"Mr. Jonathan, you just announced that Jonathan Group will independently build the first civilian commercial space station in human history?"
"The timeline is set to deliver the core module in 2015. With all due respect, NASA's annual budget..."
In the banquet hall of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, the audience was packed with reporters, their cameras and microphones aimed at the stage.
Jonathan, dressed in a dark gray suit, smiled and raised a hand to interrupt the reporter:
"I know what you're going to say. How much is NASA's budget? What are Boeing and Lockheed's quotes..."
"As for the cost structure of the traditional aerospace industry, we could give you countless sets of detailed figures, but those are all a thing of the past."
"The metastable metallic glass composite material independently developed by Jonathan Group—in the holographic presentation you just saw, the strength-to-weight ratio of the space station's shell is eleven times that of existing aerospace aluminum alloys, and its radiation resistance is six times higher. Yet, to manufacture it, we only need one-third of the energy consumption of traditional processes..."
...
Shawn and Mira were backstage, watching Jonathan bask in the spotlight, speaking with ease, and were quite impressed by his performance.
As their own strength grew, Shawn and Mira gradually let go of their inhibitions. They had arrived in New York quietly as board members, bringing the children to see relatives and friends, while also taking the opportunity to do some sightseeing.
The pastoral scenery of the small town was peaceful and serene, while the dazzling metropolis of New York had a unique charm of its own.
Looking at Jonathan, Mira said with gratification: "He is shining."
Many people aren't without talent; they just lack a stage to showcase it.
The fact that Jonathan Group could make a name for itself in the industry was inseparable from Jonathan and the efforts of the entire research team behind him.
In places unseen, they held over six hundred patents, their talent pool was expanding rapidly, and they continued to cultivate deep expertise on that foundation. They were long past the point of being just a small, struggling startup.
As far as current human civilization is concerned, the space race is something only a few unicorn companies or even nations can afford to play, but this situation is likely to change in the near future.
Jonathan Group was that biggest disruptor of all.
"To be honest, I'm a bit envious of Jonathan. He has found his own direction."
Beside them, Shawn's cousin, Ignatz Connelly, was also watching the protagonist on stage with a look of emotion.
The Connelly family also held shares and had long since achieved financial freedom.
Ignatz was about the same age as Jonathan, but because their professional paths differed, he held a position in the marketing department. Although he had contributed to the company's development, his achievements clearly didn't compare to Jonathan's.
Shawn patted Ignatz on the shoulder and asked with a smile: "I heard your grades in your major courses back in school were pretty good?"
"Don't even mention it, that doesn't count for anything."
Ignatz sighed deliberately, waved his hand, and then smiled with relief: "Actually, I'm very satisfied with my life now. Seriously, the school I graduated from was very ordinary, and I was just a struggling medical student. If it weren't for tagging along with you guys, I'd probably still be working day and night in some community hospital, nowhere near the life I have now, surrounded by beautiful women and living in luxury!"
Shawn should be glad that Aunt Roxanne's upbringing had been quite successful.
Ignatz wasn't the type of person who didn't know how to be grateful or satisfied, but the self-driven desire to become better was also a normal psychological need.
Shawn listened to his remarks, lost in thought.
...
...
Manhattan, New York, Vought Tower.
"Can't reach Homelander?"
Madelyn Stillwell sat behind her desk, with three tablets, two private encrypted mobile phones, and a paper document spread out in front of her.
That mid-air collision between Homelander and Superman made it hard to tell who had won and who had lost.
Vought International had made a fortune from the live broadcast, but Madelyn couldn't bring herself to be happy about it.
Superman's power exceeded both her and CEO Stan Edgar's expectations.
This caught Vought International off guard. They had to re-examine their previous strategies and eventually adopted a more gentle, long-term observation policy toward Superman.
Well, to put it simply, they were a bit out of options.
Now, problems were coming one after another.
Since his encounter with Superman, Homelander's recent behavior had been too abnormal.
After returning, he rarely showed his face at Vought Tower. Even members of The Seven, whom he usually pressured from time to time, felt a bit unaccustomed to it and turned to report this to Madelyn.
During routine press conferences, Homelander's performance was still perfect, but as a close work partner, Madelyn knew something must have happened.
"Perhaps I should have a heart-to-heart with him?"
Madelyn pondered secretly. Homelander's temper was hard to fathom, and she couldn't always control it.
And Vought's massive workload wouldn't disappear just because their ace superhero was slacking off.
On the contrary, whether it was The Seven or other second or third-tier superheroes, the files in the hands of every assistant in the Operations Analysis Department were already piled up like a mountain.
Every single matter was waiting for her to handle it.
"Ms. Stillwell."
At this moment, an assistant walked in from outside: "The resident superheroes in Texas, 'Lone Star' and 'Wrangler,' have reported to headquarters that they are severely understaffed, their missions are too difficult, and they are requesting reinforcements."
How long had it been since the strategic contraction, and already someone was complaining about being overworked.
Even with Vought International's major strategic adjustments, the work originally assigned to 'Lone Star' and 'Wrangler' wasn't actually that much.
Those two had it too easy making money lying down before, and now they weren't quite used to it.
But who caused all this?
"Damn Superman."
Madelyn sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed, "Tell them to pull themselves together recently and not to mess around. Given that their attendance has improved, I will consider at my discretion letting the Commercial Department help them secure a couple more endorsements."
"Understood."
The assistant took notes, nodded, and prepared to leave.
"Wait."
Madelyn seemed to think of something and suddenly called her back. Madelyn asked: "Is there anyone else from The Seven available?"
The assistant checked the records and replied a moment later: "Basically everyone has a scheduled itinerary, but Lamplighter just finished filming a public service announcement and has started a two-day vacation gap beginning today. According to the records, he should be attending a private seminar at Cornell University with the semi-retired Mr. Marathon right now."
What private seminar? Isn't it just to trick those naive college girls out of their bodies?
Idiots who only think with their lower bodies, wasting precious time on such boring things—sooner or later, they're going to suffer a huge loss.
I really want to use a crowbar to crack his head open!
Madelyn tapped her desk with her fingers, "The plan has changed. Now is not the time for a vacation. Make him come back and help!"
"Understood."
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