"Our technology gives us plenty of options."
Ada Wong smiled over the rim of her whiskey.
"We could approach any number of senior officers."
"We could even bid directly on Defense Department contracts."
She held Ross’s gaze.
"So why do you think we chose you, General?"
The question struck home.
Ross suddenly realized the flaw in his assumptions.
He had believed Umbrella needed him.
In reality...
He needed Umbrella far more.
His career was hanging by a thread. Without an extraordinary opportunity, he would quietly fade into retirement, another disgraced general filed away in history.
If he could become the man responsible for introducing revolutionary military technology to the United States...
Everything could change.
Umbrella had chosen him carefully.
That much was obvious.
Still...
He refused to surrender the initiative so easily.
"You may have other options," Ross replied, "but don’t forget your own situation."
"You’ve got a stain on your record."
"No matter which American general you approach, they’ll use the attack on that military base to force concessions."
"It won’t be any different."
After all, governments weren’t charities.
If someone handed them that kind of negotiating leverage, they’d be fools not to exploit it.
Ada gave a faint, amused laugh.
"Americans really do believe they’re the center of the world."
Ross frowned.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean?"
Carla answered instead.
"The technologies we possess will reshape modern warfare."
"And the United States isn’t the only country interested in changing the future."
"If America declines..."
"We’re perfectly willing to talk with Iran."
"Or Russia."
"Or certain countries in the Far East."
Ross’s jaw tightened.
None of those names had been chosen by accident.
Iran was troublesome enough.
Its military lacked global reach, but it remained a persistent regional challenge.
Russia, however...
That was another matter entirely.
The Soviet Union might be gone, but its successor still possessed one of the world’s strongest military-industrial complexes.
A nuclear superpower.
A permanent member of the United Nations Security Council.
America’s principal geopolitical rival.
If Russia obtained Umbrella’s enhancement technology first...
The strategic balance would shift overnight.
Washington would find itself making concessions in negotiations it would never have considered before.
Carla watched the realization settle across Ross’s face.
"You misunderstood the relationship from the beginning, General."
"Ask yourself again."
"Which side truly has the leverage?"
Ross surged to his feet.
For a brief moment, anger overwhelmed reason.
Then he slowly sat back down.
There wasn’t a single argument he could make.
This wasn’t like negotiating with an ordinary defense contractor.
Those companies competed against one another.
If one supplier refused military terms, the Pentagon simply awarded the contract elsewhere.
Umbrella wasn’t competing.
They possessed a monopoly.
They alone controlled the technology.
The choice belonged entirely to them.
And Ross had no doubt whatsoever that Russia would eagerly welcome them with open arms.
The attack on an American military base wouldn’t concern Moscow in the slightest.
If anything...
They’d probably treat it as an impressive product demonstration.
Ross exhaled heavily.
"If you go through with this..."
"You’ll be making an enemy of the United States."
It sounded more like a plea than a threat.
He couldn’t bear to imagine the consequences if Washington concluded that he’d allowed a revolutionary military technology to fall into Russian hands.
Ada remained completely unfazed.
"We’ve thought about it very carefully."
"Our company pursues one objective above all else."
"Maximizing profit."
"That’s why we’d prefer to work with the United States."
"And why we’re sitting here talking to you."
Ross stared into his glass for a long moment.
Finally...
"What are your terms?"
He had given up trying to seize the upper hand.
Negotiating against two ancient demon nobles while they held every advantage was proving less than enjoyable.
Ada answered immediately.
"First."
"Umbrella retains exclusive ownership of all patents and intellectual property."
"Our technology will never be sold or transferred."
"Any attempt to steal or reproduce it will be treated as criminal theft."
Ross blinked.
"...That’s all?"
The conditions seemed almost absurdly reasonable.
Patent ownership was already protected under American law.
A company refusing to sell its technology wasn’t unusual either.
The military occasionally applied pressure to force acquisitions, but with technology this valuable, few officials would risk crippling the very company supplying it.
Carla smiled.
"Those are merely the foundation."
"We’ll discuss additional terms after our cooperation has proven its value."
In other words...
Once the American government became dependent on Umbrella...
Then they would negotiate from an even stronger position.
Ross caught the implication immediately.
"If your future demands become excessive..."
"I may not be able to persuade either the military or the government."
Carla’s smile widened.
"You’ll manage."
Ross chuckled bitterly.
"Funny."
"I wasn’t aware I had that much influence."
Ada answered without hesitation.
"You survived the Abomination incident."
"You’re still sitting here wearing stars on your shoulders."
"That tells me your connections are extensive."
Ross’s expression dimmed.
"They’re exhausted."
"The favors are gone."
He wasn’t lying.
The powerful people who had protected him hadn’t acted out of friendship.
They’d invested in his super-soldier program.
When the project collapsed...
So did their interest.
Helping him survive the hearings had been the last return on that investment.
Carla leaned forward slightly.
"But now..."
"You’ve become valuable again."
"If you bring them another project capable of changing the future..."
"They’ll come back."
"They always follow profit."
Not loyalty.
Ross couldn’t deny it.
After another long silence, he asked the question he’d been avoiding.
"And..."
"...what exactly do I get?"
He understood his role now.
He wasn’t the buyer.
He was the broker.
Brokers expected compensation.
After introducing Umbrella to Washington, he couldn’t allow himself to become disposable.
Ada narrowed her eyes.
"When our partnership with the United States begins..."
"Umbrella will earn enormous profits."
"We’ll establish a dedicated fund."
"It will be reserved for you."
She paused deliberately.
"And it won’t be a small amount."
Ross’s expression shifted several times.
The number she implied was staggering.
Enough money to change anyone’s life.
At last he forced himself to say,
"I’m... not interested."
Accepting that kind of fortune outright would be suicide.
A serving general suddenly acquiring hundreds of millions of dollars?
Federal investigators weren’t blind.
Ada laughed softly.
"You misunderstand."
"That money isn’t a bribe."
"It’s another investment."
Ross nearly choked.
He’d just spent every ounce of willpower refusing an unimaginable fortune...
Only to discover it hadn’t actually been offered to him.
Carla picked up the explanation.
"You’re already a general."
"How much higher can you climb?"
She tilted her head.
"Why not follow the example of one of your predecessors?"
Ross frowned.
"Which predecessor?"
Carla answered with a single name.
"Dwight Eisenhower."
The implication landed like a hammer.
They weren’t investing in General Ross.
They were investing in the possibility that one day...
He might become something far greater.
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