After hearing Nolan's words, Galiston Beyer immediately went to see Charles.
When he learned that Nolan had refused, Charles' face filled with surprise.
"That guy… he's not willing to give up control?"
Galiston Beyer nodded, hesitated, then said carefully, "Charles, honestly, accepting this might not be a bad thing. Nolan Locke is extremely talented. As long as he stays with Locke Technologies, our shares will only become more valuable in the future."
Charles let out a cold laugh.
"Galiston, don't project your thinking onto me."
He leaned forward slightly, his tall frame radiating pressure.
Locke Technologies was indeed valuable right now. Over the next two years, the White Guardian robots would generate even more profit. But in his eyes, that was nothing more than good timing.
Once the market for similar robots became saturated and competitors entered the field, Locke Technologies would inevitably decline unless Nolan Locke could produce something even better.
Compared to that, taking control of Locke Technologies now would bring him far more money.
"Locke Technologies is mine," Charles said through clenched teeth.
Seeing the ferocity in his expression, Galiston Beyer could not help but shiver.
Neither Nolan Locke nor Charles Lorey resembled the people he had imagined.
It was as if…
They had both seen blood before.
After Galiston Beyer left, Charles Lorey frowned.
What an annoyance.
He glanced in the direction of Locke Technologies, then took out a handgun that was clearly well maintained.
If corporate methods were not enough, then other methods would have to do.
Nolan Locke was nothing worth worrying about.
After receiving Charles Lorey's response, Galiston Beyer immediately informed Nolan of everything.
He also warned him over the phone that Charles Lorey might take violent action.
Galiston Beyer was tense, but Nolan remained utterly calm.
"I understand."
The same words as always.
In fact, Nolan was almost looking forward to Charles Lorey trying something violent.
As a law-abiding citizen, he did not kill casually. But if the other side made the first move, that would give him all the justification he needed.
After hanging up, Nolan looked at his right hand.
Suddenly, it collapsed in on itself, crumbling into a cloud of fine dust before disappearing completely.
With a single thought, his hand reformed as if nothing had happened.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Before, he might have had many concerns. Now, he no longer feared so-called assassinations.
Even without his armor, the result would be the same.
While Nolan dealt with the issues at Locke Technologies, the Doom Group was undergoing upheaval of its own.
Since returning from space, Victor von Doom had not had a single idle day.
Before launching the space program, he had believed he had accounted for every variable. Especially after securing a guaranteed source of profit like Locke Technologies, he had been convinced that even a failed experiment would not threaten his position.
What he had not expected was not just failure, but a space accident.
The fallout was severe.
Public opinion turned sharply, and the Doom Group's stock price plunged.
Naturally, the first to bear the consequences was the CEO himself.
To stabilize his position, Victor worked relentlessly day after day.
After seeing off yet another shareholder, Victor slammed his fist into the wall in fury.
The blow stripped away the plaster, and metallic traces appeared across his knuckles.
The sight made Victor von Doom tense instantly.
He did not understand what was happening.
He was the founder of the Doom Group, a brilliant entrepreneur. Even if something strange was happening to his body, power itself meant nothing to him.
What mattered was that his body remained intact.
Victor's expression turned unsettled.
He had heard about Ben Grimm's condition.
Had he changed too?
Before he could investigate further, his new secretary entered the office.
Because of the accident, Susan was no longer able to come in.
"The board meeting is about to begin," the secretary said.
Victor von Doom nodded calmly, hiding his metallic hand behind his back.
"I'll be there shortly."
The moment the meeting started, the shareholders launched into him without restraint.
"Victor, because of your decisions, the company is on the brink of collapse and has lost government trust. Do you have anything to say for yourself?"
Victor took a deep breath.
"Everyone here is a businessman. I am Victor von Doom, and I understand exactly what businessmen want. But I ask you to trust my ability. One failure means nothing. As long as I am here, the Doom Group will not fall."
A shareholder let out a cold laugh.
"We've trusted you many times already. And what has that brought us? Victor, I think it's time the Doom Group had a new leader."
Those words ignited the anger burning in Victor's chest.
The lights in the conference room flickered.
Victor suppressed his rage.
"Give me more time. I will resolve all of this."
"Let's hope so."
The meeting ended.
The shareholders left without a hint of warmth.
Victor smashed his fist down on the table.
A glass shattered under the blow, and shards sliced across his cheek.
But there was no blood.
Beneath the torn skin, the same metallic sheen was visible.
Nolan understood Victor's fury all too well.
Even if gaining power was possible, if the price was losing one's humanity, most people would hesitate. Especially someone like Victor von Doom, an elite even among humans.
Compared to the others…
Nolan watched the television.
It was broadcasting footage of the stone-skinned Ben rescuing a bus full of people, while Johnny announced the name of their team, the Fantastic Four.
Nolan clicked his tongue and pinched his own face, confirming once again that there were no aftereffects.
The news was flooded with reports about the Doom Group's crisis.
Yet the true cause of it all had been transformed into heroes admired by everyone.
As for Susan Storm, she still looked as stunning as ever. After only a few glances, Nolan stood up.
It was time to assert his claim over Susan, before someone else took advantage of the situation.
When Nolan arrived at the laboratory Reed Richards had rented, Johnny was in the middle of harassing Ben.
Seeing Nolan enter, Johnny swaggered over proudly.
"Hey, did you see me on TV? From now on, call me the Human Torch."
"Seeing you in human form really is enviable," Nolan said with a smile.
Johnny took it as praise and looked even more pleased, while Ben Grimm remained silent and gloomy.
That was only natural.
He was the only one with lasting side effects, and his condition was the most extreme.
"Ben, I'm sorry this happened to you," Nolan said sincerely.
"Sorry for what? He's a member of the Fantastic Four now," Johnny cut in.
Nolan frowned.
He did not like Susan's brother.
"Johnny, you should understand that Ben's situation is not the same as yours."
"You mean he turned into a big pile of rocks?" Johnny continued mockingly.
The words pushed Ben Grimm over the edge.
He charged toward Johnny in rage.
"Johnny, I'll tear you apart!"
At that moment, Susan rushed over.
"Johnny, what are you doing now?"
She was exhausted by her brother's behavior, but powerless to stop him.
Reed Richards, meanwhile, was completely absorbed in his research, paying them no attention at all.
He was focused on studying the cause of their newfound abilities.
Johnny suddenly burst into flames, forcing Ben to stop short.
Then he turned smugly toward Susan.
"I'm just playing with the big guy. Right, Stone Man? I bet you love the name I picked for you. Stone Man. It suits you perfectly."
Ben grew more furious, but Johnny was too agile for him to catch.
"Johnny!" Susan shouted again.
Only when Susan activated the building's fire suppression system did Johnny's flames finally go out.
Nolan ignored the chaos.
He did not step in to stop it.
There was no need.
He had not come here to help Reed Richards keep the Fantastic Four united.
"Susan, I saw you on TV," Nolan said.
Susan Storm's face flushed immediately.
"I still can't fully control my ability."
"That's not a big problem. Maybe I can help you train sometime."
Nolan smiled.
"In fact, I think I'm more qualified to handle that," Reed Richards said, standing up from his workstation and fixing Nolan with a hostile stare.
The Fantastic Four were his team.
With this team, he believed he had a real chance of winning Susan's affection.
There was no way he would allow Nolan to interfere.
Nolan looked back at Reed Richards, whose gaze was filled with hostility.
"Richards, I think you should be more concerned about Ben and the Doom Group instead."
"You're a genius. I believe you have the ability to restore Ben. And as for the Doom Group, Victor was your classmate. Because of your failed experiment, he might be forced out of his position."
Reed Richards looked irritated, but unconcerned.
"What does that have to do with me? Victor chose to invest in the experiment. He should have known it could fail. As for Ben…"
He glanced toward Ben Grimm.
"I'm working on it."
A soft laugh escaped Nolan.
Reed Richards' reasoning was not wrong.
Victor invested in the experiment, so naturally he had to bear the risk.
But being logically correct did not mean being right as a person.
A normal person would not be this cold.
More importantly, the emergence of the Fantastic Four could have helped restore the Doom Group's public image.
Yet Reed Richards had no intention of doing that.
Victor's fate did not concern him in the slightest.
Even Ben being bullied failed to draw his attention.
In Reed Richards' eyes, only the things he cared about mattered.
Rational?
No.
It was nothing more than self-righteousness.
His intelligence was undeniably high, but that same intellect only brought trouble.
Nolan smiled faintly.
"What a pitiful man."
This time, Nolan openly tore the conflict apart.
There was no reason to keep pretending anymore.