Tony's Request

In the scorching desert, two men in high-tech Battle Armor stood not far from each other. One in military green armor stood upright, while the other in red armor bent over, retching uncontrollably.

After emptying his stomach, Tony finally straightened up, his gaze shifting to Russell. Just then, Russell's voice reached him.

"Carry on!"

Tony saw a bottle of mineral water flying towards him. Just as he was about to reach out to catch it, he remembered something and stopped his hand.

The mineral water traced a parabolic path in the air before landing on the yellow sand in front of Tony.

He looked at the bottle of mineral water and then at Russell a few meters away. After a moment of contemplation, he decided to pick up the mineral water from the ground, unscrewed the cap, and took a quick sip to rinse his mouth.

Once the nausea subsided, he took a few more sips of water.

"Thanks!"

With the cap twisted shut, Tony spoke to Russell.

"No need to thank me!"

Upon hearing Russell's response, Tony finally realized something.

"Where did you get the mineral water?"

"Can you guess?"

Of course, Russell wouldn't tell Tony about his miraculous system space. His response was clearly not what Tony wanted to hear.

However, Tony didn't press further and instead observed Russell's Zaku battle suit, his gaze returning to its details.

After observing for dozens of seconds, Tony spoke again, "Your battle suit was modified into this form recently, right?"

Impressive! He had actually figured it out.

"Why do you ask?"

Russell raised an eyebrow, responding with a question.

"Come on, it's pretty obvious!"

Tony rolled his eyes at Russell, then continued, "From its appearance, your Zaku battle suit seems to be in good shape now, and its performance is excellent."

"If I'm not mistaken, there are many external weapon interfaces reserved on the back of the battle suit. It looks like you're planning to transform the Zaku battle suit into a firepower output platform."

Russell remained silent, nodding his head, encouraging Tony to continue.

"For most people, developing a battle suit to this extent would already be impressive."

"However, your Zaku battle suit has many distinct design features."

"The palm-mounted Repulsor Beam, the leg-mounted flight engines, the auxiliary engines on the back, the wing flaps on the body, and more – these are clearly indicative of a different development approach. They're two different styles compared to your current Zaku battle suit."

"Oh, and the thing on the chest of the battle suit – that can't just be the power core; it seems to be a primary weapon of sorts."

"Based on the style, it doesn't seem like a Repulsor Beam. Is it a particle beam cannon?"

"If the chest-mounted device is indeed a particle beam cannon, it can not only serve as a more powerful primary weapon but also complement the palm-mounted Repulsor Beam for various tactical combinations."

Brilliant! No wonder he's considered the top weapons inventor of this era! Just by observing the suit's appearance, he can make such accurate assessments. Impressive!

Russell almost couldn't help but applaud Tony.

However, he managed to suppress the urge.

"An insightful analysis. Anything else?"

Russell continued to inquire.

"Do you want more insights? If you're willing to let me study battle the bsuit for a few days, I could make even more accurate judgments. But for now, what I've provided should be enough!"

Tony reverted to his usual proud self.

"Although I don't know who designed your battle suit, I have to admit that the person who developed this suit is a true genius!"

"If I had the chance to meet him, to exchange ideas, it would be a fortunate event for both me and him!"

Tony put aside his arrogance and spoke earnestly.

"We'll see if the opportunity arises!"

Russell understood Tony's current mindset.

For someone like Tony, encountering an equally skilled opponent was truly a rare occurrence.

Just as Russell was about to activate the flight system and depart the scorching desert, Tony's voice sounded again.

"Could I see the original appearance of the battle suit? Even a blueprint or just the external design would do!"

Upon hearing Tony's words, Russell stopped the activation of the flight system and looked at Tony with a complex expression.

After some serious contemplation, he slowly replied, "Sure."

An expression of contentment immediately appeared on Tony's face.

For some reason, upon seeing Tony's expression, Russell suddenly felt a strange sensation.

This guy really seems a bit like a child in some ways!

Letting out a sigh, he said again, "As a reward for your effort in personally delivering the compensation to the office last time, I'll give you a small gift."

Tony was momentarily puzzled, not quite grasping what Russell meant.

However, he quickly understood what Russell's "small gift" referred to.

After Russell's explanation, he directly operated the Zaku form, initiating its transformation back to its original Endosymbiotic Battle Armor form.

The bulky and rough Zaku form vanished swiftly.

In its place emerged an Endosymbiotic Battle Armor form with a similarity to the Mark 3 that reached over 95%.

Astounding!

Tony's face was filled with disbelief as he watched this scene unfold before him.

Under his gaze, the olive-green Zaku Battle Armor rapidly disappeared, replaced by the Endosymbiotic Battle Armor form that bore a remarkable resemblance to the Mark 3.

"This…"

Seeing the radiant silver Endosymbiotic Battle Armor before him, Tony was momentarily taken aback, unsure of what to say.

"Surprised, aren't you?"

Russell said with a smile.

"Surprised? This is more like shock!"

"Let's set a condition. What do I have to pay to meet the developer of this suit?"

Tony spoke with resolute determination.

"Let fate decide. When the time is right, you'll naturally get to meet the developer!"

Russell shrugged, saying nonchalantly.

"Fate? Leaving aside the matter of meeting for now, can you at least tell me the name of the suit's developer?"

Tony's exceptionally intelligent mind was now fully consumed by his emotions.

"Um..."

Russell didn't immediately answer Tony.

He certainly couldn't tell Tony that he himself had designed the Battle Armor. If he did, Tony would probably think he was crazy.

After some serious and careful thought, he finally said, "Howard. His name is Howard!"

Howard?

Tony's expression became incredibly strange.

His father was named Howard.

"You're not joking with me, are you?" Tony asked, extremely serious.

"Of course not!"

Russell was now showcasing his exceptional acting skills, replying with a serious expression.

"Howard. Alright, I'll remember that!"

"Please let Howard know that I admire his design. If he's willing to meet, I'm available anytime!"

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