At the same time
Malibu beach house, underground laboratory.
Tony Stark walked into the laboratory in high spirits, holding a cup of black coffee that was so concentrated that it could be used as poison.
He studied until the early hours of last night, until Pepper forced him to go to bed.
But he really wanted to say that he was not tired at all.
Please, do you understand the value of the enhanced version of Captain America?
"Good morning, my empty-nest brother."
A voice that he was all too familiar with suddenly rang out in the laboratory.
Tony was startled by the sudden sound and almost spilled the coffee in his hand.
He turned his head suddenly, only to find that the laboratory was empty.
"Fuck! Henry?!" He looked like he had seen a ghost.
"You bastard, where are you hiding?! Get out of here now! Are you playing some stupid prank again?!"
"Oh, come on." Henry's lazy voice came through the speaker of the laboratory.
"I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you. I'm currently sunbathing in a... well, a beautiful place.
And recharge my batteries."
"Charge?"
Tony was stunned for a moment, then he no longer cared about being angry. He walked to the console and immediately gave orders to Jarvis.
"Jarvis! Quick! Get me that bastard's location! I want to see what damn private beach he went to pick up girls!"
"Okay, sir."
The next second, a picture appeared on the holographic screen that left Tony speechless.
In the picture, Henry is wearing casual clothes, floating comfortably with his eyes closed in a dark cosmic background.
Behind him is a huge and beautiful blue planet.
That's right, outer space.
Tony's hand holding the coffee cup froze in mid-air.
Although it was not the first time he had seen it, every time he saw this scene, he felt it was a bit shocking to his worldview.
He was originally a materialist, but now there is a person who can take a shower in outer space by himself.
And that person is his younger brother!
Of course, the most important thing is, why can't I do this?!
"Jarvis."
After a long while, he finally exhaled and spoke, his voice dry.
"Why do you suddenly want to go to outer space? Look at him, he looks like a Hollywood special effect."
"Sir, this is a high-definition image transmitted back in real time via a military satellite," Jarvis answered meticulously.
"Mr. Henry is currently in low Earth orbit, approximately 380 kilometres above the surface."
"Fuck!" Tony finally couldn't help but curse.
He looked at his brother, who was basking in the sun on the screen, and felt that his worldview was being crushed again and again.
At this moment, Henry's voice, full of "care," sounded through the loudspeaker again.
"Oh, yes, there's one more thing."
"Jarvis, repeat exactly what I just said to this brother of yours who's still playing in the mud on Earth."
"Okay, sir."
The next second, Jarvis began his performance.
"Mr. Tony, Mr. Henry asked me to tell you something. He said that for the new toys he designed for you, he filled in vibranium as the material. He did some research and found out that the toys seem to be in an isolated country in Africa called... Wakanda. A mysterious place that looks backward, but in fact, may be richer than you."
Tony's brows furrowed tightly.
Vibranium? Wakanda?
Is this some unknown country?!
"Mr. Henry also said." Jarvis' voice continued.
"When you have some free time, show off your Iron Man charm and talk business with them to see if you can buy some. After all, you're a world-famous hero now. He thinks you should be very good at using your face."
The corners of Tony's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Damn Henry!
"If..." There seemed to be a hint of hesitation in Jarvis's voice, but he still repeated Henry's original words.
"If you can't handle it, or you're too busy partying to make it, just wait until he gets back from the sun and go yourself. He also reminds you not to mess it up, because he doesn't want to save the world in a suit of Armor made of frying pans."
The laboratory fell into dead silence.
Tony listened quietly, with no expression on his face.
But he rolled his eyes several times, revealing his inner speechlessness at the moment.
"That damn bastard!!!"
Tony was speechless and didn't know how to comment.
He placed the coffee cup on the table.
"It's a good idea, but what does he think of the great Tony Stark?! An errand boy for him?! And what if I can't handle it?! What a joke! Is there anything in this world that I, Tony Stark, can't handle?! And what is frying pan material?! The Mark Armor I designed is a work of art! A work of art! Do you understand?! His family, who can only wrap themselves up like a black dumpling...
Man, you don't understand shit about aesthetics!" He complained furiously, venting his inner dissatisfaction.
"Jarvis!" he took a deep breath.
"Get me through to that bastard! I'm going to show him what a brother's authority is!"
"I'm sorry, sir." Jarvis' voice was innocent.
"Mr. Henry cut off all communication channels after giving the order. He said he needed a quiet, undisturbed sunbathing environment."
Tony felt like he was about to have a brain haemorrhage from anger.
He took another deep breath and forced himself to calm down.
Then his brain started working.
After a few seconds, the silence on his face gradually disappeared, replaced by a meaningful smile.
"Very good." He squeezed out a few words through his teeth.
"Very good."
He walked over to the console, his hands dancing rapidly across the holographic keyboard.
"Jarvis!" he ordered immediately.
"Get me all the information about Wakanda! Highest level access! Even those files marked as top secret! The files my father left behind! Leave no one behind!"
Soon, a black figure dressed in Wakandan clothing appeared.
"Also!" He paused, glanced at the person on the holographic projection, and then continued in an arrogant tone.
"Please contact Wakanda's ambassador to the United Nations. Yes, that guy is wearing expensive-looking, ethnic-style clothes. Please make an appointment for me. Tell him that the chairman of Stark Industries, Iron Man himself, wants to discuss a big Vibranium deal with them, or rather, with their king."
"Tell them I only give them twenty-four hours to consider. If I don't receive a satisfactory answer after twenty-four hours, then I might consider making a friendly visit to their isolated country myself."
His words were full of confidence, as if he hadn't considered whether others would agree.
"Yes, sir."
"And more!" Tony looked at the figure on the screen floating comfortably in the universe, with a smile on his lips.
"Lock on that bastard's location 24 hours a day! I want him to know what it means to have nowhere to escape!"
He wanted to see whether he, the Iron Man, was more efficient than the so-called Superman, who was faster at basking in the sun!
×××××××××××××××
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