Seeing Rhodey's serious and lost-in-thought expression, Rimuru didn't bother to explain and went straight to the point.
"Don't overthink it, I'm not in any trouble."
"I just need the military to do me one favor."
Rhodey immediately straightened up.
"You said that as long as it's within their authority, the military will fully cooperate."
"You've probably heard that S.H.I.E.L.D.. recently submitted an application for approval of a very large area of land, right?" Rimuru casually.
Rhodey paused for a moment, carefully recalled the recent approval documents, and nodded slightly.
He had indeed seen this unusually large land application before; the area was ridiculously large, and at the time, everyone was baffled, wondering why S.H.I.E.L.D.. suddenly wanted such a large piece of land.
Suddenly everything became clear.
So, after all this time, it was for the person in front of me?
Rimuru readily admitted it.
"That's right, that's the land I want."
"You witnessed the Battle of New York firsthand. Alien invasion, all sorts of crises could strike at any moment. The Avengers are an organization specifically designed to deal with these kinds of world-class disasters. They can't be homeless forever, without even a proper headquarters and logistical base."
Rhodey understood his unspoken message and tentatively asked.
"So you mean... you want the military to step in and help S.H.I.E.L.D.. finalize the approval for this land?"
"Right."
Rimuru.
"Your military has enough influence in Congress and the Department of Defense. As long as you give your support, this application won't be rejected."
Rhodey fell into a long silence.
This matter is neither a major nor a minor one.
It may seem like just helping with an approval process, and the land is nominally still under S.H.I.E.L.D., but in reality, it's tacitly allowing Rimuru to establish a large, independent territory on his homeland.
It involves a whole host of issues, including land planning, security authority, and independent jurisdiction, so we have to consult with higher authorities again.
"I'll call again to confirm."
As he spoke, Rhodey walked aside again to discuss the work.
After Rhodey left, Tony and Pepper quietly approached Rimuru, their faces full of confusion.
Pepper asked softly.
Why are you so fixated on this piece of land?
Tony chimed in.
"Yes, there's no need for all that trouble. Stark Industries has plenty of idle industrial land and abandoned military factory areas. I can just demolish one and give it to you as a base. I can handle any size for you. There's no need for any complicated exchange."
Seeing their nonchalant attitude, Rimuru softly uttered a statement that overturned their understanding.
"You've misunderstood. I don't need ordinary base land."
"The piece of land I've got my eye on is comparable in size to a small to medium-sized city."
"I want to have full and independent authority to plan and manage this entire area."
The words had barely left his mouth.
Tony and Pepper froze, gasping in unison, their pupils contracting sharply.
The two of them immediately stared at Rimuru as if he were a monster.
Tony's lips twitched violently. "... You really dare to ask that."
"Others build bases, and you're just setting up a small to medium-sized city as your base? This isn't building the Avengers Headquarters, it's more like you're planning to build your own city-state!"
Pepper was completely stunned and sighed softly.
"This plan is far too ambitious, completely exceeding the imagination of conventional forces."
They thought this was the limit, crazy and outrageous enough.
Rimuru slightly, his tone as indifferent as if he were talking about something trivial.
"Yes, it's about building a city."
"I plan to name this city -- Metropolis."
After hearing this, Tony closed his eyes helplessly, completely stunned and numb.
He always thought that building armor, establishing Stark Industries, and initiating a new energy revolution were already outrageous and crazy enough.
Unexpectedly, this seemingly harmless brat managed to rip the sky apart with his first move.
Wow, other people are doing scientific research and building research bases.
This person directly traded billions of dollars worth of military equipment, just to exchange it for a piece of land to build a brand new city.
Tony had only one thought in his mind.
I was indeed too conservative.
The truly ruthless are those who keep their skills hidden; the real masters are right beside me.
This time, Rhodey's phone call lasted longer than the last one, more than ten minutes in total.
Rhodey hung up the phone and walked steadily back to the dining table.
The ease he had shown earlier was gone, replaced by a serious, businesslike expression as he clearly conveyed the final conditions from the military leadership.
"I have received a unified response from the Ministry of National Defense and high-ranking military officials."
"The military is willing to fully expedite the approval process for your city-level land parcel, utilizing all its connections and channels to help S.H.I.E.L.D.. secure its application, and handle all obstacles throughout the entire process."
"But we also have corresponding transaction requirements."
Rhodey paused, looked intently at Rimuru, and spoke each word with exceptional clarity.
"The higher-ups mean that this batch of Ultimate Nullifier must be a complete buyout and a total handover."
"We are well aware that you will absolutely not sell your core manufacturing technology or intelligent program source code, so we do not expect technology transfer."
"We'll settle for second best; we just want a complete, unrestricted, and fully functional machine without any hidden backdoors."
After saying that, Rhodey stared intently into Rimuru's eyes, making a point of confirming.
"You should understand what I mean: completely strip away all remote control permissions, remove all background locks and remote control malfunction programs, and put it entirely under the control of the military."
"In addition to that, there is one more condition."
"For five years following the transaction, you will be responsible for the official maintenance, system upkeep, and routine iteration of these Ultimate Nullifier. We will be solely responsible for any damage caused by combat or external explosions, while you will be responsible for normal wear and tear and program maintenance."
"As long as you agree to these two conditions, the military guarantees they'll take care of the land approval process for you."
Rimuru listened quietly to the entire condition, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind.
It must be said that the military's demands were remarkably restrained and reasonable.
In any groundbreaking deal involving cutting-edge technology and military equipment, the other party would most likely demand an exorbitant price, forcibly demanding the technology, the right to replicate it, and the right to cooperate in production.
However, these high-ranking military officials maintained a proper balance throughout the process, showing no intention of making exorbitant demands.
Rimuru understood perfectly; the reason couldn't be simpler.
They knew from beginning to end that their strength was unfathomable and completely outside the Earth's combat power system.
If you really push yourself too far, not only will a batch of Ultimate Nullifier be no match for you, but the entire US military equipment system would be utterly vulnerable.
Because they couldn't fathom his true strength and resources, they dared not be overly greedy, only seeking to secure finished combat power and conduct safe transactions.
There are no traps, no harsh or unfair terms; it's an equal exchange, extremely fair.
Rimuru nodded decisively, his expression calm.
"Yes, no problem."
"Complete buyout, no backdoors in the transaction, five years of standard maintenance—all agreed upon."
It doesn't matter to him at all.
His mass production factory can manufacture new machines indefinitely. Whether the old models have backdoors or can be remotely controlled, it has no bearing on his capabilities.
Five-year maintenance is a piece of cake; repairs and upgrades can be done easily and effortlessly.
The real prize is that vast piece of land, large enough to build a brand new city.
Once we acquire this land, building our own exclusive urban base—a base belonging to the Avengers —would be entirely worthwhile.
Seeing Rimuru readily agree, Rhodey breathed a sigh of relief, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
"Alright! Now that you've confirmed your agreement, the deal is officially finalized."
"I will then have the Department of Justice draft a bilateral swap agreement overnight, which will be signed by S.H.I.E.L.D.., the military, and you to make it effective."
Tony, who saw everything clearly from the side, couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
This is far from a simple buying and selling of robots.
This is a formal strategic cooperation agreement reached between Earth's official military and a super-dimensional powerhouse.
Pepper blinked slightly, feeling somewhat shocked.
A simple home-cooked Chinese meal, a casual chat.
A multi-billion dollar arms deal and the development plan for a new city were negotiated so easily.