The "Wall" of Stark Tower

Morning sunlight spilled across New York's streets like molten gold. Lin Mo crouched beside a bench in a Queens community park, helping a little boy retrieve a remote-controlled car stuck in a tree hollow. A faint, translucent glow shimmered at his fingertips. He could now control his phasing ability with ease—his fingers passed through the bark, gave a light hook, and the Spider-Man-shaped car slid out of the hollow without disturbing even a single leaf.

"Thank you, Uncle Wall-Crawler!" The boy took the car and skipped toward his mother nearby, the Iron Man charm on his backpack glittering in the sunlight.

Lin Mo smiled, stood up, and brushed grass clippings from his pants. Since the fire, the name "Wall-Crawler" had quietly spread through the neighborhood. No one knew who he was, but the children believed that a hero who could walk through walls was protecting them. Ted always mocked him, saying, "Being a hero is worse than going to Las Vegas to perform magic for money," while Peter had excitedly drawn him a "wanted poster" that read, "Seeking Wall-Crawler. Reward: one box of cookies."

"Brother Lin!" Peter ran over with his backpack on, holding a newspaper. Its front page showed Tony Stark standing atop Stark Tower against a clear blue sky. "Look! Stark Tower installed a new defense system. They say it can stop missiles!"

Lin Mo took the newspaper. Stark Tower looked even more magnificent than it had in the movies, its glass curtain walls reflecting sunlight like an enormous sapphire. The article said Tony Stark had recently installed an Enhanced Arc Reactor at the top of the tower. It could not only power the entire building, but also create an energy shield against outside attacks.

"An energy shield?" Lin Mo's eyes lit up as a bold idea suddenly surfaced in his mind. His phasing ability worked on ordinary physical structures, but what about energy? Could Stark Tower's energy shield be the perfect target for testing the limits of his ability?

Once the thought appeared, it grew like wild grass. His phasing proficiency had recently reached 75%. He could pass through eight meters of concrete, sustain the ability for ten minutes, and even take Ted through walls with him—provided Ted was drunk, of course. He was getting a little cocky and wanted to try something more difficult.

"Do you want to go see it?" Peter asked eagerly, his eyes shining with anticipation. "I heard part of Stark Tower is open to the public for tours!"

Lin Mo was tempted. He truly wanted to see it, not only to challenge the energy shield, but also to witness the building that represented the pinnacle of Marvel technology—and meet the man in the Iron Man armor. "Sure," he said with a smile. "But we'll have to wait until I get off work."

That afternoon, Lin Mo left the repair shop early. Carlos watched him go and grumbled, "That kid is definitely off to do something stupid again." But after Lin Mo left, Carlos quietly placed a repaired radio beside the community bulletin board—the one Lin Mo had mentioned the elderly residents wanted for listening to opera.

On the way to Stark Tower, Lin Mo deliberately changed into clean clothes—not his repair shop uniform—and wore the baseball cap Peter had lent him, trying to look like an ordinary tourist. He knew Stark Tower would be surrounded by surveillance cameras, and S.H.I.E.L.D. agents might be nearby as well. He had to be careful.

The closer he got to Manhattan, the denser the skyscrapers became and the more crowded the streets were. The air carried the smell of coffee and car exhaust, completely unlike the tranquility of Queens. Standing on a street corner, Lin Mo looked at Stark Tower in the distance. It was like a silver needle piercing New York's sky, its "STARK" sign gleaming in the sunlight, proud and ostentatious.

"It's incredible..." Lin Mo murmured. He could sense invisible energy waves radiating from the building like tides, faintly resonating with the frequency of his wristband.

When he reached the tower entrance, Lin Mo was stunned by the sight before him. Two rows of uniformed security guards stood at the entrance with scanners in hand, and everyone entering the building had to undergo strict inspection. Journalists and tourists crowded the area, holding up cameras and chatting excitedly.

Looks like sneaking in won't be easy. Pretending to be a tourist, Lin Mo wandered around the building and observed the security arrangements from the corner of his eye. He noticed that, besides the main entrance, there was a cargo passage on one side of the tower. There were fewer guards there. It seemed like a good opening.

When the guards turned away, Lin Mo quietly slipped near the cargo passage and hid behind a trash can. He took a deep breath and activated his phasing ability. His body instantly became translucent, as though blending into the surrounding shadows. He could feel his wristband heating up slightly, displaying a warning: [High-intensity energy field detected. Proceed with caution.]

"Now!" Lin Mo gritted his teeth and charged at the cargo passage wall. By his calculations, he should have been able to pass through the glass curtain wall as easily as he passed through the brick walls in Queens and enter the tower.

But the smooth passage he expected never came. The moment his body touched the wall, he felt an invisible resistance, as though he had slammed into a soft wall of cotton—except it carried an immense rebounding force. His shoulder throbbed from the impact, and he staggered back several steps, nearly falling over.

"What's going on?" Lin Mo stared in surprise at his hand, then at the seemingly ordinary glass curtain wall. He could pass through concrete, steel, even the thick metal plate in Ted's basement. How could a glass wall stop him?

His wristband suddenly began vibrating rapidly, and pale blue warning text popped up across the display.

[Warning! High-intensity energy shield detected!]

[Shield type: Arc Reactor energy field. Strength level: 9.]

[Phasing ability ineffective! Forced passage may result in energy backlash!]

[Recommendation: Leave immediately!]

Lin Mo's heart felt as though it had been struck by a hammer. He finally understood—this was no ordinary glass curtain wall. It was Tony Stark's energy shield! His phasing ability worked on physical structures, but against a field of pure energy, it was completely useless!

"Damn it!" Lin Mo cursed under his breath and tried again. The result was the same. The energy shield bounced him back, and his chest ached as though something had rammed into it. He could feel the energy shield's fluctuations becoming more violent, as if it had already detected his attempted intrusion.

"What's that kid doing?" One of the guards noticed Lin Mo's strange behavior and approached with a frown.

Lin Mo hurriedly activated his phasing ability and ducked behind a nearby trash can, holding his breath. He watched the guard look around in confusion. Finding nothing unusual, the guard shook his head and walked away.

"That was close..." Lin Mo let out a breath, his back soaked in cold sweat. Looking at the glass wall, he felt both frustrated and impressed by Tony Stark. The man really was incredible. Even his defense system was this advanced. No wonder he could become Iron Man and protect New York.

"Looks like I was too naive." Lin Mo gave a bitter smile. He had thought his phasing ability was already impressive, but before true high technology, it was still utterly inadequate.

Though unwilling to accept it, Lin Mo knew further attempts would be pointless and might even expose him. He glanced at the "STARK" sign at the top of the tower and curled his lip. Tony Stark, that old fox, was really cautious.

"Forget it. I should head back." Lin Mo sighed, turned away from the cargo passage, and headed toward the subway station. He decided to give up on challenging Stark Tower for now, go home and train properly, then try again once his ability improved.

On the way back to Queens, Lin Mo felt conflicted. On one hand, he was discouraged by the limits of his ability. On the other, Tony Stark's technology fascinated him more than ever. He began wondering whether his phasing ability could somehow evolve until it could pass through energy fields.

When he passed a bookstore, Lin Mo went inside and bought several books on energy fields and quantum physics. He had once been a programmer and did not understand much of that advanced material, but he believed that if he worked hard enough, he would eventually find a way to break through energy shields.

When he returned to Queens and reached the community park, Lin Mo saw Peter playing a game of "superheroes" with several children. Peter wore a red cape and pretended to be Spider-Man, running around the park while shouting, "I'm Spider-Man! I can climb walls!"

When he saw Lin Mo, Peter ran over excitedly. "Brother Lin! Did you go to Stark Tower? How was it? Was it amazing?"

Lin Mo smiled and rubbed Peter's head. "It was amazing, but I couldn't get in. The security there was too strict." He did not tell Peter about the energy shield. He did not want him to worry.

"I knew it!" Peter said smugly. "My dad used to say Stark Tower's defense system is the most advanced in the world. Not even a fly can get in!"

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat. Peter's father? Ben Parker? He remembered Aunt May mentioning that Ben Parker had once been a scientist who had worked with Stark Industries. Could Peter's interest in technology have come from his father?

"Your dad was amazing," Lin Mo said with a smile.

"Yeah!" Peter nodded vigorously, his eyes shining with admiration. "When I grow up, I'm going to become a great scientist like my dad and invent something even more amazing than Stark Tower!"

Looking into Peter's determined eyes, Lin Mo suddenly felt warmth rise within him. Thinking of his earlier frustration, he found it a little ridiculous. He might not have been able to pass through Stark Tower's energy shield, but he could protect these children in Queens and help Peter pursue his dream of becoming a scientist. That was enough.

"Keep it up," Lin Mo said with a smile. "I believe you can do it."

Back in the basement, Lin Mo sat at his desk and stared at the moonlight beyond the window, lost in thought. He took out a notebook and wrote: "Ability limit: unable to pass through energy shields." He knew this was an important discovery, and it had also shown him his shortcomings.

His wristband suddenly lit up.

[Host has recognized the boundaries of his ability. Mentality becoming more mature. Proficiency increased by 2%.]

[Current proficiency: 77%.]

[New function unlocked: Energy Perception (can detect the strength and distribution of nearby energy fields).]

Lin Mo's eyes lit up. Energy Perception? That meant he could detect energy shields in advance and avoid embarrassing and dangerous situations like today's. He tried activating the new function. Immediately, he sensed the surrounding energy fields like an invisible net. Queens' energy field was weak, while in the direction of Manhattan, Stark Tower's energy field shone like a brilliant star, dazzling and powerful.

"Not bad." Lin Mo smiled in satisfaction. He knew that although he had failed to pass through Stark Tower's "wall" today, he had learned something more important—understanding his own ability, accepting his shortcomings, and continuing to improve.

The next day, Lin Mo went to work at the repair shop as usual. Carlos looked at him and suddenly said, "I heard you went to Stark Tower yesterday?"

Lin Mo froze. "How did you know?"

"Ted told me." Carlos had a cigarette in his mouth as he blew out a smoke ring. "That kid said you tried to walk through a wall to get inside, but got bounced back. Is that true?"

Lin Mo's face reddened slightly. He nodded. "There was an energy shield. I couldn't get through."

Carlos smiled. "That's what I thought. That old fox's stuff isn't easy to crack." He paused and looked at Lin Mo. "Still, you had the guts to try. Not bad."

Lin Mo smiled but said nothing. He knew Carlos was sharp-tongued, but he did care about him.

That afternoon, Peter came to Lin Mo with a drawing. It showed a comparison between Stark Tower and Queens. Stark Tower was drawn as a massive robot, while Queens was a warm little house. "Brother Lin, look," Peter said, pointing at the drawing. "Even though Stark Tower is amazing, I still think Queens is better."

Looking at the drawing, Lin Mo felt warmth fill his chest. "So do I."

That evening, Lin Mo went to Martha's house to mooch a meal and found her glaring angrily at the television. On-screen, Tony Stark was being interviewed, saying he planned to promote energy shield technology worldwide, sparking major controversy.

"That old fox only knows how to show off," Martha grumbled, placing a piece of pork rib in Lin Mo's bowl. "Eat your food. Don't mind him."

Lin Mo smiled and took a bite of the rib. He knew that although Martha cursed Tony Stark, she actually admired him quite a bit.

After dinner, Lin Mo took a walk through the community park and saw the little boy playing with his remote-controlled car again. This time, the car had fallen into a storm drain. Smiling, Lin Mo walked over, activated his phasing ability, and easily retrieved the car from the drain.

"Thank you, Uncle Wall-Crawler!" the little boy said happily. "When I grow up, I want to be like you and walk through walls too!"

Lin Mo smiled and rubbed his head. "Work hard, but don't forget—walking through walls isn't for fun. It's for helping people."

The little boy nodded as though he half understood, then ran away with his remote-controlled car. Watching his retreating figure, Lin Mo suddenly understood—he might not have been able to pass through Stark Tower's "wall," but he could pass through the "walls" that stood in the way of helping others. That was enough.

Back in the basement, Lin Mo added another line to his notebook: "Goal: improve my ability and attempt to pass through energy shields in the future. But before that, protect every person in Queens."