Chapter 114: Five Months
"She'll be responsible for your daily needs and various tasks."
"If you wish for something more, it will depend on whether you can persuade the secretary."
"Dinner will be delivered a bit later. I hope you settle in comfortably here."
"If you need anything, just let me know."
Sonia smiled slightly as she reviewed the list that Tony had checked off, thanked him politely, and then left.
Tony quickly understood Harvey's intent—to avoid causing any friction with Pepper.
Realizing this, Tony knew it was unlikely he would be able to pursue any romantic interests for now.
But that was fine; it removed the distraction and allowed him to focus on understanding the universe and developing new technologies.
So Tony began searching through the villa for the necessary equipment to set up JARVIS.
Fortunately, the more advanced the civilian technology, the easier it was to use.
It didn't take long before Tony had everything up and running.
"Sir, what's this place?"
JARVIS connected to the villa's systems and activated.
"This is Xandar. We'll be here for the next year."
"Quickly connect to the network and dive into the database."
"Investigate Xandar's history, and gather all information related to space fighters."
"Then design a laboratory for me."
Tony gave his instructions casually, and JARVIS went to work.
"Understood, sir."
JARVIS efficiently carried out the commands, saving Tony a lot of time on research and allowing him to work more effectively.
Tony himself wasn't idle; he started surfing the cosmic network, catching up on Xandar's news and other cosmic affairs.
※※※※※※
Sonia returned to Harvey's villa.
"Mr. Kassadin, arrangements for Mr. Stark have been completed."
Sonia approached Harvey and reported.
"He didn't express any dissatisfaction?"
Harvey was surprised by how quickly Sonia had returned.
"Mr. Stark initially wanted to find a secretary privately, but I persuaded him based on your instructions."
"Is that effective?"
"Wasn't Mr. Stark a major tycoon back on his home planet?"
Sonia smiled, having heard some intelligence about Stark's reputation as a wealthy figure on his original planet.
"Just manage him as best as you can. Once he starts making money with his inventions, if he still wants to stray, there's not much we can do."
Harvey understood Tony's nature. Back on Earth, Tony was afraid of revealing his identity and being seen as an outcast, especially with Pepper around.
But now, despite being able to communicate with Pepper, they were tens of thousands of light-years apart.
Once Tony starts making money and has some free time, it was certain he'd look for other pleasures.
Harvey had given his warnings; if things went awry with Pepper, it would no longer be his concern.
"You're free to attend to your matters now."
With that, Harvey turned to Sonia and said.
"Understood."
Sonia nodded and went off to find something to eat and then to exercise.
Harvey, meanwhile, looked out over Xandar, contemplating the future.
On Earth, he had achieved financial freedom, making money effortlessly every day. He aimed to reach at least that level in the cosmos.
As the saying goes, money is always too little when needed, so he brought Tony in.
Now it was just a matter of waiting for Tony to start his research and make money.
With his growing strength, Harvey was even looking forward to meeting Thanos.
※※※※※※
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Tony's laboratory was fully set up and research had begun.
Harvey enjoyed the meticulous care from Sonia and patiently reviewed those who came to the Void Church seeking power.
After Reno, Kael, and the Seer spent a month on the island and returned to their lives, word about the Void Church's blessings spread far and wide, leading to an increasing number of visitors.
Thus, Harvey extended the waiting period to ten days, with testing periods becoming even longer.
Time passed, and within just five months, with ample resources from Harvey and Tony's relentless research, Tony developed his gravity device.
It was more refined than those sold on the Xandar market, focusing on space fighters and warships, and was much more affordable.
Not only did Tony make breakthroughs in gravity technology, but his exposure to cosmic knowledge led to a surge of inspiration, enhancing the propulsion systems of his Iron Man suit significantly.
Tony was also delving into nanotechnology, aiming to develop a nano-suit, though it was proving to be more challenging.
Despite the difficulty, Tony wasn't disheartened. At his current pace, he was confident he would reach the pinnacle of his abilities before 2017 arrived. Then he'd see just how strong his unknown enemy was.
※※※※※※
"Mr. Stark, in these five months, a total of 865.34 million in research funds was utilized."
"However, Mr. Stark has overcome the challenges in gravity technology."
"If Mr. Stark can develop more advanced propulsion systems and cosmic wormhole jump technology, he will have the three major systems needed to build space warships."
Sonia reported the news to Mr. Kassadin, her voice filled with astonishment.
"Mr. Kassadin, did you anticipate this outcome?"
Sonia was puzzled by Mr. Kassadin's lack of surprise at Tony's achievements.
Over the past five months, Sonia had kept track of Tony's progress through his secretary. She knew that Tony had barely started with gravity technology and had now mastered and improved it.
His more efficient gravity devices, produced at a lower cost, could bring in immeasurable wealth. Although the current models were limited in scope and not suitable for high-end warships, they were more than adequate for small space warships and fighters, promising substantial profits.
Recovering the 865 million in development costs was merely a matter of securing a few major contracts with large companies and the military.
"I told you, few can match Tony's talent in technology."
Harvey wasn't surprised by the results and smiled as he spoke.