Xu Dan looked down at the busy researchers below. One after another, they wore white lab coats and protective goggles, and among them were several beautiful young women.
Of course, this was merely appreciation.
The nature of men.
After he had stood there quietly for nearly half an hour, a young researcher below suddenly noticed a stranger on the platform.
"Hey! Who are you?!"
At the sound of the man's voice, everyone turned their attention to Xu Dan.
Soon, someone recognized him.
"Th-th-that's Xu Dan?"
"I think so—Xu Dan from Antarctic Company."
"Oh my God, why is he here? I want to take a picture with him!"
...
Listening to the discussion below, Xu Dan smiled and called out, "Ms. Hope, please come over."
Hope herself was not involved in the research. She wore a black professional outfit that stood out sharply among the sea of white lab coats.
At the moment, she seemed to be responsible for supervisory work.
Being called out in public—especially by such a famous figure—Hope felt both flattered and nervous.
After all, no matter what Antarctic Company was doing, whether games or otherwise, that was not the point. What mattered was its current status.
It was the most famous dark horse in New York, surpassing Stark Industries and becoming the number-one conglomerate.
If Antarctic Company was the tallest building in the city, then Xu Dan was the man standing at its peak—while Pym Technologies could only be considered a small township enterprise.
"I…"
Feeling everyone's eyes on her again, Hope's heartbeat suddenly quickened.
The unexpected invitation from a successful man had already caught her off guard.
Now the situation felt even more like—
She did not dare to think further. That was Xu Dan. Xu Dan!
"Can you hurry up, ma'am?"
Hearing the urging, Hope shuddered slightly, quickly put down her work, and walked toward Xu Dan.
The two left the laboratory together and stopped at a place where they would not be disturbed.
"Th-that… May I ask, Mr. Xu Dan, why you were looking for me? You didn't come specifically just to see me, did you?"
That said, what woman under the sun would not want a wealthy man to suddenly appear in her life?
At least, that was what Hope thought.
"I'll be blunt," Xu Dan said. "I came to see you mainly because of your father. I want to discuss a cooperation with him. Considering various factors, I hope you can help connect us."
Hearing this, Hope felt deeply disappointed.
Sure enough, this big shot had not come for her specifically.
But this was far too straightforward.
Why couldn't he be a little more tactful?
In fact, all girls have a misunderstanding about men.
The term "straight man" works like this: in front of a girl he likes—someone who stirs his protective instincts—he is a master of romance. But in front of a girl he does not like, or even dislikes, he becomes a titanium-grade straight man.
"I… Fine! All right! No problem!"
Hope held it in for a long time before finally agreeing.
In front of Xu Dan, she did not refuse at all.
The two were simply not on the same level. It was like a superior speaking to a subordinate—the subordinate often answered "yes" without even thinking.
"And there's also something about your mother."
"!! ..."
————————
Later.
Old Pym took the initiative to send an invitation, asking Xu Dan to meet at an old café.
Across the worn wooden table, Xu Dan looked at the old man in front of him with interest.
"Dr. Pym."
"Mr. Xu Dan."
"Why did you take the initiative to invite me? I find that rather puzzling. According to my expectations, you should have hesitated for a long time—perhaps even refused to see me at all."
Old Pym smiled mysteriously. He took a small tablet from his coat and placed it on the table.
"Actually, I've been paying attention to you for quite some time."
Xu Dan turned his gaze to the tablet. A video was playing.
It was nighttime, and the footage was not very clear.
But one could vaguely see a group of burly men surrounding a comparatively thin figure.
And the location was precisely near the Antarctic Building.
Xu Dan instantly remembered that day.
It was the moment when he had taken the initiative to face a group of gangsters.
He had not expected to be filmed by old Pym.
No—more precisely, he had not expected to be recognized by him.
Under the cover of night, with such rapid movement, it should have been difficult to see a person's face clearly.
Yet Pym recognized him.
"So? What is this?" Xu Dan asked.
Old Pym smiled. "At the time, when I saw your strength, I had some thoughts… Mr. Xu Dan, you know many things. You've also had contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. and Tony Stark. My affairs are no secret to you."
When he mentioned S.H.I.E.L.D. and Stark, old Pym's tone noticeably stiffened.
Clearly, he was suppressing his resentment toward S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Stark family.
Xu Dan took a sip of his coffee. "Ant-Man. A hero."
Hank Pym smiled bitterly. His clouded old eyes flickered with nostalgia, as though trapped in the past.
Ant-Man was never alone. There had always been a Wasp at his side.
But then the accident happened.
And only he remained.
"I'm old," Pym said. "My daughter is probably older than you are now. I'm truly old—and I need a successor."
Hearing this, Xu Dan was slightly stunned, and a possibility instantly surfaced in his mind.
He probed tentatively, "Are you thinking of making me—?"
"That was my initial thought," old Pym replied, the sorrow in his eyes fading. "But after observing you for a while, I realized you probably don't care about such a small amount of power. With your current status, simply tossing out a handful of banknotes would accomplish more heroic deeds than an ant ever could."
Xu Dan smiled without responding.
Superheroes had another name—vigilantes.
Only idle people with nothing better to do would choose that path. Even if someone paid him, he had no interest in becoming a so-called superhero.
How much better was it to lie at home, make money, grow stronger, and even toy with superheroes themselves?
Old Pym took a sip of the bitter coffee and suddenly asked, "How did you discover the situation at Pym Technologies? And even conduct such a detailed investigation?"
"A player reported it," Xu Dan replied calmly, lying without the slightest change in expression.
"A player? You mean… there are still your loyal players within my company?" Old Pym said, unable to understand modern youth at all—why people were so desperately addicted to things meant to be entertainment.
-----------------------
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