal.

At least Edgar was easier to stomach than the people who talked about serving their country and humanity, then turned around and injected babies with Compound V. He was better than someone who had casually abandoned his teammates for revenge, too.

Unfortunately.

Edgar had made a mistake.

He seemed to genuinely believe Lin Mo needed anything Vought had to offer.

"What if I refuse?"

Lin Mo put the question to him.

Edgar looked at him.

"You won't."

"Why?"

"Because you want to take Joanna out of here." Edgar laid out his reasoning.

"And in America, without Vought's permission, you have nowhere to go."

"No identification, no public records, no bank accounts, no legal history."

"You don't even exist in the normal social system."

"And—"

Edgar paused.

"You know how much Vought has invested in you both."

"The company won't let its assets simply walk away."

The smile gradually faded from Lin Mo's face.

"So that's a threat?"

"It's a fact."

Edgar continued, "You may be strong."

"But according to the tests we have, you aren't as dangerous as Joanna."

"You're more rational and cautious than she is. That's your strength and your weakness. You consider the consequences. Joanna doesn't."

"So you won't choose an all-out war with Vought."

Edgar's voice remained steady.

Clearly, he had prepared thoroughly before coming here. He had even calculated how Lin Mo might react.

Lin Mo could not be bothered to keep talking. Perhaps he should never have wasted words on a Vought capitalist in the first place.

Edgar took his silence for agreement and went on. "I don't want to threaten you."

"On the contrary, I'm offering you a choice both sides can accept."

"Join the Super Seven, and you get your freedom."

"Joanna can leave with you, and Vought gets two top-tier heroes."

"It's the most rational solution."

Edgar's words made Lin Mo laugh in anger. He treated people like merchandise, then had the nerve to call it the most rational solution.

"Rational?"

"Yes."

"Edgar."

"Yes?"

"Have you misunderstood something?"

Edgar frowned slightly.

Lin Mo looked up and pointed a finger at Edgar. His voice rang through the conference room.

"I was willing to reason with you before. That doesn't mean reason was my only option."