Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

The scorching sun mercilessly baked the Gobi Desert, the air distorted and warped by the heatwave. The sparse shade of a few palm trees on the edge of the oasis became the only respite in this sweltering hell. Ethan practically collapsed onto the edge of a puddle, scooped up the cool water, greedily drank several mouthfuls, and then slapped it against his face, trying to dispel the dizziness from the high altitude and the desert heat. The exhaustion of surviving the ordeal washed over him like a tide. He sat down against a tree trunk, closed his eyes, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

Tony, on the other hand, seemed much more "meticulous." He first critically examined the clarity of the puddle, muttering, "The microbial content is definitely too high," but he still squatted down and carefully washed his hands and face. Water droplets dripped from his slightly disheveled hair and stubble. He shook his head, but his gaze involuntarily fell on Wang Huanbo again—the latter was facing away from them, like a silent statue, facing the approaching, swirling cloud of yellow sand in the distance.

"Hey, Lao Wang!" Tony's voice broke the brief silence, carrying his usual tone, a mixture of inquiry and provocation. "What's the principle behind your 'portable space'? Quantum entanglement? Or some kind of spatial dimension folding technology we haven't discovered yet? Being able to fit a massive lump of metal like my Mark I inside and still maintain structural stability... If this technology could be miniaturized, it would be perfect for portable weapons arsenals or mobile laboratories!" As he spoke, he habitually gestured in the air with his finger, as if sketching a design. "But, how's the access speed? Is there any latency? How's the spatial stability? Will there be any data... uh, I mean, loss or misalignment? And most importantly, the energy consumption..."

Wang Huanbo didn't turn around. Unable to explain the personal space granted to him by the system to Tony, he could only use physics to deceive him. His voice came steadily: "Based on the application of string theory, a controllable microscopic space bubble is created on the Planck scale. The access speed depends on the strength of the mental connection and the volume of the object. The stability is good; as long as I don't die, the space will not collapse. Energy consumption..." He paused, "...negligible."

"Negligible?!" Tony's voice rose instantly, filled with disbelief. "What a joke! Maintaining even the smallest independent space bubble requires astronomical amounts of energy! That little thing on your chest..." He pointed to the blue light emanating from the circular timer on the chest of the original Ultra Armor he had worn. "Even if it's a super reactor, it couldn't support this kind of consumption! Unless... your energy source isn't even on the physical level? Or, your so-called 'time-space adventurer' identity actually means you possess some kind of 'rule' power that we can't understand?" His eyes were sharp as knives, trying to dig out more secrets from Wang Huanbo's back.

Just then, Wang Huanbo turned around abruptly, his voice carrying an undeniable urgency: "Enough with the small talk! It's not a sandstorm, it's a convoy! At least five armed pickup trucks, and they're going very fast!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, the roar of the engine could be faintly heard. In the distance, several fast-moving black dots in the dust rapidly enlarged, and the outline of a heavy machine gun mounted on the roof of the vehicle was clearly visible! The vehicle was painted with the menacing Ten Commandments logo!

"Damn it! It won't leave you alone!" Tony cursed, instantly switching into battle mode, even though he was unarmed. He instinctively looked at Wang Huanbo: "Where's your 'Tin Can'? Put it on! And my Mark I! Get it out! Even though it's a handmade item from a cave, it's better than using your fists!"

Wang Huanbo shook his head, his movements as swift as lightning. He reached for his waist with his left hand, and the Beta Magic Wand, which he had stored in his personal space, appeared in his left hand. With his right hand, he grabbed the cracked hilt of the Thousand Blades Demon Blade in his palm.

"It's too late! The Mark I needs time to start up, and it's too big a target!" He spoke rapidly. "Ethan, find cover! Tony, stick close to me!"

"Follow me? What are you going to follow? Can my two legs outrun four wheels?" Tony grumbled, but quickly ducked behind a huge weathered rock while peering out to check for enemies. "Damn it! They have RPGs! Old Wang, how many can your shield take?"

The answer he received was the dazzling light that suddenly shone from the Beta Magic Wand in Wang Huanbo's raised left hand! Countless bands of light intertwined and wrapped around, instantly covering the entire body of the original Ultra Armor! The diamond-shaped blue eyepieces lit up, and the circular timer energy core on the chest emitted a powerful aura.

"Buzz—!"

The first rocket, trailing a plume of flame, hurtled straight toward the oasis!

Instead of retreating, Wang Huanbo advanced, his legs slightly bent, a small crater exploding in the sand beneath his feet. The thrusters on the back of his armor erupted with short, powerful blue flames, propelling him like a cannonball towards the rocket! At the very moment of impact, the Demon Blade Thousand Blades on his right arm slashed upwards at a mysterious angle!

There was no violent explosion, only a soft "crack" like shattering glass. A flash of purple light appeared and disappeared, and the rocket was precisely split in two! The wreckage, having lost its kinetic energy, fell limply onto the sand, emitting two wisps of smoke.

"Beautiful!" Tony couldn't help but exclaim from behind the rock, but then he habitually started criticizing, "However, the movement was too large, wasting energy! The cut should have been completed with minimal displacement! Also, the timing of the thruster activation could have been delayed by 0.3 seconds, saving at least 5% of the energy!"

Wang Huanbo had no time to pay attention to Tony's "technical guidance." After slicing through the rocket, he didn't stop moving. Using the momentum of his charge, the Demon Blade Thousand Blades disintegrated again! This time, the fragments turned into hundreds of tiny purple streams of light, like an enraged swarm of bees, emitting sharp whooshing sounds as they rained down on the two armed pickup trucks at the front!

"Puff puff puff puff—!"

A series of piercing sounds rang out! The pickup truck's fragile body was like paper before the fragments of the Demon Blade! The windshield shattered instantly, the tires burst, and the fuel tank was precisely hit! Boom! Boom! Two fireballs shot into the sky, blasting the pickup truck and the gunman on it to smithereens!

"What the hell?! What is that thing?!"

"He's a devil! He's a devil!"

The Ten Commandments gang members in the three pickup trucks behind were terrified by the attack, their screams echoing through the desert. They frantically turned their trucks around, trying to create distance, while the heavy machine guns on the roofs sprayed bullets wildly in Wang Huanbo's direction, a hail of bullets like a metal storm!

"Jingle bells!"

A pale blue, arc-shaped shield of light energy instantly appeared in front of Wang Huanbo. Dense bullets struck the shield, splashing countless ripples and making a sound like rain hitting banana leaves, but they could not budge it in the slightest.

"The firepower is impressive, but the accuracy is terrible, and the ammunition matching is completely haphazard—a pure waste of metal!" Tony, hiding behind a rock, didn't forget to comment on the enemy's weapons. "This kind of medieval-era tactic is only good for scaring uncivilized primitives!"

Wang Huanbo advanced steadily through the hail of bullets, the fragments of the Demon Blade Thousand Blades swirling around him as if they possessed a life of their own, forming a deadly purple barrier. Seizing the opportunity, he raised his left hand, the wrist armor flipping up, and a pulse beam shot out once more!

"Zzz—Boom!"

A beam of blue light struck the hood of the third pickup truck precisely! The violent explosion flipped the truck over and set it ablaze.

The two remaining pickup trucks panicked completely. The drivers swerved, their tires carving deep trenches in the sand, trying to escape this deadly zone. In the back of one of the pickups, a gunman carrying an RPG barely managed to aim at Wang Huanbo amidst the jolting.

"Old Wang! To the right!" Tony shouted a warning.

Wang Huanbo reacted with lightning speed. The moment the rocket was launched, the fragments of the demonic sword surrounding him seemed to receive a command and instantly converged into a torrent of purple energy, crashing head-on into the rocket!

"Boom!"

A dazzling fireball exploded again in mid-air!

Wang Huanbo himself, taking advantage of the shockwave from the explosion, sped up his thrusters and charged like an arrow toward the last pickup truck that was trying to escape! The armored fist, accompanied by a piercing shriek as it tore through the air, slammed into the side of the pickup truck!

"Clang—!"

A sickening, metallic clang rang out! The pickup truck was struck as if by a giant hammer; a terrifying crater instantly appeared on its side, and the vehicle rolled sideways, carving a long, deep furrow in the sand before finally coming to a stop upside down, completely totaled. The fate of the gunman inside was unknown.

The battle ended in the blink of an eye. The desert returned to its deathly silence, save for the crackling sounds and billowing black smoke from the burning wreckage of the vehicles.

Wang Huanbo stood on the smoke-filled sand, the fragments of the Demon Blade Thousand Blades flying back and reassembling into a complete blade. The energy core on his chest glowed, the armor disarmed, revealing his calm face, with only a fine bead of sweat on his forehead indicating the intensity of the battle just now.

Tony emerged from behind the rocks, brushing the dust off his clothes. Looking at the chaotic battlefield, he whistled, "Not bad, Lao Wang. Although the fighting style... well, it was rather 'direct,' lacking a bit of artistry, the result was still satisfactory." He walked to the still-burning wreckage of a pickup truck and kicked the twisted door. "But next time, could you leave someone alive? I also want to ask how these guys caught up so quickly. Did they plant a tracker on me? Or is your 'Tin Can' signal just too strong?"

Ethan also walked over, still somewhat shaken. His face was still pale, but his eyes were filled with gratitude and lingering fear as he looked at Wang Huanbo: "Mr. Wang... thank you for saving us once again."

Wang Huanbo shook his head, but his gaze returned to the distance, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly: "The pursuers are out of the question, but the trouble is probably not over yet." He pointed to the sky.

Tony and Ethan looked in the direction he was pointing and saw a small, silvery-gray dot approaching at high speed in the azure sky, the roar of an engine growing louder as it drew nearer.

"What's that? An airplane?" Tony squinted. "Judging by its appearance... it doesn't look like a civilian aircraft, nor does it seem like standard military equipment. It's very fast, and it has vertical takeoff and landing capabilities? Interesting..."

The silver-gray aircraft rapidly descended, revealing its distinctive twin rotors and streamlined fuselage.

"A Quinjet?!" Tony's voice was tinged with surprise and seriousness. "S.H.I.E.L.D.? What are they doing here? And so quickly?"

Wang Huanbo's gaze deepened. He said in a low voice, "It seems that our every move is being watched by certain people."

The Quinjet hovered dozens of meters above the ground, its powerful airflow kicking up clouds of yellow dust. The hatch opened, and a serious-looking agent in a black tactical uniform and sunglasses appeared at the doorway, holding a megaphone.

"Attention, everyone! This is the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack and Logistics Bureau! Drop your weapons and identify yourselves! Repeat, drop your weapons and identify yourselves!"

Tony rolled his eyes and yelled at the sky, "Hey! You up there! Look closer! We're the ones being hunted, okay? Weapons? Our only weapons are this old Mr. Wang's fists and that broken, glowing knife! Also, your name is too long! Can you just call it 'S.H.I.E.L.D.'? It sounds better!"

Wang Huanbo gently pressed Tony's shoulder, signaling him to calm down. He stepped forward, looked up at the fighter jet, and his voice clearly pierced through the roar of the engines: "I am Wang Huanbo. This is Tony Stark and Dr. Ethan. We have just escaped from the Ten Commandments' captivity."

The agent at the hatch seemed to confirm something via communicator. After a moment, he spoke again, his tone softening: "Mr. Wang Huanbo, Mr. Stark, Dr. Ethan. Please remain where you are and remain calm. We are here to provide backup. Agent Coulson will personally coordinate with you."

The fighter jet landed slowly, kicking up even more dust. The hatch opened fully, and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit, with a slightly receding hairline and a professional, gentle smile, stepped out—it was Agent Phil Coulson.

"Mr. Stark, Mr. Wang, Dr. Ethan," Coulson greeted with a smile, his gaze lingering on Wang Huanbo for a moment with a hint of barely perceptible inquiry. "I'm glad to see you all safe and sound. Director Fury was very worried about your safety."

Tony crossed his arms and gave Coulson a sizing-up look without any politeness. "Worried? I think it's more like surveillance. Your S.H.I.E.L.D. noses are sharper than desert foxes. We barely landed, barely settled in, and you've already caught our scent? Tell me, what's Fury, that one-eyed bastard, up to?"

Coulson's smile remained unchanged, seemingly immune to Tony's sharp tongue: "The director simply wants to provide Mr. Stark with the necessary assistance and protection. After all, you've just gone through a terrible ordeal. As for Mr. Wang Huanbo..." He turned to Wang Huanbo, his smile still there, but his eyes sharpened slightly, "Your appearance and the abilities you've demonstrated have aroused considerable interest among some of the department's experts. Perhaps we could find a place to sit down and have a proper chat? About your identity, and your... special relationship with Mr. Stark?"

He deliberately emphasized the phrase "special relationship," his gaze sweeping over Tony's face, which instantly became uncomfortable.

Wang Huanbo met Coulson's gaze, his expression calm and unwavering: "Sure. However, before we talk, I suggest we leave this dangerous place. The remnants of the Ten Commandments, or some other 'interested' people, may still be on their way."

Coulson nodded. "Of course. Please board. We'll take you to a safe place." He stepped aside to make way.

Tony snorted and walked towards the fighter jet first, muttering to himself, "A safe place? Not some underground shack from S.H.I.E.L.D., is it? I demand a private bathroom and a coffee machine! And don't try to fool me with cheap coffee!"

Ethan followed silently, appearing somewhat reserved.

After deactivating the original Ultra Armor and tossing the Beta Wand into his personal space, Wang Huanbo walked last. Before stepping onto the gangway, he glanced back at the desert that had just witnessed a bloody battle; the burning wreckage and charred marks were particularly glaring under the blazing sun. His gaze seemed to pierce through space, landing on the more distant New York.

The bigger trouble was probably just beginning. Obadiah… and Nick Fury, the one-eyed director behind S.H.I.E.L.D. He silently thought to himself, a barely perceptible glint of cold light flashing deep in his eyes.