Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Deep within the caves of the Afghan valley, time seemed to freeze in the dim, flickering light of a kerosene lamp. The air was so thick it could be wrung out of water, a mixture of machine oil, sweat, and the acrid smell of rust. Tony Stark and Dr. Ethan stood frozen, like prey targeted by a venomous snake. The core frame of the still-unpowered miniature electric arc reactor reflected a cold gleam on the makeshift workbench, like a bomb ready to explode at any moment.

"Stark! What the hell are you guys doing?!" The gaunt, sinister face of Lazar, a low-ranking member of the Ten Commandments, appeared even more ferocious in the flickering firelight. His missing front tooth was stretched open, revealing yellowed fangs. The dark muzzles of the guns held by the two guards behind him were already subtly pointed at Tony and Ethan. "What is this thing? The blueprints for the Jericho missile?!"

Cold sweat instantly soaked Tony's back, his heart pounding wildly under the electromagnet's restraints, each beat tugging at his chest with excruciating pain. But the nonchalant, even slightly impatient expression on his face seemed welded on, unwavering in the slightest.

"What the hell?" Tony scoffed, his voice deliberately hoarse and weary. He slowly straightened up, casually picking up a drawing covered in scribbled lines and formulas, and shook it. "Design drawings? Of course, I'm drawing them. But, Mr. Lazar, great inventions aren't made by drawing circles in the sand." He pointed to a metal ring on the workbench, his tone carrying the pickiness typical of engineers and a hint of barely perceptible arrogance. "See this? This is a miniature simulator of the Jericho missile's core propulsion system. I need it to verify the fuel mixture ratio and injection efficiency. Do you want me to just build a giant machine, light it in a cave, and send us all to our deaths?"

He deliberately slowed down his speech, making every word crystal clear, and met Raza's scrutinizing gaze with a calm expression. His caramel-colored eyes even carried a hint of helplessness, as if to say, "How come you don't even understand this?"

Lazar narrowed his eyes suspiciously, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Tony's face, the blueprints, and the strangely shaped metal device. He knew nothing about this high-tech stuff, but Tony's nonchalant, even slightly disdainful, attitude of interrupting his work made him unsure of what to do.

"A simulator?" Laza repeated, his tone still icy. "Why does it look...so strange?"

"Strange?" Tony raised an exaggerated eyebrow, picked up the ring, and waved it in front of Lazar. "Mr. Lazar, do you know how many technical challenges it takes to shrink a propulsion unit capable of propelling an intercontinental ballistic missile to this size? Aerodynamics, material strength, thermodynamic effects... If any one of these aspects goes wrong, it will turn into a beautiful firework." He paused, a sarcastic smile playing on his lips. "Or, would you rather I build you a big one right now? And light it right here? I don't care, I've had enough of this godforsaken place anyway. Being able to enjoy a fireworks show with you guys is worth the price of admission."

His words, half-truthful and laced with a strong threat, caused Lazar and the guards behind him to change their expressions. They had kidnapped Tony for weapons, not to die together.

Ethan interjected at the opportune moment, his voice humbly tinged with just the right amount of tension: "Boss, Mr. Stark is right. This simulator is extremely important; it can greatly reduce the risks of manufacturing the actual missile later. We... we're just doing the necessary preparatory work." He pointed to some scattered materials and tools piled up beside him, "You see, these are all for preparing for its manufacture and subsequent experiments."

Lazar's gaze swept over the mess of materials, then fell on the drawing in Tony's hand, covered in intricate symbols (actually a hastily sketched diagram of the reactor's heat dissipation structure). His doubts lessened considerably. He snorted and warned, "Stark, don't try anything funny! Remember your promise, Jericho missiles! I want results! Otherwise…" His cold gaze swept over the electromagnet device on Tony's chest, "Next time, it won't be as simple as water."

After saying that, he turned and left the cave with the guards, the heavy footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Only when the footsteps completely disappeared did Tony's tense body suddenly relax. He staggered, grabbed the edge of the worktable, and gasped for breath, his forehead covered in cold sweat. The performance had exhausted what little strength he had left.

"Tony! Are you alright?" Ethan rushed over to support him.

"I'm fine...I won't die." Tony waved his hand, his voice weak, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. "Quick, Ethan! We need to hurry while they're not coming back for a while! Give me the wire!"

The life-or-death moment that had just been interrupted returned. Ethan took a deep breath, suppressing his fear, and picked up the two wires connecting to the car battery again. Tony, on the other hand, carefully lifted the reactor frame containing the core of the deuterium material, as if cradling his own beating heart.

Two bare copper wires, carrying a faint hum of current, slowly approached the electrode contacts on both sides of the reactor.

Sizzle—!

A blinding blue electric arc suddenly erupted from the contact point! A powerful current surged into the core of the reactor! The deuterium raw material inside the sealed chamber was instantly heated to unimaginable temperatures under the combined action of the high-voltage electric arc and the strong magnetic field!

Om-!

A deep, powerful hum emanated from inside the reactor! Immediately afterward, the entire metal ring shuddered violently! In the central cavity, a dazzling, deep blue light suddenly shone forth! Like the purest star in the universe being ignited! The light was steady and intense, instantly dispelling the darkness of the cave and illuminating Tony and Ethan's shocked and ecstatic faces with a brilliant blue glow!

Miniature electric arc reactor – successfully lit up!

"We did it! Tony! We did it!" Ethan's voice trembled with excitement, and he was almost in tears.

Looking at the palm-sized "mini-sun" emitting a steady blue light in his hand, feeling the reassuring warmth emanating from its metal casing, Tony felt an indescribable excitement and sense of accomplishment instantly wash over all his fatigue and pain. He had succeeded! He, Tony Stark, had created a miracle in the history of human energy from a pile of junk in an Afghan cave!

"Yes...it worked." Tony's voice was a little hoarse as he carefully removed the precious reactor from the start-up wires. The deep blue light reflected in his eyes, burning like a flame of hope. "Now, it's time to retire this damn old relic." He looked down at the simple electromagnet device connected to the car battery on his chest, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Ethan, help me!" Tony lay back on the cold stone platform, unbuttoning his filthy shirt to reveal the gruesome wound on his chest and the embedded electromagnet. "Be careful, disconnect the battery cable."

Ethan held his breath and carefully disconnected the wires connecting the electromagnet with trembling hands. Tony gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain of removing the wires. As the last wire was removed, the electromagnet lost power, and Tony immediately felt a throbbing, stabbing pain from the shrapnel remaining in his chest!

"Quick! Ethan! Connect the reactor!" Tony ordered urgently.

Ethan immediately picked up the special wire that Tony had prepared in advance, which was connected to the output end of the reactor (also "knocked out" from the material), and aligned the interface with the input port of the electromagnet device.

Click!

With a soft click, the interface fits perfectly!

Om-!

A deep blue light instantly flowed through the wires, surging into the electromagnet device in Tony's chest! A powerful, stable, and unprecedented sense of energy instantly replaced the unsettling sting! Tony felt a warmth in his chest, as if a life-giving current had flowed into his heart, dispelling his long-standing weakness and coldness! The small reactor, like a second heart, beat steadily in his palm (temporarily placed), providing a continuous and surging power!

"How are you feeling?" Ethan asked nervously.

Tony let out a long, comfortable breath, a genuine, slightly roguish smile spreading across his face—the first one he'd shown since being kidnapped. "Feels... amazing! Better than ever! Ethan, you know what? I feel like I could knock Lazar's rotten teeth out with my bare hands!" He tried to move his body; although his wounds still ached, the fear of losing his life at any moment as the battery ran out had completely vanished!

He sat up, carefully holding the still-glowing miniature reactor before his eyes, scrutinizing its captivating, ethereal blue light. "Look, Ethan," his voice held an almost obsessive admiration, "this is the future! Clean, efficient, powerful… a million times better than those junk machines that only create ruins!" His eyes shone with an unprecedented light, a scorn for the old era and a yearning for new life. "When I get back, Stark Industries' weapons division… must be shut down!"

Hope, like the reactor in Tony's hands, burned firmly and brightly in the dark cave. They had finally taken the first step towards escape!