Salary thief

The mid-level area of Arasaka Tower.

Inside the office floor belonging to the Special Operations Division.

Hayden looked pale as he stared at the team of agents from the Counter-Intelligence Department in front of him, knowing that Susan had already sold him out.

It made sense; a cybernetic implant project that had seen so much investment had its prototype stolen. Someone had to take the fall for it.

Hayden's position and identity made him the perfect candidate.

'Come with us, Hayden.'

V's tone was calm, but his actions were anything but polite. Without giving Hayden a chance to speak, he immediately revoked all of his job permissions and authority.

This instantly stripped Hayden of any power to resist. He collapsed to the floor, his body twitching uncontrollably.

All cyberware in the bodies of Arasaka Corporation employees had to be those developed by the company itself.

While this guaranteed quality and after-sales service, the downside was that once your position was revoked, all Arasaka cyberware would immediately shut down.

The shock and pain this caused were unbearable, as evidenced by Hayden's current state.

V stared intently at Hayden, etching the scene into his memory. If he didn't want to end up the same way, he had to keep climbing until he reached the very top of Arasaka Tower.

Two Arasaka agents stepped forward from behind him, hoisting up the defenseless Hayden and dragging him away.

V glanced around, taking in the expressions of fear and loathing from those nearby, before walking away without looking back.

This was a signal for the Counter-Intelligence Department to launch a counter-attack against the Special Operations Division. He wondered what kind of expression Susan would have in her office right now; regardless, he had already seen Jenkins' smug and triumphant look on his way here.

Inside the Arasaka vehicle, Hayden's condition improved slightly, and he was finally able to speak.

'Where are you taking me?'

Hayden asked in a raspy voice as he watched Arasaka Tower recede into the distance.

Even if the company intended to execute an internal employee, they wouldn't drive this far away, would they?

As for interrogating him?

That shouldn't be it either. The Special Operations Division had only suffered a setback, not a total dissolution, and it still had many powerful figures backing it. If they really interrogated something unspeakable out of him, he wouldn't be the one embarrassed.

The head of the Counter-Intelligence Department wouldn't be so tactless, surely.

Hayden looked at V in the passenger seat, his mind racing with a strong desire to survive.

However, V had no intention of responding to Hayden. He simply gave the agent beside him a look, and the agent understandingly took out equipment to gag and blindfold Hayden. The interior of the car fell into complete silence.

After the vehicle had traveled for a while longer, it began to slow down.

Just as Hayden realized this, he was kicked out of the car, rolling several times on the ground.

While he was filled with fear and trepidation, his hood was pulled off.

A somewhat familiar young man appeared before his eyes.

'Do you remember this place?'

Chen Nuo used a bit of force to lift Hayden off the ground. The latter glanced around in confusion before suddenly realizing something, looking at Chen Nuo in shock.

This was the overpass where Chen's Father had his car accident.

Hayden had personally orchestrated the entire plan, so he naturally recognized the place.

'Recognized it?'

Chen Nuo watched the change in Hayden's expression and gave a faint smile, drawing a gun and pointing it at the space between the man's eyebrows.

'When you go down, remember to apologize properly to my father.'

'...'

There was a sense of relief, even joy, in Hayden's eyes.

He realized now that the loss of the 'Kongou' cybernetic implant wasn't a result of corporate or departmental infighting, but an act of revenge.

Now he didn't have to worry. He figured that bitch Susan would be joining him soon. It was truly wonderful to learn such a pleasant thing before dying; he could die in peace now.

With a 'bang,' a gunshot rang out.

Shot in the forehead, Hayden tumbled from the overpass into the sea and sank in the blink of an eye.

'Let's go.'

Chen Nuo looked away and spoke to Lucy... Marvel Universe

Stark Industries Tower, Weapons Research and Development Department

Chen Nuo returned to his workstation with a steaming cup of coffee, pulled a bunch of snacks from his pocket, and began enjoying them happily. The latest movie was playing on his computer screen.

Reborn as a Salary Thief at Stark Company

This title was enough to summarize Chen Nuo's life over the past twenty years.

He never expected to be reincarnated as a mixed-race Chinese-American and land in the Marvel Universe as an abandoned baby in a welfare institution sponsored by the Stark Group.

Thanks to his memories awakening early and inheriting his talent as a 'small-town test-taker' from his previous life, Chen Nuo graduated from MIT with scholarships and sponsorships from the Stark Group, earning bachelor's degrees in both Physics and Engineering.

Then, he immediately joined the Stark company as a salary thief, living a pretty sweet life.

In Chen Nuo's view, being a salary thief was simply a life philosophy.

I studied so hard for so long, and the workbooks I've completed would stack up higher than an adult. Now that I've finally graduated, what's wrong with enjoying myself a bit?

If possible, Chen Nuo wouldn't have wanted to join the Stark Industries Group, but he had no choice. He had been marked by Stark since birth and had signed a bunch of agreements with the group before he even graduated.

The Stark Group could fire Chen Nuo, but the option for him to resign voluntarily didn't exist.

Otherwise, forget about finding another employer; the breach of contract penalties alone were more than Chen Nuo could afford.

Looking at it from another perspective, others didn't even have the qualifications to join the Stark Group.

The benefits and treatment at the company headquarters were quite excellent.

Tony was rich and willing to spend money; working for him wasn't shameful at all.

Look at the company's coffee—it's all top-tier Blue Mountain coffee, free for employees to drink. Chen Nuo would even fill a thermos before leaving work at night just so he could stay up late playing games.

Don't say it affects your health; if you don't stay up late while you're young, how will you manage when you're old?

The other benefits and perks went without saying.

The company covered everything from food to housing, even providing free city apartments for employees to live in.

Of course, this was also because Chen Nuo was a core member groomed by Stark, and he had joined the group's most important Weapons Research and Development Department. Naturally, his treatment couldn't be compared to that of ordinary employees.

However, Chen Nuo knew that in a while, the Stark Group's Weapons Research and Development Department would be abolished.

By then, whether he transferred or left, Chen Nuo's treatment wouldn't be like it was now. So naturally, he would slack off as much as possible; it's not like he was expecting a promotion or a raise.

'Nuo, is the new weapon test data ready?'

As soon as the voice of Alan, the department head, rang out, Chen Nuo skillfully switched the movie on his screen to a series of data tables and swept the snacks on his desk into a drawer, instantly looking like he was working hard.

'It's ready. I'll send it to your email right now.'

Chen Nuo typed loudly on his keyboard. Through a mirror on his desk, he could see behind him, ensuring he could observe anyone approaching at any time.

'I trust your work.'

Alan patted Chen Nuo on the shoulder affectionately, his eyes full of appreciation for the young man.

Setting aside Chen Nuo's abilities for a moment, his personality and way of handling things were very much to Alan's liking. He didn't have the arrogance common among geniuses and was so humble that one couldn't find a single fault.

'Don't work too late tonight. You're making things a bit difficult for the other colleagues.'

Alan whispered a reminder in Chen Nuo's ear.

'Okay, I understand.'

Chen Nuo nodded and sighed inwardly.

There goes the free air conditioning, computer, and internet. Electricity and internet bills in New York aren't cheap, and they could never compare to Stark's anyway; even this computer's configuration was top-of-the-line.

If he could, Chen Nuo would actually prefer to take the computer home, along with this chair—it was incredibly comfortable to sit in.

Seeing this, Alan left, satisfied.

In truth, Chen Nuo really didn't have much of a workload at the moment. Foreign companies and departments also cared about seniority; as a newly hired researcher, how could he possibly have any urgent projects handed to him?

It was only because the Stark Industries Group didn't have many projects in Biotechnica; otherwise, under normal circumstances, a rookie like Chen Nuo would have had to start by raising lab mice.

In the eyes of others, a young man like Chen Nuo, who graduated with dual degrees from MIT, was considered a rare genius.

But he knew his own situation best.

Chen Nuo was just using his experience as a 'small-town test-taker' from his previous life to get a head start. He wasn't a 'slow bird,' but he couldn't be called a genius either.

As soon as it hit five o'clock, Chen Nuo clocked out exactly on time.

Since his colleagues had a slight issue with his 'diligence,' he had no choice but to leave on time.

'Hey, Nuo, you're off a bit early today. Want to go to a bar together? I heard a few amazing dancers just arrived.'

A young Black man put his arm around Chen Nuo's shoulder and asked familiarly. The two were part of the same batch of new hires, so they naturally got along easily.

Before Chen Nuo could answer, the blonde girl at the front desk interrupted.

'Martin, don't corrupt Nuo.'

'Emma, how can you say that? I'm just letting Nuo experience the local culture of Manhattan.'

Martin made an exaggeratedly sad face, leaning over the front desk and wiggling his butt like a gorilla in heat.

But Emma didn't even give him a second glance. Her blue eyes seemed to hold only Chen Nuo, with an obviously different meaning behind them.

Emma had been responsible for arranging Chen Nuo's onboarding. To thank her, he had invited her to dinner, and as it turned out, the moonlight that night was too beautiful, leading to a loss of self-control.

This actually wasn't a big deal.

America has its own customs; when the mood is right, a 'one-night stand' is perfectly normal and hardly worth mentioning.

To put it bluntly, given Chen Nuo's looks and physique, Emma certainly wasn't the one getting the short end of the stick.

Chen Nuo had been taken advantage of plenty of times by upperclasswomen in college.

It couldn't be helped; his reputation for being well-endowed and skilled had spread, and there were always people who wanted to have a taste.

After all, Chen Nuo's mixed-race look was quite rare.

However, looking at Emma now, she seemed to want to take things further.

That was a bit much. For the sake of being colleagues, letting her have a 'snack' occasionally was one thing, but how could she want to monopolize him?

Chen Nuo had no intention of entering the grave of marriage just like that.

Besides, everyone knows the 'shelf life' of Western girls; if he were to look for someone, it would have to be someone younger than him.

Chen Nuo pretended not to see the hints in Emma's eyes and pulled Martin away from the company.

We agreed to see some amazing dancers, yet a big sister from the front desk makes you stop in your tracks? You're not a very 'pure' bro, are you?

Stark Tower was located in the most prosperous and bustling part of Manhattan, surrounded by all kinds of entertainment venues. Martin was a 'local' here and had often taken Chen Nuo out to see the world.

Although he looked like a young Black man, Martin actually had three-quarters white ancestry; he just looked a bit darker.

His family background was that of the standard middle class.

Joining the Stark Industries Group was like his ancestors' graves were smoking with good fortune.

Though America didn't seem to have such a saying.

However, compared to Chen Nuo, Martin's starting point was much lower. The reason he was so enthusiastic was likely because he held some thoughts of 'investing' in their relationship.

It's perfectly normal for friendships and interactions between adults to carry some utilitarian motives.

Chen Nuo didn't see anything wrong with this.

Martin had indeed helped him resolve some minor troubles in his life.

New York City might look prosperous and bustling, but beneath the neon lights, plenty of darkness and filth were hidden.

After all, this was a world with superheroes and supervillains.

An ordinary person like Chen Nuo had to be cautious and careful living here; that was the only way to live a long life.

After nightfall.

The city's bars and dance halls were packed with indulgent white-collar workers.

New York is large, but living here isn't easy. The pressure of life for ordinary people is imaginable; even Captain America once admitted he couldn't afford a house in Manhattan.

Joining Stark was both Chen Nuo's only choice and his best choice; at least he didn't have to worry about making a living.

Martin, that little rascal, had long since abandoned Chen Nuo to squeeze into the dance floor, grooving his body.

Chen Nuo sat at the bar, his eyes firmly attracted by the graceful figures swaying on the stage.

Martin was right; the newly arrived dancers were indeed amazing.

However, with Chen Nuo's keen eyes, it wasn't hard to see that many of them were non-natural products. But so what? As long as they looked good, it was fine. He didn't plan on getting hands-on anyway, lest he feel something unnatural.

'Hey, handsome, all by yourself?'

A strong scent of perfume drifted over.

Chen Nuo turned to look. A pretty, well-proportioned white girl had sat down beside him.

'Yeah.'

'How about buying me a drink?'

'Of course, it would be my honor.'

Chen Nuo had come here to find some fun, and coincidentally, the person opposite him had the same idea. So what were they waiting for? After a few glasses of strong liquor, the two of them moved from the bar to a hotel upstairs.

The moonlight tonight was equally charming, and Chen Nuo was quite the connoisseur of moonlight.

After much exertion, Chen Nuo finally managed to satisfy the girl in his arms. Just as he closed his eyes and was about to drift into dreamland, his consciousness fell into a pure white space. Looking at the familiar strangers surrounding him, he suddenly realized something.

The cheat I've been waiting for for over ten years is finally arriving?!