This was a bar, a quiet bar. It was a weekend night, which should have been the peak period for customer traffic, but there were only a dozen or so scattered individuals in this establishment.
And there was no sign of the usual singers or rock bands found in typical bars.
Despite this quiet state, the bar owner—an elegant woman in a white robe—showed no worry at all. Instead, she sat leisurely at the counter, looking utterly relaxed.
"White Queen, don't you think it's been very boring lately?" After a flash in front of the White-robed woman, a man with entirely red skin suddenly appeared.
"Red Devil, if you're so bored, why don't you go rescue Magneto?" The White Queen glanced at the devil-like man in front of her, lazily reaching out to pour two glasses of wine.
"You know, those guys have precautions. The place where Magneto is imprisoned has interference, so it's a bit troublesome to get him out. Besides, when he comes out, it's not up to me, but to Magneto himself," Red Devil said, using his devil's tail to pick up the wine glass and skillfully bring it to his mouth.
"What I mean is, with Magneto not here, we're practically on vacation. Don't you want to go out and have some fun?" Red Devil lowered his head and said, his voice carrying an alluring magic, like a true devil whispering.
However, hearing Red Devil's words, the White Queen frowned. "Red Devil, put away your mental suggestion. You should know it doesn't work on me. If you want to go out and have fun, I won't stop you, but you'd better be careful and not cause trouble for the Brotherhood here."
"Tsk, after all these years, you're still so boring," Red Devil said, looking disappointed.
Just as Red Devil decided to leave the bar, the quiet drinkers in the bar suddenly stirred. At the entrance, an old man in a red-trimmed robe and helmet appeared, and beside him stood a woman with entirely blue skin.
"Magneto, you're back!" A person sitting near the door immediately stood up in surprise.
At this moment, everyone else in the bar also began to cheer, some even excitedly releasing their powers. That's right, everyone in this bar was a Mutant, and all were Brotherhood members.
"Compared to before, you've come out a bit early this time," a red light flashed, and Red Devil had already teleported in front of Magneto with a wine glass, saying jokingly.
Among those present, perhaps only Red Devil dared to joke like this, because he had the capital to do so; after all, he was also one of the veteran members of the Brotherhood.
"That's because there are more important things to do," Magneto glanced at Red Devil and spoke faintly.
Then he turned his gaze to everyone in the bar and waved his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
"Brothers and sisters, I, Magneto, am back! For a long time, we have been fighting against ordinary humans, proclaiming the power of Mutants. We are far superior to ordinary humans, and one day we will replace them. Long live Mutants!"
"Long live Mutants!" All the Mutants in the bar shouted in unison.
And when the cheers subsided, Magneto raised his hand again. After a speech to boost morale, it was naturally time to talk about serious matters.
"And today, our Brotherhood will welcome another brother, a powerful and excellent Mutant. He will inject fresher and stronger blood into the Brotherhood."
After saying this, Magneto took a step to the side, revealing the figure of a young man wearing a poker mask.
The Mutants of the Brotherhood now looked at this seemingly harmless masked young man, and soon began to whisper among themselves.
"Ahem!" Facing these whispering Mutants, the young man suddenly took a step forward.
"Let me introduce myself. You can call me Alester. Please be sure to remember this name, because..." The young man's voice paused, his eyes sweeping over all the Mutants present, and the corner of his mouth under the mask slightly curved upwards.
"Because I am your future leader!"
Whoosh!
As the masked young man's words fell, all the Mutants present immediately erupted. What concerned them even more was that Magneto, who was standing next to the masked young man, showed no change in expression upon hearing these words, clearly indicating his silent approval.
This naturally made these Mutants even more concerned. Everyone looked at the masked young man with various expressions: surprise, confusion, caution, but more often, disdain and dissatisfaction.
Those who could enter the Brotherhood were definitely not good people. They all held respect for Magneto because they recognized his ideals and abilities. But who was this wet-behind-the-ears kid, speaking so casually about being their leader?
A red light flashed, and Red Devil had already teleported behind the masked young man, sneering into his ear.
"Little guy, do you know where this is?"
"Of course, I do. Isn't this one of the Brotherhood's strongholds? I came here to get acquainted with you all and prepare to take over in the future," the masked young man said calmly.
"I'll give you five seconds to retract that statement, or I'll snap your neck," Red Devil teleported in front of the young man again, grabbing his collar with one hand.
At this moment, Red Devil was very displeased. He knew that although Magneto was powerful, his powers unfortunately didn't have the characteristics of a long-lived species, so retirement was inevitable.
But was this kid, who suddenly jumped out and clamored to take over from Magneto as leader, here to make a joke? Even if Magneto were to designate a successor, he would choose from among himself, Mystique, and the White Queen, who were all long-time followers.
The young man, threatened by him, now looked up, his calm eyes meeting Red Devil's.
"I'll also give you five seconds to take your hand off, or I don't mind teaching you a lesson."
Hearing these provocative words, Red Devil's mouth curled into a grin. "Then you can... Ah!"
With a scream, Red Devil, who was about to act a moment ago, had already teleported ten meters away, and his clothes were completely stained red. It was visible that almost all the blood vessels on the surface of his skin had burst.
"Thank me. If I wanted to, you would have been dead just now," the young man said calmly.
"Then I really am..." Just as everyone present thought Red Devil was yielding, Red Devil suddenly teleported in front of the young man, and in his hand, a ball of red energy gathered, heading straight for Lu Yifang's heart.
"Boom!" In an instant, Red Devil was blasted away.
"There won't be a next time," the young man, still standing in place, said coldly.
And this time, Red Devil really didn't attack again. Those standing near him even noticed that Red Devil's body was trembling slightly.
At this moment, his eyes, looking at the young man, were filled with disbelief and deep apprehension, because the reflected energy attack just now reminded him of someone from his memory.
The Black King of the Hellfire Club—Shaw!
During the Cold War, the Black King of the Hellfire Club, Shaw, had been jointly killed by Magneto and Professor X. Magneto also used the Hellfire Club's foundation to create the Brotherhood.
And just now, Red Devil had a feeling that the Black King had returned. No, it should be said that he was even more terrifying, because at least Shaw had the weakness of fearing mental control, while this young man showed no reaction whatsoever to the mental suggestion in his words.
"I understand!" Red Devil said, lowering his head.
Seeing that even Red Devil, an old-school Level 4 Mutant, had yielded, the other Mutants naturally lowered their heads one after another. It was a simple matter to gain the respect of the Brotherhood members: tell them you can fight well, fight very well, and fight extremely well. And this was also a tradition of the Brotherhood.
His gaze swept over these Mutants, and finally, the young man walked directly towards the White Queen, who was standing behind the counter.
"It's you!" The White Queen stared intently at the masked young man at this moment. With her vast psychic power, she naturally recognized him the moment he appeared.
The fear she experienced on Liberty Island, dominated by this young man, was as clear as yesterday. How could she possibly mistake this terrifying young man named Lu Yifang?
Ch 61
What, you want me to establish a Mutant research institute?" In a small room, White Queen looked at Lu Yifang, who had already taken off his mask, with some surprise.
"This is a decision I made after discussing with Lu Yifang. Our enemies are studying us step by step, yet we know little about ourselves. This situation cannot continue," Magneto said at this moment.
"This is a very troublesome matter," White Queen said, frowning deeply.
"But it's not a problem for you, White Queen. Magneto told me that during the Cold War, you once manipulated Soviet marshals with ease. To be honest, I've always felt that you are better at covert struggles than overt battles," Lu Yifang said with a smile.
"You can transfer some people from the Brotherhood who have clean backgrounds. I will give you the green light on this," Magneto explained.
Hearing this, the smile on Lu Yifang's face deepened. This was what he wanted to see. Although Lu Yifang had strength, many things could not be achieved by just using fists.
He still needed people, he needed helpers, but unfortunately, his current qualifications were too shallow and needed to be accumulated.
As for casually walking on the street, encountering one or two amazing talents by helping someone in need, and having them follow him wholeheartedly, that kind of scenario is probably only possible in Dragon King novels.
Lu Yifang didn't have time to start from scratch, but fortunately, he didn't need to, because there was a shortcut.
Whether it was Professor X or Magneto, they had already painstakingly managed for half a century. Especially Magneto's Brotherhood, the people who had survived after following Magneto for so long, their abilities and strength were absolutely beyond doubt.
"What about you?" White Queen suddenly turned her gaze to Lu Yifang. You came up with an idea, and I have to run myself ragged. You're not just going to stand by and watch, are you?
"I can guarantee that the X-Men won't interfere with any of your activities, and for S.H.I.E.L.D., the X-Men will serve as your cover for your actions, and I can also provide a lot of information."
Hearing this, White Queen nodded. Lu Yifang's identity was there. The X-Men's actions and some things about Mutants at S.H.I.E.L.D. would be difficult to hide from him. The importance of the information he provided was naturally self-evident.
However, White Queen still underestimated Lu Yifang, because Lu Yifang's information sources were not only Mutants and S.H.I.E.L.D., but also Ancient One from the magic world. Of course, none of these were the most important. The important thing was that by utilizing the mutual lack of understanding between these three parties, Lu Yifang could pull out some private goods from his mind without being questioned, such as plot details.
Lu Yifang had been transmigrated to this World for eighteen years, and many memories were somewhat blurry. After all, they were just some movies he had watched in his previous life, not to mention there were some minor discrepancies.
Of course, while blurry, he hadn't completely forgotten many general plotlines. After all, after knowing that this World was Marvel, he had been constantly trying to recall the plot in his mind. And now, perhaps some things that he could only imagine in his mind before, he could actually try.
Just as Lu Yifang was thinking about his next plans, his phone in his pocket rang.
"Fury, why is this guy calling me so late at night?" Lu Yifang answered the phone, somewhat puzzled.
"Lu Yifang, where are you now? You didn't come home today." Fury's somewhat anxious voice came from the other end of the phone.
"Doing some things for Professor X. Location is confidential," Lu Yifang said calmly.
Although he was nominally part of S.H.I.E.L.D., he was essentially Professor X's person. Therefore, if Lu Yifang were to be on standby and monitored like a S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent, then what would Professor X's X-Men be doing?
And this was also the reason why Lu Yifang dared to sneak into the Brotherhood's stronghold.
"Alright, have you finished your business?" Fury continued to ask.
"Almost. Do you have an urgent matter?" As the head of spies, he was definitely interested in Lu Yifang's whereabouts, and now that he had given up on probing so readily, it could only mean that something had happened again.
"Do you have a TV there? Turn it on and you'll know."
Hearing Fury's words, Lu Yifang curiously turned on the TV and saw an emergency news flash. He could see two robots, one large and one small, on the road, doing demolition work under the guise of free combat.
"Holy crap, why does this scene look so familiar?"
"Because not long ago, two other guys did the same thing." Fury gritted his teeth, then sighed, and continued helplessly.
"Tony is inside that small armored robot. As for the other one, according to the news from Coulson, it should be Obadiah. Tony was kidnapped in the Middle East some time ago, and the mastermind has been confirmed to be this guy. Originally, he could have just been arrested, but he somehow got Tony's weapon prototype and upgraded it, which made things troublesome."
"So you want me to go take down Obadiah." Lu Yifang pouted.
"You call me for such a small matter? You guys are professionals, this is too unprofessional."
"Do you think I don't want to?" At this moment, Fury was also full of displeasure. Damn it, if this old bastard was causing trouble in some place in the Middle East, let alone one unit, even if there were a hundred, even if it could still shout 'Transform and roll out,' I could call for an aircraft carrier group and blast them all to smithereens.
But this is New York City center. I can't just call in two armed helicopters and pull out a Gatling gun that shoots blue Fire and just go 'da da da,' can I? The last idiot who did that (General Ross) is probably still squatting in some corner drawing circles.
"Alright, I understand. Tell me the location, I can probably get there in a few minutes." He also knew Fury's difficulties, so he quickly said.
"Then you'd better hurry. Coulson is still on site, and I can't guarantee how long he can last," Fury reminded him.
Lu Yifang: "..."
"I say, did Coulson offend you recently? Otherwise, why do all his recent missions feel like suicide missions?"
"You ask me, who should I ask?" Fury's tone became even more helpless. Only a stupid boss would want such a diligent employee who works overtime every day without asking for a raise to go to his death.
But the problem was, Coulson's face seemed even darker than his recently. Wasn't this just a normal arrest mission? Just arresting a rich bald man, who knew that this old bald man would even have a second transformation at the last moment.
Fury even began to wonder if New York was bad luck for Coulson. To prevent him from dying, perhaps he should temporarily transfer him elsewhere.
Ch 62
Tony!!" Obadiah roared at Tony from the entrance of Stark Industries' lobby, his voice filled with a complex mix of hatred, anger, and sorrow.
"Boom!" The three-meter-tall giant robot grabbed Tony, who was wearing the Iron Man Armor, and slammed him heavily onto the ground.
"After your father died, I was the one who supported you all these years, I was the one who rebuilt Stark Industries. No one will destroy it, especially not you—Tony." Obadiah roared, raising his foot and stomping heavily on Tony.
"Tony!" Pepper, who was hiding nearby, showed extreme worry on her face.
"Miss Potts, I know you're worried about Tony, but in this situation, protecting yourself and not distracting Tony is the right choice," Coulson said reassuringly. Facing this situation, he wisely chose to back down and wait for backup.
"Haha, Tony, I have to say, I really like this armor." Obadiah had already flown into the air, looking down at Tony.
"How ironic, Tony. You wanted to eliminate all weapons in this World, but you ended up creating the most powerful one, and now I will use it to end you." As Obadiah spoke, he revved up his engines and dove towards Tony.
"Sensor Missiles!" As soon as Tony got up and saw this, he immediately controlled the Iron Man Suit to release dozens of small bombs.
However, these powerful small bombs did not harm Obadiah in the slightest. With a loud bang, Tony was brutally knocked away.
In this battle, Tony was at a disadvantage from beginning to end. Although Obadiah's giant bald robot was only a replica of Tony's Mark I prototype, it had undergone many optimizations. Of course, this doesn't mean there were no technical differences between it and Tony's Iron Man Suit.
But how does the saying go? If technology isn't enough, make up for it with size.
When the flamboyant Tony manufactured the Iron Man Armor, besides optimizing the technology, he also considered factors of aesthetics and coolness. But Obadiah didn't care about that, so he modified it by thickening the armor, installing more and stronger weapons, and increasing power.
Although this greatly reduced flexibility, it was absolutely devastating in a fight.
Besides this, another important factor was that to stop Obadiah, Tony hastily put on an Arc Reactor whose energy was already more than half depleted, which meant he couldn't output full power.
"Coulson, please, quickly think of a way to save him." Seeing her boss being used as a punching bag, Pepperfelt like she was about to have a heart attack.
"Don't worry, it's alright now, because the reinforcements I spoke of have arrived." This time, Coulson didn't stop Pepper. Instead, he led her towards Tony, the reason being that he heard a familiar whooshing sound.
The next moment Coulson stepped out, a small storm vortex rapidly approached, settling in the center of the battlefield. When the storm vortex dissipated, the figure of a young man appeared.
The young man's gaze swept around, finally settling on Coulson.
"Yo, Coulson, glad to see you're not dead yet. You know, Fury and I were already considering how to hold your memorial service, and at my strong insistence, Fury has decided to give you a funeral with a three-level promotion."
Hearing this, Coulson's face stiffened instantly, and he couldn't help but smile bitterly. "Should I say thank you, Lu Yifang? Can't you wish for something good?"
"No choice, who told you your luck has been so bad lately?" Lu Yifang said, shrugging his hands.
"Where did this brat come from? Get lost." Obadiah, who was striding towards Tony, saw the young man who suddenly appeared in a strange way, but he didn't care. He just raised his hand and waved at Lu Yifang as if to clear away an insignificant obstacle.
At this moment, Obadiah's heart was swelling. He seemed to feel that he had merged with the bald robot. The constantly surging power and unparalleled destructive force made him clearly feel that there was nothing to fear anymore.
"Oh, where did this idiot kid come from?" Tony's face also changed when he saw this scene.
And although he said so, Tony's body had already honestly activated its thrusters at full power, hoping to save this suicidal idiot kid before Obadiah's hand landed.
"Boom!"
With a loud bang, Obadiah had flown out, sliding hundreds of meters on the ground, and then crashed into the building. Lu Yifang, on the other hand, turned his head, rolling his eyes at Tony, who was clinging to him like a koala.
"What are you doing?"
"How is this possible?" Tony's face was filled with disbelief. Not to mention Obadiah who suddenly flew out, he had already activated his thrusters at full power, yet he couldn't move the young man in front of him in the slightest.
"This is normal, because I'm a Mutant," Lu Yifang said grumpily.
"I see." A glimmer of understanding appeared in Tony's eyes, and he quickly straightened his awkward posture.
After sizing up the harmless Lu Yifang, Tony seemed to think of something, and his tone became excited again.
"Speaking of Mutants, although many people dislike you, I think you're not bad, especially when I thought I was beyond saving, Mutants gave me hope. Oh, by the way, do you know Jean Grey?"
"That's my teacher," Lu Yifang answered casually.
"Oh, that's great! That red-haired lady is truly charming, especially when she operated on me, like an Angel. You know what? My biggest regret at the time was that I was under local anesthesia and couldn't move, otherwise I would have definitely asked for her phone number. So, can you get her contact number?" Tonyopened his mask, looking at Lu Yifang with some anticipation.
Lu Yifang looked at Tony speechlessly, regretting having said that just now.
"I need to clarify, she has a boyfriend."
"Oh, so it's just a boyfriend? That's not the best news, but it's not too bad."
"Damn it, what do you mean 'not too bad'? You're asking for trouble!" Just as Lu Yifang was silently complaining, thankfully Obadiah had already crawled out, ending this awkward conversation.
"Alright, let's discuss these matters after this." Tonyimmediately closed his mask, entering a state of alert.
"Bastard!" Obadiah's gaze swept between Tony and Lu Yifang. Although he was curious about what had just happened, out of caution, the no-longer-reckless Obadiah revealed a Gatling gun.
"Da da da!"
"Oh, so this is your ability, it looks really good." Tony, who was struggling to block the bullets, suddenly noticed that Lu Yifang was standing still, and all the bullets that hit him were bounced back.
"Bastard, then try this." Obadiah said, and a small Rocket launcher appeared behind him.
However, with the launch of the Rocket and a cry of "How is this possible?", the Rocket exploded in front of Obadiah, and the powerful impact force once again blasted him into the lobby of the building.
"Such a hassle, let's just dismantle it all at once." Lu Yifang frowned slightly and rushed into the lobby.
"That's a good idea, wait, why did you stop?" Tony was about to follow Lu Yifang in, but suddenly found Lu Yifang stopped at the entrance.
"I feel a huge amount of energy inside. Is this the energy supply center?" Lu Yifang suddenly asked.
"Who would put the energy supply center in the middle of the exhibition hall? What you're talking about should be the Arc Energy Reactor my old man built, which is the predecessor of this Arc Reactor on my chest. Although the energy is huge, the technology back then made it too expensive, and its volume is more than a thousand times that of my Arc Reactor, so my old man only built one and put it in the center of the hall as an exhibit." Tony explained, then suddenly paused.
"Why are you asking that?"
"When Obadiah was blasted in just now, it seems like he broke it." Lu Yifang said, looking at Tony.
"So, uh, how's your armor's protective performance..." Before Lu Yifang could finish his sentence, he saw a White light approaching.
At this moment, above New York City, in the area of the Stark Industries building, a dazzling White pillar of light irresistibly shot up into the sky. While engulfing the entire Stark Tower, it also illuminated the entire New York like the Sun, and merged with the clouds in the sky, releasing endless lightning.
Well, no big deal, the stronghold exploded!
Ch 63
Last night, we received an official statement regarding the Stark Industries explosion. There were unconfirmed reports that it was due to a malfunction in a robot prototype, which damaged the Arc Reactor. Fortunately, Tony Stark's personal bodyguard stepped in..."
The television was broadcasting the official news about last night's events, while Tony Stark, the protagonist, was leisurely crossing his legs and engrossed in a newspaper. The newspaper's cover featured a photo of Tony just as he appeared on the street.
"Iron Man, they call me Iron Man. I have to say, that name is pretty cool. I like it a lot," Tony said with satisfaction.
At this moment, Coulson, who was standing nearby, suddenly walked over and handed Tony a note. "This is your alibi. At the time, you were on Avalon Island. Not only do we have customs documents to prove it, but also testimonies from over fifty eyewitnesses."
"Fifty people? I thought it would just be Pepper and me, a World for two. After all, that's more my style," Tonysaid, taking the note and looking at it for a while.
"Oh, right, why isn't Obadiah mentioned here?"
"We've already handled it. At the time, he was taking a private plane for a vacation on an island, and you know, private planes have a higher chance of accidents," Coulson explained with a smile.
"Don't worry, we're professionals. You just need to read what's on here, coupled with a firm official statement, and soon you'll be out of it. All you need to do now is familiarize yourself with the lines before going on the news."
After Coulson finished speaking, the adjacent door opened. At the signal of Tony's security Captain, Tonywalked into the media hall.
Looking at the media below, Tony pulled out a small note. "It seems I haven't appeared in the media for a while. To avoid making mistakes this time, I think I'll just read from the card."
"Mr. Stark, do you expect us to believe that it was just a bodyguard who happened to pass by and conveniently helped eliminate a rampaging robot?" a female reporter suddenly interrupted Tony rudely, raising her hand.
"We want to hear the truth."
"Alright then." Looking at the suspicious eyes of those present, Tony hesitated for a moment, but that hesitation quickly turned into determination.
"The truth is—I am Iron Man!"
As Tony's words fell, the reporters present immediately erupted, their excitement no less than when Tonyannounced the closure of Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division last time.
Meanwhile, in another office, Fury sighed, turning off the live broadcast channel, and wearily rubbed his temples.
"Why are you all so good at stirring up trouble, can't you just make things easy for me?"
"Why are you dragging me into this when you're talking about Tony Stark? What does it have to do with me?" Lu Yifang, at the other end of the table, immediately protested upon hearing this.
"I just went to play a minor role and accidentally blew up an Arc Reactor, that's all," Lu Yifang said, his voice slightly losing some of its confidence. "But the main character himself isn't bothered, so why are you so concerned?"
"In that case, I've wronged you," Fury said, rolling his eyes at Lu Yifang.
"Blowing up a few armed helicopters in the school was one thing, I just closed my eyes and napped for a few hours, and when I woke up, I heard you guys blew up a seventy-year-old Hydropower Station."
Although Fury had previously considered letting Lu Yifang go out and cause trouble, this was simply too much! Fortunately, the downstream of Acrylic Lake was not a densely populated area, otherwise, the humanitarian disaster it would have caused would have taken an unknown amount of time to quell.
"Regarding the Acrylic Lake Hydropower Station, Professor X has already had a serious negotiation with the President as a Mutant representative. The process went very smoothly, and I believe everything will be resolved properly," Lu Yifang revealed some information appropriately to alleviate Fury's concerns.
This time, Obama was greatly tricked by the audacious Colonel Stryker. To cover up this huge political stain, Obama had to compromise and make concessions. With Professor X's methods, the conflict between Mutants and ordinary people in recent times should ease considerably.
Fury nodded at this moment. Lu Yifang could think of the underlying reasons and entanglements, and he naturally could too.
"So, what's your take on Tony's situation?" Furysuddenly changed the subject, looking at Lu Yifang and asking.
Tony's Iron Man Suit, in a way, shares some similarities with Mutants; both are uncontrollable forces for the government. So, Fury was interested in hearing Lu Yifang's opinion.
"I don't have any opinion," Lu Yifang said, shrugging.
"Given Tony Stark's flamboyant personality, do you think he would be willing to be Batman, hiding in the shadows to fight criminals? Forget it. I remember a few days ago, he was even wearing this suit and running around the Middle East, high-profilely fighting criminals. So, his identity being exposed is only a matter of time. I think you should be very clear about this."
"That's true." Compared to Lu Yifang, Fury naturally understood the personality of this flamboyant rich second-generation better. And thinking of an iron can that disregarded air traffic control and flew around New York all day, Fury's headache immediately worsened.
"Actually, thinking about it, this isn't entirely a bad thing. New York has been hit by terrorist attacks twice recently. Isn't it good to let the anxious public know that a superhero, like something out of a comic book, has appeared?"
"A superhero like something out of a comic book," Fury's mind inexplicably conjured images of Superman and Batman from DC comics.
While Fury was pondering, Lu Yifang had already stood up and turned to walk out the door.
"Where are you going?" Fury suddenly looked up and asked.
"Nonsense, back to school, of course." Lu Yifang said, pulling out his phone and carefully checking the time. "I snuck out during lunch break, and I have classes this afternoon. The Professor finished his talk with the President today and is rushing back to do something. I have to be there to help prevent any accidents.
Hmm, there's still some time. I'll just eat here then. I have to say, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s food is pretty good. I'm very satisfied."
Watching Lu Yifang walk out the door, Fury did not stop him. Instead, he pulled out a file bag from a drawer, on which the words "Avengers Initiative" were prominently written.
"Can it truly be like the comics, forming a group of superheroes who can protect World peace and be adored and loved by the people of the World?" Furymuttered to himself, frowning.
He deeply knew that in a real World, human hearts were far more complex than in comics. The so-called superheroes might not always be met with adoration; there could also be skepticism and conspiracy theories.
To date, the most successfully created superhero in the United States should be Captain America, but he is a dead man, a dead man whose body has not been found despite seventy years of searching. And only a dead hero will be beautified and praised to the greatest extent.
Ch 64
Where is this?" Jean looked around at the familiar surroundings blankly.
"Wait, this looks like the Academy!" After a brief moment of confusion, Jean's eyes began to clear.
At this moment, she was standing at the entrance of the Mutant Academy, but this Mutant Academy had undergone tremendous changes. The tightly shut walls and iron gates had collapsed, and the school buildings inside the walls had all turned into ruins. Blazing fires burned, and the air was filled with a strong scent of blood.
"What happened?" Jean rushed into the sea of fire in horror, and inside, she saw countless familiar yet unfamiliar corpses. All the Mutant students in the entire school were dead.
In the center of the ruins, Professor X, Wolverine, Storm, and Lu Yifang were all lying on the ground, powerless. A red-haired woman stood in the very center, holding a powerless Cyclops in her hand.
The red-haired woman seemed to notice Jean's gaze. A face identical to Jean's turned around, and eyes filled with tyranny and destruction looked down at Jean. The red-haired woman suddenly grinned maliciously.
"Crack!" The woman snapped Cyclops's neck.
"No~!" Jean screamed in terror, sitting up from the operating table in the laboratory. A terrifying energy burst forth at that moment, causing the entire room to shake.
"Calm down, Jean, good child, it's alright now!" A gentle male voice sounded, carrying a special magic that soothed her agitated emotions.
"Professor, it's so good that you're alright." When she saw Professor X perfectly fine in front of her, and then Lu Yifang standing behind Professor X, Jean finally calmed down.
"You just had a nightmare, that's all. We are all fine, and you will be fine too." Professor X continued to comfort her.
"No, Professor, if I can't stop the Phoenix Force within me, that nightmare might very well become real." Jean shook her head, speaking with determination.
"The Phoenix within you forcibly broke through the mental seal before, and was then defeated by Lu Yifang. It is now in a weakened state, so it's temporarily impossible for it to come out. While we have this time, I can re-create the mental seal."
"Professor, I don't think that's a good idea." Jean rejected Professor X's idea. "It's useless. You can only seal it for a while. That thing will come out eventually. When that Hydropower Station collapsed, you shouldn't have saved me at all. I am a disaster."
Jean clutched her hair, her face full of despair and self-abandonment.
"Even if we hadn't cared about you then, even if you had given up resisting, do you not have any idea whether a mere flood could kill you?" Lu Yifang, who was standing by, suddenly spoke, shattering Jean's illusion.
"However, there's one thing I agree with, and that is that Professor X shouldn't impose another seal. Professor, didn't you already reinforce the seal once before? If I'm not mistaken, it was precisely because sealing the Phoenix consumed too much of your power that you carelessly fell into Stryker's trap when you went to find Magneto later, right?" Lu Yifang said, already looking at Professor X.
"Professor, you paid a huge price to reinforce the seal, and what was the result? Under the immense danger of the Acrylic Lake Hydropower Station's collapse, the Phoenix almost instantly tore open the mental seal."
Hearing this, Professor X did not refute, but his expression was somewhat dim. "The first mental seal was set by me when Jean was a child. At that time, the Phoenix's power had not yet matured, so it could be successfully sealed. But now, in this situation, my power is indeed insufficient to seal the Phoenix. But even so, having a seal is better than having none, right?"
"Professor, why must we seal it? Our situation as Mutants is already not good, and yet you are trying every possible way to suppress the power of a 5-level Mutant. Is this really good?" Lu Yifang looked at Professor X, speaking seriously.
Hearing this, Professor X frowned, because Magnetohad also said this to him. "Lu Yifang, you need to understand that Jean is different from you. She finds it very difficult to control her power, and she is very dangerous, which is why I…"
"So you, with the intention of protecting Jean, ended up creating the Phoenix." Lu Yifang interrupted Professor X.
"Professor, you should understand the true nature of the Phoenix better than anyone. We are Mutants, and our superpowers are instincts rooted in our genes. Suppressing Jean's power is actually suppressing Jean's innate nature, which led to the repressed power within Jean, with nowhere to be released, forming a dark personality under extreme distortion."
Professor X was an excellent educator and leader, but he also had a flaw: he was very soft-hearted towards those around him. He loved every student at the Mutant Academy. Jean, Cyclops, Phoenix, and others, as his first batch of students who chose to stay by his side, were treated like his own children.
And Jean, as a special and dangerous 5-level Mutant, naturally consumed more of the Professor's energy. He was like a responsible father, trying every means to protect her by constantly restricting her power.
And we all know that every father who strictly restrains their child's behavior will likely end up with a super rebellious child.
In fact, if she had been guided correctly from the beginning, Jean might have been able to control the Phoenix Force. She would inevitably become the Phoenix, but not the Dark Phoenix, but the White Phoenix.
"Lu Yifang, you're right. This is my fault." Professor Xsighed. Even Lu Yifang had seen this truth. Although Professor X was caught in the situation, he wasn't so dense that he couldn't understand it after so many years; it was just that he understood it a bit late.
"Professor, I'm not telling you this to blame you, but for you to make the right choice." Lu Yifang said seriously.
Hearing this, Professor X looked up and met Lu Yifang's gaze, then after a moment, he shook his head again. "Lu Yifang, I know what you're thinking, but it's too late."
"In principle, it is a bit late, but there is still a way." Lu Yifang smiled mysteriously.
"What do you mean?" Professor X's eyes flashed when he heard this, and he immediately pressed for an answer.
"Simply put, this is a mysterious power from the East." Lu Yifang said, pulling out a black notebook from his embrace.
"Professor, have you heard of magic?"
"You mean those reclusive guys." Professor X sat up straight, his expression becoming serious.
"Exactly them." Lu Yifang nodded, thinking to himself that it was indeed the case. Even the people of the Hermitage deliberately maintained the mystery of the magic side. But such a large organization, constantly fighting Black Magic users worldwide, how could they not leave some traces? A very small number of people in reality still knew of their existence.
"Unlike Mutants who are born with supernatural powers, magic users acquire supernatural powers by using special methods to draw mysterious energy from other dimensional spaces. And for them, as ordinary people, it's not so easy to gain supernatural powers. While gaining supernatural powers, their minds often become twisted, leading to the birth of inner demons.
All magic users, while constantly growing stronger, also spend their entire lives fighting their inner demons. Therefore, no one is better at fighting inner demons than magic users. Their methods are absolutely the most effective."
"And the Phoenix personality within Jean is what you call an inner demon." A hint of understanding flashed in Professor X's eyes.
"This is a meditation mental spell that can fight inner demons. You can try it." Lu Yifang wrote a line in the notebook, and soon such a spell appeared on the notebook.
"I've never known anything about magic. Can I really learn this spell? And how long does it take to learn magic?" Jean looked at the notebook, speaking with some concern.
"Don't worry, with your vast mental power, it shouldn't take long." According to the information in his memory, magic was not as difficult to learn as imagined. Even an ordinary person, if just barely getting started, should only need a few months.
"And during this time, you don't need to worry too much about the Phoenix controlling your body, because if that happens, I will consider reasoning with you, or perhaps using physics." Lu Yifang said with full confidence.
"Lu Yifang, thank you!" Hearing this, Jean finally relaxed and smiled again.
And Lu Yifang also smiled, but within his smile, there was a hint of worry. Of course, this was not for Jean Grey, but for himself.
During this time, in his leisure, he would also flip through the notes left by his parents, gaining a general understanding of some magic knowledge. But for some reason, he found it very difficult to cast a complete spell.
Is my aptitude not enough? That's impossible. Ancient One herself said so. How could I not be able to learn magic? But why then do I find myself in the same awkward situation as Doctor Strange at the beginning?
Lu Yifang had already decided that the next time he saw Ancient One, he would definitely ask her what was going on.
Just as Lu Yifang was thinking, Professor X beside him suddenly spoke. "Lu Yifang, can you tell me how you came into contact with magic?"
To be honest, Professor X was not against Lu Yifanglearning magic. If it could make Lu Yifang stronger, then it was a good thing. The only thing that made him wary was whether someone else would come to poach his talent again after he had bested Magneto and narrowly defeated Fury.
Professor X at this moment wanted to reiterate, "I was here first!"
Ch 65
After talking with Professor X for a full hour and revealing his parents' story, Professor X nodded with relief and expressed his serious stance.
"Work hard, Professor supports you. You must become a powerful magic user and learn magic for the rise of Mutants!"
Finally, after dealing with Professor X, as soon as Lu Yifang returned to the classroom, his phone rang again, but this time it was an unfamiliar number.
"Hello, who is this?" Lu Yifang answered the call.
"It's me, White Queen." A clear, cold voice came from the phone.
"Oh, it's you. Calling me now means you've made up your mind and are ready to start the operation."
"I've already selected the personnel here, but regarding the plan, there are still some things I need to discuss with you. Also, there's something else here that needs your attention." White Queen said, her voice sounding a bit strange.
"What is it?" Hearing her strange tone, Lu Yifang was momentarily stunned, but White Queen had already hung up. So, with confusion, Lu Yifang went to the bar from before.
This time, the bar seemed even colder. In such a large bar, there were only five or six people.
Lu Yifang understood why these changes occurred. After implementing this plan, White Queen and the others had to try to avoid contact with the Brotherhood, as the Brotherhood, led by Magneto, was simply too conspicuous.
Unlike Professor X, Magneto was a decisive person, so after making his decision, he gave Lu Yifang maximum freedom.
At this moment, with a flash of red light, Red Devilappeared before Lu Yifang and respectfully bowed to him.
"I didn't expect you to choose to join this plan!" Lu Yifang looked at Red Devil with some surprise.
"If it were the Magneto of the past, even if you had proven your power to me, I would still choose to follow him. But now it's different." Red Devil smiled as he looked at Lu Yifang.
"Although he is still very powerful, he has been defeated by one thing—Magneto is old. Whether he wants to or not, his ambition and power are inevitably declining. As for me, the always energetic Red Devil, I prefer to deal with young people."
Hearing this, Lu Yifang simply gave Red Devil a deep look, then said in a deep voice, "So you did that on purpose last time."
Magneto suddenly introduced him to the Brotherhoodin such a high-profile manner. It was clear that these unruly guys in the Brotherhood would never be convinced, so Lu Yifang would inevitably have to establish his authority. This was also why Lu Yifang was so arrogant when he first spoke.
And at that moment, Red Devil just happened to jump out. In terms of strength, he was a Level 4 Mutant. In terms of seniority, he had followed Magneto since Magneto founded the Brotherhood.
So, besides him, who else would be more suitable to be the target for a public humiliation? Otherwise, with Red Devil's cunning personality, even if he was very displeased, he wouldn't be the first to eagerly jump out. And now, thinking about it this way, some things made sense.
Upon hearing Lu Yifang's words, Red Devil simply smiled noncommittally and said nothing more.
At this point, White Queen had also walked over. After exchanging glances with Lu Yifang, she beckoned to him and walked towards the deeper part of the corridor.
"Do you still remember the people you brought?" White Queen said without looking back.
"You mean Stryker and his son Jason, and Deathstrike." Lu Yifang realized. From the X-Men's perspective, these people falling into Professor X's hands would be a hot potato. Therefore, with Professor X's deliberate oversight, they naturally ended up with White Queen.
"Although it took a little time, Stryker no longer exists, and his son was merely a tool. Only Deathstrike, you should see her situation for yourself." White Queensaid, opening a door at the end of the corridor.
In that room, a woman dressed in a women's suit was quietly kneeling at a table, watching television intently.
The person on the TV was actually someone Lu Yifangknew—Tony Stark. That show-off had previously publicly admitted that he was Iron Man, and after that, he had made a big fanfare of going to the Middle Eastseveral times to combat Terrorists.
The U.S. Government, now aware of the terrifying power of the Iron Man Armor, naturally became uneasy. They heavily publicized the dangers of the Iron Man Armor, hoping Tony would hand over the technology for the Iron Man Armor. At this moment on TV, the two sides were in a fierce confrontation.
"Do you know him?" White Queen walked up to Deathstrike and pointed at Lu Yifang.
"Ah~." Deathstrike, suddenly interrupted from watching TV, looked blankly at White Queen, then, after a full two-second pause, she looked dazedly at Lu Yifang.
The moment she saw Lu Yifang, her body trembled, and her eyes were filled with terror.
"Yuriko greets Master!" To everyone's surprise, Deathstrike had prostrated herself before Lu Yifang.
"What's going on?" Lu Yifang was also bewildered at this moment.
Lu Yifang knew a little about Deathstrike's situation. She could be said to be a female Wolverine that Strykerhad recreated based on his experience manufacturing Wolverine.
To control her, Stryker used a hallucinogenic fluid extracted from his son, Jason, the Master of Illusions, turning her into his bodyguard.
By now, the effect of the hallucinogenic fluid should have worn off, and Deathstrike should have regained her consciousness. What was the meaning of this sudden display?
"How much of your past do you remember?" Lu Yifanglowered his head and probed.
"Master, Yuriko remembers her name is Yuriko Oyama, and then..." Deathstrike clutched her head, and after a moment of painful thought, her bewildered eyes suddenly cleared up again.
"Yuriko still remembers that I have a Master whom I must obey."
"Was her memory erased by Stryker?" A hint of realization appeared in Lu Yifang's eyes. After all, Stryker was a professional at making people lose their memory.
Wolverine went out of control after his modification, and as Stryker's most successful creation, how could Deathstrike still have such a hidden danger? Plus, with the help of Jason, the Master of Illusions, erasing her past should not have been difficult.
"Her brain was severely injured. When I saw her, her brain was almost like tofu, and even with her regenerative abilities, it took a long time for it to heal. This is probably also a reason."
"Alright, I admit I had a hand in her becoming like this." Lu Yifang spread his hands.
But no matter what, from the moment Deathstrikeunderwent the modification, she no longer had a past. The only thing Lu Yifang cared about was that Stryker's influence on her was truly deeply ingrained. Even after losing the control of the mental hallucinogenic agent and having her brain reshaped, she still hadn't forgotten the command to "obey her Master."
"But I don't understand why she would consider me her Master. Shouldn't it be Stryker?" Lu Yifang asked, puzzled.
"Implanting the concept of a Master in the brain versus implanting the concept that Stryker is the Master, the difficulty is completely different, especially since this is a brain with self-healing abilities." When it came to mental control, White Queen was undoubtedly an absolute expert.
"Therefore, Stryker could only assist in control through mental hallucinogenic agents. But your reason is probably more complex. I can confirm that she is very afraid of you. As an enhanced healer, she is almost immortal, but you made her feel the fear of Death. Coupled with the fact that during her brain's healing process, because the effect of the mental hallucinogenic agent disappeared, she fell into a state of confusion from losing her Master. Therefore, she took the object of her fear as her Master and developed worship. This is also a common human psychological response."
White Queen speculated. Even she was encountering this situation for the first time, so she could only give a general conclusion.
"I see." Lu Yifang looked at Deathstrike, who was respectfully standing before him, with a complicated expression. Hmm, now it should be more appropriate to call her Yuriko.
"What a headache, how should I deal with her!"
Ch 66
Master, have some tea!" Yuriko skillfully brewed the tea and then respectfully offered three cups to Lu Yifangand the others.
"It seems that although her memory is gone, her skills haven't diminished much." Lu Yifang sipped his tea, sizing up Yuriko. If this was all, Lu Yifang might consider taking her back.
After all, he was quite busy running around every day now, and if someone could help clean up his little home, that would be a good option.
Thinking of this, Lu Yifang couldn't help but observe more carefully. Other than her eyes being a bit vacant and her frequent zoning out, there wasn't much special about her. It wasn't surprising that she was like this; anyone whose memory had been wiped wouldn't look too sharp.
"And this outfit." Lu Yifang noticed Yuriko's somewhat tattered suit, a result of her close combat with Wolverine. Stryker, that old man, seemed to have a soft spot for women's suits, but Lu Yifang didn't, so he would have to change it to something more his style.
Hmm, what kind of clothes should she wear?
Should he tell Katie about this?
"Dong!" While Lu Yifang was deep in thought, White Queen suddenly knocked on the table, pulling Lu Yifang's attention back.
"Her matter is up to you. Now, let's talk about serious business. To build a Mutant research institute of the scale you envision, we still have some problems to solve."
"What else do you need?" Lu Yifang asked directly.
"We lack many things, but one thing must be prioritized: we lack money."
"Huh?" Lu Yifang, who was drinking tea, choked when he heard this. Yuriko, seeing this, immediately moved closer and thoughtfully patted Lu Yifang's back.
"Don't lie to me. I don't believe the Brotherhood is a bunch of starving revolutionaries."
"The Brotherhood does have a certain amount of resources, but the amount of money you're asking for would be enough to empty the entire Brotherhood, so this isn't a good option," White Queen explained.
Hearing this, Lu Yifang fell silent. Building a complete large research institute would require a starting capital of at least a billion U.S. dollars, with subsequent continuous investments potentially reaching tens or even hundreds of billions, which was normal.
Of course, Professor X and Magneto were not short on money, but they couldn't devote themselves solely to making money. Furthermore, for them, who controlled superpowers, many things others needed to spend money on might not be necessary for them.
Lu Yifang could, of course, ask Professor X and Magneto to help him make money, but if he did that, not only would those two be disappointed in him, but he himself would be ashamed enough to jump off a building.
Although Lu Yifang, in every sense, was just a young man who had barely escaped poverty, that was only from a legal perspective.
Ordinary money was hard to come by, but in that little booklet called the U.S. Federal Constitution, there were many good ways to make big money, and if that money didn't pass through his name, it would be even easier to earn.
Damn, why does thinking this way feel so annoying? It feels like I'm helping someone else make money.
While Lu Yifang was grumbling unhappily and pondering solutions, he suddenly noticed the scene on the TV.
At this moment, the TV was still broadcasting Tonyclashing with the Military Committee. To promote the insecurity of the Iron Man Suit, the Military Committeenot only invited Tony's good friend Lieutenant Colonel Roddy but also Tony's business rival, the fellow arms dealer boss Justin Hammer.
After feigning praise for Tony's invention, Hammerimmediately played a video showing various countries researching the Iron Man Suit. Most of the photos and videos looked quite blurry, but it was clear that some countries' research was already taking shape.
He wanted to convey that the Iron Man Suit was not as secure as Tony claimed, that many countries had already begun to make breakthroughs, while the U.S. had made no progress. Therefore, for the safety of the U.S. people, Tony should hand over the Iron Man Armortechnology.
But he underestimated Tony. After Tony fiddled with his phone for a few seconds, he successfully hacked the TV and played the subsequent parts of those photos and videos.
The truth of those so-called achievements was merely some robots that couldn't even stand steadily. Even more ironically, one video even showed the comical scene of Justin Hammer almost being hit by a bomb while creating fake photos.
While Hammer was busy looking for a plug to pull the power, Tony had already unleashed his full array of sarcastic taunts.
"I said other countries wouldn't make any breakthroughs on the Iron Man Armor within five to ten years, but if Hammer Industries is doing it, I estimate that time could be extended to twenty years."
And then, using this fraudulent video as a basis, Tonyrelentlessly pursued the Military Committee, ridiculing them for deceiving the public for personal gain, forcing the Military Committee to almost curse them out in public and prematurely end the meeting.
Clearly, Tony fought this battle beautifully, but at this moment, Lu Yifang's attention was not on the spirited Tony Stark, but on Justin Hammer, who had taken the full brunt of Tony's mockery and was already fuming.
With a slight smirk, Lu Yifang looked at White Queen. "What do you think about us finding a rich fool... uh, I mean, a generous patron who believes in us?"
"I don't think anyone would be very interested in Mutantresearch, and even if someone were willing, it wouldn't be a good thing. The results of Mutant research must be controlled by Mutants themselves; you should understand this," White Queen said, shaking her head with a serious expression.
"Don't worry, of course I know that. All we need is an appropriately tempting bait to lure in a generous patron. Once we have the money, how we spend it is up to us," Lu Yifang said with a smile, then looked at Yuriko beside him.
"As for what this temptation should be, our Justin Hammer seems very eager to develop weapons comparable to Tony's to expand his scale and quickly seize the arms market that Stark Industries is gradually exiting. So, we'll give him such a weapon. What do you think about mass-producing Wolverine?"
"Are you kidding?" White Queen frowned immediately upon hearing this. "Although we obtained the complete Wolverine manufacturing technology from Stryker, it must be combined with Mutants with enhanced healing abilities, so it's simply impossible to mass-produce."
"Of course I know that." Lu Yifang nodded in agreement. "But Justin Hammer doesn't know that. I don't believe Hammer Industries' Mutant research is stronger than ours. We just need to paint him a grand picture, and since we already have a finished product to display, I don't believe he won't be tempted."
"But even so, it might work for a short time, but problems will still arise in the long run," White Queensaid, frowning.
"Hammer Industries can't last that long. You know I work for S.H.I.E.L.D. now, so I can give you a little information: S.H.I.E.L.D. has already set its sights on Hammer Industries. This behemoth of the arms industry will probably collapse soon. At that time, with your methods, you should know how to fish in troubled waters without me teaching you, right?" Lu Yifang said with a smile.
Of course, what he said was half-true. It was true that S.H.I.E.L.D. was targeting Hammer Industries, but not right now. But what did that matter? Hammer Industrieswas indeed about to completely collapse overnight due to Justin Hammer's self-destructive actions. Lu Yifang, wanting to make a quick buck now, naturally had to prepare early.
Ch 67
Days passed, and Lu Yifang found himself at leisure.
Although he had recently dismantled the Acrylic Lake Hydropower Station and the Stark Industries building, he wasn't the one who had to take the blame for it.
Others were responsible, so Lu Yifang naturally didn't need to worry.
As for White Queen, Lu Yifang only provided help intermittently; for the most part, White Queen handled things herself and didn't need Lu Yifang to constantly be there.
Therefore, Lu Yifang enjoyed a rare period of peace.
The phone rang, and Lu Yifang pulled out his phone.
It was another unknown number he had never seen before; it seemed there had been quite a few unknown calls lately.
"Hello, who is this?" Lu Yifang answered the phone.
"I'm Tony Stark, though if you call me Iron Man, I certainly won't refuse," Tony's flashy voice came through.
"So, Mr. Stark, why are you calling me?" Lu Yifang said calmly.
"Why do I feel like you're insulting me?" Tony paused, then repeated the name.
"Alright, let's talk business.
What was your name, kid... Lu Yifang, yes, that seems to be it."
"Lu Yifang, we had a small issue last time, so let's continue that topic this time.
The red-haired lady who performed my surgery is your teacher, right?
Then you should know her phone number."
"What do you want?" Lu Yifang asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
"I'm in Monaco now, where a car race is being held.
Of course, besides that, the parties here are also quite good, so I was wondering if the beautiful Jean Greymight be interested in..."
"No, get lost!" Lu Yifang replied curtly.
"Hey, you can't do this, buddy, you..."
"Don't ask again, or you'll be beaten to Death, especially if you want to have a second surgery next week."
"Oh, right, if you didn't mention it, I would have forgotten.
I've decided to postpone next week's second surgery by two months."
"Postpone for two months, are you kidding me?" Lu Yifang's brows furrowed even tighter upon hearing this.
"Of course not, this is... well, a compromise made based on various complex circumstances, so I've thought about this very seriously.
I'm a bit busy during this time, and I also feel quite good physically.
So, regarding Jean Grey's phone number..."
"Beep!" Lu Yifang hung up the phone, simultaneously wondering whether to tell Jean or Cyclops.
"I didn't expect Tony to call you; that saved me a lot of trouble," Fury said with a smile.
"So, you're here to talk about Tony Stark today?" Lu Yifang stared at the one-eyed man opposite him.
"What do you think about Tony's situation?" Fury asked, pressing his hands together, looking at Lu Yifang.
"Our flashy rich second-generation is probably going to die," Lu Yifang said, his gaze flickering.
"You actually knew," Fury's expression showed some surprise.
"What's so strange about it?" Lu Yifang rolled his eyes at Fury.
"I remember the information you gave said that the Arc Reactor's fuel was the toxic element palladium.
And last time when I was confronting Obadiah, I noticed that such a violent palladium energy reaction was happening inside him; it would be a ghost if nothing happened to him."
"You're right, Tony is suffering from palladium poisoning," Fury nodded upon hearing this.
"This was originally under our control.
One piece of palladium energy would be enough to sustain Tony's life for ten lifetimes, and even if he was poisoned, it could keep him going for a long time, enough for us to complete the surgery."
"But you overlooked the Iron Man Armor," Lu Yifangpointed out the key.
"One palladium cell is only enough for the Iron Man Armor to fight at full power for fifteen to thirty minutes.
Therefore, during the battle with Obadiah, the high-intensity palladium energy reaction greatly exacerbated Tony's condition, immediately pushing things to the worst possible scenario.
If the Arc Reactor continues to hang on his chest, the most optimistic estimate is that he won't last more than two months."
"And if the Arc Reactor is removed, he might not last more than ten seconds.
I heard that last time Obadiah forcibly took the Arc Reactor from Tony's chest, which caused the device in his chest to lose power for over ten minutes.
Now, the remaining shrapnel in Tony's body is only millimeters away from his heart."
Thinking this, a sudden realization flashed in Lu Yifang's eyes.
"No wonder he wants to postpone the surgery by two months; he knows he won't live past two months, and his physical condition is completely unable to withstand the next surgery.
And even knowing that using the Iron Man Suit will continue to accelerate his Death, he has no intention of giving up the Iron Man Suit.
It seems he wants to die as Iron Man."
"I've already had Agent Romanoff infiltrate his side.
From the intelligence we've gathered, he's currently indulging in daily pleasures, and everything at Stark Industries has been completely handed over to Pepper.
All signs indicate that Tony has given up on himself."
"If that's the case, why are you telling me all this?" Lu Yifang and Fury exchanged glances, and then Lu Yifang's expression suddenly changed.
"You're not going to ask me to invite Magneto, and then under Magneto's help, forcibly perform a surgery, are you?"
Hearing this, Fury didn't answer, but Lu Yifang had already sensed his thoughts from his eyes.
"Damn it, you really want to try that?
Don't kid me, you know that's impossible," Lu Yifangshook his head and said seriously.
While rejecting Fury, Lu Yifang also sighed inwardly, thinking, is Tony really the legendary Marvelprotagonist?
Otherwise, Fury wouldn't be so concerned about his trivial matters.
"I'm saying, since you've thought of even that, haven't you considered other methods, such as some ways to temporarily curb palladium poisoning?" Lu Yifangtentatively asked.
"Of course there are, but the effect isn't ideal; it just doesn't meet expectations.
And not only that, we've even considered more thorough methods, such as developing a new element to replace palladium."
"Researching a new replacement element, that's too exaggerated," Lu Yifang exclaimed with a click of his tongue.
"It's not as exaggerated as you think.
In fact, the research for this new element was an unfinished project by Tony's father, Howard Stark, which couldn't be completed at the time due to technological limitations.
Now, the technological requirements for this are mature.
I've had my subordinates conduct research, but so far, there are no signs of a breakthrough," Fury said with a sigh.
Listening to Fury's explanation, Lu Yifang suddenly laughed.
"If that's the case, I can recommend a talent in this area."
"Who?" Fury immediately turned to look at Lu Yifangupon hearing this.
"Of course, Tony Stark.
He is undoubtedly a genius in this field.
Although he seems to have completely given up on himself now, that's because he can't see hope.
But if you point out hope to him now, even just a tiny bit, I believe he will exert all his effort to seize it."
"Perhaps it's worth a try."
Fury vaguely remembered that when Howard paused this research, he had expressed the idea of leaving this research to his son.