Negotiation

However, he wasn't easily fooled by Daisy. He secretly calculated what he considered a reasonable sum, and then handed her another bank card. "Remember, this is from my personal funds, unrelated to S.H.I.E.L.D."

Daisy hurriedly nodded and took the bank card.

The conversation concluded, and Fury opened the car door and drove away.

Watching him disappear into the night, Daisy sneered. Private funds? Who would believe that! S.H.I.E.L.D. had established over a hundred secret bases worldwide under the oversight of the World Security Council.

However, beyond that, Nick Fury personally established numerous safe houses globally. After a series of events, some taken over by the government, some breached by Hydra, and some self-destructed, conservatively estimated, there were around thirty!

His safe houses weren't just simple rooms. They had missile silos, helipads, various training facilities, and a complete arsenal of weapons and ammunition. They were explosion-proof, gas-proof, and protected against various threats. Despite being called safe houses, they were essentially military bases.

Having secretly established more than thirty military bases, how could he, a salaried director, afford all this?

In fact, Nick Fury was the number one embezzler of public funds in the Marvel universe! Not only that, but he was also unparalleled. Even Hydra, known for undermining institutions, couldn't match his level of audacity. The World Security Council was discontent with Fury; there were legitimate reasons to replace him. His expenditures were colossal, to the point where several member countries were struggling to keep up.

No one knew how many tricks he had up his sleeve. Even his most trusted subordinates were under his scrutiny.

Throughout the conversation, there was no mention of superpowers. Daisy could only prepare for the worst, concluding that Fury knew about her abilities. However, his reasons for not mentioning them were to turn it into a secret that only he knew.

Daisy could, of course, choose to eliminate him to prevent leaks, but she wasn't confident. Nick Fury wasn't the pushover from the movies; as a member of the Brotherhood of the Shield and the Zodiac, he had experienced countless dangers and had a multitude of aces up his sleeve. Killing him might result in leaving a dangerous loose end.

Daisy had no reason to go that far. Taking a small sum from him could improve their relationship, at least that's how she saw it.

She quickly checked the balance. This bank card had a balance of fifty thousand dollars, finally relieving her financial crisis.

As for the S.H.I.E.L.D. Academy, she didn't rush there immediately. Instead, the next day, she gathered her few trusted allies to discuss the marketing of their big data services.

James Wesley, ultimately, couldn't resist the allure and had joined them. An ordinary dropout from high school wouldn't have attracted him, but being a powered individual was different. It was an important factor in his decision-making; deep down, he still believed in the strong ruling the underworld.

James Wesley, the consigliere of the criminal world, received technical support from the patient and skilled geek David Lieberman. Along with the almost-unhittable lawyer, Ms. Matsumoto, this was Daisy's core team.

Though the team composition might seem weak, all three had promising futures. James was the right hand of a crime empire, David was an investigator for the National Security Agency's "Chip" project, and Ms. Matsumoto had transformed into the cold-blooded assassin, "Bullseye." Each had potential.

If Daisy could harness their abilities and integrate them, breaking into the top 500 fortune wouldn't be an issue.

"Everyone, I've secured another free sponsorship, fifty thousand dollars. I've already transferred it into the company's account. The development phase for our big data analysis is complete. Let's discuss the next steps." As the boss, her company was on the brink of bankruptcy, so she had no choice but to inject some money into the account.

As a "vassal," Ms. Matsumoto was the first to speak. After pondering the issue for a few days, she spoke with a well-structured argument, though she used some critical terms incorrectly and restated them in Japanese.

Having spent time with Daisy, James Wesley was able to understand some Japanese, and he was proficient in languages such as Chinese, Japanese, English, and Russian.

After hearing Ms.Matsumoto's suggestion, he scoffed disdainfully and replied in Japanese, "Why bother with those small businesses? Let's start by collaborating with major corporations."

His dismissive attitude startled Ms. Matsumoto. In response, she swiftly pulled a dagger from her backpack.

This action surprised James and caused him to glance at Daisy for guidance.

Amused, Daisy intervened, pacifying the situation. "It's okay, it's okay. Let's have a harmonious discussion. Truly, Matsumoto is such a gentle girl." She used a conciliatory tone, prompting Ms.Matsumoto to put away the dagger.

Ms. Matsumoto's demeanour immediately changed as she bowed humbly, apologising to James and the equally startled David. This little incident was resolved.

Daisy contemplated for a moment. From her perspective, she also hoped to earn money from major corporations, achieving instant success and attracting a continuous flow of orders and revenue. That would align with the highly efficient operation mechanisms of modern society. The Japanese approach of building a reputation and securing repeat customers wouldn't fully suit the rapidly developing atmosphere of New York.

However, cultivating a positive reputation was still important. Everyone knew the ways of large corporations. They were the epitome of arrogance and opulence, an entity that was hard to please.

Their team, consisting of a high school dropout, a criminal mastermind, a patient geek, and an assassin who was notorious in Japan, wasn't essential in their eyes. They wouldn't receive the high-level treatment that a corporation would.

Comparatively, they weren't even as impressive as the doctor in Iron Man 3 who was stood up by Stark, standing alone on the roof for a whole night. That was solid proof.

Their team was inferior to that doctor. After all, he was a doctor who could attend the New Millennium Summit, not just some unknown individual.

Their only advantage was their good looks; in this era, appearance still mattered.

Daisy asked the criminal mastermind, "Mr. Wesley, do you have any connections we can leverage?"

He glanced at her, replying, "If I had connections, would I need to come here?"

Daisy was left speechless. Clearly, the current James Wesley hadn't fared well. Kingpin's assistant didn't even have a single useful contact.

Back when he was the ruler of the New York underworld, as his public representative, James Wesley could meet powerful figures like Otto Octavius or Norman Osborn without an appointment; he could just walk right in.

Now, she had to find another solution.