The projector screen in the main boardroom of Apex Tower displayed a truly pathetic image. It was a sketch of a space rocket drawn using standard MS Paint, featuring crooked lines, a dull gray color, and the words "TENGDA SPACEX-PLUS" painted in a glaring red along its side.In front of that screen, Julian Vance stood with his chest puffed out and his eyes sparkling with ambition. An ambition to go broke as quickly as possible.Complete silence descended around the oval boardroom table. Chloe Sterling, Elena Thorne, Nadine Prescott, Harry, Benson, and Hendrik sat frozen, staring at the sketch that looked more like a giant winged cigar."Ladies and gentlemen," Julian began, his voice pitched to be as dramatic and convincing as possible. "Earth is already way too small for Tengda Corp's vision. That hundred million

In a stuffy underground warehouse smelling of rust on the outskirts of the North Port, Hendrik stood with a handkerchief covering his nose. Before him, a massive man in a thick fur coat with a heavy Eastern European accent was puffing on a cigar. That man was General Yuri, a corrupt ex-military officer known as a supplier of ex-Soviet scrap metal."So, Mr. Hendrik," General Yuri's voice boomed, shattering the silence of the warehouse filled with stacks of dusty shipping containers. "I hear you're bringin' big money from Tengda Corp. You lookin' for missiles? Anti-aircraft weapons? Or maybe a used nuclear submarine?""No, no, no!" Hendrik waved his hands in a panic, his eyes darting left and right to ensure there were no cops lurking about. "I don't wanna buy weapons, General! I need a space rocket engine."Yuri raised a thick eyebrow. "A rocket engine? For that