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*****
Fini hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Although he never intended to deliberately curry favor with Tony, there was no need to make an enemy of him either; this incident was a pure accident.
He had stayed at Kamar-Taj for too long. The lifestyle of a sorcerer had made him careless. His attempt to scout for intelligence was conducted entirely from a magical perspective, causing him to completely forget the power of modern science.
Simultaneously, misjudging Tony's personality led to a further breakdown of the situation, resulting in the current scene.
"Jarvis, what are you doing?"
A flicker of shock crossed Tony's eyes. He had been watching Fini's every move without the slightest relaxation. He was certain Fini had done nothing, yet the intruder had just commanded Jarvis, the artificial intelligence Tony himself had created.
"I'm sorry, Sir. I do not understand what happened. I believed that was your command."
Jarvis's voice sounded calm. After all, it was just an AI; it had no thoughts or emotions, following only computer logic and algorithms.
"Then you really should run a thorough self-diagnostic."
Tony didn't vent his anger on the AI. He knew where the problem originated. Suppressing his inner tension, he looked at Fini with feigned ease and said, "Impressive technique. Did you hack Jarvis's system beforehand? Or perhaps you have other accomplices helping you?"
Looking at Tony Stark—who was masking his nervousness and forcing a calm front—Fini stopped being confrontational. Regardless of the circumstances, he was indeed an uninvited guest. He decided to simply admit his fault:
"I apologize. Entering without permission was indeed wrong. As an apology, how about I provide a useful suggestion for that thing you're building?"
Tony was an incredibly proud man. Furthermore, the iron armor was his greatest pride. How could he humbly accept Fini's "guidance"? He immediately refused: "No need. I think I'm perfectly capable on my own."
He added another line: "And I don't think a little boy studying Ancient Languages in university would have any good suggestions."
Stark and that mouth of his!
Fini felt a surge of irritation. Current Tony really lacked a "beating" from society; his tendency to mock people was so reckless it made one want to punch him.
"Are you sure you don't need it?" Fini asked one last time, sounding annoyed.
Tony wanted to refuse again, but remembering the various anomalies from earlier—the way Fini appeared and the way the armor vanished—he finally tilted his head unnaturally. Sticking to his guns with peak tsundere energy, he said:
"Even though I'm sure it'll be useless, you can say it anyway. I'll help you correct your mistakes."
"Heh!"
Fini first showed his disdain for Tony, then spoke: "Your suit has a flight system, right? Have you considered the icing problem when flying at high altitudes?"
"For severe icing to occur, you'd need to be at least above 40,000 feet..."
Tony answered subconsciously, his expression suggesting he didn't think the issue warranted consideration.
Perhaps because the Mark II wasn't fully built yet, and considering the state of the Mark I in the cave, Tony didn't have as much confidence in the suit as Fini did. Therefore, he hadn't considered reaching such an exaggerated altitude.
But Tony was Tony. Not having thought of it didn't mean he couldn't do it. He immediately turned and instructed Jarvis: "Jarvis, log the issue. Add a control surface system, and then filter some shell materials. Oh, and list the gold-titanium alloy used in the Seraphim tactical satellites as the top candidate."
"Um... record that after your self-diagnostic is complete!"
After saying all this, Tony turned back and said to Fini somewhat unnaturally, "Well... given the current weather, icing isn't really a problem we should be worried about. So, your suggestion is... marginally useful, I suppose."
Hearing Tony's "thank you" in disguise, Fini wore a look of utter contempt. He then pointed to the miniature Arc Reactor on Tony's chest and said, "That thing will poison you. You should know that, right?"
Actually, when he saw the glass of green liquid on a nearby table, Fini guessed that Tony had already discovered the palladium poisoning.
This time, Tony's expression truly shifted. He had only recently discovered this and had told no one. Because the Arc Reactor had to power the magnet keeping the shrapnel away from his heart, it would naturally inject palladium into his body while powering the suit.
Unless he stopped powering it, the problem would persist. For this reason, he had even stopped drinking coffee. Of course, there was another option—giving up the iron suit—but that was even more impossible.
"Do you have a way to solve it?"
Tony asked, trying his best to sound calm, though his involuntary micro-movements showed he cared deeply about the answer.
"I don't!"
"..."
Tony experienced the sensation of being choked by words once again. This matter concerned his life and safety; the feeling of seeing hope only to be teased made him angry. He immediately said:
"I knew a little boy wouldn't have any good suggestions. Kids should focus on their studies. Maybe I'll donate some money to your school and suggest they hire better teachers for your classes."
"I might not have it, but I know who does, and I have clues for the solution."
Fini glanced at the embarrassed Tony, crossing his arms with a "go on, keep talking" expression.
"I think we should go back to discussing your trespassing..."
Tony spoke as if nothing had happened, while internally wondering if Fini's words were true. He realized he still hadn't figured out the other's purpose, nor how the other knew so much.
Looking at the shameless Tony, Fini curled his lip and continued: "However, the time isn't right for that solution yet. I'll tell you when the opportunity arises."
As a member of Kamar-Taj, what was the most important rule!?
One must never spoil the plot just because they know the future!
Besides, his father's belongings and the data within them were currently with that one-eyed, bald Director. If Tony Stark's house was this hard to deal with, would S.H.I.E.L.D. be any easier to infiltrate!?
Wait, it actually might not be that hard if he just said "Hail Hydra."
Fini's thoughts wandered inexplicably, but Tony beside him was displeased. Thinking Fini wanted to make a demand, he said deeply, "What do you want?"
"Money?" The wealthy Stark stated directly: "How much? Is a hundred million enough?"
Stunned by Tony's "money-is-no-object" approach, Fini suppressed his heartache, shook his head, and said, "It's not a matter of money. But aren't you worried I'm lying to you?"
"Don't lie to me. The consequences are very serious!"
Tony used what he just learned, repeating the words Fini had said to him earlier.
Actually, Fini had considered using *Ars Magna* to make Tony forget today's events, but he eventually gave up on the idea.
Firstly, Tony's IQ was not average; success would be difficult. Secondly, if he inexplicably forgot a day's worth of events, he would only dig deeper, and the consequences might indeed be more serious.
"In short, the time is not yet right." Fini finally shook his head. Tony's personality changed through experiencing one event after another. If Fini intervened too much, perhaps he wouldn't be the Iron Man he remembered.
If he hadn't wanted to farm some experience from the Iron Monger, he wouldn't have come here at all.
Seeing Fini so firm, Tony had his own pride. Besides, he believed he could definitely find a solution himself and already had some ideas. He said straightforwardly, "Then you've missed the best chance to become a billionaire. You'll definitely regret it later."
(End of Chapter)