In the end, Helen Cho got drunk and fell asleep.
Harry wasn't some kind of stallion; he had brought her here for research, not to negotiate a major business deal. He put her back in the lounge and left her alone.
When Helen Cho woke up the next day, she had no memory of what happened after she got drunk. Her face flushed bright red as she apologized profusely to Harry.
It was clear she didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol.
The site for the Synthetic Production Center was set in New York. According to current production estimates, it could produce about 10 Synthetics with different personalities every month.
Compared to the current scale of the Oscorp's expansion, this production capacity was clearly quite small.
It wasn't that Harry didn't want to expand production capacity, but rather that society wasn't ready yet.
These Synthetics undoubtedly possessed individual intelligence and free will, and could be treated entirely as life forms, but this wasn't something Harry could decide alone.
He needed Norman to smooth things over, at least within the United States for now, and then use the Oscorp's control in small countries to run trials in various branches.
Only when the restrictions in the United States were loosened would the Oscorp's actions avoid being criticized—on the contrary, if anyone else jumped out to oppose them, he could give them a metaphorical slap in the face.
An enterprise is just an enterprise, after all; some things on the surface must be accomplished at a higher level.
For others, this might be a rare opportunity that can't be sought, but for Harry, it was only a matter of time.
"Ha—so you were alone with her on a plane for over 20 hours, and then she got drunk?"
Felicia's look was not a good one, and Harry could only raise his hands in surrender.
"Don't you know what kind of person I am? Nothing really happened—we just discussed some scientific research issues."
As Harry spoke, he switched the office to laboratory mode.
Felicia wasn't the type to be unreasonably troublesome—moreover, considering Harry's current status and wealth, even if he had done something, he was still the type of person who acted with great restraint.
"Fine, I believe you—the company has completed its expansion according to your instructions. Industries such as electronics, clothing, automobiles, exoskeletons, and mechanical prosthetics have all been fully rolled out. Except for food, over 92% of the consumer goods market in New York City already belongs to us."
While debugging the experimental equipment, Harry responded, "Very good. Continue expanding outward in this manner—including overseas. For branches in those countries with no money, we'll use consumer goods to offset costs."
Osborn can now produce almost all types of consumer goods.
Using nuclear fusion power, automated factories, and mineral resources from outer space, the production costs of these consumer goods are very low.
Mobile phones have almost phased out of the era, and current personal terminals are becoming increasingly diverse—they might exist as civilian exoskeletons, holographic wristwatches, AR glasses, or implants.
The systems used by these terminals have also been updated long ago; they all use the Osborn Operating System developed by Bone.
In fact, Harry didn't just distribute consumer goods almost for free internally; he also actively cooperated with Norman to use the distribution of consumer goods to replace part of the relief funds—this was good for all parties.
First, there was no need to continue printing money and overdrawing credit; second, it expanded Osborn's user base; and third, the lives of civilians were stabilized, they didn't need to take out loans to buy things, and society continued to function.
Because the things they used to take out loans for were now being produced with brand-new technology, the cost difference between the products of the old era and the new era would gradually erase the overdrawn credit—of course, there was still one big issue to solve.
That was housing—but Norman was also working hard on that front.
By connecting to the national infrastructure network, the basic functions of small villages became increasingly complete; by promoting virtual reality and strengthening the service and education industries, the functions of large cities would gradually be diverted.
After all, if you can live very well in a small place, why bother squeezing into a big city?
"I agree, but there's one problem: some companies are planning to band together and sue us for monopoly." Felicia shrugged; although she said it, she clearly didn't take it seriously.
"What do you plan to do?"
"They can't win against us anyway—but I want to open up some low-end, obsolete cores to let them fill the low-end market."
I plan to take the lead in establishing a Joint Procurement Organization among us. That way, they can compete freely among themselves, and our profits won't be reduced by a single cent."
It was a good choice; it would give them a piece of the pie, but that money would ultimately be paid as tribute to him.
This Joint Procurement Organization would negotiate Osborn's supply agreements with other companies. Although these other companies were independent in form and legal status, they had actually lost their independence in the purchasing and sales stages.
Due to their core technology being restricted, they would only become more and more dependent on the Oscorp, ultimately being controlled by Osborn and this Joint Procurement Organization.
Did they know? Of course they knew, but what could they do?
In the high-end field, the only one qualified to compete with Osborn was Stark Industries, and these two companies had actually been in constant communication.
However, because of Tony's performance, Harry wanted to ensure that Osborn always stayed one step ahead of Stark—or several steps.
After listening, Harry nodded. Felicia was no mere trophy; he could trust her.
Harry added, "Since it's come to this, why not..."
"Support a few companies focusing on other fields, right? I'm already doing that. Osborn Bank has acquired controlling stakes in several leading companies in the transportation, service, and financial industries."
That was exactly what he meant.
Osborn Bank was developing very well. By utilizing the characteristics of the financial industry, it could control a broader range of industries—these industries didn't necessarily need him to manage them personally, after all, ordinary people needed to make a living too.
Harry shook his head with a smile and put his arm around Felicia's slender waist: "You're really something—much better than me, the former CEO."
"You flatter me, My Lord Chairman—without you, how would the Oscorp even exist?"
Harry took the opportunity to press his lips against Felicia's soft red lips—the atmosphere was just right.
"You seem very tired—I actually believe now that nothing happened between you and that doctor," Felicia said. "Every time you finish, your spirit is noticeably better, but right now it doesn't seem like that's the case."
"Please, are you bringing her up at a time like this?" Harry rolled his eyes.
Helen Zhao was about work; now was for private life.
Felicia burst out laughing.
"Alright, the mood is gone. Now, sit over here. I've thought of a way to solve your physical problem."
Harry patted the Genetic Modification Pod.
This thing was something he had commissioned A to produce while he was in Siberia; it should be the most advanced genetic engineering facility on Earth at the moment.
This wasn't just to solve Felicia's physical problem; it was also a genetic modification.
Felicia took off her clothes and lay down in the modification pod.
For every trait genetic modification gives a subject, the difficulty of the next step of modification increases geometrically.
If it was as Harry expected, the more 'advanced' the trait, the difficulty and cost faced would also rise sharply.
In other words, to carry out a nationwide modification, a problem Harry hadn't considered for a long time had to be brought back to the table: the issue of cost.
Fortunately, the enhancement for Felicia didn't require so much consideration; Harry would naturally give Felicia all the traits.
The Longevity Gene trait happened to eliminate Felicia's physical problem, and with the effects of all-around trait enhancements stacked together, she now felt as if she were reborn.
When the pod door opened, Felicia's skin seemed as delicate as a newborn's, and her already perfect figure had become even more exquisite, as if it were a statue from the hands of a master sculptor.
"Are you mesmerized?" Felicia smiled playfully, then struck a pose and said, "By the way, there's one more thing. If we want to expand production capacity, we're a bit short on crude oil..."
Harry said helplessly, "Are you serious? Let's do something else right now."
Saying that, he pulled out a cardboard box. Felicia was a bit confused about what it was.
"A Halloween gift."
"But that's still three months away!"
Amidst cries of surprise, the atmosphere in the Oscorp Chairman's office became increasingly romantic.
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