William's sincere, "I'm thinking of you" smile didn't change in the slightest.
Finally, Morris Bench stood up.
He didn't look at William again, nor did he touch the still-steaming Blue Mountain coffee.
He just forcefully extinguished his burnt-out cigar in the ashtray, a decisive air in his movements.
"I need to think about it."
The old man dropped this sentence, turned, and walked towards the door, his hunched back like a slowly moving, weather-beaten mountain.
William didn't try to stop him, just leaned back on the sofa, smiling as he watched him leave.
An old man, burdened with secrets, alienated from his family, and struggling alone in fear, suddenly meets someone who not only understands him but can also offer him a "solution."
It's like someone dying of thirst in the desert seeing a bottle of mineral water with a label that says, "May be expired, consume at your own risk."
Drink, or not drink?
This isn't a choice at all.
Coercion and inducement?
No, that's too low-brow.
William never did such things.
He merely accurately pinpointed the other party's pain points, then placed a "policy" that looked like the only antidote in front of him.
Speaking of making employees pay for their own insurance… "Are you kidding? The company provides you with a platform, solves your core anxieties, allows you to contribute your remaining talents, achieve your life's value, and even pays you a salary. Shouldn't you pay the premium?"
William defended himself to the air, his tone righteous.
"This is called a two-way street, a win-win cooperation! Those who don't understand have too small a perspective!"
He took a sip of coffee, feeling particularly refreshed.
Morris Bench, codenamed "Water Man."
A client with elemental abilities like this was a treasure he dreamed of!
High potential risk meant high premiums.
The future lifeline of the company's global logistics was not just a pipe dream.
With Water Man, the cost and efficiency of transoceanic transportation and smuggling… ah no, transoceanic cargo transportation, would see a revolutionary improvement.
"Hmm, attacking an A-Rank client, can't rush it."
William took out his small notebook and drew a circle next to Morris Bench's name, adding a note:
First phase of contact complete, client has begun to waver, entering psychological game period.
Need to follow up subsequently, can start from his family relationships and provide emotional value.
After writing, he closed the notebook with satisfaction.
Just then, his phone on the table suddenly vibrated, and an encrypted communication request popped up on the screen, making William raise an eyebrow.
This unique and utterly flamboyant dynamic UI could only belong to one man.
He answered the video call.
At this moment, Tony Stark's face was noticeably flushed.
His eyes were a bit unfocused, and even his neatly combed hair had a few strands sticking up, with loud rock music faintly audible in the background.
"Hey! William! My… *hic*… my special consultant!"
Tony's tongue was so thick he couldn't speak straight. "Is it convenient on your end? Rhodey and I are coming over to… to bring you a big business deal!"
William's eye twitched.
He could almost smell the whiskey wafting from the screen.
"You're drunk, buddy. It's late night, and you look… not so good. If there's something, we can tomorrow…"
"No! Right now!"
Tony waved his hand and said:
"Inspiration is like drunkenness, unstoppable once it comes! Rhodey and I just discussed a great idea! It's about his 'War Machine'!"
"Yes, that drab grey Iron Man suit! It needs to buy an insurance policy, one worthy of the U.S. Military's glory!"
William's ears immediately caught the keywords.
The two words "War Machine" and "insurance" made him instantly forget about Morris.
An A-Rank client was good, but how could it compare to an S-Rank super client who actively came to him!
"Of course it's convenient, you're always welcome to come over."
William's smile immediately became much more enthusiastic.
"My office is always open for you. Do you need me to prepare hangover tea for you two?"
"No need! We'll fly over ourselves! We'll be there soon!" Tony finished speaking and hung up the phone without waiting for William to say another word.
Fly over themselves?
William froze for a few seconds, then a very serious legal question appeared in his mind.
Driving an Iron Man suit worth billions of U.S. dollars, loaded with a large amount of Military hardware, and capable of supersonic flight, after drinking… was that considered drunk driving?
Was it considered dangerous driving?
If pulled over by traffic police, should the driver be given a breathalyzer test, or should it be reported directly to the Pentagon?
William's expression became more serious than ever before.
He felt he might have discovered a brand new insurance field, one that could completely revolutionize the entire insurance industry: "Special Vehicle Driver Alcohol Liability Insurance."
Before he had time to deeply consider how to write the disclaimers for this policy, two blinding beams of light appeared outside the window.
The light beams moved from far to near, accompanied by the whistling sound of tearing air, breaking the tranquility above North Brother Island.
It seemed they were indulging in drunken revelry at Stark Tower.
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
Two heavy metallic thuds echoed on the helipad, one after another.
William walked to the window and saw the scene on the helipad, his mouth twitching uncontrollably.
Two Iron Man suits stood on the helipad.
One was red, the other was grey.
The red suit was Tony Stark's latest Mark suit, its flamboyant streamlined design gleaming under the moonlight.
The grey-black "War Machine" suit next to it looked even heavier and more powerful.
It also carried a ferocious Gatling machine gun on its shoulder, exuding a cold aura of war.
But!
The landing postures of these two were truly a bit "uninhibited."
One leg of Tony's Mark suit was deeply embedded in the concrete ground.
When he pulled his leg out, it brought up a large chunk of broken concrete.
The situation with Colonel James Rhodes's "War Machine" suit was even more outrageous.
He seemed to want to perform a cool single-knee landing to cushion the impact, but he didn't control his strength well, and he simply fell to the ground with a "thud" in a prostrate position.
He didn't get up for a long time.
"Damn it, Tony! I told you, the thrust of this 'Party Mode' you tuned is too strong!"
The Air Force Colonel's muffled voice came from inside the suit, filled with annoyance.
"Don't mind those details, Rhodey!"
Tony's suit faceplate "whooshed" open. He shook his head, trying to stand steady, but stumbled again, almost crashing into the "War Machine" suit.
"This is a tactical prone! Yes, it's a tactical prone! We are simulating an emergency landing situation after being hit by an electromagnetic pulse…"
William silently covered his face.
He was now completely certain that these two were definitely drunk.
"It seems your flight experience was quite exciting, gentlemen."
"William! You're just in time!"
Tony saw William as if he had seen a savior.
He pointed at Rhodey, who was still trying to get up from the ground, and said:
"Quick, design insurance for him! My friend here deals with Terrorists every day, wearing this priceless equipment, and experiences all sorts of dangers, yet he doesn't even have a decent insurance policy. Is that reasonable? That's utterly unreasonable!"
Colonel Rhodes's suit faceplate also opened, revealing a black face full of helplessness and embarrassment:
"Tony, I think we should first talk about you changing my flight system to 'Spin Class Mode'…"
"Those are minor matters, we'll discuss the details later!"
Tony waved his hand grandly, then turned to William, saying in a tone that implied, "I've secured a huge benefit for you":
"So, my special consultant, design a top-tier policy for our War Hero!"
"One that will give him a full payout even if he's stepped on by Godzilla, or abducted by aliens to Alpha Centauri!"
"Of course, Tony."
William's smile grew even gentler.
"It's my honor to serve a hero. However, before designing the policy, according to procedure, I need to conduct a simple risk assessment for the insured."
He paused, looking at Tony's drunken face, and with a sincere tone, as if discussing an academic problem, asked the question that had been circling in his mind for a long time:
"Just to ask, in your situation… driving an Iron Man suit, is that considered drunk driving?"
ps: This is Tony's iconic nickname for War Machine, used throughout almost all the movies.
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