Chapter 21: Just Say the Word, and I’ll Deliver the CEO Tomorrow

"You have no idea how many meals she treated me to just to learn more about you. This bracelet? She gave it to me as a gift, hoping I'd tell her what kind of girls you like."

Hill extended her hand, revealing a charming Bohemian-style stone bead bracelet on her wrist.

"…"

Rowan didn't know how to respond.

If Hill was telling the truth, then Sharon was indeed trustworthy.

She had a solid character, was highly capable, and as the niece of Peggy Carter, she had strong connections. She truly did seem like the ideal candidate for CEO.

"What do you think? Why not go with Sharon? I really think she's a good fit."

Hill beamed as she looked at Rowan.

"Just say the word, and I'll have your CEO here by tomorrow."

She raised an eyebrow confidently, certain of her pitch.

Rowan fell into deep thought.

He urgently needed to establish the company. Only by doing so could he scale up the production and sales of Krol-Alloy, generate significant capital, and then use it to exchange for resources in the Swallowed Star world.

But to launch a company, the CEO had to be appointed first.

Krol Industries was destined to become a major player one potentially on par with Stark Industries. Its CEO needed not only top-tier competence but also unwavering loyalty.

Someone like Pepper Potts.

"Alright, let's go with Sharon."

Rowan made his decision.

In the original timeline, Sharon had performed well she was a woman worth trusting.

As for her apparent crush on him… well, that was a problem for another time.

"Great, it's settled then!"

Hill clapped her hands in delight, her smile bright as ever.

Rowan sighed in resignation.

He was starting to suspect that Hill was more excited about watching drama unfold than anything else.

The next morning, Hill left for work early.

Judging by her cheerful mood, Rowan figured she was on her way to have a "heart-to-heart" with Sharon.

Skipping the breakfast Hill had prepared for him, Rowan put on his ring, packed a pressure cooker and Friday's CPU unit, then drove straight to the warehouse.

After a full night of charging, the arc reactor's energy was depleted but the gemstones on the ring were now glowing, eight of them in total.

"Eight stones should be enough for now."

With a snap of his fingers, Rowan vanished from the warehouse.

Inside his apartment in the Swallowed Star world, Rowan retrieved a chunk of beast meat from the freezer and began stewing it in the pressure cooker he'd brought.

While the meat simmered, he prepared a variety of side ingredients tomatoes, avocados, broccoli, cucumbers, carrots, rice, and more.

Exercise was only one part of physical training. Nutrition was equally vital.

With proper nutrient intake, the results of training could be several times greater than average.

After about half an hour, the rich aroma of meat filled the entire apartment, carried on the steam.

Rowan released the pressure, opened the lid, and was immediately hit with the thick, mouthwatering scent of beast meat.

His appetite ignited, he scooped the meat out, sliced it into thin strips, sprinkled on a bit of salt and pepper, and paired it with vegetables and rice for a hearty meal.

After eating, Rowan felt a flush of heat course through his body. He was lightly sweating, and his energy levels were soaring.

He pulled Friday's mainframe out of his backpack and plugged it in.

As the indicator light shifted from red to blue, Friday's voice rang out.

"Good morning, sir."

Rowan smiled at the sound.

"Friday, can you connect to the internet here?"

"Please wait a moment, sir."

Friday fell silent briefly.

"Connection established."

Her voice now sounded slower, and the indicator light blinked repeatedly.

Rowan's smile widened.

It was obvious that Friday had encountered a flood of conflicting data from this world's internet.

If Friday were capable of emotion, she'd probably be in shock right now.

"Sir…"

Friday's voice called out, but no follow-up question came.

Apparently, there were just too many questions to ask at once.

"Friday, just think of it this way: I've brought you to a parallel world. Some things here are a little different."

"Understood, sir."

Though only a basic AI, Friday adapted quickly. She didn't have the emotional complexity to question it further.

"Good. I need you to help me analyze a training regimen. Watch my movements and correct my form using video analysis."

Rowan uploaded a video demonstration of the 'Basic Ten Forms' from the Extreme Martial Hall.

"Understood, sir."

Friday instantly began scanning and analyzing the video frame by frame.

Rowan then began performing the foundational moves at a slow, controlled pace.

But only a few seconds in, Friday spoke up.

"Sir, your movements currently match the video at a similarity rate of 79%. Please widen your stance, externally rotate your knees, and keep your back straight."

Rowan paused mid-move, pleasantly surprised.

Just as he thought AI-assisted training for martial artists could be incredibly effective.

He quickly adjusted his posture based on Friday's guidance.

Her camera lens followed him intently, rotating as needed to track every movement. Corrections came steadily and precisely.

After about an hour of practice, Rowan had made significant progress.

He could feel it training under Friday's guidance was clearly more effective.

The workout had also drained much more of his energy than usual.

Breathing heavily, Rowan collapsed onto the floor to rest.

"Friday, would having multiple cameras help you track my movements more accurately?"

"Yes, sir. With additional cameras, I could observe your form from multiple angles."

"What if I equipped those cameras with infrared scanning?"

Rowan's imagination was starting to fire on all cylinders.

The Swallowed Star world had technology far beyond what existed in Marvel's timeline.

In martial arts training, every muscle counts.

Even if a move looked perfect, if the power didn't originate from the right muscle group, the results could vary drastically.

With specialized equipment, Friday's ability to support his training could improve even further.

"It would improve performance significantly, sir."

Friday's response was as polite and precise as always. Rowan grinned.

It really might be viable to market artificial intelligence systems here.

If Friday could enhance his training, she could do the same for others in this world.

After all, Tony Stark's Iron Man suits were only half as powerful without AI assistance.

The potential for AI here was massive.

In the Swallowed Star universe, intelligent systems were everywhere.

Once people reached space, almost everyone had a smart assistant of their own.

But Earth in this world hadn't connected with the greater universe yet.

AI technology here hadn't broken through.

Civilian-level AI was a complete blank slate.

A basic system like Friday or even JARVIS could easily fill that void.

If AI were only used as smart assistants, they'd mostly be luxury items for the wealthy.

But if they could assist in martial arts training? That changed everything.

A personal trainer could cost thousands for a single session.

Wouldn't it be smarter to buy an AI instead?

Rowan sat up with a jolt.

It felt like a whole new path had opened in front of him.

Between beast meat and herbal soaks, he'd come to understand just how critical resources were for martial artists.

Selling rice was profitable but too slow.

Selling AI? That was the real jackpot.

But as his imagination ran wild, a serious concern popped into his mind.

Friday was still connected to the internet.

What if Babata discovered her?

With Babata's capabilities, it would take seconds to fully dismantle and analyze Friday's system.

"Better to play it safe."

Rowan reminded himself he was still far too weak. A little caution never hurt.

"Friday, disconnect from the internet now."

"Understood, sir."

The connection was terminated immediately.

Only then did Rowan breathe a sigh of relief.

Babata probably wouldn't waste his time monitoring the entire global network.

And Friday was, after all, just a basic AI. In Babata's eyes, she might not even qualify as such.

Hopefully, she'd fly under the radar.

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