Chapter 112: Tony Takes Action (Ninth Watch, Additional Chapter for the Book City Leader Recruiting Troops)

Faced with Fury’s astonished, uncertain gaze, Luke was not surprised in the least. He had expected exactly this reaction.

Thermonuclear fusion technology was being studied by scientists all over the world, yet no one had succeeded in developing it. Even by the most conservative estimate, this technology was at least a hundred years ahead of Earth’s science.

Fury certainly understood what that meant. That was precisely why Luke had chosen him—so he could name his price. Dealing with someone who did not recognize the value of what he had would have been far more troublesome.

Luke then selected only the information he was willing to reveal and explained the maturity of his technology, along with why he needed the materials. He claimed that he was preparing to conduct a fusion ignition test: the theory was already complete, and the only thing missing was the necessary material.

Fury remained stunned for a long while.

Was this what a super-genius was capable of?

Fury’s emotions were tangled. He had personally dealt with Einstein and Howard Stark. For years, he had believed Tony would be the next one. But now, it seemed the next genius was standing right in front of him.

If this was true—if a seven-year-old had developed mature thermonuclear fusion technology—then this little boy was destined to rank among the greatest figures in human history. It was impossible to imagine how far his future achievements might reach…

“I need a comprehensive assessment by a team of experts. It may take some time,” Fury said carefully after a moment of thought.

“Fine, but don’t take too long. I’m very busy.” Luke slurped from his milk carton, sounding utterly unconcerned.

“I’ll be taking this.” Fury raised the rough design Luke had drawn.

“Don’t even think about it. Here, take this instead. It’s a photocopy. Give me back the one I drew myself. It might be worth a fortune someday, so I need to keep it.”

Luke shot Fury a glance filled with the smug little look of someone who had seen through everything, openly scornful of Fury’s shameless attempt to take advantage of a child.

Fury was speechless with frustration. He decided it would be best to leave as quickly as possible.

The little brat’s talent for infuriating people seemed directly proportional to his genius. Fury had experienced it firsthand every time they met.

“I’ll contact you.” Abandoning Luke’s original sketch, Fury dropped those words and hurried into the Chevrolet waiting by the roadside before driving away.

Luke shrugged and leisurely surveyed the scenery around him. He finished his milk, and the carton sailed in a graceful arc into a roadside trash can. Shuffling along in his SpongeBob slippers, he crossed the street and headed home.

What beautiful weather.

…

Before the day was over, Fury called again.

He said that he had contacted the nearest nuclear research institute and, using S.H.I.E.L.D.’s authority, had secured a batch of nuclear materials for Luke.

Fury certainly got things done.

S.H.I.E.L.D.’s efficiency was remarkable. The nuclear materials had already been loaded onto a truck and were waiting for transport. They would be sent over as soon as the warehouse was rebuilt.

For that reason, Fury once again suggested that Luke move his research elsewhere. Although the warehouse was in the suburbs, it was still within New York. Fury was genuinely afraid that Luke might somehow turn New York into the site of a nuclear explosion while conducting his experiments.

Luke repeatedly emphasized that his fusion technology was mature and safe. He also pointed out that he still had to attend school, so working too far from home would be inconvenient. Fury could only give up.

Even so, Fury’s conditions were quite demanding. As the party providing the funding, he had every right to make requests.

Fury agreed to cover all expenses and research costs during the experiment. In return, Luke had to accept the full participation of a nuclear expert team assigned by S.H.I.E.L.D.

Luke agreed without much concern. The core of his project was an artificial sun, while the fusion reactor was merely a small component of it. He was certain that there had to be at least one Hydra agent among those nuclear experts.

Besides, with the incompetent scientists at S.H.I.E.L.D., even if mature fusion technology were placed directly in front of them, it would still take them more than a decade to understand it. After all, not everyone was named Stark.

In addition to several nuclear materials that were virtually impossible to purchase on the open market, Fury also helped secure the various rare elements listed by Luke.

The rare elements Luke requested were numerous and complicated. Some storage facilities were not even on the East Coast, so the materials had to be flown in from other states. That would take some time.

Luke said he could accept that. He was not an unreasonable person.

However, what happened next left him far from pleased—and made him want to cause a little trouble.

Several days later, Luke received word from S.H.I.E.L.D. that the warehouse had been completely rebuilt. The nuclear materials and a large quantity of specialized equipment had arrived, and they were waiting for Luke to inspect them.

However, several of the rare elements Luke had requested had yet to arrive. A minor problem had occurred during transport, and S.H.I.E.L.D. was currently negotiating with the other party.

Every one of the missing elements was essential. Without them, the fusion experiment could not begin. Three of the most important rare precious metals were completely irreplaceable: iridium, rhodium, and palladium.

After looking into the matter in detail, Luke learned that the materials had originally been in stock. Several national laboratories on the other side had already agreed to airlift them over. But then an unexpected buyer had appeared, and all the rare elements had been intercepted.

The heads of several laboratories had been bribed, and the materials had been purchased at several times the market price.

As for the buyer on the other side, Luke received a single name:

Stark Industries.

During the warehouse’s reconstruction, Skye also called, astonished, to ask what had happened. All her laptops were still inside the warehouse. When she went to check, she discovered that the entire building had collapsed and become a construction site.

Luke explained the situation and told her that someone would compensate her for the equipment—and that the replacements would be the finest available.

Skye did not dare object. In her mind, this could only be retaliation by one of Luke’s enemies. It was far too dangerous. Fortunately, she had not been there at the time. The woman proceeded to invent an entire sequence of events worthy of a war movie.

And she was right. It was retaliation.

The moment Luke learned that the buyer was Stark Industries, he immediately understood what had happened.

Tony was retaliating against him.

Tony already knew that Luke was the Apostle, and he had clearly been keeping an eye on him. Learning about Luke’s fusion project through S.H.I.E.L.D. would have been effortless. So, relying on his enormous wealth, Tony had intercepted the materials halfway through the process and fired the first shot in his counterattack against Luke’s outrageous behavior.

“Damn it. That filthy rich bastard,” Luke muttered helplessly.

Money really did let people do whatever they wanted. Apparently, in order to bribe the heads of those laboratories, the rich bastard had offered ten times the market price just to buy up those critical elements. He was in the energy business too, after all. He knew exactly what mattered most.

Precise, swift, and ruthless.

Even Luke had to admit that Tony had struck him exactly where it hurt.

Without iridium, rhodium, and palladium, his fusion reactor could not be ignited, and Apocalypse would remain nothing more than an empty promise.

That was why Luke was now eager to cause some trouble.

“Master, guess what I’ve discovered?” Christina suddenly giggled.

“Have you found something on Tony’s side?” Luke asked, his eyes lighting up.

“Yes. Tonight, Tony Stark will be attending a charity gala with Pepper.”

“A charity gala?”

An idea flashed through Luke’s mind, and a plan immediately took shape.

He rubbed his fists together and let out an ominous chuckle.

“Heh heh. Tony, this is what you get!”