thefictionvixens Page 1189
Page 1189
Bruce breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Who provided the core technology for the power armor?"
Edward shook his head in alarm: "I'm just a middleman, how would I know any of this?"
Where is Kryptonite?
Bruce tossed out a piece of green ore. "What's the use of this?"
"this"
Edward hesitated for a moment, but finally spoke.
I heard that Kryptonite affects Superman.
Bruce's pupils contracted, and he hurriedly continued to ask...
"What kind of impact will it have? Will it weaken or strengthen the opponent?"
"I don't know, it's all just rumors. Nobody has ever seen him."
Where is this stone?
"There are some in the Middle East, and it seems there are some in the Indian Ocean as well."
After he finished speaking, Edward pleaded, "I've said everything I need to say. Let me go. I promise I'll never do anything bad again."
Bruce glanced at him indifferently, picked up the metal case, and disappeared into the night.
Trouble always comes silently, catching you off guard.
Tesla has faced media criticism due to a growing number of cases of injuries sustained while wearing powered armor, and even evidence suggesting that the vests are counterfeit has failed to quell public anger.
Public opinion turned against them, and things gradually spiraled out of control.
Every day, large numbers of demonstrators gather in the square, demanding that the government stop the spread of the armor of power and protect public safety. Some lawmakers also stand up and wave flags.
The demonstrations spread like a plague across the states.
Power armor is very expensive; even the lowest-grade civilian armor costs tens of thousands of yuan. This product is not available to ordinary people; it is purchased either by the government, the military, the police, or by wealthy and middle-class individuals with extra budgets.
Everything was going smoothly until the influx of pirate armor disrupted the ecosystem: armor with high protective capabilities and offensive firepower became widely available on the black market, becoming the preferred choice for terrorists and bandits.
In the past, gang shootouts were at best Chicago machines where you shoot me and I shoot you, but now, a group of gangsters in power armor rampage through the streets, and seemingly solid walls are as fragile as tofu in their hands.
They fought and destroyed everything in a frenzy. The police were unable to intervene, and the civilians could not even escape. The fire was subsiding, and their own people were unharmed, but buildings were collapsing one after another, and the number of civilian casualties was countless.
Powered armor was originally intended to help the police maintain social stability, but it has now become a source of trouble.
Who would have thought this would happen?
At Tesla headquarters, Linda stared blankly at the group of executives, her eyes gleaming red like a man-eating tiger.
Before her, the conference room was as quiet as a graveyard.
They all stared at each other, noses to noses, in complete silence. Tesla faced the biggest challenge of its history, and if left unresolved, it could very well go bankrupt.
Why are they all silent?
"This is a meeting room, not a place to sleep." "I called you here to solve a problem, not to pretend you're deaf and dumb."
Linda tapped the table as she spoke, the sharp tapping echoing through the room. Theo Ban realized something was wrong and glanced at her several times. The girl immediately softened her tone and shifted her gaze to Billy, who sat to her right. Billy could only manage a wry smile and say...
"The most important thing right now is to find a way to calm public opinion; we can't let them cause a scandal."
The person next to him chimed in, "And the pirate power armor, we must find out its origin and the mastermind behind it. If we don't handle it properly, there will be more trouble in the future."
The Corsair armor caused trouble, and the blame was placed entirely on Tesla—it's suffocating to even think about it.
Another person said, "The White House should also be prepared, as I am worried that senior leaders will take the opportunity to implement policies that are detrimental to us."
"Lawmakers have repeatedly called for powered armor to be classified as a regulated product, which, if successful, could have a significant impact on the company's business."
The audience began to discuss the matter, raising numerous questions within just a few minutes.
Linda was completely stunned when she heard that sound; anyone who didn't know better would have thought Tesla had gone bankrupt.
There's no need to worry about the White House. President Joel Nash is Xu Fu's servant and will not and dare not implement policies that are detrimental to Tesla. What we need to worry about now is public opinion and the pirates lurking behind the scenes.
The meeting lasted four hours before it ended, and the leadership team left with heavy hearts, without a trace of a smile on their faces.
"I can't help it," Siobhan said helplessly.
You must say something to boost morale.
Linda leaned back in her chair. "I wish I could inspire them, but who can inspire me?"
As he spoke, he let out a long sigh.
The series of troubles left her exhausted, not physically, but mentally.
"Xu Fu? Xiao, still no news?"
Linda shook her head: "We haven't been in touch for a long time, who knows what he's been up to?"
Theoborn complained.
"He's a big guy, and he's dismissive of his good friends. He disappeared for a year last year, and then disappeared for another year this year. I've almost forgotten what he looks like."
"Don't mention him, it'll distract you."
Linda sighed: "Let's figure out how to solve this mountain of problems!"
At this point, Siyuan suddenly chuckled. There were some things he didn't want to say directly. If it really came down to it, the current situation was Linda's fault as CEO. She was too slow to react; she didn't even realize the danger hidden behind the pirate power armor.
Trying to make amends now is not making amends.
Linda herself knew that because of her volatile temper, and frankly, she didn't have any good solutions. She couldn't exactly fly to Eastern Europe and smash up those factories that produced pirate power armor, could she?
"If Xu Fu were here, he would definitely come up with a good idea. He's so smart."
The girl rested her chin on her hands, her unfocused eyes vacant and lifeless.
Chapter 1452 Guardians of Earth
Linda tried everything she could to turn the situation around.
Political speeches, celebrity endorsements, press conferences, charitable organizations, social media, advertising, and so on, are just a few examples.
After several days of effort, public opinion finally calmed down a bit, but before the joy could last long, new troubles arose: a reporter revealed that the power armor flooding the black market shared the same motherboard as the armor produced by Tesla.
Furthermore, the driveshaft, balancer, torque converter, and other key components are all made of the exact same material, which is patented and can only be produced by Tesla.
This news sparked strong public dissatisfaction after it was broadcast.
The situation, which had just begun to improve, plummeted again in an instant. The angry public turned their anger towards Tesla executives, calling them ruthless snakes and bloodthirsty arms dealers.
Tesla's reputation plummeted, with protesters blocking its doors every day and reporters loitering around, seemingly ready to tear it apart.
The unfolding events finally made Linda realize that everything had been premeditated, and that the enemy lurking in the shadows had set up a series of traps, pushing Tesla step by step to the brink of destruction.
"Damn bastard, don't let me find you!"
Linda hated him to the core. Tesla possessed her heart and soul and should not be used as a stepping stone for others.
The old man said with deep concern.
"I'm afraid they won't sell. We need to think of a solution quickly, White House..."
Don't worry about the White House.
Why don't you need to worry about the White House?
"It's okay, no matter what, the White House won't cause us any trouble."
Hayward couldn't understand where Linda's confidence came from, as if the president were their servant; this was the millionth time he had said it.
"The most important thing right now is to find the mastermind behind this. Only by bringing them to justice can we quell the incident."
The girl clenched her fists, her eyes burning with rage: she had identified her target, and if she continued to follow the clues, she would surely find the organizer behind the scenes.
"Damn it, I'll make you pay!"
...
Despite the turbulent external situation, the president has remained calm, neither commenting on nor proposing any sanctions bills, which has puzzled many and caused divisions within the White House.
The Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and other senior cabinet officials turned to Joel Nash to clarify the stakes and to get a sense of each other's intentions, with unexpected results.
With public opinion so clear, the president actually sided with Tesla.
This is all too strange. Perhaps the president and Tesla have ulterior motives, just like the rumors suggest?
A special meeting is being held in a private villa in Washington, D.C. Attendees include not only powerful figures, but also members of Congress, military generals, and even the newly appointed Speaker of the House, Perlock. In addition to these important figures, there is another person in the room.
A large, bald head, a silent face, and cold eyes... - the person sitting second from the left is none other than Lex Rudd, second only to Speaker of the House Pelock and Congressman Evans.
Luther's appearance surprised many. His wisdom and foresight demonstrated during the past few months of cooperation were remarkable; it was because of him that their collective strength expanded rapidly, forging alliances with multiple international organizations and gathering a large number of high-level figures. His contributions were undeniable. However, due to personality clashes, none of them could attend such meetings unless...
Upon realizing this, everyone present was stunned and couldn't help but look at Evans. Evans coughed, took out a few pieces of paper, and threw them on the table.
"This is the plan; you can all take a look."
The crowd rushed to the documents, flipping through them with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.
Unsurprisingly, he mentioned Lex Luthor's plan to create the Guardians of Earth.
The entire plan is grand enough, crazy enough, radical enough, and wild enough that it can send adrenaline soaring while also inspiring a deep sense of awe.