Darren was completely stunned by this move; he opened his mouth but couldn't utter a single word.
However, just then, a sudden change occurred!
Chhh—!
The office wall, without warning, cracked open into a black gash, and a smell of sulfur permeated the air.
A figure, holding two scimitars, stepped out from the gap.
Spade A.
His target was very clear: not Lorna, nor Darren, but Astrid, who was standing behind Lorna, looking harmless like a tourist!
Because in his intelligence, this blonde woman was the first outsider Lynt had contacted, and she was likely his favorite. One should pick the softest persimmon to squeeze!
His speed was extreme; almost at the same time he appeared, his scimitars were already slashing towards Astrid's neck!
"Be careful!" Lorna's face changed; it was too late for her to act.
Astrid seemed to be scared stiff by this sudden turn of events, standing rooted to the spot.
A cruel smile appeared on Spade A's face.
Too easy.
However, just as his blade was about to touch Astrid's fair neck.
Clang!
A crisp, bell-like clang.
Spade A felt an unimaginable force transmit from the blade to his wrist; the web between his thumb and forefinger instantly split, and the scimitar flew out of his hand.
He looked closely, his pupils constricting violently.
The blonde woman, at some unknown moment, had raised her seemingly slender and fair hand, and with two fingers, she effortlessly caught his sharp blade, which was capable of cutting through steel plates.
"Are Midgardians all this rude?"
Astrid tilted her head, the innocent expression on her face vanished, replaced by something that made Spade A shiver from the bottom of his heart.
"Interrupting someone's business comes at a price."
Before her voice faded, she twisted her fingers, which were gripping the blade, sharply!
Crack!
The scimitar, forged from a special alloy, shattered instantly.
Immediately after, Astrid backhanded Spade A across the face.
Bang!
A dull thud.
Spade A, a respected figure in the Hellfire Club capable of teleporting and killing, was sent flying like a rag doll by a single slap, crashing through a wall with a thud and flying directly outside the building, his fate unknown.
The entire office was dead silent.
Darren Cross was already slumped on the floor, terrified.
Lorna also stared at Astrid, dumbfounded. She knew these Valkyrie were strong, but she hadn't expected... them to be this ridiculously strong!
Astrid, as if nothing had happened, clapped her hands and turned to Lorna with a brilliant smile.
"Alright, Miss Lorna, we can continue our business."
The farce at Cross Tech Company ended in an extremely shocking manner.
When Lorna returned to Apex Tower with Darren Cross and a transfer agreement, actively offered by the other party, containing all core technologies and patents, Lynt was leisurely enjoying afternoon tea.
"Well done." Lynt looked at the agreement and nodded in satisfaction. "It went even smoother than I expected."
"It's Astrid's credit." Lorna said truthfully, her voice still carrying a hint of lingering shock. "She slapped the Hellfire assassin away with one hand."
"That's your credit too." Lynt put down his teacup, walked to Lorna, and raised his hand to adjust her slightly disheveled collar.
"It was you who held the fort, which gave her the opportunity to act. Remember, Lorna, brains are always more important than fists. You are the Commander, and they are your weapons."
These words warmed Lorna's heart. This was the first time someone had affirmed her intellect, not just her strength.
"As for Astrid..."
Lynt looked at Astrid, who was boasting about her achievements to her Valkyrie sisters, and shook his head helplessly.
"Have her write an eight-hundred-word report explaining why she caused over five million U.S. dollars in property damage."
"Yes, boss!" Astrid, who had been beaming, instantly froze.
On the other side, the Hellfire Club.
When Spade A's almost shattered body was dragged back from the crater by his subordinates, the entire Hellfire Hall fell into a deathly silence.
Sebastian Shaw looked at one of his most capable assassins, now lying on the ground like a puddle of mud, and his perpetually smiling face finally turned completely grim.
Commercially, he was battered and bruised by Lynt's money-power.
Militarily, his proud Mutant elite were as vulnerable as a joke in the opponent's hands.
That man named Lynt. He himself might not be strong, but the women under him were each more abnormal than the last.
"Black King..." A club member stammered, "What... what should we do?"
What to do?
Sebastian's mind was in chaos. Lynt's methods were completely beyond his comprehension.
And just then, Emma Frost, the White Queen whom he had just mocked as useless, slowly stood up.
Her face was devoid of anger and humiliation, leaving only a chilling calm.
"At this point, there's only one way." She straightened her white dress and surveyed all the anxious Mutant dignitaries in the hall.
"If you can't beat him, join him."
After speaking, she didn't spare anyone another glance and walked straight out of the Hellfire Hall.
Leaving Sebastian Shaw and a group of club executives looking at each other, their faces filled with absurdity and disbelief.
An hour later, Apex Amplification Company, top floor office.
Lynt received a call from the front desk.
"Boss, a lady named Emma Frost is asking to see you. She said... she's here to discuss an acquisition."
Lynt raised an eyebrow, a victorious arc gracing the corner of his mouth.
"Let her come up."
A few minutes later, the office door was pushed open.
Emma Frost walked in. She was still as proud, as beautiful, as if all the previous defeats had nothing to do with her.
She walked to Lynt's desk and gently placed a document on it.
"Frost International, and all assets under my personal name, including all my interests in the Hellfire Club."
She looked at Lynt, her blue eyes showing no emotion.
"I only have one request: retain the Frost International brand and my position as CEO."
Lynt leaned back in his chair, not looking at the document, but rather observing the woman before him with interest.
He had to admit, Emma Frost was a true magnate, and also a sexy woman.
She could bend and stretch, she could lose, and she could let go.
After realizing she couldn't defeat her opponent, she could immediately cast aside all pride and hatred, and in the most rational way, secure the greatest benefits for herself.