Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

The car doors were tightly shut, and the expensive, custom-built sports car seemed to isolate all external noise. Tony, showing no signs of drunkenness, asked Li Ai very seriously:

"What is Obadiah planning now?"

Chapter 25 Ark Reactor (2/3, requesting monthly votes and continued reading)

In this dream world, Li Ai's identity is quite special. He is a spy planted by Obadiah Stan next to Tony, but at the same time, he is also part of Tony's reverse surveillance.

Commonly known as a double-class senior agent.

Based on this unique identity, Li Ai also guessed that this dream world was a collective dream created by the two of them.

Some psychologists have proposed that, under certain circumstances, some people may experience similar dream content due to exposure to the same cultural symbols or emotional states, which is known as collective dreams.

For this to happen, the dreamers must have similar emotional states.

Li Ai believes that this dream was created by Tony and Obadiah, and that in reality, the two of them happen to want to defeat each other.

Obadiah wants to seize Stark Industries' wealth and prevent Tony from uncovering the truth behind the kidnapping and arms smuggling.

Tony may have become wary of that almost adoptive father figure after being enlightened.

This multi-person dream is born from the intertwined wills.

It all depends on who can act faster... Li Ai thought to himself. In reality, it's hard to say who will win or lose, but this is a dream, so he has a lot more room to maneuver.

Li Ai gripped the steering wheel and said as she drove, "Obadia, as usual, wants me to keep a close eye on you."

"Looks like I did a great job tonight," Tony said smugly.

“By the way, Tony, while watching the documentary earlier, I had a feeling that Mr. Howard’s display of the 1974 Stark Expo model might be alluding to something,” Li Ai said directly.

In his memory, Howard Stark discovered a new element while studying the Tesseract in the last century, but was limited by the times and abandoned its use, leaving clues about the new element and the Arc Reactor blueprints to Tony.

The new element is an isotope discovered by Howard Stark while studying the Cosmic Cube. This element has a conversion efficiency far exceeding that of contemporary nuclear technology, and when combined with the Arc Reactor, it becomes an ideal clean energy source with low risk.

Without the Cosmic Cube isotopes, even if the Arc Reactor were miniaturized, its output power would not reach the ideal level.

With modern technology, palladium is the most suitable element for an arc reactor, but this element is harmful to the human body. However, it is not a problem when used only as an energy source.

However, in reality, Tony had previously been attacked by terrorists and was nearly hit in the heart by shrapnel in the chaos. He is now using the suction generated by the palladium-powered Arc Reactor to control the position of the shrapnel, which could lead to palladium poisoning if left untreated for too long.

"That model holds a secret?" Tony said with a laugh. "It makes my dad sound like a secret agent passing on intelligence."

Upon hearing this, Li Ai didn't explain further, but continued, "Listen, Tony, if you scan that model, create a 3D model, and remove the greenery and other things you think are useless, you might discover a new element."

This is a dream, where Li Ai can pass on information to Tony without caring about his identity or the situation. The latter can't even remember his face clearly, only that he discovered clues about new elements in the dream.

Tony asked incredulously, "You mean my dad's been dead for almost twenty years and he can still give me lessons?"

“Give it a try, Tony. With Jarvis’s computing power, he can get the answer quickly by scanning the model.”

Li Ai left behind a piece of advice, and then the dream ended. He woke up after a flash of white light.

He turned to look at the alarm clock on the bedside table and realized it was already Saturday morning. He went to the kitchen to find some fast food to tide him over and also found a note left by his mother on the dining table.

I have things to do. Be careful when you go to see that guy this afternoon.

Li Ai crumpled up the note and threw it into the trash can. He filled his empty stomach with fast food. After finishing his daily training and showering and changing, he received a phone call.

“Hey, is this Leah Scott? I’m Happy Hogan, Mr. Stark’s driver. Can you tell me where to pick you up?” The man on the other end of the phone introduced himself first.

“Okay, then you can…” Li Ai named a famous building nearby so that it would be easier for the other party to find him.

"I know where it is, so please wait for me."

"it is good."

After finishing her sentence, Li Ai hung up the phone, put on a windbreaker, put the door-shaped ornament in her pocket, and then left her residence, heading towards the agreed-upon location.

Before long, Li Ai was standing by the roadside when he saw a black Audi sedan glide up in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing a kind, chubby face.

"You must be Li Ai, the one Tony wants to meet? Get in the car quickly, his villa is a bit far from here," Happy said.

"Coming right away."

Li Ai stepped forward, opened the back door, and sat in the seat behind the driver. After he was settled, Happy started the car again.

The car took the two away from the city and into a relatively secluded forest. The car drove on a cement road and finally stopped in front of a three-story villa hidden in the woods.

The villa was surrounded by a black iron fence. Cameras installed on both sides of the gate scanned the car and confirmed Li Ai and Happy's identities before the gate slowly opened, allowing the car to enter the garage.

After parking the car, Happy unbuckled his seatbelt and said, "This is a villa under Tony's name. He actually has a better beach villa in California, but considering that it's a bit far, he chose to meet here."

"So how many villas does he own?" Li Ai asked casually, glancing out the car window at the several sports cars parked in the garage.

“That’s a bit hard to count,” Happy said with a laugh. “You know, he’s Tony Stark, the richest man in America.”

"They're incredibly extravagant..." Li Ai thought to herself as she got out of the car.

They walked down the hallway and saw Tony looking disheveled in the living room.

"Tony, what happened to you at home that you looked like this?" Happy asked, puzzled.

Tony, dressed in a vest and work pants, with a long-handled hammer beside him, lay casually on the sofa. He only sat up after hearing Happy speak, a smile he couldn't suppress playing on his lips.

“Hey, Happy, let me tell you, I found a new element in my dream that wasn’t on the periodic table.” Tony beamed, like a kid showing off his new toy.

Happy frowned, puzzled. "You discovered a new element in your dream?"

“That dream was a bit long. I also dreamt that you turned into a super bodyguard with an amazing physique.” Tony stood up, pulled down his collar to show the two of them the Arc Reactor on his chest that emitted a faint blue light.

"This is the Arc Reactor powered by new elements, a brand-new energy that can change the future."

Chapter 26 Planning Ahead (3/3, Requesting monthly votes and continued reading)

The Stark Industries headquarters and industrial park are located in California, and items related to Howard Stark are kept in the headquarters warehouse.

Inspired by the dream, Tony asked Pepper to find someone to retrieve the model and take a picture of it before sending it to him. This is one of the benefits of the information age; a simple phone call can solve the problem.

In addition, this forest villa has features that are no less impressive than Tony's mansion on the California coast, so he completed the synthesis of the new element in just one morning and created a second-generation Arc Reactor with better materials for the new element.

Li Ai looked at the Arc Reactor, clapped his hands and chuckled: "Mr. Stark, it seems you've found a brand new direction for the group's development."

“You have a good eye. Let me tell you, the energy produced by such a small reactor is enough to make most power plants pale in comparison. That’s why I say this is a force that can change the future,” Tony said confidently.

He seemed to already see himself leading humanity into the future using the Arc Reactor.

But Li Ai poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

“Your skills are indeed very strong, but if they fall into the hands of someone with malicious intent, they could easily be turned into weapons,” Li Ai said, looking into Tony’s eyes.

"Just like you didn't think your weapon would be abused before."

Memories of Afghanistan silenced Tony; they were his heaviest memories.

When he acquired Umbrella Corporation, he had seen that the company had developed a prototype design for an electromagnetic railgun as early as 1998. Compared to traditional weapons, the arc reactor has a more direct impact on weapons like electromagnetic railguns.

He had to admit that Li Ai was right.

“You’re right. The Arc Reactor can not only change people’s lives, but also the future of warfare.” Tony’s tone became serious. He rubbed his temples and said helplessly:

"It is indeed a problem that has been bothering me for a long time. I'll go take a shower first. It's not my style to entertain guests while covered in sweat."

After saying that, Tony turned and left.

“This is actually his way of showing you respect,” Happy explained, then changed the subject and asked:

"Do you want a drink? This villa has everything, except for alcohol, I can give you anything."

The legal drinking age in New York State is 21, and Happy knew that Li Ai was still a high school student, so he didn't want to offer him any alcoholic beverages.

However, Li Ai was unmoved by this. He thought for a moment and then asked, "Is there a coffee machine here?"

“Of course,” Happy nodded. “Do you need my help?”

"Let me do it myself, just to kill some time," Li Ai suggested.

Hearing this, Happy laughed and said, "Yes, having a cup of coffee during a break is the most pleasant thing, the coffee machine and beans are all there..."

Happy pointed in a direction and told Li Ai to go to the bar on the first floor of the villa and find the coffee machine.

The most eye-catching spot on the first floor of this villa is the bar, next to which is a complete set of professional sound equipment, and the chandeliers overhead are all spherical, ready to be used to host a party at any time.

"That's typical Tony Stark style." Li Ai found the coffee machine and then found coffee beans in the cabinet next to it.

This shop only offers dark roast coffee beans, which tend to be bitter. To reduce the bitterness, you can add milk when brewing.

But instead of looking for milk, Li Ai used the largest amount of dark roast coffee beans, ground them into powder, and then used a coffee machine to extract the liquid.

He poured the extracted coffee into a paper cup, extracted two more cups of coffee, and then added drinking water.

"You have a rather unique taste in coffee," Happy said in surprise when he saw Li Ai make three cups of coffee. One cup was enough to keep him energized all day, but he still had trouble sleeping at night. Yet this young man was making three cups in one go.

Isn't he afraid he won't be able to sleep?

But the truth is, while a cup of coffee can refresh an ordinary person, Li Ai, whose body is becoming increasingly powerful, needs to consume more caffeine to ensure the desired effect.

"Maybe aliens have the same taste as me," Li Ai said with a smile as she drank her coffee.

Happy watched as Li Ai drank half a cup of extremely bitter coffee and suddenly realized, "So, is this your secret to exercising?"

“No,” Li Ai shook her head.

Just then, they heard footsteps nearby. Tony, now dressed in casual clothes, appeared before them and invited Li Ai to speak.

"Come on, young man, let's continue our conversation about what we were just talking about."

“And what about me?” Happy asked.

"There's a small movie theater on the second floor, a gym on the third floor, and a swimming pool in the back." Tony meant for Happy to find a place to kill time.

Then, Li Ai followed Tony to the bulletproof glass door in the basement. The latter looked up at the camera and said:

"Jarvis, grant my friend basic access. I want to have a good talk with him."

“Yes, sir, I am creating Mr. Leah Scott’s file.” A voice suddenly appeared, as if it were omnipresent.

Li Ai knew this was Jarvis, a personal smart butler that could help Tony manage the appliances and equipment in his home, and also provide important emotional companionship.

After all, the name Jarvis came from Tony's father's assistant, who was like family to him, only that the assistant had passed away before Howard.

The explosion-proof glass door unlocked, allowing Li Ai to enter the underground laboratory.

This place is equipped with the most advanced equipment available today: holographic projection scanners, metal forging and heat treatment equipment, and a cluster of high-precision industrial robotic arms. These valuable pieces of equipment are casually placed in the laboratory, which even looks somewhat messy.

"Looks like you'll have to hire a cleaner," Li Ai joked.

"Let's talk about it later." Tony waved his hand, then found two backless round chairs so they could sit down and talk face to face.

"Continuing from what I was saying, I might be able to add more restrictions to the Arc Reactor that is sold to the public, such as making it immovable and reducing its portability."

Tony put forward several ideas on preventing the Arc Reactor from being weaponized.

“Technical limitations do prevent some people from using your reactor, but it’s still better than no limitations at all.” Li Ai nodded, then raised the question from another angle.

"But you still have to get outsiders to accept the new technology."

“That’s not difficult. I’ll move Stark Industries’ headquarters from California to New York and begin a project to upgrade New York’s basic power grid. This will create many jobs, and the UN headquarters is in New York, which will also allow people from other countries to see the advantages of new technologies,” Tony explained.

"I can also work with friends to launch vehicles powered by the Arc Reactor, so that the public can see the benefits of the new technology in the most intuitive way."

This was something the arrogant Tony Stark of the past would never have said. Li Ai didn't nitpick at the statement, but instead returned to the previous question.

"But technological limitations can't stop all those with ill intentions. There will always be a small group of people who want to steal your technology, and they might even use unconventional methods. What should you do? I won't go too far, but let's talk about why Stark Industries' weapons ended up in the hands of a group of terrorists."

Chapter 27: Starting Today, I'm Quitting Drinking! (1/3 - Requesting Monthly Tickets and Reading)

Upon hearing Li Ai's question, Tony's gaze flickered for a moment, then he let out a long breath and said frankly:

“This is a problem within the group. Someone has been using the arms smuggling business to line his own pocket. I will find him and deal with him.”

“What about the future?” Li Ai asked again. “The name Tony Stark isn’t that intimidating at times, and you’ll grow old and die. How can you guarantee that your will will be passed on?”

These words made Tony's face turn somewhat ugly. In the past, he would have retorted by now, but after the kidnapping incident, he had become much more composed.

Tony calmed himself down and looked at the chaotic machinery. He said:

“I can create a symbol or a platform to intimidate others, or do other things. More importantly, there are too few people I can trust, so I have to create this symbol myself.”

These words reminded Li Ai of the future Mark series of steel armor.

As for the need for him to do things personally, Li Ai felt that Tony's suspicion of the group's internal affairs, and even the military's involvement, stemmed from the kidnapping incident, which caused Tony to have a great distrust of both parties.