Joint Investment Company

Luo Xia found it difficult to understand Tony's obsession; it seemed this Iron Armor was not merely an invention, but a form of spiritual sustenance.

Even if there were only the slightest possibility that he might fail to complete this invention, Tony was unwilling to take the risk. He would rather die as Iron Man than give up, even knowing full well that he would eventually perish from palladium poisoning.

However, not understanding did not mean Luo Xia would force Tony to act according to his own wishes.

Therefore, Luo Xia said to Tony, "Since that's the case, I'll help you finish this armor, and then you will obediently go get that surgery."

"You're going to help?" Tony asked, sounding a bit skeptical.

Luo Xia walked over to the semi-finished Iron Armor and reached out to touch the piece of technology that was about to shock the world.

[Individual Combat Exoskeleton Armor, completion rate 7%, requires 5,780 AllSpark energy to activate. By spending an additional 1,000 AllSpark energy, you can perform specialized enhancement; recommended path: Technical R&D Specialization.]

[Notification: The number of robots owned by the host has reached the limit. Please increase the AllSpark energy cap as soon as possible to obtain new robot activation slots.]

[Notification: Once the AllSpark energy cap reaches 10,000 points, you can break through to the second stage.]

As expected, this thing could be activated into a robot. And it was even a technical R&D-type robot, which Luo Xia had been waiting for a long time.

It was just a pity that Luo Xia's current AllSpark energy cap was only 4,000; he was still short of six Energy Activation Devices to reach the second stage.

"Tony, how much palladium do you have left on hand?" Luo Xia asked.

"Palladium? My Uncle Stane took quite a bit of it before, and there's almost no stock left now. Didn't I just give you a case earlier? Why do you need so much palladium?" Tony asked curiously.

"I'm conducting some research that requires a large amount of palladium, or other nuclear materials—even radioactive nuclear waste would work. Once I succeed, I should be able to help you finish this thing at the fastest possible speed," Luo Xia replied.

The Energy Activation Device required radioactive materials; it didn't strictly have to be palladium. Other materials of the same type could serve as substitutes.

Tony didn't ask what kind of research it was. Regarding Luo Xia's question, Tony could only offer one suggestion: "The manufacturing technology for palladium is held by only a few companies, and since the demand is low, it's hard to find. However, if you are looking for other radioactive materials, you could try asking a company called Global Consolidated Investment. I remember they handle nuclear waste processing, though I'm not entirely sure about the specifics."

Global Consolidated Investment?

Hearing this name, Luo Xia couldn't help but mutter to himself. When he was investigating the kidnapping case involving Harry, he had discovered that the mole inside Osborn had received money from this very company.

It seemed the waters here ran deep.

Luo Xia knew he couldn't make Tony change his mind, so he decided to focus on his own affairs.

Over the next few days, Luo Xia had Violet help him gather information on Global Consolidated Investment. He discovered that while the company's main business was in construction, it had many branches in other industries.

Nuclear waste recycling and processing was a business operated by one of its subsidiaries. Recently, this company had been undertaking large-scale demolition and reconstruction work in Hell's Kitchen.

What Luo Xia found interesting was that Global Consolidated Investment had only begun to develop in the last two years. One of the keys to this was that the company's first major contract appeared to be a military order.

Generally speaking, an ordinary company could not undertake military business; even building a basketball court for the military required special qualifications.

Clearly, this company had an extraordinary background, but how could such a prominent enterprise be linked to a kidnapping case?

Luo Xia couldn't find any more information, but he didn't intend to dig deeper into the company's situation. All he wanted was a large amount of nuclear waste to see if he could manufacture an Energy Activation Device.

"Violet, can you find the warehouse where they store the nuclear waste?" Luo Xia asked.

"Apologies, Commander. I only found the person in charge of the branch handling this project. As for the company itself, I can't find any useful information online. I tried to hack into their corporate network system, and then I discovered..." Violet hesitated.

"Discovered what?"

"I discovered that their company hasn't installed any network at all. There is only one landline, and I checked the telecom company's records and found that this phone has barely been used," Violet said.

"There's actually such a mysterious company?" Luo Xia was quite surprised.

"That is the situation. If you wish to find information regarding the nuclear waste, Commander, I'm afraid you will have to go inside and search the files yourself," Violet said helplessly.

It was already the 21st century with highly developed internet, yet there were still companies that didn't install a network? Were the employees there all seventy or eighty years old?

"Where is the company's address?" Luo Xia asked.

"Chinatown in Hell's Kitchen," Violet replied.

Luo Xia almost spat out his drink. This company was actually in the Chinatown of Hell's Kitchen.

Even if Hell's Kitchen was a slum, this was still New York! How could they possibly process nuclear waste right here? Weren't they afraid of being sued into bankruptcy by the environmental protection department?

Or perhaps this was just a registered business address, and the nuclear waste was actually stored somewhere else?

Regardless, Luo Xia would not give up on this lead.

Luo Xia had Violet monitor the company's situation at full capacity. Although he couldn't hack into the company's system, he still had Violet take control of all the cameras he could find in the vicinity of the company.

After carefully observing for three days, Luo Xia finally decided to take the initiative.

He drove the off-road vehicle that Luo Fei had transformed into near Chinatown. The car was a bit too conspicuous, so Luo Xia got out a distance away and walked toward the company called United Waste Processing.

It was the morning rush hour, and there were many pedestrians on the road; Luo Xia did not appear particularly conspicuous among the crowd.

However, he hadn't walked far before his Tactical Goggles locked onto a hurried passerby in the distance. Luo Xia followed him unobtrusively, then tapped the man on the shoulder. "Mr. Daniel Fisher?"

The tall white man turned his head in confusion and asked Luo Xia, "I am. Who are you?"

"Hello, I'm the customer manager of the Night Shanghai nightclub. You spent three thousand dollars at our place last night. If it's convenient, you'd better pay it now," Luo Xia said rapidly.

"What nightclub? I didn't..." Before the man could finish, Luo Xia had already closed the distance, a tactical alloy dagger popping out from his wrist and pressing against the man's lower back.

"Hey, Daniel, if you don't want a hole opened in your body, I suggest you come with me," Luo Xia threatened.

Luo Xia forced the man into the car and drove to a secluded corner.

This Daniel Fisher asked Luo Xia with extreme nervousness, "What exactly do you want? If it's money, you can have my wallet. Please, don't kill me, I have a wife and kids!"

Luo Xia, of course, had no intention of killing him; he simply reached out, took the gold-rimmed glasses off the man's face, and replaced them with a pair of black-rimmed ones.

Immediately after, Luo Xia blinked at Daniel, and a ripple of light flickered across his face. His features rapidly transformed to become identical to Daniel's.

Putting on the same black-rimmed glasses as Daniel, Luo Xia said to him in a hoarse voice, "Don't worry, I don't intend to kill you, but I need your cooperation."