The morning sun poured into Head Bureau Derrick’s office, casting a warm glow through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows.

Arthur lounged comfortably in a plush chair across from Derrick, both men deeply engaged in their conversation.

“Arthur,” Derrick began, adjusting his round spectacles with a thoughtful air, his voice carrying the familiar warmth of someone who has dedicated their life to public service.

“I have to say, your progress on the Blue Pearl Commercial Zone has created quite the buzz at the Bureau.”

Arthur flashed a confident smile, crossing one leg over the other. “I hope it’s the good kind of buzz, Director.”

Derrick chuckled and nudged a plate of shortbread cookies toward him. “When a private developer completes fifty percent of a 10,000 square kilometer project in just three months, a feat that would have taken years to complete while our government contractors are still squabbling over cement suppliers for their first hundred square kilometers, yes, I’d call that a very good buzz indeed!”

Just then, a young aide entered quietly and placed steaming coffee cups before them. Arthur couldn’t help but notice the Bureau’s crest embossed on the fine porcelain, the same design adorning every public construction site across the Federation.

“So,” Arthur said as he stirred cream into his coffee, “is it our speed that’s prompting you to assign us the Northern Expansion plan?”

“Absolutely!” Derrick nodded enthusiastically, leaning forward with elbows resting on his desk. “We’re reassigning the Northern Expansion Project, all 1.08 million square kilometers, to Osborn Real Estate and Construction Group.” He slid a folder across the table. “Here’s the contract.”

Arthur raised an eyebrow but quickly reached for the documents.

As he flipped through them, he declared confidently, “Don’t worry! Osborn Real Estate and Construction Group will deliver; I promise this project will be complete by next year.”

Derrick chuckled softly, surprise flickering in his aged eyes. “That’s quite an ambitious claim, Arthur! You know you can’t make promises like that!”

Arthur simply smiled and continued flipping through the folder until he looked up again. “But what about Golden Arch Construction, Luminar Construction and others giant construction consortiums? Weren’t they awarded this contract just four months ago?”

“Technically yes,” Derrick sighed as he polished his glasses with a handkerchief. “But between their endless ‘environmental impact assessments’ and ‘cultural heritage reviews,’ they haven’t laid down even one foundation beam yet.”

He replaced his glasses carefully; fatigue was evident in his tired eyes. “Meanwhile, your crews worked tirelessly through monsoon season.”

After finishing with the folder, Arthur placed it back on the table and remarked thoughtfully, “This is significantly more than Riverbend; we’ll need to triple our workforce.”

“Which you can do,” Derrick pointed out, enthusiasm lighting up his face. “Your modular construction techniques and those prefabricated alloy frames, truly revolutionary!”

He tapped the blueprint sprawled across his desk, urgency blooming in his voice. “Do you know how many families are waiting for those residential districts? How many businesses are counting on those logistics parks?”

Outside, the vibrant hum of the city danced through the windows, the distant buzz of traffic, punctuated by the occasional honking of cars.

“Yeah I know,” Arthur nodded, his tone shifting to seriousness. “There will be pushback. Golden Arch and the others won’t take this news well.”

“Like I said earlier,” Derrick continued, leaning back with a half-smile, “if you think you can’t handle this, feel free to pretend I never called you here!”

“I was just asking!” Arthur shot back, a grin creeping onto his face as he took a sip of his coffee.

Derrick waved his hand dismissively. “Take this on, and let me handle the politics. You focus on delivering results.” His leather chair creaked as he settled back in. “Though… a word of advice?”

Arthur tilted his head with interest.

“Speed impresses,” Derrick cautioned, his light tone contrasting with his keen gaze. “But it also makes people nervous. The old guard doesn’t like being overshadowed by newcomers.”

He took another sip. “Consider forming partnerships. Subcontract some work to local firms. Spread the success around a bit.”

Arthur chuckled, his smile widening. “That sounds suspiciously like politics, Director.”

“Just practical business,” Derrick shot back with a grin. “The Federation thrives when everyone moves forward together.”

Arthur maintained his simple smile, while internally he disagreed. He had planned this from the beginning, and with his ambitions finally within reach, why would he share the spoils? After all, he liked to devour everything himself, even the bones.

The two spent the next hour poring over timelines and zoning regulations, seamlessly shifting the conversation from construction methods to municipal codes.

“Oh, and Arthur? Try to leave some trees standing, will you? The environmental lobby has my phone ringing off the hook.” Derrick chuckled as a thought crossed his mind.

Arthur laughed, shaking his head. “We’ll plant two for every one we remove. That’s Osborn’s promise!”

Just as Arthur stood to leave, Derrick cleared his throat, a hint of amusement dancing in his voice. “Oh, one more thing, Arthur. Remember that HyperRail-X Express you couldn’t stop pestering me about? The one you claimed would ‘revolutionize intercity transit’?”

Arthur paused, his hand frozen over his briefcase. “The 650 km/h semi-maglev using superconducting electrodynamic suspension? That one?”

Derrick chuckled, a glint of mischief in his eyes. “Ah yes, that engineering marvel you promised would pay for itself in just a few years!”

He opened a drawer and slid out a new document, the air thick with anticipation. “Well, the Transportation Committee has finally given the green light on the budget. We’re set to order three units for the Neo-Luminara Capital Corridor line, and also for the Northern Expansion Plan, assuming your current project wraps up on time. Plus,” he added with an approving nod, “they’ve also approved your proposal to build the HyperRail-X System.”

Arthur’s eyebrows shot up as excitement flickered in his gaze, but he quickly masked it with a cough before accepting the document. “Three? That’s… fewer than I’d hoped.”

“Think of it as a pilot program,” Derrick replied, tapping his pen rhythmically against the desk. “If they perform as promised, we can discuss expanding our fleet next fiscal year.”

Leaning forward slightly, curiosity breaking through his bureaucratic facade, he asked, “Tell me you at least built a prototype after all that boasting?”

Arthur’s smile returned like sunshine breaking through clouds as he pulled out his phone. “Not just any prototype, Head Bureau, I’ve got a production-ready model!” With a swift swipe, he turned the screen toward Derrick.

The footage revealed a vast assembly hall at Osborn Heavy Industries’ cutting-edge manufacturing complex.

Engineers clad in blue coveralls buzzed around a gleaming silver train car suspended on hydraulic lifts.

The camera zoomed in on intricate arrays of superconducting coils being installed beneath it.

“Our SEDS system utilizes liquid nitrogen-cooled niobium-titanium alloys,” Arthur explained excitedly as technicians carefully positioned an enormous propulsion module into place.

“Unlike full maglev systems, this design retains conventional steel wheels for compatibility with existing rail infrastructure while achieving 87% of maglev speeds.”

Derrick watched intently as the camera panned to showcase workers fitting an aerodynamic nose cone onto the train. “How does it stack up against the Federation L0 Series?”

“It’s 40% more energy efficient thanks to our regenerative braking system,” Arthur replied confidently. “And unlike L0’s pure train wheels, our hybrid design can switch to conventional power during emergencies! Plus,” he added enthusiastically, “the active suspension system reduces track wear by….”

“Yes, yes,” Derrick interjected dismissively yet curiously focused on where workers were testing articulated gangway connections. “What’s your price tag per unit?”

Arthur paused the video on a wide shot of their nearly completed prototype and declared proudly, “For a standard 10-car set? 4 billion Unicreds.”

Derrick’s coffee cup froze mid-air as disbelief washed over him. “Per train?”

“Per complete operating unit,” Arthur confirmed, his tone steady and assured. “That encompasses the onboard AI traffic management system, five years of predictive maintenance packages, and training for up to thirty engineers.”

He tilted his head slightly, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “Of course, bulk orders would significantly reduce that cost.”

Setting down his cup with deliberate care, Derrick scrutinized Arthur. “That’s nearly triple the price of our current high-speed trains,” he replied, disbelief etched on his face.

“And yet,” Arthur countered smoothly, “these trains are twice as fast and consume half the energy. Our models predict that reduced travel times will boost ridership by 40%. When scaled properly, the infrastructure pays for itself in six years, eight at most!”

Derrick sighed heavily, rubbing his temple as if trying to ease a headache. “I’ll need performance data, real-world testing results and maintenance cost projections.”

“Absolutely,” Arthur said confidently, pulling up another file on his tablet. “We’ve prepared an extensive 300-page technical dossier just for you. The prototype is set to begin track testing next week at our proving grounds.”

He leaned forward with enthusiasm. “I’ll send you an invitation, you really should experience firsthand what your budget can achieve!”

Derrick offered a noncommittal grunt, but Arthur noticed how the older man’s gaze lingered on the striking image of the sleek train displayed on the screen.

“One more question,” Derrick called out as Arthur stood to leave again. “How did you manage to build a production-ready prototype so quickly? Osborn Heavy Industries didn’t even exist eighteen months ago.”

Arthur’s smile turned enigmatic as he adjusted his cufflinks with finesse. “Let’s just say we’re as efficient with trains as we are with commercial plazas, Head Bureau.”

—————–

As the morning sun climbed higher in the sky, casting warm rays across the plaza, Arthur finally stepped out of the Bureau building, two signed contracts now firmly in hand.

Across the plaza stood a group of Golden Arch executives watching him intently; their expressions were anything but friendly. With a courteous nod toward them, Arthur strode confidently toward his waiting car.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep