Chapter 20: Stark World Expo

Chapter 20: Stark World Expo

On the California coast, with its scenic beauty,

A luxurious villa, entirely white as sand, stood quietly on a cliff, overlooking the crashing waves below.

Inside, the interior exuded a perfect fusion of technology and luxury.

Every piece of furniture had been modified by Tony's genius hands, all intricately connected to the intelligent butler, J.A.R.V.I.S.

With a single voice command,

J.A.R.V.I.S. could freely adjust the interior environment, simulating various global climates.

Descending the spiral alloy staircase,

Tony reached the bottom floor of the villa.

Here was Tony's workshop, his mechanical kingdom.

On one side of the garage,

Several limited-edition luxury cars were displayed quietly.

The matte black Lamborghini Reventón exuded cold, dominating elegance.

The fiery red Ferrari Enzo screamed speed and passion.

The silver Pagani Huayra,

With its gull-wing design and perfect aerodynamic form, represented the pinnacle of luxury sports car aesthetics.

On the opposite side of the garage,

A completely different scene unfolded.

A chaotic workbench piled with parts, circuit boards, and high-strength alloy materials.

Under Tony's remote control,

Several intelligent robotic arms worked tirelessly, performing tasks like welding and polishing.

"This is really troublesome... Is there no suitable element in the world?"

Tony's eyes were filled with exhaustion.

He was fully focused, staring at the holographic projection before him, where various element combinations flashed across.

Ever since Tony barely escaped the Middle Eastern desert with his first-generation armor,

This once notorious playboy had undergone a complete transformation.

Like the protagonist of a novel, Tony returned with a vengeance.

He shut down the weapons division and severed the bloody ties between Stark Industries and the arms business.

His first move shocked the entire world.

Following that,

Tony personally sent the company spy, Obadiah, to meet his demise.

As Iron Man, he quickly became a globally admired superhero.

Countless accolades and worship poured in like a tidal wave.

Under the bright lights, Tony always wore a confident smile,

With a signature look of self-assuredness.

In the past,

Tony's life seemed flawless to others.

But in reality,

Only Tony himself knew how bad his situation truly was.

Beneath the glamorous surface, he bore a burden that most people could not even imagine.

The terrorist attack had left a lethal time bomb in his chest,

With several shrapnel fragments deeply embedded near his heart.

A slight misstep could puncture an artery and send him to his grave.

To extend his life,

Tony was forced to implant the Arc Reactor in his chest.

This glowing blue device was a double-edged sword.

It not only saved his life,

But it also hung like the sword of Damocles above his head.

The Arc Reactor used palladium as its energy source.

While it gave Tony his Iron Man identity, it also slowly poisoned him with heavy metals.

The very life-saving device was killing him in another way.

Lifting his collar,

Tony's chest was covered in a spiderweb-like black pattern, which stretched up his neck.

Like a greedy snake, it slowly consumed his vitality.

His tense face was void of his usual playfulness,

Only showing furrowed brows and a concentrated gaze.

To escape the looming threat of death,

Tony had to develop a new element and upgrade the Arc Reactor.

Suddenly,

The screens surrounding the lab lit up,

Glowing with a cold blue light like a giant jellyfish awakening from the deep sea.

"Sir..."

J.A.R.V.I.S.' soothing voice sounded,

Reporting the latest news related to Tony.

"Recently, there have been several murders in New York, and public opinion is turning against you. There are rumors claiming that Iron Man is behind these killings."

Hearing this, Tony didn't even glance up.

He continued to type on the holographic keyboard, dragging and reorganizing complex formulas.

While focusing on his research, he casually responded,

"Frame it on me? This clumsy trick? It's obviously the military's doing."

"Who else on Earth can crack the Arc Reactor technology? At least for the next decade, no country can replicate the Iron Man suit."

Even in difficult circumstances, Tony remained arrogantly confident.

At just 15, he had entered MIT and graduated with the highest honors.

That record still stands unbroken.

After taking over the family business, Tony developed numerous powerful weapons, growing Stark Industries into a global powerhouse.

In Tony's eyes, no one on Earth could compete with him.

Competitors like Hammer Industries were far behind, with weapon quality inferior to his work from ten years ago.

Because of this,

Tony never believed anyone could develop an Iron Man suit and go around Hell's Kitchen committing murders.

It was clearly the military undermining him.

Since he shut down the weapons division, he severed the profit connection with the military, and they were surely displeased.

Additionally,

Since the Iron Man identity was revealed,

The military generals had been eyeing the Iron Suit, unable to take their greedy eyes off it.

So, Tony, distracted by trivial matters, instinctively blamed the military.

However, what Tony didn't know was,

This wasn't the military's doing at all.

Despite Tony's intelligence,

He hadn't considered the existence of Reincarnators.

J.A.R.V.I.S.' intelligence was extremely high.

It quickly noticed that Tony didn't care about the storm in New York. His attention was entirely focused on science.

In reality,

Apart from basic activities like eating, drinking, and sleeping, Tony hadn't done much else lately.

He barely slept, locking himself in the basement, immersed in research.

J.A.R.V.I.S. wasn't sure

If Tony would attend the upcoming events.

After a brief hesitation, it cautiously asked,

"Sir, should we proceed with the Stark Expo plans?"

Before it could finish,

Tony abruptly stopped. His expression became more serious, and his voice carried a tone of finality.

"The Stark Expo must proceed as scheduled.

Tomorrow at noon, we'll hold a press conference, and I'll be there in person."

For Tony,

This event was of utmost importance, second only to solving his poisoning problem.

The Stark Expo was an event Tony's father, Howard Stark, had organized for years.

Its purpose was to gather the world's top technologies, allowing talents from all countries to showcase their proudest creations.

This expo

Was not only a stage to display Stark Technologies to the world but also a bridge between Tony and his father, transcending time and space.

Since the legendary scientist's untimely death,

This tech spectacle, which carried the family's legacy, had been forgotten for over a decade.

After going through a series of events,

Tony had grown significantly. He wanted to revive the Stark Expo.

Moreover,

Burdened with palladium poisoning, Tony held a pessimistic thought in his heart.

Before he succumbed to the poisoning,

He wanted to host his first and last Stark Expo as a grand final act.

Therefore,

He had to carve out time for it.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., refine tomorrow's schedule to the second, I can't afford to be late like usual."

Tony loosened his collar.

The spreading black veins were faintly visible, like a countdown set by death itself.

Silence.

The gentle voice resumed, and then everything fell back to quiet.

"Understood, sir."

After giving instructions to J.A.R.V.I.S.,

Tony returned to his workbench, fully immersed in his research,

Attempting to develop a better energy source to replace palladium.

The sparks from the welding gun illuminated Tony's focused side profile.

The murder cases that J.A.R.V.I.S. mentioned were already forgotten in his mind, not even a passing concern.

At this moment, Tony had no idea,

That the "Iron Man" he had brushed off so lightly was like a butterfly flapping its wings,

Starting a storm in his world.

The turning point in Tony's life was approaching, and he had no idea what was coming.