Harry guessed that the crash of the F-22 Raptor probably had something to do with Tony. After all, Tony had said not long ago that his research was a success, looking very pleased with himself.
And if he remembered right, the Gulmira region was exactly where Tony had been kidnapped before.
His Iron Man armor had to be finished by now. Those two incidents were almost certainly his doing.
Wiping out terrorists was Tony trying to atone for his past sins. Accidentally shooting down an F-22 on his way back? That sounded exactly like one of Tony's unreliable stunts.
Speak of the devil.
The phone rang—it was Tony calling.
Harry picked up, and Tony's excited voice came through. "Harry, I did it! I've finished the Iron Man armor. Want to come to my villa and take a look? It's way faster than your crappy broom."
"Can your armor cast spells?" Faced with Tony's provocation, Harry stayed calm and easily turned it back on him.
"Uh… if you want the armor to cast spells, that might… take a little more time."
"Then it's not complete. If it's just a metal shell, it's of no use to me," Harry said, sounding thoroughly unimpressed.
"But I've already tested it. The Mark II can easily take down a whole army, and it can shoot down more than five fighter jets without breaking a sweat," Tony bragged.
"Right, I knew it. Those two incidents on the news were you. But tell me: can it block curses? Can it defend against magic? Is its combat power higher than mine?
If it can't do that, then aside from serving as a flying tool, it's basically useless. And don't forget, we have portals."
Harry's rapid-fire questions left Stark completely speechless. The proud rooster that had just puffed up its chest suddenly found itself staring at its own claws.
Tony finally said weakly, "Yeah, okay, the Mark II really can't cast spells. It's just a metal shell, and it even interferes with spellcasting.
"I do have some ideas about a magic armor, but I've hit a snag. I can't find a metal that conducts magic efficiently. Even vibranium, which has the best conduction rate, can't be used as the main material."
"You haven't tried looking for materials in the Kamar-Taj vault?"
"I have. But the materials I'm allowed to use aren't strong enough. They're fine for making a staff, but nowhere near hard or tough enough for an armor set," Tony said helplessly.
Harry teased him. "My dear Tony, why didn't you come to your esteemed mentor Harry? Don't forget, I'm the next Sorcerer Supreme."
"Uh, well…" Tony mumbled, tongue-tied.
Hearing his tone, Harry immediately understood—Tony was embarrassed.
For the CEO of the world's biggest company, this would sound ridiculous. Which CEO wasn't some resourceful, smooth-talking operator used to getting his way?
But when the CEO in question was Tony Stark, this was perfectly normal.
He'd inherited the world's top company since childhood and was a genius to boot. He'd basically never had to ask anyone for help, just did whatever he wanted without thinking too hard about it.
So yes—Tony was embarrassed.
Holding back a laugh for Tony's sake, Harry cleared his throat and said:
"Cough, cough. There's still some Uru alloy in the vault. It can absorb and store various forms of energy, especially magical energy. Uru alloy would be perfect as the main material for magic armor.
"There isn't much Uru left in the vault, though—probably only enough for one full magic suit. Maybe later I can take you to Asgard to trade for more Uru alloy. Or to the Crossroads Dimension, that works too."
Tony could be awkward, but he was not the type to ignore a favor. In a tiny voice, he said, "Uh… um… thanks, Harry. I owe you one. Again."
Harry's grin grew wider and wider. "And you're not even going to call me 'mentor'?"
Thump thump thump—
The call cut off instantly.
Harry finally couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
…
Sunlight streamed in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling generously into every corner of the restaurant. The light lay over everything like a thin veil, tinting the world in a soft golden sheen.
The table was covered with exquisite dishes, each giving off a mouth-watering aroma.
Every plate here cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars. The price tag matched the taste; the food really was excellent, on par with the meals cooked by the Hogwarts house-elves.
House-elves could live for centuries, and there were plenty at Hogwarts who had been working there for hundreds of years. For a human chef to reach that level within just a few decades said all you needed to know about their skill.
Harry didn't care much about money—if he had it, he spent it. He never bothered saving.
So he'd invited Gwen to this restaurant for dinner. As it turned out, the price really did buy quality; the food was great, and the atmosphere was something to savor too.
Harry was having a blast, ordering dish after dish, actually managing to fill himself up on a series of dainty little portions that were each only a few bites.
Gwen, on the other hand, was a bit tense. She wasn't used to this kind of environment at all.
Her family was solidly middle class. She'd never eaten anywhere this extravagant before.
Eating in small, elegant bites, she asked anxiously, "Harry, this place… this place must be really expensive, right? I hope I'm not costing you too much."
"Not at all. Relax and eat. There's no way you're going to bankrupt me. We're friends—what's mine is yours." Harry tossed back another tiny course in a single bite.
Gwen lowered her voice. "It feels like everyone around us is looking at us. Are they all looking at us?"
Right after they'd sat down, she'd noticed that the other guests kept staring at her and Harry.
At first she thought there was something wrong with their clothes, but that clearly wasn't it.
Maybe it was because of the way Harry was eating. Everyone else was carefully cutting small pieces with knife and fork, while Harry was just popping the little plates straight into his mouth.
She wanted to nudge him about it, but she felt too embarrassed to say anything. After all, he was the one treating her.
"Awoo!" After swallowing another little bowl of steak in one bite, Harry glanced around, shrugged, and said, "Don't worry. They've just recognized me. I'm pretty famous in high society these days. Everyone wants to know the new Stark Industries shareholder."
"So that's it," Gwen said, finally understanding. Though, watching the way Harry tore through his food, she couldn't help doubting that it had nothing to do with his table manners.
What happened next proved Harry right. As soon as he put down his cutlery and dabbed the oil from the corner of his mouth with a napkin, several guests in expensive suits stood up at once and hurried over to him, heads bowed, smiling obsequiously.
"Mr. Potter, I'm Seneca Atkinson, chairman of Quantum Technologies. I have an investment proposal for a quantum communication project that you might be interested in."
"Mr. Potter, I'm Steven Spielberg. I'm sure you're familiar with my work. I currently have a groundbreaking film project—Jurassic Park.
"I firmly believe this movie will be a huge box office success. I sincerely invite you to join the project. It's a sure-fire investment, guaranteed returns."
Gwen stared, slack-jawed. Only now did she truly understand how sought-after Harry was.
Watching Harry handle each of these big-shot guests with calm ease, Gwen's eyes lit up. So Harry had this side to him too!
Just then, a dignified voice sounded. "Gentlemen, would you mind giving me a moment alone with Mr. Potter?"
The voice sounded very familiar to Harry. He turned to look at the newcomer and couldn't help showing a surprised expression.
It was Tony's elder—Obadiah Stane.
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