Chapter 996

Leander's heart raced with excitement as this was the moment he had been waiting for. He struggled to maintain his composure, trying to appear nonchalant as he gave a thumbs-up.

"You've got good taste! I knew you'd recognize its value when you saw it. Name a price," he said calmly.

Mikael looked at Leander with an amused expression as he took a long drag from his cigar. He seemed about to speak but held back, continuing to smoke one puff after another until only the stub remained.

After grinding the cigar butt into the sandy soil, he looked up at Leander and stated, "Five billion dollars-what do you say?"

Though his blood was pumping with anticipation, Leander maintained a calm smile while giving Mikael a meaningful look.

"I can see you're a man of vision, but do you really think it's worth so little? This technology represents the future itself!"

"I'll double it then-ten billion dollars!" Mikael offered with a grin.

Leander pressed on, "Let me remind you one more time what we're dealing with here. Picture a hundred special forces soldiers in mechanical exoskeletons, armed with machine guns, fighting their way across an entire city—can you imagine the impact?"

Mikael's eyes suddenly turned sharp, impressed that Leander had thought this through to such an extent.

A sinister smile crept across his face as he commented, "The mech suit is indeed valuable, but if you don't sell it to me, you won't be able to protect it."

"I'm not worried," Leander replied confidently. "You're the only one who knows about this right now, so it's safe for the moment."

Mikael shook his head. "Do you really know me?"

"Of course," Leander responded. "You're the most ruthless businessman in the world. With you, you get what you pay for."

Mikael laughed dryly and leaned back. "You think you know me? I don't even fully know myself. What makes you so sure you've figured me out?"

Leander frowned slightly, sensing a shift in Mikael's tone. "What do you mean by that?"

Mikael's smile had vanished. "I have an urge right now."

Leander frowned. "What kind of urge?"

"An urge to kill you," Mikael said coldly. "If I kill you, the mech suit becomes mine."

Leander's eyes widened in fear as he glanced at the handgun on the table, feeling a chill run down his spine.

"You're joking, right? This has to be a joke."

Mikael's stern face softened slightly, and he cracked a grin. "It's a joke, of course. But the price stays-ten billion dollars."

Still shaking slightly, Leander fought to control his fear. "Fine. I accept the ten billion. But how do we handle the transfer?"

Mikael lit another cigar with

confident satisfaction. "As you know, my position means everything do makes headlines. If I visit Lambda City it'll draw attention from all sides.

"I'll have my people send an official inspection notice to the Lambda City government. That way, my visit to your company will be perfectly legitimate."

Leander stood up. "Then it's settled. I should head back now to make preparations."

Taking another puff of his cigar, Mikael casually replied, "No need to leave. Why don't you stay and enjoy my island for a while?"

"The company needs me there," Leander said cautiously.

"You can have your pick of beautiful women, drinks, and gourmet food here," Mikael offered.

Leander's expression tightened. "Thanks for the hospitality, but I really need to get back. Besides, I prefer the women back home."

"You'll leave when my schedule is arranged. We'll go together," Mikael said, his smile unchanged.

"Are you... holding me captive?" Leander demanded.

"Until I have the exoskeleton prototype and all the technical specifications, you need

to stay under my control," Mikael explained.

Leander gritted his teeth and argued, "Aren't you worried that once we're in Lambda City, I could do the same to you?"

Despite being on Mikael's turf,

Leander hoped to turn the tables when they moved to his territory He lacked the power to actually pull it off, but bluffing was his only option.

Mikael burst into laughter, pointing at Leander in amusement. "You're hilarious!

From the moment you contacted me, I had everything investigated.

"Your company's employee count, family background, relatives, friends, bank accounts... everything. Doyou think you can do the same tome?

you have my resources

Leander felt completely exposed, like all his defenses had been stripped away,

leaving him utterly vulnerable.