After wrapping up all business at the Los Angeles film studio, Herman once again called upon the power of the raven to return to New York. A swirl of black mist formed, and in the next moment, he materialized inside his office at Stellar Tower.
Such a convenient teleportation ability was indeed invaluable.
For one thing, it saved Herman a fortune in travel expenses every year. More importantly, it required no time at all—an absolute must-have skill for both work and leisure.
"Wonder if it can teleport to other planets." Herman had never ventured beyond Earth, so there was no way to confirm the idea.
Maybe later, he thought.
A trip to Asgard sounded appealing.
That would be the perfect chance to test it. At the same time, Herman figured he should probably complete the Raven Emissary mission before Asgard's eventual destruction. After all, he was a thrifty man—seeing all of Asgard's treasures wiped out would be such a waste.
"Director, recruiting extras is exhausting. Your studio's huge—why not just hire more staff?"
Once most of the main cast had been confirmed, Skye had taken charge of hiring extras.
Herman didn't have many requirements—he just needed a crowd. As long as they could fill the space and cheer 'Awesome!' on cue, that was enough.
After all, it was a superhero TV show.
What's a superhero show without a cheering crowd waving flags?
"You can bring in some clerks to help, but I'll need to approve them first." Herman knew well how tedious this kind of grunt work could be.
"Heh, you just want to check if they're pretty, don't you?" Skye smirked knowingly, though she was completely misunderstanding his intentions.
Herman's insistence on reviewing candidates was purely to guard against S.H.I.E.L.D. infiltration. Ordinary employees were of no interest to him.
"Enough joking around. Get to work! Or do you not want that big bonus anymore?" Herman shot her a glare.
Skye quickly nodded obediently.
When it came to recruiting help, Skye moved fast. Only a few hours later, she returned to Herman's office with eight candidates in tow.
Good grief.
With just a polite mental scan, Herman discovered that six of them were S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. If he hadn't known Skye was loyal to him, he would have suspected she was feeding people straight to S.H.I.E.L.D.
Look at that infiltration rate.
Tsk, tsk.
You had to admit, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s obsession with infiltration was downright insane.
"As an ordinary, law-abiding citizen, what on earth have I done to deserve such attention from S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Herman sighed inwardly, then began dismissing the undercover agents with excuses pulled from thin air.
"Your major doesn't match the position."
"Your height doesn't quite meet company standards."
"Hmm… I just don't like the look of you. High nose bridge, suspicious—definitely not a good person."
...
Herman's elimination reasons were absurd and varied.
By the end, only two candidates remained, both visibly unsettled. The older woman, the more "normal" of the two, was trembling slightly. The job had excellent benefits and was conveniently close to home—it had seemed perfect for her.
But now… her chances looked grim.
She glanced at the only other remaining applicant and felt her hopes collapse entirely.
Too beautiful!
Her figure was flawless!
Even movie stars couldn't compare!
Such a stunning girl—her appeal to a young boss was beyond question.
The older woman felt her own appearance wasn't bad, but next to this competitor, she couldn't help but feel utterly outshined.
"You two…"
Herman studied the pair seated across from him. He had to admit, the younger woman's beauty was striking enough to leave him stunned.
So striking it almost felt unreal. Compared to her, the mature woman beside her, though still graceful, seemed to fade into the background.
"Introduce yourselves."
Having worked all day, Herman was tired, so instead of reviewing resumes, he simply asked for self-introductions.
"My name is May Parker. I'm applying for the administrative assistant position. My education isn't extensive, but I have a lot of work experience in this field." The mature woman—May—spoke with a trace of unease.
She'd just seen a Harvard graduate get rejected.
"Hm?"
Herman perked up at the familiar name.
May?
Parker?
Holy crap.
A closer look confirmed it—her face was unmistakable. This was Spider-Man Peter Parker's beautiful aunt!
A character with no small importance in the Marvel Universe, showing up to apply for a job at his company? Well, Stellar Tower wasn't exactly far from Queens.
"Extensive work experience? Excellent! You're hired!"
Setting aside her connection to Spider-Man, Herman trusted Aunt May's character. Someone he knew inside and out was far more reliable than a random stranger.
"Huh?"
Aunt May never expected to land the job so easily. It felt almost dreamlike. She had just beaten out Harvard graduates for the position!
If not for Herman's perfectly normal expression—and the stunning beauty still standing beside him—she might have suspected this young boss was trying to pull some shady, unspoken rule on her.
"Is it really that easy?"
Aunt May still found it hard to believe.
"You don't like our company?" Herman arched an eyebrow.
"Of course I do! I love this company! It's my second home!" Aunt May blurted out. She wasn't about to risk losing such a rare opportunity.
Jobs with this kind of pay were impossible to find elsewhere.
"Good attitude. Go find Skye—the one who brought you in—and she'll handle your onboarding."
After watching Aunt May leave his office, Herman turned his attention to the other applicant. Alone in the room with a strikingly beautiful woman, he felt no improper urges.
He wasn't the type to play those unspoken rules. Of course, if the other party initiated, he might consider it… but clearly, the girl before him had no such intentions.
"My name is Carrie. I just… I just moved to New York from a small town."
"I'd like to apply for the finance position. I hold a CMA certification and am fully qualified for the role."
She handed over her resume again. Truth be told, Herman hadn't originally planned to hire anyone for finance. But looking at how the company was growing, payroll and financial management would definitely need a professional.
The CMA carried a lot of weight. Herman couldn't help but give this girl named Carrie a second look. He hadn't expected someone so stunning to also be a young academic achiever.
"Any particular requirements for compensation?"
Herman's eyes discreetly swept over her outfit. Every piece was from high-end brands, the cost easily enough to buy a Rolls-Royce.
"Meals included is enough."
Clearly not someone short on money. Probably just looking for something to pass the time. Herman didn't mind that—after all, a rich kid who could earn a CMA wasn't lazy or spoiled.
"Our food here is excellent. In fact, I'm planning to set up a company cafeteria soon and bring in a master chef."
He wasn't just making empty promises either. He genuinely wanted to hire a skilled Chinese chef. Too many so-called Chinese restaurants were hit-or-miss and disappointing.
"Mm! Mm!"
Carrie's eyes sparkled at his words—literally sparkling. Her irises were an extremely rare violet.
"Colored contacts?"
Herman didn't think much of it. Wearing contacts was a personal choice, and it seemed this new hire just had a strong preference for purple. Even her luxury outfits were accented with hints of the color.
Still… why did she feel oddly familiar?
In the Marvel Universe, there shouldn't have been any character named Carrie… right?