The air in the workshop seemed to be reinjected with oxygen.
The stagnant atmosphere was instantly ignited by Tony Stark's burning curiosity and desire for conquest.
His iconic smile returned, confident, flamboyant, and with a hint of longing for unknown treasures.
Pepper, standing nearby, rubbed her temples with a helpless expression, watching the suddenly heated atmosphere between the two men.
She felt less like a CEO and more like a kindergarten teacher, watching two grown men who had discovered new toys.
Except that the toys of these two men, one could send people to the sky, and the other... seemed to be able to pull those who went to the sky back.
"Less formality, more sincerity."
Tony sat back on the sofa, legs crossed, in a grand manner.
He struck a pose as if to say, "Now I'm in the buyer's market."
"Alright, bring out all your 'treasures'.
I want to see if this "Genesis Prototype Full-Dimensional Assurance Agreement" is truly worthy of my name... Tony Stark."
William's heart was no longer ecstatic, but a near-boiling anticipation.
He knew that every word spoken next would determine how many "claim points" and rewards he could extract from this "big fish."
Steady, William!
You are not a salesman now; you are a venture capitalist, a technical consultant, a prophet holding the script of the future!
Aura!
Aura is the most important thing!
He calmly pulled up a chair and sat opposite Tony.
He placed the briefcase on his lap, his movements as steady as a manager in charge of a multi-billion dollar fund.
"This 'Genesis Agreement' is the ultimate assurance tailored for disruptive technologies."
William began his introduction with clear articulation.
"It includes all the basic terms of the 'Advanced Technology Innovation Comprehensive Assurance Insurance' that I mentioned to you before—such as R&D personnel safety, intellectual property protection, accidental damage compensation for prototypes, and so on."
"These are appetizers, get to the point."
Tony waved his hand.
"The key lies in its unique 'risk mitigation resource package' and 'technology iteration support' clauses."
William's voice carried a unique magic, capturing Tony's full attention.
"The former, just like the 'nickel-titanium memory alloy coating' technology I just mentioned.
When our risk assessment model identifies a 'fatal flaw'.
We will match you with the optimal, even cross-era, technical solutions from our resource library.
And provide it to you in the form of a 'claim'."
Tony's eyebrows rose, and he leaned forward slightly: "'Claim'? You mean, I pay the premium, and you directly give me black technology?"
"That's one way to understand it.
Of course, the authorization level and scope of use for the technical data will be determined by your insured amount and the agreement level."
William replied neither obsequiously nor arrogantly.
Tony stroked his meticulously trimmed beard on his chin, his eyes gleaming:
"Sounds like a devil's bargain. I use money to exchange for the devil's knowledge in your company's database?"
He chuckled, with a hint of mockery.
"Your 'database' sounds really impressive.
Tell me, how much money do you plan to charge me for this 'Genesis Agreement'?
Don't play word games with me; give me a number that will make my heart stop."
William, enduring Tony's oppressive gaze, rapidly calculated internally.
He knew.
If the price was too low, Tony would think the agreement was a sham.
If the price was too high, he was afraid of scaring him away.
But then he thought, the other party is Tony Stark! The man in this World who has no shortage of money!
He held up five fingers.
"Annual fee, five million U.S. dollars. As a basic entry ticket."
"Five million? William, are you insulting me, or are you insulting your seemingly omnipotent 'database'? If your 'risk mitigation resource package' can casually pull out a brilliant solution to the icing problem, then it's worth more than that."
Here it comes! The art of bargaining!
William inwardly praised.
But his face showed an expression of "as expected, nothing can be hidden from you":
"Five million is the basic fee to qualify for the agreement.
It allows you to enjoy our top-tier risk assessment services and one 'technical consultation' per year.
As for the 'risk mitigation resource package', it is billed per use.
For example, this 'nickel-titanium memory alloy coating' technology, if you need complete technical data and application authorization, you will need to pay an additional..."
William looked into Tony's eyes and slowly uttered a number: "Ten million U.S. dollars."
Silence fell upon the workshop once again.
"Ha!" Tony slapped his thigh fiercely, not angry at all, but instead bursting with the excitement of meeting a worthy opponent, "Ten million for an 'idea'? William, you are the boldest salesman I've ever met, I'm starting to like you a little!"
It's done!
William's heart pounded, but it was not yet time to celebrate.
"This isn't an 'idea', Tony."
William's tone was incredibly solemn.
"This is a 'future' verified by our database, mature, feasible, and capable of saving you at least six months of R&D time and avoiding a fatal crash. We don't sell insurance; we sell certainty."
Tony stood up and paced back and forth in the workshop, his idiotic robotic arm extending a claw, seemingly wanting to hand him a cup of coffee, but he impatiently waved it away.
Finally, he stopped in front of William, looking down at him:
"Alright. I'll buy this 'Genesis Agreement'. The basic package plus that damned coating technology, a total of fifteen million, right?"
"Yes."
"Sign it!"
Tony made the final decision, turned around, and pulled out his phone to call his personal assistant.
"Pepper, initiate the legal process. I'll send you the details shortly, top priority. I want to see this agreement effective before the end of the day."
Just then, a heavenly sound echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully signing the "Advanced Technology Innovation Comprehensive Assurance Insurance" with Tony Stark!]
[Claim Point Reward: +100 points!]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully signing the "Genesis Prototype Full-Dimensional Assurance Agreement (Customized Version)" with "Client 008: Tony Stark"!]
[Calculating excess reward...]
[Calculation complete! Congratulations to the host for receiving a double special reward!]
[Reward One: Exclusive Item "paradox briefcase"]
[Item Description: A personal item created by the Sorcerer Supreme Tony Stark from Universe M-199999, combining technology and magic.
It is connected to a dimensional pocket and can generate and retrieve any form of physical item related to "insurance business" (e.g., paper contracts, custom business cards, high-tech signing tablets, POS machines, etc.) according to the user's will.
The briefcase possesses "indestructible" and "conceptual defense" properties, capable of resisting most physical and energy attacks.]
[Note: Don't try to put a sandwich in it; it will get angry.]
[Reward Two: Acquired Ability "Spark of Inspiration (Elementary)"]
[Ability Description: Passive ability. When you focus on solving a specific technical problem or logical dilemma, a cluster of "Spark of Inspiration" will randomly erupt in your brain, which may be a vague formula, a key word, or an abstract structural diagram. It cannot provide a complete answer but can point you to an unexpected and highly feasible breakthrough direction.]
[Note: The troubles of a genius, you now have a little too.]
William's breathing instantly stopped.
He looked down at the cheap faux leather briefcase on his lap, which had accompanied its original owner for many years and had worn edges.
The moment the system prompt fell, the briefcase in his eyes seemed to flash with an invisible stream of blue data.
Its color deepened, and the worn edges were restored as new.
The leather texture presented a subtle yet luxurious feel, and faint glimmers flowed along the stitching, as if containing stars.
The entire briefcase's aura instantly elevated from a down-and-out salesman's tool for survival to a profound work of art.
*paradox briefcase... from another Universe... Sorcerer Supreme Tony Stark?!*
The sheer amount of information almost caused William's brain to crash.
And the ability "Spark of Inspiration" made him ecstatic!
This was simply a divine skill tailor-made for him!
It perfectly explained why he could "create" the nickel-titanium alloy coating solution and provided the most solid "theoretical foundation" for him to continue "bluffing" genius clients like Tony Stark in the future!
In the future, if he threw out any black technology, he could completely attribute it to this "inspiration"!
"William?"
Tony's voice pulled him back from his ecstasy to reality.
"What are you grinning about? Thinking you're about to become a multi-millionaire?"
"No, Tony."
William looked up, his face beaming with a sincere, heartfelt smile.
He gently patted the brand new "paradox briefcase" on his lap and smiled:
"I am simply genuinely happy for our successful cooperation and the great future that is about to begin."