A dazzling series of numbers, flowing like streams into the sea through shell company accounts in over a dozen different countries, finally converged into an anonymous master account at a Swiss Bank.
The account balance column clearly displayed a string of numbers.
$1,850,000.
"Before worrying about uncertain risks, we should first be happy about certain gains."
Raven's breath hitched for a moment.
She had served Magneto for so many years and witnessed many grand spectacles, but such a colossal sum of cash, which she and another person could completely control, was a first.
This money was enough for them to disappear anywhere in the World and live a luxurious life like royalty.
But she knew Lynt's ambitions extended far beyond that.
"What are you planning to do?" Raven asked.
"Become a shareholder."
Lynt smiled mysteriously, tapped his finger on the tablet, and the interface switched to a financial news page.
The headline was incredibly striking.
[Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist—Tony Stark to Hold Press Conference Today to Address Afghanistan Captivity Incident.]
"An era is about to begin," Lynt said softly.
"And we will be the first passengers on board."
Over the next few hours, Raven witnessed a magic show of capital firsthand.
Lynt did not leave the apartment for a single step.
Using three different mobile phones, a dozen unregistered SIM cards, and that encrypted tablet, he acted like a phantom Commander, issuing directives to financial networks around the World.
His voice was calm and precise, every instruction brief to the extreme.
"London, execute Plan A, use Account Seven, buy into Stark Industries with all available funds."
"Tokyo, Plan B, Accounts Five and Nine, maximize leverage, target Stark Industries."
"Frankfurt, contact 'The Watchmaker,' I need him to buy up all the scattered shares visible on the market for me; price is not an issue."
He was like the most seasoned Wall Street trader, skillfully employing various financial tools to transform those more than ten million U.S. dollars into an invisible net, silently enveloping the New York stock market, which was about to open.
Raven didn't understand the complex terminology and operations.
But she could read the expression on Lynt's face.
It was a look of absolute confidence, a composure that comes from knowing the future.
He wasn't gambling.
He was harvesting.
"How do you… know all this?"
Raven finally asked the question that had been lingering in her mind.
He wasn't like anyone she knew.
He had an almost prophetic foresight regarding the future and the trajectory of certain events.
Lynt's operations came to an end, and he leaned back on the sofa, rubbing his temples.
"Intuition," he replied casually.
"My luck has always been good, hasn't it?"
He was lying again.
Raven knew it clearly.
But she didn't press further.
She knew that questioning would yield no results. The mysteries surrounding this man were much deeper than she had imagined.
Just then, an antique-looking flip phone that Lynt had placed on the coffee table suddenly vibrated.
It wasn't the phone they usually used.
On the screen, there was no caller ID, only a burning "X" X-Men logo.
It was the Brotherhood's internal encrypted channel.
Lynt glanced at it, didn't answer, but instead gestured to Raven with his chin.
"It's for you."
Raven's heart sank suddenly.
It was Eric.
Sabretooth Victor had indeed gone back to report.
She picked up the phone and flipped open the cover.
Instead of Magneto's magnetic voice, there was only a short text message.
[Victor is furious. I need an explanation. Immediately.]
The cold text carried an undeniable authority.
Raven felt her palms sweating slightly.
Deceiving a simple-minded Beast like Sabretooth was one thing, but deceiving Magneto… that was almost impossible.
She looked up at Lynt, a hint of plea in her eyes.
Lynt, however, smiled.
Far from being nervous, he seemed rather excited.
"Don't be afraid, this isn't a crisis, it's an opportunity."
He stood up, walked over to Raven, and took the bowl of cold cereal from in front of her.
"Want to know how to turn our great Mutant leader into our investor too?"
He scooped a spoonful of cereal into his mouth, chewing slowly.
"Come on, I'll teach you how to write a satisfactory report for him."
"And incidentally, it's time to let him see… how excellent his future son-in-law is."
Raven's delicate brows furrowed. Son-in-law?
An inexplicable jealousy welled up in her heart.
Magneto's Base was located beneath a desolate, rarely visited wilderness.
There were no luxurious decorations here, only cold steel and a strong magnetic field humming in the air.
Raven walked alone through the metal-cast corridor.
On the walls, twisted rebar and metal plates seemed to have been casually kneaded by an invisible giant hand, filled with the violent aesthetics of the post-industrial era.
This was Erik Lehnsherr's kingdom.
A steel womb belonging only to Mutants.
She pushed open a heavy metal door and walked in.
In the center of the hall, Magneto was suspended in mid-air, his back to her.
He wasn't wearing his iconic magenta battle suit, just a simple black casual outfit, but his king-like aura was stronger than ever.
The air around him seemed to grow heavy with his emotions.
In the corner of the hall, Sabretooth Victor sat on the ground like a caged Beast.
He was wrapped in bandages, and the wounds on his body, inflicted by Black Widow's dagger and The Punisher's bullets, were slowly healing at a visible rate.
But his eyes were filled with humiliation and rage.
Seeing Raven enter, he let out a suppressed growl and suddenly stood up.
"Raven!" his voice was like sandpaper rubbing, "You and that pretty boy, you used me as bait!"
"Victor," Magneto spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable authority.
Sabretooth's fury was as if a bucket of ice Water had been poured over him. He glared at Raven resentfully but still closed his mouth and sat back down.
Magneto slowly turned and descended to the ground.
His gaze, like two tangible searchlights, locked onto Raven.
"I need an explanation," he said calmly.
"Why are members of the Brotherhood involved with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s ace Agent, Kingpin's number one assassin, and that madman slaughtering criminals on the streets of New York?"
Raven's heart skipped a beat.
She took a deep breath, the script Lynt had prepared for her flashing through her mind.
"Eric, this was a trap, but it was also an opportunity."
She met Magneto's gaze, expressing the well-rehearsed explanation in her own way.
"Our target was only Kingpin's money, but I discovered traces of S.H.I.E.L.D. They seemed to be testing a… new type of weapon."