"What are you thinking about, Artoria?"
While Artoria was daydreaming, Maya quietly walked up to her side, gently patted her shoulder, and asked playfully. She was growing more and more fond of this cute and beautiful young girl.
"I'm thinking about when I should fire you."
In fact, Artoria had been using a meditation Craft Essence to train her mental strength and circulate the magic power in her body. She was almost startled into a Qi deviation by this woman, so she could only roll her eyes at Maya and say that gloomily.
"I believe Artoria isn't such a cold-hearted person."
Maya smilingly hugged Artoria. She understood that Artoria was very soft-hearted. Several times she had made her so angry that she stomped her feet, muttering 'I'll fire you tomorrow,' but every time she couldn't bring herself to kick her out. This led Maya to tease Artoria's nerves whenever she had the chance.
"Tch! Shameless dog thief."
"Don't think I don't understand Chinese; you're the dog thief!"
"Nao dan, Bie sun'er."
"What does that mean?"
"Not telling you."
After 'exchanging thoughts' with Maya, Artoria left the blushing Maya behind and walked out of the Base. This afternoon, she had already scheduled an interview with Dr. Helen Cho. Some things still couldn't be known by Maya; if Maya knew, she would probably start making a fuss again. The situation between the two made Artoria very puzzled; she really didn't know how Helen Cho had offended her, or if their personalities were simply too incompatible.
"Hello, Dr. Helen Cho."
"Hello, Artoria Stark."
In this secret Base, Artoria met this beautiful Eastern lady for the first time. After some casual small talk, Artoria cut to the chase. The 'regeneration cradle' was currently just a theoretical paper, with no results or even progress, and the funding required was an astronomical figure. When she handed over the materials, Helen Cho's face turned a bit red with embarrassment. She had proposed this theory and sought many investors, but people would just look at it and decide not to invest, thinking she was being fanciful.
"I believe this technology can improve a person's repair capabilities..."
"Alright, Dr. Cho, I've looked at your materials. They are very good, and I plan to cooperate with you."
"Actually, I still have... what? You plan to cooperate?"
Artoria pretended to read the materials for a bit. In fact, the contents were very profound, and she couldn't understand much of it at all, but she knew this technology was definitely powerful. She didn't care about this bit of money. Helen Cho had seemed certain that Artoria wouldn't invest and was about to continue explaining, but Artoria's answer left her completely stunned.
"Yes, Dr. Cho, I value talent most of all, especially talent in specialized fields like yours. So I've decided to invest in you. I hope you won't let me down."
Helen Cho's bewilderment delighted Artoria, though she kept her face perfectly calm. Every Chinese person knows how to play the game of human relations, and Artoria was now playing the card of gratitude, hoping to move Helen to tears. Her words did exactly that—Helen's eyes reddened with gratitude.
Nothing warms the heart like being recognized after one's talents have gone unnoticed. Now Artoria's image was etched into Helen's mind, and she felt deeply thankful for Artoria's help.
With satisfaction, Artoria handed the management of Helen's lab—and all future material costs—over to saturday. Then she turned her attention to Stark Industries stock. This had to be done gradually; she couldn't let Big Bald Head see through her moves. Lately someone had been chipping away at his holdings, giving her more room to maneuver. She quietly bought up scattered shares, preparing to stab Big Bald Head in the back. She might not kill him, but she'd make sure he suffered.
As for whether he'd lash out like a cornered dog, Artoria kept her balance. She wouldn't drive him to desperation—but her cheap 'big brother' might be in for bad luck; Big Bald Head would probably strike at him first.
Tony still held the most Stark shares. If he died, a portion would pass to Artoria. A small slice she could finesse, putting her in control. Then, when he moved against her, he'd find a teenage girl far tougher than he expected.