Investing in Stark

After bidding farewell to Vivien Leigh, Zhang Xuan, still holding the excited Little Monroe, teleported back to the venue. On the stage, Stark was speaking eloquently, while the audience below, who had been thoroughly annoyed earlier, had quieted down and were listening intently.

"Howard Stark does have some skill!" Zhang Xuan glanced at Howard Stark, and that thought surfaced in his mind once more. "Maybe I really should give it a try." With that, Zhang Xuan vanished from the spot again.

Looking at the familiar surroundings, Little Monroe, nestled in Zhang Xuan's arms, lifted her head and asked with a puzzled expression, "Brother, why are we back here?"

The place they reappeared was the backstage they had left just minutes ago. It was chaos backstage now—dancers preparing to go on stage rushed past Zhang Xuan without anyone noticing the sudden appearance of him and Little Monroe.

"Little Monroe, I need to find someone to talk to about something." Zhang Xuan explained with a smile, his eyes scanning the area until he quickly spotted his target.

Howard Hughes, dressed in a light blue suit, had just stepped out from behind the curtain, a smug grin on his face as he occasionally gave instructions to a middle-aged man beside him.

"Mr. Stark, hello." Zhang Xuan hesitated for a moment upon seeing Howard Stark, then stepped forward.

"Hello, and you are?" Howard Stark looked up at Zhang Xuan with a hint of confusion. But soon, his attention was drawn to Little Monroe in Zhang Xuan's arms, his eyes fixed on her.

"It really is hereditary!" Zhang Xuan muttered inwardly at Stark's gaze, subtly shifting his body to shield Little Monroe to the side before speaking, "Mr. Stark, I'm Alex Zhang. There's something I'd like to discuss with you in private."

Howard Stark looked at Zhang Xuan with some surprise. Seeing Zhang Xuan's calm expression, he was about to refuse but then had a change of heart. He glanced at his watch and replied, "Fine, but I'll only give you five minutes!"

In Howard Stark's office, Howard Stark grabbed Zhang Xuan by the shoulders and exclaimed excitedly, "Alex, is what you said true?"

Zhang Xuan shrugged casually and said, "I have no reason to lie to you, Mr. Stark."

Howard Stark stared at Zhang Xuan for a long moment, as if pondering something. Then, suddenly, he sat down lazily and said, "Alright, what do you want?"

"Shares in Stark Industries." Zhang Xuan's goal in seeking out Howard Stark was the future of Stark Industries.

Hearing this, Howard Stark shot up from his seat, ready to refuse, but before he could speak, Zhang Xuan cut in.

"Mr. Stark, I still have many technologies, just like the one I showed you." Zhang Xuan sat leisurely on the sofa, playing with Little Monroe beside him as he spoke calmly. "I'll invest these technologies. I don't want much—just thirty percent, but it must be original equity."

Howard Stark's face turned cold, and he snorted, slowly sinking back into the sofa. "Alex, that's not how business is done."

Zhang Xuan was unfazed. He glanced at Howard Stark and casually tossed out a few words: "Magnetic levitation, nuclear fission, supersonic aircraft, controlled nuclear fusion..."

Howard Stark stood up again, staring at Zhang Xuan in disbelief.

"Mr. Stark, are these technologies worth thirty percent of Stark Industries' equity?" Zhang Xuan knew he had Howard Stark hooked, and a smug smile crept onto his lips. In his past life, Zhang Xuan was not only a Teleporter but also a hacker. The technologies he mentioned were secrets he had stolen back then. Though he didn't fully understand many of them, he had committed them all to memory. Thanks to his powerful Psionic Power, Zhang Xuan had an incredible memory—photographic, no less.

"Worth it, of course they're worth it!" Howard Stark was ecstatic. Even though he had only heard names, he believed these technologies would propel Stark Industries to new heights. As a businessman, profit was paramount.

"Then, Mr. Stark, when do we sign the contract?"

"Right now, right now!"

Afraid of missing the opportunity, Howard Stark immediately called to have a lawyer draft the contract. That very night, the two signed the agreement. Zhang Xuan contributed all the cutting-edge future technologies stored in his mind, and in return, he received thirty percent of Stark Industries' original equity.

"Brother, giving away so many good things for just thirty percent equity—isn't that too..." Little Monroe, though only fourteen, was quite knowledgeable. Just from hearing the technologies Zhang Xuan mentioned, she knew they were incredibly valuable. Trading them for thirty percent of Stark Industries felt like a loss to her.

"Little Monroe, you'll understand later." Zhang Xuan knew exactly what his technologies were worth, but he also knew they were wasted sitting in his head—he had no ability to develop them himself. Besides, Stark Industries would one day be the world's largest conglomerate; thirty percent was no small amount.

"Hey, Alex, where have you been? We've been looking for you for two hours!" Bucky's dissatisfied voice came from behind, followed by Steve's, "Alex, nothing happened, did it?"

Hearing their voices, Zhang Xuan snapped back to reality, feeling a bit embarrassed—he had completely forgotten about these two good friends.

"Nothing, just wandering around." Meeting Vivien Leigh and investing in Stark were both too unbelievable; no one would believe him if he told them. Zhang Xuan decided not to mention it.

Steve and Bucky had just been worried about Zhang Xuan and were relieved to see he was fine. Only then did they notice Little Monroe holding Zhang Xuan's hand. Steve was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered, looking at Zhang Xuan with a puzzled expression, as if asking, "Who is this?"

Bucky, on the other hand, grinned slyly at Zhang Xuan and said in a teasing tone, "Alex, I didn't know you had it in you! And so fast! And she's just a little girl—aren't you afraid..."

"What nonsense!" Zhang Xuan saw the mischief in Bucky's eyes and knew exactly what he was thinking. He gave Bucky a hard slap on the shoulder and said seriously, "This is Marilyn Monroe. She's an orphan. From now on, I'm her brother!"

"Orphan?" Steve and Bucky exchanged glances. Looking at the cheerful Marilyn Monroe, a hint of pity flickered in their eyes. "She's your sister, so she's our sister too. We'll all take care of her."

Little Monroe was sharp. Hearing their words, she stepped forward, gave a sweet smile, and called out, "Hello, big brothers!"

Hearing that "big brother," Steve and Bucky couldn't help but laugh, genuinely happy.

The four of them walked along the Brooklyn Bridge. On this early summer night, a cool breeze blew off the river, refreshing them, though two of them carried a heavy heart.

Bucky deliberately lagged behind, pulling Steve along, and whispered, "Steve, how much money do you have left?"

"After paying Alex's medical bills last time, I don't have much left." Steve glanced ahead at Alex and Little Monroe, laughing and chatting, then nodded with a smile. "But I can do some drawing—I should be able to earn a bit."

"I can work at the factory," Bucky added, nodding. "Since Monroe is our sister now, we can't let her suffer at all. We need to earn more money and dress her up nicely."

"Yeah, she's our sister. We have to make sure she lives a good life." Steve clenched his fist, his expression resolute.

Up ahead, Zhang Xuan and Little Monroe had no idea about the conversation behind them. If Zhang Xuan had known, he would probably have been torn between laughter and tears. With thirty percent of Stark Industries' equity, how could he possibly be short on money? Not to mention Ghost!