Chapter 50: The Spark of a New Element

"Ethan, that's touching and all, but are you showing me this just to make me nostalgic about my brilliant old man?" Tony looked confused.

"Not quite." Ethan rewound the footage to the holographic sand table."JARVIS, zoom in on the sand table in the video!"

To help accelerate the development of a new energy source, Tony had even lent Ethan his prototype AI, JARVIS.

"Uh… this future city is stunning," Tony remarked, unsure what else to say as he studied the hologram.

"JARVIS, generate a digital model from this sand table. I need a fully interactive projection," Ethan commanded, ignoring Tony.

Beep beep beep.

A streak of blue light swept through the room. The entire sand table was transformed by JARVIS into a three-dimensional digital model.

"Model of the 1974 Stark Expo scanned and completed," JARVIS's robotic voice announced.

Ethan raised his hands, and a shimmering blue screen expanded in the air.

Tony, despite himself, couldn't help admiring the scene. Meanwhile, Spider-Man—ever the devoted fanboy—looked at Tony with sheer awe in his eyes.

After all, this was all Tony's original work.

"What does it look like to you?"Ethan snapped his fingers, glancing between Tony and Peter.

"A shredded pork bun," Tony quipped.

"Kind of like… an atom?" Peter ventured, uncertain.

Ethan ignored Tony entirely and smiled approvingly at his promising protégé."Exactly. An atom. The nucleus should be here!" He pointed to a spherical building at the center of the model.

The structure he indicated was also the central landmark of the Expo—a globe-shaped building.

"Highlight the sphere. Remove the walkways. Eliminate everything else," Ethan ordered.

"What is your objective?" JARVIS asked in its usual tone.

"I want to discover—correction—rediscover a new element!" Ethan's eyes gleamed with intensity, entirely immersed in his task. Everything else had faded away. Only this model mattered now.

"Strip away the landscaping. Shrubs, trees, parking lots, entrances, exits—delete them. Use the pavilion's framework to form neutrons and protons."

Beep beep beep.JARVIS's system sprang into action. The virtual screen flickered as components disappeared and reassembled in a dazzling sequence, like the birth of a new digital lifeform.

Tony and Pepper were both stunned into silence. Tony was so absorbed he forgot he still had his hand resting beneath the hem of Pepper's skirt.

Ding!

The last panels of light locked into place, converging into a small blue sphere with protruding nodules.

Ethan exhaled deeply. He had done it.

With a grand sweep of his hand, the small blue sphere burst open, scattering brilliant specks of blue light across the lab.

In that moment, Tony and the others seemed to be standing inside an atom itself—threads of light intertwined in an endless dance, a tiny cosmos made of particles, neutrons, and quarks.

"Beautiful…"

Pepper leaned into Tony's arms, reaching out to touch the soft blue glow.

"It really is beautiful," Tony agreed, though his gaze remained on her. In that luminous space, her eyes sparkled like stars.

Meanwhile, poor Peter stood alone in the corner, quietly sulking. Drawing invisible circles with his toe, he cursed Tony silently. That shameless PDA had hit him right in the gut. After all, the only thing he'd ever held of Mary Jane's was her hand.

"What is this?" Tony asked, raising his eyes toward the starlit projection.

Ethan's voice trembled with excitement."This is the new energy source. A completely new element. It's your father's greatest legacy!"

Beep beep ..."This newly discovered element is a viable replacement for palladium," JARVIS added.

"Thanks, Dad… you old ghost," Tony muttered to himself.

Seeing Ethan and Peter still lost in their sea of science, Tony quietly took Pepper's hand and led her out of the lab.

Thunk.

Tony leaned one hand against the office wall, gazing deeply into her eyes. They were now just 0.00001 centimeters apart.

His breath fell heavy and hot on her face, making her eyelids flutter.

Pepper suddenly had a sinking feeling if she didn't put a stop to this, she'd be walking straight into the lion's den… and the lion looked very hungry.

She pressed a hand against Tony's chest, but he seized the opportunity to wrap his fingers around hers, savoring the warmth and softness of her palm.

As Tony's face filled her vision, she could feel her heartbeat race and her breath quicken.

Whimper… whimper…

In the next second, the two of them collapsed onto the wide leather sofa in the office.

"Let me go!"Pepper lay on her back, face flushed, her wide blue eyes locked on him.

"No chance. Not happening," Tony growled, kneeling over her legs, pinning both of her wrists beside her head.

His eyes were fixed on her now-exposed neck—graceful, delicate, irresistible.

Under his scorching gaze, her skin broke out in goosebumps, too sensitive to handle the sensation.

"Are you seriously not getting off me?" she asked, teeth clenched.

"A real man keeps his promises," Tony shot back, flashing a wicked grin.

"It's the middle of the day! What if someone sees?" she whispered, voice trembling.

Tony didn't even flinch."Anyone who walks in gets fired. Or silenced permanently."

"No way…" Pepper rolled her eyes playfully. He was too much but then again, he was the boss.

A true American capitalist. Every employee under him basically belonged to him. Their futures were in the palm of his hand.

Tony gazed at her. She was radiant, elegant, and beautiful in a way no one else could match.

She wasn't curvy, but her skin was flawless—smooth and firm.

Her features were sharp, her proportions just right, and she lacked the roughness some Western women had.

And those long legs, wrapped in pale stockings—just looking at them sparked trouble in his mind, awakening certain... appetites.

"Tony, is there something in your pocket? It's poking me…"

Pepper blinked, puzzled. But she didn't think too much of it.

Could it be… a lighter? A pack of sausages he picked up on the way? Maybe one of those cheap glow sticks you get from a scanned QR code?

She looked left, looked right—up, down. She was determined to figure it out.

What is it about me that drives you so wild? she wondered, straightening up like a soldier at attention.What are you staring at? This is me holding formation!

Not good enough? Just wait, I'll show you how disciplined I can be.

Come on, Tony. Stand tall with me. Head high. Back straight. Legs together. Middle fingers aligned with your seams!

(End of Chapter)

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