Three days later.
Lynn is reviewing an internal security report from Motoko Kusanagi.
The list above contains a string of names that need to be "optimized" out.
The office door was closed.
The windows were also tightly closed.
But Lynn's nose twitched slightly.
He spun around in his executive chair.
Sure enough, an elegant black Wildcat had already slipped in silently.
Selene swayed over to the desk and gently placed a yellowed black-and-white photograph on the surface.
In the photo, the thin Steve Rogers stands tall with a defiant air.
"I'm done, boss."
She didn't wait for Lynn's praise, nor did she show the slightest sense of responsibility as a subordinate.
With a twirl, she lazily sat down on Lynn's large mahogany desk, her long legs crossed, the tips of her black high-heeled boots swaying gently.
The black leather jacket gleamed alluringly under the light, contrasting sharply with the documents on the table that symbolized power and order.
This is an extremely aggressive move.
She is invading his territory.
"Now, it's my turn to choose my payment."
She looked around the office, an office that would make any Wall Street tycoon envious.
Antique vases in the corner, priceless collections of wine in the wine cabinet.
Finally, their gaze fell back on Lynn.
Selena, however, reached out her black leather-gloved hand and gently hooked Lynn's tie.
The silky fabric wrapped around her fingers, and she exerted a little force, trying to pull this all-powerful man toward her.
Just as she was about to succeed.
Lynn made her move.
He grabbed Selene's wrist.
"Um?"
Selena's expression changed slightly. She was about to break free when she felt an irresistible force coming from her wrist.
Lynn twisted his wrist.
Before she could react, they pulled her off the table.
With a short gasp, Lynn pressed her firmly against the mahogany desk.
Half of her body was pressed against the classified documents and maps of the Europe battlefield, her posture disheveled and humiliating.
There was no fear in Selene's eyes.
This sudden offense ignited an even more dangerous Flame.
"Is this how you treat your meritorious employees, boss?"
Selena's voice, however, remained defiant, tinged with suppressed gasps.
"Or... are you already eager to pay your reward?"
"You're very brave, Selena."
Lynn bent down, one hand still pressing down on her like an iron clamp.
The fingers of his other hand gently traced across the map beside him.
It moved from the France coastline all the way to the depths of the Alps.
There's a red skull marked there.
"After a war, an empire falls, what do you think will be left behind?"
"Ruins, widows, and countless medals."
Selene gritted her teeth and answered, trying to twist her body, only to find that the other person's strength was astonishing.
"It is wealth."
Lynn corrected her, pointing heavily at Hydra's last stronghold on the map.
"It's a massive amount of wealth, enough to drive the entire world crazy."
" Hydra looted half of Europe with its art, gold, and jewelry. Their secret base holds the complete research notes on the Tesseract that Howard Stark has always dreamed of."
"The victors will pounce on this massive corpse like hyenas smelling blood. The United States, United Kingdom, the Soviet Union... they will fight tooth and nail over the spoils."
Lynn raised his head, his gaze returning to the wild body beneath him.
"And I don't intend to share the cake with them."
He leaned close to her ear and spoke slowly in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"I'm going to move the whole dining table back to my kitchen."
This man's ambition was far more terrifying than she had imagined.
Selene even felt a shiver run down her spine.
It stemmed from a kind of excitement that came from touching on taboos.
After saying that, Lynn released his hand and stood up straight with a composed air.
He looked down at Selena as she slowly rose from the table, as if admiring a work of art that he had just tamed but which still shone brightly.
Selena straightened her slightly disheveled leather jacket with elegant movements, but her slightly flushed cheeks and rapid breathing betrayed her inner turmoil.
What do you want me to do?
She asked.
Lynn took a small silver disc from the drawer and tossed it to her.
"This is a miniaturized version of the repulsive field generator; I call it the Silencer. It can block all electronic detection and Soundwave sensing within a ten-meter radius for thirty minutes. Enough for you to infiltrate anywhere."
Selena caught the disc.
"My product testers will create a big enough stir on the front to attract everyone's attention."
Lynn's face revealed that kind of smile that sent chills down the spines of the generals.
"I want you to take this opportunity to infiltrate the deepest part of the base."
"The world's biggest heist."
Selena smiled, a genuine, radiant smile.
"Go steal the legacy of an empire."
She twirled the silver disc between her fingers, then tucked it inside her leather jacket. When she looked up again, the provocation in her eyes returned, now even more intense.
She held up her finger.
This time it wasn't about hooking his tie.
"I haven't even had a chance to choose the salary from my last job."
"So, I've made up my mind."
She extended her index finger and gently touched the tip of his warm chest.
"My reward is you. Tonight."
Lynn looked surprised.
He reached out and pinched Selene's smooth chin, his fingertips feeling the delicate skin.
Are you sure?
"My time is more valuable than any jewel in the world."
A sly glint flashed in Selene's green eyes.
She met Lynn's grip and moved even closer, their noses almost touching.
That's exactly why.
"Only someone worthy of my status would do."
That's a perfect match for her status.
interesting.
That's really interesting.
He likes deals that involve claws and fangs.
"Can."
Lynn nodded without the slightest hesitation.
His decisiveness surprised Selena for a moment.
She couldn't see through the man in front of her.
He always managed to control everything with ease, including her provocations and desires.
"Wait for me."
Selene left with a meaningful look, flirted with Lynn a few times, and then swayed her hips, disappearing into the office like a black shadow.
Lynn sat back down in his chair and reached for the black-and-white photograph of Steve Rogers on the table.
With his other hand, he took out a lighter, and with a "click," a pale blue flame shot up.
He set the photo on fire and casually tossed it into the ashtray.
The flames licked the yellowed photograph paper, devouring the stubborn face of the thin young man, along with that memory of the past.
A perfect totem needs no extra worries.