American Comics: Tales of Cultivator

Chapter 77: Transaction, Kingpin, Skateboard

In the living room, the TV news was reporting on Oscorp being suspected of human rights violations and alleged human tissue experimentation.

Tang Song sat with his legs crossed, smoking a cigar, holding the remote control and flipping through channels.

At the same time, he didn't forget to instruct Lane to finalize the training camp arrangements.

With six tons of Vibranium in hand and having integrated the Brotherhood of Assassins, Boss Tang decided to have his subordinates lie low for a while.

After all, doing too many things would always leave clues.

He would use this time to consolidate the team and digest the gains from the recent period.

The secret techniques of Curved Shooting and Heart Bursting from the Brotherhood of Assassins could also further enhance the strength of the rank-and-file Gunmen.

As for why the locations were chosen in Siberia and South Africa, the former is vast and sparsely populated, suitable for outdoor training.

The latter is prone to conflict, providing subordinates with better practical combat opportunities, as good soldiers are forged through real combat experience.

The chief instructor of the training camp would be Kane, while Sloan would be responsible for firearms training.

Lane noted down Tang Song's instructions one by one.

On the TV, the financial channel, Wall Street Finance, reported that Oscorp's stock price had plummeted in response to the news.

"Boss, Oscorp's stock price has dropped sharply. Should we acquire some shares?"

Lane knew that his Boss was very interested in both Oscorp and Stark Industries.

In the past two years, a portion of their funds had been invested in Stark Industries' stock.

"Sell all the Stark Industries shares we hold!" Tang Song said. "Contact Wells Fargo and tell them that while I am deeply saddened by Mr. Barlow's unfortunate passing, I want to ask if his promise can still be fulfilled!"

Poor Mr. Barlow, Tang Song wondered if he had survived the Costa Cruise Ship shipwreck accident.

Tang Song took a puff of his cigar, recalling the Oscorp Director Barlow had mentioned who wanted to sell his shares.

Looking at Norman Osborn's distressed appearance on the TV.

Tang Song puffed on his cigar and calculated. Compared to the firearms industry, the energy and medical industries were truly lucrative.

Seeing Norman Osborn, this Elder, in difficulty, Tang Song, his friend despite the age gap, felt a little sympathetic.

He couldn't just stand by.

It wouldn't be too much to buy a batch of Oscorp shares at the bottom now, right?

As for who leaked the information about Oscorp's involvement in human experimentation, Boss Tang stated that he didn't know and wasn't clear.

"Oh, right, how is the search for Cross and his son going?"

Tang Song held the remote, flipping through channels for a while, finally settling on a Victoria's Secret Fashion Show broadcast.

The Victoria's Secret Angels were vying for attention on the stage in various gorgeous clothes. Tang Song watched intently, after all, Boss Tang had a pair of eyes skilled at discovering beauty!

"My men are searching. Don't worry, you'll have information soon!"

Lane replied while observing Tang Song's gaze. Once Tang Song's gaze lingered on a certain supermodel for too long, he would note down that supermodel's number and information.

With Lane's efficiency, within two days, these supermodels would appear on Boss Tang's bed.

......…

Night, the stars twinkled brightly.

Tang Song changed into a cloud-water blue Daoist Robe and came to the Altar below the venue.

At this time, the Jade Stone of the Altar, nourished by the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi, became even more crystalline.

In the center of the Jade Vat at the heart of the Eight Trigram Altar, a lotus sprout extended out of the water. The curled lotus sprout truly was like a young lotus showing its pointed tip.

However, there was no dragonfly on the lotus sprout. Xiao Hei was coiled on the sprout, sipping the spiritual water in the Jade Vat in small sips.

The thirty-six Bronze Armored Corpses were still absorbing the Great Yin Lunar Essence. Their aura was more than double what it was when Tang Song left New York.

Sitting on the Jade cushion,

Through routine breathing and meditation, Tang Song's cultivation had reached the bottleneck of Foundation Establishment. The next step was Sha Condensation.

Upon reaching the Sha Condensation realm, True Essence would further transform into the embryonic form of Magic Power.

The so-called Sha Condensation, in the Jambudvīpa World, involves drawing Earth Sha Qi to condense oneself.

Refining Astral Qi involves drawing Nine Heavens Astral Qi.

When Earth Sha and Heavenly Astral Qi merge, one can attempt to condense and form the Core. At that time, True Essence transforms into Magic Power, and even in the Jambudvīpa World, one could be called a master.

If the Core is formed at the third grade or higher, one could even be a True Inheritance disciple in the Tianhe Sword Sect.

However, it's hard to say if there is Earth Sha in the Marvel World. Tang Song had funded many geological exploration teams over the past six months.

They had sent back many rock and geological samples, but Tang Song had not found any acupoints containing Earth Sha Qi.

If he cultivated to the peak of Foundation Establishment and still had no trace of Earth Sha Qi, then Tang Song would have to make other plans.

After meditating until dawn, Tang Song got up and continued to refine the thirty-six Bronze Armored Corpses with his Talisman Brush.

Nourished by the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi and human blood, the bronze Plate Armor on the bodies of these thirty-six Bronze Armored Corpses gradually faded in color, and some of the corpses' faces even showed white spots.

Once the surface of a Bronze Armored Corpse turns completely silver-white, it means they have evolved into Silver Armored Corpses.

Compared to Bronze Armored Corpses, Silver Armored Corpses not only have stronger physical defense, but at the Silver Armored Corpse stage, in addition to the Earth Escape Technique Divine Ability, they can also spit Corpse Flames from their mouths. Their fingernails are even comparable in sharpness to ordinary Flying Swords, and unlike Bronze Armored Corpses which move with great speed,

Silver Armored Corpses can truly fly by relying on the Corpse Evil Qi within their bodies.

Touching the silver-white spots on the surface of the Bronze Armored Corpses, a hint of joy appeared on Tang Song's face.

The Jambudvīpa World Source contains tens of thousands of Cultivation Methods. Take the Tianhe True Method he is currently practicing, for example; it is also a method that directly points to the Great Dao.

The reason Tang Song was studying the Heshan Scripture, which is considered a crooked path and Demonic Path method by outsiders, is because of its speed.

Ordinary cultivation methods require at least ten years, often decades, to reach the Sha Condensation realm.

The major events that have occurred in the Marvel World have not spanned more than ten years.

The Tianhe True Method that Tang Song cultivates is a method that directly leads to the Nascent Divinity merging with the Dao.

However, even with talent as brilliant as the third Patriarch of the Tianhe Sword Sect, it took several hundred years to cultivate from Qi Condensation to Nascent Divinity.

It's not that there are no fast cultivation methods in the source. There is the Blood Scripture passed down by the Demonic Path figure, Daoist Minghe.

It can allow an ordinary human to cultivate to the Core Formation realm within seven years and break through to Nascent Soul within a hundred years.

However, the first hurdle in cultivating this method has stumped many people.

Those who wish to cultivate the Blood Scripture need to peel off their own skin, then prick their flesh with needles daily, using Demonic Fire to refine their bodies for a full forty-nine days, refining their entire flesh and blood into a Blood Shadow.

If an ordinary human is pounced on by this Blood Shadow, their entire flesh and blood will be instantly sucked dry, leaving only a skin.

If this Blood Shadow devours enough flesh and blood and cultivates into a Blood God Son,

Then cultivators below the Core Formation realm, without restraining Magic Treasures or Magic Tools like Pure Yang or lightning/fire, would not be able to withstand a gentle pounce from a Blood God Son.

However, there are pros and cons. While the Blood Scripture cultivates quickly, it also has huge hidden dangers. One of the most hidden dangers is something Tang Song only learned from the Jambudvīpa World Source.

Daoist Minghe, the Demonic Path giant who passed down the Blood God Dao, is not someone to be trifled with. Every cultivator who cultivates the Blood Scripture will form a karmic connection with him in the unseen world.

This karmic connection means that after they cultivate the Blood Scripture to great success, they will attract the gaze of Daoist Minghe. This Demonic Path giant is famous in the Jambudvīpa World, and his most famous achievement is his four hundred and eighty million formless Blood Gods, comparable to Nascent Divinity.

These formless Blood Gods were not cultivated by him through hard work. To Daoist Minghe, everyone who cultivates the Blood Scripture is his cultivation resources.

Although it's impossible for Minghe to turn his gaze towards the Marvel World, Tang Song has no interest in peeling off his own skin and pricking his flesh.

Although the Tianhe True Method Tang Song cultivates is time-consuming, the reason he studies the Heshan Scripture

is that the Magic Tools within the Heshan Scripture are methods for quick success. As long as the materials are sufficient, Tang Song can acquire a batch of protective Magic Tools.

For example, once the thirty-six Silver Armored Corpses are refined, and Tang Song sets up the Heavenly Corpse Great Array from the Heshan Scripture, even if the group from the Avengers attacked together, Tang Song could fight them to a draw.

......…

In the early morning, after finishing his cultivation, Tang Song left the Secret Room. After having breakfast, he sat on the sofa reading the newspaper as usual.

Basking in the warm sunlight, the sunlight shone on the newspaper in his hand, making Tang Song, who had cultivated all night, feel a little sleepy.

On the newspaper in his hand, a large, bold headline was somewhat dazzling in the sunlight.

Tomorrow, the State Court will hold its first hearing for the lawsuit against business tycoon Wilson Fisk.

"Boss! The people from Wells Fargo are here!"

Tang Song lazily opened his eyes, his gaze instantly becoming completely clear.

"The people from Wells Fargo, invite him in!"

Tang Song tidied his clothes and went directly to the living room. After a while, Lane led in a white man in his forties.

"Hello, Mr. Tang, I am Du Lu, Senior Vice President of Wells Fargo. From now on, I will be your contact for Wells Fargo's business!"

Tang Song reached out and shook hands with Du Lu. Looking at the vigorous middle-aged man with pride in his eyes, Tang Song frowned slightly inwardly, but maintained a smile on his face and politely invited Du Lu to sit down.

Lane brought two cups of coffee. Tang Song took one and gestured, "This is Thai Black Ivory Coffee, Mr. Du Lu, please try it!"

After Du Lu picked up the coffee and tasted it,

Tang Song got straight to the point: "I deeply regret Mr. Barlow's passing, but when I deposited money in Wells Fargo, I wonder if Mr. Barlow informed your bank of the request I made!"

Du Lu savored the bitter aroma in his mouth and put down the cup.

"Mr. Tang, Vice President Barlow did report your request,

However, my suggestion is that it is not wise for you to acquire Oscorp shares now.

If you are truly interested in biotechnology companies, I can recommend one to you. I wonder if you have heard of International Genetic Technologies!

Its owner, Dr. Hammond, is working on a very promising project..."

Tang Song raised his hand to interrupt Du Lu and directly crossed his legs.

Du Lu's complexion became somewhat unpleasant for a moment.

Having reached the position of Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo before the age of fifty, Du Lu was a very ambitious person.

He considered himself a Wall Street elite, someone standing at the top of the finance world.

He looked down on Barlow, even when Barlow was his superior.

When the news of Barlow's death arrived, Wells Fargo claimed a huge sum from the insurance company due to the cruise ship accident.

And Du Lu was promoted to take Barlow's place.

After inheriting Barlow's resources, Du Lu, this "young man," was eager to achieve something. He had always disliked Barlow's style.

After taking over the clients Barlow left behind, he was eager to convey his philosophy to these clients.

Many people would show him some respect to some extent because of Wells Fargo.

However, Tang Song had no intention of indulging him. "I remember Mr. Barlow said before he passed away that he had a friend who wanted to sell his Oscorp shares.

He promised to help facilitate this transaction before he died. Now that he is gone, can your Wells Fargo facilitate this transaction?"

Tang Song's questioning tone made Du Lu feel somewhat awkward.

However, thinking of Tang Song's nearly ten-digit deposit in Wells Fargo, Du Lu forced a smile onto his face: "Mr. Tang, you may not have been following the news about Oscorp recently. Oscorp is currently embroiled in scandals, and its stock price has plummeted. It is not wise to acquire Oscorp shares now!"

"If the stock price has plummeted, wouldn't I save a lot of money if I buy now?"

Hearing Tang Song's words, Du Lu was somewhat speechless. Looking at the Asian man in front of him, he didn't know what to say for a moment.

He couldn't figure out what was in this Asian tycoon's head. Corn porridge? How did someone who didn't understand stock economy acquire a net worth of hundreds of millions?

"Mr. Tang..."

"Mr. Du Lu, you don't need to say more. I am only interested in the shares of two companies right now: Oscorp and Stark Industries. If you can get me onto the Board of Directors of either company, I will double my deposit at Wells Fargo,"

Tang Song interrupted Du Lu and said directly, "If you cannot do it, then I will notify you in advance, and I will transfer the money to Citigroup!"

After hearing Tang Song's words, Du Lu felt a bitter taste in his mouth. If Tang Song really withdrew his nearly ten-digit deposit, let alone achieving great things, his Senior Vice President position, which he hadn't even warmed up yet, would likely be gone.

"Mr. Tang, please rest assured, give me two days, and I will definitely help you acquire the Oscorp equity!"

Saying this, Du Lu looked somewhat troubled: "Stark Industries' equity is a bit difficult. Many shareholders who hold Stark Industries stock now view their equity as a goose that lays golden eggs and are unlikely to sell easily!"

Unlikely to sell easily? That might not be the case. A gleam flashed in Tang Song's eyes.

He smiled: "That's fine, I just hope Mr. Du Lu will keep an eye out for me!"

At Tang Song's warm invitation, Du Lu stayed and had two more cups of coffee before getting up to leave.

"Mr. Tang, our bank recently hired a batch of private financial specialists from Todai in Japan. I will send you the data when I get back. If you need anything, I can arrange it for you!"

Before leaving the entrance, Du Lu remembered old Barlow's usual methods. He stopped and said to Tang Song.

Private financial specialists? Tang Song raised an eyebrow. "Hmm, I do need someone to interface with. Send the data to my email later!"

...…

After seeing off Du Lu, Tang Song returned to his study, picked up the newspaper, and clapped his hands.

"How is the investigation into Kingpin going?"

Lane, who had been silently following Tang Song, replied, "Based on the evidence we have provided so far, the State Court can sentence Kingpin to thirty years in prison. However, I contacted Mr. Moon,

Our Governor's meaning is that there is intervention from a higher level, and Kingpin might be acquitted!"

Tang Song tapped his palm with the rolled-up newspaper: "Lane, in our East, there's an old saying: If you don't root out the weeds, they will grow back with the spring breeze. Forget about acquittal, I won't feel at ease even if Kingpin walks into prison alive!"

"I understand, Boss, don't worry!" Lane bowed slightly to Tang Song.

......…

Wells Fargo's efficiency was indeed high, especially when driven by money. It didn't even take two days. That evening, while Tang Song was discussing his hundreds of millions in deposits with a petite financial specialist he was holding, he received a reply from Du Lu.

He had negotiated with the seller, and the meeting time was set for tomorrow. As for the location, he left it for Tang Song to decide.

......…

The next day, in Manhattan, New York, Foley Square, at a luxury coffee shop in an office building.

Tang Song sat by the window, looking down through the window, with a perfect view of the entire New York State Court.

At this time, the court entrance was filled with reporters carrying long and short guns. Inside the court, the judge and a group of the jury were hearing the Wilson Fisk case.

And just half an hour ago, Wilson Fisk had walked into the State Court under the eyes of the crowd.

"BOSS, they are here!"

The lawyer sitting beside Tang Song gently reminded him. Tang Song turned his head and saw a young man and woman walking towards him.

The man was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with slightly curly hair, and looked a bit shy in appearance.

According to the information revealed by Du Lu, this president of a certain technology company was also a titled Baron.

As for which country's Baron, Du Lu did not reveal this.

The woman should be the Baron's companion, appearing to be about the same age as him, with long black hair, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and a black leather jacket. She looked intellectual with a hint of coolness and sexiness.

"Hello, Mr. Daniel!" "Hello, Mr. Tang!"

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the two sides got straight to the point. Daniel held 3.4% of Oscorp's shares and had brought a lawyer. Based on Oscorp's market value, this was worth nearly 3 billion US dollars.

However, both sides had hired people to evaluate this equity. According to the current trend of Oscorp's plummeting stock price, the price of these shares would be greatly discounted.

Moreover, Du Lu had revealed that this Baron seemed to be in urgent need of money. Tang Song directly lowered the price to 1.5 billion.

Daniel naturally would not agree to this price, which was almost halved.

The two sides talked for nearly an hour. Tang Song raised the price to 1.8 billion.

Only then did the two sides reluctantly reach an agreement.

"Mr. Daniel, do you have any requirements for the payment method? If not, I would like to pay a portion in cash!"

Hearing Tang Song's words, Daniel subconsciously looked at his companion beside him.

What Tang Song found interesting was that the dominant party in this transaction from the beginning was not Daniel. Over the course of an hour, Daniel looked at his companion seven times.

Each time was when deciding the price.

However, Tang Song didn't care about the relationship between the young couple. He had a batch of cash, which he had seized from Kingpin's lair.

He wanted to take this opportunity to spend this batch of cash.

"Okay, we accept cash, but the price needs to be raised a bit, 2 billion US dollars!"

Daniel's companion, the future Baroness, spoke.

"Then it's a deal!"

Tang Song stood up and shook hands with Daniel. The lawyers from both sides drafted the contract, and then it was time to sign.

The Baron and his lady came and went in a hurry.

Tang Song unhurriedly had his lawyer and bodyguards take the contract back to the Manor first, while he waited in the coffee shop, enjoying the good show that was about to unfold.

Less than ten minutes after Tang Song's second cup of coffee was served, Kingpin walked out of the court entrance.

Several subordinates blocked the swarming reporters and escorted Kingpin towards a commercial vehicle parked nearby.

A bodyguard opened the specially widened car door and helped Kingpin into the vehicle.

The driver stepped on the accelerator and drove away from the court entrance.

Just as the crowd of reporters was sighing in disappointment, watching Kingpin's departing vehicle! Boom! A violent explosion sound rang out, and a rocket directly hit the commercial vehicle Kingpin was riding in.

The bulletproof commercial vehicle was flipped over by the huge shockwave. Several gunmen struggled to push open the car doors.

Puff! Puff! Puff! Puff! Several bullets directly hit their heads.

The explosion, the bloody scene, caused many reporters to press the shutters of their cameras and call their photographers to follow and shoot.

Many brave reporters even rushed forward, taking photos of the commercial vehicle repeatedly. One brave one even took a close-up of Kingpin, whose face was covered in blood and who had a ferocious expression.

What these reporters didn't notice was that among the crowd, an inconspicuous reporter had a transparent string-like object flying out of his pocket, drilling into the cracks of the broken glass.

Thump, thump, thump...

Kingpin, who was frantically pounding the bulletproof glass with his fists, suddenly reached up and covered his neck. The intense pain made him scream uncontrollably.

But in an instant, he stopped breathing...

In the office building coffee shop, Tang Song saw this scene and a smile appeared on his face.

He pulled out a hundred-dollar US dollar bill, placed it under the cup as a tip, got up, and left the coffee shop.

Kingpin's assassination caused a huge stir in the Underworld. Not only in the Underworld, but also in major New York newspapers and TV programs, the news was reported everywhere.

A suspect was bombed with a rocket launcher less than five hundred meters after his car left the court.

Putting everything else aside, this was simply a blatant slap in the face of the New York judicial system.

For a time, detectives from various New York Police Stations, FBI agents, and even CIA domestic agents were dispatched one after another, trying to find the assassin.

The bosses of various New York gangs, anyone with even a slight suspicion, were subjected to severe crackdowns.

Uh, as for Boss Tang, he is now a VIP of the New York State Governor, an Oscorp shareholder, a genuine business tycoon, and a clean person.

How could the New York Police Department come looking for him? Even if some clueless Police Officer wanted to apply for an investigation warrant, that unlucky guy was quickly called into the Director's office and happily received a luxury package of paid leave.

......…

Two days later, the news that Oscorp was holding a Board of Directors meeting spread early.

Many employees came to the company early to avoid meeting the company's high-level staff.

But when they arrived downstairs, they were somewhat dumbfounded. Someone had arrived even earlier than them.

Dressed in a suit, with neatly combed brown hair, plus a face that commanded respect without being angry, who else could it be but their Boss?!

Employees entering and exiting, from the lowest level logistics staff to researchers, and managers, all nodded and greeted Norman Osborn.

Norman Osborn nodded, his gaze occasionally looking at the luxury cars that appeared.

"Our Boss is waiting for someone, is it a major shareholder?"

"It could also be a high-ranking official from the Department of Defense, perhaps the Secretary of Defense.

The Department of Defense has been sending people to our company quite often recently."

"Laura, your information is outdated. I heard from the development department that the Department of Defense's orders have been cancelled!"

"Really?"

"Yes, yes, I heard that too. Joe's boyfriend is in the development department..."

"Joe has a boyfriend? Who..."

Office traditional culture - gossip, is unavoidable in any company.

Before working hours even began, employees who had arrived early brewed coffee and gathered in small groups. The topic gradually shifted from the VIP their Boss was waiting for, slowly going off-topic.

......

A stretched Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost slowly stopped at the entrance of Oscorp Tower.

Lane, dressed in a black suit and wearing white gloves, got out of the car, went to the back door, and opened the car door.

"Long time no see, Mr. Tang!"

Norman Osborn, dressed in a white suit, had just stepped out of the car when he opened his arms and greeted him with a laugh.

Tang Song handed the cane in his hand to Lane beside him, walked over, and gave Norman Osborn a warm hug.

"After a few days, Mr. Norman's demeanor is still as impressive as ever!"

"It's still early before the Board of Directors meeting begins, I'll give you a tour of the company!"

Norman Osborn led the way, enthusiastically guiding Tang Song into Oscorp Tower.

......

Tang Song was not unfamiliar with Oscorp Tower, but he had come here before as an employee, whereas this time his identity was that of an Oscorp shareholder.

In addition to the laboratory floors and office floors, Oscorp Tower

also had two office floors used for human experimentation. Of course, these were not the "guinea pigs" that ordinary humans might imagine.

Instead, it was for drug testing. In addition to researching biotechnology, Oscorp was also unique in the field of biopharmaceuticals.

Every year, Oscorp would launch over a dozen new drugs. Regardless of their efficacy, clinical trials on humans were still necessary before mass production.

Every year, Oscorp would recruit a batch of test subjects from the outside. The duration ranged from seven days to two months, used to test drug rejection reactions and clinical data.

Oscorp had cooperative hospital laboratories and research buildings in major hospitals.

Oscorp invested as much as fifty to sixty million US dollars annually just on this project.

For this reason, federal human rights organizations have repeatedly accused Oscorp, seeking to ban Oscorp's recruitment of test subjects.

"Some of these people are ordinary white-collar workers, some are bankrupt homeless people. A week of testing can earn them 5000 US dollars. Plenty of people are scrambling to get in. Those human rights fanatics just want attention!"

A fat project manager complained to Norman Osborn and Tang Song about the situation in the Laboratory.

Recently, Oscorp's recruited test subjects, after participating in the testing project, have been constantly harassed by human rights activists, who incite them to sue Oscorp for violating their human rights.

Human rights activism, this kind of persistent nuisance, was even a headache for Norman Osborn.

Human rights activism, environmentalism, animal protection organizations, these organizations operating under certain banners, range from interfering with company operations on a small scale to even interfering with the human rights of other countries on a large scale.

In their eyes, the words of the victims cannot be trusted, the words of others cannot be trusted, you can only listen to what *they* say.

Because they are doing it for your "good"! Oscorp's test subjects sign formal contracts and receive a considerable subsidy. If something goes wrong during the testing, Oscorp will also provide economic compensation to the test subjects.

Compared to some organizations that conduct human experimentation in secret, this can be considered a conscientious enterprise.

But even in this situation, some test subjects, after leaving the company, are directly approached by some human rights organizations who use them to accuse Oscorp of violating human rights and demand huge compensation with exorbitant demands.

Oscorp naturally has its own legal team, but like a toad jumping onto your foot, it doesn't hurt you but disgusts you.

The current Norman Osborn is not yet the reckless Green Goblin of later times.

Norman Osborn, with a headache, called in a Vice President to handle these matters.

"For this kind of thing, wouldn't killing one to warn a hundred suffice?"

Tang Song looked at the troubled Norman Osborn. "Find the ringleaders, there's always a way to make them shut up!"

"Tang, you don't understand. In the Federation, with multi-party governance, various organizations, big and small, are the reserve forces for these political parties. They are their votes! They are also tools for attacking political opponents!"

"Many times, the person standing in the White House is nothing, but the political parties behind one's back are not to be trifled with!"

Norman Osborn imparted his experience to Tang Song, who had been in the Federation for less than three years.

A capable partner, but also an ambitious person to be wary of.

This was Norman Osborn's definition of Tang Song.

He was also generous in sharing some experience with Tang Song.

It is said that the Federation is a capitalist federation, secretly controlled by large and small financial groups.

Norman Osborn himself was a member of a financial group, a figure standing at the top of the federal capital pyramid.

The real Federation actually has forces that check and balance each other.

The government and political parties, capital groups, and the Military! These are the few forces that truly control the Federation.

The federal government has a four-year term, with most serving two terms. After two terms, the President is re-elected, and the President reorganizes his team.

The federal President has the power to mobilize the Army, Navy, and Air Force, and their authority is indeed great during their term.

However, the President needs the support of the political party behind one's back, and where do the political contributions of the various political parties come from?

From the citizens who support them? Of course not, they come from large and small capital groups.

After the President takes office, the federal policy naturally favors their own people.

"So, someone is targeting you with the human rights organization issue!?"

Tang Song's words made Norman Osborn pause. He thought about Tang Song's words; although crude, they were spot on.

Norman Osborn smiled bitterly: "The person we supported didn't get that position, and the current occupant of the White House is very unhappy with us!"

"Several large orders we originally signed with the Department of Defense have been cancelled!"

As they spoke, they took the elevator to the top floor of Oscorp Tower, Norman Osborn's office.

The office, which occupied the entire floor, was divided into two. In addition to an office covering over a hundred square meters,

Norman Osborn had actually built a private Laboratory on the top floor.

Norman Osborn swiped his access card to open the password-protected door and led Tang Song to tour his Laboratory.

As soon as Tang Song entered the Laboratory, a green armor came into view.

It was a very technologically advanced armor, incorporating Oscorp's biotechnology.

It was bulletproof, stab-proof, and also had weak bioelectricity that could stimulate human bodily functions.

This was the armor Norman Osborn had specifically designed for the Department of Defense's Super Soldier Project.

Unfortunately, this order from the Department of Defense was now unattainable.

On a shelf next to the Green Goblin Armor was a skateboard.

Tang Song walked up to the skateboard and examined it carefully.

"This is a manned flying skateboard, with a speed of 500 km/h. It can carry a weight of less than one ton.

The front can extend blades, and it carries twelve miniature air-to-ground missiles, a miniature machine gun and five thousand rounds of ammunition, as well as lighting equipment and flamethrower equipment.

It can also be detonated to attack targets when necessary.

The bottom can also release invisible tracking missiles. If the user leaves or jumps off the skateboard, the green light on the skateboard will immediately turn red and it will continue to follow the user. If used by someone else, the skateboard will activate anti-theft mode, become uncontrollable, and throw the person off."

Norman Osborn explained, seeing Tang Song's interest in the skateboard!

This would take some time. Norman Osborn brewed two cups of coffee and handed one to Tang Song.

"How much does it cost?"

Tang Song looked at the Green Goblin Skateboard and rubbed his chin.

Compared to the flashy Green Goblin Armor, the Green Goblin Skateboard was undoubtedly more useful.

The deployment of individual flying devices had not even been completed by the Federation's elite troops.

"Five hundred thousand US dollars!"

Norman Osborn replied somewhat dejectedly.

The cost of the Green Goblin Armor and Green Goblin Skateboard set was close to seven hundred thousand US dollars. This was for the low-end version. A set like the one in his office would cost around one million US dollars.

How much did the main battle tanks currently in service with the Federation cost? A Tomahawk Missile was only about two million US dollars.

Adding in later maintenance and various aspects, it was too expensive!

This was also the reason the Federal Military rejected Oscorp's offer.

"This set of skateboards is good. I'll order two hundred sets, but I don't like the color, change it to black!"

Two hundred sets of skateboards, at seven hundred thousand US dollars per set, would total one hundred and forty million.

Boss Tang, the gold tycoon, felt it wasn't a problem. He now had a stake in Osborn Industries, so it was also a way to stimulate his own company!

Strictly speaking, the price of the Green Goblin Armor set wasn't expensive. Compared to Tony Stark's Iron Man Armor, it was completely insignificant.

But the Military would rather fawn over Tony Stark's Iron Man Armor than purchase the Green Goblin Armor that was being offered to them.

The reason was cost-effectiveness. Compared to the Iron Man Armor, the Green Goblin Armor had no advantage whatsoever.

(end of chapter )