Seven hundred kilometers per hour," he hissed incredulously. "That's not just a train; that's a missile!"
His chief engineer frantically scrolled through specifications on his tablet. "Their SEDS system shouldn't be feasible at this scale, the energy demands alone…"
"I don't care how they did it!" Evans slammed his fist down on the table. "What's our counter?"
An uneasy silence fell over the room as everyone lowered their heads in defeat.
The CFO cleared his throat hesitantly. "We could… accelerate our own maglev program?"
Evans let out a hollow laugh. "We're ten years behind! By the time we reach 500 km/h, Osborn Heavy Industries will dominate every major route."
A junior analyst timidly raised her hand. "What if we… leak something? Safety concerns? Regulatory delays?"
Evans's eyes narrowed with realization; a cold glint ignited within them. "That's a good idea! Get me everything, every piece of dirt on Osborn Heavy Industries: every shortcut they've taken."
