Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Late February 1943, Norwegian Sea, Allied fleet flagship cruiser HMS Prince George V.

The echo of the explosion still seemed to reverberate deep in his ears, and his lungs were filled with the smell of gunpowder, dust, and a strange, acrid odor of ionized ozone. Wang Huanbo sat back on the makeshift bed in the crowded medical pod, holding a cup of cold, bland military coffee in his hand, his gaze unfocused as he stared at a growing, damp patch on the pod wall caused by the previous violent explosion.

The devastating explosion and spatial collapse of the Valhalla base were far more intense than he had anticipated. Although he, Howard, Carter, Captain America, and the others managed to escape the core area at the last moment, avoiding the most lethal energy burst, the violent tremors, the flying debris, and the indescribable spatial ripple shockwaves still injured everyone to varying degrees. He himself had two broken ribs, a fractured left arm, and multiple soft tissue contusions throughout his body. The dizziness and nausea from the concussion had not yet completely subsided. The superhuman regenerative abilities granted by Ultra Telekinesis and the Light Gene were quietly at work, but he had to carefully control the rate of recovery to make it appear as if he were merely "lucky and relatively minor."

The medical bay reeked of a mixture of disinfectant and blood, filled with the groans of the wounded, the hurried footsteps of medics, and the clanging of equipment. This raid on Valhalla, while ultimately destroying a key Hydra base and seemingly severely damaging or even eliminating Red Skull himself, came at a heavy price. The Roaring Commando suffered nearly half its casualties, the accompanying SSR technical support team lost three elite members, and the casualties among the regular commandos were even greater. Now, this cruiser, serving as a temporary command post and hospital ship, was crammed with wounded evacuees from various commando teams, the air thick with a post-victory weariness and heaviness.

The hatch slid open, and Howard Stark limped in. His head was bandaged, his face had several scrapes, and his left arm was in a sling, but his caramel-colored eyes gleamed with a mixture of exhaustion, lingering fear, and… an irrepressible excitement. He carefully carried a silver-white metal briefcase with intricate clasps, its surface still dusty.

"Wang!" Howard's eyes lit up when he saw Wang Huanbo. He strode over, the movement aggravating his injury and causing him to grimace. He sat down on a low stool beside the bed, carefully placing the metal box on his lap. He lowered his voice, but couldn't hide his excitement: "How are you feeling? Are you still conscious? Does your ribs still hurt?"

"He's alright, he won't die. The medic said he just needs a few weeks of rest." Wang Huanbo put down his coffee, his gaze falling on the metal box. "This is... what we got?"

"Shh—keep your voice down!" Howard glanced nervously around to make sure no one else was watching before leaning closer and whispering, "Yes! The sampler was recovered! Although it was damaged by the explosion at the last moment and the outer casing is a bit deformed, the core storage unit is intact! I just did some initial sealing and shielding in the makeshift workspace. My God, King, you'll never guess what we got!"

His fingers trembled slightly as he opened a crack in the metal box, revealing a cylindrical container, no bigger than a thermos, encased in layers of shockproof, radiation-proof, and energy-leakage-proof materials. One end of the container was connected to complex instruments and indicator lights; several green lights were currently glowing faintly but steadily.

"See that? The energy reading is stable! Although extremely weak, the spectral characteristics... are almost identical to 'that thing' (he dared not say the Tesseract)! And the purity... is astonishingly high! This is just some edge radiation and possible high-energy particle deposits 'scraped' from the outer shell of the energy conduit! God knows what would happen if it were direct contact..." Howard's voice trembled slightly with excitement. "And this!" He pulled out a small box wrapped in special lead foil from his pocket, opened a corner, and inside were several extremely tiny, dull-colored metal and crystal fragments. "Found in the wreckage of an energy converter destroyed by an explosion. The structure is very peculiar, containing unknown elements! This may be the key to understanding their energy conversion mechanism!"

Wang Huanbo looked at the sampler and lead foil box in the box, a slight thought stirring within him. What Howard had obtained was a "peripheral sample," while what he had stored in his system space was the core energy crystal fragment that had broken off from the Cosmic Cube itself under a high-energy impact. The two were worlds apart in value. However, Howard's sample was equally invaluable, marking the beginning of SSR's (and future S.H.I.E.L.D.'s) research into the energy of the Cosmic Cube, and also serving as a crucial inspiration for many of Howard's future energy-related ideas.

"That's great, Howard," Wang Huanbo said sincerely, his face showing a mixture of exhaustion and relief. "This risk was worth it. These samples might uncover the secrets of Hydra's energy weapons, or even... point to something even greater."

"It's more than just a possibility!" Howard gently closed the box, cradling it in his arms as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. "I have a feeling, King, that this time we might have touched upon some... the edge of the ultimate truth of the universe. That energy, that phenomenon of space-time distortion... it completely overturns classical physics! I need time, I need the best equipment, I need..."

"Absolute secrecy and security are required." A calm, slightly hoarse female voice interrupted Howard's reverie. Agent Peggy Carter appeared at the hatch. She had changed into a clean uniform, but the fatigue on her face was undeniable; her arm was wrapped in bandages, and a gauze pad was on her forehead. Her blue eyes were still sharp, sweeping over the suitcase in Howard's arms before landing on Wang Huanbo, her gaze scrutinizing, yet also showing a hint of barely perceptible softening.

"Agent Carter." Wang Huanbo nodded to her. During the final evacuation, Carter was cut on the arm and forehead by flying metal fragments from the explosion while covering a wounded commando, but she insisted on finishing the initial procedures before coming to the medical pod.

"Mr. Wang, how are your injuries?" Carter walked in, stood by the bed, and asked in a businesslike manner.

"It's nothing serious, thank you for your concern. Agent Carter, what's your injury?"

"A superficial wound," Carter replied curtly, turning his gaze to Howard. "Stark, Colonel Phillips wants to see you, and what you have in your possession. Immediately, in the bridge conference room."

Howard's excitement subsided slightly as he hugged the box tighter. "Now? What about the disposal of the samples?"

"About everything," Carter said calmly, but with an undeniable authority, "including the mission report, the preliminary analysis of the samples, and... the final whereabouts of Red Skull." She paused, then added, "Captain Rogers is also here."

Howard glanced at Wang Huanbo, then at Carter, sighed helplessly, and struggled to his feet. "Alright, alright, bureaucracy is always so impatient. Wang, you get some rest. We'll discuss these data in detail when I get back!" He patted the box again before following Carter, limping but in high spirits, out of the medical pod.

Wang Huanbo watched them leave, then leaned back against the headboard. The bridge meeting…about Red Skull's whereabouts. According to the "original plot," Red Skull should have been transported to Vormir during the spatial turbulence caused by the Tesseract, becoming the guardian of the Soul Stone. But the scale of the explosion and spatial collapse just now far exceeded what was shown in the movies. Would his intervention as the "butterfly," coupled with the captain's unexpected shield collision with the Tesseract, cause any changes? Was Red Skull dead or alive? Where did the Tesseract go? In the final explosion, he seemed to see the Tesseract transform into a blue light, disappearing into the depths of the completely collapsing spatial vortex…

He didn't dwell on it for long. Regardless of Red Skull's fate or the temporary disappearance of the Tesseract, his core objective had been achieved. The few energy crystals of the Tesseract lay quietly in his system space, emanating a gentle yet vast fluctuation that only he could vaguely perceive. This was the greatest gain of this trip, far exceeding those "edge samples" and structural fragments.

"Pangu," he murmured to himself, "conduct a preliminary safety scan of the acquired 'Cosmic Cube Energy Crystal Fragments.' Assess its energy activity, stability, potential hazards, and preliminary storage and analysis plans. Note that the highest level of isolation and buffering protocols must be employed."

"Command confirmed. Initiating initial security scan... Scan complete. Target: High-dimensional space energy enrichment crystal (fragment), energy level: extremely high (local peak exceeds 10^7 times the maximum output power of 'Dragon Soaring One'), energy properties: stable and inert (current state), space interference coefficient: 9.7 (standard space reference is 1), radiation type: multi-band composite space radiation, biohazard: low (inert state), but unknown under direct contact or energy excitation conditions. Recommendation: Maintain the current state of absolute isolation and storage. Prohibit any form of direct contact or energy excitation until a 'high-dimensional energy buffer and analysis array' is established. Preliminary analysis needs to be conducted in a dedicated environment completely shielded from space interference. It is expected to be able to analyze its basic energy topology and some fragments of space interference laws."

Pangu's assessment was clear and cold, confirming Wang Huanbo's conjecture. Even the smallest fragments of the Cosmic Cube contained unimaginable, immense energy and information related to the very origin of space. Direct utilization was a pipe dream, but as research samples, their value was immeasurable. This opened a crucial door for him to understand higher-dimensional energy, refine the "Dragon Soaring" plan, and even for possible future applications of "space technology."

"Establish an independent research project, codenamed 'Cube Analysis.' The current goal is to develop a safe and progressive energy sensing and information reading scheme, not for application, but to understand its fundamental laws. All research will be conducted independently by you within the system space, isolated from my physical body and consciousness."

"Project established. Security protocol loaded. Estimated research progress: The fundamental law analysis will take approximately 270-400 standard days (system time), limited by the energy inertia state and current computing power. Recommendation: Obtaining more efficient energy excitation or auxiliary observation equipment can significantly shorten the process."

"A trigger device..." Wang Huanbo mused. The "edge sample" and structural fragments in Howard's hands might offer some inspiration. But more directly, perhaps, lies in other objects of the same origin as the Cosmic Cube that they might encounter in the future, or... space technology from other worlds.

He pulled himself together and began to analyze the gains and losses of the operation. The greatest gain was undoubtedly the Tesseract fragments. Secondly, there was the trust and cooperation he had built with Howard, Carter, and even Colonel Phillips, strengthened through a life-or-death ordeal. This would be crucial to his subsequent activities within SSR and even the future framework of S.H.I.E.L.D. Thirdly, he had personally witnessed the energy burst of the Tesseract and obtained firsthand data on spatial anomalies, which was irreplaceable by any reports or samples for understanding the nature and danger of this power.

Losses and risks coexist. His injuries require time to heal; though not serious, proper rest is necessary. SSR and Hydra will pay closer attention to him. Red Skull's fate is unknown; if he's alive, given his obsessive and mad personality, he's likely to blame all participants for the failure, including himself as the "technical advisor," making retaliation almost inevitable. The Tesseract is missing, but the energy sample has been obtained by the Allies, which may accelerate the research and covetousness of certain forces.

"The most urgent task is to return to New York safely, use the relatively calm time to process what we've learned, and at the same time closely monitor the movements of all parties, especially Howard's research progress on the samples and SSR's tracking results on Red Skull's whereabouts." Wang Huanbo sorted out his thoughts, closed his eyes to rest, and secretly mobilized the energy of light to gently nourish his injured body and accelerate his recovery.

A few hours later, Howard returned, his expression a mix of excitement and seriousness.

"Phillips and the captain are still in a meeting, arguing fiercely," Howard said, plopping down on the edge of Wang Huanbo's bed. "It's about that madman, Schmidt. His body wasn't found at the scene, not even ashes. The spatial structure at the center of the energy burst was completely disrupted; nothing can be detected. Phillips leans towards the idea that he was obliterated in the explosion, but the captain and Carter believe that, given Schmidt's cunning and control over the 'Cosmic Cube,' he likely used its power to escape, just like he tried to use that small portal to escape at the end."

"What do you think?" Wang Huanbo asked.

"Me?" Howard scratched his head. "I don't know. From a physics perspective, that scale of spatial collapse and energy release would create enough pressure and temperature at the center to vaporize any known matter. But... that thing itself doesn't follow physics. Since Schmidt could use it, he might have had a way to protect himself at the last moment. In short, he disappeared without a trace. Phillips ultimately decided to announce that Red Skull John Schmidt had been confirmed dead when the Valhalla base was destroyed, to stabilize morale and public opinion. But the internal investigation and tracking would continue secretly."

“As for this,” Howard patted the box in his arms, lowering his voice, “Phillips has agreed that I will lead the initial analysis in Stark Industries’ top-secret lab, but all data and research progress must be shared with SSR, and the ownership of the samples belongs to SSR. In addition, he will send Agent Carter and a small team to ‘assist’ me—you know, protection and surveillance. However,” he smiled, “he has specifically approved you as my chief technical advisor, to participate throughout! Wang, our research can continue! In New York, on my turf, with the best equipment!”

This was expected. Phillips needed Howard's genius to analyze these technologies that could determine the course of the war, but he would never allow such a crucial sample to slip out of his control. Sending Carter to monitor him was perfectly reasonable. And he himself, based on his performance in the operation (Howard attributed his timely reminders and suggestions to their "tacit understanding" and "shared wisdom") and professional competence, was granted permission to continue participating—this was the best outcome.

"That's great. I'm also looking forward to studying these samples in more depth." Wang Huanbo showed moderate delight.

"However, Phillips also warned," Howard's tone became more serious, "that the existence of the 'Cosmic Cube' and that energy must be kept absolutely secret, known only to a few of us and a select few at the highest levels. The official story is that Hydra used a highly unstable energy source based on an unknown radioactive element, which self-destructed when the base was breached. Understand?"

"Understood." Wang Huanbo nodded. This was exactly what he needed—to access and study the energy of the Cosmic Cube in a relatively confidential and secure environment. Although he possessed a more core fragment, the samples and data here with Howard were a legitimate channel for research and discussion, and also a window to obtain more relevant information that might be found later with SSR.

A week later, Wang Huanbo, whose injuries had stabilized, returned to New York on a military transport plane along with Howard, Carter, and a highly skilled SSR escort team. Colonel Phillips and the Howling Commandos remained in Europe to continue eliminating the remaining Hydra forces and investigating any clues about Red Skull and the Tesseract.

Back in familiar New York, the shadow of war still looms, but the city's pulse remains strong. Security at Stark Industries' top-secret underground laboratory has been completely upgraded. Howard and Wang Huanbo, "accompanied" by Agent Carter and his team, begin an intense study of samples obtained from Operation Valhalla.

The work was tedious yet challenging. Those energy "edge samples" were extremely rare and unstable; any improper handling could lead to their deactivation or even small-scale energy leaks. The structural fragments were equally peculiar, containing several elemental isotopes never before recorded on Earth, their lattice arrangement violating known crystallographic rules. Research progressed slowly, but every step was full of surprises. Howard thrived, often spending days and nights in the lab, proposing one imaginative yet insightful conjecture after another. Wang Huanbo acted as a stabilizer and "catalyst of inspiration," using solid theoretical foundations and rigorous logic to guide Howard's ingenious ideas towards feasible experimental directions. With the assistance of the "Longteng-1" satellite, they were often able to process data and discover patterns more quickly.

They confirmed that this energy possesses strong spatial properties, capable of slightly distorting local spacetime structures, explaining the penetrating power of Hydra weapons that ignores conventional physical defenses. They discovered that energy samples, when excited by electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies, produce predictable harmonics, providing a theoretical basis for future detection or jamming devices. They also reverse-engineered a possible, extremely efficient but extremely unstable energy conversion circuit sketch from structural debris. Although replication is still a long way off, it has already excited Howard, who believes it could be the key to "near-infinite clean energy."

Agent Carter spent most of her time quietly in the monitoring room next to the lab, observing the research progress through one-way glass and listening devices. Occasionally, she would come in to inquire about the military applications of some technical details or to relay the latest instructions from SSR headquarters. Her interactions with Wang Huanbo remained professional and distant, but Wang Huanbo could sense that the initial pure scrutiny and wariness had gradually been replaced by a limited trust based on shared experiences and capabilities. At least, in Carter's eyes, he was no longer just a "technical advisor with a questionable background," but a "capable scientist who could be relied upon in critical moments and seemed genuinely committed to fighting Hydra."

Time slipped by amidst the busy research and increasingly intense news of the war. Spring turned to summer, and the tide of war turned decisively in 1943. The Allies achieved victory in North Africa, the Soviet Union reversed its decline at Stalingrad, and in the Pacific, the US military began its counter-offensive. After losing Red Skull and Valhalla, Hydra seemed to have fallen into chaos and division, its activities around the world clearly hampered, but small-scale harassment and sabotage never ceased, like a centipede that, though dead, does not die easily.

The Howling Commandos continued to achieve great success in Europe, and Captain America's reputation grew ever stronger. Howard occasionally received snippets of intelligence or photos of wreckage about Hydra's new weapons through encrypted channels, providing new evidence for their research.

While Wang Huanbo was engrossed in studying the Cosmic Cube fragments, he steadily advanced his own plan. Utilizing "legal" research channels, through Howard, he accessed and learned a vast amount of cutting-edge energy, materials, and electronic technology, particularly some of Stark Industries' unique patents and experimental designs. This knowledge, corroborated and inspired by the future technologies in the "Dragon Rising One" database, gave him a clearer understanding of how to solve many key technical challenges of the main world's "Dragon Rising" project. He secretly recorded every breakthrough and setback Howard encountered with the miniaturized arc reactor (though still theoretical), and these lessons learned were invaluable.

He also closely monitored the SSR and the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) investigation into Red Skull's whereabouts. Scattered intelligence indicated reports of unusual blue energy reactions in remote areas of Norway, Austria, and even Tibet, but none were substantiated. Red Skull and the Cosmic Cube seemed to have truly vanished from the world. Only Wang Huanbo knew that Red Skull was likely not dead, but trapped on some distant planet, while the Cosmic Cube probably lay quietly on the seabed somewhere in the North Atlantic, waiting to be retrieved by Howard decades later.

In June 1944, the sound of artillery fire at the Normandy landings shook the world, opening the Western Front in Europe and allowing Allied forces to begin their advance into Germany. The dawn of victory was already in sight.

In the autumn of 1944, Wang Huanbo was in his third year in this world.

On a crisp autumn afternoon, Wang Huanbo was in the laboratory on the top floor of Stark Tower, assisting Howard in debugging a newly designed "multi-frequency resonant cavity" used to excite and analyze harmonics in energy samples. Agent Carter, unusually absent from the monitoring room, came directly to the laboratory, his face unusually grave, even carrying a hint of…sadness?

"Howard, Mr. Wang," her voice was somewhat low, but still maintained a professional composure, "Colonel Phillips has issued an urgent notification. The Howling Commandos... encountered an accident while pursuing Hydra's last main force in the Alps."

Howard stopped what he was doing and looked up: "An accident? How are the captain and the others?"

Carter took a deep breath, a barely perceptible hint of pain flashing in his blue eyes: "The mission was largely successful. We destroyed Hydra's last secret weapons factory and captured its leader, Dr. Zola. But during the evacuation, the bomber Captain America was piloted was sabotaged by Hydra remnants. The control system malfunctioned, and the plane, carrying a large amount of dangerous weapons, was unable to change course, heading straight for densely populated New York… Captain America… he chose to make an emergency landing on an uninhabited ice field in the North Atlantic. The plane crashed, and Captain America… his whereabouts are unknown. Initial assessment… his chances of survival are extremely low."

The laboratory was silent. The only sound was the low hum of the instruments.

Howard's face drained of color instantly, and the tools in his hands clattered to the ground. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but no sound came out. This cynical genius was now filled with shock, disbelief, and deep sorrow. He and Steve Rogers, the little guy from Brooklyn, had met because of the Super Soldier Serum and this war, admiring each other and sharing a complex relationship of mentor and friend.

Wang Huanbo also fell silent. Although he had known this ending for a long time, hearing it with his own ears, being in this time and space, feeling Carter's desperately suppressed grief and Howard's momentary disorientation, the weight of history and the tragic grandeur of a hero's demise still truly assailed him. Captain America, Steve Rogers, this symbol of courage, sacrifice, and justice, at the moment when he should have shone his brightest, resolutely chose to sleep in the glacier for the sake of countless strangers' lives.

"Colonel Phillips has dispatched a search and rescue team, but the situation on the ice field is complex, and the weather is terrible..." Carter's voice lowered as she turned to look out the window at the New York sky, where a lingering chill seemed to emanate from across the Atlantic. "We need to prepare for the worst. Furthermore, based on Dr. Zola's initial testimony, the remnants of Hydra are likely planning a final, frantic counterattack. The Colonel has ordered us to be on high alert; all research data and samples are to be placed on maximum alert."

Howard stood there blankly for a moment, then bent down and silently picked up the fallen tools, his movements somewhat stiff. He walked to the window, his back to Carter and Wang Huanbo, his shoulders trembling slightly. After a long while, he said in a slightly hoarse voice, "Understood. I'll check the lab security again. The samples... I'll handle them properly."

Cardi nodded, said nothing more, turned and left the lab, his steps heavier than usual.

Howard and Wang Huanbo were left alone in the lab again. A long silence followed.

"He could have parachuted," Howard suddenly said, his voice very soft, as if talking to himself. "The plane was big, but given his physical condition, his chances of survival if he had parachuted before it crashed would have been very high. But he didn't."

"Because he knew what was on the plane and where it would land." Wang Huanbo walked to his side and looked out the window at the bustling New York City, unaware of the situation and enjoying the peaceful afternoon sun. "He chose to take responsibility."

“Yes, he’s always like that.” Howard gave a wry smile, rubbing his reddened eyes. “That stubborn Brooklyn kid… in the end, he still sacrificed himself for others.” He turned to look at Wang Huanbo, a certain determination returning to his eyes, though beneath that determination lay deep weariness and sorrow. “Wang, we can’t stop. Schmidt might still be alive, Hydra isn’t completely extinct, that dangerous energy… we have to figure it out, control it, or at least know how to deal with it. For… all those like Steve who don’t want to see it abused.”

"I understand, Howard," Wang Huanbo nodded solemnly. He knew that Captain America's "sacrifice" would have a profound impact on Howard, on Carter, on the entire SSR, and even on the impending post-war world. It would establish a spiritual benchmark and pass on a sense of responsibility.

“And another thing,” Howard’s voice trailed off, tinged with a strange determination, “Phillips has authorized me a new secret mission. Once things are settled here, once the war is truly over, I’m going to organize an expedition to the North Atlantic, to the area where Steve crashed. He must be found alive, or dead… he must be brought home. And that plane, it might still have remnants of Hydra technology on it, maybe even… clues to the Cosmic Cube. I need your help, Wong, to design detection equipment, to analyze seabed geological and hydrological data… just like we did before.”

Looking at the flame burning in Howard's eyes—a flame mingled with sorrow, responsibility, and a thirst for scientific exploration—Wang Huanbo knew that Howard Stark's lifelong quest to find Captain America and the Tesseract was about to begin. And he himself would participate as a technical advisor.

"I will, Howard," he promised again, his voice calm but firm. "Together."

Outside the window, the New York sky remained azure, but the autumn wind carried a chill. One era was drawing to a close, and another was quietly taking shape amidst ruins and sacrifice. Wang Huanbo knew that his journey through this timeline was about to enter a new phase. The Captain America saga had temporarily concluded, but the father of Iron Man, one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D., the Tesseract hidden deep beneath the sea, and many more secrets and legends awaited discovery in the not-too-distant future.

The Rubik's Cube fragments in his system space were slightly warm, as if they were resonating silently.