Obadiah's Uninvited Visit

Harry guessed the crash of the F-22 Raptor had something to do with Tony. After all, Tony had said his research was successful some time ago and had seemed very pleased.

And the Gomera Region seemed to be where he had been kidnapped before.

His Iron Man Armor must have been completed. Those two earlier incidents were probably both his doing.

Killing the terrorists was to wash away his past sins, and on his way back, he had accidentally destroyed an F-22 Raptor. That sounded exactly like Tony's unreliable style.

Speak of the devil, and he appeared.

The phone rang. It was Tony calling.

Harry answered, and Tony's excited voice came through. "Harry, I successfully developed the Iron Man Armor. Want to come to my mansion and take a look? It's much faster than your lousy broomstick."

"Can your Iron Man Armor cast spells?" Harry remained unruffled in the face of Tony's provocation, effortlessly defusing it.

"Uh, making the Iron Man Armor cast spells might... take a little time."

"Doesn't that mean it isn't complete yet? A metal shell alone is no help to me." Harry sounded somewhat disdainful.

"But I tested it. The Mark II can easily defeat an army, and it can also easily take down more than five fighter jets." Tony's tone was full of bragging.

"Fine, I knew those two incidents reported in the news were your doing. But can it withstand curses? Can it defend against magic? Is its combat power greater than mine?

"If that's all it can do, then aside from serving as a means of flight, it's completely useless. Besides, we have portals."

Harry's string of questions left Stark utterly silent. The proud rooster that had just raised its head lowered it again to look at its claws.

Tony said weakly, "That's right. The Mark II really can't cast magic. It's just a metal shell, and it even interferes with spellcasting.

"I have some ideas for Magic Armor, but I'm stuck on one problem. I can't find a metal material that can conduct magical power efficiently. Even Vibranium, which has the highest conductivity, can't be used as the primary material."

"Didn't you look for materials in the Kamar-Taj treasury?"

"I did, but the materials I'm qualified to use aren't strong enough. They're fine for making wands, but they lack the hardness and toughness needed for armor." Tony sounded helpless.

Harry teased, "My dear Tony, why didn't you ask your esteemed mentor Harry? Don't forget, I'm the next Supreme Mage."

"Uh, well..." Tony stammered.

Hearing Tony's tone, Harry immediately realized that he was probably embarrassed.

For the CEO of the world's largest company, that might have seemed unbelievable. After all, what CEO wasn't resourceful?

But when it came to Tony, it was perfectly normal.

He had inherited the world's largest company at a young age and was also a genius. He had never needed to ask anyone for help and could do whatever he wanted without having to consider too much.

So Tony was embarrassed!

To save Tony some face, Harry fought back his laughter.

"Ahem. There's still some Uru Metal in the treasury. It can absorb and store various forms of energy, especially magical energy. Uru Metal can absolutely serve as the primary material for Magic Armor.

"However, there isn't much Uru Metal left in the treasury, probably only enough to make one set of Magic Armor. Perhaps later I can take you to Asgard to trade for Uru Metal. The Crossroads Dimension would work too, of course."

Tony had a somewhat awkward personality, but he would never ignore help from others. In a very quiet voice, he said, "Um... well... thank you, Harry. I owe you another favor."

The smile on Harry's face became more and more obvious. "You still won't call me Mentor?"

Knock, knock, knock...

The call ended instantly. Harry finally could not hold it in any longer and burst out laughing.

Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spilling without reservation into every corner of the dining room. Like a thin veil, the light gently draped everything in a faint golden glow.

The table was covered with exquisite food, giving off delicious and tempting aromas.

Each dish cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Matching their extravagant prices, they tasted excellent too, comparable to the meals cooked by House-elves at Hogwarts.

House-elves could live for centuries, and there were countless House-elves at Hogwarts who had worked there for over a hundred years. For a chef to catch up to their centuries of culinary skill in merely a few decades was enough to prove their ability.

Harry did not care much about money. If he had it, he spent it. He never saved it up.

That was why he had invited Gwen to eat at this restaurant. As it turned out, expensive things had their reasons for being expensive. The food really was excellent, and the atmosphere was enjoyable as well.

Harry ate with great gusto, ordering dish after dish and somehow filling himself up on servings that each contained only a few bites.

But Gwen was a little nervous. She was not used to the surrounding environment.

Her family was merely middle class, and she had never eaten in such a luxurious setting before.

Gwen ate delicately in small bites and asked worriedly, "Harry, this... this restaurant must be really expensive, right? Isn't this costing you too much?"

"Not at all. Eat as much as you want. You won't eat me broke. We're friends—my money is your money." Harry finished another serving in one bite.

Gwen said quietly, "Look, everyone else seems to be staring at us. Are they all looking at us?"

As soon as they sat down to eat, Gwen had noticed that the other diners were watching her and Harry.

At first, she thought there might be something wrong with their clothes, but that was not it.

Could it be because Harry's way of eating was too inelegant? After all, the other guests took small bites after cutting their food with knives and forks.

She wanted to remind Harry, but she felt too embarrassed to do so. After all, Harry was treating her.

"Awooo!" After swallowing an entire steak in one bite, Harry glanced around and shrugged. "Don't worry. They recognized me. I've become pretty famous among high society recently. Everyone wants to meet Stark Industries' new shareholder."

"So that's why." Gwen understood, though seeing the way Harry ate, she could not help wondering whether that really was the only reason.

What happened next proved Harry's words. When Harry finished eating and picked up a napkin to wipe the grease from the corners of his mouth, several guests dressed in luxurious suits rose together and hurried over to him, bowing and scraping.

"Mr. Potter, I'm Seneca Atkinson, chairman of Quantum Technologies. I have an investment proposal for a quantum communications project that may interest you."

"Mr. Potter, I'm Steven Spielberg. I'm sure you're familiar with my work. I have a groundbreaking film project in hand—Jurassic Park.

"I firmly believe this film will achieve enormous box-office success, and I sincerely invite you to join the project. This film is absolutely an excellent investment that is guaranteed to make a profit."

Gwen stared at the scene in amazement. Only then did she understand just how popular Harry was.

But as she watched Harry calmly handle all the important figures who approached him, Gwen's eyes lit up. So Harry had this side to him too!

At that moment, a dignified voice rang out. "Gentlemen, may I have a moment to speak with Mr. Potter?"

The voice sounded very familiar to Harry. He looked toward its owner, surprise appearing on his face.

It was Tony's elder, Obadiah Stane!