I Became a Knockoff Arms Dealer in the Marvel World

The conversation between Carl and Ian continued.

"Even though it's already past 3 a.m., I still want you to give me a detailed rundown of the subsidiary's current status. Once I understand the situation, I'll brief you on Umbrella's next phase of development."

Ian straightened up with a serious expression. He nodded occasionally, then began his report:

"After extensive preliminary surveys and comprehensive consideration of various factors, we decided to establish the North American base on the outskirts of Poughkeepsie, New York.

Thanks to the tireless efforts of over 2,000 workers working around the clock, the base's construction progress has reached nearly 90%.

Meanwhile, we have temporarily stationed 300 Umbrella employees on the 79th to 81st floors of the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan. Once the final touches on the base are complete, these personnel will be transferred to the subsidiary headquarters.

Additionally, we have employees scattered across various states in North America. We've set up one or more offices in most states, each staffed with 3 to 10 personnel.

Following your instructions, Boss, we've also acquired stakes in several major broadcast networks, including CBS and ABC. In print media, we've purchased minority shares in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Herald Tribune.

Moreover, we've invested in major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook.

With these acquisitions, which some might call extravagant overpurchases, Umbrella has secured its own voice in both traditional and online media.

That said, I must interject here, Boss.

Recently, an instant messaging app called WhatsApp has been experiencing explosive growth. This company has the potential to become a unicorn in the tech world. I believe we should consider acquiring or taking a controlling stake in this rising star."

Hearing the familiar name "WhatsApp," Carl took a moment to recall.

This company would eventually become the world's second-largest instant messaging giant, boasting over two billion active users monthly.

A once-in-a-century opportunity like this—how could he let it slip by?

Carl made a decisive command: "That's a good suggestion. I'm assigning you the task of overseeing the acquisition of WhatsApp."

Hearing that his suggestion was accepted, Ian was filled with enthusiasm. Working for such a visionary boss was truly a rare privilege.

Ian's eyes seemed to shine as he immediately pledged, "I won't let you down, Boss."

Seeing Ian's excitement, as if he'd just been injected with adrenaline, Carl couldn't help but find it amusing.

The "tool man" recommended by Red Queen really is handy!

Carl then shifted the topic to Umbrella's core business—specifically, the state of arms sales in North America.

When Ian heard this, his excitement quickly faded, replaced by a hint of guilt.

"Although Umbrella's firearms are superior in both quality and price compared to international competitors, our North American business has faced inexplicable resistance.

We've even had several deals fall through at the last minute due to strange and unforeseen circumstances."

Carl wasn't surprised to hear this. After all, North America was S.H.I.E.L.D.'s home turf.

Umbrella's entry into the North American arms market was bound to be met with both overt and covert suppression by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Instead of blaming Ian for the poor performance, Carl offered reassurance: "It's S.H.I.E.L.D. secretly working against us. It's normal for arms sales to struggle under such circumstances."

He then shared his plans:

"The arms industry can develop gradually. I intend to open a private hospital as an alternative approach to break through S.H.I.E.L.D.'s suppression.

This private hospital will specialize in the complete cure of two terminal illnesses: AIDS and stomach cancer. It will also offer life-extension services.

To make a splash and solidify Umbrella's reputation, I'm planning a 'super promotion.' The specifics of the plan are as follows…"

By the time Carl finished explaining, Ian's face was filled with disbelief—not because of the plan itself, but because of the key detail Carl had mentioned.

"Vampires? My god, are those legendary creatures real? This is unbelievable."

Ian, an ordinary human, wouldn't have believed in the existence of vampires under normal circumstances. It was only his unwavering trust in Carl that allowed him to reluctantly accept the idea.

Carl didn't bother explaining further. Ian was merely a tool man; all he needed to do was execute the preliminary tasks as instructed without overthinking things.

Ian soon calmed down. As the person in charge of the North American base, he was well aware of Umbrella's technological capabilities, including its development of Iron Man-style suits. Umbrella's power was anything but weak.

Moreover, as a military company, Umbrella demanded its leaders possess strong mental fortitude. While not requiring Ian to have a heart of steel, he was at least expected to handle pressure well.

Once composed, Ian thumped his chest and declared, "Blade? Eric Brooks? I know a few black market intermediaries. Finding him shouldn't be difficult."

Seeing that Ian already had a plan in mind for the initial phase, Carl nodded in satisfaction.

"Red Queen is actively tracking the movements of the vampire upper echelon. If the preparations go smoothly, we'll launch our first strike against the vampires in a week!

If you encounter any trouble that requires brute force, you can request Red Queen's assistance.

I'm authorizing you access to two A1 Iron Suits stationed at the North American base."

Carl then instructed Red Queen via earpiece to upgrade Ian's clearance level from B1 to A1.

Hearing how much trust the Boss placed in him, even granting access to the immensely powerful A1 suits, Ian's lingering doubts evaporated instantly.

"Thank you for your trust, Boss. With the A1 suits, those sewer-dwelling creatures won't stand a chance—they'll be trembling at Umbrella's feet."

Carl chuckled. He wasn't wrong.

Even without Iron Suits, vampires had far too many weaknesses: garlic, sunlight, silver weapons, and holy relics like blessed water and crucifixes imbued with divine power.

As the world's largest arms manufacturer, Umbrella could easily mass-produce ultraviolet grenades, silver-plated bullets, or even modify mid-range ultraviolet missiles.

No matter how numerous the vampires were, a missile barrage would reduce them to ashes. Deploying Iron Suits against vampires really was overkill.

It was precisely Umbrella's large-scale production capabilities that gave Carl the confidence to challenge the vampire aristocracy of the dark world.

The two talked for two hours. Outside the blinds, faint rays of dawn cast light onto the long, elegant conference table.

Realizing he had unknowingly discussed work with Ian through the entire night, Carl decided it was time to wrap things up.

"It's already morning. The super promotion plan should be prioritized as the top task.

The WhatsApp acquisition isn't urgent—set it as a third priority. Get some rest and recharge before starting work. There's no rush."