The next day, Alvin had just woken up from his soft bed when he saw Tony Stark sitting beside him.
"Oh my God, what did you do last night?" Looking at Tony's haggard face, unshaven chin, deep-sunken eye sockets, and utterly drained appearance, Alvin was somewhat shocked. "As expected of the most famous playboy of the century. Judging by the state you're in, was it a ten-person free-for-all?"
Given Tony Stark's temper, he would normally have fired off a few sarcastic remarks without fail.
But Tony now looked as though a fox spirit had drained him of his vital essence. His face was pale, and an air of dejection hung over his entire person. He raised his head and glanced at Alvin before saying weakly, "One piece of good news and one piece of bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"
"J.A.R.V.I.S., please give me an iced Americano. Thank you."
Alvin stretched and climbed out of bed. Turning to Tony beside him, he said, "If you don't mind, we can talk while we eat."
"This is my house!"
Tony was instantly infuriated by Alvin's overly familiar attitude.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Alvin turned toward the room and called out again, "J.A.R.V.I.S., an iced Americano for Mr. Stark. He looks like he really needs something to wake him up."
"You damned parasite! Sooner or later, I'm going to kick you out!"
Tony cursed angrily, but his body was much more honest than his words. He followed Alvin into the living room.
"Let's start with the bad news. That way, everything left will be good news."
Alvin took a sip of his iced Americano and felt considerably more refreshed. "Judging by how you look, don't tell me you spent the entire night in the laboratory?"
"What do you think? You kept me awake all night!" Tony wore a deeply aggrieved expression, looking exactly like an abandoned young wife.
"Mr. Stark, please watch your wording." Alvin coughed lightly and corrected him, "I'm not interested in men. It doesn't matter how handsome they are."
"..."
Tony suddenly realized that, for the first time in his life, someone had left him speechless.
"Okay, then let's start with the good news." The veins on his forehead bulged as he threw a gun onto the table. "The principles behind this gun aren't difficult. The hard part is its astonishing recoil. Even I have no way to reduce the recoil while preserving its power. However, manufacturing the ammunition is easy."
"Didn't I say I wanted to hear the bad news first?" Alvin was somewhat speechless. How old was he, yet he was still this petty?
"I felt like it. I wanted to say whichever one I wanted first. Do you have a problem with that?"
Tony glared at him, suddenly feeling much better, then continued, "As for the Deflection Field Defence Device and the spiral subatomic plasma gun, I can't analyze their principles for the time being. Their construction is also extremely precise, so I can't reverse-engineer them by taking them apart."
"That's fine. I understand."
Alvin wasn't surprised. It was perfectly normal that the technology contained in those two items couldn't be analyzed in a short time.
"Listen to me!" Tony interrupted him and continued, "Although the technological content is extremely high, the methods are very crude. Give me another half a month, and I'll definitely be able to manufacture more perfect substitutes!"
"If I can integrate these two technologies into my Mark Armor..." He clenched his fists excitedly, his eyes filled with fervor. "Perhaps it will give birth to a powerful suit of armor the likes of which has never been seen before. Yes, this is what I want! It's simply a genius-level concept!"
"Yeah, I believe you."
Alvin deeply agreed with him on this point.
"???"
Tony, accustomed to being mocked by Alvin, failed to react for a moment. "Huh? No, wait. Aren't you supposed to mock me? You really believe I can make it?"
"Of course. You're Tony Stark~"
Alvin replied meaningfully.
Tony Stark was Marvel's officially designated genius of advanced technology.
As long as he had enough time, Alvin wouldn't find it strange even if he somehow produced a Titan, let alone a mere Deflection Field Defence Device and plasma gun.
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony had replicated the Infinity Gauntlet forged with the full efforts of the dwarf race in no time at all, hadn't he?
If it were the Marvel Comics Universe, Tony had even created the Anti-Phoenix Armor, Anti-Thor Armor, and Anti-Galactus Armor. He was simply absurd, with absolutely no lower limit!
"During this period, I'm going to focus on researching the Mark Armor."
Tony was clearly unaccustomed to Alvin's sudden praise. He snorted and said, "If you have nothing to do, go out for a walk. Stop hanging around here and disturbing me!"
"Right, there's something I need to remind you about."
Looking at the obviously tsundere Tony, Alvin couldn't help laughing. He called out to Tony, who was preparing to leave in a hurry.
Tony, already halfway there, nearly stumbled. He snapped angrily, "What else is there? Can't you say everything at once?"
"During this period, no matter when, remember to wear the Deflection Field Defence Device." Alvin took a sip of his iced Americano, a strange, indescribable meaning mixed into his smile.
Tony's expression stiffened at once. His pupils contracted slightly as he said somewhat stiffly, "What do you mean by that?"
Alvin leaned back against the chair, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. "You haven't forgotten that you nearly got killed in Afghanistan last time, have you?"
"Of course I haven't forgotten!" The veins on Tony's forehead seemed to rise, and his pupils trembled for some inexplicable reason. "But what I'm asking is, what do you mean by telling me to wear the Deflection Field Defence Device?"
"I just have a feeling that this matter isn't as simple as it seems."
Alvin shrugged, looking somewhat innocent. "After all, you and the Department of Defense were testing weapons. Logically speaking, it should have been classified. Yet the terrorists in the Middle East somehow learned about it and even launched an attack using Jericho missiles. Don't you find that strange?"
Tony's eyelids drooped slightly. After a long silence, he finally replied in a hoarse voice, "I know what I need to do about this. You don't need to worry about it."
"I'm only worried about our deal, Mr. Stark." Alvin smiled and pointed at the Bolter on the table. "After all, I'm still waiting for your research results."
Tony, weighed down by his thoughts, ultimately couldn't say what was on his mind. He silently turned around and left.
"Mr. Valshus, on behalf of Mr. Stark, thank you for your concern." At that moment, J.A.R.V.I.S. slowly spoke, expressing its gratitude.
"There's no need to thank me, J.A.R.V.I.S."
Alvin set down his iced Americano and smiled faintly. "I'm a merchant with very simple motives. I make an investment to obtain greater returns."
Merchants pursuing profit was perfectly normal, wasn't it?
Since he was willing to hand Tony a life-saving artifact like the Deflection Field Defence Device, he naturally had to demand a greater return in exchange!
What was Tony Stark's most valuable asset?
Of course, it was his genius-level mind. As long as he could establish a friendship with Tony, Alvin would have a steady source of weapons he could replicate!
What kind of intense sparks would fly when the technology of the Warhammer Universe collided with the genius minds of the Marvel Universe?
Alvin was looking forward to seeing what kind of surprise the two worlds would receive when an Iron Man armor infused with Warhammer technology was born!
A subtle hint~ (I want monthly votes)
Before you continue