Finney Hellseg hadn't expected things to turn out this way. While he hadn't intended to deliberately befriend Tony, there was no need to be his enemy either. This incident was purely accidental.
He had been in Kamar-Taj for too long; his sorcerer's lifestyle had made him careless. His intelligence gathering was entirely from a magical perspective, completely forgetting the power of modern science.
At the same time, misjudging Tony's personality led to a further collapse of the situation, resulting in the current predicament.
"Jarvis, what are you doing?"
A hint of shock flashed in Tony's eyes. He had been watching Finney's actions closely, without letting his guard down. Confirming that Finney hadn't done anything, he commanded the artificial intelligence he had created, Jarvis.
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand what happened. I thought it was your order."
Jarvis's voice sounded calm; after all, it was just artificial intelligence, without thoughts or emotions, following only computer logic and algorithms.
"Then you really should take a good look at yourself."
Tony didn't vent his anger on an AI; he knew where the problem lay. Suppressing his inner tension, he looked at Finney with feigned ease and said, "Very sophisticated technology. Did you hack into Jarvis's system beforehand? Or did you have other accomplices helping you?"
Seeing Tony Stark trying to hide his nervousness and maintain composure, Finney didn't continue the confrontation. Regardless, he had indeed come uninvited, so he simply admitted his mistake:
"I'm sorry, it was wrong of me to come in without permission. As an apology, I can offer some useful advice on what you're building, how about it?"
Tony was a proud man, and the Iron Man suit was his proudest possession. How could he humbly accept Finney's 'guidance'? He immediately refused, "No need, I think I can do it myself."
He then added, "Besides, I don't think a young boy studying ancient writing in college would have any good advice."
"Stark's mouth!"
Finney was a little annoyed. Tony really lacked the harsh realities of life; he was so unrestrained in his insults that he wanted to punch him.
"Are you sure you don't need it?" Finney asked one last time, still annoyed.
Tony wanted to refuse again, but remembering the previous anomalies, the way Finney appeared, and the disappearance of the armor, he ultimately tilted his head awkwardly, stubbornly insisting,
"Although I think it's definitely useless, you can still tell me, and I'll help you correct your mistakes."
"Heh!"
Finney first gave Tony a disdainful look, then said, "Your suit should have a flight device, right? Have you considered the problem of icing up at high altitudes?"
"For severe icing, it would need to be at least 40,000 feet..."
Tony answered subconsciously, his expression suggesting he shouldn't consider this issue.
Perhaps because the Mark II wasn't fully built yet, and considering the situation with the Mark I in the cave, Tony might not have as much confidence in the suit as Finney did, so he hadn't considered such an extreme altitude.
But Tony, being who he was, didn't think he couldn't do something just because he hadn't thought of it. He immediately turned to Jarvis and instructed, "Jarvis, record this problem, add the aileron device, and then screen the shell material. Oh, and put the gold-titanium alloy used in the Seraph tactical satellite as the best candidate."
"Hmm... record it after you finish your self-check!"
After saying this, Tony turned back and said somewhat awkwardly to Finney, "Hmm... with the current weather, we shouldn't really be considering the icing problem, so your suggestion is only so-so."
Hearing Tony's seemingly grateful words, Finney immediately gave him a disdainful look, and then pointed to the small arc reactor on Tony's chest and said, "You should know that this thing will poison you, right?"
In fact, when Finney saw a glass of green beverage on the table not far from Tony, he guessed that Tony had already discovered the palladium poisoning.
This time, Tony's expression truly changed. He had only recently discovered this and had never told anyone. Because the Arc Reactor also controlled the metal plate in his heart, it would automatically inject palladium into his body while providing energy to the suit.
Unless he stopped supplying energy, this problem would persist. He had even stopped drinking coffee because of it. Of course, there was another option: abandoning the Iron Man suit, but that was obviously impossible. "You have a solution?"
Tony asked, trying to appear calm, but his unconscious fidgeting betrayed his deep concern.
"I don't!"
"..."
Tony experienced that suffocating feeling again. This matter concerned his life, and the feeling of seeing hope only to be mocked infuriated him. He immediately said,
"I knew a little boy wouldn't have any good advice. Children should focus on their studies. Perhaps I'll donate some money to your school and suggest they hire more teachers."
"While I don't have one, I know who does, and I have clues."
Finney glanced at the embarrassed Tony, resting his arm on his hand with a "go ahead" expression.
"I think we should discuss your trespassing first..."
Tony said casually, but inwardly he was questioning Finney's sincerity. He realized he still hadn't figured out Finney's motives or how he knew so much.
Seeing Tony's evasive behavior, Finney rolled his eyes and said, "But it's not the right time yet. I'll tell you when the opportunity arises."
As a member of Kamar-Taj, what's most important?!
He absolutely cannot spoil the future just because he knows it!
Besides, some of his father's belongings, including some documents, are still with that one-eyed bald director. Iron Man's house is already so difficult to deal with, how easy would it be for H.I.E.L.D. to infiltrate?!
But it seems that just saying "Hail Hydra" isn't too difficult.
Finney was inexplicably lost in thought, but Tony next to him was unhappy, thinking that Finney wanted to make a request, and said in a deep voice, "What do you want?"
"Money?" The wealthy Stark said directly, "How much? Is a hundred million enough?"
After being shocked by Tony's approachable nature, Finney suppressed his heartache and shook his head, saying, "It's not about money, but aren't you worried that I'm lying to you?"
"Don't lie to me, the consequences will be severe!"
Tony used what he had just learned, modifying and repeating what Finney had just said.
Initially, Finney had considered using the 'Golden Grand Evolution Technique' to make Tony forget what happened that day, but after thinking about it, he gave up.
First, Tony's intelligence was beyond that of ordinary people, making success difficult. Furthermore, if Tony inexplicably forgot about the day's events, he would likely investigate further, potentially leading to more serious consequences.
"In short, it's not the right time yet," Finney finally shook his head. Tony's personality changed gradually through experience; too much interference from Finney might cause him to lose the Iron Man we knew.
He wouldn't have come here if he hadn't wanted to gain experience with the Iron Monger.
Seeing Finney's determination, Tony, who was also confident he could find a solution and had his own ideas, bluntly stated, "Then you've missed a golden opportunity to become a millionaire, and you'll definitely regret it later."
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(End of this chapter)