C 21

"Kain, where did you find all these amazing things?" Carl asked, his eyes wide with amazement as he followed Kain into the Caltex Auction House in Washington. Kain had been warming up these items for over ten days, and the buzz they created had already attracted a number of art enthusiasts and collectors. The appraisers at Caltex were intrigued as well. According to one of them, the items might represent an undocumented piece of history, a simple statement that dramatically increased their value.

"My grandfather inherited them from his great-grandfather, and they've been stored in the deepest part of our basement for generations. If I hadn't stumbled upon my father's old notebook, I would never have known they existed," Kain replied casually, fabricating a plausible backstory as he continued to observe the auction proceedings. Although it was the early 21st century and auction technology was not yet as advanced as it would later become, even a prestigious auction house like Caltex retained a certain old-world charm.

Kain's main interest wasn't in purchasing anything but in observing how much his items could sell for. His current assets were still modest, and his focus was on expansion, not personal indulgence. He knew that once his wealth multiplied a hundred or a thousand times over, he might consider engaging in the opulence that often corrupted those who came into power. For now, though, Kain was focused solely on developing his business and expanding his influence.

Carl, on the other hand, was attending his first auction and was amazed by the variety of items on display. Despite this, he couldn't help but lament the absence of a collector's edition manuscript of Kid Lightning. The disappointment didn't last long, however, as he became more interested in the spectacle of the auction itself.

The items Kain brought to auction were not particularly rare, but they were large and carried historical significance, making them valuable. Most of his collection consisted of jewelry, which he had already sold separately for more than six million dollars. It wasn't quite the windfall he had imagined, but considering the lack of an official provenance, it was the best he could manage.

As more pieces of his collection were sold, the smile on Kain's face grew brighter. He had originally anticipated earning around three to four million dollars, given that a significant portion of the items were simple jewelry. However, by the end of the auction, he had managed to pull in nearly nine million dollars. Combined with the jewelry sales, Kain had made over fifteen million dollars in total, which was more than he had earned from stock investments over the past three years.

On the flight back, Carl could hardly contain his excitement. "Kain, you're a multi-millionaire now! You should upgrade your car—maybe get a sports car that matches your new net worth."

Kain shook his head, chuckling. "Carl, I've been worth tens of millions for a while now. My car works just fine. I don't need to change it yet."

Carl, however, didn't take the hint and continued to nag about sports cars until he eventually wore himself out and fell asleep on the plane.

After returning to New York, Kain briefly returned to school to take care of some personal matters, but he soon took another month-long leave to focus on his business. His pharmaceutical wholesale and trading company had officially been established, and Kain had hired a few international businessmen to help manage operations. The company quickly began running smoothly, thanks to these professionals. Kain himself took charge of the finances, purchases, and warehouse management, ensuring everything was handled meticulously. He maintained strict control, especially since some of his trading partners came from other worlds.

Kain knew the next logical step was to establish a biotechnology company. It was an idea he had been toying with for a while, though he hadn't yet decided on a specific research direction. "I can't just build an empty shell of a company without knowing what to focus on," he mused to himself.

Although he had a long list of personal goals—enhancing his physical strength, studying gamma radiation, or even achieving eternal life—Kain lacked the technical background to pursue these ideas directly. He had done well in high school, but his knowledge of biomedicine was practically nonexistent. He knew that his role would be better suited as an investor and collaborator rather than a researcher.

The funds and manpower for the biotech company were ready, and even the construction drawings for a research base had been prepared. However, Kain was still searching for a suitable project to invest in. "Tony Stark?" he wondered aloud, briefly considering collaborating with the genius inventor. But then something else clicked. "The Extremis Virus!"

The Extremis Virus seemed like the perfect project for his biotech company's first venture. Aldrich Killian had likely been rejected by Stark late last year or earlier this year, meaning he and Maya Hansen had only just begun their research. Kain knew that both of them were geniuses in the field of biotechnology, and the Extremis Virus represented a potential evolutionary leap for the human body.

Most importantly, both Killian and Maya were experts in human biology. Kain could use their research to make deals with Orochimaru, a ninja with his own expertise in human evolution. The synergy between these researchers could yield groundbreaking results. If Kain could aid Orochimaru in making advancements in his work with Hashirama cells, it would bring Kain one step closer to achieving extraordinary power. If successful, he might not have to spend years stuck as a genin-level ninja.

Still, the basics of chakra control could be useful to him. Techniques like the Three Body Technique or the Shadow Clone Jutsu might be enough to keep him safe in minor skirmishes in the Marvel world. All Kain had to do was learn from the ninja world experts.

As Kain mulled over his plans, he realized one key element was missing: "I need an assistant—someone who can handle all the trivial matters perfectly."

He immediately contacted a headhunting firm to find two capable assistants, which would free him from the burden of micromanaging everything. With assistants taking care of the day-to-day details, Kain would have more time to focus on the bigger picture—whether it was managing his pharmaceutical wholesale business, establishing his biotech company, or networking with Killian and Maya.

The $15 million he earned from the auction was allocated wisely. Kain invested in materials to fill his space backpack, used some to fund the construction of his two companies, and entrusted a few million dollars to his business associate Connor. While Carl was a close friend, Kain knew that Carl sometimes struggled with decision-making when Kain wasn't around, and he wanted to avoid any potential issues.

By now, Kain's net worth had climbed to nearly $40 million, excluding his hospital shares. In just under two months, most of his wealth had come from trading with the ninja world. It was a rate of return that would be difficult to match through traditional means like the stock market.

"Weapons can wait," Kain thought as he reviewed his next steps. "For now, I need to focus on securing production lines and planting cocoa trees. Once I've established myself, I can start thinking about building a private military force."

For the time being, Kain knew he had to stay under Konoha's radar. Expanding his influence meant being cautious about attracting too much attention from powerful factions like the ninja villages. He would bide his time—until the moment was right.