Chapter 32
Morning Yang Jian's Villa
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the living room. Wanda was plating freshly fried sunny-side-up eggs, her red hair casually tucked behind one ear.
Yang Jian sat at the dining table, just lifting his coffee cup, when Origin's projection suddenly unfolded in the air.
"Yang!"
Tony Stark's holographic image appeared; the background was a messy lab.
"I pulled an all-nighter studying your armor design."
He scratched his disheveled hair, tone awkward: "I have to admit… some of those energy conduction methods are simply…"
"Genius?" Yang Jian took a sip of coffee.
Tony choked for a second, then shrugged: "I'm just admitting it has some merits! But don't get cocky—I'll improve it into something even more advanced soon."
"I never intended to build armor in the first place." Yang Jian cut him off.
"You asked me to make one."
In the projection, Tony's eyes widened: "You sure it's not for some other reason?"
He rolled his eyes: "Just wait—the greatness of a mechanic is beyond your understanding."
The call cut off abruptly.
Wanda couldn't help but laugh. She pushed the breakfast plate toward Yang Jian: "You're really good at shutting him down."
His phone screen lit up. A message from Helen Cho popped in:
[Breakthrough on the neural connection for the Cradle. Free to come take a look?]
"Heading to Stark Tower?" Wanda glanced at the message and speared a piece of fruit with her fork.
Yang Jian nodded and continued eating breakfast.
Ten Minutes Later
Yang Jian stood up, leaned down, and placed a kiss on her lips: "Dark magic is very powerful. Keep practicing."
"Mhm." Wanda nodded obediently.
Yang Jian changed clothes and vanished from the spot.
Stark Tower – Ground Floor
Yang Jian's figure materialized at the entrance. A few people lingering near the door jumped in fright.
He glanced at them, paid no attention, and walked into the lobby.
"Mr. Yang!" The receptionist smiled warmly.
"Dr. Cho is waiting for you in the lab."
He nodded in acknowledgment. Along the way, employees greeted him respectfully one after another.
As the elevator doors closed, excited whispers could still be heard outside.
Biotech Laboratory
Helen Cho was explaining in front of a holographic projection. The curves faintly visible under her white coat distracted several young researchers.
She looked up, saw Yang Jian at the door, and her eyes instantly lit up.
"You're here!" She hurried over.
"Look at this."
On the projection, a brand-new neural network flickered.
Yang Jian's gaze swept over the data stream. He suddenly reached out and adjusted a few parameters.
The entire system's efficiency surged by 30%.
The lab fell dead silent.
Helen Cho opened her mouth, then helplessly laughed: "Sometimes I really wonder if you're a supercomputer disguised as a human."
"Did you sleep well last night?" Yang Jian suddenly asked.
Helen Cho's ears turned faintly red. She pretended to organize data: "Thanks to a certain someone."
She lowered her voice: "At 3 a.m. I was still thinking about how bright your eyes are."
Their fingers brushed accidentally on the holographic keyboard. The lab's smart system suddenly chimed.
"Mr. Yang, Mr. Stark is approaching."
Helen Cho rubbed her forehead: "This guy always does this."
Tony pushed the door open, still holding a steaming cup of coffee.
He raised an eyebrow at how close Yang Jian and Helen Cho were standing, a mischievous grin curling his lips: "Looks like I'm interrupting something important?"
Helen Cho gave a light cough and stepped half a pace to the side.
Yang Jian completely ignored Tony's teasing: "Something wrong?"
Tony shrugged: "Monaco Grand Prix in two days."
He waved the invitation in his hand: "Want to come? Guaranteed more fun than the lab."
"Not interested." Yang Jian didn't look up, still adjusting parameters on the holographic projection.
"Go enjoy yourself."
Tony dramatically clutched his chest: "That hurts."
Then he leaned toward the screen: "Progress on the Cradle?"
Helen Cho nodded and pulled up the new data stream: "Neural connection breakthrough. In theory, it can not only repair damage but also enable consciousness transfer."
Her finger traced the projection: "With special materials, we could even build a perfect body—for example, an AI robot that turns artificial intelligence into real people…"
She suddenly stopped.
The three's gazes met in the air.
Helen Cho couldn't help but say: "JARVIS."
The lab AI responded immediately: "I'm here, sir, madam. But allow me to remind you: granting an AI a physical form may introduce uncontrollable risks."
Tony rubbed the stubble on his chin, deep in thought.
"That is indeed a problem. If we create an indestructible body and combine it with a machine mind…"
Yang Jian suddenly broke the silence: "Tony, I can guarantee any accident stays under control."
He looked at the two of them: "But we need to establish an independent biotech company. Tony and I each take 45%, Dr. Cho gets 10% tech shares."
"Wait, that's not the issue." Tony frowned.
"The issue is: how do you control a potentially rogue super-AI body?"
Yang Jian suddenly laughed and shot Helen Cho a knowing look: "Helen, tell him who I am."
Helen Cho held back a laugh: "This is Superman—in the literal sense."
Tony rolled his eyes: "Superman? It's not April Fool's, Cho."
Helen Cho nodded seriously.
Tony looked at Yang Jian and spread his hands: "Okay, magician man—what else can you do besides magic?"
Yang Jian said nothing. He raised a hand and waved.
Mirror Dimension instantly unfolded!
The lab scene warped in an instant—sky spun, city hung upside down, physical laws lost meaning.
Helen Cho stared in shock at the twisted cityscape: "This is…? You really know magic?"
"A little." Yang Jian said lightly.
Tony, though he'd seen it before, still couldn't help reaching out to touch an upside-down skyscraper: "Every time I see it, it feels anti-physics."
"Okay, tell me—why did you bring us in here?"
"Watch closely." Yang Jian suddenly floated upward. His eyes erupted with terrifying red light.
BOOM!!!
Heat vision swept across the sky; several distant buildings vaporized instantly!
The shockwave tore a rift in the clouds.
Before the two could react, Yang Jian leaned down and exhaled a breath of cold air. The entire ground froze into a glacier in an instant.
Then he smashed a fist downward.
Bang!!!
With the three of them at the center, the ice for several kilometers shattered completely—except for the small patch beneath their feet, which remained untouched.
In their stunned gazes, Yang Jian landed steadily: "Believe me now?"
Tony's coffee cup had long fallen to the ground. He stood gaping, mechanically turning to Helen Cho.
"You already knew?"
Helen Cho was equally stunned: "I only knew he could catch monsters bare-handed."
She suddenly widened her eyes: "Wait—last night we…?"
"Don't worry." The red light faded from Yang Jian's eyes.
"Kryptonians have excellent control."
Tony suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Yang Jian's arm: "That heat vision! What's the energy conversion efficiency? Can it be miniaturized? If we put it in armor it would massively boost power!"
"Mr. Stark." JARVIS's voice suddenly came from Tony's watch.
"Allow me to remind you: you just witnessed a demonstration by an entity capable of easily destroying a city, and your first reaction is—patent the tech?"
The three fell silent for two seconds, then burst out laughing together.
Yang Jian dismissed the Mirror Dimension. The lab's familiar lighting returned.
Tony picked up the fallen coffee cup, expression complex: "So… what's the company called?"
"Rebirth Technology." Yang Jian looked toward the clouds outside the window.
"After all, what we're doing is rewriting the rules of life."
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