Why is his holy light red?

Mercury's goal has always been clear—only with money can one have a good life.

The dignity of the lower classes is determined by their material foundation. Only when they are well-fed, clothed, and enjoy privileges are they qualified to elevate their so-called life values.

Robert thought the child in front of him was just being whimsical.

He had originally planned to write Mercury a check; three to five million was just pocket change for him, enough for the Al family to get through their current difficulties.

But now it seems that Mercury's ambition is extraordinary.

Robert thought to himself: No wonder the Holy Light Angel sent him here. Even if you gave him millions, this kid probably wouldn't be satisfied and would soon go astray again.

It seems that we need to guide this child's thinking.

Robert probed, half-jokingly: "Want to earn a hundred million? Easy, I can transfer a hundred million to you right now. But how do you plan to spend it? How much do you think you'll actually get?"

Mercury didn't even blink before answering, "According to the current tax laws of Auriga City, large one-time gifts are subject to a 24% federal withholding tax, plus a 9% state tax. If you also apply the tiered marginal tax rate, the total loss is about 37%."

Mercury paused, then complained like a professional accountant, "The IRS vampires love to trip you up during liquidation, forcing you to extend the deadline, and then justifiably slapping on late fees. I need to hire top-notch tax consultants; these people take a cut..."

Mercury rattled off all the tax rates for his city as if they were his own treasures.

From taxes to local special circumstances, and various other organizations that might cause trouble. For example, local police stations, fire departments, and other departments funded by wealthy individuals will definitely come knocking on your door asking for donations. You can't refuse to donate, or you'll definitely face trouble.

Finally, Mercury sighed and said, "After all the deductions, the actual amount on the books is estimated to be only twenty million. That's a huge loss. Mr. Robert, if you're truly interested, why don't you open a trust account for me under the name of the 'Charitable Learning Fund'?"

There was a two-second silence in the lab.

Robert also dropped the nonchalance in his eyes.

He initially thought he had encountered a daydreaming young man who would ask for a hundred million, a mere fantasy. Little did he know that Mercury was a seasoned veteran who had thoroughly studied the rules of money.

Moreover, I was just testing him out, but after we finished talking, it seems like I really owe him a hundred million?

"You surprise me, Mercury." Robert looked him over again. "You have a very thorough understanding of tax rules."

Mercury said quite seriously, "It is precisely because we know the value of money that there is meaning in pursuing it."

Upon hearing this, Robert felt a moment of dizziness, as if the child had merged with the angel of holy light.

This inexplicable feeling made Robert feel like he was going crazy.

But he did sense Mercury's thirst for wealth, much like the angel of light cherished life.

This is definitely not an ordinary child.

Robert felt a bit awkward. He couldn't just give him a hundred million, and changing someone's mindset was a long process, so he definitely couldn't just give them money directly.

Just as they were about to think it over, the machine that had been analyzing the drug's ingredients emitted a sharp completion notification sound, drawing everyone's attention.

Robert quickly glanced at the information on the floating screen and immediately frowned.

He looked up and said in an unquestionable, serious tone, "Ms. Bran, Mercury, could you please move to the rest area next door? The Holy Angel and I need some private space."

The side airlock door slid open silently. Both men knew that important figures had important matters to discuss and needed their presence.

Although it would be impolite to directly expel the guests, Mercury and Bran tactfully walked through the door and into a fairly spacious living room.

Judging from Bran's expression, he was still in a state of emotional agitation, and the previous indifference and aloofness were gone.

Looking at Mercury, Bran said, "Thank you. If it weren't for you getting involved, I would never have had the chance to stand before the Angel of Light in my life."

"Don't thank me yet," Mercury said lazily, leaning back on the armchair. "Maybe you should find an open space, call his name towards the clouds, and keep doing it for a few days, and you'll get a response. I'm not kidding, there are successful cases."

That's true, but only if it's near his home.

Bran assumed he was joking and slowly raised her right hand. A ball of orange-red flame ignited in her palm, leaping and illuminating her pupils.

"At least I can finally settle accounts with them," Bran said through gritted teeth.

Mercury glanced at the ball of fire, his heart unmoved. If it were merely about generating flames, it wouldn't be considered a particularly powerful ability; it might not even be as effective as a flamethrower.

In this superpowered era, it's really hard to make a name for yourself without some serious skills.

No matter how much Mercury dislikes his father's greatness, there is at least one real benefit: the Holy Light power he inherited. This is truly the most powerful superpower in the world, bar none.

On the other side of the metal door, Robert pointed solemnly at the screen and said, "Look at this. Your intuition was right. The bio-monsters that attacked the Immortal Technology Industrial Park—their bodily fluid samples contained components that are exactly the same as this vial of medicine."

The Holy Angel's expression darkened: "If the bio-monsters are truly byproducts of the Immortal Life Technology experiments, then why would they turn around and attack the Immortal Life Technology campus, causing such a huge commotion and letting the whole world know?"

"There are many possibilities." Robert crossed his arms. "Either it's a containment breach, and the substandard test subjects have collectively gone berserk; or it's internal strife within Immortal Technology. Infighting within large corporations is brutal. But to find out the truth, we need to investigate further."

"Then we'll have to rely on you." The Holy Angel calmly analyzed the situation. "My identity is too conspicuous, and Immortal Technology has countless legal means to keep me out. I'll have El help investigate these potions circulating on the streets; he's more familiar with the situation there."

The Holy Angel's reputation is too great, and his every move will attract attention. If he were to conduct a high-profile investigation into Eternal Life Technology, it would only alert them and might frighten them into destroying all the evidence.

Robert, being a billionaire, is particularly familiar with the internal rules of large corporations and has a wider network of connections, making the investigation much simpler for him.

"Leave it to me," Robert nodded.

After quickly finalizing the division of labor, Robert changed the subject: "Now let's talk about the kid. Mercury isn't just some simple rebellious teenager; from my observation, he's much more mature than his peers. I don't believe you brought him here just so I could give him some money."

Hearing Robert praise his son like this, the Angel of Light was somewhat pleased. If one disregarded Mercury's illegal actions, he truly was a perfect child. But precisely because of this, he couldn't be allowed to continue making mistakes.

The angel of holy light paused for a moment, then his voice became solemn: "Robert possesses extraordinary talent, but he's walking on the edge of a precipice. I need you to guide him, pull him back on track, and help him become a true hero."

"You've given me a really tough problem."

Robert is a smart man; he has already seen the angel of light's high regard for Mercury, but guiding him to become a true hero is ten times more difficult than making him a millionaire.

The angel of holy light smiled and said, "You are the smartest person in the world, and I believe you can do it."

Robert smiled wryly and said, "I'm only good at technical things; I haven't really studied education or psychology much. But since it's your request, I can only do my best. Oh, you should tell the child's parents that my guidance will probably be very strict."

The angel of holy light nodded and said, "Don't worry, his parents will understand."

Robert said doubtfully, "Don't make any promises. You should at least ask him first. You're not his father."

Holy Light Angel: ...

A few minutes later, the metal hatch reopened. The Angel of Light quickly led Bran away to track down her sister.

Inside the spacious laboratory, only Mercury and the billionaire Robert remained.

Robert walked up to Mercury, smiling like a shrewd salesman: "There's an Eastern proverb that says, 'Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' Since your ultimate goal is to become the richest man, giving him money directly is too cheap. I'll teach you how to make money."

Mercury nodded repeatedly, agreeing that Robert was indeed the world's most brilliant genius and that what he said made sense.

Is this about setting up a company and having him as the CEO?

The kind that directly gives dividends to shareholders?

Robert added, "But you probably can't learn my way of making money."

Although this statement was somewhat hurtful to his pride, Mercury knew that he could not possibly possess the same genius and intelligence as Robert, and it was indeed unlikely that he could make money by inventing various patented technologies.

"Well then, let me test you." Robert held up one finger. "Looking at the world, what industry has extremely low barriers to entry, doesn't require studying professional books, yet can amass huge amounts of capital in the shortest time, and is completely legal and compliant?"

Mercury frowned slightly, countless shady business models flashing through his mind, before hesitantly uttering two words: "Internet celebrity?"

"You got it right!" Robert snapped his fingers. "You're smart. I'll use my resources to make you a top global influencer. Once you've accumulated your initial capital, we can talk about the next step of investment and value enhancement."

Internet celebrity?

This profession was completely unexpected for Mercury, and the boy couldn't help but ask, "What kind of influencer? The one who creates content and sells products?"

"You're being too narrow-minded." Robert patted him on the shoulder. "In this day and age, what kind of popularity can rival that of 'superheroes'? From today onwards, I'll package you as the hottest new superhero star on this planet."

Mercury: ...

Without a doubt, this plan, which exudes a strong sense of positive energy, was definitely arranged by his own father.