Chapter 44: Reaching a Consensus, Astonishing Hand Speed
After shaking hands.
Jiang Feng and Ivan could be considered officially acquainted.
Unexpectedly, a faint smile hung on Jiang Feng's handsome face.
He didn't show the same cold hostility as he did when he expelled Whiplash and the others.
On the contrary—
Jiang Feng let go with a half-hearted smile: "Welcome to my lab."
There was a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes toward Ivan.
He opened the doors of the research lab to this talented man who had once attacked Iron Man.
"What the hell did this guy grow up eating? Super Soldier Serum?"
Ivan cried out silently in his heart and quickly pulled his right hand back.
His callused palm had already swollen red.
Ivan originally carried a roguish, cocky air.
But after feeling Jiang Feng's astonishing strength firsthand, his pupils slightly contracted, and a chill ran through him.
In Ivan's eyes—
Jiang Feng radiated an invisible yet overwhelming presence, like a towering mountain, sending chills down his spine.
That power—
Was definitely not something an ordinary human could possess.
For a moment—
Ivan's eyes grew serious, and his attitude became noticeably more respectful.
"Interesting... this young man from the East is far more unfathomable than he appears..."
Ivan thought to himself.
"Wonderful. I hope the two of you will work well together. We're going to take down Stark Industries."
Watching Jiang Feng and Ivan shake hands, Hammer couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
The situation he most feared didn't happen.
Originally, Hammer had worried that with Jiang Feng's prideful personality, the two would clash like fire and oil.
But now, it seemed—
These two rare talents in science and engineering had hit it off immediately.
Not only did Jiang Feng not reject Ivan, he even seemed genuinely interested in the unruly man.
To Hammer, this was an unexpected delight.
"Since they're willing to collaborate, even better. Hopefully, they'll spark something new and surprise me."
Hammer was secretly pleased, and his smile grew even wider.
Next—
He gave the two a few instructions, speaking with a tone of anticipation before turning and leaving the lab.
The moment he stepped out the door—
Hammer let out a long sigh of relief, his expression now relaxed and self-satisfied.
These past few days in Morocco had been exhausting—rushing around and overwhelmed with work, he was physically and mentally drained.
But now—
Seeing the complete Iron Man suit provided by Jiang Feng lifted a huge weight off his shoulders. He could finally rest easy.
With this trump card, Hammer was confident of success.
"After working so hard, it's time to reward myself."
A victor's smile played at the corner of Hammer's mouth.
He went straight to the most luxurious private club in New York—an extravagant haven that billionaires flocked to.
A place where he could finally unwind and indulge in a fleeting moment of decadence.
As Hammer left through the door—
The spacious lab was left with only Jiang Feng and Ivan, standing face to face, their eyes meeting in midair.
"Ivan Vanko, son of Anton Vanko. I assume you joined Hammer Industries out of hatred for the Stark family?"
After a brief silence—
A flicker of light flashed in Jiang Feng's eyes as he spoke first.
"You actually know my true identity?"
Ivan's brows furrowed instantly, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes.
"I know quite a few of this world's secrets."
Jiang Feng slightly raised the corners of his mouth, showing a mysterious smile and nodded gently.
Ivan didn't realize the shocking secret behind that sentence—
He merely thought Jiang Feng was a well-informed individual.
"That's right. You joined Hammer Industries with your own agenda, right? Surely not just for some insignificant salary."
Jiang Feng's eyes sharpened as he countered with a question.
"Justin Hammer is just a rich fool. I just happen to need a rich fool."
Upon hearing this—
Jiang Feng nodded in open agreement, not hiding anything.
His casual tone sounded more like he was discussing breakfast, not a multibillion-dollar arms corporation.
"That's right. Hammer really is a rich fool—but that's actually a great thing for us."
A flash of agreement passed through Ivan's eyes as he slowly nodded. On this point, the two had reached a consensus.
The real reason Ivan had chosen to work with Hammer—
Was simply to take advantage of the company's vast resources to build a weapon powerful enough to rival Iron Man.
To take revenge against the Stark family, who had stolen his father's honor.
Ivan had never expected to defeat Iron Man during the Morocco attack.
That was merely a well-orchestrated performance—
To present himself as a valuable commodity in front of ambitious figures, to show the world his worth.
In Ivan's view—
Jiang Feng must have had the same intention: to use Hammer Industries' resources for his own benefit.
Otherwise—
He couldn't understand what appeal the company had to attract someone capable of building an Iron Man suit.
He clearly didn't realize—
He himself was the one who had attracted Jiang Feng.
Obtaining Hammer Industries' rich resources—
Was just the surface of Jiang Feng's plan.
Jiang Feng's true goal was to acquire the Arc Reactor technology through Ivan.
But how could Ivan have known—
That this calm and composed Eastern scientist standing before him was actually a Reincarnator from another dimension.
To the native beings of this trial world—
He was no less than a mysterious demon from beyond.
Nor could Ivan have imagined—
That Jiang Feng knew the future storyline like the back of his hand.
His early moves within Hammer Industries—
Were all in anticipation of Ivan's arrival as a key chess piece.
In the time that followed, Jiang Feng and Ivan each took a side of the lab and immersed themselves in their own mechanical worlds—
Hardly exchanging a word.
After all, they didn't know each other well. Jiang Feng, on his part, made no attempt to hide his jaw-dropping talent.
His hands moved like flowing water—
So fast they seemed like an illusion, dancing between all kinds of precision instruments.
He disassembled the Iron Man suit into modules: helmet, torso, arms, legs.
Then rebuilt each one at an incredible speed.
His skilled movements—
Made the cutting-edge tech seem like simple building blocks in his hands, dismantled and reassembled at will.
It was as if the metals he handled came to life—
His astonishing manufacturing talent was on full display.
In just moments—
On the workbench lay piece after piece of flawless armor, neatly arranged like works of art.
Each one exuding a sleek technological beauty and lethal aura.
Jiang Feng's crafting speed had clearly advanced once again.
If he had enough materials—
He could probably forge two full Iron Man suits in a single day.
That kind of efficiency—
Was simply unimaginable, enough to make any engineer blush in shame.
Previously, Jiang Feng had built an upgraded Iron Man suit—
Enough to shock everyone and kill several key villains in the Marvel Universe.
And now—
A grander ambition burned in Jiang Feng's heart.
He wanted to forge a limit-breaking Iron Man suit—
Elevating the armor to blue-tier quality and skyrocketing his combat power even further.
Just as Ivan was settling into the lab—
Casually observing the new workspace—
The next moment—
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Jiang Feng in action, and in an instant, it felt like a bolt of lightning struck his soul.