Marvel Transmigration: I Possessed Iron Man

Tony Stark's office spanned over 200 square meters, occupying a full fifth of the entire floor by itself.

Right next to it was the private office of his executive assistant, Pepper Potts. Their offices were positioned conveniently close, making it easy to move back and forth.

Aetheris sat in the spacious room, taking in the array of cutting-edge furnishings, along with countless antique vases and famous paintings collected from across the globe—each one worth tens of millions.

He thought about how he had just beaten up a group of spoiled rich kids, and not one of them dared to utter a word in protest.

Aetheris felt like he was dreaming.

He pinched his thigh hard. The sharp sting that followed confirmed it wasn't a dream. This was real.

Just three days ago, he was jobless, broke, and stuck in a dead-end life, still struggling to stay afloat years after graduation.

And now, here he was, sitting in Manhattan, the most prosperous district in New York, inside the headquarters of Stark Industries—one of the city's top corporate giants.

Enjoying the luxury massage functions built into the executive office chair, Aetheris let out a satisfied sigh.

This was living!

Forget about world-ending threats, the purple-skinned lunatic, Dormammu, stray cosmic invaders, dark elves—line up and take your turn!

Even a condemned man deserves a good final meal.

The fallen emperor fought battles for years. Doesn't he deserve to enjoy a little comfort now?

Drained from last night's exertions, Aetheris was dozing off when a knocking sound echoed from the door.

Knock knock.

"Damn it. If they can't give me a good explanation, I don't care who it is—they're out of this company," Aetheris muttered irritably.

"Come in!" he called, still grumpy from being woken up.

The door creaked open, and in walked a tall, elegant woman with flawless poise.

It was Nova.

The sight instantly woke Aetheris up. A long-legged beauty could revive both the body and mind like nothing else.

Some women are worth chasing for a year, some worth admiring for a year, and some are—

Ahem.

I'm a respectable man!

"Chairman, this is the company's financial report. Please review it," Nova said as she approached, her sweet fragrance lingering in the air.

Her slender figure leaned forward slightly, outlining a picture-perfect silhouette like a mountain range unfolding before his eyes.

"From every angle, a different view," Aetheris thought. "Ridges and peaks, near and far—each with its own charm."

"Ahem. No need for me to dive into the details. Just read it out for me."

Come on, my time is worth hundreds of thousands per minute. Why else am I paying finance grads with master's and PhDs from top universities such high salaries? To sit around doing nothing?

"Chairman, there are some troubling discrepancies in this financial report," Nova explained as she pointed to a section of the file, leaning ever so slightly closer to Aetheris's chest.

Hey, hey, hey, can you not stand so close while reporting?

Trying to tempt me?

Well… I have to admit… this is exactly the kind of thing I fall for!

"Where, where?" Aetheris squinted dramatically, pretending to be nearsighted as he leaned into the report.

"Right here," Nova replied, her cheeks flushing red, her body trembling slightly, her long, toned legs subtly shifting…

After Nova's clear and thorough report, Aetheris finally grasped a basic understanding of Stark Industries' current financial state.

Net profit for Q1: $2.042 billionYear-on-year net profit growth: 71.93%Total operating revenue: $23.85 billionYear-on-year revenue growth: 47.3%Operating profit: $4.49 billionYear-on-year operating profit growth: 30%

...…

Huh? What does that mean?

While Aetheris understood each figure individually, he couldn't make heads or tails of what they meant collectively. He was a liberal arts graduate—and not even a particularly good one. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been unemployed and stuck at home after graduation.

Thinking of taking the civil service exam? Please, that's a breeze compared to the college entrance exams.

"Alright, alright, stop bombarding me with numbers. The moment I hear statistics, my head starts spinning," Aetheris said impatiently.

Back in school, math had always been his Achilles' heel. Just seeing it made him feel hopeless.

Nova, slightly out of breath, wiped the sweat from her face with a tissue. "Something's wrong. Our company didn't perform well last quarter, but the financial report shows excellent results. Someone has clearly exploited loopholes to tamper with the numbers."

Ah, now that makes sense. No need to bury me in numbers. I can't make sense of them anyway.

"So you're saying someone's been cooking the books, and no one's caught them yet?" Aetheris mused.

"And whoever it is holds a lot of power. If we don't uncover the person behind this soon, I'm afraid—"

Aetheris nodded. "It's fine, Nova, keep going."

Their relationship had grown closer recently, and Aetheris called her by her nickname without hesitation.

Nova's eyes sparkled. "Chairman, the IRS is one of the most feared government agencies in the United States. If our company is suspected of tax evasion and they target us, we're finished."

"Whoa, seriously?" Aetheris's eyes widened. He hadn't realized the U.S. tax authorities had that kind of reputation.

"Let me put it simply. In the U.S., don't even think about evading taxes. Once you try, the IRS absolutely has the resources to find you. They have around 40,000 auditors, making up about 35% of their workforce. The IRS is considered the most intimidating government agency in the country—more feared than Homeland Security or the CIA. People often say, 'Of all the people you could cross, never cross the tax department.' And they mean it," Nova explained with a serious expression.

When she was pursuing her master's degree in finance, her professor had warned them repeatedly: if you ever set foot in the U.S., never even think about falsifying accounts or dodging taxes—it could completely destroy you.

"Is the tax department really more powerful than the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division?" Aetheris muttered to himself.

"Huh? Boss, what did you say?" Nova didn't catch his words.

"Nothing. Just a trash department," Aetheris replied as he got up and began pacing the office.

"Looks like whoever tampered with the accounts wants me gone—and they want to drag Stark Industries down with me. This person must wield significant power. Nova, find out who's currently managing the finance department, and if anyone else has been interfering."

"Understood, Boss. I'll get right on it." Nova adjusted her slightly rumpled clothes. Unfortunately, her stockings were ruined—she'd have to change into a new pair when she got back.

(End of Chapter)

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