As soon as Nolan stepped out of the conference room, Uncle Charles quickly caught up with him, his face stern.
"Nolan, that was reckless. Do you understand the consequences of what you just did?"
Nolan's eyes narrowed. "What, do they think I'm just some hotheaded kid they can push around?"
Charles's face darkened.
"If you realize that, then why act this way? You think you've scared them? Every man in that room saw through your little performance. None of them will be intimidated by your so-called threat. All you did was expose your own weakness."
After his scolding, Charles's tone softened, though still laced with reproach.
"You brat… when did you even develop such a machine? Do you realize this mech is a groundbreaking invention?"
Nolan chuckled.
This was the Marvel world.
But right now, Tony Stark was still just a playboy, not yet the Iron Man forged by war.
The idea of powered armor existed, yes, but few took it seriously. Perhaps some breakthroughs had been made, but no company had dared to attempt a real prototype.
The civilian loader mech he had brought from the Alien universe might not be cutting-edge technology, but having the first move was a huge advantage.
With it, Rock Technologies could turn the tide.
Maybe even catch the military's attention and rise as a new arms supplier.
Of course, that was only part of Nolan's long-term vision.
This loader mech, on a battlefield, would be little more than target practice.
To become a true defense powerhouse, he needed far more advanced technology.
Thinking this through, Nolan replied with a grin:
"I only finished it recently. And besides, sometimes a surprise can be a wonderful thing."
"No. To me, that wasn't a surprise—it was a shock," Charles sighed with a weary smile.
"I promise it won't happen again."
Nolan nodded.
It seemed his uncle really was getting old. A small surprise like this was already too much for him.
Though, if Nolan remembered right, Charles was still vigorous enough to enjoy his nights of wine and song.
Back inside the conference room, not everyone had left.
Several of the most powerful directors after the Rock family remained, gathered in a tight circle.
"So, gentlemen, what do you think? Do we abandon the plan?" one of them asked.
Crowe swept his gaze across the group.
For him, Rock Technologies was not his life's work, merely one of many investments.
But he disliked surprises.
If possible, he would prefer to seize that mech's blueprints himself, and through them, gain control of the company.
Another man leaned in.
"Crowe, you already know the answer. You've clashed with the boy anyway. Why stop halfway? Let's go all the way. I've got good ties with some… groups in the city."
He was about to name names when a sharp rapping of knuckles on the table silenced him.
The one tapping was Morse. Though he held fewer shares, he had a reputation as a ruthless man.
"Campbell," Morse said evenly, "this is a company. If you want to talk about that sort of business, take it outside."
The directors exchanged glances.
Then, almost in unison, they stood and left the room together, smiling faintly.
The plan was clear enough. Details could be worked out later.
Kill Nolan Rock.
Split Rock Technologies and the mech technology among themselves.
…
Nolan, of course, had no idea of their intentions.
Though he had inherited the memories of his predecessor, none of them included the underhanded cunning of boardroom schemers.
As for Nolan himself? Before crossing into this world, he had only been an ordinary man.
How could he possibly understand the dark intricacies of corporate warfare?
In his mind, as long as he showed strength and made them wary of him, it would be enough.
Unfortunately, reality rarely matched one's expectations.
That very night, the director named Campbell sought out a gang.
The Brotherhood.
A notorious criminal syndicate in New York, their headquarters lay in Hell's Kitchen, like most gangs of their kind.
"Murder?"
The gang's leader narrowed his eyes. "Campbell, you should know we don't take those kinds of jobs lightly. That's not the Brotherhood's style."
His words carried an unspoken irony.
Campbell sneered inwardly. Who didn't know the bloody road the Brotherhood had walked to power?
"I came here to talk business. Naturally, I brought an offer worth your while. Nolan Rock represents enormous profit. If this succeeds, Rock Technologies will ensure the Brotherhood receives a generous cut."
The leader exchanged a glance with his men.
"In that case, let's hear exactly what you're offering."
Campbell smiled. Done.
Soon after, both sides parted ways, each satisfied.
For the Brotherhood, killing wasn't much of a problem—even if the target was the heir of Rock Technologies.
Meanwhile, Nolan was still busy plotting the company's future.
The Caterpillar P-5000 Power Loader had cost him his entire fortune.
Truthfully, he hadn't needed to buy the complete design.
Since it was technology, the system allowed him to purchase parts of it separately.
Much of the loader's tech already existed in reality.
For example, the mechanical arm he had brought to the boardroom. With his modifications, it already surpassed the original model's performance.
But what he needed now wasn't piecemeal components.
He needed a fully mature design, something that could immediately stabilize the company.
And once he secured Rock Technologies, that single technology would earn him not just one return on his investment, but ten, even a hundredfold.
That was what strategic vision meant.
The thought made him smile in satisfaction.
Yes, the system gave him an edge, but this crisis wasn't nearly as impossible as it seemed.
Within days, the production line was already building the first K-01 civilian mechs.
Advertisements rolled out in waves.
Everything went smoothly.
Field tests showed the K-01 fulfilled a long-standing dream: it made science fiction a reality. Even if it looked a little bulky, its appeal was undeniable.
Just as Nolan predicted, price became its greatest weapon.
With a manufacturing cost of three hundred thousand dollars, the company set the sales price at four hundred eighty thousand.
After expenses, each unit still brought in a profit of one hundred thousand.
And this was only the first generation.
Nolan already planned to release the K-02 once the K-01 market reached saturation.
At present, the K-02 was little more than a name. But with the system behind him, names were enough.
Three years to enter the military sector.
Five years to surpass Tony Stark.
By the time Thanos arrived, Earth would be defended by an army of his super mechs.
Finally, half a month later, everything was ready.
On this day, Nolan held his first press conference, officially unveiling the Rock K-01.
In just half a day, preorders reached thirty-five hundred units.
Revenue: three hundred fifty million dollars.
A first pot of gold?
No.
This was his first gold mine.