Chapter 66: Link's Plan

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The hospital was planned to be divided into two sections. One half would be tailored for the wealthy, where payment guaranteed the best services, while the other half was meant for regular people, including the elderly from the nursing home.

This arrangement allowed the funds from the wealthy to subsidize some of the healthcare costs for the less fortunate. Coupled with health insurance, the hospital could still operate at a profit.

Link provided some insights on how to improve efficiency. The American healthcare system was notoriously slow and expensive, often leaving the poor to endure long waits for even basic treatments. For instance, waiting in line for an appendectomy was an absurd yet common reality.

Link's suggestion? Train a large number of novice doctors in basic surgical procedures, allowing the hospital to expand its capacity to treat the underprivileged.

After Pepper's visit and approval of the hospital's expansion plan, the overall project focused on creating more jobs, albeit without drastically increasing the number of construction workers. A stable development pace was essential, especially since all the work was happening on the fringes of Hell's Kitchen. Once the projects were completed, the rental and sale prices for the buildings would be secure.

Lastly, donations of equipment and funds to the local police precincts were proposed to help bolster law enforcement. Increased patrols in construction zones would also improve public safety.

There was even talk of revitalizing the red-light district. Link's idea was to separate the entertainment districts: a low-cost one near the docks, where workers could find entertainment, and a high-end district, lavishly built for the wealthy. Fisk's trusted aide, James Wesley, was in charge of this delicate task, his abilities indispensable to the success of the project.

It was easy to see why Pepper was pleased with Link's recommendations.

"No, Pepper, this time I'm not here to talk business," Link said, shifting the topic. "We need to talk about Stark. Things are getting serious—he might not have much time left."

"What?" Pepper's face drained of color. "What's going on?"

"You know about the thing in his chest. It's powered by palladium, a radioactive element. It's poisoning him," Link explained. "He needs surgery, and we need to convince him to go through with it. You're probably the only one who can persuade him."

Pepper was at a loss for words for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. "Where is he? I'm going back right now."

"He's on his way home. Meet him there," Link replied, ending the call as soon as Pepper hung up.

---

When Tony Stark arrived home, the first thing he noticed was Link waiting for him.

"Hey, Link. What are you doing here? You don't think I have a psychological problem, do you?"

"Oh, I definitely do," Link chuckled. "And it's a big one. But before we get into that, Fury wants to talk to you."

"I'll be sticking around for a few days, so we'll have time to chat," Link added.

"Fine," Stark said, sitting down as Nick Fury launched into a discussion about Tony's father, Howard Stark, revealing that he was one of the founding members of S.H.I.E.L.D. This revelation shocked Tony, especially when Fury handed over some of Howard's personal belongings. After a brief discussion, Fury and Coulson left the premises, leaving Link in charge.

"You're not going to lock me up, are you?" Stark joked.

"Of course not," Link smiled. "But you should probably check out your father's belongings. Oh, and Pepper is on her way. She knows about your condition."

"Oh no!" Tony groaned, burying his face in his hands. "You told her?"

"Yeah, and you need that surgery, Tony. Whether or not you discover a new element, at least the surgery will stop you from dying. Plus, you still need to marry Pepper and maybe have a kid—a little Stark, maybe even a daughter."

Tony was ready to argue, but Link's mention of a daughter stirred something inside him. "A daughter, huh?" Tony mused, before retreating to his lab with his father's belongings in hand.

Link followed, bringing a bottle of whiskey to share as Tony began watching an old reel of film left by his father.

Tony soon realized the hidden clues in his father's work. "Link, what do you think this is?"

"Based on what your father said, I'd guess it's a new element. It's probably hidden within that model," Link replied. "If you can recreate it, you might just save yourself."

"Exactly," Tony said, standing abruptly. "I need to head out."

"I think you should wait for Pepper. She should be here any minute, and you two need to talk," Link advised. "In the meantime, I'll go pick up that model for you."

"Or better yet, let Pepper call the shots. She's the CEO now, after all."

Tony groaned. "You're right."

At that moment, Pepper's voice echoed from upstairs. She hurried down to the lab, her heels clacking against the floor. "Tony…" she called, breathless with worry. Link greeted her with a nod and left to collect the model.

---

Arriving at Stark Industries, Link found the building much quieter since the weapons division had been shut down. Future renovations were in the works, but nothing had been done yet.

In Pepper's office, Link located the model Tony needed. He took out a small camera and meticulously photographed every detail of the model before dismantling it piece by piece and hauling it out.

As he drove back to Stark's mansion, Link's thoughts wandered. His plan was never to convince Tony of anything; Stark was far too arrogant to listen. Even with psychological techniques, persuading him would be a challenge. Link's real goal was to distract Stark and buy time, while Pepper stepped in to handle the situation.

Tony's pride was well known, and Link knew the genius billionaire wouldn't notice—or care—if anyone else found the same clues. Stark wouldn't pay attention to anyone's efforts but his own.

With the model secured, Link headed back to Stark's home, ready to see how things unfolded next.

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