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Chapter 302 Negotiation
"How... how did you do that?" Dr. Wei asked incredulously.

"Don't ask about the method..." Walter replied, "That's not something we can understand."

He opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refute.

There is nothing in the world that cannot be understood; scientific thinking can help humanity understand everything.

But seeing the robotic arm hanging down from the ventilation duct, he stopped talking. Rationally speaking, it was absolutely impossible for it to be related to the air conditioning equipment—even if technology advanced a hundred years more, central air conditioning ventilation ducts would never be equipped with such a thing.

“Miss Lin, does this mean that we can obtain fully usable prosthetic eyes simply by producing what the doctor calls ‘failed products’?” Walter asked.

"That's understandable."

His reaction was indeed quick, Lin Qing thought. In a sense, repair and manufacturing are inherently intertwined capabilities. The N959 can repair damaged items, and naturally it can also restore incomplete items—to it, these are all defective products that have lost their function, and as long as there are reference samples, repairing them doesn't take much effort.

The result was just as Lin Qing had predicted.

The prosthetic eye Wei Hefan brought wasn't directly converted into the military version she used; only the interface was redesigned. From Qiwu's perspective, its core function was undamaged and didn't require repair. In other words, even if N959 were given unlimited resources, it wouldn't modify a battery into a prosthetic eye.

Even if it does possess that ability.

Meanwhile, the restoration process of the artifact is not simply a nanoscale replication of the sample; it employs a unique repair philosophy, something Lin Qing had experienced in New Paris. Her arm regained full function after the repair, but many areas changed. For example, her skin was now as smooth as a normal person's, her fingertips had been manicured, and the nerve connections no longer relied on nanobots, etc…

When Lin Qing received the eyeballs, she had already quietly completed the test. Not only did the two prosthetic eyes show no nanobot reaction, but their neural interfaces were also slightly twitching, just like living organisms.

As for how N959 restored the function of the prosthetic eye without relying on nanobot technology, even Xiao Lv couldn't understand it.

But it can do it.

This is perhaps the most incredible thing about strange objects—they place their own logic above reality.

After Dr. Wei, who looked dazed, was seen off, only Walter and Lin Qing remained in the conference room.

"Now... it's time to talk about cooperation." Lin Qing went straight to the point. "As you can see, the production of prosthetic eyes is no longer a distant goal. If everything goes smoothly, this factory could even start mass production today."

She didn't boast about the significance of the matter or how much astonishing wealth a groundbreaking product could bring.

Because without needing to say a word, old Walter already knew perfectly well.

Walter Weiss felt sweat beading on his forehead.

He had guessed that the organization was powerful, but he hadn't expected it to be this powerful... so powerful it was almost distorted. The failure of the cooperation was a minor matter; what he feared was whether he could survive peacefully if the negotiations fell through.

After all, he had witnessed the other party's "secret".

Despite this, Walter remained calm and smiled faintly at Lin Qing, saying, "The methods of the Limitless Agency are indeed extraordinary. Without such miraculous technological assistance, my people probably wouldn't have been able to produce any formal results even after another ten years of research."

"That's not necessarily true," Lin Qing smiled politely. "If this company were really swallowed up by the authorities like in history, creating a prosthetic body in ten years would definitely be a piece of cake."

He continued, "But Walter Company's role is also very important. For an organization, it's hard to find a small to medium-sized arms company as flexible and willing to cooperate as us. I believe that if both sides can continue to cooperate, it will definitely be a win-win situation. As for the profits... I can make some concessions, but 30% is the limit the company can accept..."

At this point, Walter glanced tentatively at Lin Qing.

A 30/70 profit split is definitely a sincere offer. After all, investing in and building a factory requires substantial costs, and all the risks of these heavy assets are borne by our own company. Not receiving 30% would be somewhat disrespectful.

“I didn’t intend to discuss this with you…” Lin Qing said casually, “If you have no objections, I can continue with the previous 50/50 split.”

Walter was taken aback. "So what would you like to talk about?"

“We need your company’s absolute loyalty.” She held up two fingers. “Considering this is a family business, all we need is for you to guarantee your loyalty to us while maintaining absolute control. Loyalty means that your company will only do business that we permit, only deal with companies or organizations that we approve of, and prioritize completing the production tasks assigned to you.”

Walter was stunned.

This can no longer be considered a normal business negotiation, can it?
Does she want to turn Walter & Co. into part of the organization?
"No, the company is still yours, and you can let whichever child you want inherit the wealth you've accumulated." Lin Qing saw through the other party's thoughts. "We have no intention of taking over your company. This request is to deal with future changes in the situation. Only in this way can you survive in the fierce competition."

What will change in the future?

Walter was startled; he absolutely did not believe this was a fabricated threat. What had the Limits Agency sensed to arrive at this conclusion?

Moreover, upon closer reflection, it seems quite normal for companies supported by government agencies to serve those agencies... Besides, they haven't tightened their grip on the most crucial aspect: profit distribution. What does a 50/50 split mean? With products like prosthetic eyes that are ahead of their time, Walter Company could probably earn in a year what they couldn't earn in the past ten years.

But when it comes to money... he always felt something was missing.

"Leaving aside the company's profits, Ms. Lin, what benefits could I possibly gain from this?"

Walter was also surprised that he would say such a thing.

The purpose of starting a company is to make money. Is there any condition more debatable than making money?

Such a question is unlikely to come from the mouth of a seasoned and experienced businessman.

At least the old Walter would never have asked.

What is he longing for right now?
"Your company will produce many pioneering products, and you will be remembered by the world, just like those who build great companies from scratch, becoming an indispensable part of history." Lin Qing saw through his intentions at a glance. "Mr. Walter, we don't need a business puppet, but a warrior who can fight in the future. The intensity of competition in the arms industry in the future will far exceed your imagination. If we cannot reach a consensus now, this cooperation is destined to fail."

“You overestimate me.” Walter was completely relieved. “After all, I’m fifty-five years old. Even if I wanted to push myself further, my body probably couldn’t handle it. But until then, I’m still willing to continue this partnership… After all, my abilities tell me that you didn’t make this request of me with malicious intent.”

Lin Qing smiled. "Did you know? For those of us who control capabilities and advanced technology, lifespan is not immutable."

A hint of surprise flashed across Walter's face. "Do you mean..."

“That’s right, and that’s one of the extra benefits we can offer—some prosthetics can enhance neural response levels, making people feel as if they’ve regained their youth, while some abilities can extend lifespan, preventing people from aging…” Lin Qing paused, “So we’ve never considered the Walter family’s heir. As I said before, this company must be run by one person, and all we need to do is reach an agreement with him.”

Walter was silent for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed.

"Hahahaha... This isn't even a negotiation, because the conditions you offered are just too tempting, how could I possibly refuse?"

After laughing, he said seriously, "From today onwards, Walter will be your most trustworthy company."

Lin Qing didn't answer, but instead took out a metal box the size of a cigarette pack from her pocket and pushed it in front of the other person.

The latter opened it and found a press-type syringe inside.

(End of this chapter)