Seeing Ophelia's playful side, Ryden felt a stir in his heart.
Everyone had moments of innocence and brightness.
Maybe getting to know her better wouldn't be so bad.
Before long, the melodious music faded, and a middle-aged couple stepped onto the dance floor.
The man looked resolute and handsome, dressed in a black evening suit, the very image of a composed gentleman.
The woman wore a sheer scarf and a well-tailored evening gown.
With light makeup and simple styling, she carried an air of elegant, intelligent maturity that could easily make a man's legs go weak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am Thomas. I am delighted to welcome you all to the Wayne Enterprises gala. It is my honor to host such outstanding capitalists, politicians, and elites from all walks of life."
The gentleman spoke with a fluent, weighty American accent.
Ryden stood far back, yet the scene was still perfectly clear to him.
So this was Batman's father.
The chairman of Wayne Enterprises.
And that noble, beautiful, mature woman beside him was Batman's mother.
They were well-matched.
A textbook high-society couple, yet strangely approachable.
"Before we begin tonight, there is an announcement. Wayne Enterprises will be collaborating with the Stark Group in various fields. Tonight, we will announce a new collaborative product. I'm sure you're all curious to know what it is. Please join me in welcoming the Chairman of the Stark Group, Mr. Howard Stark."
Thomas's tone was calm and confident as he addressed the hundreds of guests.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause rang out as everyone showed the Wayne family proper respect.
Those who had heard rumors and those who hadn't were equally curious.
How had the Stark Group and the Wayne Group ended up working together?
There had to be a massive opportunity behind it.
A slightly flamboyant man in a black suit stepped onto the stage.
He took the wired microphone from a beautiful waitress and even kissed the back of her hand lightly.
A European-style gesture.
Normally initiated by the lady.
Perfectly proper.
And more than a little enviable.
"Hello, everyone. Glad to see you all. That's right. Our Stark Group has launched another new invention."
Howard didn't rush into the point.
His exaggerated tone deliberately built suspense.
This was the art of public speaking.
If you wanted people to listen, you had to hook them first.
"This invention is era-defining. It will change multiple industries and push technological progress forward."
Then he pulled out a curved object from behind him and raised it high.
"This is the latest invention from Stark Industries."
"The lithium battery."
Howard paused, letting the words sink in.
Then he continued slowly.
"I know what you're thinking. Why introduce a battery? Let me explain. This little thing has three times the capacity of a battery the size of a large turkey. With it, future appliances and furniture can become smaller and more efficient."
"And that's not all."
"This technology can be applied across many fields. Military. Household appliances. Even energy."
"Higher efficiency. Higher capacity."
"Products like this will soon flood the market."
"Whoever gets this technology first takes the first step into the future."
"And becomes the industry leader."
He smiled.
"Let me show you."
Howard clearly enjoyed the spotlight.
Perhaps because he was still in his prime.
His ambition hadn't faded at all.
With a snap of his fingers, a beautiful waitress brought out a microwave and a bowl of cold soup noodles.
Howard smoothly connected the microwave's plug to the matte-black battery unit.
He placed the noodles inside and turned the power to maximum.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The microwave was running without being connected to any wall outlet.
It was operating solely on the battery.
One minute later-
Ding.
A crisp sound rang out.
Howard opened the microwave and removed the steaming bowl, setting it on the table for everyone to see.
"Wow!"
"Incredible!"
"That battery can power appliances off-grid!"
"Unbelievable. It's practically magic!"
"Stark Industries never disappoints!"
Everyone present was either a business owner or an industry elite.
They weren't stupid.
In an instant, they began calculating how this would reshape their own fields.
To put it bluntly, anyone who failed to board this train would be crushed by competitors.
This was a test of vision.
Just like when touchscreen Android phones appeared in the twenty-first century and wiped out Nokia's Symbian system.
A giant that had dominated for a decade was crushed and gone within two years.
It all came down to foresight.
Thoughtfulness settled over every face in the room.
Satisfied with their reactions, Howard picked up the microphone again.
"This is the first collaboration between Stark Industries and Wayne Enterprises."
"There will be many more high-tech projects in the future."
"Of course, there will also be opportunities to work with all of you here."
"As for this battery technology..."
He paused.
"I am handing over full agency to Wayne Enterprises."
"What?!"
"All of it to Wayne Enterprises?!"
"That's enormous authority!"
"Hmph. Howard is clever."
Voices of shock, admiration, and disdain rose at once.
Not everyone was pleased.
Some welcomed it.
Others resented it.
But no one could deny it.
Stark Industries was terrifying.
Every technology they released set a new standard.
"Wow. Is that battery really that powerful?"
Ophelia looked at Ryden, curiosity flashing in her eyes.
"Did you know about this?"
Ryden smiled as he picked up two glasses of wine, handing one to her.
"Of course I know."
"Because I invented it."
"Hehe. Honestly, this is just a rough version. It can still be improved."
"But I'm busy."
"We'll talk about those upgrades later."
"What?! You invented it?!"
Ophelia covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock.
"Wow. You're amazing."
"Ryden, you really are a genius!"
"Oh! I remember now. You're the one who invented the AK-47!"
She looked exactly like a fangirl meeting her idol.
Ryden sneered inwardly.
Yeah, right.
You really think I'd believe that?
But he didn't expose her.
Hehe.
Emotional games.
Let's see who ends up winning.
A clever woman as a "capable wife" didn't sound bad at all.
Conquering someone with a scheming mind was a challenge worth taking.
"Haha, not at all. It's nothing. I'm not that smart."
Despite his words, Ryden looked so smug that if he had a tail, it would've been wagging.
A flicker of calculation crossed Ophelia's eyes.
If I can charm him and make him work for me, I could become a leader myself.
Her thoughts drifted to Hector.
One of Hydra's leaders.
The man who had taken her in.
The way he always looked at her made her feel sick.
Recently, the pressure had only grown.
That was why she had been forced to accept this mission.
Get close to Ryden.
Find a way out.
Even knowing how terrifying Hydra was, Ophelia never considered surrender.
She wouldn't lose her "purity" like that.
Not yet.
It had to be said-
At this age, Ophelia was still conservative.
Still inexperienced.
She hadn't yet endured the pain, torture, and transformation that would one day turn her into the Viper.
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