Instead of struggling, he relaxed his body, letting himself sink deeper into Raven's embrace, and even actively reached out to wrap his arms around her firm waist.
This sudden reverse hug made Raven's movements stiffen for a moment.
She had expected Lynt to resist, to argue, to sweet-talk her.
But she hadn't expected him to just hug her directly.
How could this guy always act so unpredictably?
Lynt gently rested his chin on Raven's shoulder, his warm breath caressing her ear.
"Raven, you need to broaden your perspective."
His voice was very low, with a magnetic charm that could mesmerize people.
"What kind of business were we doing before?
It was retail.
Strengthen once, get a sum of money, then reinvest, making money from money.
This is how individual entrepreneurs operate, earning hard-earned money."
Raven didn't speak, but the strength in her arms unconsciously lessened a few points.
"But now, these four... big sisters from the divine realm, what are they?"
Lynt's hand began to wander mischievously along the smooth curve of Raven's back,
"They are a brand new market! A high-end field we have never ventured into!"
"They are not Mutants, they are divine beings. If we strengthen them, how much return do you think the system will give me? What kind of gold coins do you think they can drop?"
"Moreover, what do they represent behind them? Asgard!
A civilization with Bifrost Bridge-like teleportation technology and god-level combat power!"
Lynt's words exploded like heavy bombs in Raven's mind.
She was an extremely intelligent woman and instantly understood Lynt's meaning.
"You mean... to infiltrate Asgard through them?"
"Infiltrate? That's too low-level."
Lynt chuckled softly, his fingers gently pinching her lower back,
"I want to be their 'Angel investor'. I want to expand the 'Apex Amplification' business to the Nine Realms! Let the Valkyries of Asgard all become our paying users!"
He raised his head, looking directly into Raven's slightly dazed blue eyes, his tone becoming incredibly serious.
"Raven, you must remember. You are not my plugin, you are the co-founder of this company, my core shareholder.
They are merely our newly developed business sector.
And you are my foundation."
"Without you, there would be no Apex Amplification.
No matter how powerful they are, they are just the icing on the cake. But you are the one who provides help in times of need."
These words were half business blueprint, half blatant love talk.
Raven felt her heart skip a beat.
She had always positioned herself as Lynt's protector and controller.
She enjoyed the sense of security and dominance that this relationship brought.
But the appearance of Wanda made her feel a crisis for the first time.
And today, these four Valkyries completely broke her defenses.
But now, Lynt laid everything out and placed her in an irreplaceable position.
This feeling of being valued and needed soothed her insecure heart more than any increase in power.
The strength in her arms completely vanished, and her body softened, leaning into Lynt's embrace.
"Hmph, you talk a better game than you sing."
She still spoke sharply,
"Who knows if you're just attracted to them because they're pretty and have good figures."
"Oh my goodness, you're really wronging me there."
Lynt said with a righteous expression,
"I am a pure businessman. In my eyes, they are not women, they are walking gold mines and experience packs!
They are strategic resources with immense value for the future development of the company!"
He paused, then changed the subject, leaning close to Raven's ear and speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Besides, no matter how good they are, are they as good as you? Can they transform into all sorts of... hmm?"
Raven's face, along with her neck, instantly flushed with a suspicious red, though it wasn't very noticeable under her blue skin.
She abruptly pushed Lynt away, tidied her clothes, and resumed her icy director persona.
"Smooth talker."
"Alright, since it's a new business, as the executive director, I have the right to know the specific plan."
Raven quickly entered work mode,
"How do you plan to handle them?"
"It's simple."
Lynt snapped his fingers,
"You, go give them 'onboarding training'."
"Me?" Raven pointed to herself.
"Exactly." Lynt smiled like a fox,
"They are currently a group of ancient people with only brute force, completely ignorant of modern society.
You need to teach them how to live here like normal people.
For example, how to use a mobile phone, how to use a bank card, how to watch TV, how to... deal with their monthly period."
"This is their 'modernization', and also a form of control.
Make them rely on us, unable to leave us. Only you can do this well."
Giving the power to manage new hires to the veterans is the essence of office politics.
Raven immediately understood Lynt's intention.
This was both trust and an authorization to put her at ease.
"Okay, leave it to me."
She nodded, and the fighting spirit reignited in her yellow eyes.
It's just four big, clumsy Nordic girls, isn't it? I'll make their lives hell!
That night, a magical scene unfolded in the luxurious apartment next to Central Park.
"No! This is impossible! What powerful Frost Giant is sealed in this iron box!"
The tallest Valkyrie, Grimhilde, was staring at the double-door refrigerator with a look of horror, the latter emitting a low hum.
"That's called a refrigerator, it cools things!"
Raven, dressed in a sharp business suit and high heels, holding a tablet, felt her temples throbbing.
"Ah! My eyes! What wicked sorcery is this, to imprison the image of Thor in this black mirror!"
Curious Astrid shrieked, pointing at the 85-inch OLED TV that was broadcasting the news.
"That's the news! The hammer guy in there is an old recording!"
Raven felt her blood pressure had already soared to 180.
On the other side, Sigrun was trying to stab a robot vacuum cleaner with her spear.
"This crawling iron beetle must be scouting our layout!"
"Bang!"
The three-thousand-U.S.-dollar robot vacuum cleaner was pierced by a spear, emitting black smoke.
Raven closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Ms. Sigrun, damaging company property, according to the employee handbook, requires triple compensation.
This robot is three thousand U.S. dollars, so you now owe the company nine thousand U.S. dollars.
Given that you don't have a salary yet, this amount will be deducted from your future earnings."
She emotionlessly made a note on the tablet.
Sigrun, holding her spear, was stunned.
What did she mean by... triple compensation?