The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.
Then came a lazy tone that William was all too familiar with.
"Woah, someone sounds like they're in a bad mood. What, did all that cash you just got grow legs and run off?"
The impatience on William's face vanished instantly, and he even leaned back into a more comfortable position on the sofa.
"Tony, I thought you'd be busy polishing your iron suit right now, or preparing to sue S.H.I.E.L.D. for emotional trauma."
"Sue them? Those Agents barely have two pennies to rub together for their budget, there's no oil to be squeezed. I just think it's unfair."
Tony's voice held a hint of displeasure.
"I worked my butt off to help you build an armored giant, and all the fun parts were packed up and taken away by Coulson's poker face. And you, in turn, ripped a huge chunk of flesh from them."
"That's reasonable compensation for the environmental damage they caused to my island."
William said righteously.
"My baobab trees are still traumatized."
"Save it, William."
Tony snorted.
"I heard your sales pitch to those blonde muscle men. 'Interstellar Traveler Short-Term Accident Insurance'? Pretty cute. But you're thinking too small, my friend."
William's heart skipped a beat.
Here it comes.
He knew that someone like Tony Stark would never call out of the blue just to complain about an uneven split of spoils.
His brain, always searching for the next thrill, clearly had new ideas.
"Do tell, what business does the great Mr. Tony Stark have that's grander than selling 'Ragnarok Insurance' to a god?"
"Of course there is."
Tony's voice held a hint of excitement.
"A business that belongs only to us. I'll provide the money and the technology, and you provide that mouth of yours that can talk the dead back to life, and your... unlucky island that attracts all sorts of trouble."
"Be more specific."
William's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the sofa, his brain already racing, frantically matching Lei Ling's recently displayed blueprints with Tony Stark's financial power.
"I want to invest in your company."
Tony said crisply.
"Not some small-time capital injection. I want to turn your island into a true, private, supernatural phenomenon research and... containment center, superseding S.H.I.E.L.D."
He specifically emphasized the word "containment."
"What S.H.I.E.L.D. can do, we'll do better. What they don't dare touch, we'll research. If aliens fall again, the wreckage is ours, the technology is ours, and the living ones... are also ours."
These words almost perfectly matched the blueprint William had just described to Lei Ling.
The only difference was that Tony thought of technology and research, while William thought of a prison that could hold everything.
But this was not a conflict.
It was even a perfect complement.
William deliberately remained silent for a moment, letting Tony on the other end of the line become a little impatient.
"Sounds like a very expensive hobby, Mr. Stark. My company has a very unique corporate culture; we focus on risk management, not an arms race."
"Stop pretending."
Tony interrupted him impatiently.
"You didn't say that when you were conning Coulson. I'll give you Stark Industries' top-tier technical support and the most substantial funding. I want full access to your island, and... controlling interest."
Controlling interest?
William smiled.
This was Tony's true intention.
He could never tolerate anything he couldn't control.
But William's company was his foundation, and he would never let anyone lay a hand on it.
"Controlling interest, no."
William's tone became firm.
"This is my company, but..."
He changed his tune, throwing out the bait.
"I'm open to bringing in a 'Founding Patron'."
"Founding Patron?"
Tony was clearly interested in this new term.
"Yes."
William's voice was full of allure.
"You, Tony Stark, provide the funding, technology, and resources for this World-changing project."
"In return, you'll get exclusive priority use of all research results, the highest access to all our 'containment protocols', and..."
William paused, speaking in a tone that described a work of art.
"...and in the main hall of the new headquarters, a huge pure gold plaque, engraved with your name. We could even name the most important research wing 'The Stark Center for Unscientific Phenomenon Exploration'."
A long silence fell on the other end of the line.
William could imagine Tony's expression at that moment, a conflicted mix of "Are you f*cking kidding me?" and "But that sounds really cool."
"A plaque?"
Tony's voice sounded like he was gritting his teeth.
"You think a plaque can buy me off?"
"Of course not just that."
William's tone became even more sincere.
"There are also dividends. A very, very substantial annual dividend. Tony, don't look at this as an investment. Look at it as the most expensive, most exciting insurance policy you've ever bought for yourself, and even for the entire Earth."
"An ultimate policy to deal with all unknown risks. And you, are the Chief Underwriter."
Chief Underwriter.
This term precisely pricked Tony Stark's vanity and desire for control.
He wasn't a passive investor; he was the rule-maker, the risk-controller.
"...How much will your island cost to rebuild?"
Tony finally spoke, his voice a little dry.
William looked out the window, Lei Ling's estimation sheet filled with astronomical figures in his mind.
He cleared his throat and, in an understated tone, quoted a carefully considered figure that would make any normal person faint on the spot.
"The first phase of the project, including basic infrastructure and core energy facilities, will require approximately... two billion U.S. dollars in startup capital."
He deliberately stated Lei Ling's insane total budget as the startup capital for the first phase, and even doubled it.
He wanted to see Tony's reaction.
On the other end of the line, there was dead silence.
William could even hear Tony's slightly heavy breathing.
Just when William thought he might have overplayed his hand, Tony's voice rang out again.
With an irrepressible, almost neurotic excitement.
"Two billion? Just to fix a broken island? And that's just the first phase?"
He suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Good! Very good! I like that you dare to ask for it!"
"Tomorrow, my lawyer will contact you. Get your proposal ready, Rodriguez! If your plan satisfies me, forget two billion, I'll give you twenty billion!"
"I want to watch Nick Fury as we build a place with materials he can't even afford with his budget, a place he can't even get through the door of!"
The call was abruptly cut off.
William took the phone from his ear and let out a long, long sigh of relief.
He leaned back on the sofa, feeling all the strength drained from his body.
The boasts he'd made, the grand visions he'd painted, now, someone was actually ready to pay for them.
And it was the ultimate big spender, far more generous than S.H.I.E.L.D.
The bill for ten billion finally found its destination.
Now, all he needed to do was write an insurance plan that would make Tony Stark willingly fork over twenty billion.
-------------------------------
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