Read up to 40+ early chapters: patreon.com/Reborn_noob
=============
What happened next was a natural progression.
After Stan Edgar's repeated requests, Norin finally signed the contract and became a major shareholder of Vought Corporation. Through friendly negotiations, he acquired all the shares from the other stakeholders.
From that moment on, Vought Corporation became Norin's one-man show. The entire process happened without a ripple. The outside world remained completely unaware.
As for those who sensed something was wrong, they didn't raise any objections.
Why? Because those who dared to speak up soon found themselves silenced. Those who had opinions but didn't dare to voice them effectively had no opinions at all.
Everyone was happy.
When Norin walked into Vought with the contract, Madelyn and the remaining members of the Super Seven who were still able to move automatically imagined the entire process in their minds.
Norin's methods were beyond their comprehension—it was like a dimensionality reduction attack! While everyone else was playing house, Norin had unleashed a full set of Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms and Tathagata Palm, descending like a god. (TN: Reference to powerful moves in cultivation themed novels.)
Not only had he overturned the table, but he'd also taken the roof off.
They had no power to resist because everyone around them now belonged to Norin.
To varying degrees.
Even their every secret move might be observed by someone with ulterior motives and quietly reported.
It was chilling just to think about it.
Moreover, every time they thought of or saw Norin, their hormone levels went haywire. Fear filled their minds, and they dared not resist from the bottom of their hearts.
"From today on, Norin is the sole boss of Vought Corporation. Do you understand?"
The former boss, the stern Stan Edgar, simply stated this fact to the top executives in the conference room. There was no need for prior discussion.
In his eyes, both the Super Seven and Vice President Madelyn were tools for making money. Even now, with Norin replacing him as the president of Vought, Edgar still thought the same way.
'So what if you're Homelander? You can be arrogant outside, but in front of me, you bow your head and don't dare make a move.' He was sure of it.
But Norin was sure of him too.
Never reason with a cheater. If they were reasonable, they wouldn't cheat in the first place.
That's exactly what Norin did. He revealed his cards directly. 'I'm cheating. What are you going to do about it?'
So what if you don't agree? Deal with it.
Led by Queen Maeve, the people in the conference room applauded and welcomed the new boss.
Except for Queen Maeve, everyone else had their own concerns. As the saying goes, a new official starts with three tasks, and it's the same everywhere.
Now that the new boss had taken office, how would they be arranged? Would their interests be threatened? They had previously acted against the new boss under the old boss's orders. If the new boss decided to clean house, they might be the first to go.
The problem was, if the old boss was dissatisfied, at most they'd lose the considerable benefits of being part of the Seven.
But with the new boss, not only were they unsure of his preferences, but they also couldn't defeat him. He could crush them with one hand.
If he really decided to clean house, they might lose their money, their status, and even their lives.
Worse, they could be brainwashed and controlled, turned into mindless puppets.
The executives exchanged glances. They had seen what happened to Edgar and were now even more awed—and terrified—of Norin.
The Deep was the first to speak up. "Boss, I'll fully cooperate with you from now on. If you tell me to go west, I'll never go east. If you tell me to kill a dog, I'll never kill a chicken."
As soon as The Deep opened his mouth, it was clear he had no shame.
Everyone turned to him in surprise, especially when his next sentence wasn't even in English!
Although his pronunciation was still rough, it was clear enough, and it was obvious he'd put in a lot of effort.
Norin gave him a special look. He knew exactly what kind of person The Deep was—a minor character in The Boys TV series, a joke who could be stepped on by anyone.
What could he say about this kind of person? He was sensible and obedient, but utterly useless.
However, Norin didn't expect much from these people. They were just tools to maintain his rule when he returned to Marvel. It was much easier to manage people who knew their place and were cooperative.
Norin didn't say anything; he just nodded at him. The Deep was thrilled. This was the big boss's approval. At least Norin didn't object to him, so he didn't have to worry about the rest.
After the handover was complete, Edgar left the conference room.
The atmosphere grew even more tense.
Homelander kept forcing a smile, trying to appear as friendly as possible. A-Train and Translucent didn't dare to speak, and beads of cold sweat formed on their foreheads.
Norin said nothing, but his presence alone put tremendous pressure on them.
"Alright, I'm not here to play the hero this time. I won't hold your past actions against you, but there's one thing. From today on, everyone must follow the rules I set. As long as you obey, everything else stays the same."
"But if you don't obey... I don't mind replacing you with someone who will. Understood?"
Everyone nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.
If you thought about it, except for Queen Maeve and The Deep, everyone else deserved to be punished severely.
From this perspective, the new boss was being incredibly lenient. Not only was he not holding their past against them, but he was also keeping things as they were—just with new rules.
As long as they weren't brainwashed or eliminated, they'd be willing to turn over a new leaf and become charity ambassadors.
"One more thing. From today on, Vought Corporation will be officially renamed Umbrella Corporation. Our main focus will be pharmaceuticals and medical treatment. As for the superhero business, it will be spun off into a separate department."
"Madelyn, you'll continue to oversee the superhero division. As for pharmaceuticals and medical treatment, I'll handle that myself."
"Understood, sir." Madelyn agreed immediately, not daring to object.
After all, whatever Norin said was law. Their job was to listen and execute.
"Oh, boss, Black Noir may not be able to return to the team due to his injuries, and Lamplighter has retired. There are currently two vacancies in the Seven. Do you have any suggestions?"
Norin raised an eyebrow. "Do you have candidates in mind?"
"Yes. We originally planned for her to fill Lamplighter's spot."
Madelyn pulled out a document with a beautiful photo in the upper right corner. It was none other than Starlight.
Madelyn explained, "Based on poll results, we decided to add Starlight to the team. Her ability allows her to absorb electrical energy and release high-powered attacks. She also has strength and defense far beyond that of an ordinary person."
"There's a lot to explore with her personality and struggles. She'll definitely gain a lot of fans."
"Very good. It's her."
Norin nodded, not hiding his satisfaction.
Of course, he knew Starlight's character was a fan favorite. In the original story, her popularity had even surpassed Homelander's for a time, and she became the leader of the Seven.
As for the superhero business, Norin had no intention of interfering too much. He believed in leaving professional matters to professionals.
Vought had been operating very successfully, amassing huge wealth by packaging superheroes.
Part of that money was used to research and develop Compound V. The entire business model was solid. He just needed to keep it on track.
"One thing I want to make clear upfront. You'd better behave yourselves in the company. Don't try to pull any stunts relying on your superpowers or seniority. Otherwise, I don't mind reducing you to this."
Norin tapped the conference table lightly, and in an instant, the several-meter-long table turned into a pile of dust.
Homelander's smile grew even more forced. A-Train, Translucent, and The Deep's eyes widened, their expressions were interesting.
But upon closer inspection, their legs were trembling, and beads of sweat the size of peas rolled down their faces.
There was even a faint smell of urine in the air.
The Deep swallowed hard and was the first to speak up. "Don't worry, sir. I'm the most obedient."
Norin gave him a long look. "It's better that way."
"Alright, the meeting's over. You can handle the rest."
"Oh, and remind the logistics department to replace the conference table. This one wasn't sturdy enough."
With that, Norin stood up and left the room.
The others remained seated, not daring to move. They stared at the pile of ashes on the floor, looking as if they were questioning their existence.
They couldn't help but wonder—if Norin's finger had been pointed at them, would they have ended up the same way?
"I remember… part of it was made of metal, right?" Madelyn murmured.
Everyone shuddered again.
Seeing Norin so relaxed, even Homelander, with his superior physical defense, couldn't help but wonder—had Norin even used his full strength? Probably not.
"I'm leaving first."
Homelander struggled to his feet and hurried to the bathroom.
A-Train, Translucent, and The Deep quickly followed.
The four of them exchanged awkward smiles.
One of them grabbed some paper and headed into a stall. What was he doing?
=============
Check out my new fanfic TL: Birth of a ninja clan in Konoha