Chapter 358: Tell Me What You Want

"Don't bother with the city council. Is there something going on that I don't know about?" William asked curiously.

"Haha, yes. Just last month, a road renovation project that had been delayed for nearly two years began without city council approval. In difficult times like these, when someone is willing to pay for roadwork, the residents of that district couldn't care less about the council's two-year delay. As long as they approve it themselves, it's fine. At worst, they'll just pay a fine of a few tens of thousands of pounds," Charles chuckled from the side.

"The district council agreed, and the outcome was good. The only thing the London city government could do was fine them. William, you're not going to be bothered by a mere twenty or thirty thousand pounds, are you?" Prince Charles smiled.

"Of course not. If they want, I'd even be willing to let them fine me every month, as long as they don't hassle me."

"Hahaha," everyone laughed. Grovener teased, "I've heard that some district councilors nowadays only get their salary with no extra benefits. If your words get out, the councilors from the poorer districts on the outskirts of Greater London might actually take up the idea."

Hearing the good news reported by Sunday, William smiled and said, "Who cares? I'll just consider it a good deed."

According to Sunday's preliminary budget, although the new stadium would be three times the size of the old one, tearing down residential buildings would be much easier and cheaper than dismantling the stadium. The time and labor costs would be significantly lower.

Furthermore, with the current drastic drop in prices and labor costs, the new stadium would only require about $300 million to complete within two years. Of course, if the project took longer than two years, Sunday estimated that each additional year would increase the cost by $100 million.

As for the new residential area to be built on the old Stamford Bridge site, Sunday estimated that without affecting sunlight, three 20-story triangular apartment buildings could be constructed, with four to eight units per floor. William would only need to give two of the buildings to Grovener as compensation, keeping the remaining one for himself.

In addition, a hotel, shopping street, and office area could be built around the stadium. In total, the project would definitely cost no more than £500 million.

That remaining residential building might be worth over a hundred million pounds in just four or five years.

After a moment of laughter, William calculated in his mind and said, "I now estimate the value of my bulletproof gear company at £5 billion. You and Duke Grovener wouldn't have any objections, would you?"

"William, that's a bit harsh. You're asking too much," Grovener shook his head in disapproval.

"Let me show you something." William didn't explain further. Under the puzzled gazes of the four men, he took out his phone, opened the screen, and placed it on the coffee table in front of him after a few taps.

With two soft hums, a two-meter-tall beam of light shot out from the back of the phone. Then, Sunday's voice came through the device: "Good evening, gentlemen. My name is Sunday, and I am Mr. Devonshire's personal AI assistant. I will now present information regarding the sales and new products of the bulletproof clothing."

"Hmm, what's this?" Wilson couldn't hold back this time. Looking at the projection straight out of a sci-fi movie, he asked William, "Is this holographic technology?"

"That's right. This technology has been around since 1947. There's nothing to be surprised about, Wilson."

"My God, you say there's nothing to be surprised about. Do you even understand the potential of this technology?" Wilson clutched his forehead, staring at William, who seemed indifferent. Ignoring proper noble etiquette, he moved over to sit on the armrest of William's sofa and said excitedly, "Buddy, how about we develop this technology together? Forget about the bulletproof suits. In my view, this tech has far more potential.

"Just looking at it, I'm sure venture capitalists would be willing to value it at a billion dollars. If we can develop more practical applications, the market value could instantly reach tens or hundreds of billions of dollars."

"What?" Both King Philip, Prince Charles, and Duke Grovener were stunned, even William was slightly surprised. "Is this technology really that valuable?"

"Of course! My God, what is your brain made of?" Wilson grabbed William's arm and explained, "I remember just before Christmas last year, my old high school held a Future Technology Expo. The technical staff there used a lot of equipment just to project a dancing figure.

"But that figure was much blurrier than this, and you could only see it from certain angles. If you moved to the side or behind, you couldn't see it at all.

"Look at this now! It's clear from every angle, and, for heaven's sake, you don't need any extra equipment! It's just a phone, yet the projection is this sharp. My God, this is a true 3D holographic projection system.

"What stuck with me most was when the technical staff said that if we could project our own images through satellites or other instruments and even communicate, every phone or communication company would go bankrupt.

"And the company holding this technology would trample over the corpses of those communication companies to become the world's most valuable business. And that's just the civilian side. Imagine this tech in military or scientific applications. My God, William, you're going to be the richest man in the world. Take me with you. Any terms you want—even if you want Kensington Palace, it's yours."

"Come on, I believe Kensington Palace is owned by a foundation that serves the royal family. Even if your father, Prince Charles, wanted to sell it, he couldn't," William said, glancing at Prince Charles, whose calm expression betrayed his excitement.

Prince Charles, noticing William's look, held back his excitement and said, "Kensington Palace definitely can't be sold; it's a protected building. Even I only have usage rights and partial property rights for some sections. However, William, if you're interested in a prime-location villa or estate, there are still options."

"Thank you, but there's no need. My people are already negotiating with an owner on Kensington Street. The villa is priced at $1.6 billion, with 12 guest rooms and 20 parking spaces. I didn't pay attention to the name."

"Hey, from what you've said, I know exactly which one it is. It's very close to the Kensington Garden villa my father gave me. It's only a five-minute walk away. Buddy, we'll be neighbors from now on. It'll be much easier for my brother Harry and me to visit you," Wilson said happily.

"Alright, let's get back to business, Wilson," King Philip, ever pragmatic, interjected. He understood the value of tangible opportunities and knew that now wasn't the time to focus on holographic tech. Securing the immediate deal was more important.

"William, name your price. Tell me what it will take to get shares in your bulletproof gear company."

"You know I don't need money."

Philip interrupted, "Of course. I never imagined I could buy your original shares with money. So, tell me what you want."

After a moment of thought, William replied, "I want shares in England Electric. I'll exchange 10% of my company's original shares for 20% of England Electric."

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