"Mr. Allen? This is Katherine from Forbes Magazine. I'm writing a piece on emerging tech entrepreneurs. Your battery company has been generating significant industry buzz. Would you be willing to interview?"
Forbes. Major media attention. Exactly what he needed for credibility and market positioning.
"I'd be interested," Barry said. "What's your timeline?"
"Article runs in three weeks. Phone interview works. Thirty minutes of your time?"
They scheduled it for Monday. Barry hung up feeling the momentum building. Everything was accelerating faster than even his enhanced projections had predicted.
His laptop chimed. Email from the patent office. Another twelve patents approved. These covering manufacturing processes and battery management systems. Comprehensive IP protection across the entire technology stack.
Competitors couldn't replicate his designs without licensing. Barry controlled the entire supply chain from material science to finished products.
Perfect market position. Perfect timing.
"Gideon, update financial projections based on Tesla purchase order and current market interest."
"Processing." Five seconds passed. "Revised projections: $470 million revenue by end of 2015. $1.2 billion by end of 2016. Conservative estimates assuming 60% conversion rate on current prospective customers."
Nearly one and a half billion dollars in revenue within two years. That would make Barry's company one of the fastest-growing tech startups in history.
And he controlled 100% of it. No investors. No board. No dilution of ownership.
When the company eventually went public or got acquired, Barry would become a billionaire overnight.
He closed the laptop and checked the time. 8:17 AM. Still hours before lunch with Wells. Barry changed into workout clothes and headed to the gym.
His training had evolved beyond the underground fighting circuit. Those matches were useful for testing himself against real violence. But they didn't provide the systematic skill development he needed.
Barry had started training with three different specialists. A Krav Maga instructor for practical combat. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt for grappling. A boxing coach for refined striking technique.
Each of them had commented on his unnatural learning speed. Techniques that took normal students months to develop clicked for Barry in days. His enhanced mind processed movements perfectly. Built muscle memory through optimized repetition.
He was becoming legitimately dangerous. Not Batman-level yet. He'd need years for that. But competent enough to handle himself in serious situations.
The morning training session lasted ninety minutes. Drilling combinations. Rolling with the BJJ instructor. Sparring controlled rounds with the boxing coach.
By 10:30 AM, Barry was back at his apartment. Showered. Changed into professional clothes. Navy suit. White shirt. No tie. The kind of outfit that said successful but not pretentious.
He checked his reflection. The physical transformation was obvious. Lean muscle. Sharp features. Eyes that reflected the intelligence burning behind them. He looked like someone who'd accomplished things. Someone who mattered.
Good. That's exactly the image he needed to project.
At 11:47 AM, Barry left his apartment and drove to the restaurant Wells had specified. Upscale Italian place downtown. White tablecloths. Expensive wine list. The kind of venue where serious business discussions happened.
Barry arrived at 11:54 AM. Six minutes early. Deliberate. He wanted to observe Wells entering. Watch his body language. Look for tells.
He claimed a table with good sightlines and ordered water. Activated his phone's voice recorder discreetly. Gideon would analyze everything from this conversation.
Harrison Wells arrived at exactly noon. Punctual. He wore a casual blazer over a button-down shirt. No tie. Relaxed professional. His eyes scanned the restaurant until they found Barry.
Wells smiled and walked over. "Barry. Thank you for making time. I know you're busy."
They shook hands. Barry's enhanced perception noted everything. Firm grip. Warm skin temperature. Normal human contact. Confident posture. Open body language. Nothing overtly suspicious.
"Happy to meet," Barry said. "Your message suggested something outside official consulting business?"
"Indeed." Wells sat down across from him. "I'll be direct. I've been following your work beyond what you do for STAR Labs. The battery technology. The patents. The growing business interest. You're building something impressive."
Barry waited. Let Wells continue without prompting.
"I wanted to ask if you'd considered what comes after," Wells said. "After the initial success. After the money starts flowing. What's your ultimate goal?"
.
Read more chapters, 22+ days ahead of Webnovel Updates, on Patreon marvelstark