Selling Battle Armor

That night.

The belated Black Eggplant made a show of his agility by grabbing a rope dropped from the helicopter and sliding down onto the rooftop of Stark Tower. Close behind him came a fierce-looking man in tactical gear who somehow looked like a villainous character by default.

Yuri searched his memories briefly and identified the man's codename—Crossbones.

A strange smile curled at Yuri's lips. The person Nick Fury had most wanted to bring over to test the Steam Armor definitely had not been Crossbones. Yet since the latter was standing here, he had clearly struck some shady deal with the snakehead Alexander Pierce behind Fury's back. After all, Black Eggplant's way of doing things had always been: you might profit no matter what, but I definitely won't lose out.

"Now that all the guests are here, allow me to briefly introduce the two steel giants before you."

Black Eggplant and the military old man exchanged a glance, then listened silently as Yuri spoke.

"Unlike Tony's mechanical prosthetics, my Steam Armor uses a special matrix as the foundation for its power supply and operation. The armor itself is made of ordinary steel and is somewhat fragile before activation. But once the pilot activates it, the special matrix embedded within will grant the armor unparalleled defense and offensive power."

"It contains ample storage space for ammunition and weapons, which can be configured as needed and modified by me. Even the base model possesses formidable strength. After conversion through the special matrix, the Steam Armor can overturn a tank at full output. Whatever kind of enemy you want to use it against, I trust it will let you move through them as if no one were there."

"The armor can recharge automatically. Charging takes approximately twenty-four hours. Once fully charged, it can sustain normal operation for one hour, high-load operation for thirty minutes, and full-load operation for five minutes. Once its energy is depleted, the matrix will fail, so please keep careful track of the time."

Yuri's final remark was directed at Crossbones and the unnamed grunt brought by the military old man. Both men looked visibly nervous and uneasy, as though they could not wait to climb into the Steam Armor and give it a try.

But clearly, wanting it did not mean they got to decide—after pondering for a moment, Black Eggplant fixed Yuri with his single eye and asked, "I want to know exactly what this special matrix you mentioned is."

"No comment."

Yuri had never intended to waste too much breath on them. The fact that he had patiently given them an introduction was already generous enough. Now Black Eggplant wanted to get to the bottom of it, plainly setting his sights on the "special matrix" within the armor.

Faced with such a blunt refusal, Black Eggplant frowned. He clasped his hands behind his back, lifted his chin, and looked at Yuri threateningly. "If we cannot clarify this matter, then we would be acting irresponsibly toward the armor's pilot. We absolutely cannot accept an armor whose operating principles we do not even understand."

"Then go back where you came from."

Yuri glanced at the military old man, who had been watching from the sidelines, before fixing Black Eggplant with a cold stare. "We both know exactly why we're standing here. Don't try that coercion-and-inducement routine on me. Just because S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't buying doesn't mean no one else will. The military, the police, the FBI, the CBI, the IRS... Even if none of America's armed agencies buy it, I can still export the Steam Armor overseas."

"In this deal, I am God!"

"Buy it or get lost!"

Tony, who had been watching from afar, finally could not hold himself back and walked over. He had never worried that anything might happen to Yuri. What he worried about was whether, if Yuri truly got angry, Black Eggplant and the military old man across from him would be punched to death.

To prevent such a human tragedy from taking place in Stark Tower, he could only step in to smooth things over. "All right, stop it. Fury, don't you just want to ensure the pilot's safety? I, Tony, guarantee it with my reputation: Yuri's Steam Armor is absolutely the safest weapon in the world!"

The military old man, who had been standing by, spoke up at just the right time. He patted the grunt beside him and said, "As an agent, Fury is used to being overly cautious. Come on, Tom. Show them a soldier's courage!"

"Yes sir!"

The open mockery and veiled barbs from everyone around nearly made Black Eggplant turn and leave in fury. But Crossbones beside him suddenly leaned close and whispered, "No matter what, we should take the armor back first. If he refuses to reveal the technology, then we can just crack it ourselves."

An inscrutable gleam flickered in Fury's single eye. He suppressed the anger in his heart and muttered, "Motherfucker." By then, under Yuri's guidance, the military old man's grunt had already climbed into the Steam Armor. Accompanied by a pleasant series of interlocking gears and turning bearings, the armor sealed shut completely. Before long, the eyes on the faceplate lit up, signaling that activation was complete.

The massive Steam Armor moved its limbs with surprising flexibility. At the military old man's command, Tom piloted it through a series of movements—push-ups, handstands, backflips, and more. The military old man even drew the pistol from his waist and, amid everyone's varying expressions, emptied every bullet into the Steam Armor's eyes without hesitation.

Without question, aside from the pilot Tom taking an involuntary step back because he could not face his fear head-on, the faceplate's eye area—which looked like the most vulnerable spot—did not even bear a white mark.

The military old man tucked the slightly warm pistol back into his waistband and nodded in satisfaction. "What about flight mode? I remember you said it could fly."

Yuri knocked on the armor's shell and told the still-shaken Tom inside, "Imagine that you can fly, and you'll be able to fly."

"Imagine?"

Tom's voice emerged muffled from within the armor. After passing through layer upon layer of metal, it was only barely recognizable. "Like flapping my wings like a bird?"

As he spoke, he made several remarkably lifelike motions. Under the military old man's dark expression, he asked in confusion, "I can't fly. I can't do it like a bird..."

"Then try doing it like Superman."

Yuri said, "Point your palms downward, keep your feet shoulder-width apart, lift your head, stick out your chest, and look up at the sky..."

As excited shouts came from the armor rising slowly into the air, Yuri exchanged a look with the military old man, whose face was dark with frustration. The latter was calculating how to deal with the guy in the sky for making him lose face once they got back, while Yuri held out one hand before him and rubbed his thumb and forefinger together.

"Sixty-six point six six million dollars. Cash on delivery."

Black Eggplant ultimately bought the Steam Armor, but unlike the military old man, he did not linger. The latter not only paid promptly and cleanly, but also promised to bring Yuri more orders in the near future. Black Eggplant, on the other hand, took the armor and left immediately. Before rolling up the car window, he even poked his head out and said to Yuri in an eerie tone, "We will make the special cease to exist."

Yuri, who had originally intended to warn them not to dismantle it recklessly and trigger an experimental accident, shut his mouth with a clear conscience. Those who brought disaster upon themselves had no one else to blame. People addicted to courting death would sooner or later die by their own hand.

Just as he was about to ask Tony when they would begin creating the new element, he looked up and suddenly caught sight of a black-and-white figure clinging to Stark Tower's glass exterior. It then leaped into the air, landed on the brightly lit rooftop, and vanished from view.

"Symbiote Spider-Man?"

Yuri raised his brows and swiped open the private elevator that went directly to the top floor, his expression unreadable.