Max passed through the space that had previously been the employees' official section of KTech, now completely empty.
He had already instructed Leo to prepare a whole lot of space, approximately five floors owned under his name, for Knight Bioworks' operations.
Although it was a bit much for a newly formed company, Max had more ideas in mind. Agreed or not, it was better to keep them to himself rather than end up renting again.
He had read the previous rental contract thoroughly, and it was extremely difficult to breach for either party. Just thinking about the legal entanglements gave him a headache.
It was better not to be greedy than to regret it later.
His gaze wandered toward the people from the investment firm nearby. They were tense, tersely whispering into phones, their eyes glued to computer screens as they watched the fluctuating stock graphs with obsessive, wide-eyed focus; a few even had bloodshot eyes.
He sighed. Yes, he'd heard that people working in financial institutions often became addicted and erratic, but this behaviour seemed downright insane.
His own firm was operating with significantly lower funds, and he had just injected enough capital to keep it afloat.
If this level of panic existed in small firms like his, what kind of madness did those handling billions face every day?
Money sure brought heaven and hell together!
Eventually, he reached the office, knocked, and stepped in when Anna called out.
The moment he saw her, Max noticed the deepened dark circles under her eyes, standing out starkly against her pale skin.
"You should really get some rest," he said, casually settling himself into the seat across from her desk.
His gaze swept over the growing pile of stacked files, noticeably more than on his last visit.
It seemed that every time Max came by, Anna had more work cut out for her. The steadily rising mountain of paperwork was a telltale sign of the chemistry they were forming, boss and subordinate, both pushing forward.
"At least show some shame when you spout such nonsense with that thick skin of yours," Anna glared at him, her eyes gleaming sharply with irritation.
Max smirked, waving a hand offhandedly. "I learned from the worst." A shiver ran down his spine as memories of his old boss from his past life surfaced.
Anna narrowed her eyes and murmured, "Who the hell taught you? Arthur wasn't even close to that."
Shifting in her seat, she inhaled deeply and straightened her back. "Let's get to the main topic."
As Max's expression shifted into a focused and serious look on her call, she gave a slight nod, inwardly acknowledging his shift in demeanour.
When the situation demanded it, Max became truly professional.
Anna silently admired that quality. She often found herself wondering how such a young man possessed corporate etiquette and instincts well beyond his supposed experience.
Despite having had very few actual encounters in the business world, Max consistently displayed the intuition and composure of a seasoned professional, even revealing glimpses of solid leadership traits.
His aura hadn't quite reached the level of awe-inspiring yet, but at the pace he was going, he wasn't far off.
Anna stifled a cough and cleared her throat. "Our negotiation with Apple came out better than expected. They're showing interest in acquiring KTech's workforce. Perhaps the recent situation at KTech moved them to act. I also learned from one of my contacts that they're aiming for something even more ambitious after the iPod's success."
Max acknowledged the news with a small, pleased smile, gesturing for her to continue.
"However, they want a share transfer — no cash involved. Looks like they're strapped for liquidity or being conservative themselves. What do you say?"
"Hmm..." Max hummed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Take the shares. Apple's valuation is strong, and the shares can be leveraged for loans later if needed."
Anna nodded in agreement. Apple was one of those rising corporations that people loved investing in lately, alongside a few more up-and-coming tech giants.
It was a safe play with almost nothing to lose.
However, what Max didn't voice was the fact that Apple would become even more valuable later.
If he weren't constantly in need of liquid funds and if this weren't the Marvel universe, he would've invested in a few of the upcoming tech giants for the long haul.
"Pace up the deal. Wrap it up before the monthly KTech meeting — I don't want to deal with those traitors again." His nose scrunched in disgust, the sentiment plainly visible in his eyes.
"We'll get it done in a few days. Apple's executives seem to be in a rush," Anna said, then leaned forward and lowered her voice.
"There are rumours…" She paused, swallowing hard. "Yashida Corporation has its eyes on the American market. They're going on a buying spree — acquiring small tech and medical startups like they're on a shopping binge."
She let her words hang in the air. The atmosphere dimmed slightly before she continued, misreading the tightening expression on Max's face as anxiety. "American giants like Osborn and Stark are taking this as a provocation. They're preparing to push back."
She tilted her head, recalling something, and stifled a laugh. "Tony Stark even made headlines, calling Yashida 'some senile old man.'" Her laugh echoed across the office space.
Max chuckled too, thinking about Tony's frustrating personality. Even he didn't want to meet the man for no good reason.
However, the moment he heard the name "Yashida Corporation," an odd headache began creeping in.
Yashida Corporation, as he knew, currently dominated the Japanese market and was gradually infiltrating other global sectors. They were turning into a formidable, annoying intruder. But that was someone else's problem for now.
He wasn't big enough to even dream about dealing with corporations of that scale.
'Yashida… Yashida… Why does that sound so familiar?' Max frowned. There was something he was forgetting, something important lingering just out of reach.
As if some itch he wants to scratch but couldn't. If only he had a hint, he might be able to grasp it.
The name stirred some unpleasant emotions inside him. He tried to recall further, but nothing surfaced.
Eventually, he brushed it aside. The Japanese market and its looming titans weren't his concern, at least, not yet.
…
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