A week had passed since Tony hosted his pool party, and Jiraiya had become a regular visitor to Tony's mansion, frequenting it even more often than Kankuro.
He was practically living there.
Tony was also delighted to have a free ninja to help him test his new suits of armor.
During this time, Charles selected five 084 objects from S.H.I.E.L.D. However, since their value couldn't be determined before charging, he chose based on instinct.
Ultimately, these five objects yielded only 10,000 gold coins, which disappointed Charles.
Their value paled in comparison to the energy produced by the Tesseract. Despite this, Charles decided not to dwell on it but instead to find another way to benefit from S.H.I.E.L.D.
…
Meanwhile-
A Hydra squad had arrived in Wakanda under the guise of a business collaboration. They were in a seemingly impoverished town, which Wakanda presented as its capital to outsiders.
Fehr, the leader of this Hydra squad, was not a Winter Soldier but the mission's overseer.
The mission was to acquire a significant amount of vibranium. Fehr's plan was to negotiate peacefully first, and if that failed, resort to force.
However, he believed their large orders and financial aid would easily accomplish the mission.
…
In the royal palace of Wakanda, a soldier reported to King T'Chaka.
"King T'Chaka, a businessman has arrived at the border with over a billion dollars' worth of orders. He requests an audience with you."
T'Chaka chuckled, "It is rare for outsiders to seek cooperation with Wakanda. Let's see what they want."
Prince T'Challa spoke up, "Father, could this be a trap?"
T'Chaka smiled at his son, "For such a poor country like ours, it is indeed suspicious that someone comes with such a large order."
T'Challa glanced outside the kingdom, thinking of their supposed poverty. "Father, we should bring the guard."
T'Chaka looked at his son, "T'Challa, you and Okoye will come with me. You must learn to deal with such people in the future."
T'Chaka, his son T'Challa, Okoye, and a group of royal guards boarded a plane to the outskirts of Wakanda.
…
In the reception hall-
Fehr waited until the doors opened. The royal guards, armed with spears, entered and stood like statues. Then, King T'Chaka and T'Challa entered the room.
Fehr observed the guards' strange attire and spears, noting their apparent backwardness.
His eyes then settled on the two men who entered.
Upon seeing them, Fehr recognized the older man as King T'Chaka of Wakanda and the younger man holding a panther head mask as Prince T'Challa.
He found it amusing that the prince had such an attraction for panthers, even bringing a mask to a business meeting.
Fehr stood and greeted them, "Your Majesty, King T'Chaka. Your Highness, Prince T'Challa."
T'Chaka surveyed the four people in the meeting room, finally focusing on Fehr with a smile. "On behalf of Wakanda, I welcome you, Mr. Fehr Wills."
Prince T'Challa also greeted him, "Mr. Fehr Wills, welcome."
T'Chaka then said, "Mr. Wills, I understand you have brought a significant order for our Trade Department?"
"Your Majesty, Wakanda is primarily an agrarian and pastoral nation, growing large quantities of crops and raising cattle and sheep. My company is interested in purchasing your agricultural products and livestock, and we are looking to establish a long-term partnership."
T'Chaka, still smiling, responded, "Mr. Wills, I believe your desire to meet me is not solely about these commercial orders. If it were, your offer would not be so generous, nor would you have requested a personal audience with me."
Fehr's company had offered prices five percent above the market rate, rather than trying to drive prices down. This five percent increase represented a significant profit on such a large order.
Fehr smiled back, "Your Majesty, you are correct. We do have a small request, but we are willing to compensate you for your assistance."
T'Chaka prompted, "Go on, what is this request?"
"I would like to purchase a batch of vibranium at the market price of $20,000 per gram. We don't need a large amount, just $5 million worth."
Fehr was uncertain how much vibranium T'Chaka had left, but his intelligence suggested it wasn't much.
T'Chaka's expression turned apologetic, "I'm sorry, Mr. Wills. Since Ulysses Klaue stole vibranium from Wakanda 25 years ago, we have no surplus stock."
Fehr shook his head, "Your Majesty, I know that you have continued trading vibranium with the five major nations over the years. We only need 25 kilograms. I believe this amount won't strain your resources."
"Our company is willing to support Wakanda with infrastructure development, offer low-interest or even interest-free loans, and engage in long-term trade for agricultural products and livestock over the next five years."
T'Challa, sitting beside his father, was impressed by Fehr's generous offer. Having studied at Oxford University, he has a clear understanding of the value of money and saw the sincerity in Fehr's proposal.
However, T'Chaka remained unmoved, "We no longer have any remaining vibranium. All our vibranium has been pre-ordered by the five major nations, and these transactions will conclude in five years."
Fehr frowned, realizing that Wakanda's vibranium supply was indeed running low, with only five years' worth of transactions left. This complicated matters significantly.