After a full round of testing, the surface of the armor only had a few minor scratches.
Even Green Bull, the tester, had only broken a light sweat. He was grinning from ear to ear, clearly having enjoyed the power trip.
General Ross's eyes were shining. He wished he could drag Green Bull out of the Muscle Enhancement Armor and try it on himself.
But Ross knew that since it was called "Muscle Enhancement," the actual effect was tied to the user's physical condition. His old bones might not withstand such stress.
So, he contented himself with stroking the armor lovingly.
Inside the suit, Green Bull's scalp tingled from the awkward touching. But a glance from Luca told him to suck it up, so he stood stiffly and let the general feel him up.
Seeing Green Bull about to crack, Luca stepped in with a smile to rescue him.
"Well, General Ross? Are you satisfied with this enhancement armor?"
Hearing Luca, Ross reluctantly pulled his hand away from "Green Bull."
The perfunctory indifference from earlier was gone, replaced by genuine delight.
"Strength! Speed! Defense! Flexibility! It is a perfect war machine! But..."
Ross paused, his tone turning serious.
"...I don't believe in perfect products, Mr. Aurantius. Tell me about the flaws of this armor!"
Having witnessed its power, Ross suspected that a combat suit relying on electrical muscle stimulation might damage the user's body.
Although Green Bull seemed fine, raising this issue now could help lower the price.
After all, the US military "cared deeply" about soldier health (or rather, the cost of medical pensions). If his soldiers developed chronic issues, it would be an expensive headache.
Luca pretended to be puzzled. He tilted his head and thought for a while before answering.
"If you insist on a flaw..."
"Does it count if the soldiers have a bigger appetite after using it?"
Luca smiled at Ross.
Ross froze for a second, then burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! Of course that counts! The boys in the mess hall are going to complain to me about the budget!"
The other military representatives laughed along.
But Luca knew the Muscle Enhancement Armor did have real flaws.
Although the exterior used commercial-grade E-Carbon, making it durable...
The internal precision electrical stimulation components meant the combat durability was actually quite low.
It wouldn't break after ten fights, but Luca estimated it would need a major overhaul every year.
Once the military placed the order, Luca planned to make bank on the maintenance contracts.
Also, since it worked by stimulating muscles...
Ideally, unlike the "one-shot" Super Soldier Serum, the armor could be passed around.
In reality, each suit needed to be programmed for the specific user's muscle distribution.
Soldiers of similar build could swap suits, but the efficiency would drop significantly.
If the military wanted true "Super Soldiers," they'd have to go the custom-made route.
And the price for customization... cha-ching.
Finally, the most critical "flaw"—or rather, feature.
The original [Tuxedo] item could stimulate muscles to force the user to execute complex martial arts or precision tasks.
Essentially, it controlled the user's body.
Luca had replicated this tech, but he deliberately left this "control mode" out of the military version.
He would never mention it.
But if—just hypothetically—one day the military tried to use these soldiers against Luca...
Luca would show them the true meaning of "involuntary movement."
Of course, that was for the future.
For now, both parties were very satisfied.
The nitty-gritty details of quantity, delivery dates, and price were left to their respective negotiation teams. Luca and Ross didn't need to get their hands dirty with haggling.
After some pleasantries, Luca gifted the prototype armor to General Ross as a token of goodwill.
Then came the standard networking reception. Luca met a lot of "Agent Smiths" and military liaisons he'd likely deal with later.
On the way back after the party, Luca suddenly realized something.
He gave Ross the armor, but the programming was calibrated for Green Bull's massive physique. He hadn't adjusted it for Ross.
Eh, whatever. The old guy probably just wants it as a trophy in his office. He's not actually going to put it on and run laps, right?
---
On Tony Stark's Private Jet.
Yes, Tony's jet again.
A drowsy Luca listened impatiently as the "old man" next to him rambled on.
"Those military guys are vultures. I'm telling you, kid, you don't need to work with them. What's so great about being an arms dealer? Look at your Uncle Tony. I quit that business, and I'm still the richest man in the world."
Luca, trying to sink into the sofa and sleep but failing due to the noise, rolled his eyes weakly.
"Not everyone is Stark Industries. Those bastards have been eyeing my Haro Mech for ages. Instead of waiting for them to drag me to a Senate hearing, I'd rather toss them a bone to shut them up."
"Forget that. Why are you coming back to New York with me?"
"Hey! Kid, this is my plane. Technically, you're following me."
Tony retorted, but then sighed and explained seriously.
"Capsicle contacted me. Said he has something about Hydra to discuss."
"Honestly, that's ancient history from WWII. Hydra doesn't exist anymore!"