Building The Strongest Family-Chapter 114: The Art Of The Deal

The morning sun poured through the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows of Osborn Technology’s executive conference room, casting long, golden rectangles across the sleek mahogany table.

Julian Osborn adjusted his cufflinks with a practiced ease, inhaling the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with a hint of citrus from cleaning products.

At fifty-two, he exuded the kind of confidence that comes from three decades in the tech industry, his salt-and-pepper hair was impeccably styled, and his navy suit was crisp yet understated.

"President, they have arrived," Julian’s assistant announced as she held the door open for five executives who entered the room.

Each one represented mid-tier manufacturers from across the Aurelian Federation, all eager to carve out their piece of the competitive consumer tech market.

"Gentlemen, welcome!" Julian greeted them warmly but with a hint of formality. "Coffee? Tea? Or shall we dive right into business?"

A stocky man with a neatly trimmed beard, Hendrick from NovaPower, chuckled as he settled into his seat. "After seeing your presentation at the Tech Exhibition a few months ago, I think we’d all prefer to get to the good stuff."

Julian smiled knowingly and tapped a button on the control panel embedded in the table.

The lights dimmed slightly as a holographic display flickered to life, showcasing two revolutionary products rotating gracefully in mid-air: the InfiniteCell Fusion battery and the Neural Core X processor.

"Let me clarify what these are not," Julian began confidently as he walked around the table. "They’re not prototypes or limited-run vanity projects. As of now, our facility is producing thirty thousand units per hour of each."

A murmur rippled through the group. The youngest among them, a sharp-eyed woman named Mira from Vertex Devices, leaned forward eagerly, her manicured fingers tracing along the edge of the hologram.

"Your specs claim four-minute full charges with negligible heat buildup! Our engineers thought that was a typo."

"It wasn’t," Julian replied simply. He reached into his briefcase and placed several physical samples on the table for them to examine. "Pass these around; you’ll find that even at peak charge transfer, these batteries remain cool to touch."

As they circulated samples around like prized possessions, Julian observed their reactions closely, the skepticism in their eyes slowly morphing into intrigue as they grasped technology capable of redefining their product lines.

Tai, silver-haired CEO of Lumina Systems, cleared his throat thoughtfully. "These are impressive, Julian, but start-ups always promise big things! What’s your actual production capacity? And more importantly, what’s your price point?"

Julian settled into the head of the table, fingers steepled in thought. "We’re rolling out tiered pricing based on volume commitments," he began, his voice steady and confident.

"For orders under fifty million units, we’re at twenty-three credits per battery and thirty per chip. But reach that hundred million unit milestone, and those prices drop to nineteen and twenty-six respectively."

A sharp intake of breath from Hendrick broke the room’s tension. "That’s... aggressive. Almost suspiciously so."

"Not aggressive," Julian replied with a gentle smile. "Strategic. We’re new to the market, eager for partners, not just customers."

With a tap of a button, he displayed a production roadmap on the screen behind him. "By Q3 next year, we’ll unveil our next-gen versions. Companies that forge relationships now will be first in line."

Mira twirled a strand of her dark hair around her finger, a tell Julian recognized from their previous meetings; she was deep in thought about margins.

"What about exclusivity periods? If we commit to a large order, can we secure a six-month window in our market segment?"

Julian shook his head slowly. "No exclusives allowed. However, early adopters will receive priority allocation when supplies are tight."

He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing his point: "And they will be tight once these hit the market..."

He let that statement linger like an unspoken promise as the executives exchanged glances,silent calculations danced behind their eyes: projected market share gains and premium pricing with this cutting-edge technology woven into their devices.

Tai broke the silence first. "Lumina will take seventy million batteries and forty million chips at your hundred-million tier pricing, provided you guarantee twelve-week delivery."

Mira’s head snapped up in surprise. "Vertex will match that order, same terms!"

Suddenly, the room buzzed with excitement as counteroffers flew back and forth like sparks igniting a firestorm of negotiation.

Julian leaned back, letting the energy build while stepping in only to clarify terms or smooth over contentious points.

Two hours later, legal teams were reviewing final contracts, the total orders stood at an impressive 380 million battery units and 260 million chips, a staggering eight billion credits in projected first-year revenue!

As the executives prepared to leave, Hendrick lingered by the door with an intrigued look on his face. "You’re playing this very well for a newcomer, Osborn. Makes me wonder what else you’ve got up your sleeve."

Julian offered a polite smile that masked his excitement beneath layers of professionalism. "Just focused on building quality partnerships here, Hendrick, the technology should speak for itself."

Once everyone had departed, Julian finally allowed himself to exhale deeply as he gazed out over the city skyline through his office window, the real work was just beginning: scaling production, managing quality control...and fending off inevitable attempts at industrial espionage.

His phone buzzed, breaking the stillness of the moment.

A message from Arthur popped up: "Heard it went well. Congratulations, Uncle!"

Julian couldn’t help but chuckle as he typed a quick reply:

"Yeah, it’s good?"

As he slipped his phone back into his pocket, his reflection in the window revealed a man caught perfectly between satisfaction and anticipation, a blend of triumph and eagerness for what lay ahead.

---------------

The study was a sanctuary of tranquility, illuminated only by the flickering glow of the fireplace and the soft blue light emanating from holographic displays hovering above Arthur’s desk.

In his hand rested a glass of Valeerian Noir, its deep crimson hue swirling gracefully as he took a slow sip, savoring its smoky, spice-laden finish that danced on his palate.

Suddenly, Evolon’s face appeared on the giant screen, accompanied by a flurry of tiny data streams flashing across the display.

"Master Julian has finalized the contracts,"