Interdimensional Scientist, Starting from Cyberpunk

The people around the El Capitan were indeed representatives of Thorton Corporation, with one of them being Moses Sherman.

However, he wasn't entirely just a representative of Thorton Corporation.

"Boss, please sit down. I'm Sherman Sky, the person in charge of Mackinaw concept stocks at Thorton Corporation."

Leo raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "Wait a minute. What do you mean by 'person in charge of concept stocks'? What's your actual position in the company?"

Sherman straightened up slightly at the question and discreetly glanced at the El Capitan beside him. The latter signaled him with his eyes—don't try any tricks.

So, Sherman scratched his head and admitted, "I'm responsible for marketing this stock. Alright, boss, I'll just tell it like it is. Here's how it happened—"

First, the Concept of Concept Stocks

Everyone knows that traditional performance stocks require a company or organization to have solid financial results as a foundation. But concept stocks are different.

To put it bluntly, the value of a concept stock depends on how hot its associated concept is—the more hype, the more valuable it becomes. In essence, it's purely speculative.

Mackinaw concept stocks fall into this category. They have no intrinsic value and are more like a gamble—betting on how long the concept will stay popular.

Why Did Thorton Corporation Do This?

At this point, Sherman looked a little embarrassed: Thorton initially believed that this concept would only stay hot for a short while.

Legends come and go, but corporations are built to last. Going against a giant corporation never ends well.

If those guys suddenly dropped dead, the stock price would plummet just as quickly as it had risen. That fluctuation could even cause losses for the company.

But the money from the stock surge was too tempting.

The genius CEO of Thorton had an idea: since this stock was so perfect for speculation, why not spin it off into a separate concept stock?

This was a brilliant move because it aligned with the mindset of investors from all backgrounds at the time.

Ordinary people believed Mackinaw was truly amazing, and they were easily swayed by media and TV shows to buy in.

The wealthy, however, saw through this, realizing that a reckless group fighting the "Burger King" syndicate in Night City was bound to meet a tragic end. They entered the market intending to make quick profits before the inevitable crash.

When both the rich and the lower class joined in, the hype skyrocketed. At that point, the slower-reacting middle class saw the frenzy and finally decided to invest—joining the game late as always.

With the middle-class buying in, the stock market thrived.

It was a three-way win—each group believed they were the ones making a profit.

And so, Thorton sent Sherman, a rookie, to manage this concept stock.

Some thought he was being set up as a scapegoat since concept stocks were bound to collapse eventually. Others believed he made a fortune through this role.

But Sherman? He genuinely thought Mackinaw was incredible—or rather, that Leo and his group were incredible.

He believed that Thorton's rise depended on them!

A Shift in Strategy

As events unfolded, Sherman's instincts proved increasingly accurate. Thorton Corporation began realizing something odd:

Mackinaw had remained the same old vehicle with the same subpar specs for years. What exactly made it so impressive?

They looked inward and found that they hadn't put any effort into improving Mackinaw's performance. The car itself hadn't gotten any better.

So, what made it special?

The answer was obvious—it was the people driving it.

This led to a gradual shift in Thorton's strategy.

Their CEO, envious of Mackinaw's stock surge, wondered if they could also ride the wave and boost their own company's value. So, they reached out to the El Capitan.

The original plan to switch to Mad Dog armored vehicles? That was Thorton's upper management's idea.

But the second modification of Mackinaw? That was Sherman's proposal: Keep using the Mackinaw, but ensure people could tell this wasn't just any Mackinaw.

Anyone could see the new Mackinaw wasn't an ordinary one. But what exactly made it special? Even the market wasn't sure.

One thing was certain, though—these modifications used Thorton's technology, which meant Thorton's stock price could still see a modest, steady rise.

And that kind of growth?

Now, that was sustainable.

Of course, only Thorton Company truly knew that there wasn't any groundbreaking technology involved.

If anything, turning a junky pickup into an armored vehicle was certainly unusual.

As for how Sherman ended up here, Leo had already guessed it:

Why did the Mackinaw concept stock explode in popularity? Wasn't it all because of Night City?

Night City was the stock's foundation. Anyone with a brain knew they had to keep an eye on things here.

Sherman took a sip of his drink and concluded, "That's pretty much the situation."

"Not easy for you, huh?" Leo suddenly remarked.

Sherman's hand froze mid-sip.

Having his reality bluntly pointed out, his face twisted so much that Leo suspected he had an entire facial cyberware suite controlling his expressions.

"You got that right! It's tough as hell! Boss, you have no idea—those old stiffs in Thorton's boardroom are completely rigid!

They keep saying we're making 'small, steady gains,' telling us to 'hold our foundation' and 'not get greedy'—what a joke! Do they not hear themselves?

I told them so many times: if the company wants a major breakthrough, we have to be bold. We have to take risks!

This is the perfect time to push new technology—spend one credit, get ten, maybe a hundred in return! But they're still hesitating? They might as well go home and sell potatoes!"

Sherman ranted like a machine gun as if the El Capitan telling him, to be honest, had unlocked a floodgate. He just kept going.

His core complaint?

Thorton's higher-ups were all idiots—too afraid to spend money when it mattered.

They acted like they weren't greedy, but deep down, they just wanted to play it safe and hoard profits.

But in what world did playing safe bring fortune?

No wonder this company, once the biggest automaker in the U.S., was now barely scraping by, living off its old legacy.

The El Capitan sat beside them, quietly chuckling the whole time, clearly enjoying Sherman's personality.

Sherman took another sip of his drink and said, "A lot of people don't want to see me succeed, but I've still got some skilled people on my side."

"Boss, if you need anything, just say the word. I'll make sure you get the best stuff."

"Oh, and your car is fully repaired—solid as new! Take a look."

Through the second-floor window, they could see the Mackinaw below. But Leo had already checked it earlier.

After thinking for a moment, Leo said, "So you've got a lot of engineers, then?"

Sherman nodded. "Not a ton, but they're all top-notch. At the very least, they can understand any tech they get their hands on. Whatever adjustments you need, they can handle."

That wasn't an empty boast. Given the severe damage Mackinawsuffered last time, regular mechanics wouldn't have been able to fix it. These engineers were the real deal.

Leo stroked his chin and said, "Since you're offering, I want the engine design schematics. You're not gonna refuse me, are you?"

Sherman froze.

Thorton's engine technology was the core of the whole vehicle.

A 2,400-horsepower monster stuffed into a car—why would they develop such an engine?

Obviously, they wanted to dip into the high-end hovercar market.

Every automaker dreamed of making hovercars affordable, but the technology wasn't easy to crack.

So Thorton ended up developing this experimental hovercar engine, which then got repurposed for Mackinaw.

This engine, built from classified company research, was a major corporate secret.

But sitting right in front of him was his "Boss."

Sherman suddenly felt torn between loyalty and survival.

Seeing his hesitation, Leo casually added, "Actually, I've been thinking—Mackinaw is a solid vehicle. Aldecaldos are looking to buy a batch of new cars.

But the design needs to meet our requirements. Your company takes custom orders, right?"

"Custom orders?" Sherman blinked. Of course, they did.

But normally, custom contracts came from major corporations, not… nomads. Did these drifters really have that kind of money?

Leo tapped the table. "Aldecaldos have about twenty thousand people in the Badlands. If they all swap to new cars, how much do you think that deal is worth?

What was it you said earlier? 'Fortune favors the bold,' right, Sherman? I'm giving you this opportunity because you've got more sense than Thorton's execs."

Sherman slammed the table. "Damn right! You're absolutely right! Fortune favors the bold!"

Leo patted him on the shoulder with a knowing look. "Don't act like I'm desperate for your engine."

"Let me remind you—I'm only giving you this chance because you're playing it straight. The actual production will be handled by your engineers."

"You'll get your cut, of course, but…"

Leo glanced at the El Capitan, who rubbed his hands together.

The El Capitan wasn't just some underground car dealer anymore. He had a legitimate car manufacturing business—Black Ibex Motors.

Leo continued, "Our business is bigger than you think. Picture this: tens of thousands of Aldecaldos driving Mackinaws across the Badlands.

[TN:Mad Max Style]

Mackinaws stretching as far as the eye can see, tearing through sandstorms, dominating the wasteland.

One day, this 'concept stock' of yours won't be a concept anymore. It'll be the real deal.

And remember—this isn't something Thorton is giving you. You understand?"

Sherman swallowed hard.

He was a corporate lackey. He'd heard all kinds of grand promises before.

But there were certain people—when you spoke to them face-to-face, your thoughts just started racing.

Either you'd tremble in fear, or you'd get completely swept up in their vision.

Leo was one of those people.

Sherman kept his expression neutral, carefully controlling his emotions with practiced corporate poise and cyberware-assisted composure.

But deep down? He was rattled.

Leo's unexpected offer and the sheer scale of his vision had him reeling.

Sherman slowly nodded. "I understand."

Yet, as soon as he said it, the absurdity of the situation hit him.

He had been chosen by Thorton to run Mackinaw's concept stock.

Now, in an ironic twist, he had practically become Mackinaw's inside man within Thorton—despite the fact that no official "Mackinaw company" even existed.

Still processing this mental shift, Sherman noticed the El Capitan grinning at Leo and silently mouthing:

"Brilliant."