Chapter 25:
Morning
Sunlight poured through the windows into the villa.
Yang Jian and Wanda sat at the dining table enjoying breakfast. Wanda sipped coffee while flipping through her Darkhold magic notes.
"What's the plan today?" she asked, looking up.
Yang Jian set down his coffee cup: "Going to the lab to make a few little inventions."
Wanda gave a small smile: "Need my help?"
"Just keep practicing your magic." He stood up and gently ruffled her red hair.
"If I'm not back tonight, go to bed early."
Wanda nodded obediently, thoughtful, and didn't ask anything more.
Underground Laboratory
Cold blue light illuminated rows of precision instruments.
"Good morning, sir." Origin's voice echoed through the lab.
"Hm."
Yang Jian walked to the main console. His eyes glowed faintly gold. Super vision instantly pierced through layers of buildings, locking onto Stark Tower several kilometers away.
Tony Stark was busy in his lab.
The holographic projection displayed blueprints for the next-generation armor; the arc reactor in the chest glowed with faint blue light.
"Reactor structure, energy conduction method." Yang Jian's super brain operated at lightning speed, instantly analyzing every technical detail.
All the technology appeared in his mind; upgrade analysis completed in an instant.
He withdrew his gaze. His fingers flew across the virtual keyboard; a brand-new design appeared on the holographic screen.
"Origin, prepare materials."
"Ready, sir."
Yang Jian swept his fingertips through the air. Nanoscale precision instruments began automatic assembly.
His speed was more than ten times faster than Tony's; every step was flawless.
Thirty Minutes Later
"Reactor complete."
A new reactor—smaller than Tony's but with more stable energy output—hovered above the lab table, emitting a faint golden glow.
"Energy efficiency increased by 47%, output stability improved by 300%." Origin reported.
"This has already surpassed current Earth technology levels."
Yang Jian nodded in satisfaction, then turned to armor design.
"If I'm going to do it, I'll make the best."
He pulled up the special alloy data Bullseye had provided earlier—a Wakandan vibranium derivative, extremely strong and incredibly light.
"Nano-tech fused with vibranium alloy, plus the new reactor, and nanotechnology parsed from the Kryptonian armor."
His fingers constantly adjusted the holographic model. The armor's silhouette gradually took shape.
Sleek black armor, shoulders embedded with energy patterns, a bat-wing-like cape flowing behind—an elegant yet overwhelmingly oppressive design.
"Origin, begin fabrication."
"Yes, sir."
Mechanical tentacles surged toward the materials, constructing the armor under precise control.
Metal flowed, reorganized; every component was perfectly aligned.
One Hour Later
In the center of the lab stood a pitch-black suit of armor.
It was sleeker than Iron Man's, with dark golden energy veins flowing across the vibranium surface. The cape billowed without wind.
"Sir, nano-vibranium armor complete." Origin announced.
"Equipped with the latest reactor technology, capable of nanoscale self-repair. Estimated defense can withstand most impacts."
Yang Jian stepped forward and touched the armor.
Instantly, the nano-metal flowed like liquid, rapidly covering his entire body.
The faceplate closed. Crimson visor lit up.
"System online." Origin's voice sounded inside the helmet.
Yang Jian flexed his fingers, feeling the perfect fusion between armor and body.
He didn't need this suit—but the shock value was definitely enough.
"Not bad." He murmured.
"Time to let Tony see what a real armor looks like."
Morning – New York Sky
A black meteor streaked across the sky, instantly breaking 10 Mach, tearing a vacuum trail through the clouds.
Yang Jian's nano-armor was stunningly beautiful; the cape danced wildly in hypersonic flight.
Woven from alloy fibers, it didn't hinder mobility and could instantly deploy as a defensive barrier.
"Origin, test energy output."
"Propulsion system nominal, sir." Origin's voice sounded in the helmet.
"Reactor core efficiency at 97.3%. Theoretical continuous flight time: 72 hours."
Manhattan's skyline was already in sight.
Yang Jian came to an abrupt stop, hovering outside Stark Tower.
Through super vision, he clearly saw Tony in the lab, gesturing at a holographic projection.
Stark Tower – Top Floor Lab
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Tony Stark was buried in calibrating the next-generation armor's reactor when suddenly—
"Sir, unidentified object approaching." JARVIS's alert sounded.
"What?" Tony frowned and looked up. The next second, his pupils contracted sharply.
Bang!
Bulletproof glass exploded. A pitch-black figure descended.
The armor was sleeker and more menacing than any MK series—black vibranium plating flowing with energy veins.
Crimson visor stared coldly at him; the cape billowed without wind, almost alive.
"JARVIS! Emergency suit-up!" Tony backed away sharply.
"No need to panic, Mr. Richest Man."
The armor's faceplate melted away like liquid, revealing Yang Jian's face.
"Well?"
Yang Jian hovered in mid-air. "Much better than your pile of scrap, right?"
Tony's eyes widened as the black armor instantly decomposed into countless nano-particles, surging back into the miniature reactor on Yang Jian's chest.
Snap.
Yang Jian casually tossed the reactor to Tony, who fumbled to catch it.
"Impossible!"
Tony stared at the pale blue glowing reactor in his palm. "JARVIS?"
"Scan indicates this reactor's energy output efficiency is 4.7 times that of the arc reactor. Stability…" JARVIS paused—rare for him.
"…exceeds database analysis limits."
Tony snapped his head up: "Fuck, how did you do this?!"
Yang Jian was already lounging on the sofa, pouring himself a glass of red wine: "If you want to do it, you just do it."
"…"
For the first time, Tony felt the urge to punch someone looking down at him like this.
He grabbed the reactor and inspected it closely: "Nano-tech? Special alloy? Where did you get these materials and tech?"
Yang Jian shrugged and pointed to his head.
Tony: ...…
Finally, Tony calmed down and looked at Yang Jian: "Alright, what do you want?"
"25% shares." Yang Jian set down his wine glass.
"What?"
"You get the tech. I get 25% of Stark Industries."
Tony nearly dropped the reactor: "Are you insane? I only have 73%! After Obadiah, it dropped to the 50s—this period it's only gone back up!"
"Listen to the end." Yang Jian swirled his glass.
"I'm not interested in money, but I also don't like losing out. Every time I provide a tech upgrade in the future, my shares increase accordingly—but never more than yours."
Tony rolled his eyes: "Just based on this toy? Do you know how many people worldwide want a piece of Stark Industries?"
"Unless you tell me you're Superman…"
Bang!
The wine glass suddenly shattered. Red wine hovered in mid-air.
Before Tony could react, the entire world twisted and flipped!
The lab walls disintegrated and reassembled like building blocks. The New York night view outside the window turned into a kaleidoscope of colors.
"Shit! Where is this?!"
"Mirror Dimension." Yang Jian's voice came from every direction.
"Here, reality is under my control."
Tony panicked as he discovered his suit summon system had completely failed.
Even worse—JARVIS's voice had vanished entirely.
When the scene returned to normal, Tony's back was soaked in cold sweat.
"Sir?!" JARVIS's urgent voice returned.
"You disappeared from all sensors for 10 seconds!"
Tony sat on the sofa and downed the rest of his wine in one gulp.
Yang Jian said nothing, just watched him quietly.
After a long silence,
Tony exhaled deeply and stared firmly at Yang Jian: "22%. Second-largest shareholder. But you have to guarantee Stark Industries won't be threatened."
Yang Jian smiled and raised his glass: "Pleasure doing business."
"Wait." Tony suddenly remembered something.
"What company are you using to buy in? Don't tell me it's personal."
"Yang International. The former chairman wasn't very sensible, so I sent him on his way." Yang Jian's tone was calm.
Tony stared at this man who spoke such a declaration so casually, then suddenly laughed: "Look at that—you're even more of a bastard than me."
"Mutual." Yang Jian smiled.
If you enjoyed this chapter, thank you so much for reading!
Translating these stories takes a lot of time and effort, and your support really helps me keep going and release more regularly.
If you'd like to read a few chapters ahead (or just want to help fuel more translations),
consider checking out my Patreon: Patreon.com/arthursink