Chapter 327: The Flash's Combat Suit (Part 1)
Political Consequences
Thanks to the tireless efforts of the FBI, Sam Lane was finally cleared of suspicion and regained his freedom.
However, this was not good news for him.
Due to the previous accidents and missteps, the reputation of A.R.G.U.S. had plummeted, completely overshadowed by the FBI. He personally faced countless criticisms, and even the Senate, which had always strongly supported him, began to voice doubts.
This was unavoidable. His performance was embarrassing; had he died in the fight, he would at least have the honorable title of a martyr. Now, he had been spared by the killer.
A killer sparing a law enforcement officer is impossible to explain anywhere.
Fortunately, President Joel Nash was magnanimous. He did not pursue Sam Lane's failures and allowed him to retain his position as Director of A.R.G.U.S., but the annual budget was cut by one-third.
Money: Gone!
Subordinates: Disaffected and divided!
Former colleagues: Distant!
This triple blow sent Sam Lane, who had been ready to achieve great things, into a slump from which he was unlikely to recover quickly.
In contrast, Scott Ruby, a confidant of President Nash, faced many criticisms when he first took the position of FBI Director, with many pointing to his improper association with the Chinese-American gang, the Hongmen, during his time as a councilman in Star City. However, all these criticisms quietly vanished after the case was concluded.
After all, he led the team that killed Joshua Allen, preventing a potential catastrophe of the century.
The Celebration Party
The day after Joshua's death, Linda left Headland Villa and returned to Star City.
According to her, the mission was over, and she needed to leave; a man and a woman living alone would lead to misunderstandings.
Luke did not stop her decision. In fact, he needed to relax as well.
On the evening of December 30th, a lavish dinner party was held at Headland Villa.
Luke invited colleagues and subordinates from ShowMe and Tesla, along with some business partners. He also arranged for a "so-called talent agency" to send many attractive, struggling B and C-list celebrities to "pursue their dreams" here.
However, the reputation of the "Billionaire Noble Scion" was so resounding that many girls, including top supermodels and A-list celebrities, came uninvited to the party.
Luke had greatly underestimated the allure of youth, handsomeness, and wealth on young women.
The influx of girls created a situation of many targets and few pursuers at the party. Strangely, though the targets were abundant, the pursuers were hesitant to strike.
Seeing the ShowMe employees huddled together in a corner, darting their eyes around like bumpkins visiting a big city, Luke shook his head in exasperation and turned to Phillip Arthur beside him.
"Can they not see the opportunity tonight?"
Mr. Arthur, dressed as a successful businessman, swirled his wine glass and chuckled. "You can't expect specialized talents who enjoy tinkering with computers to learn the dating techniques of high society."
"What do you suggest I do?"
Arthur hinted, "They need some packaging." He paused, then added, "At least a decent suit. And a watch is essential, of course."
Luke immediately understood. He called a servant and instructed him to escort the "idiots" to the dressing room.
Ten minutes later, the strangely dressed, dark-eyed "master hackers" were gone, replaced by a group of "successful men" wearing expensive suits, brand-name watches, and immaculately styled hair.
Luke approached them and spoke with a hint of feigned anger,
"How many times did I tell you before you came? This is a special banquet! Dress cleanly! And you all showed up looking like farmhands! How do you expect to get anywhere with women looking like that?"
Zack Berg looked embarrassed and stammered,
"Boss, if you had told us there would be so many single girls at the party, we wouldn't have dressed like that."
Luke gave him a cold, sarcastic glance. "The text message clearly said 'special banquet.' You can't understand the word 'special,' can you? Did I need to write 'orgy' for you to get the hint?"
"A bunch of fools!"
His words left everyone mortified and incredibly awkward. Fortunately, they were all bachelors, and their embarrassment was quickly swept away by the dazzling array of beautiful women.
The effect of the makeover was immediate.
They were no longer the awkward nerds hiding in the corner but prey in the eyes of the girls.
The attendees from ShowMe and Tesla were core employees, each holding varying amounts of stock. As the company's stock price soared, their personal net worth was increasing, making them genuine diamond potential investments.
These "fools" didn't realize it, but the girls who had been thoroughly refined by society certainly did.
As the party progressed, the men gradually found female companions. Only Barry Allen stubbornly remained glued to Luke's side, a complete third wheel.
Luke was annoyed by him and couldn't help but curse under his breath,
"Why are you following me? I'm not a woman!"
Barry Allen said with a hint of shyness, "Boss, there's something I need your help with."
"Do you want me to find you a girlfriend?"
"No, no, no!!!"
The future Flash quickly waved his hands. "I already have a girl I like. I'm talking about something else."
"What is it?"
Barry Allen looked around and whispered, "Can we talk inside? There are too many people here."
Luke: "..."
Fine! I'll see what kind of trick you're trying to pull.
The two left the main hall and went to a first-floor conference room.
The Suit Design
"Alright, talk. What do you need my help with?"
Barry Allen pulled out a carefully prepared blueprint and spread it out on the table.
Luke examined it curiously, his frown deepening with every detail.
"Kinetic armor?"
"No, not kinetic armor. It's a single-person combat suit—superconducting materials, high-temperature resistant fibers, a control transmission system, and... a nanosuction system!"
Luke raised his head and looked at him coldly.
"If I recall correctly, the nanosuction system is a core secret of Tesla. How is it on this blueprint?"
Barry Allen immediately panicked and looked completely flustered.
"I... I... I..."
"Forget the system for now." Luke placed his hand on the blueprint, calculating as he spoke. "Did you design this armor yourself?"
Barry nodded repeatedly. "What do you think of it, sir?"
Although he was older than Luke, the intense pressure radiating from Luke unconsciously made him use the respectful term.
"It's awful."
Luke sneered and shook his head. "Based on the design on this blueprint, it would be a single-use item if built. All these materials combined cost at least four hundred thousand dollars. Four hundred thousand dollars for a one-time product? You must be rich."
"No way!"
Barry Allen scratched his head, looking utterly confused. "How can it be single-use? I calculated it precisely."
"Calculated my foot!"
"The high-temperature resistant fiber's toughness isn't up to standard. It can't withstand the compressed cold condensation process, let alone the nanosuction. This sort of thing requires practical testing, not just calculations."
Barry Allen still didn't understand. He subconsciously asked,
"Then what materials should I use?"
"Meet me at my office tomorrow at 3:00 PM."
With such a good time ahead of him, Luke was not in the mood to discuss combat suits with this simple-minded guy.
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