However, he wasn't easily swayed by Daisy. He secretly calculated a figure he deemed reasonable and handed her a bank card. "Remember," he said, "this is my personal money, not related to S.H.I.E.L.D."
Daisy nodded quickly, taking the bank card.
Their conversation concluded, Fury opened the car door and drove away.
Watching him disappear into the night, Daisy scoffed. Personal money? Who would believe that! S.H.I.E.L.D. had established over a hundred secret bases globally, all under the jurisdiction of the World Security Council.
But beyond that, Nick Fury had personally set up numerous safe houses worldwide. After a series of events—being taken over by the government, breached by Hydra, and those that self-destructed—a conservative estimate puts the number at thirty!
His safe houses weren't just one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartments. They included missile silos, helipads, various training facilities, and a full complement of weapons and ammunition, designed to withstand explosions, gas attacks, and a host of other threats. Though called safe houses, they were essentially military bases.
How could a director, who earned a salary, have amassed so much money to secretly establish over thirty military bases?
The truth was, Nick Fury was the number one embezzler in the Marvel universe! He was unparalleled, both before and after him. Even Hydra, with all its skill at poaching, couldn't match his individual efforts. The World Security Council's dissatisfaction with Fury and their desire to replace him were not unfounded; his expenditures were so vast that they became a burden for several member nations.
No one knew how many contingencies he had prepared; he even kept his most trusted subordinates at arm's length.
The conversation never touched upon her abilities, so Daisy could only assume the worst: Fury knew she had powers, but chose not to mention it, wanting to keep it a secret known only to him.
Daisy could, of course, choose to kill him to silence him, but she wasn't confident. Nick Fury wasn't the incompetent type seen in movies; as a member of the Brotherhood of the Shield and the Zodiac, he had faced countless overt and covert attacks and surely possessed numerous trump cards. If she failed to kill him and he escaped, the consequences would be endless.
Daisy saw no need for such drastic measures. Taking a small sum of his money would foster a more harmonious relationship between them, at least that's what she thought.
She quickly checked the balance; it was a fifty thousand-dollar bank card, which finally eased her financial crisis.
She didn't rush to the S.H.I.E.L.D.
Academy immediately. Instead, the next day, she met with her subordinates to discuss the promotion of their big data services.
James Wesley, ultimately, couldn't resist the offer and joined them. Ordinary high school dropouts held no appeal for him, but powered individuals were different; this was a significant factor in his decision. Deep down, he was still a believer in the gangster code of strength and respect.
Gangster strategist James Wesley as the company operator, the exceptionally patient tech-savvy David Liberman providing technical support, and the almost-irresistible legal consultant, Ms. Matsumoto—this was Daisy's current inner circle.
While the personnel might seem a bit lacking, all three had significant future accomplishments. James was Kingpin's right-hand man in controlling his criminal empire, David was "Chip," an investigator for the National Security Agency, and Ms. Matsumoto became the cold-blooded assassin, Lady Bullseye. They all had great potential.
Daisy only needed to integrate their abilities, and entering the Fortune 500 wouldn't be an issue.
"Everyone, last night I secured another unsolicited sponsorship of fifty thousand dollars, which I've deposited into the company account. Our big data analysis research and development phase is complete. What are your thoughts on the next phase?" As the boss, with the company almost broke, she reluctantly put the money into the company account.
Ms. Matsumoto, as a "retainer," spoke first, clearly having thought about this for several days: "Since we don't have much of a reputation initially, perhaps we can start by approaching small and medium-sized enterprises. Although the income will be less, building a good reputation will lead to a continuous flow of business later on."
Having been a lawyer in her home country, Ms. Matsumoto had now emerged from that nightmarish environment.
Aside from a slight excitement when seeing Daisy, she had returned to her normal self.
Her words were well-organized, though a few keywords were used inappropriately, so she repeated them in Japanese.
Daisy had been with her for a few days and could barely understand a few Japanese phrases. James Wesley, who could facilitate the New York criminal underworld alliance, was fluent in several languages, including Chinese, Japanese, English, and Russian.
After listening to Ms. Matsumoto, he scoffed and replied in Japanese, "Why bother with those small businesses? We should aim to collaborate with large corporations."
His dismissive attitude provoked Ms. Matsumoto. With a "swish," the maid-like woman pulled a dagger from her backpack.
This action startled James, and he quickly turned to look at Daisy.
Daisy found it amusing. Ms. Matsumoto had been trained for a few days, and her sharpness was already beginning to show. Even if she didn't reach the level of Lady Bullseye in the future, she wouldn't become a weak woman.
"It's fine, it's fine. Let's discuss harmoniously. Maki is a very gentle girl," she said, trying to mediate, and asked Ms. Matsumoto to put away the dagger.
Ms. Matsumoto immediately changed her demeanor, bowing humbly and apologizing to James and the equally startled David. This little interlude finally passed.
Daisy pondered for a moment. Deep down, she also hoped to earn money from large corporations, achieve instant success, and then have a continuous stream of orders and money. This aligned with the efficient operating mechanisms of modern society. The Japanese approach of building a reputation and seeking repeat customers wasn't entirely suitable for fast-developing New York.
However, reputation was not entirely unnecessary. Everyone knew the nature of large corporations; they were arrogant and difficult to deal with. It was hard to get through their doors, and they often wore unpleasant expressions.
Their group—a high school dropout girl, a gangster's strategist, an exceptionally patient otaku, and the formidable Japanese woman—were not important figures. Expecting a high-level reception from a large corporation was a pipe dream.
Dr. Killian, the main villain in Iron Man 3, was initially stood up by Stark, left alone on a rooftop all night. This was clear evidence.
Their group was even less impressive than he was; at least he was a doctor who could attend the New Millennium conference, not an unknown.
Their only advantage was their relatively high Appearance, as looks still mattered in this era.
She asked the gangster strategist, "Mr. Wesley, do you have any connections we can use?"
He glanced at her. "If I had connections, would I be here with you?"
Daisy was speechless. It seemed Kingpin wasn't doing well at the moment, as his main assistant had no connections whatsoever.
It was worth noting that when Kingpin became the underground emperor of New York, James Wesley, as his public representative, didn't even need an appointment to see powerful figures like Obadiah Stane or Norman Osborn; he could simply walk in.
Now, she had to find another way.