Driving his own car, Charles Doyle quickly arrived outside the Stark Industries building. At the same time, Tony also arrived by car and saw Charles getting out of the Mercedes.
Approaching Charles, Tony said, "Charles, your Mercedes is nice, very collectible. But you should try out the new models. I think Audi cars are not bad."
After saying that, Tony pointed to his own R8 parked nearby.
Charles patted Tony on the shoulder and smiled, "Tony, I'll consider your suggestion."
Tony shrugged and didn't dwell on the topic. Instead, he squatted down and patted Parker's head, greeting him, "Long time no see, Parker!"
Parker stared at Tony Stark but didn't speak, just nodding his head in acknowledgment.
Seeing that Parker didn't respond, Tony was a bit surprised. He looked around at the people who had gathered nearby and decided not to make an issue out of it. Instead, he asked, "So, Charles, did you invite me here to visit Stark Industries?"
Tony believed that Charles had a reason for choosing this place to meet him.
Charles pointed to the nearby pavilion where the large ark reactor was located and said, "Tony, can you take me inside to see that big guy?"
Seeing where Charles was pointing, Tony was somewhat surprised but then enthusiastically said, "Follow me."
After identity verification and card swiping, Tony led Charles and Parker into the pavilion housing the large ark reactor. The last time he had been here was when he met with Obadiah.
Inside the pavilion, aside from Tony Stark's group, there was no one else present. Tony bent down and picked up Parker, holding him in his arms.
"Parker, you little guy, you may look small, but you're not exactly lightweight."
"No one's around here, Parker. You can speak."
While talking, Tony also ruffled Parker's head. It was evident that he had a fondness for this ninja dog that had protected him.
Parker lay in Tony's arms and didn't mind at all. Tony's strength wasn't much of a challenge for him. Parker replied, "Mr. Tony, there are surveillance cameras here. Remember to delete the footage later."
Seeing Parker's vigilance, Tony was even more satisfied. He had a smile on his face as he assured, "Don't worry, no one will notice any anomalies through the surveillance."
He then turned to face Charles Doyle and curiously asked, "Charles, why are you interested in this thing? I remember you've seen more advanced technology, so why do you want to see this big guy?"
As he spoke, Tony gestured to the device on his chest, which was his real treasure.
Charles looked at the gigantic ark reactor in front of him and smiled, "Well, Tony, I saw the news that you're shutting down the weapons manufacturing division. I invested over a billion in short selling the company's stock."
Hearing that Charles was betting against Stark Industries, Tony wasn't bothered at all. Instead, he congratulated him, "Charles, you're going to make a fortune. I bet the stock will drop even further."
Charles looked at the huge reactor in front of him and said, "But I believe this might be your new choice."
"When the price drops enough, I'll complete the delivery and switch to buying."
While playing with Parker, Tony replied, "Your choice is not wrong. Stark Industries is definitely worth your investment."
Charles smiled and then stepped over the guardrail, heading towards the giant reactor on the elevated platform.
Seeing this, Tony Stark was taken aback and called out, "Friend, that's very dangerous! Don't get too close."
Charles didn't stop walking but asked, "Tony, touching the outer protective layer won't cause an explosion, will it?"
Tony replied somewhat irritably, "You don't have to worry about stability. As long as you don't drop in from above, it won't harm you."
Hearing Tony's assurance, Charles felt at ease and extended his hand towards the gigantic ark reactor, sensing the immense electrical power within it.
However, after waiting for a while, Charles received no notification from the system. In frustration, he even entered the system space to confirm, but there was still no recharge prompt.
Charles Doyle could only shake his head in disappointment. It seemed that using the Ark Reactor for recharging was not a possibility.
Tony asked with curiosity when he saw Charles shaking his head, "What's wrong?"
Charles came back to Tony's side and smiled, "Nothing, I'm done here. Tony, you mentioned having a new invention. Let's go to your lab and check it out."
Seeing that Charles didn't explain further, Tony didn't press the issue. He put Parker down and said, "Alright, let's go to my lab."
With that said, Tony headed out.
Charles was somewhat disappointed by the failure to find a new rechargeable item this time, but he still hoped to learn about the progress of Mark II in Tony's lab. It was a consolation prize of sorts.
Leaving Stark Industries, the two of them drove to Tony's beachfront villa.
…
Meanwhile, Obadiah, who was in his office, had just received news about Tony taking a friend to visit the giant reactor. Before he could rush over, he received another message that Tony and his friend had already left.
Obadiah's expression darkened as he realized that Tony had brought a stranger to visit. He immediately picked up the phone and ordered, "I need to know who Tony brought with him to visit. I want all the information on that person."
After giving his orders to his subordinates, Obadiah returned to his office, his expression changing from moment to moment.
He had instructed Tony to keep a low profile. Was Tony looking for a new partner?
…
At Tony's beachfront villa, Charles admired the highly automated home environment.
Unfortunately, as someone without artificial intelligence, he couldn't enjoy this level of smart home living. He wondered if he could set up something similar when Sasori and Orochimaru arrives.
Entering the villa, Jarvis's voice greeted them, "Welcome back, Mr. Stark!"
"Welcome, Mr. Charles Doyle."
Seeing the voice prompt in his ear, Charles pretended to be surprised and asked, "Tony, is this an artificial intelligence?"
Tony smiled and replied, "This is my butler and assistant, Jarvis. He's also an intelligent system."
"Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Stark!"
Seeing Jarvis actively engaging in conversation, Charles was genuinely interested. After all, who could resist interacting with an artificial intelligence?
Just like Tony couldn't resist Parker!
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