Interested in Making Your Debut, Miss Hell?

White Horse Nightclub:

"Xiao Mo, Xiao Mo, where on earth did you run off to?"

Scarlet Spider was worried sick. He had searched all around the nightclub without finding him, so he could only squat on the rooftop and sigh.

By then, the belated police had set up a cordon nearby and collected Ripper's body.

Scarlet Spider took out his phone, hesitating over whether to send Mo Zhen a message. But wouldn't that reveal his identity?

He shot out a strand of web and dangled in midair, swinging back and forth. In the end, he decided to send him a message. He had to find out if he was alive or dead.

Not knowing whether he was alive or dead was no good.

So he tentatively sent a message.

Adam: "Want to play a game?"

Mo Zhen: "No, I just got home."

Adam: "All right."

Only then did Scarlet Spider breathe a sigh of relief. He happily put away his phone and called down to the police chief below, "Hey, Chief! I'm heading out!"

The Jinghai District police chief waved at him. "We couldn't have done it without you this time. See you around, little spider!"

"Good work, Spider Boy!"

"Hey, Scarlet Spider, I'll always support you!"

The other officers also waved to Scarlet Spider. Ever since his debut, the crime rate in Jinghai District had plummeted.

Who wouldn't like Tianhe City's friendly neighborhood Scarlet Spider? Provided, of course, that he didn't one day reveal himself to be a Decepticon hiding on Earth.

"See you around!"

Scarlet Spider shot out a web and swung away from the neighborhood.

Meanwhile, in the neighboring block.

Miss Hell, still in her transformed state, had just stepped out of a convenience store after picking up a can of coffee.

She wasn't in a hurry to go home because she still had to retrieve her bicycle. Otherwise, she would have to run to school tomorrow.

"Click."

She had just opened the can when an Audi business sedan slowly approached from behind and stopped beside her.

The driver's door opened, and a man got out.

He wore a suit and silver-framed glasses, looking every bit the business elite. It was none other than Tang Wenjie, who had written Mo Zhen a check at the nightclub earlier.

He spoke.

"Excuse me, Miss Magical Girl. Sorry to interrupt you so abruptly. I'm Tang Wenjie, a senior executive in the superhero division at Colossus Company."

"What is it?"

Hell glanced at him, her tone cold.

Tang Wenjie adjusted his glasses.

"I witnessed your fight with Ripper from a long way off. At the same time, Taiping Prefecture's Ministry of Magic has no combat records resembling yours."

"I take it you're a magical girl who only recently came to Taiping Prefecture from overseas?"

Miss Hell neither confirmed nor denied it. "So? What do you want with me?"

Tang Wenjie stopped beating around the bush. "As a company employee, I don't care about your identity or where you come from. I interrupted you because I wanted to ask..."

He stared intently at the gray-haired girl before him, neon lights from the high-rises reflecting off his lenses.

"Are you interested in making your debut?"

Hell froze.

"Making my debut...?"

She had considered all sorts of reasons Tang Wenjie might have approached her, but this was the one thing she hadn't expected.

Tang Wenjie nodded, took a metal business card from his suit's breast pocket, and handed it to her.

"My line of work includes full-service professional representation. If you're interested, I think we would make excellent partners."

Hell took the card.

It was a high-end metal business card, with sharp black-and-white lettering.

Technology, transformation, war.

-Colossus Company, your ideal choice.

On the reverse:

Name: Tang Wenjie.

Superhero division: senior executive.

When Tang Wenjie had seen Hell kill Ripper with ease, he had already begun thinking of working with her.

Based on his professional assessment, given the strength Hell had displayed and her distinctive bearing, so unlike that of an ordinary magical girl...

He was certain that once she debuted, they wouldn't even need to spend much on marketing. A little publicity would be enough to make her a sensation throughout Taiping Prefecture.

Her projected stock market valuation after going public... would start at no less than a hundred billion US dollars. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a walking gold mine, enough to tempt any company.

That was also why Tang Wenjie had chosen to make the first move.

Magical girls with this kind of "scarcity" were always snapped up quickly. Companies would even fight tooth and nail for her exclusive contract.

"Do you have a codename in Taiping Prefecture?"

He cared neither about Hell's past nor about her former codename, because he was already thoroughly familiar with this line of business.

"Hell."

Hell answered calmly.

Tang Wenjie made a mental note of it.

Hell accepted his business card and looked up at him. "Tell me about it, then. This financial game of yours."

Now that she knew what Tang Wenjie wanted, she had an idea of her own. It might help her complete her missions easily in the future.

Tang Wenjie turned and opened the front passenger door for her.

"Please."

Hell didn't stand on ceremony. She got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.

Tang Wenjie got back in and, with a roar of the engine, drove her to a private teahouse that was open around the clock. The attendants they passed treated him with respect.

Clearly, this wasn't his first visit.

Inside a private room.

Tang Wenjie gave Hell a detailed introduction to the business contracts currently offered to superheroes and magical girls by Taiping Prefecture's corporate groups.

They could roughly be divided into two types.

The first was an exclusive contract.

After paying a one-time signing fee and a fixed annual fee, the company secured all rights to a superhero or magical girl.

The terms were similar to an idol contract, but stricter. Usually, the talent was required to cooperate with the company's activities and marketing.

In addition, every superhero and magical girl who debuted in Taiping Prefecture established a private company named after their codename, in preparation for commercial appearances and an IPO.

Tang Wenjie:

"If you're willing to consider signing exclusively, Miss Hell, I can offer you a class B contract, the highest I'm personally authorized to offer."

"A one-time signing fee of one billion US dollars, a five-year term, an annual salary of two hundred million, and a ten percent stake in your personal company, but no voting rights."

Hell picked up her tea and took a small sip.

"I'm not considering that. Too much trouble."

An exclusive contract was practically a contract of indenture, binding her to the company. She would never choose it.

That was also why she had never considered going to Peacemaker.

Although the terms he had verbally promised were excellent, she didn't want any further contact with that sort of dangerous person for the time being.

Tang Wenjie wasn't surprised by her refusal.

He could tell that the person before him was certainly the young lady of some prominent overseas family. Given her personality, she would never sign that contract.

That brought them to the second type of contract in the industry, commonly known as a venture capital contract.

Colossus Group and Hell would jointly fund the creation of a commercial company named after her. Rather than one being subordinate to the other, they would be partners.

Colossus Group's role would be limited to providing Hell with professional marketing services, as well as one-stop support for a subsequent IPO and rights development.

To put it plainly, one side provided the person, and the other provided the money and resources.

Once the company went public, it would depend on just how much commercial value Hell had.

If the stock price soared, they would continue working together until they cashed out at a high point, or else switch to holding the shares long-term.

For example, Colossus Company and other investors had long held a number of shares in the company belonging to Peacemaker, currently the strongest and most popular superhero.

Tang Wenjie:

"A venture capital contract means that we see potential in you and give you startup funding while also handling your subsequent marketing services."

"As the founder, you're free to act as you wish. We handle the public relations and public opinion."

"But I have to remind you, Miss Hell: if a problem on your end causes the company's IPO to fail, or its share price to fall below the offering price, you'll have to buy back all of Colossus Group's shares according to the terms."

Hell: "It's been a long time since I've seen capitalism this pure. The commercialization of superhumans is even more thorough than I imagined."

Tang Wenjie took off his glasses and wiped the condensation from them. "That's business. Everyone's in it to make money."

Hell picked up a piece of osmanthus cake and took a small bite. "I'll think about it and get back to you when I've made up my mind."

Though she complained, Hell actually felt that the present world, with its commercialization of superhumans, suited her well.

After all, her second beginner mission required her to raise her reputation to "Making a Name for Herself." Later on, it would certainly have to go even higher.

The older generation of witches' methods of grinding reputation, whether by doing evil or acting as heroes, were hopelessly inferior. Not only did they have to handle things one at a time, they could also easily stir up a heap of trouble.

Before Hell now lay a quick and well-established capitalist path.

With Colossus Company's commercial marketing, her reputation could definitely rise to the point where she was a household name in a very short time.

So Hell really was considering a partnership.

Tang Wenjie nodded. "No problem. I'll be waiting for your call whenever you're ready. We can discuss the details then."

Hell finished the osmanthus cake in small bites, wiped her fingertips with a handkerchief, and rose to leave.

Tang Wenjie stood as well, taking the coat hanging beside him. "Shall I give you a ride?"

Hell shook her head. "Thank you, but there's no need."