Location: Conference Room,Umbra Operations HQ, Dallas, Texas, USA
Time: 10:50 am
Across the table, Jason gave a small nod of approval, folding his hands over his tablet. "The WindCore team," he said, with a dry little smile, "has been impressively structured. I just hope your product line proves to be as well-organised as the women presenting it."
Lyra offered a polite smile in response, then smoothly shifted the meeting forward. "Let's move on to the second item,Storm Division's drone and hardware order. Colonel, would you please brief the gentlemen of Umbra?"
On screen, Jenny gave a short nod, her face wearing the same relaxed, borderline-indifferent expression she'd had since online. When she spoke, her English was crisp and clear,but carried an unmistakable cadence, the kind that reminded one of government briefings from the East Power.
"Good morning, gentlemen. To date, the primary cooperation between our two sides majorly around tactical accessories for the M4 rifle platform and Glock 17-19 series, as well as three civilian-grade models of compact transport UAVs."
She continued in the same flat yet authoritative tone:"As you're aware, the world's most advanced UAV technology is currently developed in the Mainland of the East. Our R&D and manufacturing headquarters is located in Changsha, Southern Lake Province, one of the key national hubs for military-grade engineering.
All our current drone models are designed with dual-frequency modules, allowing for future integration with both military and commercial satellite systems.The models offered for this contract have already undergone successful field deployment and performance testing."
She paused briefly, then continued:"Of course, any future system upgrades or module extensions are considered additional services.But given our significant cost advantage, Umbra may consider deploying our drones as disposable tactical consumables.Each batch would arrive pre-configured for the most recent satellite protocols, removing the need for costly retrofitting or interface upgrades.
If Umbra Team has any kind of confidential satellite access requirements,or needs around custom paint schemes, payload capacity, or extended flight time,we do offer tailored configurations, with estimated delivery ranging between 26 to 52 weeks, depending on order volume."
The sheer efficiency of Lyra and the Wind Core team left quite the impression on everyone in the room.Every woman who spoke carried herself with such poise and authority,it wasn't just professional; it was captivating.The Umbra officers were fully engaged, their attention sharp, their expressions betraying just how invested they were in every word.
Jason, for his part, looked thoroughly impressed, perhaps even a little envious.It was clear from the way he tapped his stylus that he was already mentally integrating these UAVs into Umbra's future operations.
Marcus cast a sideways grin at Arthur, leaning just slightly forward with a smirk. "26 to 52 weeks. With full customisation?"He gave Jenny a nod, his voice casual but laced with interest."Colonel, that's fast. Damn fast."
Jenny returned the nod with her usual calm and delivered her answer without missing a beat: "Gentlemen, In the past half century, Eastern speed has always been the fastest in the world."
That line earned a quick glance between Jason and Marcus, both of them raising their brows in open admiration, one might even say… respectful awe.
From the far end, Richard let out a low whistle, clearly impressed as well.
Arthur, meanwhile, leaned back in his chair and chuckled, deep, amused, and just a touch dangerous."Goddamn, Lyra, sweetheart…" he said with that drawling, honey-smoked Texas charm."I think I could get used to working with you every day."
He paused, his eyes on hers. "You and your ladies are the very definition of efficiency."
Lyra met his gaze, perfectly composed, her voice smooth as glass."Thank you, Commander. I'm certain you'll enjoy every single deal with us."
He nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on hers, heat flickering beneath the surface of his grin. The truth was, he didn't doubt her for a second.Neither the WindCore team… nor Lyra herself… were anything short of magnetic."Yeah," he said with a low, satisfied rumble, "I think we will, darlin'."
Meanwhile, Jason spoke up again, but this time, all traces of formality were gone. His tone slipped into that of a seasoned grunt with a crooked smile, eyes raking over Lyra with a touch too much admiration.
"You know, Ms.Jar," he drawled,"it's damn hard to believe WindCore's entire team is made up of gorgeous women. If I had to travel with someone like you… hell, I wouldn't get a damn thing done."
Before Arthur could say a word, before even the muscle in his jaw finished tightening,Lyra had already responded.
Her voice was calm. Even. Sharpened with just the right edge of restraint."Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Smith. But let's set the charm aside for the moment."
She tapped the screen, posture straight, tone shifting effortlessly back into business.
"The base package for this UAV order starts at 1,000 units, totally approximately 50 million USD. However, if Umbra opts for the full suite, with a 50% budget increase, you'll receive 500 lightweight personal drones, 100 mid-range tactical UAVs, and a complimentary bonus of 300 reconnaissance robo-dogs, along with 60 combat-grade mech-wolves."
She paused just long enough to let the impact land."These mech-wolves are not commercially available, they're exclusively deployed by the PLA's Special Operations
Forces.
They operate on the 'Three-Three' manoeuvre tactic standard, a core principle in Eastern battlefield programming.For a team like Umbra, made up primarily of Western operators, this provides invaluable tactical diversity."
She raised her eyes slightly, gaze steady and cool."And just to be absolutely transparent, every unit in this line comes preinstalled with a failsafe. None of our weapons can be deployed within Eastern sovereign territory. If breached, they self-destruct immediately."
A quiet wave of impressed glances swept across the Umbra team. Jason let out a slow grunt of appreciation.
Arthur, meanwhile, released a low hum from the back of his throat,half a scoff, half a sigh. She handled that flawlessly. Maybe too flawlessly.He didn't interrupt, but he was watching now,not Jason, not the numbers,just her.
Her words drew a few murmurs of admiration across the Umbra team. Arthur let out a low hum,half impressed, half contemplative. He didn't say much, but the flicker in his eyes said it all: she'd just scored another point.
Marcus let out a sharp whistle and broke into a wide grin."You're giving away 300 recon dogs and 60 war wolves? Ms. Jar, that's generous as hell. I can already think of half a dozen ways to put those things to work."
He paused, then added with a wink,"Don't worry,we won't point our guns at the people who made them."
Meanwhile, Richard was quietly scribbling notes, clearly intrigued,especially at the part where the wolves were trained with Eastern military tactics.
Lyra nodded, her voice smooth as ever. "Any final questions for Colonel Fan?" She offered a light smile, her tone only half teasing.
"As the only active-duty officer on our core team, she's also the hardest to book a meeting with.I need to schedule a lunch with her two weeks in advance just to catch up, so I suggest you take advantage of this window while it lasts."
The team chuckled. Jason raised an eyebrow, leaning forward with an easy grin."Alright, Colonel, I've got a small question. Are the bots your team designs all as charming as their creator?"
Jenny finally smiled. Just a flicker, but enough to count.Her reply came crisp, clear, and unmistakably British, each syllable dipped in just the right amount of deadpan superiority. "Mr. Smith, isn't it? I believe I recognize your accent,East London, am I right?"
She tilted her head slightly."I share some of the same heritage. And yes, I'd say we're equally charming."
Then came the punchline, delivered with cool precision: "If you'd like, I can configure all AI voice modules to speak with our exact accent.A touch of refinement in every unit, wouldn't you agree?"
Jason clearly wasn't ready to let it go. He looked like he had a dozen more things to say to Jenny,but eventually, he gave in. With a reluctant sigh, he straightened in his seat, shifting back into something vaguely professional."Alright, Colonel. No further questions from me."
Marcus caught the whole thing and grinned like he'd just witnessed a good bar brawl. "Actually, I do have one."He leaned forward slightly, his tone casual but curious."Since you mentioned accents, I'm wondering what languages these dogs and wolves are programmed to speak?"
Jenny gave a polite nod, unbothered and matter-of-fact.
"As the lead designer, I can confirm: all language modules are programmable. Of course, as an Eastern firm, Mandarin remains our base logic."
Marcus nodded, visibly impressed with the honesty. "Good answer. And that sounds like a hell of a feature."
That's when Richard cut in, unable to help himself after watching Jason try (and fail) to flirt his way through military-grade diplomacy. "So basically, we can teach them to say whatever we want?"
He grinned, eyes twinkling. "If my silicone girlfriend speaks Spanish, can your wolves match that energy?"
Jenny's eyes narrowed just a touch. She didn't blink. No wasted syllables. Just one word. "Positive."
Lyra nearly laughed.God, these men had no idea they were trying to flirt with the real CEO of Wind Core,and a decorated PLA colonel, no less. North Wind herself.
Composing herself, she turned to Arthur with perfect poise."Well, Commander… shall we move forward with the full package?"