"An all-female bounty hunter team, that must be tough, right?" Lin Feng asked casually, as if making small talk.
"Tough? It's alright, everyone works hard," Lotrin replied, then after a moment's thought, added, "And we're friendly!"
Certainly, there were hardships, but their current lives were already far better than before.
Who knew what kind of lives most of her team members had led in the past.
There were slaves, vagrants, scavengers; almost all of them were unfortunate souls.
At least now they could eat their fill and wear warm clothes, though their common goal had yet to be achieved.
"Have you ever thought about what your future life will be like?"
"You can't possibly be a bounty hunter forever, can you?" Lin Feng continued.
This time, Lotrin was completely baffled.
She exchanged a strange glance with Lin Feng. Didn't he say he had something to ask? Why was he asking this?
For a moment, Lotrin wondered if Lin Feng had some peculiar fetish.
"Yes, of course I've thought about it."
"But why would you care about such things?" Lotrin asked, perplexed.
"As for being bounty hunters..."
"But what else can bounty hunters do?"
"At least being bounty hunters gives us a place to stay."
She chose to become a bounty hunter because she had the ability.
She could earn money and support her equally unfortunate companions.
Once she stepped onto this path, there was no easy way to withdraw.
If she were to stop being a bounty hunter one day, Lotrin was certain a large number of enemies would come looking for her.
Lin Feng smiled gently.
"If that's the case, why not work for me?"
Lotrin froze, tilting her head slightly.
They had been chatting casually, and suddenly he was trying to recruit her team?
Wasn't that too abrupt a leap?
Lotrin's mind raced, trying to decipher the meaning behind Lin Feng's words.
Lin Feng's remarks had left Lotrin utterly bewildered.
In fact, she even suspected that Lin Feng's offer was insincere.
Could he be attracted to her beauty?
No, that didn't seem right. From the very beginning, Lin Feng's gaze held only admiration, none of the covetous glint she often saw from others, the desire to devour her whole.
She couldn't figure it out, but Lotrin still offered a smile.
"You jest, sir."
"With your abilities, why would you be interested in a mere bounty hunter team?"
Given Lin Feng's displayed strength, Lotrin couldn't imagine what purpose he would have for a bounty hunter team.
Lin Feng shook his head and continued with a smile, "I'm not joking."
"I need a team in the universe."
"But building one from scratch would be too troublesome. Everything would have to start anew, and I don't have the patience for that."
Lin Feng's objective was simple: to have Lotrin's team serve as his eyes and ears in the universe.
Although Natasha was also working on developing contacts and informants, Lotrin's accumulated network and intelligence lines over the years were something Natasha couldn't match in a short time.
Furthermore, Lin Feng had other objectives.
He wanted to leverage Lotrin's entire network and intelligence lines to constantly monitor the Marvel Universe for any presence cloaked in black robes.
Lin Feng now possessed sufficient power to directly confront the high-ranking members of the Black Robe organization.
Some of his previous plans could now be put into motion.
It wasn't that Lin Feng couldn't sense the Black Robes.
He had the capability to monitor the entire universe.
But to have his senses stretched across the entire universe for constant surveillance would be unrealistic.
And if he sent Natasha or the symbiotes to search for the Black Robes, it was bound to attract attention.
As it was, Natasha's appearance and the appearance of Star-Lord's artifacts had already drawn significant notice.
Searching for information about the Black Robes under these circumstances would be like startling the snake before it could be struck.
However, Lotrin's veteran bounty hunter team could largely circumvent this problem.
Lin Feng could use them to gather past information about the Black Robes and to constantly monitor for any Black Robe appearances in the universe.
Whenever Black Robes appeared, they would inevitably need to pass through major transit hubs to gather intelligence.
Lotrin remained in a daze for a while before finally asking, "Are you serious, sir?"
Lin Feng pursed his lips and adopted a more serious expression. "I am."
"You might find this sudden, but I have thought about it carefully."
"You have seen my abilities; if you serve me, I can guarantee the safety of everyone in your team."
Lotrin was somewhat moved by Lin Feng's answer, but also found herself in a difficult position.
She had never considered finding another boss for her team.
And one who was a man, no less.
If they were to work for Lin Feng, they would have no room for negotiation.
However, owing to Lin Feng's prowess, Lotrin organized her thoughts for a long time.
"I appreciate your consideration, sir."
"However, our team may not be as strong as you imagine."
"It is already a great feat for us to gather together and survive in the universe."
"I implore you, sir, to show mercy and seek someone else..."
As she spoke, Lotrin cautiously observed Lin Feng's expression.
But Lin Feng's smile had not wavered from beginning to end, making it impossible for her to gauge his mood or attitude.
"Don't be so quick to refuse, Lotrin."
"Why not hear my terms first?"
Lin Feng maintained his smile.
Lotrin's face showed a hint of distress.
"Please forgive me, sir, but Lotrin has truly never considered joining any faction."
"We are merely a group of unfortunate souls struggling to survive in the universe."
"Please understand our plight, we are but pitiful weak women..."
With a few words, Lotrin had categorized her team.
Unfortunate souls struggling to survive, weak women.
Lin Feng chuckled and shook his head.
"Weak women?"
A Class A bounty hunter team, with members from various galaxies, most of whom were skilled in their own right. And she called them weak women?
This was merely her excuse to refuse Lin Feng.
However, since Lin Feng had made the request, he had come prepared.
"I know you have been doing two things."
"And for that, you have been searching for something. Am I correct?"
Lotrin's pupils contracted, but she quickly regained her composure.
"I don't understand what you are talking about, sir."
"You don't understand?"
Lin Feng found it amusing. He took out an object from the storage he had created.
Holding the item, he extended his palm towards Lotrin and slowly opened it.
"Look at this, and I believe you will understand."
Lotrin gazed at Lin Feng's slowly opening palm, and shock gradually filled her eyes.
Her lips parted slightly, and Lotrin's voice became a little hoarse.
"What is this?"
Lin Feng tossed the stone in his hand, which was as crimson as a flame.
Lotrin's gaze followed the stone as it moved up and down.
"You are not mistaken. This is one of the Infinity Stones you have been searching for."
"The Reality Stone!"