Lord of the Sky City

Aside from those who invited him to join their forces, there were also people who approached Rocky for other matters, such as wanting to invest in his research.

Most individuals hoping to invest in new technology research were either Chambers of Commerce or companies. Due to their respective positioning, they were not able to invite Rocky directly like the Sky Alliance did. However, they still didn't want to miss this opportunity, so they all expressed their intention to invest.

Headed by the Continental Commerce Chamber, a group of Chambers of Commerce, and led by Sigma Corporation and Uranus Corporation, a group of armor manufacturers, all wished to participate in Aniye's research. Whether it was contributing funds, manpower, or effort, it didn't matter; they just wanted to be involved in the research.

However, Rocky clearly refused these requests because he did not yet want to make the Mana Runes public. Therefore, it was utterly impossible for these people to get involved in the research.

His refusal wasn't too surprising for anyone; after all, no one would want outsiders to interfere with such striking research. So when Rocky clearly stated his refusal, those from either the Chamber of Commerce or companies, including those from Uranus Corporation, all left.

Admittedly, Uranus Corporation was quite confident in their own R&D capabilities. As one of the giants in the Armor Domain, they couldn't neglect the new technology that Rocky had developed. However, they did not make excessive demands, evidently believing they could develop a similar project on their own.

While Uranus Corporation may have left, representatives from Sigma Corporation didn't leave. They were the complete opposite of Uranus Corporation; they desperately needed the new technology that Rocky was researching!

Despite Sigma Corporation's current prominence due to the Holy Angel, the Holy Angel Armor was actually released out of necessity, not choice. Given that the sixth generation Prototype Armor had already been successfully developed, the Holy Angel Armor, no matter how powerful, would ultimately be phased out. If Sigma Corporation couldn't produce their own sixth generation armor when that happened, this titan in the Armor Domain that held sway over half the industry would be finished.

In such a scenario, Sigma Corporation placed far more value on and needed the new technology Rocky was working on; they had to obtain it at all costs.

Unfortunately, their trip to Thunderhawk City was not particularly smooth because Sigma Corporation's representatives didn't even get to meet Rocky.

This was quite normal since both parties weren't familiar with each other, and, during the previous ball, Denise and Rocky hadn't left a good impression on one another.

In the conflict with Xia Nai, it was clear that Denise was more inclined towards Xia Nai. Had Hammerfire not stood up for Rocky, she definitively would not have apprehended Xia Nai's surrounding people. This caused Denise to completely ignore Rocky during the latter half of the ball, and although Rocky didn't really care, it didn't mean he was unaware.

Thus, when he gained the upper hand, regardless of whether others said he was smug, Rocky did not pay much attention to Sigma Corporation's representatives and did not show them much courtesy.

Compared to Sigma Corporation, who didn't get to meet Rocky, and the numerous Chambers of Commerce that faced direct rejection, two Chambers of Commerce aroused much envy, the Ruby Chamber of Commerce and the Apple Tree Corporation.

These two Chambers of Commerce rushed to Thunderhawk City immediately after the press conference ended, and they met with Rocky earlier than anyone else. However, that wasn't the factor that made others green with envy. When the two Chambers of Commerce, like everyone else, expressed their desire to invest, Rocky did not immediately reject them.

Why?

Because, in Rocky's eyes, these two Chambers of Commerce were indeed different from the others.

There's no need to mention the Ruby Chamber of Commerce. Rocky's first cooperation with them was when he arrived at Eternal City, and their partnership became increasingly close afterwards. Even when Thunderhawk City fell into economic crises, the Ruby Chamber of Commerce lent a hand by either deferring the delivery of goods or payment of goods, essentially helping Thunderhawk City out a great deal. This relationship naturally made Rocky's attitude towards the Ruby Chamber of Commerce quite unique.

So when Amanred, namely the Guild President of the Ruby Chamber of Commerce, came to Thunderhawk City again, Rocky was not only enthusiastic, but the two also had a very harmonious discussion about further cooperation.

Amanred was definitely a highly capable and self-aware Guild President. She was fully aware that her Chamber of Commerce was not yet large enough to fund a research project, and even if she wished to, she simply couldn't afford to put out that kind of money. Therefore, her goal was to reach some trade agreements with Rocky, such as purchasing all the necessary materials for the research from her, or obtaining some sales rights for the products once the research was successful, among others.

After all, the Ruby Chamber of Commerce was a new player and hadn't grown very large. If strength alone were to be considered, there were some deals they simply wouldn't be privy to; they could only expand their business by means like this.

And that precisely showcased Amanred's cleverness, as she skillfully avoided sensitive areas and sought benefits in matters of lesser consequence. Coupled with her long-standing good relationship with Rocky, the talks were very pleasant, and naturally, she gained more than other Chambers of Commerce.

Besides the Ruby Chamber of Commerce, there had also been a substantially meaningful meeting between the Apple Tree Corporation and Rocky.

The Apple Tree Corporation, as a prominent Chamber of Commerce within Eternal City, was primarily engaged in warship manufacturing, a rare business that could develop, produce, and sell independently. Rocky had already had two transactions with them, so the two parties were also familiar with each other.

Like the Ruby Chamber of Commerce, the Apple Tree Corporation was not in search of investing in research either; they had approached Rocky for a different purpose.

This purpose was Armor manufacturing!

As previously mentioned, although the main business of the Apple Tree Corporation was warships, in recent years they had been actively expanding their scope of business, eager to break ground in other domains. They had invested a great deal of financial resources into this endeavor. The Scavenger Model Escort Ships, which still represented one of the mainstays of Thunderhawk City's fleet, were presented by the Apple Tree Corporation in order to make Rocky sell them the Demon Materials.

Hence, while everyone was focused on the new technology Rocky had developed, the Apple Tree Corporation's attention was elsewhere—they were far more interested in the White Demon Armor equipped with the new technology!

Although Aniye and the others kept emphasizing that the White Demon Armor was just an experimental armor created to test new technologies, the Apple Tree Corporation did not share this view. They believed that the White Demon already qualified as a new generation of Armor, ready for production and sales!

They approached Rocky with this in mind, hoping that if he wanted to mass-produce the White Demon Armor, he would consider partnering with them.

And this proposal was very tempting to Rocky!

With the ongoing progress of the Rune Armor project, and with Runes at its core, the new generation of Armor would inevitably become more refined, eventually becoming a mainstream choice, maybe even completely replacing the old-fashioned Magic Stone-powered Armor. In this scenario, Rocky would have an edge over others—he could not only be the first to develop Rune Armor but could also manufacture and profit from this next-generation Armor!
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Although discussing these matters now may seem premature—after all, Orton and his team had only developed one White Demon Armor prototype, and considering the high cost of production for the White Demon, mass production was definitely not feasible, nor could it be sold at that price point.

But what about the future?

As the Rune Armor project progressed, more and more types of Armor would be researched and developed. At that time, Rocky would have the capital to claim a stake in the Armor Domain!