Chapter 19: The Overturned Youth Version of Iron Man
"On the day of the incident, the girl and her car happened to run into gangsters carrying out illegal activities. The girl's mother unfortunately passed away, and the girl was also in critical condition."
Hurley stood on the podium, recounting what happened to Frank and announcing the notice of his daughter's critical illness.
As Hurley spoke, there was a collective sigh from the audience.
A veteran of the Vietnam War, his family shattered by gangsters' actions.
Seeing that the atmosphere was appropriate, Hurley continued:
"...So the Osborne Group decided to help the father and his daughter."
An artificial liver appeared on the screen.
"...With no suitable liver available for transplant, Harry Osborne and his father, Norman Osborne, decided to make one."
"That's crazy!" some media members exclaimed, "Create a liver?"
Hurley nodded.
"Yes, and they succeeded. That's what we are introducing to you today: Osborne artificial prosthesis technology."
After many experiments, Connors finally settled on the first version of a mechanical prosthetic limb, which used a high-molecular polymer to simulate several major nerves in the human body and restore more than 70% of touch sensation.
Of course, the mechanical prosthesis on the market is different from the one that Connors installed on himself. After all, cost-effectiveness needs to be considered when selling on the market. They could launch a prosthetic limb that restores 99% of nerve function, but no one would buy it, and the production cycle is long. What's the point?
Besides, if someone really needs it, Osborne wouldn't mind custom-making a prosthetic limb for them privately.
The thing that captured the scene and the headlines was the artificial liver. Its performance was so good. You must know that prosthetics and artificial organs are completely different concepts. You can live without arms and legs, but what if you are missing an organ? That's a big deal.
The press conference went smoothly. It must be said that Hurley's business ability is indeed strong, and Harry never has to worry about management issues.
"So, that's all for today's press conference. In addition, the power station using nuclear fusion technology will be completed next week. Thank you for your participation."
Just when the press conference seemed to be ending, Hurley dropped another bombshell.
A nuclear fusion power station—this was the highlight!
"So, we just leave them hanging like this? Why don't we wait and hold a separate press conference afterward?" Harry walked to Hurley's side and squeezed his shoulders.
"Since you have the ability to constantly make big news, why hide it? You have a good massage technique; did you learn it secretly?"
"Yeah, seeing how lucky you are, I had to learn some unique skills, right? Let's go out for dinner together in the evening?"
After working for so long, Harry was finally free. The only thing he had at hand now was the New York power grid.
He had been coveting the system rewards for a long time.
"We can find a place to take a vacation. Anyway, there shouldn't be anything special to pay attention to this week." Harry shrugged; he really wanted to relax.
But Hurley responded by rolling his eyes at him.
"Please, Mr. Osborne, just because you don't have a job doesn't mean I don't have one. Do you remember there are parliamentary elections this year? In addition, there are quarterly accounting and financial reports..."
Listening to these things, Harry's head began to hurt.
Indeed, the Osborne Group and even the Osborne family were in a critical period, so there was no free time.
Fortunately, Hurley could help him solve these problems.
"Okay, then I guess I'll just have to continue working in my lab. I'm bored." Harry spread his hands.
"But...it's rare for you to be so proactive. I do have time in the evening." Hurley licked his lips and pressed a finger against Harry's lips.
That's not bad.
...
And while Harry is busy with his life, our Mr. Stark is not doing too well on the other side of the world.
Thanks to the exoskeleton and power armor, the US military can almost absolutely dominate street fighting.
The guy who kidnapped Tony had to move his position several times, which increased the time it took Tony to assemble the tin can.
"We'll use this thing to get out." Tony patted the iron sheet.
"But... it doesn't seem very reliable." Ethan commented from the side, "I heard that they were recently defeated by a new type of equipment called power armor."
"Mine is better than that." Tony was still very conceited—of course, if he could see that thing, he wouldn't think the thing he was fighting in front of him was stronger than the power armor of the Osborne Group.
You know, the current version of power armor can withstand a tank's main gun bombardment head-on.
In street fighting, the only thing militants can use is anti-tank rocket launchers.
However, powered armor is much more flexible in street fighting environments. When combined with infantry, they have almost no chance of winning.
Tony didn't know that the US military used power armor to beat the crap out of these people, so of course they wouldn't sit still and wait to die.
They learned from history how to make an anti-armor weapon—the thorn mine.
This is a simple weapon with explosives attached to a stick. The user needs to hold the stick and stick it towards the target.
After actual combat, this is currently the most useful weapon against power armor, especially when they insert the stick into the joints of the power armor.
Bang bang bang!
The door rang urgently! They realized something was wrong!
"Help me, Ethan, I need to put this thing on!"
The two took action immediately, but the noise outside was getting louder and louder. Ethan heard they seemed to have brought explosives...
Boom!
On the other side, there was a war room in the US military.
"Sir, according to the satellite display, there was an explosion in this place."
The commander took a look at the map. There was little information in the enemy-occupied area, but there was a coordinate of the enemy camp that they had guessed.
"Send out the nearest armored company to see what's going on."
"Yes, we're on our way. Resistance, but no heavy weapons."
"The danger has been eliminated."
"...Wait a minute, sir, they seem to be chasing someone... It looks like a broken power armor..."
Hearing the word "power armor," the commander immediately decided to launch a raid—the superiors had strict recycling requirements for this kind of equipment!
"Direct assault! Recover the power armor!"
Tony said he had never been so pleased with the Osborne Group's logo.
Of course, he also knew about this classical anti-armor weapon, but hadn't it been abandoned for decades?
If it weren't for this thing, he would have killed seven people in and out of the camp, and escaping from the camp would be a piece of cake!
Just when he was about to escape from the camp, a little man suddenly jumped out of the shadows, holding a stick that almost made Tony think he had walked into the wrong set and almost laughed.
But when the little man shouted something and rushed towards him, and the thorn thunder exploded on him, he couldn't laugh anymore.
The stabbing thunder blew up his armor and paralyzed it on the spot!
Just when he was about to be captured by this group of armed men in despair, the scene broke into commotion again, and a power armor with the logo of the Osborne Group broke into his field of vision.
This was truly the most beautiful thing he had seen in the past few months; not even that beautiful reporter could compare to it.
------
Chapter 20: Improvement of the Green Goblin Aircraft
"Why did you get up so early today?"
Hurley walked down the stairs slowly, still wearing pajamas, her eyes hazy, and she looked very tired.
Harry did wake up early because an idea suddenly came to his mind.
"Get up and design something new."
Call!
The violent sound of breaking through the air instantly woke Harry. He saw Harry standing on something that looked like a skateboard, flying around in the underground laboratory with incredible agility!
"What is that? Some kind of aircraft?"
"My father's invention, the individual aircraft." Harry slowly landed on the platform. "This was his most proud invention, but its performance was too powerful, and it was ultimately not favored by the military."
For ordinary people, the performance of this machine is indeed terrifying. It is impossible for an average person to operate it in this state. This is an individual weapon, not a fighter jet, but it is fully capable of supersonic flight.
When an ordinary person stands on an aircraft and flies at supersonic speeds, there's no telling whether the body can withstand the pressure.
But for Harry, it was almost meaningless.
Harry improved the materials used in the aircraft and tried to add a new electric propulsion system—he had been imagining it for a long time but had never completed the design. Until this morning, he suddenly had a new idea, and it worked. Now the aircraft was more flexible and faster.
To be honest, this shocked him and made him very happy—this feeling was as refreshing as a breakthrough in a fantasy world.
If you dig deeper into this technology, you will find that it is not simple. Before this, he had been relying on the Cheat system to obtain technology, and the knowledge he learned was like decoration. Now, the invention of the electric propulsion system has greatly increased his confidence.
"Are you talking about the project whose performance exceeded the human body's load and was eventually abandoned?" Hurley obviously heard about this and said angrily, "This is too dangerous! Harry!"
"Am I okay? Don't be angry." Harry embraced this beauty and was in a good mood.
"No." Hurley pushed Harry away. "You have to understand that you are the owner of the Osborne Group! You should be responsible for your own safety!"
"Are you worried about me or the Osborne Group?"
"Of course it's you!"
The two stared at each other for a moment, and Harry picked up Hurley and carried her back to his bedroom again, eliciting a cry of surprise.
"Let me go! I have to go back to work!"
...
After a lingering meal, half the day had passed.
"How about it? Do you still want to go back to work now?" Harry asked, stroking Hurley.
"...I need to rest. I want to take a day off. Can you approve it, Mr. Chairman?"
"Of course I can."
Harry enjoyed this kind of life very much, something he could not enjoy in his previous life for thousands of years.
Sometimes he would think it would be nice to become a small rich man like this, but just thinking about it, the world is too dangerous, and he cannot stay there.
Jingle bell! The phone rang.
"Son, have you watched the news?" It was his father, Norman. "Stark is coming back."
Hearing this, Harry turned on the TV.
"A few days ago, the missing Tony Stark has been found by the military and is now receiving temporary treatment locally."
"It is understood that the military discovered fighting in the militant camp, dispatched armored troops in time, and rescued the billionaire."
"As far as I know, he will return home next week, shortly after the power station is completed." Norman was now considered a politician, and Harry did not doubt whether the news was true or false.
In fact, according to the latest polls, there is no doubt that Norman will be elected to the New York State Assembly.
"I see, Father."
Stark is returning home.
But unfortunately, Harry has already taken the lead in the energy industry that he plans to engage in after changing careers.
It doesn't feel good that the monopoly is about to be broken, but fortunately, the Osborne Group has become a shareholder of Stark Industries, and Harry plans to increase his shareholding.
There is no way; some things are just unfair. The stress relief system on Mark's armor, human-computer interaction, artificial intelligence, and its unscientific appearance can achieve magical protective effects... these are all difficult to explain scientifically. Harry once knew the science behind it.
Since he couldn't suppress it, he decided to find a way to profit from him.
Besides, Stark is still a superhero at heart, and there is no conflict with Harry.
"Did you know that Stark would come back? His return this time will make us a lot of money." Hurley had naturally heard the news.
She was talking about stocks. From her perspective, it was hard not to wonder if Harry knew some inside information.
"Do I look like someone who knows how to speculate in stocks? I am an industrialist. Besides, I didn't know about his kidnapping. I just thought it was a good time. Investing in Stark at a low price will be beneficial in the long run."
Harry said as he put on his clothes.
"Besides, the value of the Osborne Group will skyrocket soon. Compared to Stark Industries, what we earn can be considered conscience money, and there is no shortage of arms dealers."
As far as Harry knew, Stark Industries was now playing both sides. The most outrageous thing was that the equipment they sold to hostile militants didn't even have Stark Industries' name removed...
Hurley rolled her eyes and did not refute Harry's words.
"I'm going to continue the experiment; you can continue to rest."
Walking to the experimental table, Harry continued to debug the electric propulsion system.
Harry did not choose to abandon the original chemical propulsion system but instead adopted a combination of the two for two reasons:
First, the pure electric thrust power was much lower than the original chemical recommended power. Considering its weight, he could not abandon Norman's design.
Second, energy issues.
The aircraft uses an isotope thermoelectric battery—the same technology used in exoskeletons and power armor, but with higher power and performance.
This kind of battery performance can certainly be considered powerful, but it can only support the aircraft's full power output for 40 hours.
Harry needs better energy, and so does the Osborne Group.
Thinking of this, Harry called Dr. Otto.
"Doctor, congratulations on the completion of the fusion power plant. I have been too busy these days and haven't had time to congratulate you."
"Thank you, Harry. The success of this technology is also due to you. Will you be present at the completion ceremony in four days?"
"Of course! I will be there for such an important occasion." Harry rolled up the existing design drawings into a pile while making the phone call.
Every time he did this, Harry would mentally curse himself for his stupidity.
He always wanted an artificial intelligence like Jarvis, but unfortunately, he couldn't achieve that.
"Doctor, do you have time now? I would like to discuss future research directions with you."
"Miniaturization? Am I right?" Dr. Otto obviously thought of it together with Harry. "I'm also considering how to shrink the reactor. Should I come over now?"
Harry thought for a moment and rejected Dr. Otto.
"It's better if I go over there. Your equipment will be more complete."
Before leaving, Harry looked at the drawings on the table and then at his bedroom. After some hesitation, he hid a few drawings.
---
Chapter 21: Cold Nuclear Fusion
"Harry, where are you? The completion ceremony is about to begin. And Dr. Otto, do you know his location? You two have been out of contact for four days. Call me back as soon as you hear the news."
The laboratory's electromagnetic protection measures were turned off, and Harry's cell phone finally had a signal.
But the two people in the lab completely ignored their phones.
Dr. Otto had dark circles under his eyes, and his eyelids were constantly fighting against sleep, yet he was still excitedly staring at the reactor in front of him, with four robotic arms surrounding it as if they were holding a treasure.
Harry felt the same, but with the physique of a Spartan warrior, his body was extremely strong; he could survive for several more months without feeling mentally exhausted.
"Unbelievable!" Dr. Otto said in a weak voice, "That experiment has been considered a hoax for a long time..."
"But right now, it seems likely not," Harry replied, feeling a surge of emotion.
The two of them were discussing an experiment at the University of Utah in 1989. Pons and Fleischmann claimed that they had used palladium as the cathode to electrolyze heavy water on a small laboratory device, achieving a nuclear fusion reaction at normal temperature and pressure. This discovery is known as cold fusion technology.
This experiment is referred to as the Fleischmann-Pons experiment.
Scientists were, of course, fascinated by this, but except for these two individuals, no one could successfully replicate their experiment. Ultimately, the U.S. Department of Energy issued a report officially denying this scientific discovery.
Cold fusion became a controversial technology, and many believed that it did not exist at all.
In Harry's original world, the matter remained unresolved. Even here, no one had figured it out for them so far.
However, Harry clearly remembered that Tony Stark's first version of the Ark reactor used metal palladium!
And Tony Stark managed to build that device in a cave. Harry didn't believe that he and Dr. Otto couldn't figure it out.
Facts have shown that in this world, the two seniors may have actually completed a cold fusion experiment, but their preparation was inadequate; they did not seek advice from their colleagues, and various funding and equipment issues ultimately led to this failure. The experiment became an "academic fraud" that could not be replicated or proven.
With the unrelenting efforts of Otto and Harry, they collected hundreds of experimental reports from that time, compared them with the public reports of Pons and Fleischmann, and discovered a truly feasible method of operation!
"To be honest, this feels like a dream. So many people have failed, yet we have succeeded." Otto still felt light and airy.
"Yeah, honestly, I'm starting to believe in metaphysics a little bit." Harry shrugged.
Maybe it was because Tony rubbed his hands into the cold nuclear reactor and unlocked the world or something? It sounded fantastical.
However, without the assistance of Dr. Otto, it would have been difficult for Harry to obtain this technology.
Now that they had found a way to produce cold fusion, miniaturizing the reactor was no longer out of reach.
"Technological innovation is truly fascinating," Dr. Otto sighed softly after speaking.
"What? Doctor, you look a little lost?"
"A bit. I haven't had time to enjoy the benefits of controllable nuclear fusion, and now this technology is about to usher in a new revolution. It feels like... my own child has been surpassed."
Harry understood what Dr. Otto was thinking, and he patted Otto on the shoulder.
"New technology is also your child, and you should be happy. Besides, I'm not sure how to handle this technology; it's too polluting."
What Harry said was true. In his opinion, this technology had greater military value than civilian applications.
The decay of palladium is highly reflective, and the rhodium produced after decay is extremely toxic.
Harry also needed to carefully consider whether to sell it.
It would be nice to sell it, but if they made this technology public now, it was hard to say what the repercussions would be.
Maybe he should wait until Norman actually becomes the president of the United States or at least a congressman.
On the other hand, he could also consider examining the legacy Howard Stark left to his son.
He still remembered that Howard's model was displayed in the CEO office of Stark Industries. Now that he had become a shareholder and director of Stark Industries, he had numerous opportunities to observe the model.
And he also remembered how Stark interpreted that model—remove the roads, eliminate the landscaped gardens, discard a bunch of miscellaneous elements, use the pavilion as the structure; that was the atomic structure of the new element.
The only problem was that creating new elements in a particle accelerator required many experiments to find the right parameters.
"The technological singularity is approaching, and we have to adjust our mentality. I really like what you said. We still need to continue to work hard. The future is coming, Doctor."
The two looked at each other and smiled, feeling elated after having invented new technology.
"Harry, the completion ceremony is about to begin. Can you hear my message? Your father and I are very worried about your situation!"
Hurley's voice finally caught the attention of the two, and they suddenly realized that today seemed to be the completion ceremony of the fusion power plant!
"Damn... Doctor, we have to hurry!" Harry glanced at the time and found that it was indeed getting late; the ceremony would start in less than an hour!
"Wait a minute, I have to take off my robotic arm..."
"Forget it, Doctor!"
.....
"How's it going, Hurley? Have you contacted him?" Norman had just greeted the Minister of Energy and was inquiring about Harry's situation.
"No, he still isn't answering the phone... Wait a minute, he's calling!" Hurley answered the phone, "Harry, where are you? The ceremony is about to start!"
"Uh... we're driving, about 40 minutes away... no, 20 minutes away..."
"Harry, can you drive slower? We stayed up for four whole nights! Are you sure you can drive this fast?"
The phone was noisy, but Hurley could still hear Dr. Otto's frantic screams.
What are you doing? Racing early in the morning?
"Harry, what are you doing? I heard Dr. Otto screaming..."
"Ah, leave him alone; we are tired these days and need to vent." Harry said this unconvincingly, especially since the horn on the other end of the phone was about to pierce Harry's eardrums. "If you're interested, I can take you to experience it in a few days."
"Okay, stay safe; I can handle it here."
The scene was already crowded with reporters from all walks of life, and the bigwigs were already seated. Norman was engaged in a cordial conversation with them.
Many of these people would become Norman's valuable political resources.
"The facility security check is complete, Miss Hurley." The speaker was Max Dillon, who was now shining in his position, unlike in the original story where he made New York shine.
"Get the engineers in place."
After arranging the engineers, Hurley walked up to the podium, and the scene fell silent.
"Thank you all for coming to this completion ceremony today."
"Today, you will witness the birth of a new energy source, a safe and sustainable energy source that provides cheap electricity to everyone..."
Just when Hurley was about to continue her speech to delay Harry, some murmurs arose in the crowd.
"Why didn't Harry Osborn and Dr. Otto come? What happened?"
In response, Hurley could only continue introducing the benefits of new energy.
Boom!
A sudden muffled sound erupted outside the park. There seemed to be a commotion outside?
Four massive arms were pulling at the wall, as if a gigantic monster were about to appear in front of everyone...
Everyone held their breath.
Boom!
"Sorry, everyone, Dr. Otto and I were busy with a new experiment, but luckily we made it to the scene."
However, the ones controlling the robotic arms were not monsters, but the protagonists of this completion ceremony, Harry and Dr. Otto!
"Sorry, but there are so many people outside, so we can only enter like this."
---
Chapter 22: Osborne's Star
"Sorry, everyone, Dr. Otto and I have been delayed due to some circumstances."
Every move of the huge manipulator caused everyone to exclaim, and several military personnel's eyes lit up.
"Ahem," Harry stood in the center of the podium and tugged on his collar. "It seems that everyone is more interested in Dr. Otto's assistant, but it is not for sale."
"Mr. Osborne, Dr. Otto, we all know that during the last experiment demonstration, Dr. Otto had to be on the side to control the reactor. Will it be the same this time?" A reporter raised his hand and asked.
Harry looked at Otto and handed over the microphone.
"No, of course not," Dr. Otto said with a smile. "After many experiments, we have established a new mathematical model and improved the magnetic field constraint device based on the model. Naturally, we no longer need to use manual control. It's a trick."
"We constructed a magnetic confinement system using multiple non-planar coils. It is well known that when isomagnetic lines form continuous closed curves..."
"Wait a minute, Dr. Otto!" Harry hurriedly stopped Otto, who was spouting professional terms, perhaps due to staying up all night.
"Uh...sorry."
Laughter erupted throughout the venue.
"Sorry," Harry smiled at the audience. "Dr. Otto is too tired, so let's not say anything more and go straight to the topic of today."
"Ladies and gentlemen, I wonder if you share the same sentiment as I do: the starry sky always makes us feel insignificant, and the stars are beautiful and unreachable."
"Today will be the closest you have ever gotten to the stars. Please appreciate the star of the Osborne Group!"
As Harry gave the order, beams of high-energy rays suddenly passed through the tritium element suspended in the chamber, triggering resonance according to Dr. Otto's design. A brilliant glare appeared in the core—
hum—
Even with sunglasses on, the dazzling glare forced people to close their eyes to avoid the sharp light. Only Harry could look directly at this masterpiece without being affected!
"Now the Osborne Group has the stars in its hands."
[Mission: Energy Monopoly]
[Establishing and controlling the New York City power grid: completed]
[The nuclear fusion project has been completed, and the task has been exceeded]
[Task reward: Electric energy life form, superconducting materials science]
Noisy!
A terrifying electric light suddenly burst from the energy storage facility, but it disappeared after a moment.
Everyone was blinded by the glare. No one saw this scene; only Harry had a strange feeling.
His consciousness was linked to this new little life.
Just like Gaia gave birth to Uranus and a host of gods, and God created Adam and Eve, Harry is the creator of this little life.
"And I... will call you Lenin."
The little guy's joy was conveyed to Harry's mind and then disappeared into the grid.
"The total energy output has reached a positive value, and the reactor is running smoothly, Mr. Osborne! Everything is going well!" Max's voice echoed through the communicator throughout the venue.
Now, it was time to receive applause and cheers!
"The Sun on Earth: Osborne, the Light of Mankind." New York Daily News
"We hold onto the stars and cheer for the Osborne Group!" Daily Bugle
"Electricity prices in New York have dropped sharply, and people in various states: Governor, please give us one too!"
"As electricity prices fall, production costs in New York State are greatly reduced. Is a new round of industrial revolution coming?"
Evening.
After the entertainment, Norman and Harry returned home.
"You are my pride, son." Norman looked at Harry with joy. "I know that my demands on you were too high before, but I didn't expect that you would do ten thousand times better than I imagined."
Harry shrugged and poured Norman some red wine.
"Actually, I don't think it's pressure."
Harry was telling the truth. In his previous life, he was an orphan. Even when he entered society, he would always be alone. The expectations of his relatives wouldn't weigh too heavily on him.
"It's really not much pressure compared to what you've achieved." Norman joked. "What's the next step? By the way, as expected, the results of this year's gubernatorial election have been locked in."
"As expected."
With Norman's current conditions, it's not impossible to run directly for President of the United States, but the presidential election has just ended, leaving no place to choose.
Moreover, if a president were elected now, they would face an alien invasion during the election, so the outcome should not be too tragic.
Of course, being elected governor of New York State wouldn't be much better, but Harry would certainly have a way to help his dad.
"I heard that Stark seems to have created something incredible over there, which may very well pose a threat to us."
Norman said as he turned on the projection.
The picture showed news obtained through his channel.
Not surprisingly, what was described was the Mark armor and "some powerful energy source"—the Ark reactor.
"In fact, it is." Harry waved his hand.
"But the threat isn't from that shiny reactor; it's from that thing out front."
Harry's words piqued Norman's interest. In his opinion, what Stark built was completely incomparable with his own power armor.
"But father, don't worry too much. Do you still remember the positioning of our power armor?"
It is used in war as an armored unit covering infantry on vast battlefields and can completely replace tanks in street fighting.
This technology comes from the system, and the prototype is a series of works called "Radiation," but the battery uses an isotope thermoelectric cell, and the system is very stingy regarding this.
This is a war technology that can be used on ordinary soldiers. It is not a superhero suit. It is indeed not as functional as the Mark armor that will be released next.
The key to Harry's technology lies in the exoskeleton. To put it simply, the power armor is a layer of skin covering the exoskeleton. It is similar in function to a tank but more flexible. There are many features built into the Mark armor, including a filtration system, a weapon system, and a personal computer. Speaking of personal computers, Harry suspected that the computing power of that thing could even be used for mining, and the efficiency was probably quite high.
And... Harry clearly remembered that during Stark's first test flight, he collided head-on with the wing of a high-speed fighter jet—and it turned out that Stark was fine.
The power armor in Harry's hands may not turn into scrap metal after such an impact, but the person inside might not fare as well.
Film and television often portray these combat units as fragile as paper, but now they have become an unsolved mystery before Harry that needs to be unraveled.
"So... you want to say that although his iron can technology is very strong, it will not replace our technology?" Norman seemed to understand Harry's thoughts, but he didn't know how Harry came to this conclusion.
Harry nodded.
"So... what about this mysterious reactor?"
Hearing his father's question, Harry smiled and opened the hidden door in the living room.
"Is this what you were referring to?"
In the laboratory behind the door, a reactor glowed with blue light.
"We have conquered cold fusion technology; miniaturization is just the last step."
23: Electric Life Form Lenin
"This is so beautiful... Is this what you and Otto built together?" Norman stared intently at the reactor. Harry suspected that if there were no isolation measures, his father would pounce directly on it.
"Yes, you may not believe it, but the production of this thing is based on the Fleischmann-Burns experiment, the same person who was labeled as an academic fraud by the Department of Energy."
"What?" Norman was stunned for a moment, then laughed jokingly, "That's really... interesting. How are you going to deal with this? The military will need this technology very much."
Harry shook his head.
"No, at least it can't be handed over to them yet. I plan to turn it into your political bargaining chip, a political bargaining chip for the general election."
"As for the military, they haven't used the batch of isotope thermoelectric batteries delivered with the power armor yet. Let's clear out our inventory and production capacity first."
Regarding Harry's idea, Norman also thought it was reasonable, but the only problem was that they could keep this technology secret, but Stark couldn't—he's an arms dealer!
"Don't worry, Stark won't do this." Harry hesitated but decided to tell the truth. "Remember his father, Howard Stark? He was an anti-war activist, and Stark would be too."
Norman nodded doubtfully; obviously, this reason did not completely convince him.
"An arms dealer like Stark is against the war? What about their company?" Norman asked naturally.
"Well... of course, there will be some setbacks."
Hearing this unclear answer, Norman was even more confused. It sounded like his son was a loyal supporter of Stark?
Harry didn't know how to respond to this. Stark would develop a lot of mysterious technologies in the future. Apart from letting him work for him in disguise through company operations, he really had no other way.
After all, it's not like normal people can just whip up a cold fusion reactor in a cave.
It would be great if the system could release a few more tasks...
"Anyway, I will take care of these things; don't worry."
After dinner, Harry went to his secret laboratory.
It was time to explore the characteristics of this so-called "electrical life form."
Harry looked at the capacitor facility in front of him and softly called out its name.
"Lenin."
The lightning surged violently, finally converging into a ball-shaped lightning that bounced in the capacitor.
Is this... ball lightning?
Feeling Harry's gaze, Lenin expressed doubts.
Lenin was like a newborn child, full of curiosity about everything.
After careful observation, this little guy's abilities exceeded Harry's imagination—he could sense the electromagnetic fluctuations of the entire New York power grid and even had the ability to attack any node!
For example, right now, he noticed that somewhere underground, a strange facility was stealing electricity at a high intensity—
boom!
Lenin instantly disappeared into the capacitor, and a computer in the distance was burned out on the spot.
Smiling wickedly, Harry called Lenin back, and the little guy seemed to feel happy too.
"You are like my child, like a Pokémon... It's amazing." As he said that, Harry put his fingertips close to Lenin, and a ray of lightning ran into his body along his fingertips.
As part of Lenin connected to his bioelectricity, Harry suddenly had a clear understanding of his physical condition.
Then, Harry approached the test computer.
"Can you show an image on it?"
The computer instantly turned into a blurry screen, flashing with unknown patterns, before burning out after a while.
It seems... the little guy only has instincts and needs training.
Sensing Harry's thoughts, Lenin felt sad, and his body in the capacitor retracted into the grid, but Harry could still feel its presence.
"It's time to start studying, Lenin." Harry smiled, feeling like he was educating a child.
Although Lenin didn't know how to control electricity, Harry knew he had truly found a treasure.
Once he taught Lenin how to control circuits and transmit messages, electronic warfare would become child's play for him.
Computers used binary to process information, which essentially consisted of high and low levels. Now even electricity had life and had become his Pokémon. He didn't know how to lose.
Especially against some artificial intelligence—this would be a game changer.
Thinking further, electricity is magnetism, and magnetism is electricity. Controlling electromagnetism means having the means to manipulate electromagnetic forces to a certain extent.
There are even more powerful applications...
Harry smiled as he looked at Lenin circling his fingertips.
In a sense, he had now broken through the limits of science.
.....
[Mission: Energy Monopoly]
[Second Ring Mission: Establish a super grid with a coverage rate of more than 98% in the United States]
" Hurley, we need to promote the New York power grid to other cities." Early the next morning, Harry began working.
"Of course, we have to promote it. The question now is which city will be the next target?" As she spoke, Hurley took out a stack of information that outlined the quotations for each city and had special markings—noting the impact of building power grids in various cities on his father's political power.
"I have to remind you that since there is only one construction experience, an experienced employee must supervise the project when setting up the power grid."
"Washington will definitely be the next target. Send the entire construction team there and let my father and Dr. Otto supervise it directly." Harry did not explain further. He had already discussed this matter with them.
"Then the next city will be Washington. Congratulations to this lucky city."
Hurley was about to put the information away when she heard Harry continue:
"Put Max in charge of the Chicago power grid again."
"Max? He is very capable, but are you sure he can handle this job?" Mary Jane expressed some concern. In her opinion, he was a dull engineer. "There seems to be some chaos in that city lately."
"Let him go. His abilities need to be developed. Besides, don't underestimate engineers."
That's right—if it weren't for Harry, Max could have blown up the New York power grid, and he would probably be on his way by now.
"Okay, then it's two cities. You shouldn't send me to do this job, right?" Mary Jane said while taking notes.
"Of course not. You stay with me. Stark will return to US tomorrow, and you and I will go to Stark Industries together."
"I just wanted to tell you about this. It seems that you are not completely indifferent to the company." Since Norman turned his focus to politics, Hurley had been handling many things in the company. "But you're not going to a dance, so you don't need a female companion."
Harry shrugged. "I heard he has a very beautiful female secretary. You can't let me go alone, can you?"
---
Chapter 24: Stark Industries Board of Directors
"Mr. Stark is back. I need to pick him up at the airport. The military doesn't want too many people there. I'm very sorry. But you can wait here."
Pepper Potts, Stark's assistant, would soon be appointed CEO of Stark Industries.
Of course, Harry didn't mind.
"Of course I don't mind, but I'd better wait in the waiting room. This is your CEO's office." Harry behaved like a good citizen.
This made Pepper think more highly of Harry.
Some time ago, the Osborn Group began to acquire shares of Stark Industries, which made her wary. She considered many scenarios, including malicious mergers and acquisitions, malicious short selling, and other common attack methods.
However, the acquisition soon stopped, and the Osborn Group put funds into the renovation plan for Hell's Kitchen. Now several brand-new schools and orphanages have been built there, and the security has improved a lot.
A new shareholder holding 7% of the shares is not a problem at all for Stark Industries.
In fact, Harry had already used a hidden camera to take pictures of the physical model that Howard left behind—who would show them like that?
That said, if it weren't for Harry, a Transmigrator, who would have guessed that the secret of this new artificial element was hidden in this simple model?
"So, are we just waiting?" Hauley asked while using the computer to handle official business.
"Of course, what else do you want to do? This is not an office building of the Osborn Group. There are surveillance cameras everywhere."
"I did not mean that!"
That's not what I meant, Harry shrugged.
"Stark is holding a press conference now." Hauley closed the computer.
"He's hold a press conference as soon as we get back. It looks like he's going to announce some big news." Harry stood up. "Where is their company's board meeting room? I want to visit it."
...
"...So I have decided to shut down the weapons manufacturing department of Stark Industries! Effective immediately!"
Stark's press conference was as chaotic as the plot, and Obadiah's on-the-spot explanation did not succeed in diverting people's attention.
The news spread immediately, and society exploded.
The Stark Industries directors hastily held a board meeting.
"Does he understand what he is doing!" One director almost yelled, "What are arms dealers going to do if they don't make arms?"
"Does he clearly understand that he is the CEO of the company and is responsible for everything he does?"
"We can't let him continue to be so willful!"
"If he can't continue to bring revenue to the company, maybe we should replace him!"
Harry sat aside and watched their argument as if it were a play.
Hauley carefully observed the expressions of the directors. She explained that she needed to continue to increase her stake in Stark afterwards and needed to judge which directors might accept the equity transfer agreement.
Obadiah spoke slowly under the gaze of many directors.
"No, we still need Tony. It's impossible to replace him at this juncture. The news has been released. Now we should consider what to do next."
Obadiah clearly had his own agenda and knew better.
And what he said is true. The future is what directors care about.
"Obadiah, you have the best relationship with Tony. What does he think?"
"Maybe he was frightened after traveling around Afghanistan, or maybe he suddenly became a humanitarian as he said. To be honest, I don't know."
Obadiah's words once again sparked discussion among the directors.
"But...Tony is a smart guy, and you should have all heard what he said today."
"A new development direction that is suitable and consistent with the country's highest interests? Nonsense." A director said disdainfully.
"But his brain has never let us down. Let me get in touch with him and I'll figure out what he wants to do."
"Hmph, you'd better hurry up then!"
Harry stretched and looked at Hauley beside him.
"How about it, just write it all down."
"Yes, it seems that many of them are really disappointed. Stark's stock will plummet tomorrow." Hauley stood aside and said, "Does the plan need to change?"
"No. Let's wait until the stock price drops fifty or sixty points before taking action."
"I think it might fall more, but it seems like you really think highly of Mr. Tony Stark." Hauley shrugged, taking note of Harry's words.
Harry remembered that in his previous life, Stark's stock price fell by more than 50 points the next day. He didn't know if Obadiah had secretly released news about the reactor, but in this life, Stark's stock price would only fall further.
Because nuclear fusion has been commercialized by the Osborn Group.
The meeting ended, and the directors logged off. Just when Harry was about to leave, Obadiah came over.
"Mr. Osborn, I'm sorry that this is the first time a board meeting has happened to you."
"Don't worry, no one can expect this kind of thing."
Harry was waiting for the next step when he saw that the bald man was thinking.
After a moment of silence, he said:
"Mr. Osborn, do you think it's possible to build an arc reactor with your hands?"
"Not likely. You know, Dr. Otto and I did a lot of preliminary work to make this technology a reality. If you paid attention to our completion ceremony, you would see that this thing is very big and very sophisticated."
"And if I remember correctly, Stark Industries also has an arc reactor."
Stark Industries does have such a reactor, but the output energy is less than the input energy. The significance of decoration and deceiving investors is greater than the actual significance.
Harry wasn't quite sure what Obadiah wanted to test. Perhaps he suspected that he had gotten news about the reactor?
His behavior did give him reason to doubt.
It's a pity that he could never guess that he bought shares in Tony Stark just to be on the safe side and suck Tony's blood.
Without Tony Stark, Harry would have brought the company down long ago.
Obadiah was silent for a while and then said something Harry didn't expect.
"Does the Osborn Group have any plans to buy Stark Industries?"
To this, Harry wanted to say, "He had! If buying ownership of the company would allow Tony to work for free, he would do it."
But a pure company acquisition may not convince him. When the time comes that he goes out to destroy a certain company, the value of the acquisition will be greatly reduced.
As for why everyone now thinks that the Osborn Group wants to acquire Stark Industries... From Harry's point of view, there is really nothing to hide in his behavior. If others insist on thinking this way, he can't stop them.
"Mr. Stany, this is the company's strategy. I'm sorry I can't answer you." Harry stood up, taller than the bald man, and said condescendingly, "But I really hope that Stark Industries can get through this difficult time, so I bought shares of your company under pressure."
"Now, I'm going back to deal with the problem. If the company has financial difficulties, I think I can give you some help."
Now the Osborn Group can be said to be making money every day, but it is worried about having nowhere to spend money.
---
25: Flying Race
A few weeks later.
"Another director agreed to our conditions." Hauley reported from the side.
"Very good, how much stock do you expect to hold?" Harry asked while adjusting the Green Goblin aircraft. "Didn't that guy named Obadiah respond?"
"After the transaction is completed, it is expected to hold 19% of the shares. A few weeks ago, a director expressed his intention to transfer, but there has been no news since then. It is probably Obadiah you mentioned who is up to something."
Of course.
The Stark Industries board of directors had a board meeting not long ago, and this guy initiated a resolution to expel Tony from management.
His purpose in doing this series of things was originally for his own benefit, and it was natural for him to stabilize the directors.
This resulted in Harry spending a lot more money on this matter than he had budgeted for.
However, the results are quite gratifying, and this share is not small.
But as he increased his holdings, it became increasingly difficult to continue to increase his stake, and it was time to stop.
Boom.
The Green Goblin aircraft levitated on its own and flew rapidly around the basement. The new intelligent control system was working well.
"Harry! You don't want to try this thing again! It's too dangerous!"
"Yes." Harry put down the tool in his hand. "Don't try to persuade me. This is my father's most proud invention. It's natural for me to use it."
"Besides, there are safety measures in place this time."
As he spoke, Harry put on an undisclosed version of a powered exoskeleton, which was made of the best material Harry had at his disposal. The design focused on adapting to high-altitude and high-speed flight, and small propellers were added to the legs, used to increase vectors and improve flexibility.
Without the powerful artificial intelligence assistance of Tony, Harry only equipped himself with a simple mask instead of a helmet.
From the appearance, it is indeed closer to the little Green Goblin in several movies.
This is really fate.
Without waiting for Hauley to say anything, Harry turned over and jumped onto the high-speed aircraft. The power armor on his feet was tightly connected to the aircraft through magnetic force.
Now, it's time to test it out!
"Wuhu!"
Harry flew straight into the sky, soaring into the sky like a rocket!
And Harry, who successfully took off, suddenly noticed that there seemed to be a flying unit in the sky!
Harry laughed, and the power of the aircraft increased!
"Sir, there is a high-speed flying object approaching from behind."
"What? High speed, how high speed..." Before Tony, who didn't know the truth, could figure out what it was, Harry caught up with him!
"Good evening! Mr. 'Iron Man', are you here to run laps too? Do you want to see who is faster?"
"What? Who are you?" Tony looked confused.
"What's wrong? Don't you have confidence in your armor?" Harry's skateboard drew a circle around Tony, showing off his speed!
"You think I'll lose?" Tony didn't think Harry had any malicious intent and focused on Harry's words, "The first one to arrive at Lake George!"
"No problem!" With that said, Harry instantly increased the power of the skateboard to the highest level, and a huge roar resounded throughout the suburbs of New York!
The sonic boom disrupted Tony's flight path and even caused him to roll several times in the sky.
"Jarvis, activate supersonic flight mode!"
"But sir, the debugging is not yet..."
"I said start it!"
Boom!
The second sound exploded, and Tony chased after him not to be outdone!
"Jarvis, I want to talk to him!"
"Okay sir, radio signal retrieved, connected."
"Who are you? I've never heard of anyone having this kind of technology!" Tony's voice came to Harry's communicator.
"I have never heard of anyone being able to build flying steel armor. Mr. Iron Man, are you worried that you will lose, so you deliberately interfere with me?"
"This is not my maximum power..."
Before Tony could finish speaking, Harry increased his power again!
"Not my maximum power either!" Harry laughed and passed Tony again.
"Fuck! Jarvis, I want to catch up with this kid!"
"But sir, the other party's speed seems to have exceeded the safety limit you set..."
"Accelerate!"
But Tony found that he really couldn't catch up with Harry!
In terms of speed, he seems to be really no match for this kid who appears out of nowhere!
"Green boy, I think we should change the direction of comparison..."
"What? You gave up?"
"I mean, we should change directions! Let's see who can fly higher!"
Harry laughed—looking at Tony's excitement, this must be his first test flight, and he hasn't solved the icing problem yet!
"Then I win the next round, the second round!" With a bang, Harry flew towards the sky.
Looking at Harry flying into the sky, Tony shouted: "You're jumping the gun!"
After flying for a while, a thick layer of ice appeared on Harry's body first, but his armor had already prepared for it!
And his aircraft was also prepared for this. The surface armor layer rotated at high speed, grinding away the surface ice layer, and a stream of hot air burst out from it, easily resolving the icing problem!
But Tony's condition on the other side was not very good, and the entire action trajectory gradually became a free fall—
"Jarvis? We need to activate the auxiliary wing, Jarvis?"
"In the second round, Mr. Iron Man, you lost again." Harry knocked on the can, and the sound was clear and crisp.
As both men slowed down, Harry stopped communicating over the radio—the Mark Armor had stopped functioning after all.
Harry flew around Tony a few times and even spread his hands and knocked Tony on the can head to show that he was not affected by the ice at all.
Tony in the can seemed to be saying something, but Harry couldn't hear clearly, so he waved to him, turned around, and flew back home.
The competition, which took place in the suburbs of New York, ended with Harry winning, and he was certainly in a good mood.
As for Tony, although it didn't feel good to lose, seeing someone in the sky actually made him feel like he had found a soulmate.
Landing in his luxury car, he smiled and shook his head amid the dry powder sprayed by the robotic arm . He was probably told by the TV—he might really be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
Boom.
Harry jumped off the aircraft and saw Hauley still in place, holding her hands and pacing left and right.
But before Hauley could say anything, Harry carried her into the bedroom amidst screams.
"Today is such a wonderful day. I guess you won't say anything, right?"
.....
"We should take a vacation or something."
Lying on the bed, Harry suddenly said.
Anyway, there is nothing going on right now, so why not take Hauley out to relax for a few days.
"Obadiah invites you to attend Tony Stark's fundraiser for the Fire Department Home."
Harry looked at Hauley and found her a little strange.
"What's wrong? Are you going or not?"
"Go... just can you please stop talking about work in this atmosphere? It is not conducive to the harmonious development of the relationship between men and women."
"What?"
Hauley couldn't understand Harry's thinking—in her opinion, work was very important.
---