Chapter 38

I insist on saying how much Tony believes in Abel, or how good the relationship with Abel is; both Abel and Tony think this is nonsense.

It can't be said that Tony is ungrateful to Abel or has no affection for him, but it's really nonsense to claim they have reached the level of good friends. For Tony, Abel represents the possibility and hope of survival. Abel, too, has further needs for Tony, so their interactions are amicable. They might become good friends with further contact in the future, but at least at this stage, their relationship hasn't reached that level.

For Tony, the arc reactor is like a second heart, albeit an external one. His character makes it difficult for anyone to truly see or touch him, except for Pepper. Even when Vanya mentioned that there was a way to help Tony alleviate his current condition and pain, Tony would not reveal the arc reactor on his chest to Abel.

The wand separated from Tony's body, and the white light it emitted quickly dissipated, becoming invisible.

At that moment, Tony felt as relaxed and comfortable as if he had taken a hot bath. Looking down at the gray palladium wires near his chest, the weight in his heart lifted somewhat.

"Huh… This is the most comfortable spa I've ever experienced in my life. Can I have this treatment twice?"

"This isn't a massage or a spa. My magic just now is a one-time use; it will help you little if used again. As I mentioned, it can only make you feel better at best and delay things a little, nothing more."

"It doesn't matter; I have more time now. I can wait for you to prepare the potion. Of course, I'm willing to cover all costs for this."

"I haven't thought about the costs yet, so let's wait and see. But I have another question I want to ask you."

Instead of bringing up his desire for Tony to invest in his research institute to study potion restoration, Abel decided to pose a different question.

"Another question? What is it?"

"I'm wondering if I can provide detailed data, can I use your artificial intelligence to conduct calculations? This could replace the need for multiple manual trials, allowing us to draw conclusions faster and accurately find alternative materials for the potions."

Hearing this, Tony's expression grew serious. He considered Abel's words and slowly nodded. "That method is feasible, but you must provide very detailed data. Otherwise, I can't guarantee the potion won't have fundamental issues."

"Okay, once I get the final laboratory data, I'll ask you to assist with the calculations and deductions. Maybe I can find the most suitable potion for you sooner."

"Thank you very much, then."

"There's no need to thank me. I want to receive benefits too. I adhere to the principle of equivalent exchange: I help you this time, and next time, you must help me with reasonable requests."

The most valuable things in the world come with no strings attached. Tony felt relieved when Abel said he also had a request.

"Of course! As long as it's reasonable, I will go all out to help you."

"Okay, let's not prolong this. I've covered everything that needs discussing, and I won't delay you further. You'll go to that meeting tomorrow, but before you leave, I need a tube of your blood. I need it to determine if the potion will be effective."

"Sure, just wait for me to find a syringe…"

Before Tony finished speaking, Abel took out a syringe, collected a tube of Tony's blood, and stored it away. While Tony was tidying his clothes, Abel released the magic so that Happy could see and hear them again.

As Tony straightened up, he asked Happy to stop the car.

After saying goodbye to Tony and Happy, Abel exited the vehicle and headed to a nearby alley, where he opened a portal to return home. He placed the blood tube in a prepared freezer.

Federal Prison.

Two people sat in a small room. One was accompanied by a tough-looking middle-aged bodyguard.

At that moment, another middle-aged bald man in a prison uniform sat across from a thin, bespectacled man, disdain written all over his face.

The bespectacled man didn't seem offended; he merely smiled as he addressed the other.

"Obadiah, can I now consider myself your savior? You should adopt a better attitude."

Indeed, the man in the prison uniform was none other than Obadiah Stane, a.k.a. Iron Monger.

"Justin, you and Hammer Industries used to be incompetent arms dealers, merely feeding off the scraps we left behind. You've gone through a lot to move me from that mysterious prison to here. What do you want? Speak now or leave."

"Obadiah, I know your son Zeke took some of the items you obtained from Stark. Coincidentally, my other partner has something in his possession as well. It's only a matter of time before we defeat Stark. Then you can kill him for revenge, and I can annex Stark to become the world's number one arms dealer. What do you think?"

"Who is this other partner? What does he have that qualifies him to work with me?"

Justin leaned back in his chair, a victorious smile on his face. "Obadiah, you used to work with Old Stark, so do you know a man by the name of Vanko?"

Obadiah's eyes widened slightly. He scrutinized Justin, and after a long pause, he suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha, you've got someone who can build an arc reactor? With this person, we can really take revenge! I will crush Tony's head myself!"

"So, do you agree?"

Obadiah's laughter died down as he studied Justin, slowly nodding with a ferocious look on his face. "I promise. You can arrange for someone; I want to get out of here!"