Chapter 282: Tesla Industrial Exhibition (Part II)
A Dangerous Acquaintance
Bruce Wayne opened the invitation, quickly scanned it, and placed it on the table.
"What's the status of the investigation into Luke Shaw?"
"The details have been confirmed."
Alfred poured a cup of hot coffee and handed it over. "He is the maternal grandson of the former Hung Mun leader. He commands extremely high prestige within the Chinese-American gang, and many consider him the heir apparent. Furthermore, he is the founder of the Young Master Gang."
"The Young Master Gang?"
Bruce had a vague recollection of the name. "The one in Coast City?"
Alfred nodded. "It is said that Luke Shaw is extraordinarily gifted, possessing the intellect of an adult by age 11. By establishing and strictly enforcing rules, he led a group of young men to sweep aside all organized crime on the entire US West Coast in just two years. The number of gang leaders who died at his hands is staggering. There are even rumors that he created a specialized 'hunting game' for his enemies."
"A hunting game? What does that mean?"
"It means dropping a target in a remote location and instructing his subordinates to hunt them down. The one who finds and kills the target first receives half of the target's assets."
Bruce's eyes widened.
"Is that true?"
Alfred shook his head with a serious expression. "These are all rumors gathered from the underworld. I cannot confirm the specifics. But what is certain is that Luke Shaw holds absolute dominance over the West Coast's criminal underworld. Gang members hear the name 'Young Master Shaw' and react as if they've seen the Grim Reaper; few dare to provoke him."
"He is a very dangerous individual, Master Wayne. I advise you to abandon the idea of acquiring ShowMe. He will not agree to it."
"No."
Bruce raised a hand. "The acquisition plan will continue. I want to meet this young man and see exactly what kind of person he is."
The Kryptonian Assistant
Time passed quickly, and the day of the grand opening arrived.
Thanks to heavy media promotion, the area around the exhibition hall was already crowded with curious onlookers and a number of fans, many wearing apparel that suggested they were popular ShowMe bloggers.
At 8 a.m., Luke, having quickly finished breakfast, was adjusting his tie while speaking to Linda beside him.
"This is a formal event. Dress appropriately. You are my right hand, after all."
Linda scoffed, muttering a string of complaints.
"I wish I hadn't come with you. A descendant of the House of El reduced to running errands for you! All those documents piled up on the desk, and I have to process them all. Luke Shaw, can't you hire some new people? If this keeps up, I quit."
"Just shut up and get to the bedroom. Hurry, we don't have much time."
The girl shot him an irritated look. With a flash, she darted into the bedroom, only to reappear a second later, already dressed in a gown. She checked her reflection in the mirror, satisfied internally but pretending indifference.
"It's ugly. Not beautiful at all."
Luke ignored her. Once dressed, he strode out the door.
The car was waiting outside the villa. The two drove to the company, held a brief meeting with the new managers, and headed straight for the exhibition venue.
"Billy, how are the event protocols? Running smoothly?"
A sweat-drenched Billy handed the program list to Luke.
"We ran the dress rehearsal; the effect is great. The most important thing is you—are you really sure you don't need a prepared speech?"
Luke smiled and shook his head. "I've never written one of those things."
At that moment, two men in military uniforms approached.
"Mr. Shaw, General Lane would like a word with you."
Luke handed the documents back to Billy and casually asked,
"Where is he?"
"The conference room on the second floor."
Luke nodded slightly and walked toward the building. As his personal assistant, Linda naturally followed. The two reached the second-floor conference room. They opened the door to find five elderly men in military uniforms, their chests covered in medals, sitting side-by-side in the brightly lit room.
"General Lane, long time no see!"
Sam Lane had a cold expression and ignored Luke, instead fixing his sharp gaze on Linda, scrutinizing her as if trying to drill through her. The girl was clearly displeased by his stare. She pushed down with her right foot.
BOOM!
The floor suddenly shook violently. The faces of the military brass changed instantly, and they scrambled to run out. However, just as they took a step, the vibration vanished, as if it had never happened.
The men exchanged bewildered glances. Sam Lane's face was ashen, the fury in his eyes almost tangible.
Linda grinned, making no attempt to hide her mockery and contempt.
As the current Director of A.R.G.U.S., Sam Lane had learned of Linda's Kryptonian identity from the FBI. He hated aliens, especially those with immense, uncontrollable destructive power.
Likewise, Linda despised humans in military uniforms, seeing them as sanctimonious, overconfident fools.
The two stared each other down, the air thick with tension. Luke, the man in the middle, sat down calmly in a chair and even asked his assistant for a glass of cold water.
Sam Lane's voice was low and gravelly. "Before we formally cooperate, I need to know one thing: what role does this woman next to you play in Tesla?"
Luke loosened his tie and answered casually,
"She's my administrative assistant, doubling as my private secretary."
Sam Lane stood up, pressing his hands on the table, creating an intimidating presence. "The Department of Defense absolutely will not cooperate with a company that employs an alien!"
At that remark, Luke's hand stopped. He looked up, revealing light green eyes devoid of emotion.
"General Lane, are you going back on our agreement?"
Sam Lane snorted, about to speak, but suddenly remembered something and fell silent.
He had reneged on their arrangement, but he couldn't admit it now. A.R.G.U.S.'s power was limited; they desperately needed a powerful external force like Luke Shaw. If he broke off the deal now, the outcome would be unpredictable.
An older gentleman beside him, sensing the awkward atmosphere, quickly offered a mollifying smile.
"Mr. Shaw, please don't misunderstand. We have no intention of backing out. In fact, the Department of Defense is very interested in your products, especially the exoskeleton armor. After discussion, we unanimously decided to add another $2 billion to the original $3 billion order. Of course, all this is contingent on the exoskeleton armor meeting our operational combat requirements."
Luke slowly shook his head. "The requirements you mentioned are far below the armor's actual capabilities. But a $2 billion additional order? I'm afraid I'll need time to consider that."
"Tesla is an energy and machinery company, not a military contractor. My original intention for designing the exoskeleton armor was for factory work. I never considered adding weapons. If you want the native exoskeleton armor, I can fulfill that requirement, but weapons..." He spread his hands. "You'll have to handle those yourselves. Tesla does not provide that service."
The older man said seriously, "Mr. Shaw, this is a two billion dollar order. Are you seriously not going to consider it?"
Luke sighed. "Gentlemen, let me reiterate: Tesla is an energy and machinery company. The exoskeleton armor is just one of many products. To me, electric vehicles are the future. The exoskeleton armor is merely a little side project I started on a whim."
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