A few seconds later, Mencken reached a conclusion.
The answer was: not for now.
While Norman was gravely ill, Mencken had been managing the Osborn Corporation's affairs. He was the most familiar with the company's operations, held the highest prestige, and was the only one the shareholders trusted to stabilize Osborn.
Watt, on the other hand, had never been deeply involved in company matters, and the board would never agree to him taking over.
Only Mencken himself could securely hold the CEO position.
And he was already in that position; Watt had even cast his vote for him in the recent board meeting.
Since there was no immediate threat, what attitude should he adopt toward Watt?
Mencken quickly made his choice.
"Mr. Watt, if you can ensure that these initiatives left by Mr. Norman are sufficiently viable, then I believe the board will support your plan and provide full backing, including connecting you with President Pepper of the Stark Group. However, you need to prove the project's potential for success. Given the company's current financial difficulties, I don't anticipate a large allocation of funds once they've been recovered." Mencken said to Qingshui with a sincere expression.
"So, Mr. Mencken, how much funding can you secure for me to prove its viability?"
"Once the funds are recovered, I will allocate three hundred million dollars for preliminary research. After that, you'll need to demonstrate concrete results and gain the shareholders' approval. We can then contact the Stark Group."
"I agree, but I'll need some personnel and a new department to handle this." Qingshui said, putting away his USB drive.
A mere conceptual prototype wouldn't require three hundred million dollars.
In the DC Universe, he had initially only used about one hundred million dollars with Mr. Freeze to create the product demonstrated to LexCorp. This was thanks to Mr. Freeze's existing technical expertise in battery energy, such as the battery powering his cryo-suit.
The subsequent five hundred million dollar investment with Lex Luthor was for developing a product that could be mass-produced at a low cost, including the initial construction of a car factory.
"Alright. Conveniently, all the board members are here today, so we can assign you a suitable position," Mencken said, looking at Qingshui.
"I want the position of Vice President of Product Development and head of the New Energy Electric Vehicle Department." Qingshui reiterated his demands.
Demanding a CTO position right off the bat, while technically aligned, wouldn't be easy.
A CTO, or Chief Technology Officer, is a C-level executive responsible for all technological resources within the company, only one level below Mencken's CEO position.
He had never interfered with Osborn's affairs before, and few on the board would agree to him suddenly taking such a high position, nor did he have any subordinates he could rely on.
However, a department head position would certainly be fine and would make it easier for him to build a team from scratch.
The Vice President of Product Development position was also necessary.
After all, Qingshui was also a board member, so such a position was reasonable.
He also needed to secure his own status to avoid being constrained by other factors.
Current Fortune Value: 23.7%
After the meeting, Qingshui, who had successfully secured the position he wanted, looked at the slowly rising Fortune progress bar and silently nodded.
Once things were accomplished, let alone the CTO position, Qingshui might even be qualified to vie for the CEO position.
Or perhaps, by then, Qingshui, with his wings fully formed, would be able to leave Osborn and strike out on his own with his team, or perhaps…
Qingshui's gaze fell on Harry Osborn, who was being led by the hand by the old butler, Bernard.
"Uncle Watt." Harry Osborn politely bowed to Qingshui.
"Harry… I'm very sorry about Professor Norman. But we will do everything we can to preserve the legacy Professor Norman left behind." Qingshui said, patting Harry's head reassuringly.
Harry Osborn still held the most shares.
If he wanted to seize the CEO position in the future, Harry's support would be crucial, even though he was just a ten-year-old child.
And the person who had the most influence over Harry was…
Qingshui looked at Bernard.
He had just seen Bernard bring Harry to him.
"Mr. Watt, do you have time today? Young Master Harry would like to invite you to the Osborn Old Residence for lunch, and perhaps we can discuss personnel for the new department. We might be able to recommend some old subordinates whom Master Norman trusted."
Qingshui raised an eyebrow slightly.
Was Bernard supporting him in Harry's name? Or was this related to some factional disputes within the Osborn Corporation?
It was worth trying to explore. If he could gain more of Norman's legacy at Osborn and secure Harry Osborn's support, it might provide him with more assistance in the future.
…
…
Qingshui was very confident about new energy vehicles.
This confidence came from Victor Fries, from Cisco Ramon, and from Lex Luthor.
These three individuals were all top-tier scientists, even among the best, in the DC Universe. In just a few months, the TSL Electric Vehicle transitioned from a conceptual design to being on the verge of completing its first batch of commercial models.
"This is the first Model I car we've produced. After testing, its top speed can reach 135 kilometers per hour, it accelerates from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 6.2 seconds, has a battery capacity of 60 kilowatt-hours, and a range of over 400 kilometers. Whether it's driving performance or range, this car has met the standards for commercial production..."
Inside a building in Metropolis, jointly purchased by Qingshui and Lex Luthor, Victor Fries, wearing glasses and holding a tablet, introduced the first commercial model to Qingshui and Lex Luthor.
"As for the car next to it, that's the luxury version. All its performance data are more than fifty percent higher than the standard version, and the interior is much more luxurious. I plan to invite a well-known designer in the industry to create a more futuristic-looking exterior based on our car's body design. It will then be showcased at next month's global auto show..."
Qingshui and Lex Luthor each sat inside to experience it, and even took it for a couple of test drives on the spacious tiled floor.
"Our product is sure to be a huge hit. We'll be pushing humanity's progress forward another small step."
Luthor touched the car hood and sighed, then asked, "How will we address the charging issue? Will it be like phones, charged at home with charging devices, or like gasoline cars, through facilities similar to gas stations?"
"Both, actually. We plan to have two forms: private charging piles and public charging piles, distributed throughout every city like gas stations. However, to achieve the latter, we'll need government support."
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