If Tony Stark was pushed to the brink, he could simply sacrifice Stark Industries and collapse the stock market in an instant. A new global economic crisis would erupt in hours. And with a multi-billion dollar bounty on their heads, anyone plotting against him would pay a heavy price.
"I hope so," Lin Feng replied.Lin Feng nodded, choosing not to dwell on the matter.
Tony Stark let out a breath of relief. He leaned in closer, nudging Lin Feng's shoulder with a grin, and lowered his voice. "Look, now that we're officially on the same team, why not let me run some diagnostics on that armor of yours? Even just a quick look-see would do."
"I knew you were up to something," Lin Feng replied, glancing at Tony before shaking his head. "Unfortunately, my Black Rhino armor isn't a product of technology. I'm afraid you'd be coming up empty-handed."
"What? How is that possible?" Tony clearly didn't buy it. He immediately countered, "If it's not tech, what is it? A magical artifact? You've been watching too many fantasy movies, buddy."
"Mm-hmm. You actually hit the nail on the head." Lin Feng shrugged noncommittally.
Tony rolled his eyes. As a genius inventor and a staunch believer in science, he had zero faith in anything resembling magic. Since Lin Feng was unwilling to lend it, he didn't push further. After all, the value of the Black Rhino armor spoke for itself.
"You're looking to upgrade your own suit, aren't you?" Lin Feng asked, shifting the subject.
"Yeah," Tony admitted, looking a bit frustrated. "Ever since I saw your armor, I've been trying to figure out an upgrade for the Mark-3. But it's been days, and I'm still stuck."
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him, and he looked at Lin Feng with a glimmer of hope. "Wait, Lin! Since you have such an advanced suit, you should be able to give me some pointers, right?"
"I actually can," Lin Feng nodded, admitting it frankly.
"For real?!" Tony was ecstatic. He looked ready to drag Lin Feng to his Malibu lab right then and there, the gala completely forgotten.
But Lin Feng stopped him.
"You're not backing out, are you?" Tony asked, suddenly nervous.
Lin Feng explained calmly, "Upgrading a suit boils down to a few key areas: materials, auxiliary systems, weapon systems, and the power source. For materials, Vibranium is the obvious choice—I assume you're already looking into acquiring some. For auxiliary systems, you already have J.A.R.V.I.S. As for weapons... you're the CEO of Stark Industries. What weapon couldn't you get your hands on? So, for now, the only way to significantly leapfrog your current design is to overhaul the power source."
Tony nodded in deep agreement. "I know all that, but..." He sighed, his voice trailing off.
His current power source relied on a Palladium core, which was literally poisoning him. He was living on borrowed time, facing certain death from heavy metal toxicity. He had tried almost every known element, but nothing was as efficient as Palladium—unless he could somehow synthesize a brand-new element.
"I'm curious, what kind of energy does your armor run on? It can't be a new element, can it?" Tony asked, peering at Lin Feng.
"Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand." Lin Feng didn't elaborate. Explaining Light and Shadow Stones was too deep into the realm of the mystical; even if he explained it, Tony wouldn't believe him. Rather than waste his breath, he ignored Tony's dramatic eye-roll and continued:
"However, I do have some information regarding a new element. Specifically, something related to your father."
"What? My father?" Tony blurted out. He was skeptical. Lin Feng looked to be in his early twenties, and Howard Stark had been dead for years. How could this young man know anything about his father's work?
"You've already met the people from S.H.I.E.L.D., haven't you?" Lin Feng asked meaningfully.
"How do you know that?" Tony was stunned once again. He hadn't told anyone about S.H.I.E.L.D. The fact that Lin Feng knew so much was starting to get unnerving. He wondered if the man had bugs planted in his house.
"The 'how' isn't important," Lin Feng said sternly. "The truth is, your father's relationship with S.H.I.E.L.D. was very complex. And they happen to have a legacy he left behind specifically for you."
He was referring to the new element Howard Stark had discovered but lacked the technology to synthesize. Originally, S.H.I.E.L.D. had kept it until Nick Fury decided to use it as a bargaining chip to recruit Tony. However, Lin Feng had struck first and taken it for himself.
Since the items were in his hands, Lin Feng didn't mind playing the part of the benefactor. It cost him nothing, and he didn't care if he was throwing a wrench into someone else's plans.
"A legacy from my father..." Tony was reeling. He had spent his life resenting his father, repressing his childhood memories and maintaining a cold, detached image of the man. Hearing Lin Feng bring him up made him realize there might be more to Howard Stark than he ever imagined. What was his connection to S.H.I.E.L.D.? And what was this "legacy"?
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