Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

"So, 'Time Travel Adventurer'?" Tony turned around, his arms braced on the smooth edge of the workbench, leaning slightly forward. His caramel-colored eyes sharply scrutinized Wang Huanbo, a familiar smile playing on his lips—a smile that was a mixture of provocation and inquiry. "My little shack, does it even meet your standards? It can't compare to those 'future wonders' you've witnessed through time travel, can it?"

"Small but perfectly formed." Wang Huanbo walked to a half-finished robotic arm, his fingers gently tracing the cold metal joints, the movement as natural as caressing an antique. "Especially this miniature reactor," he pointed to Tony's chest, "the idea is ingenious, using palladium as a core to confine plasma, resulting in stable energy output and miraculous volume control. However..."

"However?" Tony raised an eyebrow, his tone clearly implying, "Let's see what you can come up with."

"The energy dissipation rate is too high; at least 17% of the energy is wasted as heat at the edge of the confinement field. Long-term wear will cause irreversible burns and fibrosis to the tissues in your chest," Wang Huanbo stated calmly, as if stating an objective fact. "Furthermore, the radioactive decay products of the palladium core will enter your body tissues through blood circulation, especially the brain and liver. Based on the current dissipation rate and the duration of your wear, your blood palladium concentration will likely exceed the safety threshold in about three months, leading to symptoms of poisoning—nerve paralysis, organ failure, and ultimately…"

He paused, looking at Tony's suddenly grave expression, and added, "...it will kill you."

The laboratory was deathly silent. Only the low hum of the various instruments and the faint sound of the ventilation system echoed.

Tony's mockery and provocation vanished. He stared intently at Wang Huanbo, his gaze so sharp it seemed to pierce through him. The light from the reactor in his chest seemed to dim for a moment. Every word Wang Huanbo uttered precisely struck at his deepest, most hidden anxieties. Ever since he'd shoved that thing into his chest in the Afghan cave, he knew it was far from perfect, but he hadn't expected the price to be so cruel and tangible.

"How do you know?" Tony's voice deepened, a hint of tension barely perceptible in it. "Regarding the dissipation rate, regarding palladium poisoning... even Jarvis is still in the simulation stage with these data!"

“Because I’ve seen better ones.” Wang Huanbo walked to the control terminal on the central platform, his fingers rapidly tapping on the floating virtual keyboard to bring up the reactor’s core structural diagram. His movements were fluid and natural, as if he knew the system inside and out. “In your time, this was already a masterpiece of genius. But on a broader timeline, it was merely a transitional product.” He dotted several key nodes on the diagram with his finger. “Here, the topology of the confinement field can be optimized, using an asymmetric Möbius strip design, which can reduce energy dissipation by at least 8%. Here, the choice of core materials…” He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, “Palladium is not the optimal solution. There is a more stable and efficient alternative element, but with current technology, its synthesis and purification are extremely difficult.”

Tony lunged closer to the screen, his eyes glued to the spot Wang Huanbo was pointing to, his mind racing. A Möbius strip? An asymmetric constraint field? He wasn't unfamiliar with these concepts, but they had always been limited by materials and computational capabilities. And that so-called "alternative element"... he had never even heard of it!

"A replacement element? What element?" Tony pressed, his tone urgent.

"Telling you the name now is pointless," Wang Huanbo shook his head. "Its synthesis requires a special catalyst, and the preparation process for this catalyst will take at least... well, with the current level of materials science on Earth, it will probably take another ten years." He closed the structural diagram, turned to face Tony, and said, "What I can help you optimize is the efficiency and safety redundancy within the existing framework. For example, by adding a miniature energy recovery and conversion matrix around the confinement field, we can recover some of the dissipated heat energy and convert it into electrical energy for storage or to drive external devices, while also significantly reducing the radiant heat damage to your body."

Tony fell silent. He paced back and forth on the smooth floor, hands in his pockets, brow furrowed. Every word Wang Huanbo spoke was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in his brilliant mind. The suggestions sounded absurd, yet they subtly pointed in a direction that he intuitively felt was feasible. This feeling of being enlightened in his professional field by a "mysterious" fellow filled him with extreme unease, yet he couldn't suppress his excitement and curiosity.

"Ha!" Tony suddenly stopped, letting out a short, self-deprecating laugh. "So, my dear 'savior' and 'time traveler,' now you're also going to be my 'technical advisor'? With some ideas that sound like science fiction?" He walked up to Wang Huanbo, tilting his head slightly (though he disliked the angle), his eyes sharp. "Tell me, Wang Huanbo, what exactly do you want? Stark Industries shares? Endless wealth? Or... something my father left behind that you can't forget?"

"I have no interest in money," Wang Huanbo said calmly. "As for what Howard left behind..." His gaze swept over an old-fashioned lab bench covered with a dust cloth in the corner of the laboratory, where some of Howard's old belongings seemed to be stored. "What I need to know, I already know. I just think that if your father saw you like this, with a 'time bomb' stuck in your chest, still acting suspiciously, he'd probably jump out of his grave and hit you on the head with his antique cane."

Tony's face stiffened, choked by the retort, before he snapped back angrily, "Don't try to intimidate me with my father! You..."

"Sir," Jarvis's voice rang out just in time, interrupting Tony's impending outburst of anger, "Mr. Obadiah Stanislav requests access to the laboratory."

Tony waved his hand impatiently: "Tell him I'm busy! I'm not seeing anyone!"

"Mr. Stanislav insists that he needs to discuss the emergency shareholders' meeting regarding the closure of the weapons division with you in person. The situation is... very urgent." Jarvis's tone carried a hint of feigned helplessness.

Tony cursed under his breath and rubbed his temples. "Tell him to wait! Just say I'm conducting a top-secret experiment concerning the company's future, I'm too busy!" He turned to Wang Huanbo, his gaze complex. "That... energy recovery matrix you mentioned earlier, do you have a concrete plan? A sketch, a diagram, anything will do!"

Wang Huanbo didn't answer directly, but instead walked to an unused workbench nearby. Scattered there were some discarded circuit boards and components. He casually picked up a palm-sized fragment of a circuit board, then a few thin wires and a miniature capacitor. His fingers moved with dazzling speed, without using any tools, simply bending, connecting, and embedding with his fingers. The metal seemed to come alive at his fingertips, easily molded into the desired shape. In just over ten seconds, a delicately structured metal sheet, filled with microcircuits and nodes, appeared in his hand. Although rough and simple, its core structure was clearly visible.

Tony stared in disbelief. This technique... it didn't resemble that of an engineer at all; it was more like that of a top-notch micro-sculptor or... a magician?

"The core idea," Wang Huanbo handed the rudimentary model to Tony, "is to use piezoelectric materials of a specific frequency and a superconducting circuit to capture the dissipated plasma thermal energy fluctuations and convert them into electric current. The specific material ratios and circuit design will require your professional team to implement. This can only solve part of the thermal radiation problem and extend your safe wearing time, but it's not a fundamental solution. The toxicity of the palladium core still exists."

Tony took the still slightly warm metal sheet; it felt slightly heavy in his hand. He carefully examined the miniature structure, seemingly crafted by hand with incredible skill, and was utterly awestruck. This was beyond human capability! He abruptly looked up at Wang Huanbo, his eyes filled with almost tangible inquiry: "You…"

Just then, Obadiah's voice, barely containing his anger, came through the lab's communicator: "Tony! I know you're in there! The shareholders are practically tearing the roof off! You have to give me an explanation! Now! Immediately!"

Tony took a deep breath, clutching the thin metal sheet tightly in his hand as if he were holding onto some hope or bargaining chip. He spoke coldly into the communicator, "Obi, tell them they either wait quietly for me to give them a more lucrative future, or get the hell out of here! And don't bother me again!" With that, he abruptly ended the call.

He turned to Wang Huanbo, his previous mockery and suspicion temporarily replaced by an almost fanatical focus. "Jarvis! Get all the data for the Mark I! Initiate the second phase of Project Silver Sable! We're going to build a new toy!"

In the days that followed, Tony Stark seemed to have entered a state of madness. He practically lived in the underground lab, eating energy bars when he was hungry and taking naps at his workbench when he was sleepy. His eyes were bloodshot, but his spirit was unusually high. Wang Huanbo became a silent but efficient "assistant" by his side.

In front of the enormous holographic projection, Tony's fingers flew across the dial, constantly adjusting the design blueprints for the Mark II. Sleek lines replaced the bulky angles of the original, and the ergonomic structure made the armor look more like a close-fitting work of art.

"The joint drive system is still too bulky! I need a more compact design, at least 30% smaller!" Tony roared into the air.

"We could consider using a combination of micro-hydraulic and electromagnetic transmission," Wang Huanbo's calm voice rang out from the side. He stood in front of an auxiliary workbench, fiddling with several micro-servo motors that Tony had discarded. "By combining the explosive power of hydraulics with the precise control of electromagnetics, and replacing traditional hydraulic circuits with nanoscale superconducting coils, we can significantly reduce the size and improve the response speed."

Tony jerked his head around, his eyes gleaming: "Nanometer-scale superconducting coils? Are you sure that thing can withstand the impact of combat?"

"As long as the energy supply is stable enough and the material strength meets the standards, it is theoretically feasible." Wang Huanbo put down the motor, walked to Tony's side, and marked several key nodes on the hologram with modification suggestions. "Here, here, and the drive shaft interface, all need to have their stress distribution models redesigned."

"Jarvis! Did you hear that? Model it according to this idea! Now!" Tony rubbed his hands excitedly, then looked at Wang Huanbo suspiciously. "Wait, you're not trying to sell some 'future technology' again, are you? Nanotechnology? That sounds even less reliable than my reactor!"

"You can choose not to believe it." Wang Huanbo shrugged, walked back to his workbench, picked up a piece of metal and began to shape it by hand, seemingly making a mold for some miniature part. "Or, let your super AI verify its feasibility."

Tony snorted, but his eyes remained fixed on the new model data stream projected by Jarvis, rapidly generated based on Wang Huanbo's suggestion. On the screen, the green progress bar representing feasibility was slowly but steadily climbing.

The design of the flight system was of paramount importance. Tony pointed to the thruster design on the back and feet of the armor in the projection: "The first generation could only glide, like a clumsy rocket pack. This time, I want real flight! Freedom like a bird!"

"The icing problem in the thin air at high altitudes must be solved," Wang Huanbo said without looking up. He was carving extremely complex micro-grooves on a titanium alloy plate with an ordinary carving knife. "In the initial design, the thruster nozzle and outer shell would freeze rapidly at high altitudes and low temperatures, causing system failure or even crashes. It is recommended to integrate an active heating de-icing system in critical parts, such as the inner wall of the nozzle and the leading edge of the wing, using the surplus energy of the reactor."

Tony stroked his chin: "A de-icing system...that makes sense. Jarvis, add an environmental simulation testing module, focusing on testing high-altitude, low-temperature icing conditions!"

"Okay, sir. Simulation results show that without a de-icing system, the armor's outer shell freezes at 87% in an environment of 15,000 meters above sea level and minus 50 degrees Celsius, reducing thruster efficiency by 65% ​​and posing a risk of crash. With an active heating system installed, the freezing rate can be controlled to below 5%."

Tony whistled and looked at Wang Huanbo: "Looks like you're not only good at fighting, but you also have some useful little tricks up your sleeve."

Wang Huanbo ignored his teasing and handed him the carved titanium alloy plate: "This is a miniature energy loop template for the heating system. You can refer to this structure for scaling up and integration."

Tony took the cool-to-the-touch metal plate, covered in exquisitely crafted patterns, and was speechless as he savored the technical beauty conveyed by its intricate grooves. This mysterious man was demonstrating abilities that were increasingly beyond Tony's comprehension.

A few days later, the first set of Mark II alloy components began to assemble under the precise operation of an automated robotic arm. The silver-gray metal frame gradually took shape on the central platform, sleek and powerful. Tony, like an excited child, circled the platform, constantly issuing commands for fine-tuning.

"Color!" Tony suddenly stopped, stroking his chin and examining the gleaming silver skeleton. "Silver-gray is too monotonous, like a piece of stainless steel. I need something...personal!"

Wang Huanbo's gaze swept across a corner of the laboratory, where a classic red Ferrari from Tony's collection stood, alongside a gold vintage sports car. "Red and gold," he said casually. "The passionate red of the Ferrari, the noble gold of the vintage car. Stark's signature colors."

Tony followed his gaze, his eyes lighting up. "Red and gold? Like that 'Tomato and Egg' car?" He pointed to the red and gold vintage car, then stroked his chin, his eyes becoming playful. "Hmm... Tomato and Egg? The name's a bit awful, but the visual effect... seems pretty good? Bold enough, eye-catching enough! Jarvis, render a picture!"

On the holographic projection, the silver-gray armor was instantly rendered into a dazzling gold body, complemented by flame-like red patterns and embellishments. The powerful visual impact made Tony whistle involuntarily.

"Perfect!" Tony snapped his fingers. "It's settled! The Gold-Red War God! A hundred times cooler than any silver-gray!"

When the first complete Mark II armor was assembled and stood in the center of the laboratory, even Wang Huanbo's eyes flashed with admiration. The streamlined golden body covered the key parts, and red energy lines flowed like blood vessels through the joints and chest armor. The helmet visor shimmered with a cold light. The overall design was both technologically advanced and possessed a classic mechanical beauty, far more refined and powerful than the Mark I armor hammered out in the cave.

Tony took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. "Jarvis, activate the wearable program!"

"Yes, sir."

The robotic arms hummed softly, stretching out as if they were alive. Tony walked to the center of the armor and opened his arms. The robotic arms operated precisely and efficiently, adsorbing and attaching armor components to Tony's body. Leg armor, torso armor, arm armor... Finally, the mask, shimmering with a ghostly blue light, fell down, perfectly closing with the helmet.

With a soft "click," the outfit was complete.

Tony Stark, the golden-red steel warrior, was officially born.