She leaned in, her warm breath caressing Lynt's ear, her voice a low whisper, carrying a hint of seduction and danger that she herself hadn't noticed.
"He said he wants to see his future... investor... with his own eyes."
Lynt's lips curved slightly at her words.
"Investor? I like that term."
He stood up and walked to the window, looking down at the bustling New York below.
Raven followed behind him, like an elegant and vigilant blue cheetah.
"Aren't you afraid?"
"Afraid of what?"
Lynt retorted without turning his head,
"Afraid he'll wrap me in metal wire, coil by coil, and turn me into a modern art piece?"
He chuckled, his tone as light as if discussing the weather.
"Raven, you must remember. When you have the ability to solve the other party's biggest pain point, you are not an employee going for an interview, but a partner going to negotiate."
"We are now going to meet a startup team's CEO who is eager to secure Series A funding."
Raven was utterly confused, but she understood the composure.
It wasn't a feigned calmness, but a sense of control stemming from absolute confidence.
It was as if Magneto wasn't the Mutant king who could overturn aircraft carriers and move the Golden Gate Bridge, but merely a relatively important chess piece on his board.
This realization once again filled Raven's heart with a shiver of fear mixed with dependence.
Magneto's Base, rather than a Base, was more like a mausoleum of steel.
Cold, solemn, and full of oppressive power.
The air was thick with the smell of rust and ozone.
When Lynt followed Raven into the grand hall constructed from twisted steel bars, he felt as if he was walking into the throat of a steel beast.
In the center of the hall, Sabretooth Victor stood like a sculpted mass of muscle.
When he saw Lynt, a low growl rumbled in his throat, his eyes so fierce they seemed ready to tear this human apart alive.
He clearly remembered the humiliation of being made a fool of at the slaughterhouse last time.
Lynt didn't even glance at him, looking directly at the throne in the hall.
A man was suspended in mid-air.
He wore a dark red battle suit and the iconic helmet that blocked all psychic control.
He didn't move, nor did he speak.
But all the metal in the entire space seemed to hum faintly with his breathing.
That was Magneto, Erik Lehnsherr.
A man who twisted the laws of physics with his own will.
He slowly descended, his toes lightly touching the metal floor without making a sound.
"You are Lynt."
His voice wasn't loud, but it had a metallic resonance that echoed through the hall.
"A... very interesting human."
Lynt looked up, staring directly into the deep, ice-sea-like eyes hidden in the shadow of the helmet.
He showed no fear, instead, he surveyed his surroundings with interest, like a tourist visiting an attraction.
"Mr. Lehnsherr, your taste is quite unique. Post-industrial wasteland style, I appreciate it."
He even made a joke.
Sabretooth's fangs were practically bared.
Raven's heart was in her throat.
A subtle ripple, hard to detect, flashed in Magneto's deep blue pupils.
How many years had it been? Besides Charles, no human had dared to be so presumptuous in front of him.
"Raven said you can amplify Mutant abilities."
Magneto went straight to the point; he disliked beating around the bush.
"No." Lynt shook his head, a clear denial.
Raven's heart sank.
"I cannot amplify."
Lynt met Magneto's gaze, speaking clearly, word by word,
"I am a platform."
"A platform?" Magneto was unfamiliar with this modern term.
"Yes, a platform."
Lynt offered an analogy,
"You can think of me as an app store. Raven was the first beta user.
She downloaded the 'Strength Enhancement V1.0' patch from me.
That's why she became stronger."
He had thought of this explanation before coming.
It could explain his ability while being full of the mysteriousness and prestige of modern technology, perfectly avoiding the unmentionable truth of dual cultivation.
"And you, Mr. Erik,"
Lynt changed his tone, revealing his true intentions,
"You want me, this platform, to specifically develop a system stability tool for your daughter, Ms. Wanda Maximoff."
"Right?"
When the name "Wanda" was mentioned so directly, the air in the hall seemed to freeze instantly.
The invisible force field around Magneto suddenly surged!
The entire steel hall trembled, and countless metal parts groaned under the strain.
Sabretooth was pressed down onto one knee by the oppressive aura, his face flushed.
Raven also subconsciously took half a step back, a nervous ripple spreading across her blue skin.
Only Lynt stood at the center of the storm, his clothes not even stirring.
He knew this was both a test and a deterrent.
He was actually terrified inside, his legs shaking, but his face was as steady as an old dog.
"Smiling on the surface, cursing in my heart. Old Magneto, if you add any more pressure, my Italian handmade leather shoes are going to file for worker's compensation."
He complained wildly in his mind.
Fortunately, his doubled luck attribute seemed to kick in at the crucial moment.
The immense pressure, though substantial, strangely bypassed him.
It was as if he wasn't a person, but a ghost that didn't exist in this dimension.
A flicker of surprise crossed Magneto's eyes.
He withdrew his aura.
"What do you want?"
He asked.
He no longer bothered to delve into this human's background.
Being able to withstand his pressure and accurately pinpoint his pain point, this human was qualified to negotiate with him.
"I don't want to join the Brotherhood."
Lynt raised his first finger,
"I hate extremism, and your uniform taste is terrible."
"Especially his."
Sabretooth: "..."
"Second,"
Lynt raised his second finger,
"I want money, or rather, startup capital. I want to establish a company, a company absolutely controlled by me. I need a clean identity, legitimate funding channels, and... absolute business freedom."
"Third,"
He raised his third finger, a meaningful smile spreading across his face,
"I want you... and the Brotherhood behind you, to become my company's first Angel investor and head of the security department."
He paused, then added the most crucial sentence.
"Of course, in return, Ms. Wanda Maximoff will become a lifelong VIP client of my company's Health and Stability Department.
All services will be free for her."
Silence.
A deathly silence.
Raven was beyond shocked.
She looked at Lynt as if he were a monster.
This man, not only was he not intimidated by Magneto, but with just a few words, he transformed himself from a lamb to be slaughtered into an equal partner.
He even... turned the tables, planning to integrate the entire Brotherhood into a department of his future business empire.
What audacity and madness!
Magneto was silent for a long time.
The eyes beneath the helmet seemed to pierce Lynt's soul.
Finally, he slowly nodded.
"Alright."