The faint creak of a door opening echoed in the quiet lounge.
Tony Stark spun around, his brow furrowing the moment he saw the unfamiliar young man standing in the doorway.
A flash of impatience at being interrupted crossed his deep blue eyes, along with a bone-deep wariness of strangers.
“Hey, kid,” Tony’s voice carried his signature arrogant drawl.
“If you want an autograph or a photo, get in line outside. I don’t have time to deal with fans right now.”
He waved his hand, gesturing for Lin Xuan to leave.
Lin Xuan showed none of the excitement or nervousness a fan would display when meeting their idol.
He simply stood there, calmly shaking his head.
“Sorry, Mr. Stark, I’m not here for an autograph.”
His gaze was steady and sharp, meeting Tony’s probing, impatient eyes head-on.
Lin Xuan paused, his voice clear as he spoke each word deliberately: “I’m here to talk about the Arc Reactor in your chest that’s keeping you alive.”
“And the palladium poisoning that is slowly eating away at your life.”
The air seemed to freeze in that instant.
The smug, distant expression on Tony Stark’s face vanished, replaced by a mix of sheer shock, disbelief, and intense wariness.
He snapped upright from the desk he’d been leaning against, his gaze sharpening into a blade as he stared Lin Xuan down.
“Who are you?” Tony’s voice dropped, a faint, barely perceptible rasp creeping in.
“How do you know about this?”
Palladium poisoning—this was his greatest secret.
Who was this young man who had appeared out of nowhere?
Lin Xuan seemed completely oblivious to the sudden surge of hostility and suspicion radiating from Tony.
He ignored the gaze that could have pierced a man’s heart.
Continuing in a tone as calm as if he were discussing an academic puzzle, he said, “A replacement for palladium is hard to find, isn’t it?”
“After all,” Lin Xuan continued, his tone as casual as if he were discussing the weather, “there seems to be no solution in the known periodic table that can perfectly replace palladium, provide stable energy, and remain harmless to the human body.”
His expression shifted, a glint of intellect flashing in his eyes.
“But, Mr. Stark, if the known elements can’t solve the problem…”
“Why not consider… creating a brand-new element?”
“Create a new element?”
Tony stared at him, stunned.
Then, as if he’d just heard the funniest joke of the century, he burst out laughing.
The wariness in his eyes faded, replaced by thick mockery and disdain. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
“Kid, do you think this is playing with LEGOs? Creating a new element? You’re delusional! That’s pure fantasy!”
Tony’s voice rose, dripping with the absolute contempt of a seasoned scientist for this stranger’s “insane” idea.
“What, you think the periodic table is your backyard? You can just plant whatever you want in it?”
Before Tony could continue his mockery, Lin Xuan’s gaze drifted past him, fixing on the center of the expo hall.
There stood a massive globe, a monument to the glorious history of Stark Industrial City.
“I believe,” Lin Xuan said, turning back to Tony with unwavering certainty, “the key to solving this problem may lie within the legacy your father, Howard Stark, left behind.”
“Specifically, that model containing the original blueprints of Stark Industrial City.”
*Howard Stark.*
The name caused the sneer on Tony’s face to falter.
A complex, unreadable emotion flickered deep in his eyes, only to be swiftly replaced by impatience.
“My father’s legacy? That dusty old model?” Tony scoffed.
“Don’t lecture me on antiques, kid. I have no interest in history—I create the future.”
He seemed to have lost all patience for this “delusional” young man.
Lin Xuan didn’t waste any more words trying to argue.
After all, facts always spoke louder than rhetoric.
He silently commanded in his mind: *”System, consume 20 Tech Points to analyze and simulate the Arc Reactor’s core structure and energy output pattern for a conceptual demonstration.”*
[Ding!]
[Xiongxin Command Received: Target Locked – Arc Reactor (Conceptual Simulation)]
[Tech Points -20, Remaining Tech Points: 30]
[Xiongxin Command Executing: Simulating Arc Reactor Energy Core Structure…]
The next second, just as Tony Stark was about to call security in frustration, the unexpected happened!
Lin Xuan slowly extended his right hand, opening his palm.
Pale blue energy particles, as if drawn by an invisible force, materialized from thin air, rapidly swirling, condensing, and sketching themselves above his palm…
In just a second or two, a miniature yet incredibly precise and complex three-dimensional projection materialized above Lin Xuan’s palm!
It was a constantly rotating, ring-shaped energy core!
It emitted a soft, steady blue glow, its intricate internal energy circuits clearly visible.
Even the direction and rate of the energy flow were simulated with breathtaking accuracy!
This was none other than the core structure projection of the Arc Reactor!
The energy fluctuations were extremely faint, nearly undetectable by conventional instruments.
Yet, the unique energy frequency they emitted, and the technical principles they contained—principles only the creator of the Arc Reactor could comprehend…
Tony Stark recognized them instantly!
“!!!”
The mocking smile on Tony’s face froze, as if a pause button had been pressed, his lips locking in a rigid line.
His azure pupils constricted sharply, shrinking to the size of pinpricks!
He stared intently at the miniature, glowing blue projection of the energy core in Lin Xuan’s palm, his body leaning forward in sheer shock, as if trying to etch every detail of the projection into his mind!
His breath nearly stopped in that moment!
[Ding!]
[Mission Completed: Expo Debut]
[Mission Evaluation: Perfect (Successfully captured Tony Stark’s deep attention and astonishment)]
[Mission Reward: Tech Points +20, Xiongxin Upgrade Permission Fragment *1]
The System’s notification chimed in Lin Xuan’s mind, but his attention was now completely focused on the utterly stunned genius billionaire across from him.
This was no simple holographic projection!
And it certainly wasn’t some cheap magic trick!
That unique energy signature, that near-perfect replication of the core structure…
This young man who had suddenly appeared had not only accurately exposed the top-secret information about his palladium poisoning, but he also possessed some kind of AI assistant similar to Jarvis, and… a profound understanding, perhaps even a replication, of his core technology—the Arc Reactor?!
How was this possible?!
After the initial shock, a deeper sense of suspicion and scrutiny took hold.
Tony Stark took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down from the massive jolt.
The look in his eyes as he stared at Lin Xuan turned incredibly complex.
His previous arrogance and impatience had vanished without a trace, replaced by an extreme seriousness and a need to investigate.
He realized that this seemingly ordinary young man was absolutely not simple!
The information and technology he possessed might even hold the key to his own survival!
“This is no place to talk,” Tony’s voice was a bit dry, but exceptionally clear, carrying an unquestionable decisiveness.
His sharp gaze swept around, as if worried there were eavesdroppers behind the walls.
“Come with me,” Tony Stark invited Lin Xuan.
“Let’s talk at my place.”