Ross took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the urge to curse.
He never should have brought Tony Stark here today. Not only had Tony failed to keep the situation under control, but he had even started thinking about retirement.
If that set off a chain reaction, the already limited number of Avengers under the United Nations' control would decline again.
"Gaius." Ross put on a friendly smile. "Let's discuss the transaction first!"
"Ah!" Aaron sighed softly. "Do you think you can afford Divine Artifacts?"
"To Earthlings, Divine Artifacts are a vague concept. There has never been any standard pricing, but the United Nations is willing to offer the highest price it can."
"For example?"
"One billion dollars."
Aaron nearly laughed when he heard that.
They wanted to trade one billion dollars for a Divine Artifact? Were they sure they were not trying to fob off a beggar?
"I can feel your sincerity." Aaron smiled blandly. "The door is over there. Take care."
"Ahem!" Nick Fury coughed. "S.H.I.E.L.D. can offer ten billion."
Ross looked at Nick Fury in astonishment and asked somewhat awkwardly, "Since when has the World Council been so generous?"
"When it is time to be generous, the World Council will not be stingy. Still, I am truly surprised by the military's support for you." Nick Fury said, holding back a laugh. Ross was now the Secretary of State, but the military was still backing him behind the scenes.
Both S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military were determined to get Aaron's items. Their ownership would naturally belong to the United Nations; what they were fighting over here was the right to study them.
Whoever got them would hold the research rights. That was the unspoken understanding between both sides.
Nick Fury had expected to face a formidable competitor today, but