However, Ryan asking Happy if Tony Stark would sell mini arc reactors wasn't because he wanted to build some iron man armor.
To him, that thing didn't do much besides allowing him to fly; it would even be a burden.
As for flying, while he indeed couldn't, he could jump high enough!
So even if he encountered a flying opponent, as long as they didn't fly too high all of a sudden, he could deal with them.
And once they were ensnared by his Spider Silk, even if they could fly, they shouldn't dream of escaping!
After all, his Spider Silk wasn't the 'low-quality' tech-made silk like Peter's; it was the super Spider Silk from Ryan's version of Spider-Man, which could pull a high-speed train and only snap because the walls couldn't handle the tension, not because the silk itself gave out!
He wanted the mini arc reactor because he actually wanted to get one for Max.
After all, in No Way Home, Max, who used a mini arc reactor as a power source, had energy that was incredibly abundant and powerful!
It would also prevent Max from running out of juice during a fight, where a sudden burst of power could cause a massive blackout.
But since Happy said Tony wouldn't sell, he'd just ask Tony for a few personally later.
Anyway, as long as he didn't give Tony money, wouldn't that mean Tony never "sold" them?
Makes sense!
Afterward, Ryan personally arranged a laboratory for Dr. Banner.
It was a super lab right next to Dr. Connors' lab, fully equipped with everything needed; Dr. Banner could even chat with Dr. Connors when he was free.
Thus, Dr. Banner was very satisfied with this super lab.
With this advanced equipment, he felt even more confident in researching how to purge the Hulk from his body!
Before leaving, however, Ryan gave Dr. Banner a heartfelt reminder:
His idea of wanting to expel the Hulk might have been wrong from the start; the Hulk was just a child who hadn't been born for long, and what he needed wasn't hatred and fear, but patient guidance...
After saying this, Ryan didn't linger. He left Dr. Banner to contemplate alone in the lab, exited the laboratory floor, and went to the top floor reserved for him as the Chairman.
When he reached his office, Natasha, wearing a low-V secretary suit, was already waiting in front of the door.
Seeing Ryan approach, Natasha walked over gracefully and gave him a seductive wink: "As my new boss, which of my professional skills would you like to test first?"
Looking at the black stockings rubbing against his leg, Ryan's eyes flashed. He grabbed Natasha's waist and impatiently led her into the office.
An hour later... Natasha looked at the documents in her hand with a look of resentment mixed with exhaustion.
Meanwhile, Ryan sat on a lounger in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, legs crossed, leisurely playing on his phone.
Without even turning his head, as if sensing Natasha's movement had stopped, Ryan said calmly, "Don't slack off. The orders for Regeneration Potions have piled up like a mountain these past few days. You must finish processing them all today!"
Although Parker Building had been undergoing renovations recently, major hospitals, wealthy individuals, and even national powers around the World were still continuously placing large orders for Regeneration Potions with Parker Industries.
Since Parker Industries had just been established, it lacked key decision-making positions like CEO, President, or General Manager, and the other three members of the Board of Directors were just figureheads, so every order required the approval of Ryan, the Chairman.
This had been quite a headache for Ryan.
He hadn't expected Natasha, the workhorse he'd chosen, to arrive so early today. That's why he had impatiently sat her down in the office chair and made her handle the mountain of high-value order contracts for him.
As for whether Natasha was loyal or her level of professionalism, those were actually the things Ryan needed to worry about the least.
Regardless of her loyalty, she would never mess around unless S.H.I.E.L.D. had a death wish and wanted to face Ryan's thunderous retaliation.
Regarding professionalism, there was even less to worry about; Natasha's competence was well-documented in Iron Man 2.
So, Ryan taking Natasha from Nick Fury wasn't because he was "interested" in her body; it was purely for her professional abilities.
As for Natasha's body, forget it—didn't they say like-species repel each other?
Poisonous spiders were the same...
Natasha stared resentfully at Ryan's back, pointing at the mountain of files on the desk and complaining, "Boss, with so many documents, how could I possibly finish them in one day..."
Hearing this, Ryan calmly held up four fingers: "In addition to your base salary, I'll reward you with four extra high-grade regeneration serums this month. That's enough to restore what you once lost. Can you finish them now?"
This incentive was like a shot of adrenaline, filling Natasha with motivation; her hands turning the contracts almost moved fast enough to leave afterimages!
She had gone from a top Agent to an ordinary worker, gaining the normal life she had once dreamed of. Her only regret was that because her uterus had been removed in the Red Room, she could never have a child of her own in this life.
Now, as long as she worked for a month, she could make up for this sole regret. Natasha felt like she had never looked forward to tomorrow as much as she did today!
Seeing Natasha working with a smile from the corner of his eye, Ryan also smiled slightly.
See? Is there any task in this World that can't be completed?
It's just that the rewards workers receive aren't enough to support their efforts, so they internally resist tasks that exceed their compensation.
As long as you're like him—whenever the workhorses lack motivation, just add plenty of grass, and they'll naturally start moving!
Ryan felt that bosses all over the World should learn from him!
However, since Natasha was going to be dedicated to processing documents for him, she certainly wouldn't be able to handle other secretarial duties, such as arranging his schedule or receiving guests.
So Ryan still needed a new secretary.
And speak of the devil, the Black Cat arrived.
Just as Ryan thought of this, there was a knock on the office door.
"Come in."
After Ryan spoke, a beautiful woman entered wearing a black women's suit, her hair a unique silvery-white.
This person was, of course, one of the only two secretary candidates he had screened a few days ago—the Black Cat, Felicia Hardy!
Ryan glanced at Felicia and frowned, thinking that it seemed he would have to replace the building's security team as well.
It was one thing for Natasha, a former top Agent, to reach his office floor silently.
But how could even Felicia come up to this floor at will?
Was his floor as the boss that accessible?
Seeing Ryan frown and then seeing Natasha already processing documents, Felicia couldn't help but look a bit disappointed: "I'm sorry, I didn't know you had already hired a secretary. I suppose I've come at a bad time..."
Seeing that Felicia seemed to have misunderstood, Ryan's frown relaxed, and he called out to her just as she was about to turn and leave: "No, you've come at just the right time. You're hired. Come sign the contract!"
Saying so, Ryan stood up, picked up a pre-prepared labor contract from the desk, and handed it to Felicia.
"Eh?" Felicia blinked her large eyes as she took the labor contract. Seeing the substantial six-figure salary, she looked completely stunned.
Is... is there really such a good thing?
Joining the company directly without even a proper interview?
Seeing Felicia's dazed look, Ryan smiled and said, "What, is there a rule that a boss can only hire one secretary?"
Felicia thought about it and realized it made sense. Who said a boss could only have one secretary?
Especially the boss of a super company that has already reached its peak and become a global sensation right after its founding!
Next, Ryan arranged Felicia's work, which consisted of daily tasks. Besides scheduling and hosting guests, there were things like making tea and massaging his shoulders.
As for reviewing confidential contracts, Natasha was still handling those alone.
After all, although Natasha was an Agent before, Ryan at least knew her background well. However, Felicia had too many dual identities in the comics, so she still needed a probationary period.
Ryan didn't want an unknown double Agent or something infiltrating his company... Now that he had found two private secretaries to handle his official business and errands, the next issue was the security team for the Parker Building.
The original security team at the Oscorp Tower was truly incompetent; anyone could easily sneak in.
So, Ryan planned to interview the security team himself to find someone reliable to lead the security operations at the Parker Building.
And that person should preferably have some special abilities of their own.
After all, Parker Industries would likely be researching extraordinary things in the future. He really couldn't feel at ease with ordinary people as security... However, Ryan looked through the security teams available on the market and couldn't find any that satisfied him.
In the end, he could only use the same old trick he used for the secretaries: casting a wide net in the market to recruit capable individuals.
Until he found a satisfactory candidate, Ryan could only have Max, the building's electrical supervisor, temporarily serve as the security supervisor.
After all, Max's ability to turn himself into electricity and enter the entire building's electrical system was indeed very suitable for the duty of guarding the building.
Max alone could easily sense any abnormalities throughout the entire building!
Ryan didn't mistreat Max either, promising to get him a powerful energy source in a while so he wouldn't have to worry about energy in the future!
Over the next period of time, everything at the Parker Building got on track.
The production line for the regeneration serum was completed, and the serum began to be mass-produced. The finished products were sent all over the World, causing the reputation of Parker Industries to grow steadily.
A month later, when the first batch of patients with limb regrowth actually grew new limbs, Parker Industries' market value saw another leap. This leap brought Parker Industries to the same status that Osborn Enterprises once held!
In fact, because this level of growth was achieved in just one month, its social status was even higher than the original Osborn Enterprises, making it a true leader in the biopharmaceutical field!
Furthermore, Parker Industries' regeneration serum, like Stark Industries' arc reactor, was an exclusive project with low investment and high returns. Thus, the money earned this month had allowed Ryan to achieve complete financial freedom.
However, looking at the countless zeros in his balance, Ryan didn't feel much.
He now understood the indifference toward money Tony felt.
It turns out that once money reaches a certain amount, it really does make one lose interest in it.
*Click—*
Just as Ryan was feeling a bit empty and bored because he had more money than he could spend, the office door opened.
A pair of long legs in black stockings and striking red hair appeared; it was Natasha.
Compared to the Natasha from a month ago, the current Natasha's spirits were clearly better. The smile on her face had become genuine, and the seductive charm about her had vanished, replaced by the aura of an elite career woman!
Carrying a stack of documents, Natasha walked straight to the boss's chair that Ryan himself had rarely sat in, plopped down, and skillfully began processing the files on the desk.
An hour later, after Natasha had finished all the contracts for the day, she brought them over to Ryan, who was sunbathing by the window, for his signature.
Without even looking at the contents of the contracts, Ryan casually signed his name on the documents Natasha had reviewed.
Natasha had already grown accustomed to this "trust," and her face showed no reaction.
However, unlike before, Ryan flipped his hand, and amidst the surging Symbiote, four vials of emerald-green regeneration serum appeared.
Ryan handed them to Natasha and said calmly:
"This is the fourth-generation regeneration serum that Dr. Connors just developed. The effect is better than the third generation. After four doses, it can permanently repair missing organs, so there's no need to inject a vial every month to maintain the stability of the new organs."
"However, this stuff is too powerful and not suitable for making money, so it won't be sold to the public for now. It's only for our internal use. So, just use it secretly and don't let anyone else know, okay?"
Hearing this, Natasha took the fourth-generation serum with a look of pleasant surprise, carefully placing it in her pocket for fear of it getting bumped or broken.
"I understand. Thank you, Ryan!"
This time, Natasha didn't have much physical contact with Ryan; she simply thanked him. Yet, it seemed much more sincere than when she first tried to seduce him with her beauty.
Sunbathing on the recliner, Ryan didn't even open his eyes, just waving his hand lazily. "This is just the reward you deserve for your diligence over the past month."
"Also, your work for today is finished. You can leave early. Go shopping, or visit an amusement park like girls enjoy. Oh, and you can invite Gwen to go with you."
Watching Ryan become lazier day by day over the past month, Natasha suddenly felt a sense of frustration at his lack of ambition.
This guy clearly has boundless power, but his personality is too lazy. His cousin and his brother from another mother are out fighting crime every day, while this guy only knows how to sunbathe!
What, are you Superman? Can you actually get stronger by sunbathing?
The better Ryan treated her, the more Natasha couldn't stand the increasing "old man vibe" about him. So, her eyes darted around, and she suddenly said,
"Ryan, since this company runs the same with or without you anyway, do you want to do something interesting?"
Hearing this, Ryan actually opened his eyes and looked Natasha up and down. "What, is your spring in the air?"
Natasha:?
Instantly understanding, Natasha suppressed the urge to beat up her boss and squeezed out a speechless smile. "I'm talking about doing something, not doing the kind of dirty things you're thinking of!"
"And not doing it with me. I mean for you to go by yourself, in your other identity!"
At this, Ryan's brow quirked. "In my other identity? What, did Nick Fury come to you and ask you to commission a mission for me?"
Natasha shook her head. "No, since I resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D. and joined your Parker Industries, Nick Fury hasn't contacted me again."
"However, this matter really does have something to do with S.H.I.E.L.D."
Hearing this, Ryan sat up from the recliner, looking a bit interested. "Tell me the details."
Natasha also turned serious. "It's a long story. To put it simply, two days ago, a rare astronomical phenomenon appeared in the sky over New Mexico, and a hammer that doesn't belong to Earth fell from the phenomenon—a mysterious hammer that no one can lift!"
"Oh, a hammer... Wait, a hammer!"
Ryan's eyes lit up, and the lazy aura about him instantly vanished as he sprang up from his chair!