Marvel: Master Of Role-Playing

New York City, in a rented laboratory.

The two founders of the still-developing Os Industries were faced with a special guest: a representative from the military.

In the past, if a military representative had shown up, they would have been thrilled. But now, judging by their expressions, it was clear that things were not as simple.

This military representative was not here to invest. Instead, he was sent by a military research facility to recruit these two geniuses to work for them.

Norman and Otto, although they hadn't yet achieved success, had performed quite well in academics and had made some impressive statements. With Howard retired and the young Tony still growing, the military wanted to seize this opportunity to reduce its dependence on Stark Industries. They needed other geniuses to join the military effort.

Although Stark Industries paid significant taxes, the military couldn't afford to rely on a single corporation for all its needs.

However, Norman and Otto were displeased with the offer.

They had their own ideals and goals. They didn't want to join the military to make weapons. They wanted to be at the top, to be the bosses, not research employees working for the military.

"We're sorry, Major Rhodes, but we cannot accept your proposal. We have our own research to focus on. Apologies." Otto was the first to decline the offer, and although Norman had something he wanted to say, he ultimately nodded in agreement.

Otto was right. The work he wanted to do couldn't be done within the military. Only by starting his own company and controlling his own resources could he freely conduct his research.

'I must cure Emily's family genetic disease. I can't give up for the sake of immediate gain.'

"Is that so? What a shame." the military representative, James Rhodes, said, not forcing the issue. He planned to leave immediately.

Just then, Lex Luthor, played by Reid, swaggered into the room through the main door, his voice dripping with arrogance.

"Oh? A shame? Lex Luthor just walked in. You should be celebrating."

"Who are you?" Norman immediately turned and asked, clearly not recognizing the bald man and wondering what gave him the right to enter their lab.

"Lex Luthor?" Rhodes and Otto exchanged a glance, both with a faint recognition of the name.

Under the influence of the system, Luthor's information had merged with this world. Being a genius himself, Otto had heard of Lex Luthor.

As for Rhodes, he remembered the list of scientists he had received while on mission, which included Lex Luthor's name. Luthor was listed among the top scientists and was a prime candidate for recruitment.

However, the information stated that Luthor had been residing in the chaotic Gotham City. Rhodes had planned to finish inviting the scientists in New York first and then head to Gotham to search for Luthor. He hadn't expected Luthor to show up on his own.

'And from the looks of it, it seems like Lex Luthor is here for these two.' Rhodes realized.

Understanding that, he chose to stay quiet, intending to observe what would happen next.

"Who am I? As a scientist, you don't know the name of Lex Luthor? That's quite a failure on your part." Reid said, shaking his head. He then swept Norman and Otto's research papers onto the floor with one swift motion.

This action left even Otto, the normally calm one, fuming with anger.

"You've gone too far! Luthor!" Otto snapped.

"Too far? Am I really that over the top?" Reid replied, pointing to the scattered papers on the floor.

"Biogenetic transfer technology, brain-machine interface technology—sure, it sounds promising. But do you have the capability to actually make it happen? Without substance, these ideas are nothing. They belong on the floor." Reid continued, his voice sharp.

"You..." Norman and Otto were both enraged by Reid's words. They were both regarded as geniuses in their field, and being belittled like this was a new experience for them.

"What's wrong with that? I came here to show you what a true genius looks like."

With that, Reid grabbed a whiteboard from the side and began writing his already prepared materials onto it.

Rhodes tried to move closer to see, but Reid quickly shooed him away, saying he was being a hindrance.

This frustrated Rhodes. He just wanted to watch the spectacle, but now he was being dismissed? He wasn't even a scientist!

Meanwhile, Norman and Otto's expressions began to change.

Otto, who mainly focused on physics and nuclear technology, could tell that Luthor's so-called super-soldier plan wasn't bad, but he didn't feel any immediate connection to it.

Norman, however, was a biologist. He immediately understood the significance of the detailed information. There were only two possibilities: either Luthor was showing off with non-existent concepts just to grab attention, or he had already developed a working prototype, and what he was displaying now were just the results derived from it.

As for Rhodes, at first, he hadn't thought much of it, since he couldn't understand the material. But after seeing Norman and Otto's expressions, he realized... Maybe he wasn't supposed to understand it after all.

Still, not wanting to look out of place, he put on a serious expression, staring at the whiteboard and pretending to understand the complex terms he couldn't even recognize.

"Well, gentlemen, do I have your attention now?" Reid asked, a slight smirk playing on his lips as he revealed the full set of information.

After that, he leaned against a nearby table, watching the surprised expressions of the others.

'As expected, playing characters like Luthor and Tony Stark was easy, just be arrogant and over the top.' Reid was secretly pleased as his role-playing progress continued to climb.

Otto glanced at Norman, who slowly nodded in response.

At first, they hadn't understood what Luthor's intentions were in coming to them. But now, they did.

"Presenting such technology to us... what do you want in return?" Norman asked.

Reid smiled faintly. He had known from the start that Otto might not see the value of the technology—right now, Otto was just a scientist focused on achieving his own goals.

But Norman, the capitalist disguised as a scientist, would certainly understand the worth of this research material.

No need for the elaborate approach he used with Tony Stark. With Norman, Reid got straight to the point.

"I'm putting up this technology and five million dollars to invest in your company. So, gentlemen, how much of a stake are you offering?"

Rhodes, standing off to the side, wanted to say something. After all, Luthor was also on his recruitment list. If he joined the company, wouldn't that mean his invitation was dead in the water?

But just as he was about to speak, he realized—he had no standing to interfere in their deal.

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