Every trace of expression vanished from Tony Stark’s face in that instant.
All that remained was a near-catatonic, incredulous shock.
His eyes widened, those pupils that always sparkled with intelligence and cunning now reflecting only that perfect creation, floating in mid-air and radiating a faint blue light.
His body went rigid, as if he had been struck by a petrification spell.
He stared intently at the object this mysterious young man had “fabricated on the spot” in just a few minutes.
The Arc Reactor Core—the very thing Tony had poured his life’s blood into, sacrificing his health just to barely sustain his own life.
An Arc Reactor Core that seemed even more perfect than his own!
This energy fluctuation was purer than Tony’s own reactor!
More stable!
And the power output seemed… even higher?!
How was this possible?
The only sound left in the air was the steady, rhythmic hum of energy emanating from the new Arc Reactor Core, which hovered in mid-air.
Its deep blue glow pulsed, reflecting off Tony Stark’s face—a face etched with shock and disbelief.
His azure pupils had constricted to pinpricks as he stared, transfixed.
The Life Core, which he had poured his heart and soul into, even sacrificing his own health to barely maintain, had been “replicated” by this young man in a matter of minutes.
And it had even… surpassed it?!
*Hiss—*
A faint, sharp intake of breath broke the silence of the lab.
Tony whipped his head around.
Lin Xuan’s face was pale, his forehead beaded with a fine sweat.
He was clutching his brow with one hand, his body swaying slightly.
He seemed unable to stand steadily, his other hand braced against the workbench as he gasped for air.
Deep within his mind, a sharp, piercing pain and a wave of dizziness—the result of the Xiongxin’s overloaded computations—crashed over him like a tide, threatening to swallow his consciousness whole.
But he gritted his teeth, forcing the discomfort down.
Tony Stark finally snapped out of his sheer awe at the perfect Arc Reactor.
His sharp gaze swept over Lin Xuan’s visibly weakened state, and his eyebrows rose involuntarily. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The subtle annoyance he’d felt moments ago—at having his own core technology so easily “surpassed”—instantly dissipated.
[Ding!]
[Host’s physical state abnormal: Excessive mental energy consumption, neuronal overload…]
[Warning: The current Xiongxin’s computing power has reached its limit. Continued overloaded operation may cause irreversible damage to the host.]
[Recommendation: Host is advised to upgrade the Xiongxin as soon as possible!]
The system’s cold warning chimed in his mind, cutting through the dizziness Lin Xuan was struggling to suppress.
Lin Xuan smiled bitterly to himself.
*It seems the Xiongxin’s current computing power is still too limited,* he thought.
*Even replicating an optimized Arc Reactor is this taxing.*
*I need to find a way to upgrade it immediately!*
Otherwise, the next time he faced a more complex analysis or construction task, his brain might actually crash and burn out.
“Hey, kid,” Tony’s voice regained some of its signature teasing tone.
But the scrutiny within it was even more pronounced.
“You okay? You’re exhausted just from making a little invention. Your stamina’s lacking.”
Lin Xuan looked up and waved a hand at Tony.
He forced a slightly strained smile.
“It’s nothing. The computational load was just a bit high, and I overspent my energy.”
“Computational load? Energy consumption?” Tony keenly caught those two terms.
He looked at the young man before him—someone who had truly performed a miracle, yet now appeared somewhat “fragile.”
The last shred of wariness in his heart completely vanished with the birth of that Perfect Core and Lin Xuan’s current state.
In its place was an irrepressible excitement, the thrill of meeting his match, of finding a kindred spirit!
*This kid is absolutely a genius just like me!
In some ways… he’s even more absurd!*
“Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable!”
Tony strode over to Lin Xuan, pointing excitedly at the floating new core, as if he were about to erupt from the sheer force of his astonishment.
“How did you do it? This optimized structure… and the energy circuit layout! It’s simply perfect! It’s so much more powerful than my own…”
His deep blue eyes gleamed with a fervent light, like a child who had just found his favorite toy, his excitement completely unrestrained.
“And this new element you mentioned… creating a new element! The idea is insane! But…”
Tony suddenly grabbed Lin Xuan’s arm, his grip tight, as if afraid he might vanish the next second.
“Tell me! What’s your line of thinking? What’s your specific vision for this new element?!”
He pulled Lin Xuan along, pacing excitedly around the spacious laboratory, completely immersed in scientific fervor, completely forgetting Lin Xuan’s earlier weakness.
“Palladium is too unstable, and the toxicity… Sigh, let’s not talk about that.”
“We need a brand new element—one with a higher atomic number, greater stability, and a more powerful energy output!”
“Theoretically, we could achieve it through high-energy particle collisions, but how do we control the synthesis process? How do we ensure its stability? Its safety?”
Tony’s voice grew more animated as he spoke, his thoughts surging forth like a burst dam.
Though neither of them had a definitive answer to the specific synthesis path of the new element, this didn’t hinder the sheer thrill of their intellectual sparks flying.
As the discussion reached its climax, their gazes converged on the elusive yet seemingly attainable answer: the World’s Fair model left behind by Howard Stark.
“Exactly! The answer must be in that model!” Tony slapped his hand down, his eyes shining.
“My father would never leave behind something completely meaningless!”
Lin Xuan nodded in agreement.
According to his knowledge of the plot, the blueprint for the new element was indeed hidden within that model.
The excitement on Tony’s face lasted only a few seconds before it quickly collapsed.
He scratched his head, a troubled expression crossing his face.
“Wait, which warehouse did I put that model in again?”
“Or did I leave it in some corner of the office?”
This billionaire genius now looked like a child who had lost his keys, his face a mask of utter bewilderment.
The sudden “amnesia” was like a bucket of cold water thrown over their feverish discussion.
The urgent impulse to start experimenting immediately was abruptly halted.
Tony felt he hadn’t discussed technical problems this freely in a long time.
Ever since Obadiah Stane’s betrayal, there had been almost no one who could converse with him on the same level.
The look he gave Lin Xuan was filled with undisguised admiration, even a hint of longing—a longing for more of this intellectual sparks, for the chance to turn this mad idea into reality together.
Just as their minds were racing, ready to mobilize all of Stark Industries’ resources to begin the new element synthesis experiment—
*Click—*
The lab’s high-tech glass door slid open silently.
Pepper Potts stepped inside, wearing a sharp black business suit and walking with a confident stride in her high heels.
A professional smile graced her refined face.
She was here to remind Tony about some follow-up matters at the expo.