Rhodey stood still, his gaze sweeping over the six Ultimate Nullifier lined up neatly and boasting explosive performance, his mind rapidly weighing the pros and cons.
From the T-800's robust defense and ultra-long endurance, to the T-1000's liquid self-healing camouflage, and the TX's all-around top-tier combat capabilities, each one is a top-tier piece of equipment capable of completely rewriting the landscape of modern warfare.
Any one of these aircraft alone could bring a qualitative breakthrough to the military's combat capability system, not to mention the complete set of all models.
After careful consideration, Rhodey's eyes suddenly became incredibly firm, and his tone was resolute and powerful.
"I'll take it."
Rimuru raised an eyebrow slightly upon hearing this, showing a hint of surprised curiosity.
Which one?
Without the slightest hesitation, Rhodey replied confidently, each word deliberate and forceful.
"All."
After those words were spoken, the living room fell silent for a moment.
Rimuru silent, his round eyes blinking slightly as a strong sense of déjà vu inexplicably arose in his heart.
This plot... why does it feel so familiar?
It seems like someone else has done this before, taking all their equipment in one go. This kind of extravagant, all-encompassing action feels strangely familiar.
Unaware of Rimuru's inner turmoil, Rhodey quickly seized the opportunity to discuss the details of the deal.
"Whether it's for direct sale or long-term rental, that's fine."
"You don't need to worry about the price at all. Our military will definitely give you a satisfactory quote that will not shortchange you."
Rimuru was not surprised at all.
He had long been aware of the military's extravagant spending habits, which could even be described as outrageous and outrageous.
The rumors are absolutely true: a bag of ordinary screws is reimbursed at $90,000, and nine goats are priced at $6 million. Only they could pull off such outrageous deals.
They're not short of money, that's for sure.
But Rimuru wasn't concerned about the price at all; his mind was racing, calculating the pros and cons and weighing the gains and losses of the two trading methods.
First, rule out renting.
He knew all too well the tricks of these official agencies.
Nick Fury never intended to return the equipment he lent to S.H.I.E.L.D.., ostensibly for official requisition or ongoing research, but in reality, it was a loan with no intention of repayment.
Although in the end I didn't lose out and even gained a lot of goodwill and resources for free, the feeling of having something quietly taken by someone else is always unpleasant.
If the Ultimate Nullifier were leased to the military this time, the outcome would be exactly the same.
Once it's in the military's warehouses and testing bases, you can forget about getting it back in this lifetime.
In that case, the best course of action is to simply sell it.
However, a problem arose: he had never traded cross-dimensional intelligent mechs before, had no market reference price, and had no idea how to price them.
Moreover, this is not a simple transaction of exchanging money for goods.
This is a truly top-tier strategic force, involving a vast array of interests. Measuring it solely in terms of money would be a huge mistake.
Rimuru already had his own plans in mind.
The huge plot of land he longed for faced extremely difficult approval processes.
Land of that caliber cannot be approved through ordinary channels. Without offering sufficiently equitable terms and paying a substantial price, it is absolutely impossible for such land to be acquired.
That's why he tacitly allowed S.H.I.E.L.D.. to mediate, in order to make the transaction process smoother and more secure.
The best way to make a deal is never to take money, but to exchange benefits.
I will provide you with top-tier mechanical combat capabilities that will crush the times, helping you completely fill the gaps in your military's high-end combat capabilities.
Give me that piece of land I've set my sights on, and I have full authority to use it.
Equivalent exchange is fair, reasonable, simple, and reliable.
Of course, Rimuru wasn't worried at all. He wasn't afraid that the military would renege on their promise after receiving the equipment and turn around and sabotage him.
He knew these people's style of doing things all too well.
All the weapons and equipment exported under normal circumstances are secretly equipped with remote backdoors. If the buyer does not comply, the equipment can be remotely locked, disabled, or scrapped at any time, giving them complete control.
These politicians and high-ranking military officials are more aware of this unspoken rule than anyone else.
They could also have guessed that their elite Ultimate Nullifier could not be deployed to the outside world without any precautions or restrictions.
As long as the other party dares to turn their back, renege on their debts, or harbor any malicious intentions.
These Ultimate Nullifier deployed by the military could completely go out of control at any time due to various unexpected reasons such as "system failure" or "program malfunction".
Without anyone else needing to intervene, this group of super-strong combat forces will directly retaliate and sweep away their own base, making them the ones who suffer more losses than gains.
This invisible check and balance is Rimuru's greatest source of confidence.
Having fully grasped the concept, Rimuru raised his head, the casualness in his eyes fading slightly, replaced by a more serious expression, as he prepared to formally finalize the exchange deal with Rhodey.
Tony stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the show quietly with a knowing smile on his lips.
He had long seen through it; this seemingly soft and cute little guy was more shrewd than anyone else and would never do a losing deal.
Pepper also gently raised her eyes, quietly watching the scene before her, without making a sound to disturb this special strategic transaction negotiation.
The atmosphere quieted down, and Rhodey looked directly at Rimuru, earnestly inquiring about the price.
"Then just tell me directly, how do you calculate the price for each unit? I need to report it to my superiors for approval."
Rimuru didn't hold back and directly stated the previously agreed-upon exclusive buyout price for the military.
"Twelve million per T-800."
"T-850, sixteen million."
"T-888, twenty-five million."
"TOK-715, 30 million."
"T-1000, 120 million."
"TX, 180 million."
After the long list of prices was announced, there was no shock or heartache as expected in the living room.
Rhodey remained unusually calm, showing no sign of being frightened by the exorbitant price.
Having served in the military for so many years, he has witnessed countless exorbitant arms procurement deals and understands the true value of strategic equipment.
These Ultimate Nullifier are not ordinary robots; they are strategic individual weapons capable of standing alone and rewriting the course of battle.
Sending out any T-1000 can accomplish a high-risk mission that an entire special forces unit could not.
The savings in manpower and equipment costs, as well as the avoidance of casualties, far exceed the price of the aircraft itself.
In reality, this price is not only not expensive, but it can even be said to be a steal.
Rhodey lowered his head and silently considered for a few seconds, then nodded seriously and said, "The price is reasonable, and the strategic value is perfectly matched."
"Please wait a moment, I'll ask my superiors."
After saying that, he took out his phone and walked aside to make a call. Such a massive multinational arms procurement was something that a colonel like him couldn't make on his own; it had to be reported to the higher-ups in the Ministry of National Defense for approval.
After a brief phone call, Rhodey hung up and returned, his eyes already confirming the plan.
"It's approved. We'll initially purchase twenty units of each model."
"Initially, we'll implement a trial run, and then place larger orders based on real-world testing and the effectiveness of the program."
Rimuru casually, seemingly indifferent.
"Can."
He gestured towards the row of actual machines in the living room. "Take these few with you; use them as sample testing units."
"Furthermore, I won't accept a single penny in cash from you for any subsequent purchase orders."
Upon hearing this, Rhodey was instantly stunned, his brows furrowing sharply, his face filled with astonishment.
No charge?
This is a mega order worth billions!
And this is only a preliminary order.
His mind raced with wild speculation, and the more he thought about it, the more horrified he became.
Why offer to help instead of accepting money?
Is there anyone on this earth who still needs Rimuru to ask for help?
Could it be that a hidden superpower or an unknown enemy has provoked Rimuru? Or is there a problem that even he can't handle?