Aldrich Killian looked up when he heard the noise.

The two men locked eyes.

Rowan's expression was calm, unreadable.

Killian, on the other hand, showed a flicker of surprise.

He hadn't expected the chairman of Kroll Industries to be so young.

"Hello, I'm Rowan, chairman of Kroll Industries."

"Nice to meet you. Aldrich Killian, CEO of Future Pharma."

Killian stood up and extended his hand. They shook.

Rowan then gestured for Killian to take a seat.

Soon after, Killian expressed his intention to purchase a batch of Kroluminum alloy.

Rowan was intrigued. Why would Killian need Kroluminum?

Wasn't he busy researching the Extremis virus?

He asked casually, and to his surprise, Killian didn't hide much. He explained that he intended to use the alloy to develop high-temperature-resistant weapons.

Rowan's gaze lingered on Killian, thoughtful.

In the original storyline, the Extremis soldiers were quite powerful. Their biggest weakness was that they always fought unarmed. Most conventional weapons couldn't withstand the intense heat they generated and would melt instantly.

Physically, they were already approaching the level of super-soldiers, with extraordinary regenerative abilities.

If they were equipped with melee weapons or firearms, their combat capability could easily double.

Rowan hadn't expected Killian to be so perceptive and decisive.

The moment he learned about Kroluminum's heat resistance, he came to place an order.

He was clearly trying to compensate for the Extremis soldiers' biggest shortcoming.

Rowan fell into thought.

Should he sell or not?

If he sold the alloy and didn't intervene, there was a good chance Tony wouldn't be able to defeat Killian.

Killian had the brains, the means, and the power.

After a moment of contemplation, Rowan made his decision.

"Mr. Killian, it's not a problem if you want to purchase Kroluminum. But you'll have to wait a bit. Our production capacity is currently limited, and we've got a long list of priority clients. At the current pace, it may take about six months before we can fulfill your order."

Killian frowned.

Six months? Add in the time needed to develop the weapons and train his soldiers, and it'd be a year before his Extremis warriors were upgraded.

Too slow.

He clearly wasn't pleased.

"No way to expedite the order? I can pay extra."

Rowan shook his head. "Mr. Killian, our current clients include NASA and the military. I can't risk offending them for a bit of extra money."

Killian's eyes turned cold.

Ever since he had injected himself with the Extremis virus and gained superhuman abilities, his personality had grown much more volatile.

Sensing the darkness and aggression behind Killian's seemingly polished exterior, Rowan gave up the idea of recruiting him.

People like Killian were dangerous and difficult to control.

Just as Killian was about to relent already planning to get revenge later Rowan spoke again.

"However, there is another way. I've heard Future Pharma has developed a unique regenerative drug, capable of limb regrowth. If you can provide me with a few doses of that, I can prioritize your order by redirecting the batch originally meant for Hammer Industries."

Killian looked up sharply.

There was a trace of surprise in his eyes.

He hadn't expected Rowan to know something so classified.

The development of the Extremis virus was a top-secret program, with only a few military partners aware of the details.

The fact that Rowan knew implied his information network was deeply entrenched.

Killian's mind raced.

Eventually, he chose to compromise.

His ambitions were vast, and the stronger his Extremis soldiers became, the more confident he would be in his plans.

"Fine. But this drug is a company secret. I can only give you one dose," he said coldly.

Rowan smiled, raising three fingers. "Three."

"One," Killian snapped, unwilling to budge.

Rowan kept smiling, but said nothing more.

Truthfully, he didn't care. Asking for two or three doses was just a pretext to stall for time and run experiments.

From the beginning, Rowan had intended to forcibly seize the Extremis virus technology.

Once he became a warrior, his power would skyrocket. He could then make a deal with the Limit Martial Arts Dojo and single-handedly wipe out Future Pharma if needed.

The room fell silent for nearly a minute.

Killian's fists clenched, his chest heaving. A faint red glow appeared on his skin.

He was furious.

Rowan's calm demeanor and unwavering gaze made him feel humiliated.

That sense of being cornered and manipulated enraged him.

Ever since injecting the Extremis virus, his emotional control had grown unstable.

After a long pause, Killian finally suppressed the urge to lash out.

He gritted his teeth and muttered, "Fine. Three doses."

With that, he stood up abruptly.

"When's the exchange?"

Rowan gave a casual smile, doing a quick mental calculation. "Tomorrow should work."

"Then tomorrow it is." Killian didn't even look back as he left.

He had already made up his mind.

As soon as he received the Kroluminum and crafted the heat-resistant weapons, his first move would be to assassinate Rowan.

Having secured the Extremis sample trade, Rowan was in great spirits.

Once he obtained the sample tomorrow, he planned to test it in the Swallowed Star world.

He wanted to see whether becoming a warrior could neutralize the virus's side effects.

If it worked, the future was bright.

After all, this drug would be a gold mine in the warrior market.

Later that afternoon, Rowan met with Ivan Vanko.

Rowan had great admiration for the brilliant, albeit volatile, scientist.

But just like in the original storyline, Vanko was proud and antisocial.

Despite Rowan's generous reception, Vanko remained indifferent.

Having had enough of being snubbed, Rowan dropped the idea of recruiting him and went straight to business.

The deal was simple: Vanko would replicate the Arc Reactor and hand the technology over to Kroll Industries. In exchange, Kroll would cure his father's cancer.

Vanko agreed.

For all his arrogance, Vanko was highly capable and executed swiftly.

He got to work the same day, with just one request his pet bird from Moscow be brought over.

Unlike Justin Hammer in the original plot, Rowan didn't treat the request as trivial. He spent a significant sum to have the bird flown in immediately.

With the bird reunited by his side, Vanko's mood stabilized considerably, and he began work in earnest.

As for whether Vanko still harbored plans to sabotage Stark Industries or seek revenge, Rowan didn't care.

His plan was simple: once he became a warrior, he'd be strong enough to crush all opposition through sheer force.

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