Chapter: 67

"Your current Health condition is very bad. Using the Arc Reactor in your chest to power the Iron Man armor has put a great burden on it. The palladium metal has penetrated into your bloodstream and circulates and accumulates throughout your entire circulatory system. If this continues, you will have to meet your maker."

Upon hearing Mark's words, Tony widened his eyes in surprise. "No way, you're just exaggerating. Since the invention of the Iron Man armor, I have only used it in actual combat a few times. How could it burden the reactor?"

In fact, after carefully recalling his recent physical condition, Tony also had some suspicions that he might indeed be suffering from palladium poisoning, just like Mark said. Lately, he had been experiencing loss of appetite, muscle pain, and severe hair loss. However, his condition had improved somewhat last night, and he had a rare good sleep. So, with a sense of luck, he was still hesitant to believe this fact before seeing the test report.

"It's not an exaggeration. I mentioned the function of the nutrient hibernation chamber to you yesterday. It provides nourishment and energy for the brain's overclocking and protects the body in the real world. Its principle is based on the special reactions that occur during the ionization process of the nutrient solution. These reactions not only rapidly replenish the body with essential nutrients and energy but also enhance cell metabolism and repair capabilities, helping the body recover to a healthy state."

"Last night, even without completing a full repair cycle, a significant amount of palladium metal ions was still detected in the waste liquid of the nutrient solution. If you still don't believe it, I can have Baymax perform a body scan for you. There should still be some residual palladium in your body," Mark persuasively said.

"No need..." Tony waved his hand, refusing. "I believe you. Originally, I felt fine after the fight with Hover-cannon last night. I thought it was just my imagination. But when you mentioned that the hibernation chamber can repair cells, I knew it wasn't just my imagination. Feeling good last night was only because of the treatment in the hibernation chamber."

"If the media found out that Iron Man is in life-threatening danger because of his own invention, it would definitely make the front page headlines tomorrow," Tony, trying to appear optimistic, joked about himself, but Mark easily detected the bitterness in his words.

He walked up to Tony and patted his back. "It's okay. Worst case scenario, you can use the nutrient hibernation chamber to repair your body every few days. With its comprehensive repair capabilities, you don't have to worry about palladium poisoning endangering your life. I'll send one to the mansion in a few days, free of charge."

"As long as you start being cautious now, reduce the usage of the Iron Man armor until we find a permanent solution. If you must use it, make sure to undergo a body repair session in the hibernation chamber afterward, and there won't be a problem."

"A permanent solution? Right now, I have to rely on the electromagnet to keep the shrapnel in my chest in place to ensure my life's safety. If we want a permanent solution, the only way is to undergo surgery to remove the shrapnel completely."

"But the risk of surgery is too high! Once I lie on the operating table, I'm putting my life in someone else's hands. Moreover, the failure rate of this surgery is extremely high. Instead of gambling on the slim chance of success, I'd rather rely on an electromagnet to stay alive. After all, you're still underage, and I'm the only guardian you have. Plus, now I have one more person to worry about, Pepper..."

Mark knew that Tony was scared. The success rate of this surgery was not low, at least over 70%. If performed by an experienced surgeon, the success rate could increase by at least another 10 percentage points.

But Tony was right. Deep down, he couldn't afford to take the risk. This was a gamble with no rewards for winning and the potential to lose everything.

"In that case, let's continue filling the hole in your chest with a different safe element."

"You initiate a project when you return and have JARVIS use Stark Industries' supercomputer to analyze all known elements. With your expertise in atomic physics, you can start with the upgrade of the Arc Reactor. I will explore other technological approaches to see if we can find a safe solution to remove the shrapnel from your chest."

"You can inform Pepper about this matter, so she doesn't worry. Even if we don't find a suitable solution in the end, we can always use my invented high-density graphene-lithium battery as a substitute. It would just require recharging every few weeks."

"Haha, no problem! With you helping me, I can rest assured. After all, you're the best at creating miracles." Tony finally smiled again, showing that he had overcome this challenge mentally.

"This is the first time I've heard you praise me in person. Are you trying to speak well of me as you are about to die?" Mark teased, seeing Tony adjust his mindset.

"You brat, rest assured, your name won't be in my will!" Tony counterattacked.

"It's alright, it's small money for me. Hahaha!" Mark proudly laughed. According to the company's revenue, it wouldn't be long before his wealth surpassed Tony's, even reaching the top of the world's richest people.

"Alright, enough joking. Besides informing you about this matter, the main reason I called you here today is that you only briefly experienced the functionality of the virtual lab last night. You haven't completed the repair program in the hibernation chamber. So it's best for you to undergo a thorough body repair before you go back. Although we can't dissolve and remove the shrapnel in your chest, we can repair the old injuries you sustained in Afghanistan and eliminate any remaining palladium elements."

Tony nodded. "Let's do it. Let's begin."

Tony entered the nutrient hibernation chamber directly to start his body repair.

Outside the chamber, Mark commanded Baymax, "Baymax, temporarily pause the production of the micro magnetic robots in my private production room. Focus on producing nutrient hibernation chambers and nutrient solution. I need a finished chamber to appear in Stark Mansion by tomorrow."

"Understood, sir!"

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