Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

After resolving Li Huaide's problem, Hongxing Automobile Factory began a frantic production ramp-up, with apprentices quickly learning how to operate the machines for production under the guidance of experienced workers.

With the problem of insufficient production capacity resolved, Li Huaide finally breathed a sigh of relief and could finally get a good night's sleep at home.

After finishing debugging the equipment, Wang Huanbo returned home and, seeing his daughter Yan Yan staring at him with her big, bright eyes, he happily took her from his wife Lou Xiao'e's arms.

Wang Huanbo has now gone from a novice father to a seasoned one. With the guidance of caregiver Aunt Zhao, he quickly learned how to hold his daughter.

After playing with my daughter Yan Yan for a while, the little one started to get sleepy.

Wang Huanbo handed his daughter Yan Yan, who had started to yawn, to his wife Lou Xiao'e. The system, which had been silent for a long time, gave him a notification that he was about to start a new round of interdimensional adventure.

Wang Huanbo calmly told his wife, Lou Xiao'e, that he was going to the study to organize some documents. Lou Xiao'e knew her husband's importance in the country, so she got up and took her daughter, Yan Yan, back to the childcare worker, Aunt Zhao.

Upon entering the study, Wang Huanbo carefully locked the door, preparing to embark on a new interdimensional adventure, though he had no idea what kind of interdimensional adventure this time would take place.

With anticipation in his heart, Wang Huanbo embarked on a new round of interdimensional adventures.

The hustle and bustle of New York City carried a chill of early winter. Wang Huanbo stood at the edge of the surging crowd in Times Square. On the towering GG screen, Obadiah Stanislav's feignedly somber face was issuing a statement, with the massive Stark Industries logo in the background. The scene shifted, and Tony Stark's carefree, handsome face appeared on the screen, accompanied by the striking headline: "Genius Arms Dealer Attacked in the Middle East, Fate Unknown!"

"...We will use all of Stark Industries' resources, sparing no expense, to find and rescue Mr. Tony Stark." Obadiah's voice amplified through the plaza's massive sound system, carrying a formulaic pathos. "Tony is not only our chairman, but also a friend and family member to all of us..."

Wang Huanbo narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing through the images on the screen, as if he were seeing a much earlier time. The Middle East, kidnapping, the Ten Commandments gang… all the clues instantly connected. The legend of Iron Man began in this desert prison.

"Tony Stark..." he murmured the name, a complex smile playing on his lips. But what swirled in his mind was that underground laboratory in Brooklyn, filled with the smells of machine oil and solder; Howard Stark's eyes, forever gleaming with curiosity and fervor; and the scene of the two of them arguing heatedly at the lab bench over the prototype of the first Arc Reactor.

That was in the Captain America 1 universe he had transmigrated to, during the raging years of World War II. He was involved with the Strategic Scientific Corps (SSR) as a technical advisor, working with Howard to research energy weapons captured from Hydra, and based on this, he proposed the concept of miniaturized, high-density energy—the prototype of the Arc Reactor. Howard was amazed, and the two became both teacher and friend, sparking intellectual exchanges during countless sleepless nights. He even remembered Howard once, drunk on whiskey, patting him on the shoulder, pointing to a photo of his wife Maria, and drunkenly saying, "Hey, King, see? This is my fiancée… We're planning to get married after this damn war is over. And when my son… when he's born, you have to teach him some of your Eastern mystical kung fu, like when you took down those Hydra bastards who tried to steal the blueprints last time…"

"Anthony Edward Tony Stark..." Wang Huanbo silently murmured the name, the name of Howard's future son, now a powerful arms tycoon, imprisoned. "Nephew?" The thought arose naturally, tinged with absurdity, yet seemingly inevitable within the intertwined threads of time. If Howard were still alive, he would likely protest this address with a glare and a puff of his beard, but a heavy sense of responsibility welled up in Wang Huanbo's heart. His old friend's son, in imminent danger.

He took a deep breath, the cold air filling his lungs, temporarily suppressing the warmth of his daughter Yan Yan's milky scent in the courtyard and the gentle gaze of his wife Lou Xiao'e. The interdimensional adventure had already begun, and there was no time to indulge in sentimentality.

The objective is clear: find Pepper Potts, Tony Stark's most trusted executive assistant, obtain the exact location of his last journey, and pave the way for a rescue.

Wang Huanbo turned and steadily merged into the crowd. He didn't choose to go directly to Stark Industries, where it was undoubtedly the eye of the storm, a media frenzy with tight security. Obadiah's performance was flawless, but Wang Huanbo knew the wolf in sheep's clothing beneath the "kind" CEO's mask. Direct contact with Pepper required a more prudent approach.

He entered a corner café, the rich aroma of coffee mingling with the sweet scent of baked goods. He ordered a black coffee and found a corner seat by the window. Outside, a black SUV bearing the initials of S.H.I.E.L.D. silently glided past, its windows tinted with dark one-way glass. Wang Huanbo subtly tapped the warm coffee cup with his fingertips, without making a sound. From the moment he entered this dimension, he felt a palpable sense of being under close surveillance, a tangible, ever-present feeling of being watched. Nick Fury's tentacles were indeed everywhere. He wasn't surprised, even somewhat looking forward to a formal meeting with this "one-eyed, damn it!", but right now, rescuing Tony was the top priority.

He casually flipped through a copy of *The New York Times* on the table. The front page headline was about Tony's disappearance, accompanied by a photo of Obadiah at a press conference. Wang Huanbo's gaze swept over several key locations mentioned in the report: the name of the air force base where Tony had conducted his weapons demonstration, the coordinates of the town where he was last seen… This information was worthless to him; the Ten Commandments' hideout would never be in such obvious locations. What he needed were more precise coordinates, coordinates that even the military might not yet possess, and only Tony's innermost team could possibly know.

The café's television was also playing related news on a loop. The scene cut to the Stark Industries building, where a group of reporters were surrounding a blonde woman hurrying out of the building. She was dressed in a smart beige suit, her face beautiful but unable to hide her fatigue and anxiety. Her steps were rapid, and she could only purse her lips tightly in the face of a barrage of questions. Escorted by security personnel, she quickly got into a waiting black sedan.

Pepper Potts.

Wang Huanbo put down his newspaper, his eyes sharpening. An opportunity had arrived. He noticed that Pepper's car wasn't heading towards the city center or her usual apartment, but instead turned into the relatively quiet western part of the city. This was illogical; in this time of crisis, as Tony's most capable assistant, she should be at the company or cooperating with the official investigation.

He quickly stood up, left the coffee money, and disappeared from the café silently, like a fish swimming among the crowd. In the intricate streets of New York, Wang Huanbo displayed an extraordinary sense of direction and tracking ability. He sometimes blended into the crowd, sometimes used the shadows of buildings to move swiftly, always maintaining a perfect distance from Pepper's car. He could sense that the S.H.I.E.L.D. SUV was also following closely, like a patient hunter.

The car finally stopped on a slightly worn street in Brooklyn, in front of an unassuming red-brick building. A small brass plaque hung above it: "Howard Stark Memorial Foundation Archives." Wang Huanbo understood. This place housed some of Howard's private documents and research notes, one of Tony's father's "secret bases," which he rarely mentioned to outsiders. Pepper had clearly not come here to look up information, but rather to seek some solace or clue—at a time when Tony was missing and the company was facing internal and external difficulties, she had come to the sanctuary of Tony's father's spiritual legacy.

Pepper got out of the car and gestured for the driver and security to wait downstairs. Alone, her figure appeared somewhat frail as she pushed open the heavy wooden door of the archives.

Wang Huanbo didn't immediately follow him inside. He walked around to the side of the building and observed the surroundings. The archives were in a secluded location, and there were few pedestrians at this time. He noticed the curtains in a second-floor window move slightly, and a blurry figure flashed by. Was it Pepper, the archives administrator? Or someone else?

He decided to enter through the back door. The back alley was narrow and cluttered with miscellaneous items. Wang Huanbo walked to an inconspicuous fire door, his fingers seemingly casually brushing against the lock. After a barely perceptible fluctuation of light energy, a soft "click" came from inside the lock. He pushed the door open and entered, his movements as light as a ghost.

The archive was dimly lit and filled with the distinctive smell of old paper and dust. Rows of tall filing cabinets stood like silent giants in the shadows. He followed the faint footsteps and suppressed sobs to the door of a separate room at the very back. The door was ajar, letting in a warm yellow light.

Through the crack in the door, Wang Huanbo saw Pepper standing with her back to the doorway in front of an open safe. Inside the safe were no gold or silver treasures, only some yellowed photographs, several thick notebooks, and a metal ring wrapped in velvet that shimmered with a ghostly blue light—the prototype of the first-generation Arc Reactor, the culmination of Howard and his hard work in the Brooklyn laboratory! It had been kept here!

Pepper's shoulders trembled slightly as she clutched a photograph tightly in her hand. It showed Howard in the lab, with a blurry figure in the background wearing a Chinese-style long gown—a young Wang Huanbo. She sobbed softly, "Mr. Howard…Tony…what should I do…"

Wang Huanbo knew he couldn't wait any longer. He gently knocked on the doorframe.

Pepper turned around abruptly like a startled deer, her face still wet with tears, her eyes instantly shifting from sadness to wariness and sharpness: "Who?!" She quickly stuffed the photo into her pocket and instinctively stood in front of the safe.

"Miss Potts, please forgive my intrusion." Wang Huanbo pushed open the door and calmly walked in. He didn't deliberately conceal his presence, but his gait and aura were extremely restrained, carrying a kind of inexplicably reassuring composure. "My name is Wang Huanbo. I think we can talk about Tony Stark's whereabouts."

Pepper eyed him warily. The man before her wore a well-tailored dark Zhongshan suit, possessing a refined air and deep-set eyes. He seemed somewhat out of place, yet strangely harmonious, in this archive filled with the atmosphere of Western technology. "Mr. Wang? I don't know you. How did you get in? This is a private place. Please leave immediately, or I will call the police." As she spoke, she discreetly pressed the emergency call button in her pocket.

Wang Huanbo wasn't surprised by her reaction. He smiled slightly, his gaze falling on the dark blue prototype in the safe behind her. "Call the police? I think the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents downstairs should already be in position." He paused, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable force. "As for who I am… Pepper, has Howard ever mentioned to you his partner from the East in the Brooklyn lab during World War II? The friend who spent countless nights arguing with him about how to confine the energy of the Tesseract into a palm-sized device?"

Pepper's pupils contracted sharply! Mr. Howard did occasionally mention that period, a mysterious and talented Eastern companion, but he never mentioned his name, nor did he leave any photographic record! Except... she suddenly remembered the blurry figure in the background of the photograph she had just seen! She subconsciously reached for the photograph in her pocket.

Wang Huanbo didn't give her time to think. He slowly raised his right hand, palm up. The space seemed to ripple slightly, and a notebook with a worn cover and yellowed pages appeared out of thin air in his hand. On the cover of the notebook was Howard Stark's arrogant signature, and a line of slightly awkward Chinese characters written in pen: "To my friend Wang—Howard Stark, Christmas 1943."

Pepper's breath caught in her throat! This notebook! She'd seen it before! It was in the most secret safe in Tony's office, alongside Howard's most important unfinished design drawings! Tony had said it was one of his father's most cherished possessions, from a friend who had long since vanished into the mists of history!

"This...this is impossible..." Pepper's voice trembled with disbelief. "That experimental accident...the records show you..."

"The records state that I disappeared during an overload test of the Ark Reactor prototype in early 1945, and my remains were never found?" Wang Huanbo continued for her, his tone flat. "That's just the official record. The truth is, I left, went to a very far place." He put away his notebook, his gaze returning to the prototype in the safe. "Like this 'Little Sun,' it shouldn't be here. Howard gave it to me as a testament to our friendship and our shared struggle. Later, I returned it to him, hoping it would inspire Tony. It seems Howard left it here."

Every word struck Pepper like a hammer blow. These details, especially the ownership of the prototype, were absolute secrets! No one but Howard and Tony could possibly know them so clearly! Even Obadiah was unaware of the prototype's existence!

"Who...who exactly are you?" Pepper's voice was still wary, but that aloof coldness had melted away considerably, replaced by immense confusion and a sliver of hope.

"I already said, my name is Wang Huanbo." He took a step forward, closing the distance, his gaze open and sincere. "I'm Howard Stark's friend, the uncle who made a promise with Tony's father before Tony was born to teach him 'Eastern Kung Fu.' Now, my nephew Tony is in trouble, and I need to know the exact location where he's been kidnapped in order to rescue him."

"Uncle?" Pepper was taken aback by the address. The man in front of her looked to be no more than thirty years old, a few years younger than Tony!

Wang Huanbo noticed her doubt and sighed softly, "The marks time has left on me are different from those on ordinary people. Pepper, I know it's hard to believe. But think about it, besides Howard's most trusted friend, who else would know about the existence of this archive? Who would know the story of this prototype? Who would know that Howard once wanted me to teach Tony kung fu?"

He paused, his tone becoming incredibly solemn: "Tony is currently being held captive in the mountains of southeastern Afghanistan, near the border of Kunar province, in a base converted from an abandoned missile silo controlled by the Ten Commandments. He's critically injured in the chest by shrapnel and is being helped by a doctor named Ethan to piece together something that could save his life and allow him to escape, using missile parts from Stark Industries. Obadiah Stanislav is the mastermind behind this kidnapping; he has a secret deal with Razar, the leader of the Ten Commandments, to eliminate Tony and seize control of Stark Industries."

Pepper's face grew paler with each word Wang Huanbo spoke, and when she heard Obadiah's name, all color drained from her, and she swayed, needing to grab onto a nearby filing cabinet to steady herself. The information was horrifying! Tony's specific injuries, the existence of Dr. Ethan, what he was creating… even the military intelligence agencies hadn't grasped this! And Obadiah… the man who had always acted like Tony's second father…

"What...what evidence do you have?" Pepper's voice was dry and hoarse; she needed the last straw to break the dam of her reason.

Wang Huanbo raised his hand again. This time, a clear photograph appeared in his palm. In the photograph, Obadiah Stanislav, wearing a floral shirt and sunglasses, was shaking hands with a man in a long robe and an Arab turban, with a sinister face (it was Lazar of the Ten Commandments), in a secluded corner of a warehouse. In the background of the photograph, a weapons case bearing the Stark Industries logo could be vaguely seen.

"These are photos of their secret meeting in Kandahar three days ago." Wang Huanbo handed the photos to Pepper. "Obadia provided Tony's itinerary and security weaknesses in exchange for the Ten Commandments' attack and Tony's 'disappearance'."

Pepper's hands trembled as she took the photograph, examining it closely. Obadiah's profile, Lazar's iconic scar... the evidence was irrefutable! A surge of anger and a sense of betrayal overwhelmed her instantly, tears welling in her eyes again, but this time, it was the flames of rage that burned within her!

"That bastard!" she hissed through gritted teeth.

"Now, Miss Potts," Wang Huanbo's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a convincing authority, "I need the detailed coordinates of Tony's final itinerary, the specific locations where he demonstrated the weapons, and all records from the military or company regarding the route of his convoy. The more detailed, the better. Time is of the essence; every minute could determine Tony's life or death."

Pepper abruptly looked up, her eyes now filled with a resolute determination, replacing the confusion and sorrow in them. She wiped away her tears and took a deep breath: "The data is on the company's highest-security server, requiring my biometrics and dynamic password. Obadiah has taken control of company security now; I can't go back to retrieve it."

"No need to go back." Wang Huanbo walked to a somewhat old-looking computer terminal in the corner of the room—one of the backup terminals connected to Stark Industries' internal network. "Give me access."

Pepper looked at him, her gaze complex. This man was shrouded in mystery, but the evidence he brought and his knowledge of Howard and Tony left her with no choice. She walked to the terminal, quickly entered a long string of complex commands, and then underwent an iris scan and fingerprint verification.

The screen lit up, displaying the interface of Stark Industries' internal systems. Pepper skillfully pulled up all of Tony's travel documents, flight logs, convoy GPS tracks, and the detailed coordinates and internal structure diagram of the weapons demonstration base—Gemira Air Force Base.

Wang Huanbo's gaze swept across the information on the screen like a scanner, firmly imprinting all the key data in his mind. In particular, the coordinates of the convoy's last known location before losing signal, and the detailed topographical map of the area surrounding the Gemira base.

"That's enough." He nodded.

Just then, hurried footsteps and deep shouts came from downstairs. The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had clearly lost patience, or received new instructions, and began to force their way into the archives.

"They're coming up!" Pepper's expression changed.

Wang Huanbo remained expressionless, walked to the window, and glanced at the black-clad agents surrounding the building below. "Pepper, you stay here and deal with them. Tell them you're just here to sort through Howard's belongings and seek solace. Don't mention a word about me, Tony's whereabouts, or Obadiah. S.H.I.E.L.D. is a deep organization, and Director Fury has his own considerations, but now is not the time to lay all the cards on the table."

"And what about you?" Pepper asked urgently.

"Me?" Wang Huanbo turned around, a confident and sharp smile curving his lips. It was a kind of battle-hardened, all-conquering sharpness. "I'm going to Afghanistan to bring my nephew back from his bunch of incompetent bodyguards."

Before he finished speaking, his figure rippled like water in Pepper's astonished gaze, then became blurry and transparent, finally disappearing completely into the air, leaving only a faint, strange energy lingering in the air.

Pepper stared blankly at the spot where Wang Huanbo had disappeared, then looked down at the photo in her hand of Obadiah meeting with Lazar, before gazing at the dark blue prototype of the Arc Reactor in the safe. All of this was beyond her comprehension, but a voice inside her cried out: Trust him!

She quickly hid the photo, took a deep breath, and tried to regain her composure. The door was shoved open roughly, and several S.H.I.E.L.D. agents in black combat suits and carrying weapons rushed in. Leading them was a serious-looking man with a slightly receding hairline—Phil Coulson.

"Miss Potts!" Coulson's sharp gaze swept across the room, finally landing on Pepper. "What are you doing here? Where is the person who was with you just now?"

Pepper took a deep breath, her face displaying just the right amount of sadness and a hint of annoyance at being disturbed. "Agent Coulson? I was sorting through some of Mr. Howard Stark's belongings. Tony's situation has made me... I need some peace and quiet here. I'm all alone. What's the meaning of you barging in like this?"

Coulson looked around the room suspiciously, his gaze lingering for a moment on the open safe and computer terminal. The agents behind him quickly dispersed, carefully examining every corner of the room, even scanning it with instruments, but found nothing.

"We detected unusual energy fluctuations in this building, Miss Potts," Coulson said, his tone scrutinizing. "Furthermore, we tracked someone who followed you in."

"Unusual energy? People following me?" Pepper frowned, her tone tinged with confusion and a hint of offended anger. "I don't know what you're talking about. I'm in a bad mood and just want to be alone. If you don't have a search warrant, please leave! Otherwise, I'll have my lawyer speak with your chief!"

Coulson stared into Pepper's eyes, trying to find a flaw. But Pepper presented herself flawlessly as an assistant exhausted by her boss's disappearance and furious at the invasion of her personal space. He was silent for a few seconds, then finally waved his hand: "Dismissed. Miss Potts, sorry to bother you. If you recall anything unusual, or if anyone contacts you about Tony Stark, please let us know immediately."

The agents quickly withdrew. Coulson was the last to leave, giving Pepper a deep look before closing the door behind him.

As the footsteps faded into the distance, Pepper's tense nerves finally relaxed slightly, her back already soaked with cold sweat. She walked to the window, looked at the gloomy New York sky, and silently prayed:

"Mr. Wang... Mr. Howard's friend... Tony's 'uncle'... please make sure to bring Tony back safely..."