A few more weeks passed, and Shane remained busy in the laboratory.
Meanwhile, construction on the “Ground Spike” base had already begun.
The reason the Americans were being so efficient was simple: Shane had forced their hand.
He didn’t care about labor unions or labor laws; he only knew that he had paid the construction company a fortune.
The sooner the base was finished, the sooner he could use it.
If the company failed to finish by his deadline, they would have to pay exorbitant penalties.
He had only given them a one-year window for the entire project.
Originally, Shane had wanted to give them only six months, but the company demanded more money for the expedited schedule.
That was something Shane couldn’t accept.
This damned capitalist society—did they all just sense that he was short on cash?
Over the course of those few weeks, Shane completed the upgrades to the Hummingbird drone.
At the same time, he produced samples of the nuclear batteries.
He had manufactured these samples by renting a large-scale private laboratory.
There weren’t many—only five units—but they were enough for Shane’s immediate needs.
After all, they were only for demonstration purposes.
Besides, that private lab didn’t have the facilities for mass-producing nuclear batteries.
In truth, that wasn’t even the main point.
The main point was that Shane was broke, and the fees for a large private laboratory were astronomical.
“Alright!
Once the battery is installed and the anti-tamper protocols for the Hummingbird are set, this sample will be a finished product.”
As everyone knew, Shane’s anti-tamper mechanism was very simple.
Whoever tried to dismantle it got blown up.
As for what would happen if the drone broke during operation?
Shane maintained that, under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t break.
What’s that?
Exceptional circumstances?
Then you’ll just have to send it back to me, and I’ll give you a trade-in for a new one.
You say that’s unreasonable?
That battlefield conditions are harsh and no one can guarantee a drone won’t have an accident?
Shane’s answer to that was also very simple.
Buy it or don’t.
If I weren’t short on cash, I wouldn’t even bother selling it to you!
And you’re wrong—I can guarantee the drone won’t have an “accident.”
Why was he so sure?
Because if there’s an accident, it explodes.
As for who it blows up, that’s not my problem.
Whoever takes it apart gets blasted.
It was as simple as that.
“Free America, a dose of radiation every day.”
“Whether the people of New York live in misery in the future depends entirely on you, Hummingbird.
You’d better work hard!”
Shane packaged the drone that had just finished testing and returned his tools to their places.
Then, he pulled out his phone and called Smith.
“Hey, partner.
Is your day going smoothly?”
“If you were willing to treat me like a CFO instead of a company CEO, I think it would have been a wonderful day.”
“Don’t complain.
After all, I’m not just paying you a CFO’s salary.
You should be grateful for that.”
“Oh!
You can’t be like that, Boss.
That’s how people end up hanging from lamp posts.”
“Then get me a lamp post made of gold!”
“What?
You want to exploit me and make me pay for your gold lamp post?
“Hahaha!
That’s not funny.
I’m not sure if I have any of that heritage in me, but you shouldn’t make jokes like that in America.”
“Alright, Boss.
Although I’d love to provide you with some laughs, I am currently being exploited by you, after all.”
“Don’t complain, partner!
With great responsibility comes great ability.”
“Oh, OMG!
I like that line.
But it would be better if you didn’t use it while you were squeezing me dry.”
“Fine.
Let’s talk business.
How is the search for military procurement channels going?”
“I’ve made contact, but I’m not sure he’ll be interested in our drones.”
“Don’t worry.
This is a brand-new product, not something used for spraying pesticides.”
“Well, you keep saying that, but I haven’t even seen a prototype yet.”
“Then let’s schedule a cocktail party for the product launch.
Invite people from the military, as well as reporters and bankers.
I’ll show you the true strength of our company.”
“As you wish, my Boss.”
After hanging up the phone, the smile faded from Shane’s face.
Before meeting with the military, he still had things to do.
First, he needed to register some of the less critical patents for the Hummingbird drone.
He also had to prepare presentation materials to capture their attention.
He had invested a great deal of effort into this drone, and the subsequent funding for the Ground Spike base depended entirely on it.
There was no room for error.
This wasn’t just an opportunity; it was cold, hard cash.
A week later, in a private club in New York.
Shane finally met the military procurement representative Smith had found.
‘Damn it, it’s actually Rhodey.
How did Smith find him?
Isn’t he Air Force?
The Hummingbird drone is much better suited for Army equipment!’
‘Blast it!
I didn’t explain it clearly to Smith.
Now I just have to bite the bullet and go for it.
I hope this guy doesn’t discriminate against my skin color.
After all, even Tony doesn’t really command much of his respect.’
That’s right—the man appearing before Shane was Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes of the US Air Force.
Not the later, more comedic Rhodes, but the one from the first film who looked like he didn’t take anyone seriously.
However, because the procurement authority was in the other man’s hands, even though Shane was complaining internally, he stepped forward to greet him with a smile.
“Hello, Lt.
Colonel Rhodes.
It’s a pleasure to meet you.
I think today will be a very satisfying day.”
“Boss, you and Lt.
Colonel Rhodes know each other?”
Seeing Shane naturally walk up to greet him without waiting for an introduction, Smith was quite surprised.
Similarly, Rhodes found it a bit strange, but he was certain he had never met Shane before.
Nevertheless, he responded with a polite smile.
Even if he didn’t care much for others, he couldn’t exactly slap a face that was actively smiling at him.
“I’m honored to meet you as well.
However…” Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Shane Glintel.
You can just call me Shane.”
“Mr.
Shane, have we met?”
“Never.
But I have long heard of your great name, Colonel.
After all, you are Tony’s close friend, are you not?
Great people are always surrounded by equally great people—just like you and Tony!”
“Hahaha!
I appreciate the compliment.
But I don’t have Tony’s talent…”
Shane and Rhodes chatted all the way.
With Shane taking the initiative to flatter him, the atmosphere naturally became very harmonious.
The three of them entered the party, ignoring the unimportant people Smith had invited.
Shane held his wine glass and stayed by Rhodes’ side.
It wasn’t until the other man was slightly tipsy and feeling quite self-satisfied that Shane excused himself.
He then clapped his hands, signaling to the various guests that the main event was beginning.
Under the gaze of the crowd, Shane slowly walked onto the presentation stage.
Standing before an electronic screen, he picked up the microphone.
After a brief moment of preparation, he spoke.
“Pardon me, everyone.
I’m afraid I have to be the one to dampen your spirits for a moment.”
“While the wine is delicious and the music is wonderful, our festivities must take a brief pause.”
“Because next…
are you ready to hold your breath and welcome the dawn of a new era?”
As he spoke, Shane pressed a button on the remote in his hand.
Simultaneously, an image of the Hummingbird drone appeared on the screen.
The image was so clear that everyone thought it was an actual bird.
“You might ask: didn’t you say we were welcoming a new era?
Why are you just showing us a bird?”
“To that, I say: please, don’t get excited.”
“Because…”
Saying this, Shane pressed the remote again.
Suddenly, the bird on the screen began to move, demonstrating the characteristics of an electronic product.
At the same time, Shane spoke again: “What you understand might not be what you are actually seeing!”
“I am very pleased to have the opportunity today to officially introduce our company’s product to everyone.”
“This is a masterpiece that defines an era—a brand-new miracle in both the military and civilian sectors.”
“Allow me to introduce its name to you: it is the Hummingbird.”
As Shane spoke those words with excitement, a flexible and exquisite “hummingbird” flew out from behind the electronic screen.
The hummingbird circled the party venue with incredible agility before hovering constantly above Shane’s head.
With the appearance of the hummingbird, the originally noisy party fell silent.
Everyone stared intently at the hummingbird above Shane’s head, their eyes filled with shock.
Even Lt.
Colonel Rhodes of the military was the same.
Clearly, he had already seen the potential of the hummingbird, but he did not yet understand its specific advantages.
“Alright!”
Shane reached out his palm above his head.
At his command, the hummingbird landed quietly in his hand.
“Now, let me introduce the Hummingbird drone to you in detail.
Please, settle in and learn more.”
Having said that, Shane looked toward the reporters in the crowd holding cameras.
“My friends from the press, remember not to forget to take a handsome photo of me.
The world should remember this day.”