Looking at the representatives from every side staring greedily at the Mjolnir Armor, Nolan kept a faint smile on his face.
He had a feeling that he was about to complete the biggest deal of his life.
Perhaps the third-generation Super Soldier Gene was no longer far away.
However, he still remained calm.
The exhibition was not over yet.
The equipment he had shown so far was only the kind of weapons that had already become famous among everyone.
But there were still some products that he was certain would attract their attention and make them willing to pay.
Since they needed to prepare for a possible war against Thanos, there was no reason for him to hold back too much.
However, before he could introduce the next product, the Army General spoke.
"Mr. Lock, regarding the Black Armor, our Army is interested in purchasing it. I wonder if it is included in this exhibition."
The Army General did not want to wait any longer.
He was afraid that if he continued waiting, his wallet would be emptied by all kinds of unexpected equipment.
But the Black Armor was his main objective this time.
Although the Mjolnir Armor was a higher-level replacement, the importance of the Black Armor was something that could not be replaced.
And the price of the Mjolnir Armor also meant that the price of the Black Armor should be much lower.
Back then, S.H.I.E.L.D. had only purchased a limited number of Black Armors.
Each one cost as much as 100 million dollars.
At that price, even the current Army could never afford to purchase them in large quantities.
After all, they were not the elite superhumans of the Avengers.
But if the price could be lowered...
The Army also had its own Super Soldiers.
The Army General was already imagining the possibilities.
Nolan understood exactly what he was thinking.
Over the years, governments around the world had been conducting various superhuman experiments.
After all, Earth had become increasingly dangerous.
The endless appearance of powerful individuals had placed enormous pressure on ordinary military forces.
The logic was simple.
If people outside the military could gain extraordinary abilities through luck or special circumstances, why couldn't they develop a proper method to obtain similar power?
The Super Soldier Serum of Captain America had always been a major research focus.
The appearance of Abomination had already proven that research on Super Soldiers had reached a new stage.
There were still many flaws preventing mass production.
But besides that, there were many other types of Super Soldier Serums.
That was why the military had accumulated quite a number of enhanced soldiers over the years.
Their strength might not compare to the Avengers.
But if they could obtain even a single Mjolnir Armor, their combat power would increase greatly.
Since the Mjolnir Armor was far too expensive, if the Black Armor could be purchased at a price within their acceptable range, it would still be a massive improvement for the Army.
Nolan smiled and nodded.
"Of course. The Black Armor is actually one of our main products this time."
"To improve Earth's military strength, Lock Technology has decided to sell the Black Armor at production cost."
"The original price was 100 million dollars."
"Now, it will be sold at a 75% discount."
"In other words, one Black Armor will only cost 25 million dollars."
"25 million?"
The Army General's expression became slightly complicated.
He completely ignored Nolan's original statement about the Black Armor being worth 100 million dollars.
That was an obvious businessman tactic.
But 25 million was still higher than he expected.
After thinking for a moment, he finally decided to accept the price.
One Mjolnir Armor could buy twelve Black Armors.
Even though there was a difference in combat ability between them, it meant the Black Armor could be equipped on a smaller scale across the military.
They could create a special Super Soldier unit with unprecedented strike power on Earth.
If aliens truly invaded again, this special force would become extremely important.
Combined with a large conventional military force equipped with advanced weapons...
Just imagining it made the Army General feel satisfied.
Military enhancement was exactly what he wanted most.
"Can it be cheaper?"
The Army General asked helplessly.
But Nolan Lock shook his head.
"Sorry, this is truly the production cost."
"If the price goes any lower, we would be selling at a loss."
"Lock Technology is already very poor right now."
Nolan shrugged and showed a helpless expression.
He was not completely lying.
At least, from the perspective of industries outside advanced technology, Lock Technology really did not have much else.
Of course, most of what he said was nonsense.
Poor?
If Lock Technology could still be described as poor, then no one in the world could be considered rich.
"10,000 sets."
The Army General spoke decisively.
"This is only the first batch."
"If needed, we will purchase more later."
"But next time, I hope the price can be reduced further."
That was 10,000 sets.
The Army General's face showed helplessness.
Another massive expense.
He had already decided.
No matter what Nolan displayed next, he would not spend another dollar at Lock Technology.
Otherwise, he suspected that he would really empty the entire Army budget.
After the Army chose to make such a huge purchase, the Air Force and Navy also bought some.
After all, the combat ability of the Black Armor was undeniable.
The Avengers' recent missions had already become the best advertisement for the equipment.
Especially for Maria Hill.
S.H.I.E.L.D. had always followed an elite route.
For her, the Black Armor was even more important.
"There's nothing else after this, right?"
The Army General smiled.
After deciding not to spend another dollar, his mood had become much calmer.
No matter what amazing equipment Lock Technology displayed next, it would not affect him anymore.
Nolan smiled.
"Of course there is."
But when facing Nolan's smile, the Army General remained expressionless.
He only laughed and said:
"That's troublesome."
"The Army has no budget left."
"Perhaps the Navy and Air Force still have some money?"
He looked toward the representatives of both sides.
Both men twitched their mouths.
After discussing briefly with their teams, they answered.
"Sorry, we don't have any budget left either."
Major General Roger from the Air Force also shook his head.
They needed to leave some resources for other weapons companies.
Besides, their spending at Lock Technology had already far exceeded their original estimates.
"Don't worry."
Nolan smiled.
"Our exhibition isn't finished yet."
"Even if you don't plan to buy anything, taking a look won't hurt."
"Of course."
Everyone nodded.
The budget was already gone.
No matter what appeared next, they were not going to spend money.
Then Nolan clapped his hands.
The curtain behind him slowly opened.
Behind it was something that looked extremely familiar to everyone.
"A tank?"
Major General Roger's eyes were full of uncertainty.
"That's right."
Nolan nodded.
The Army General immediately asked:
"Is this the tank used during that previous battle?"
As warfare continued becoming more advanced, especially after the appearance of various robots, the usefulness of tanks had greatly declined.
They had not been completely replaced.
After all, they were still moving fortresses.
But compared to flexible intelligent combat robots and humanoid machines, tanks had many limitations.
However, that did not mean tanks would disappear from history.
Especially not Lock Technology's tanks.
Especially after seeing the tanks during the previous battle.
Their terrifying firepower and overwhelming range had left a deep impression on everyone.
Even now, they could not forget what they had witnessed.
It was absolute dominance through firepower.
Even compared to Titan Armor, they were not inferior.
Although Titan Armor had many advantages, its price made it impossible to equip an entire army.
But tanks were different.
Their purpose was completely different from Titan Armor.
Therefore, their price would naturally be much lower.
Low enough to equip an entire military force.
For a huge army, this was the most important type of weapon.
In fact, the reason the Army General had kept some of his remaining budget was because he planned to purchase advanced tanks from other companies.
But now...
If this was truly the same tank from that battle, everything would change.
Nolan nodded.
"That's right."
"It's the same one."
His voice was calm.
But everyone was shocked.
They had thought it was some kind of experimental weapon.
After all, Nolan had not deployed many tanks during the previous battle.
They never expected this was already a mature technology.
The Army General, who had just decided not to spend another dollar, immediately changed his attitude.
"Tell me the price."
"As long as the price is reasonable, we will immediately equip them."
"I guarantee Lock Technology will make a huge profit from this."
That was right.
They did need to support other weapons companies.
But those companies needed to be capable first.
If the difference between their products was too large, then only a fool would refuse Lock Technology just to choose another company.
Because what mattered was real performance.
War was not a game.
Lives were on the line.
A fatal difference in equipment was something they could not accept.
And now, other weapons companies did not even need to present their products.
Everyone understood that in front of Lock Technology's tanks, no other company could compete.
Not even come close.
"The price is 7 million dollars."
Nolan gave his answer.
"7 million?"
The Army General widened his eyes.
He expected this giant machine to cost at least tens of millions.
A price of 7 million was far beyond his expectations.
Especially considering its incredible performance.
Nolan smiled faintly.
This price was indeed extremely low.
But after making a huge profit from the other weapons, he did not mind earning less from these tanks.
A low-profit, high-volume strategy was still profitable.
After all, he knew that if he did not do this, these people would quickly turn their attention toward other weapons companies.
Even a small profit was still profit.
And this was not a small amount of money.
The overwhelming performance of these tanks gave them an unmatched advantage.
If the entire military replaced their existing tanks, the required amount would be astronomical.
And once the United States made such a request, what about other countries?
Other American weapons companies naturally could not freely sell their products everywhere.
But Nolan was different.
Lock Technology's business had already expanded globally.
No country could refuse his weapons or advanced technology.
At the same time, the government could not stop him.
Everyone knew Lock Technology had already grown beyond what any single nation could control.
That was why Nolan could act so freely.
Painful.
The three military representatives all felt the same thing.
Pain.
They already knew they would be questioned when they returned.
This was no longer something that could simply be explained as exceeding regulations.
But they could not refuse.
Because this was a business deal that never gave them a real choice.
The value was simply too high.
So afterward, the Air Force and Navy also made their purchases.
However, their dependence on tanks was not as great, so they only bought additional units.
Maria Hill cared even less.
S.H.I.E.L.D. did not need weapons like tanks.
After all, no matter how large S.H.I.E.L.D. was, it was still an intelligence organization.
A tank was a weapon for large-scale warfare.
If S.H.I.E.L.D. bought tanks, the Council would definitely come asking:
"What does an intelligence organization need tanks for?"
"Are you planning a rebellion?"
The entire afternoon passed.
Nolan felt extremely satisfied.
Almost perfect.
The wallets of the Army, Navy, Air Force, and S.H.I.E.L.D. had all been emptied.
And in the short term, there was probably no more profit to squeeze out.
Once this news spread, countries around the world would begin an arms race and purchase Lock Technology's weapons.
Perhaps he really could obtain the third-generation Super Soldier technology before Thanos arrived on Earth.
Now, Nolan was becoming more and more excited about the future.
After returning from the exhibition...
A figure appeared in front of him.
"Hel?"
Nolan frowned.
But soon, his expression relaxed.
At this time, Hel was probably not here to cause trouble.
If that was the case, then they could be considered allies.
After all, given his current situation, Nolan truly did not want to fight Hel.
Hel sat down on the sofa.
"How much do you know about those invaders from before?"
Hel asked.
"A lot."
"More than you can imagine."
Nolan answered.
...
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