The Advent of the Smartphone

"Tony, if there's nothing else, I'll be heading out. Staying here with you day after day isn't really a long-term solution!" Fang Bie said.

A few more days passed. While Tony Stark remained busy with his Iron Man Armor, he had basically mastered the full usage of the English language.

Although he might still struggle with professional English exams, he had no issues with basic reading and writing in this world.

Fang Bie took this opportunity to bid Tony farewell, only to be warmly persuaded by the other man to stay.

A few days ago, Tony had parted ways with Obadiah Stane on bad terms. Although he had put forward the concept of the Arc Reactor, those shareholders—who wouldn't act until they saw the results—simply wouldn't believe his one-sided claims before seeing a finished product.

Businessmen only care about profits, not sentiments. Even the two of them, who were touted by the media as having an intimate, brotherly bond, would fall out over such issues.

"I don't trust Obadiah. His behavior is too suspicious. He is desperate for the technology in my hands, yet he hasn't asked a single word about my situation. Even if he isn't the one who harmed me, he definitely has something to hide!" Tony said to Fang Bie.

He was still researching his Iron Man Armor at the moment, but unlike the original story, he lacked that desperate urge to save his own life, so his research proceeded at a steady, unhurried pace.

He had no prior experience in actually building an armor, and because of that, he could only add the components of the suit bit by bit, assembling it step by step.

"Hmm, I can only see endless greed and desire in his eyes, especially with the stock price continuing to fall. He seems to be losing his patience!" Fang Bie commented.

"Even so, our research must continue. The Arc Reactor represents a powerful source of clean energy. While it might not completely replace all energy sources in this world, the emergence of a new energy source means we will be carving out a massive piece of the world's energy pie!"

Tony didn't care at all that this was essentially cutting flesh from the world's energy tycoons. He was already a world-class tycoon himself; why would he concern himself with such things?

However, Fang Bie didn't seem content with just freeloading on the sidelines. He could feel that his abilities had been slightly restricted after arriving in this world, though the limitations weren't severe, and he still possessed other special capabilities.

For instance, he held memories in his mind that were twenty years ahead of this world's basic technology.

He had looked at Tony's phone a few days ago. It was a self-made device with a sci-fi projection screen that could rotate horizontally, making it lightweight and convenient.

This represented the level of "black technology" in this world, yet it still hadn't escaped the drawbacks of a keypad-based screen, and most ordinary people still used those rigid, square-button phones.

Fang Bie remembered that it wouldn't be until the timeline of Captain America: The Winter Soldier that a Samsung phone would appear in the hands of Captain America. He had also investigated and found that there was no mobile phone company called Apple in this world. Instead, Stark Industries' computer systems and Microsoft Group's systems split the market, while Apple had become an electronics industrial group similar to Sony.

"Tony, energy might bring your company a massive increase in stock value, but in reality, it cannot generate the huge volume of orders that weapons do to maintain the company's profits," Fang Bie said directly.

He knew that while he might hold a certain level of status and trust in the other man's heart, Tony wouldn't necessarily listen to his advice regarding technology and business, so he had to use a strong approach.

"So, why don't we start from another angle? For example, mobile phones!" Fang Bie picked up a tablet from the table nearby; it was one of Stark Industries' products.

"What's the use of a phone? My smart products can completely replace a computer!" Tony was clearly uninterested in his suggestion. In the eyes of someone who had been exposed to so much high technology, he saw no future in such consumer products.

However, he felt a genuine, heartfelt curiosity toward Fang Bie, a man with a mysterious background, so he didn't immediately reject the proposal and instead wanted to hear what he had to say next.

Fang Bie possessed the developmental trajectory of smartphones from his own world, so he certainly wouldn't be misled by such an opinion, even though he was facing the world's most brilliant mechanical genius, Tony Stark.

"You top tycoons possess resources beyond what others can imagine, so of course you don't worry about these things. But have you thought about what it would be like if all the functions of a computer were transplanted into a small phone that you could carry with you?" Fang Bie casually swiped a small, square-like phone from the virtual screen nearby.

This was something he had asked Jarvis to create based on his own ideas over the past few days. Aside from only existing in the virtual world, it was essentially no different from the Apple phones he remembered.

"Look, this is a palm-sized phone. It has no extra buttons, only a single 'home' button in the center. All its functions are performed on the screen, and every program you want can be found right there!"

Before Fang Bie had even finished his introduction, the virtual phone in his hand had already been taken by Tony.

He lowered his head and pondered for a long time, as if testing some of the settings on it. This minimalist screen and the square-like software interface brought him an unprecedented, unique experience.

It was an experience completely different from computer software. The feeling of holding the world in the palm of his hand was something even he found hard to forget.

"Minimalist design, a mechanical concept that transcends time, a marvelous idea!" Tony exclaimed. "Fang Bie, you really are a genius! Stark Industries has a complete software design chain and a mature software business model. As long as we have enough phones, I could hold a launch event right now!"

Tony was not just a design genius, but also a software and engineering prodigy. He could see exactly what kind of wisdom and creativity were condensed into this small phone, and he also knew what a massive storm would hit the world if such a device were to appear!

"Jarvis, based on Fang Bie's settings, assemble such a phone for me in the lab. You can use any materials you need. Use the RS-190 chip I designed earlier, and I'm giving you authorization to install the software!"

Tony acted as soon as he thought of it, immediately ordering the robotic butler nearby to get to work.

A large number of mechanical arms suddenly extended from the lab, retrieving equipment from various hidden compartments and corners, assembling them with incredible speed in front of the three of them.

Except for Fang Bie, no one would have guessed that the phone slowly taking shape before them contained the entire wisdom of a great commercial empire.

Stark Industries was not the richest or most profitable company in the world, but with this powerful weapon in hand, it soon would be.