Sharon, a Princeton graduate and an undeniable academic achiever, had a keen eye for technological potential.

The solid-state battery technology Rowan laid out before her left her stunned.

Especially when she saw that, according to the documents, these three types of solid-state batteries could support a range of 3,000 kilometers on a single charge. Her jaw practically dropped.

This kind of battery technology would hit the new energy industry like a tsunami.

It was easy to imagine: once this battery tech was applied to electric vehicles, traditional gas-powered cars would be wiped out entirely.

"Rowan, you developed this yourself?" Sharon asked, her head buzzing.

In her mind, she could already see the rise of a company that could rival Kroll Industries in influence and innovation.

Rowan gave a faint smile. "That's a secret."

Sharon composed herself and began thinking rapidly. Then she looked at Rowan seriously and said, "Rowan, this solid-state battery tech is clearly powerful enough to support a monopoly-level automaker. But launching a car company isn't the same as selling Kroluminum. First off, building cars is incredibly complex, and we don't have the talent for it right now. I estimate that it would take at least three to five years just to set up a functional production line."

"Secondly, building a sales network from scratch is no small feat. Establishing a chain of dealerships requires an enormous amount of capital."

"That's why I recommend acquiring an existing automaker and leveraging their talent and infrastructure to pivot into new energy vehicles."

She laid out her proposal in one breath.

Rowan nodded in agreement.

Sharon's analysis was sharp.

She had quickly identified both strengths and weaknesses, and even proposed a practical path forward.

Acquiring a legacy automaker and providing them with the solid-state battery technology to develop a groundbreaking EV lineup that was the optimal solution.

"Agreed. I think buying a traditional car manufacturer is the best move," Rowan said.

Sharon beamed when she saw he supported her idea.

"I think Volvo could be a perfect candidate," she suggested.

She tapped a few keys on Rowan's laptop and pulled up information on Volvo.

Rowan reviewed the data and had to agree Volvo was a compelling choice.

Volvo, founded in 1927 in Sweden, had built a global reputation over its 95-year history, with a brand identity rooted in quality, safety, and sustainability. Their cars were known for high standards, reliability, and sleek design.

They were also the inventor of the modern seatbelt.

Back in his old life, Rowan had always wanted a Volvo SUV.

Digging into the details, Rowan found that Volvo's car division had been sold to Ford Motor Company in 1999.

If history stayed on track, it wouldn't be long before Geely Motors, a company based in East Asia, would acquire Volvo from Ford.

At the moment, Volvo was languishing under Ford's ownership barely alive. Ford had been looking for a way to offload the brand for years.

"Volvo's reputation and build quality are excellent," Sharon said. "And given its current slump, we could probably acquire it at a reasonable price."

Rowan nodded, then glanced at her thoughtfully. "Maybe we could use Kroluminum to negotiate the price down further."

Sharon paused, then quickly pieced it together. "You mean... use Kroluminum as a bargaining chip with Ford? Offer it in exchange to reduce the cost of Volvo?"

"Exactly. Kroluminum is lighter than steel but stronger. If car manufacturers used it in critical components like bumpers or safety frames, they could drastically increase vehicle safety while reducing weight. I'm sure Ford would be very interested in getting their hands on it."

"So if Ford won't sell us Volvo... we don't sell them the alloy," Rowan said plainly.

A sly smile spread across Sharon's face as she met Rowan's eyes.

"Smart move," she said.

"But once we launch our EVs, gas-powered cars like Ford's will be obsolete," she teased. "Isn't this like setting them up to dig their own grave?"

Rowan chuckled. "Well, they've only got themselves to blame for falling behind."

He raised his wine glass, and Sharon clinked hers against his a silent agreement sealing their plan.

"Oh, by the way," Sharon said, as they finished dinner, "I've made progress with two of the candidates you asked me to look into."

Rowan perked up. "Oh? Which two?"

Sharon's capabilities had continued to surprise him. So far, she seemed even more competent than Pepper Potts.

"One is Dr. Selvig. He's not interested in leading a department, but he said he's willing to be our company's scientific advisor."

Rowan nodded. That made sense.

Selvig was probably hoping to leverage the high-end lab they planned to build.

He was the eccentric scientist who appeared in the Thor films and was responsible for opening the wormhole above New York using the Tesseract in The Avengers.

His expertise was unquestionable. Having him as an advisor would be more than enough.

"The other is a Russian named Ivan Vanko," Sharon continued. "I asked a friend in the FBI to dig up his background. Turns out his father is seriously ill, with no real hope of recovery. So I had my assistant reach out to him."

"Ivan Vanko?" Rowan was surprised. He hadn't expected Sharon to track down that Ivan Vanko.

This was the man who became the villain Whiplash in Iron Man 2. In terms of raw talent, Vanko may not have been far behind Tony Stark.

After all, he built a functioning arc reactor in a rundown workshop.

And later, he managed to remotely control hundreds of Iron Man-style drones on his own.

His upbringing had been far more difficult than Tony's, making his achievements even more impressive.

"Yeah, his father has cancer terminal, apparently."

"How'd you convince him?"

Sharon smiled. "I contacted Dr. Helen Cho. She said she might be able to help with a form of nano-treatment."

"Ah, that makes sense," Rowan said.

Dr. Cho was a pioneer in biotechnology and nanomedicine.

She invented the Cradle a revolutionary healing device and had the foresight to predict the future of Iron Man's suits lay in nanotechnology.

If anyone could attempt a treatment for Vanko's father, it was her.

And even if the treatment didn't succeed, once Vanko joined them, Rowan had other ways of keeping him on board.

As for Vanko's potential danger, Rowan wasn't concerned.

It wouldn't be long before he stepped into the realm of martial arts. Once that happened, Ivan Vanko wouldn't pose any threat.

By the end of dinner, Rowan had a clear grasp of Sharon's progress and he was genuinely impressed.

He couldn't help but feel he'd found a gem.

Sharon's foresight, abilities, and work ethic were far beyond what you'd expect from a fresh graduate.

It seemed Peggy Carter had truly mentored her well.

Since it was late and Sharon had been drinking, Rowan didn't let her drive home. Instead, he had her stay in Maria Hill's guest room.

As for Natasha's room Rowan wouldn't dare offer it. Natasha was extremely private, rarely letting anyone into her space. No one knew what she might have hidden inside.

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