Chapter 550

Oreses’s claim had been deliberately grand.

There was some truth in it, certainly, but the way she framed it made modern human technology sound like it had spent the last few centuries marching in place.

The people around the conference table weren’t impressed.

The President flipped through a document.

One of his advisers cleaned his glasses.

Another took a drink of water.

Nobody seemed particularly moved.

It wasn’t because they agreed with Oreses. Nor was it because they’d secretly reached the same conclusion years ago.

They’d simply heard this kind of sales pitch far too many times.

Anyone trying to sell something these days started by explaining why everyone else’s product was obsolete. Guns, ammunition, aircraft, missiles, even something as mundane as toilets.

Their toilets clog.

Their designs are ugly.

Their plumbing is inefficient.

But ours? Beautiful. Artistic. Revolutionary. And every flush saves water.

It was an old trick.

The officials assumed Oreses was using the same tactic. Perhaps she’d exaggerated her claims to seize the initiative and make an impression.

But if she was willing to make such a sweeping statement, there was probably something behind it.

They might as well hear her out.

At the very least, they could give the young political power broker who had arranged this meeting the courtesy of listening.

The presidential adviser who had been cleaning his glasses finally put them back on.

He looked at Oreses.

"So what does this ’complete revolution’ actually look like? Are you talking about energy weapons and powered armor like Iron Man?"

The last part was delivered with a hint of amusement.

Several people around the table chuckled.

They didn’t believe every genius who walked through the door could suddenly become Tony Stark.

Oreses immediately turned the question back on him.

"Why couldn’t we?"

The laughter stopped.

Every eye in the room fixed on her.

For a moment, the officials looked genuinely stunned.

Could there really be that many geniuses in the world?

Oreses smiled.

"Tony Stark is certainly a genius. His inventions, and the way he approaches technology, are decades ahead of his time. He has a great deal we could learn from."

That earned everyone’s attention.

The President and his advisers straightened in their seats.

The U.S. government had coveted Iron Man’s technology for years. If this woman was genuinely suggesting her company had achieved something comparable, they wanted to hear exactly what she meant.

Then Oreses’s expression changed.

"Unfortunately..."

The excitement around the table dimmed.

"Unfortunately?"

Oreses sighed.

"When you consider the cost, the ability to mass-produce it, and especially the legal complications, our company can’t manufacture a product identical to Iron Man’s armor."

"I understand."

The President nodded.

Those were problems he and his advisers had wrestled with before.

Cost and mass production weren’t really the issue. Even if Iron Man’s armor was too expensive to equip the entire military, the United States could afford to build several hundred suits and establish a specialized unit.

The technology itself was more complicated, but even that wasn’t an insurmountable obstacle.

War Machine, now known as Iron Patriot, was already in the hands of the U.S. military. If they transferred it to a research facility and dismantled it piece by piece, they might not be able to reproduce the armor perfectly, but reverse-engineering some of its technology shouldn’t be impossible.

The real headache was the law.

That was the problem that could bring the whole thing crashing down.

The President couldn’t simply do whatever he wanted when Tony Stark was involved.

He was confident that if the government openly violated Stark’s rights and crossed his red lines by seizing or illegally copying his armor, an impeachment resolution could be underway within a day.

Or worse.

He might meet the same fate as President Kennedy.

Stark Industries was already a major industrial power with considerable political influence.

And if the government attacked Tony Stark’s property rights, other major corporations would almost certainly stand with him. Some possessed just as much political influence. Others had even more.

To them, government seizure of Stark’s technology would represent something far more dangerous than one billionaire losing a few suits of armor.

It would establish a precedent.

If the government can take Tony Stark’s property today, what’s stopping them from nationalizing the Federal Reserve tomorrow?

In other words, if the government’s supposedly incompetent caretaker had decided private property was optional, perhaps it was time to replace the caretaker.

"So..." The President considered her for a moment before asking, "your company has already solved those problems?"

He assumed it had.

Why else would Oreses have come here to make a sales pitch?

"Of course."

Oreses nodded.

"What we admire is Tony Stark’s approach, not necessarily his exact technology. Our products are much more practical for mass production, and they won’t create the same legal complications."

"Good."

The President’s expression brightened.

"Very good. Excellent."

He leaned back.

"If what you’re telling me is true, and your technology satisfies the military, I can guarantee that your company will become the Department of Defense’s largest partner."

His enthusiasm grew enough that he even allowed himself a joke.

"Honestly, if I were you, the only thing I’d be worrying about now is how quickly you can build enough production lines to keep up with the demand."

Oreses gave him a strange look.

"Mr. President, you really don’t need to be this excited over something of this scale."

The President blinked.

"What?"

"Everything we’ve discussed so far is merely a side project our company developed on a whim."

Oreses smiled faintly.

"At most, it’s an appetizer before the main course."

She took another sip of water.

"My real sales pitch is only just beginning."

The President and his advisers fell silent.

For several seconds, nobody seemed to know what to say.

They were beginning to feel as though they’d just been shown a slightly better toaster by someone who casually mentioned that the real wonders were still waiting in the garage.

At that moment, Alice stepped forward.

She was the flight attendant the Twins had specifically requested.

Without interrupting, she quietly refilled Oreses’s glass.

"Thank you."

Oreses gave her an approving smile.

This girl has good instincts.

The small interruption gave the President and the others a moment to recover their composure.

The President cleared his throat.

"Please, continue."

Oreses set down her glass.

"The project our company has devoted itself to, the one that truly has value, is..."

She hadn’t even finished the sentence when the entire aircraft suddenly lurched.

BOOM!

Air Force One shook violently.

Everyone in the conference room grabbed their seats.

Several officials immediately reached for their seat belts.

Only Oreses remained completely calm.

She slowly lowered herself back into her chair, crossed one leg over the other, and settled into an almost leisurely posture.

But her expression had gone cold.

"I hate being interrupted while I’m speaking."

A piercing alarm suddenly filled the aircraft.

The intercom crackled.

"Unknown object impact! The aircraft has sustained structural damage! Lower-deck decompression! Repeat, unknown object—"

The announcement was cut off.

Gunfire erupted in the corridor.

Then came screams.

The Secret Service agents inside the conference room immediately drew their pistols and aimed them at the door.

BOOM!

The conference room doors were smashed open.

Iron Patriot stood in the wreckage.

The agents had already received the Vice President’s warning.

They knew exactly what this meant.

The person inside that armor was an enemy.

They opened fire.

Bullets hammered against the armor.

They did nothing.

A handgun against powered armor was hopeless. These agents might have been highly trained, but they weren’t superheroes.

Oreses watched the scene with open irritation.

"How annoying."

Her hands had been resting elegantly atop her thighs.

Now one of them moved.

One finger slowly lifted.

Across the room, Iron Patriot advanced.

And Oreses prepared to show them what her company considered its real product.

The first finger moved.

Then—

The world seemed to hold its breath.

...