Let's rewind to a few weeks ago.
Inside the office of the Arkham Sanatorium, Shiller and Strange were sitting together, sipping coffee.
"I don't believe that Kingpin and Hand Union had a falling out without your shadow lurking behind it." Strange took a sip of his coffee, addressing Shiller.
"It was a plan Nick and I had, but it didn't succeed because a dark horse emerged halfway -- the Life Foundation screwed up our plan."
"What were you guys planning to do originally?"
Shiller exhaled audibly, expressing his regret: "Originally, we intended to utilize Kingpin and Hand Union to inflate the black market prices of the Eternity Factor Potions."
"I previously provided Kingpin with a batch of Eternity Factor Potions for him to sell to the Hand Union."
"Kingpin is like a crocodile that's always hungry. He would naturally want to sell these potions at a high price. Hence, he would help us manipulate their value by exaggerating certain factors, such as their rarity and being exclusive."
"Nick and I speculated that Hand Union would inevitably buy it. First, because they are not short of money, and second, they have great interest in dragon bones, which offer similar effects, even going to the extent of scavenging the globe for them."
"The potion batch I gave them would produce noticeable effects in the initial stage. After trying it out, they should likely buy the potions from Kingpin."
"At this time, I would supply another batch of potions to Kingpin. However, now I would demand cost price. Of course, given the genuine scarcity of the ingredients, the cost price might be slightly expensive, but Kingpin would take it anyway, because he is confident that he can sell it to Hand Union at an even higher price."
"Hand Union should also purchase the second batch, as despite the price increase, it still falls within their tolerance range. Plus, at that time, Kingpin was indeed the only one with access to a large amount of potions. They wouldn't risk offending Kingpin but would purchase his potions again."
"And the same for the third time?" Strange inquired.
"No, using this tactic the third time might push Hand Union's limits. Too high a price may instigate their desire to kill the deliverer and take the goods. Also, it would give Kingpin too much liquid assets, feeding his ambition, which is not what we desire."
"At this point, we would need to attract other forces into the market. With the official supply being too limited, those who can't acquire it but are financially well-off would naturally turn to the black market for purchases."
"By the third round, the word should have spread about Kingpin having supplies. Numerous others would approach him to buy the Eternity Factor Potions. Kingpin, wanting to make more profit, will definitely raise the potion's price again."
"After selling this batch of stock, we won't supply any more to Kingpin. Once supply ceases, the limited Eternity Factor Potions in the black market would become highly coveted items. Given the proven effectiveness and supply scarcity, the prices would naturally rise."
"When prices reach a certain level, organizations with supply would not want price drops. As prices continue to rise, the stock in their possession becomes increasingly valuable, as if they are making money from the comfort of their homes."
"They would then join us, starting the same price manipulation. The tactics are all the same-- releasing goods in small quantities and over small scopes, with the prices increasing with each sale."
"Then the prices would just inflate like that, right?"
"Correct, this was a vital part of Nick's autumn financing plan. He was even counting on making a fortune off reselling when the price inflates."
"So the Life Foundation screwed up your plan?"
"Not entirely. Just when we were about to commence the third round, they suddenly produced a cheaper Eternity Factor Potion. Plus, their supply was abundant and there was no limit to exportation, naturally collapsing the price market."
"However, there was a silver lining. Hand Union, thinking they've been duped by Kingpin using overpriced goods, ended up having a fallout with Kingpin."
"Nick was always worrying about their cooperation being too intimate, potentially affecting the regional situation. Now that they've fallen out, a balance has been struck, reducing the workload for S.H.I.E.L.D. It seems like it's a case of losing some, gaining some."
"That's only what you think. From what I know of Nick Fury, he must be itching to kill that Drake from the Life Foundation," Strange stated confidently.
"So, where did their Eternity Factor Potions come from?" Strange asked in confusion. "Isn't this stuff extracted from vampires? Where did they get vampires from? Could it be they caught them themselves?"
"This just goes to show that there are still some smart people in this world. They also discovered that the principle behind the Eternity Factor Potion couldn't be falsified and whether it actually extends lifespans can only be observed decades later."
"So they, too, can concoct a potion with some healing effects and call it the Eternity Factor Potion."
"Next, we should accuse them of using non-compliant ingredients, right? After all, we've mentioned before that only ingredients collected by S.H.I.E.L.D are legal, and since the Life Foundation doesn't have bat ingredients, they couldn't have produced genuine Eternity Factor Potions."
"No, counterattack is the most troublesome course of action. If we say it's fake, they could insist it's authentic, or even if it's fake but affordable and similarly effective, they will still obtain a share of the market. If that's the case, why don't we partner with them directly instead?"
"They have ample supplies, and our propaganda is impactful. We could simply outsource the production to them. They could handle supply, and we can focus on selling. We can all profit."
"But what they have on hand is fake, isn't it?"
"Aren't the ones we have on hand fake as well?"
"Fair point."
The two touched their coffee cups together, sharing a look of mutual understanding.
That afternoon, Shiller walked into Stark's most frequently used lab with his coffee. As soon as he entered, he saw blood all over the experiment table and Stark standing in front of it, wincing and clutching his chest.
Shiller stood at the door staring at Stark, while Stark looked up at him. With both men engaged in a staring contest, Stark asked, "Do you know what profession is least welcome in my lab?"
"Given that you asked Strange the same question last time, I'm guessing it's doctors?"
"So, you remember you're a doctor!! Hurry up and help me!!"
"But I'm a psychologist." Shiller walked over, leisurely put his coffee down, and said, "Everyone dies eventually. See it as a natural part of life."
Stark rolled his eyes, put down the towel he was using to wipe his blood, and randomly wiped the blood off the tabletop with his hand.
Shiller brought over a chair and sat down at the side of the experiment table, taking out a stack of newspapers from his pocket. As he shook out a newspaper, he asked, "Why are you messing with that thing in your chest again? Are you finally planning to replace it?"
"Not yet, but I thought of a new method."
Stark treated the fresh wound with alcohol, grimacing and inhaling sharply. "I realized that the current method of replacing my chest reactor is a bit too primitive."
"What do you mean?"
"Every time I want to update the reactor in my chest, I need to perform surgery to remove the old one and install a new one. This process is very troublesome and somewhat dangerous."
"So what's your plan?"
"I plan to create a slot and develop a portable reactor. The slot will be permanently installed inside me, and I can remove the reactor in my chest and replace it with a new one at any time."
"I discussed this idea with Dr. Ethan, and he said he's never seen anyone in this world who loves courting death more than I do."
"His evaluation is very accurate."
"This is not just for the sake of replacing the reactor more quickly," Stark explained as he cleared up the bloody cotton balls and towels on the table.
"When I was modifying my mecha armor, I found a big problem. Originally, my mecha armor was just one kind, and its capabilities were roughly the same, all aimed at enhancing my personal combat ability."
"But you made a set of magic mecha armor before, and then we together developed the concept of swarm robots. After some actual combat, we found that there is a need for mechanical support systems in logistics, and in the future, we might need enchanted mech armor. With such a variety of mecha armor, I need more types of reactors to drive them."
"Although a normal reactor can also provide different outputs, I hope it can have more functions, especially in adapting to magic."
"But once different versions of reactors are developed, I can't possibly undergo surgery every day, right? If I spend most of my time on the operating table every day, then I won't be able to do anything."
Shiller put down the newspaper and glanced at Stark's chest. He said, "So, you're planning to install a zipper in yourself?"
"Just like that joke, no matter what the doctor leaves inside you, you can unzip and remove it."
"Oh, zippers, light bulbs, you're never going to expand your vocabulary," Stark snidely commented.
"So how far have you progressed with your experiment? Why did you call me over?"
"I want you to help me test whether magic can be applied to the Ark Reactor, or in other words, I want you to help me make a magic version of the Ark Reactor."
"You should go to Strange for this."
"He said he couldn't, asked me to come to you."
Shiller put his newspaper on the table and stood up. He said to Stark, "First of all, you should understand my level. The most sophisticated task I've ever done in your lab is screwing in light bulbs."
"Secondly, there's no such concept as a magical Ark Reactor. You've said before that the Ark Reactor blueprint left by your father used a new element. This has nothing to do with magic; magic doesn't work like that."
"So it really won't work?"
Shiller walked up to the experiment table. He glanced at Stark's chest and then said, "Maybe a magical version of the Ark Reactor won't work, but you just need an energy source installed in your chest, right?"
"Although I don't understand the structure of the Ark Reactor at all, if you just need an energy source, that should be doable. After all, with magic, anything is possible."
Shiller snapped his fingers, and the newspaper and coffee on the experiment table flew over. He said, "Give us access to a high-level lab, and Strange and I will research it. We will give you results in a week."