The next day, major media outlets went into full frenzy, nonstop 24-hour coverage of the meeting between Overwatch Pictures CEO Ronin and Tony Stark. They were wildly speculating and exaggerating their relationship.
Some headlines claimed "Iron Man was actually a member of Overwatch all along," others said "The seemingly low-key Ronin is actually playing a massive game," and there were even stories digging into "The ultimate truth behind Overwatch Pictures…"
Ronin really wanted to tell all those media outlets and internet editors: "I'm impressed!"
Weren't they just pushing him straight into the fire?
All he wanted was to live peacefully as a shut-in at home. He had zero interest in getting involved with any superheroes.
The only reason he had agreed to let Stark make a movie was because he was afraid Iron Man would keep pestering him every single day. He knew Stark was the type of person who never gave up until he got what he wanted.
He was also afraid that the people secretly eyeing Overwatch Pictures with greed would threaten his personal safety.
Building a good relationship with Iron Man was a simple insurance policy. In the worst-case scenario, if he ever ended up in desperate trouble and had to ask Stark for help, at least the man would talk less nonsense and show up faster.
It was that simple and straightforward.
Shaking off these annoying thoughts, Ronin climbed into his gaming pod and dove into the virtual world. Only here could he truly relax and enjoy himself.
By the time he finished gaming, it was already evening. Ronin casually picked up his phone and his heart immediately sank.
An unknown number had called him over a hundred times and sent countless text messages.
He opened one:
"Dear Mr. Ronin, by the time you read this message, your assistant Miss Brent is already in my hands. I can guarantee her safety until 10 PM. After that… it's not certain. She might not die, but she may wish she had. See you at the Deep Sea Bar. Remember to come alone."
Ronin immediately dialed Lucy's number. A man's voice answered instead.
"Mr. Ronin, I knew you wouldn't abandon the beautiful Miss Brent. Ah… did you hear that? That's her struggling."
Beep… beep…
The call ended. Ronin checked the time it was 8 PM. He still had two hours.
He didn't know why they had kidnapped his assistant. Maybe they saw that Lucy was the person closest to him and assumed she was his girlfriend.
That wasn't the case, but Ronin still had to go.
Lucy wasn't just his assistant. She was the child his deceased parents had adopted. Before they passed, she had already learned how to manage the company from his father.
After Ronin transmigrated and took over, if it weren't for Lucy's help, he would never have been able to handle the chaotic company.
In a way, she was like his adopted sister.
He had to save her, both emotionally and logically.
These days, it was almost impossible to find another assistant he could fully trust who also understood Overwatch Pictures' operations so thoroughly.
But going alone… wasn't that just walking into a death trap?
Ronin thought of Stark. If things went south, he could ask for his help. He also had a vague idea who was behind this.
It was nothing complicated. Overwatch Pictures' rapid rise had cut into other companies' profits.
Now the rabbit had bitten back.
Sometimes taking a step back really could open up new possibilities.
"Head to the Deep Sea Bar."
Ronin sat in the passenger seat and told his driver, Thomas. The man looked completely confused. He knew his boss very well Ronin almost never left the house unless it was something extremely important.
They drove through the suburbs and into the bustling city. Twenty minutes later, they arrived at the Deep Sea Bar.
Before getting out, Ronin gave Thomas instructions: "If I don't call you within one hour, dial this number. Tell him I've finished drafting the first version of his script and that I'm currently at the Deep Sea Bar. Tell him to get here as fast as possible. If he doesn't show up within three minutes, the previous deal is canceled."
Seeing Thomas's blank face, Ronin asked again, "Got it?"
Thomas nodded.
"Repeat it back to me."
This was a matter of life and death. Ronin wasn't taking any chances.
Thomas recited the message perfectly like a student memorizing a text.
Ronin nodded, looking a bit heavy. "Drive away quickly. You have permission to go to the nightclub and have fun tonight."
Thomas didn't look happy. Instead, a chill ran down his spine. He had a bad feeling something big was about to happen.
In the end, he still left. Although his boss loved staying home, he was smart. Otherwise, he couldn't possibly manage such a huge company so well or create such excellent movie scripts.
Ronin would never tell anyone that almost all company matters except ones that required the CEO's personal appearance were handled by Miss Brent. That would make him look too unreliable.
Staring at the Deep Sea Bar, designed with a deep blue theme like an ocean, Ronin felt no beauty in it at all, only unease.
What was coming was always going to come. He just didn't expect it to happen so soon.
The moment he stepped inside, countless eyes locked onto him. Logically, someone should have exclaimed "Mr. Ronin!" but no one did. There was no admiration in those eyes, only vigilance.
The only normal-looking people were the waiters, but their faces showed no emotion. They moved around like emotionless machines, serving customers.
Ronin suddenly regretted coming here.
"Mr. Ronin!"
Following the voice, he saw a balding man in a sharp suit sitting there.
No matter what was about to happen, he had no choice but to walk over.
"Mr. Ronin, it is truly an honor to meet you here."
The voice sounded somewhat familiar, but Ronin couldn't remember who it was. He had spoken to too many people on the phone.
Ronin sat down slowly and politely shook the man's hand. "Where's Lucy?"
"Compared to that, I think what we're about to discuss is more important. Would you like to first figure out who I am, Mr. Ronin? We spoke on the phone, though only for ten seconds."
"Sorry, I get too many calls," Ronin said, spreading his hands.
"It seems I'm still too insignificant. So insignificant that Mr. Ronin doesn't even remember me."
"You've successfully made me remember you now, sir," Ronin replied.
"Fine. Let me introduce myself. My name is Spark Charlie, CEO of Flying Films. With this identity, I believe I'm qualified to have a drink with you." The balding man took a sip of red wine, looking pleased.
"Tsk! 1982 Lafite. Mellow and rich. Wouldn't you like to try some, Mr. Ronin?"
The bar counter was filled with colorful drinks. Ronin shook his head. "Alcohol isn't my thing. I prefer tea, but it looks like you don't have any here. So let's just get down to business."
"Actually, if you had agreed to meet me last time or talked properly on the phone, Miss Brent wouldn't have disappeared. Why make things so difficult for yourself, Mr. Ronin?" Charlie said with a smile.
"If you came here just to chat with me, I don't think that was necessary," Ronin said impatiently.
"Haha… Mr. Ronin is still as straightforward as ever. Alright, it's basically the same thing I mentioned before, with a small change. Flying Films and Overwatch Pictures will enter a lifelong cooperation. We will share all movie copyrights. In addition, I will become a member of Overwatch Pictures' board of directors and receive 12% of the company's shares."
Charlie took a stack of documents out of his briefcase. "You just need to sign these."
The corner of Ronin's mouth twitched. "Do you think that's possible? Even I only hold 8% of the company's shares, and you want 12%?"
"It wasn't possible before, but now… it's not so certain."
Charlie waved his hand. Two heavily armed men dragged Lucy out.
"At first I only wanted to cooperate and share film rights, but you rejected me again and again. Even a cornered dog will jump over a wall, let alone a lion like me?"
Charlie dropped his smile and held up three fingers. "I'll give you three minutes to think. Agree, and we become partners. Refuse, and neither of you will leave this bar alive."
The bar doors were locked. All the waiters had hidden in the back rooms. The surrounding "customers" all pulled guns from their waists.
Just as Ronin was about to compromise, a cold electronic sound suddenly rang in his mind:
[Global fans' faith in Soldier: 76 has reached 80 million. Soldier: 76 transformation form activated!]