Tony Stark, Invitation Code

Chapter 22: Tony Stark, Invitation Code

As they spoke, their conversation also caught the attention of Tony and the others nearby.

"You keep chatting, I've got something to take care of." Seeing Merlin, Hammer stopped clinging to Tony with his thick skin and quickly headed toward Merlin's group.

Along the way, he smoothly took a glass of wine from a waiter, then deftly dropped some tips. With a fluid set of motions, he was already raising his glass with an enthusiastic expression as he arrived before them.

"Hey! Mayor Christian, Mr. Fisk, Sheriff George, and... our future scientist, Merlin."

"Hello, Mr. Hammer." Merlin responded politely.

His impression of Hammer was fairly decent—he struck him as the more interesting type.

"So, how's it looking? Hammer Industries is absolutely your best choice. We have the top-tier team and resources; your talent can only reach its peak here."

Well... interesting and thick-skinned as he was, sometimes his timing was still off.

"Uh... you'd have to ask our Sheriff George about that." Merlin curled his lips into a smile, then tilted his head to indicate George beside him.

With an elder right there, this move of his was a bit overstepping.

Sure, many parents in Eagle Country didn't meddle too much in their kids' choices, but the kid was still young—some things still needed the elder to handle.

This city had no shortage of people fooled by dreams.

Contracts could be used to make people keep their promises, or they could be a sharp tool to restrict talent.

"Ah, sorry, this kid's talent is just too astonishing—it made me a little... uh... impatient." Hammer seemed to realize he'd been too hasty and quickly smiled apologetically at George.

Not long after Hammer joined the conversation, Tony and the others also came over one after another.

After everyone exchanged pleasantries for a while, Mayor Christian got down to business.

"I saw the Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter Merlin displayed at the science fair. I think this weapon would be very suitable for equipping the police department."

"Recently, the crime rate in the city has been climbing, traffic problems are getting worse, and some criminals are even deliberately provoking the police—using their superb driving skills to lead the cops around like dogs. It's an insult."

"But the police can't be experts at everything; they have no choice but to swallow this humiliation."

"And while I was racking my brains, the Midtown High School science fair gave me a huge surprise."

"With the Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter, I believe this situation will soon be resolved, and it will make police work much easier."

After a long-winded speech, Mayor Christian smiled at Merlin and finally got to the point.

"And the reason I invited everyone here tonight—one of the matters—is this."

"I plan to equip every police precinct in Apple City with one. But as for the order details, you'll need to ask our main star."

With Sheriff George present, he didn't need to worry too much about these things—just stating his position was enough.

Obadiah and the others immediately fixed their gazes on Merlin and George.

Many here were in the arms business, but police department project orders still carried considerable profit.

Although the order quantity for the Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter wasn't as large as wartime supplies, as a high-tech product, its unit price wasn't low.

Plus, it could earn a certain amount of prestige.

In the end, George was surrounded by Obadiah, Hammer, and the others, while Merlin said he'd leave everything to George and slipped away to find food.

With the increase in intelligence, his body's consumption had also sped up. Add to that all the knowledge he'd absorbed, and his stomach was starting to grumble.

"Kid, want some juice?" Just as Merlin was wandering in front of the buffet table looking for something he liked, a figure suddenly sidled up.

"No, thanks. My stomach needs food more." Merlin replied without turning around.

"So, do you like games? I bet you're playing Morality and Rule of Law. I saw your Miniature Electromagnetic Pulse Gun and Atomic Gun—they're almost exactly like the ones in the game."

Hearing this, Merlin cut a slice of ham, put it on his plate, and turned around.

"Oh, Mr. Stark." Looking at the middle-aged man with the sexy goatee, some dark circles under his eyes, and an air of arrogance, he greeted him with surprise.

"You play this game too?"

"No, I just downloaded it. Haven't had time to play yet. How do you like it?" Tony watched the kid wolfing down ham and set aside his usual arrogance and sharp tongue.

He was generally more tolerant toward children.

"Pretty great! The tech for my Electromagnetic Pulse Emitter and Atomic Gun was inspired by it. There aren't many games on the market that can compare."

"Especially the diverse gameplay and freedom in the game, plus the thought-provoking storylines..."

When it came to the game, Merlin got excited.

Stark didn't interrupt. He listened quietly for a while, and only after Merlin stopped did he ask, "Do you know what happened in Brooklyn last night?"

"Of course."

"Then what do you think about the game vehicles that showed up? Is this game running an offline mode? Is someone supplying players with weapons and vehicles?" He stared at Merlin, trying to read something in his eyes.

This was the rough conclusion he'd drawn after gathering information all day, but he still couldn't be sure.

He guessed it might be something like the Onion Website.

But so far, the information revealed was still too sparse to determine the other party's intentions.

However, some of the technology embedded within it had piqued his interest significantly.

And the only person connected to this, aside from the two from yesterday, was Merlin standing before him.

"Offline, huh..." Merlin scratched his head, thought for a moment, then nodded. "The game has indeed been rolling out an offline mode recently. They've already started recruiting players."

"It's real!" Stark's eyes lit up. He hadn't expected it to be true. He pressed on, "Then how does one become a player?"

Merlin feigned caution, glancing around, then leaned in and whispered, "It depends on luck. Someone can also invite you."

"I happen to have an Invitation Code on me. Want it?"

Merlin only planned to select one batch of players; afterward, he would proceed with the Invitation Code model, letting them choose their own teams.

"How much?"

"Uh, no charge. I'm a technical specialist in the game. My research funding all comes from the game itself. I have no use for an Invitation Code."

"I'll give you a string of numbers. Just jot them down."

"RG003."

"Add your identity information, and input this string into the initial terminal of any computer, and you'll be in."

"Technical specialist?" Stark easily memorized the string, then looked somewhat surprised by Merlin's earlier remark.