What Kind of Drone Is That?

General Davis met Li Wei's enthusiasm with the same businesslike expression.

"You can coordinate with our people, but the military takes the lead. No acting on your own."

After all, Future Technology Company had no partnership with the military.

If the two sides had contracts worth tens of billions, his attitude would have been another story.

But after so many years of development, America's class structure had become rigid.

The last century had seen people rise from nothing, with Hollywood producing some famous examples. This century, it happened less and less.

The same was true across every industry, especially defense. The companies there were giants that had dominated for decades, even a century.

Naturally, those giants had no desire to let some flashy newcomer take a slice of their pie.

Future Technology Company had therefore faced constant pressure in the defense industry.

Stark Industries was one of the main culprits!

"Okay. We'll start now," Li Wei said.

"Suit yourself."

General Davis showed little interest and turned to leave.

The fact that he had shown up at all was a courtesy to S.H.I.E.L.D.

Before he got far, though, he saw drones flying out of their cases one after another, with no one operating them.

Davis glanced around in surprise. He really couldn't see anyone at the controls.

Li Wei even stood leisurely to one side, watching the drones fly off in every direction.

"Is artificial intelligence controlling them?"

Black Widow Natasha sounded curious.

"Yes," Li Wei said with a nod.

"Then where did you get a satellite?" Natasha asked.

Li Wei only gave her a mysterious smile.

A satellite? There were plenty in orbit, weren't there?

It wasn't as if he had to use one his company had launched...

By then, the military had taken an interest in the drones.

The Griffin Drones were nothing like the drones they used now. Even their appearance was different, and they seemed to carry weapons. That was what interested the officers most.

If drones could attack directly, they would be far more useful than drones limited to reconnaissance.

General Davis was too proud to come back himself, so he sent Colonel Rhodes over.

James Rhodes would later become War Machine. He was Tony Stark's close friend.

He and Tony Stark had attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology together, and they had remained steadfast friends ever since.

After graduation, Rhodey had joined the Air Force. His connection to Tony Stark had helped him rise to colonel and become head of the Army Weapons Development Department, where he served as the intermediary between the US Military and Stark Industries.

Their interests were deeply intertwined.

That was why, when Tony Stark was kidnapped, Rhodey had been frantic.

It was because of that relationship that Tony Stark would later give him an Iron Man Suit.

No one else would have received that treatment.

"Can we see the drone's specifications?" Colonel Rhodes asked as he hurried over.

Li Wei smiled. "Of course. Future Technology Company offers fair prices and honest dealing!"

He sent Rhodey the basic specifications.

Rhodey looked them over in surprise. Even Stark Industries' drones couldn't match this performance.

This was a product from another era, as if it were decades ahead of the US Military.

And the US Military always used the most advanced weapons available.

Even so, this drone had left them behind.

The figures were so extraordinary that Rhodey suspected they had been faked.

Take its endurance: with enough sunlight, it didn't even need to return for recharging.

Its range was greater still. It could travel dozens of kilometers from its operator.

It also had its own radar and could evade enemy radar, keeping it from being detected. As expected, it carried weapons, along with an infrared scanner.

Even a well-trained special forces soldier caught alone against a Griffin Combat Drone would be no match for it.

How could flesh and blood stand against a machine?

Rhodey sucked in a sharp breath.

Colonel Rhodes's hand trembled slightly. Then he said solemnly, "We'll discuss it."

As head of the Army Weapons Development Department, he could approve the purchase himself.

But the price still needed discussion.

Future Technology Company's price was already over a hundred thousand dollars. For a drone this good, surely the price reported up the chain ought to be several hundred thousand per unit?

After all, a US Military aircraft carrier cost around thirteen billion dollars.

Several hundred thousand for a drone this capable was a bargain!

There was plenty of room to maneuver in that price...

Over the next few days, Li Wei seemed less interested in finding anyone than in putting Future Technology Company's weapons through their paces.

First, a Griffin Combat Drone wiped out an enemy squad deep in the mountains.

Faced with the drone, the enemy lost all thought of putting up an effective fight and fired wildly into the sky.

The Griffin Drone did take a hit.

But unlike the drones the US Military used, it didn't fall. The hit had no apparent effect, and it kept firing.

It quickly riddled every enemy soldier with bullets.

When the generals watched the footage sent back, they went wild.

What kind of drone was that? It was a war robot!

After a discussion, they placed an order at once.

Li Wei didn't care what price they settled on internally, as long as he made a profit.

After all, Pentagon generals didn't get many chances to make money. If they didn't skim a little more from the military budget, how were they supposed to support their families?

This was exactly what Li Wei needed. Once he had a connection with the military, he had a chance to work with them.

Future Technology Company's products were simply that good.

If they had only matched the other defense contractors, the military would never have chosen them.

But the products were too far ahead of their time for anyone to ignore.

After that, Rhodey took an interest in Future Technology Company's other products.

While continuing the search for Tony Stark, he tested those weapons as well.

There was the Magnetic Storm Rifle, the Quasar Cannon, and others.

Future Technology Company even had an electric shotgun called the "ARC-12 Blitzer." Rhodey was delighted by its unlimited-ammo capability and tremendous power: every shot delivered an electric shock.

This was the arsenal Li Wei had built up.

All those draws over the years hadn't been for nothing!

Even so, the orders were small. The military bought only a few of each weapon, nowhere near enough to equip its troops.

Li Wei knew perfectly well that the US Military wanted to reverse-engineer them.

That only made him want to laugh.

These weapons came from Super Earth.

The humans of Super Earth had long since reached space and fought fierce wars against the Terminids, the Illuminate, and other species.

If their weapons were that easy to reverse-engineer, Li Wei might as well give up on the defense business!

Yet after several days, even with the Red Queen directing them, the Griffin Combat Drones still hadn't found Tony Stark.

They had cleared out plenty of locations, but he was nowhere to be found.

Li Wei kept posting updates on social media, sharing how many locations they had cleared that day and drawing all the attention he could.

But with no sign of Tony, plenty of people had begun questioning him.

Several defense-industry giants, in particular, pressured the military. Li Wei had been sent there to find someone, they said.

Not to sell weapons!

With no other choice, Li Wei went out to search with Black Widow herself.