145: Chapter 145 General: Name your price, we want this equipment.
General Ross's large hands, covered in calluses and bulging veins, gripped Chen Yuan's shoulder tightly.
His breathing was as heavy as a bull pulling heavy artillery.
Those eyes, which usually only stared at global strategic maps, were currently dancing with extreme fanaticism and greed for this weapon of war.
He didn't even care about his demeanor as a four-star general.
"Buyout?"
The smile on Chen Yuan's face faded bit by bit.
He lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on the General's hands, which were trembling slightly from excessive excitement.
Then, he extended two slender fingers.
With an extremely disdainful gesture, he pushed that rough hand away, finger by finger.
"In this world, there are indeed many things that can make me name a price."
Chen Yuan pulled a pristine white silk handkerchief from his suit pocket and leisurely wiped the fabric of his shoulder where he had been grabbed.
"But that absolutely does not include the core technology that I rely on for my livelihood."
General Ross was stunned.
As a powerful figure in The Pentagon, holding command over millions of troops, when had he ever been humiliated like this to his face?
Furthermore, the other party was merely an "illegal businessman" targeted by the FBI.
"Chen Yuan, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"
The General's voice instantly dropped, carrying the iron-blooded brutality typical of a soldier.
The temperature in the underground training ground seemed to drop a few degrees in the face of this rage.
"This exoskeleton concerns the highest national security of America!"
The General stepped forward, like a towering mountain bearing down.
"If you don't hand over the technical blueprints, I have a hundred ways to make your Umbrella Corporation unable to move an inch in North America!"
As his voice fell, the surrounding military generals pressed their hands onto the sidearms at their waists.
They were clearly posturing to forcibly detain him at the slightest disagreement.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Facing this group of hawkish generals armed to the teeth, Chen Yuan smiled contemptuously.
His laughter echoed in the vast underground space, filled with undisguised mockery.
"General, have you gone senile?"
He casually tossed the silk handkerchief he had used to wipe his clothes into a nearby trash can.
"Just yesterday, your country's President promised me personally that he would provide me with all necessary conveniences."
"The First Lady even just took the highest-grade custom 'protective suit' from me."
Chen Yuan's gaze was like a blade, piercing straight into the depths of Ross's eyes.
"What? Can The Pentagon now ignore The White House and prepare for a direct military dictatorship?"
"You!"
General Ross was choked for breath, his face instantly turning a livid blue.
He certainly knew about the President's "promise," and he also knew that the First Daughter was currently wandering around in some room in this manor.
This was the fundamental reason why he could only bring a procurement team today to negotiate patiently, rather than just sending the Navy SEALs to seize the person.
This damn Easterner had actually used the First Daughter as a human shield!
Yet, they, a group of generals wielding heavy military power, were truly afraid to act rashly and were helpless!
"Mr. Chen, we are all smart people; there's no need to make the relationship so tense."
Colonel William, standing to the side, saw that things were going poorly and hurriedly steeled himself to step out and smooth things over.
He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead while offering an apologetic smile.
"If you don't want to sell the technology, then don't; that is completely understandable, as it is a trade secret after all!"
Colonel William carefully glanced at the General, then turned to look at Chen Yuan.
"Then let's talk about the procurement price for the finished products."
"You also know that although the military's annual budget is huge, we still have to be careful with our spending, right?"
"It would have been better if you had said so earlier."
Chen Yuan put away his cold smile and returned to his elegant, refined-yet-degenerate appearance.
He walked to the center of the venue and patted the "soldier" armor that was still standing like a statue.
"Since the military is so sincere, I won't beat around the bush."
Chen Yuan turned around and held up a slender finger.
His gaze slowly swept over the generals and actuaries who were looking at him eagerly.
"Individual bio-assisted exoskeleton, basic model."
"Unit price, ten million US dollars."
"Ten million?!"
Colonel William screamed, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, his eyeballs almost popping out of their sockets.
"Chen! Have you lost your mind? A latest-model m1a2 main battle tank only costs this much!"
"This is just a set of individual equipment!"
The few actuaries in the procurement team gasped, their fingers frantically punching at their calculators.
If calculated based on the standard equipment of a division in a conventional army.
The numbers on the screens went off the charts, displaying a string of desperate gibberish.
"Too expensive?"
Chen Yuan, hands in his pockets, paced leisurely around the exoskeleton.
"Colonel William, you need to do the math."
"Ten million to buy a Super Soldier who can take on a hundred in urban warfare, can defend against large-caliber sniper fire, and can even tear apart a tank with their bare hands."
"With it, how much in pension funds can you save?"
"How low can your casualty rate on overseas battlefields drop?"
Chen Yuan stopped in front of William and patted his stiff shoulder.
"This deal is an absolute steal for you."
"Furthermore, ten million is just the price for the hardware."
"What do you mean?"
General Ross suppressed his anger and asked in a deep voice.
"What else do you want?"
Chen Yuan withdrew his hand, walked to the large metal laboratory table, and leaned back slightly against the edge of the table.
"If you want me to sign for the supply, besides money, I also need you to agree to a few additional political conditions."
He extended his first finger.
"First, the armed transport convoys of the Umbrella Corporation shall enjoy absolute immunity from inspection within America and all of your overseas controlled territories."
"No customs, FBI, or Department of Homeland Security shall have the right to stop my shipments."
The General's brow twitched violently; just as he was about to retort, Chen Yuan extended his second finger.
"Second, I need a top-level procurement list endorsed by The Pentagon."
"All embargoed materials on the list, including aerospace-grade titanium alloys, high-precision machine tools, and even nuclear materials."
"As long as I place an order, you must give me the green light and deliver them to Elysium Manor."
The entire underground training ground was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The actuaries held their breath, and the generals looked at each other in dismay.
This was no longer just asking for the moon; this was practically demanding the life of The Pentagon!
Immunity from inspection? Exemption for nuclear materials?
This was equivalent to issuing a pass to the Umbrella Corporation that allowed them to legally build a nuclear arsenal!
"Third..."
Chen Yuan ignored their shocked expressions, paused deliberately, and a wicked, cold smile curled on the corner of his mouth.
"I want to establish three independent military bases in the Middle East and South America that are completely free from the jurisdiction of local governments and the US military."
"The US military must unconditionally provide airspace cover for these three bases."
Crazy.
Completely crazy.
General Ross felt his blood rushing to the top of his head, and the veins in his temples were throbbing wildly.
Where was this a business negotiation?
This was clearly an unequal treaty of national humiliation!
If they agreed to these conditions, it would be tantamount to letting America personally cultivate a super-armed empire capable of confronting the state apparatus head-on!
"Chen Yuan!"
General Ross's chest heaved violently, and he let out a roar, unable to contain himself any longer.
He strode up to Chen Yuan, his eyes bloodshot.
He stared fixedly at the young man before him, who was asking for the moon and could even be described as audacious.
His teeth gnashed together.
"You are not doing business at all!"
The General clenched his fists, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, his rage almost burning away his sanity completely.
"This is robbery!"
Facing this furious military behemoth.
Chen Yuan did not retreat in the slightest; instead, the smile on his face became even brighter.
He leaned in slightly, closing the distance with General Ross.
He whispered in a tone of extreme disdain that only the two of them could hear.
"No."
"This is protection money."