Chapter 16: Tony vs. Oaks

The reason Tony only brought his driver to "explore the shop" was simply because he was very interested in Oaks.

Setting aside their different lifestyles and personalities, he was a true genius. And when a genius discovers another genius, they always do something about it.

Especially when this much younger genius, who was completely different from himself, was so low-key and had achieved something that directly challenged him.

In fact, Tony wasn't someone who couldn't handle being challenged by others—

He would just eagerly develop new technologies and then strike back fiercely.

But this time, it was a bit different...

Because it had crossed into another field of science.

"So, Dr. Woods, due to certain unpleasant circumstances, I am very interested in you."

Oaks was experiencing Tony Stark's personality for the first time, and it was just as legendary as the rumors. It made one have the impulse to sew his mouth shut.

"Oh, that's truly regrettable."

He could only shrug and tell himself to stay calm.

"Just call me Oaks, and by the way, I'm not interested in men."

"According to your public information, it seems you're not interested in women either."

Tony Stark took another sip of coffee, making an effort to divert his gaze from Goose, and cleared his throat lightly.

"Although I know that people in certain professional fields have... peculiar preferences, it is precisely these idiosyncrasies that manifest their unconventional ways of thinking."

"Like me, in order to maintain this sharp, efficient, and leapfrogging thinking, I usually need to find inspiration from many different beautiful women.

If you're struggling with inspiration, I highly recommend this method."

"I've never seen someone describe the playboy trait in such a refreshing and extraordinary manner."

Oaks tilted his head back slightly, showing great admiration.

"But I have to admit there's some truth to it. I know a famous physicist who likes to use shoes as metaphors and runs naked with experimental equipment when he's excited."

"Wow, then he must have great achievements."

"You'll see in a couple of years."

After rambling on with meaningless chatter, Tony Stark realized that he couldn't completely suppress the other party's presence.

Of course, it wasn't because the great Tony Stark's presence was shrinking.

It was because this was the other party's territory.

So, he extended his right hand.

"Tony Stark, call me Tony."

"Oaks Woods."

Both hands shook, and Oaks knew that this guy had finally placed him on an equal footing.

"Now, can you tell me the purpose of your visit?"

"Well, I've read your published papers, Oaks. Your achievements in biology are truly remarkable, especially in the field of environmental protection.

Microbial remediation of water pollution, plant-based air pollution control, animal-plant balance models, micro-ecosystem theory, and so on... Are you interested in joining my company as the head of environmental protection?"

"Not interested."

"Happy, how long has it been since I've been so straightforwardly rejected?"

"Two hours, sir. Miss Pepper rejected your dinner invitation two hours ago."

"..."

Tony regretted bringing his driver with him. He should have driven himself.

"Well, Oaks, that was a joke earlier."

He raised three fingers.

"A salary of three million dollars per year. As the CEO of Stark Industries, I sincerely invite Dr. Oaks Woods to join as an environmental consultant, without the need to punch in for work."

"May I ask what made you choose me?"

Oaks was now interested in Tony. This guy, although he hadn't gone through an awakening, was no longer just an annoying narcissist.

He had the capital for narcissism. Apart from his technological abilities, he also possessed extraordinary vision and decisive decision-making skills.

"The special plants you've cultivated can allow me to complete the purification system for new and old factories at one-tenth of the cost, and it can save your salary every year."

Tony didn't shy away from being proven wrong. On the contrary, a great scientist should be good at learning from all advanced things.

"Biology is not my forte, but that doesn't mean I'm unaware of its value and prospects."

"I have my own plans, Tony."

Oaks smiled and shook his head, saying:

"And even though you're the CEO and chairman, Stark Industries is not a dictatorship under your sole command. This level of recruitment, while it shows your sincerity, I'm sorry, but if I agree, it will probably bring me more trouble."

Seeing Tony raise an eyebrow and extend five fingers, Oaks quickly called a halt.

"Wait, it's not about money. You know, if I were to make this technology public, money would be no issue for me."

"... Well, that's true."

Tony leaned back on the sofa. He understood very well that he intended to capture Oaks in his hands as soon as possible.

Whether it was as the head of environmental protection or an environmental consultant, with this kind of relationship, Stark Industries would gain unimaginable benefits in the future.

And also, social prestige.

Especially now, when many media outlets liked to associate him with criminals. Although he didn't care much, he appreciated the female journalists who came to interview him.

However, with Tony's intelligence, even if he devoted half of his energy to women, he would still be the world's top genius.

How could he not see the incredible value of the environmental protection industry?

Although Stark Industries was currently a military-industrial company, and he was the largest arms dealer in the United States, it didn't hinder his foresight into global trends.

The energy core of Stark headquarters, the Arc Reactor, was something he had put tremendous effort into researching. It was one of the future directions for environmental protection—clean energy.

However, he had still not surpassed the technological bottleneck left by his father, Howard Stark. The Arc Reactor, at the level it existed in Stark headquarters, was already the limit.

Its economic benefits were almost negative. That behemoth was created solely to silence the reporters, and even the board of directors had concluded that it was a dead-end technology.

With the release of the PlaNYC2007 plan by the New York government, which was the New York City ecological environment improvement plan, Oaks and his miraculous plants were like a highly pure gold mine!

Tony wasn't foolish enough to directly buy the other's technology. That would be meaningless. What he wanted was Oaks himself!

However, it was apparent that the other party wasn't just a traditional scientist with technical skills.

"Well, then, can you at least become a cooperative supplier for Stark Industries?"

Tony felt that in this negotiation where he personally stepped in, he encountered such a difficult person for the first time. Generally, his financial capabilities were invincible.

But the other party even brought up his influence in the board of directors, clearly maintaining a very rational state.

"If the delivery is not urgent, then it can be considered."

After a moment of silence, Oaks nodded slowly.

"These special plants are still in the experimental stage. I need some time, at least a year, before they can be produced on a large scale."

"A year, no problem."

Tony snapped his fingers, finally revealing a smile on his face—

Even in a business relationship, he had confidence that once the other party tasted the sweetness, they would be unable to resist deep collaboration.

"Now, the second matter... I heard that you're also skilled in formulating potions?"

Tony rubbed his hands together and looked at Oaks with great seriousness, causing Oaks to slightly pause.

"Yes, is there something wrong? Are you injured?"

"No, I want to purchase some skincare products for my assistant."

"..."

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