Chapter 283: Tesla Industrial Exhibition (Part III)
The Price of Partnership
The negotiations were not going well. The five representatives from the Department of Defense continually demanded that weapons systems be integrated into the exoskeleton armor, even resorting to invoking military authority. Luke refused to budge.
After half an hour of contention, the meeting ended in disagreement.
Exiting the conference room, Linda's expression was strange.
"Their bottom line was more than $2 billion. If you had agreed, you probably could have doubled it. You let $7 billion slip through your fingers?"
Luke shook his head. "It's not about the money; it's about the stance."
"Stance?" The girl was confused. "What stance?"
"The international one."
Luke explained as they walked. "A $7 billion order is not easy to accept. The moment I agree to provide the military with weaponized exoskeleton armor, Tesla immediately leaves the realm of a private corporation and becomes a Defense Contractor. Whether the people involved admit it or not, other countries will see us that way."
"While partnering with the Department of Defense offers many benefits, it also means losing the Chinese market, the Russian market, and significant parts of the European and South American markets. They would never allow a company so closely tied to the US military to enter their territories. As the old Eastern saying goes, this is throwing away the watermelon to pick up sesame seeds."
Luke stopped and turned to her.
"That additional $2 billion was a trap. They wanted to use it as bait to tie me to the military's war machine and make the exoskeleton armor a military exclusive."
Linda snorted. "You Earth people are so calculated!"
Luke shrugged. Kryptonians weren't much better.
The two left the building and headed for the exhibition venue. Luke called Billy, Dior, and Charlie over. He pulled a special earpiece from his pocket and tossed it to Dior.
"Put this on. The smart AI will notify you if there's any situation. Remember, you must guarantee the security of the venue."
Dior nodded seriously. "I will keep watch at all times. Nothing will go wrong."
"Billy, you're in charge of the back-of-house operations. Just follow the protocol."
"Don't worry, Luke. I have everything memorized." Billy patted his chest confidently.
"Charlie, handle the guest reception. And call Philip; I need him here. He's more familiar with Metropolis, and I need his help."
"Understood. I'll take care of it now."
With the orders issued, everyone got busy. The exhibition was being held at Garden Square in Eastern Metropolis, which was rumored to be the future site of the Superman statue.
The sheer scale of the exhibition meant the work was progressing slowly, but the major arrangements were in place. The finer details would just have to be overlooked.
A Familiar Face and a New Offer
By 3:00 PM, guests began arriving.
Guided by Philip, Luke began greeting Metropolis's social elite. These were potential partners, and likewise, Luke was valuable networking for them.
After greeting dozens of guests, Luke felt a bit drained and was about to take a break when a clear, sweet voice rang out behind him.
"Shaw, long time no see."
Luke froze, then slowly turned around. A figure in a red dress entered his view, followed by that ethereal, otherworldly face.
"Qu Youran, why are you here?"
Qu Youran, looking dazzling in a fitted red evening dress, raised a hand and pointed to the middle-aged man next to her.
"I came with Uncle Wang. He's very interested in Tesla's products."
Luke shifted his gaze to the Chinese man next to her, who had a crew cut and a square face.
"And you are..."
The middle-aged man extended his hand and spoke warmly. "My surname is Wang, first name Kun. I currently work for the Haiyue Group."
Luke nodded slightly. He had heard of the Haiyue Group; it was among the top ten private enterprises in China.
Wang Kun complimented him. "Mr. Shaw is truly a young man of great promise, establishing such an empire at such a young age. Compared to you, I feel like my past decades have been wasted."
"Mr. Wang, you flatter me. ShowMe and Tesla are just small operations; they can't compare to an established enterprise like the Haiyue Group."
"You shouldn't say that!"
Wang Kun waved his hand emphatically. "Everything starts small and grows. Tesla is newly established today, but in a few years, it will surely be a company everyone looks up to. I have absolute confidence in that."
Luke offered a modest smile and arranged for a server to guide Wang Kun into the venue.
Qu Youran remained behind, her gaze sweeping over Linda. She pouted, saying half-jokingly, half-accusingly,
"No wonder you disagreed to our marriage. It turns out you have such a beautiful girlfriend."
Cough, cough, cough!!!!
Before she finished speaking, Luke burst into a violent coughing fit. Philip and the server looked on, stunned. As for Linda, her pale face immediately flushed bright red. She glared fiercely at Luke and instantly turned to leave.
Philip looked puzzled. "Who is this young lady?"
Luke waved his hand.
"The two of you, step out."
Philip smiled knowingly and left discreetly.
Qu Youran feigned nervousness. "Did I say something wrong? Should I go explain? I shouldn't let your girlfriend misunderstand; we really have no relationship at all."
"She is Tesla's administrative assistant, not my girlfriend."
Luke made a rare effort to explain, his eyes scanning the girl's makeup. He frowned; the Qu Youran he remembered was innocent and naive, like a blank sheet of paper. How long had it been, and now she wore heavy makeup and red lipstick?
Perhaps it's a job requirement, he thought.
Luke didn't want any unnecessary entanglement and got straight to the point.
"What are you doing here? I don't recall sending you an invitation."
Qu Youran giggled sweetly. "How could I miss an opening ceremony hosted by Young Master Shaw himself? Frankly, you are very inconsiderate. Our families are practically old friends, and you didn't notify me of such an important event."
Luke was indifferent. "I'm very busy today, and I don't have time to waste on you. Ten seconds. If you don't talk, don't talk at all."
Qu Youran slowly dropped her smile. "One month apart, and Young Master Shaw is still so overbearing."
"I'm here for one simple reason: business."
"What business?"
"Exoskeleton Armor!"
Luke let out a genuine laugh. "You people are truly well-informed. I only sent the model diagrams to the Department of Defense the day before yesterday, and today you're already here. Impressive, truly impressive!"
Qu Youran raised an index finger. "Ten thousand units of exoskeleton armor. That's the initial order."
Luke shook his head.
"I won't sell you a single one, Miss Qu. I advise you: stop walking so close to the blade's edge; you're going to lose your footing."
"If you truly want the armor, wait until the Department of Defense order is complete, then we can talk. Oh, and remember to follow the proper channels. Stop trying to use backdoors."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Qu Youran stared intensely at him. It wasn't until Luke's back disappeared into the crowd that she turned and followed the flow of people to the exhibition hall. Wang Kun was waiting there. Upon seeing her, he quickly approached.
"Well?"
The girl shook her head silently. "He refused."
"Just as I expected!"
Wang Kun was not surprised by the answer. Though Luke Shaw and Lin Shaw were grandfather and grandson, they were fundamentally different; the old methods wouldn't work on him.
"What about the armor?"
Wang Kun pondered for a few seconds, then slowly said, "Let's wait and see. We only have the model diagrams; the data is still unclear. If the intelligence is correct, and the exoskeleton armor is genuinely a piece of equipment that can change the course of war, we must obtain the core technology at any cost."
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