Remembering Sunday's report about the bulletproof DB9 selling 4,800 units in just six months and bringing in £480 million in pure cash, William fell silent upon hearing Sean's concerns.
Previously, the cost of producing the bulletproof material for three full suits had seemed excessive to him, as each set sold to car manufacturers for £110,000 only yielded a profit of £100,000 after expenses.
But now, with the prospect of £480 million in six months and potentially £1 billion a year, William began to reconsider.
However, the DB9 was ultimately just a supercar. The demand for bulletproof versions among supercar buyers wasn't infinite, and within a year or two, the market could easily become saturated.
With that in mind, it might be better to focus on producing standard versions of the car while seeking new opportunities in the bulletproof market.
"Looks like I need to come up with a new car tailored specifically for high-end clients with bulletproof needs," William thought.
Immediately, his mind turned to the Rolls-Royce Phantom.
He stopped in his tracks and looked at Sean Waynes and technical director Louis Raffa, casually throwing out a lie:
"I designed a bulletproof luxury car for myself during my downtime.
It's about 5.9 meters long. Do you think your current technical capabilities can produce a vehicle weighing around 2.5 tons?"
Faced with a technical question, Sean quickly looked to Louis Raffa.
Without hesitation, Louis replied confidently, "Of course. As long as we have the complete components, chassis, exterior, interior, and wiring diagrams, there's no vehicle we can't produce by hand."
William smiled, pleased with the answer. "Good. Once I finalize the design and register the patents, I'll send them to you."
"We look forward to seeing your creation," Louis said excitedly. The other engineers, equally enthusiastic, nodded in agreement.
But after a moment, Louis hesitated. "Boss, can we take a look at the exterior and interior design first?"
"Let's talk about that later," William said as they approached the entrance to the physics lab.
Not far from the door, several people were briskly walking toward him. Lowering his voice, William said to Louis and the engineers, "The reason I brought you here today is to discuss a challenging project and show you something fun."
A man introduced himself as the lab director, Charlie Hunterman, and shook William's hand. "Mr. Devonshire, welcome. These are Dr. Moore and Dr. Stan, project supervisors, and logistics director Mr. Caster. If you need anything, Mr. Caster will assist you."
After a round of greetings, the white-haired Dr. Stan held onto William's hand, refusing to let go. He eagerly explained his current research projects, clearly hoping to secure funding from William.
This made the other three from the lab rather uncomfortable.
Finally, Charlie had to step in and interrupt Dr. Stan, signaling to Caster to handle logistics while he personally led William and his team into the lab building.
After passing through rigorous security checks, Charlie introduced the facility:
"Mr. Devonshire, this three-story lab building is now exclusively yours to use.
However, since it's a rental facility, the equipment is only first-class, not top-tier. If you require more advanced equipment, you can submit a request to the higher-ups. As for whether it will be approved..."
Charlie shrugged, handing William a list of equipment. "Navigating the red tape and lobbying efforts—well, I suggest consulting some professionals for that."
"Got it, thanks," William replied with a smile.
After briefly glancing at the equipment list, William shook Charlie's hand. "I won't take up more of your time. If I need anything, I'll contact you or Mr. Caster."
"Understood." Knowing that William was politely asking him to leave, Charlie didn't mind. After all, with a rental fee of £100,000 a day and William renting for a full month upfront, Charlie had no reason to show any attitude.
Once Charlie left, the group entered the conference room. William placed his phone on the table and addressed the engineers:
"The reason I've gathered you here is to discuss the feasibility of producing an electric supercar."
"An electric supercar? That's impossible!" Louis blurted out.
"Silence," William interrupted sharply. "The most challenging aspect—the miniaturization and practicality of the battery—has already been solved."
He tapped his phone. "Sunday, show them the 01 prototype battery."
"Yes, sir."
As the engineers stared at the phone in amazement, what happened next nearly gave them heart attacks.
A virtual projection beamed from the phone, displaying a battery about ten generations less advanced than the Mark III armor's power source. It was a prototype William had named the "01 Battery."
By William's assessment, the 01 Battery represented technology fifteen years ahead of its time. In comparison, the power source for the Mark III armor was roughly 45 years ahead.
"The 01 Battery consists of twenty modules with a combined volume of 0.8 by 0.2 meters and a weight of 120 kilograms.
"With a supercar weighing approximately 1.7 tons, a full charge can enable the vehicle to travel 500 kilometers at a speed of 150 kilometers per hour.
"The car will also feature integrated solar charging panels and a specialized home-charging converter.
"So, if everything I've just said is true, do you think you can build an electric supercar?"
"God... This is impossible!" one engineer exclaimed, dumbfounded.
"What's the battery's lifespan?" Sean asked quickly.
"Roughly 400,000 miles," William replied after some thought. "But there's significant room for improvement."
"For a first-generation model, that's more than enough," Sean said, his excitement evident.
"400,000 miles is about 650,000 kilometers. No supercar owner drives their car that much," Sean added.
Looking to Louis for confirmation, Sean saw the technical director deep in thought. Finally, Louis's eyes lit up, though he still looked troubled.
"If what you're saying is true, then we can give it a try. But there are so many challenges.
"Even if you've solved the biggest issue—the battery—we have no experience with electric vehicles. Developing one would mean completely overturning our internal combustion engine design philosophy.
"We're engine builders—how can we give you an immediate answer?"
William nodded, understanding their hesitation. He didn't expect a fully functional car to be ready anytime soon.
In truth, the electric supercar project was nothing more than a smokescreen.
By deliberately revealing small details about his research, he aimed to use the supercar project as a convincing cover. This would make investigators believe that William was openly developing electric vehicle technology while secretly working on the red mercury project.
"Let's start with something simpler, then."
Snapping his fingers, the virtual projection shifted to showcase single-wheel and dual-wheel electric balance bikes.
"This little gadget shouldn't be too hard for you, right?"
At a glance, Louis and the others immediately recognized the concept. Balance bikes had existed for some time but had been held back by battery limitations.
After listening to Sunday outline the specifications, the engineers quickly began discussing the feasibility.
Meanwhile, Sean, as general manager, took William aside and spoke in a low voice:
"Boss, don't you think these balance bikes are a bit too advanced?
"With a range of 180 kilometers, this new product might be too cutting-edge. It could make it hard for us to release updated versions later on and limit our ability to profit from incremental upgrades."
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I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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