The Power of the Sun, in the Palm of My Hand!

"Sorry, Mr. Superman. To solve the energy problem, we had already tried various energy-storage batteries and had even considered using future battery technology that was not yet mature."

"Unfortunately, none of those batteries could serve as the Nano-Suit's power source. Perhaps only nuclear batteries would be capable of sustaining its enormous energy consumption."

"Sadly, humanity had yet to master the technology to miniaturize nuclear batteries."

"That was the Key to the Future, and the dream of every energy scientist..."

Facing Peter's gaze, Dr. Selvig, who was also part of the energy research team, carefully explained things to Peter, afraid that Mr. Superman would take his slow progress out on them.

However, Peter remained remarkably calm in response to Dr. Selvig's explanation. He did not seem angry, nor did he say anything.

Instead, he turned to Tony, who was bent over a glass of red wine on the sofa, and asked, "Tony, don't you have any proposals to offer?"

Hearing Peter's question, Tony finally set down his wineglass, rose from the sofa, and slowly walked toward Peter.

"All right, Mr. Superman. I understand that you're impatient, but scientific advancement must proceed step by step, and energy has always been a major scientific limitation on humanity's pace of development."

"Unless an unparalleled genius like Newton, Einstein, or Da Vinci appeared—someone capable of propelling human technology forward—humanity had to follow its proper path of development."

"If the Key to the Future were so easy to find, it wouldn't be called the Key to the Future..."

Tony was a head shorter than Peter, so he could only raise his head slightly and look up at him to meet his eyes.

"So even you, the man who calls himself humanity's greatest scientific genius, don't have a better solution?"

Peter's expression remained calm as he met Tony's gaze.

"No, I actually do have a pretty good solution."

A faint smile suddenly appeared on Tony's face. His eyes swept over Peter before he continued.

"I heard that you absorbed the sun's energy into yourself, which was how you gained such powerful abilities."

"So you yourself are actually an energy source stronger than any other..."

Tony did not continue.

But everyone present, including Peter, understood the so-called solution he was proposing: making Peter serve as the Nano-Suit's "power bank."

"Tony, you..."

The instant Tony finished speaking, everyone present broke into a cold sweat for him, their expressions turning extremely tense.

Someone had proposed this solution long ago, but it had unquestionably been rejected unanimously.

The reason was simple.

"If I could handle it myself, what would I need you for?"

Seeing Peter's eyes beginning to redden, Reed hurriedly stepped between the two men.

Facing Peter, he pleaded cautiously, "Mr. Superman, please give us some more time. We'll definitely find a way to solve the energy problem."

"All right, then I'll give you some more time."

The red glow in Peter's eyes faded. After leaving those words behind, he turned and walked away.

"I nearly forgot to tell you. The food I brought this time can last you three days."

"But I'll be a little busy next week, so I probably won't have time to bring you supplies. I hope you ration it carefully and make it through the week."

After walking out of the laboratory, Peter suddenly said this without turning around.

"Only one week? Isn't that too short..."

Everyone present was intelligent enough to understand Peter's threat. One week was the final deadline for them to solve the energy problem.

For a moment, everyone's expressions turned extremely grim.

"Oh, and one more thing. I was in a hurry today, so I didn't bring any fuel for power generation. If you conserve it, then it should... still be enough to keep the entire base running for... around three or four days."

"Unfortunately, I don't have minds as smart as yours, or I could calculate the time more accurately. But you're all very smart. I'm sure you can find a solution, right?"

Peter suddenly turned back to look at them, his voice filled with regret.

After saying that, he turned around again and prepared to leave.

"Three days? How could that possibly be enough..."

Upon hearing that, the already grim expressions on everyone's faces instantly became even more bitter.

The energy problem had plagued human civilization for decades. How could they possibly solve it with only three days?

Watching Peter's figure about to vanish down the corridor, and looking at the "fellow prisoners" around him whom he had worked with for several days—people who were not quite friends, but had become very familiar—

Tony, whose face had been filled with hesitation, finally made his decision.

Just as Peter's figure was about to disappear at the end of the corridor, Tony suddenly said, "All right, you win."

"I actually solved the energy problem already."

Inside the Energy Laboratory of the Antarctic "research base."

A figure was busy at work inside.

As for everyone else, they had already been driven out. They stood in the laboratory corridor, peering inside through the glass window.

"Mr. Superman, we truly don't know when Tony solved the energy problem. He never told us."

Outside, Selvig was still explaining to Peter.

In truth, they really did not know when or how Tony had solved the energy problem.

"I understand. Watch carefully."

Peter's gaze never left the figure inside the laboratory.

He watched Tony's practiced movements as he methodically arranged and assembled various materials and equipment.

"Tony Stark, the absolute genius of the Marvel Universe, the man Thanos himself certified as cursed by knowledge."

"In a crude cave, he once created a new form of clean energy capable of propelling humanity forward—the Miniaturized Arc Reactor."

Recalling Tony's original fate, Peter had no doubt that if Tony could succeed in a crude cave, then failure was absolutely impossible in this relatively well-equipped laboratory.

"That is? A shrunken Arc Reactor? He actually..."

Sure enough, the moment Tony assembled all the materials into a palm-sized circular reactor, everyone present—whether they understood energy science or not—revealed expressions of utter shock.

Even Reed Richards, who considered himself humanity's greatest scientific genius, had the same astonished look on his face.

At that moment, Tony was undoubtedly like God bringing light to the world.

As Tony placed Palladium into the completed Arc Reactor and connected it to the power supply beside it, preparing to light up the reactor, everyone held their breath.

They waited in anticipation for a moment that would be recorded in history.

As Tony personally switched on the power, the current instantly flowed into the dim Arc Reactor.

Buzz... buzz... buzz!

The sound of the current accelerated continuously, while the Arc Reactor began flashing faster and faster!

Finally!

The sound of the current vanished completely, and on the table, an Arc Reactor gleaming with silver-white light, shining like the sun, appeared before everyone's eyes.

"I admit it. I really am the unparalleled genius capable of propelling human civilization forward!"

Only after Tony walked out of the laboratory holding the successful Arc Reactor and handed it to Peter did everyone finally come back to their senses. Yet their eyes never left the Arc Reactor in Peter's hand.

"The power of the sun, in the palm of my hand!"