Chapter 1685 - Resigning and Starting a Business

Luke didn't think much of it.

He let Ivan off his chain because… he didn't need it at all.

Batman had made a deal with Ivan before, and Luke was now using Big Dipper as a guarantor to let Ivan play however he wanted.

This wouldn't affect the agreement with Batman, who remained as imposing as ever, while Ivan would have to owe Big Dipper a favor.

In any case, the Level 1 clone didn't plan to return to America right away.

He had found quite a number of ways to earn credit points in Japan last time, but had to cut things short and return to D.C. because of the incident with the Helicarriers.

This was the perfect opportunity to shear the sheep, and he wouldn't need to come back again for a long while after this.

Giving Ivan a break was purely in passing; after all, he didn't need Ivan to deal with these gangs.

…

As the Level 1 clone continued to shear the last bit of wool in Japan, Luke entered semi-seclusion in New York.

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After two weeks of research, he finally approached Tony as the bigshot who sold everything.

In the secret underground lab, Luke brought out the silver samurai armor.

Tony wasn't in a hurry to ask questions. Instead, he had Jarvis activate the scanning system.

For a scientist, discovering something on your own was part of the fun.

Luke didn't say anything. He simply enjoyed his black tea and let the guy do whatever he wanted.

Ten minutes later, Tony looked at him with a strange expression. "This was the armor Yashida wore?"

Luke nodded.

Tony asked, "Is there a formula?"

Luke shook his head regretfully. "Yashida kept it a secret, but he's dead."

Tony was silent, before he nodded regretfully. "What a shame. This thing… looks like some sort of special alloy."

Like a certain person's shield, the tycoon added inwardly.

Luke had already examined the armor, and naturally understood its value. "I'll lend this to you for research. In return, I want your research results, but they'll only be used to make gear for the Bat Squad."

"Deal." Tony agreed.

He had the upper hand in this deal.

Even if the research produced results, it was up to him how much and when to hand it over. Only an idiot wouldn't agree.

This old man really doesn't know how to do business, the former business shark grumbled inwardly.

But then he remembered the bigshot's relationship with Batman and Big Dipper, how he could move around freely by hypnotizing the people around him, and his "space superpower" that couldn't be restrained with the space obstruction device.

Given his personal strength and loyal allies, his business wouldn't suffer.

Also, the bigshot wasn't short of money at all.

When buying things from the bigshot, credit was the priority.

When he bought things from everybody, cash was the priority.

His resources were unfathomable.

As for the technology which the bigshot sold without restraint, Tony couldn't be bothered to say anything.

To use an example, if the bigshot had a fifth generation jet fighter, what he gave to someone else might be a first generation jet.

It wouldn't be just one level in difference.

So, Tony didn't say anything about the bigshot selling a whole bunch of tech.

Capitalists didn't have any sympathy for their peers. They weren't the ones to fall into a pit; it had nothing to do with them.

Thinking that, Tony couldn't help but ask, "Where are the swords?"

Luke said, "Big Dipper uses swords as well."

Tony was lost for words.

Big Dipper didn't just use swords, he was very good with them.

When he killed Shredder, he had even split the earth open with one slash, which was very cool.

If it were Tony with a favorite "toy," he wouldn't sell it even if he didn't play with it, to say nothing of the most handy weapon.

After handing over the silver samurai and the semi-intelligent nanotechnology, Luke took his leave

He was well aware that delaying Tony was delaying upgrading his own skills.

It wasn't like the bigshot needed to befriend Tony. Business was business.

People like the tycoon were very unwilling to owe someone else a favor.

Batman was already the limit. It would be very hard for anyone else who wanted to do the same with Tony.

…

At that moment, Luke was eating skewers with Selina on the roof of their building.

Picking up a cold beer and clinking it with hers, Luke suddenly said, "What do the two of you think about resigning and starting a business?"

Selina choked.

Gold Nugget, who was lying in front of her and munching on the meat, was befuddled.

Luke, on the other hand, was prepared. He had deliberately spoken when she wasn't facing him, so he wasn't the one who got beer on him.

At that moment, he calmly handed her two paper napkins.

Selina wiped her mouth and then the head of the dog in front of her. "Resign? What do you mean, start a business?"

Luke said, "It's been something I've been thinking about on and off."

Looking at his face, Selina knew that this "business" and making money were two different things.

It was precisely because making money was meaningless to them that she felt that this proposal was ridiculous.

Selina raised her beer and was about to take a sip, but stopped, in case she got a strange answer. "Tell me."

Luke turned the skewers. "Like opening a private detective agency in New York?"

Stumped, Selina took a sip and nodded thoughtfully. "That… does seem interesting."

2

Private detectives and police detectives were two different things, but for Luke and Selina, they were pretty much the same.

As long as they had money, there wouldn't be any problems, whatever work they did.

Pondering for a moment, she then asked, "No problem. But why now?"

Luke picked up the mutton skewers from the grill, and seasoned them with some cumin and chili flakes. He gave her a bunch and told her to be a quiet glutton for the time being and also feed Gold Nugget.

He then explained, "There are several reasons. Firstly, we were supporting Dustin and Elsa back then. Now that they've been promoted, they no longer need to go out and work cases."

Selina nodded in agreement as she split her loot with Gold Nugget.

Although they had come to New York to be vigilantes, they were still detectives because of Dustin and Elsa.

Dustin and Elsa were now doing very well. Coupled with the wave of resignations that had happened in NYPD, there was basically no hindrance to them being promoted.

Dustin was already a deputy inspector and was on the verge of being promoted to Head Supervisor of the police department.

Elsa had become a level two lieutenant last year, and had done enough to be promoted to a captain next year.

Because of that, the two of them were completely detached from the frontline, and had very few opportunities to lead a frontline operation.

When Luke had gotten Jenny to donate money to the police department, she specifically mentioned their names.

Of course, she didn't outright demand that they be promoted.

However, for someone of Jenny's status to mention the names of these two "minor" police officers was a stance in itself.

Commissioner Nelson got it.

As long as Titanium Phone Company donated tens of millions of dollars to NYPD every year, they wouldn't be treated badly.

At the very least, there wouldn't be much resistance to them being promoted just short of becoming deputy chief.

It had to be pointed that NYPD had close to 100 members with one-star badges. If each one could pull in five million in donations every year, that would be an additional 500 million in annual funding.

Actually, being able to pull in 500,000 dollars annually was already great, to say nothing of five million.

The capitalists had worked hard to rake in their money. They were already paying taxes; why should they donate again for nothing?

Don't say that it was for charity or tax deductibles.

There was no need to give it to NYPD.

If they gave money away, that was because they wanted privileges and benefits in return.