Chapter Thirteen: Return to the Marvel Universe

"Back safe and sound!" When Karn returned, he glanced around to confirm he was indeed in his own living room. Then he looked at the clock and was immediately surprised. "Only two days have passed? The time ratio is five to one." Karn pulled up the trading system panel and, after reading the system's explanation, finally understood the situation. Initially, after establishing a world trading target, the time ratio was set this way, but as trading became more frequent and deeper, the two worlds' time flow would normalize. Moreover, this ratio affected both directions.

"It'll be fine in the future; for now, this is the only way." The trading system operated by its own rules, and Karn couldn't change them. All he could do was make use of this golden opportunity to grow stronger as quickly as possible.

The gains from his first trade weren't much; besides the assets and money from the world of the Ninja Wars, his main haul was the fifty or so kilograms of gold. At current international prices, selling it all would bring him a tidy profit. The firearms he'd acquired for emergencies hadn't been used yet and could be saved for when he established his own power base.

Once Karn's influence grew in the world of the Ninja Wars, he could seek out Orochimaru. That man had only teamed up with Danzo because the Root could provide funding, materials, and Hashirama cells. Except for the last, Karn could provide Orochimaru with the rest. Moreover, Karn believed that some of the biological research from the Marvel world would be extremely attractive to Orochimaru.

"I need to set up a trading company as a front, a biotech firm, and find a reliable channel for selling gold..." As for the gold, Karn could rely on his contacts to offload dozens of kilograms at a time for now, but if the traded gold kept increasing, he was sure to attract attention.

"Only two days have passed, and not much has happened. Before I head back to the Ninja World next time, I must get the company registered and hire a lawyer..."

Karn checked the pile of letters in his mailbox—nothing noteworthy had happened. He then thought back on which goods were scarce in the Ninja World and decided to order more food and medicine. In wartime, these were the hard currency. The marketplace at the Hidden Leaf Village was nearly deserted, with little to sell and supplies running dangerously low.

After making two calls to order another batch of goods, Karn phoned Karl's father, planning to visit his house that evening.

When it came to finding a lawyer and registering a company, Karl couldn't help, but Karl's father, a top broker on Wall Street, was just the person Karn needed. After witnessing other worlds through his golden finger, Karn felt that college hardly mattered anymore.

...

That evening, Karl's father, Connor, knew Karn wanted a favor and cleared his schedule for him. He prepared a home-cooked dinner—not particularly delicious, but made by his own hand. Steamed bass with soy sauce: Connor wasn't sure where he got the recipe, but it was one of his favorites. Long ago, Karl, angling for pocket money, had tricked Connor into believing he was a great cook, and over time, Connor came to believe it himself. When Karn visited, Connor steamed three whole bass and poured three small dishes of soy sauce.

When Karn arrived, Connor led him straight to the dining table. "Karn, try my cooking today. The bass is especially fresh. If I get such fresh fish next time, I might even try eating it raw with wasabi."

"Uh... thank you, Uncle Connor." Karn cut a small piece, swallowed it quickly, and chased it down with juice before steering the conversation to the main point. "Uncle Connor, I want to start two companies, so I wanted to ask if you know anyone in that business. And if I need to hire some managers, where should I look?"

No sooner had Karn finished than Karl excitedly waved his knife and fork. "Awesome, my friend! I always thought 'Lightning Duo' didn't sound as good as 'Wall Street Lightning Corporation.' You finally..."

"Hold on, Karl. This has nothing to do with Lightning. We'll talk about that next time. I want to register a trading and a biotech company."

Karn quickly cut Karl off. The guy had real financial skills, but his adolescent delusions were as strong as ever, even on the verge of college.

"Registering a company? I happen to know just the right people. Give me a moment and I’ll find their business card for you," Connor thought about where he'd left it, then continued, "Karn, are you sure you want to set up a trading and a biotech company, not a securities firm?"

"I'll dabble in that, too, but these two are more important for me right now, Uncle Connor."

Hearing the certainty in Karn's voice, Connor knew the boy had made up his mind. He'd noticed, years ago, that his son's classmate was decisive and possessed impressive learning ability and financial acumen, qualities Connor admired. A year ago, he'd stopped treating Karn as a junior and started seeing him as a peer. Especially after Karn's recent maneuvers with his son, which, after some analysis, convinced Connor there was much to be gained. He'd even set aside significant funds to join in their ventures.

Now that Karn had asked him this, it was clear he had a plan. But since neither trading nor biotech was Connor's field of expertise—if it had been a securities company, he would have insisted on buying in and quitting his job to join.

After dinner, Karn got the contact he needed from Connor, who assured him that he'd speak to the person before Karn reached out, paving the way for him.

...

The next day, Karn went to the address on the business card and was warmly welcomed by the firm Connor had recommended. He explained his needs. Registering a company was a small matter, easily handled; in three days, it would be done. If he needed help renting office space as well, it would take just two more days.

To save trouble, Karn entrusted them with everything. Though it would take a few extra days, it would spare him considerable time.

He needed a trading company for cover. It didn't have to be profitable, but it had to be capable of handling large-scale shipments. Building such an operation from scratch was a hassle, so Karn would have to hire a few assistants who would carry out his instructions to the letter.

At this stage, all he needed was someone honest, obedient, and able to execute his orders flawlessly. Once the company grew, only then would he need someone who could oversee everything—someone like Pepper Potts at Stark Industries.