First Windfall and a Flawed Blueprint

The van drove through the rainy night for twenty minutes before finally pulling into an abandoned logistics warehouse. The interior had been converted into a temporary safe house. The lights were dim, and the air smelled of dust and motor oil. Su Ying pushed open the door and stepped onto the concrete floor, splashing her boots in the puddles. Wolf followed behind her with a backpack, the scanning equipment inside still faintly warm. Deep in the warehouse, an emergency lamp was lit. A figure stood beneath it—Lin Xiao had arrived at the meeting point ahead of them. He looked at the soaking-wet pair without a smile, merely nodding. "Where's the data?" Wolf raised the backpack. "Right here. Complete and intact." Lin Xiao took it, his fingers lingering briefly on the cold waterproof fabric before he turned toward the makeshift workbench in the corner. Data-reading equipment had already been connected there, its blue screen glaringly bright in the dim warehouse.

Nightingale's voice came through the communicator. "I've taken over the warehouse's local network and established an encrypted tunnel. Data transmission can begin."

Lin Xiao unzipped the backpack and took out the palm-sized directional scanning device. Rainwater still clung to its casing, and the metal surface reflected the emergency lamp's glow. He carefully connected it to the data port on the workbench. The screen immediately flickered, and the progress bar began slowly climbing.

Su Ying took off her soaked windbreaker and hung it over the back of a nearby chair. Water dripped from its hem, forming a small puddle on the floor. She walked over to the workbench and looked at the progress bar. "How long?"

"Depends on the data volume and encryption level." Lin Xiao stared at the screen. "Nightingale, can you see it on your end?"

"I can." Nightingale answered from the technical room at the base. "The data packet is about 3.7 GB. The encryption method... triple DES, with a 168-bit key. It's not top-tier, but it isn't simple either. I'll need time."

Lin Xiao glanced at his watch. It was 2:17 a.m.

Outside the warehouse, the rain still fell heavily. Lightning occasionally tore across the sky, briefly illuminating the desolate industrial district beyond the warehouse's high windows. Faint thunder rolled in the distance like muted drumbeats.

Wolf took out a canteen from the side pocket of his backpack and gulped down a mouthful. His fingers trembled slightly—not from fear, but from the physical reaction after the adrenaline faded. He wiped his face and said, "They reacted fast. If Su Ying hadn't spotted the ambush ahead of time, we might have been trapped inside the factory."

"Ivan Vanko's people," Lin Xiao said. "That bearded man was probably one of his core team members. I remember the files mentioning him—Victor Petrov, a retired Soviet special forces operative. Skilled in close combat and explosives."

Su Ying recalled the scene in the factory. "He shouted something in Russian. 'You'll regret this.' Those were his exact words."

"Just a threat." Lin Xiao's tone remained calm. "But we need to be prepared. They lost the data, so they'll definitely investigate. Nightingale, how's the surveillance cleanup along the escape route?"

"Finished." There was a trace of exhaustion in Nightingale's voice. "I used three layers of proxies and directed the trail toward an Eastern European hacker group. Even if they have top-tier technical personnel, it'll take at least a week to trace it. But..."

"But what?"

"But they may use more direct methods," Nightingale said. "For example, putting out a bounty through underground intelligence networks. Ivan Vanko has some influence in Riga. He knows plenty of people in the gray areas."

Lin Xiao fell silent for a few seconds.

The progress bar on the screen reached 42 percent.

"We need to move faster," he said. "Once the data is decrypted, assess its value immediately. If it's worth it, we have to extract everything useful before they can react."

Su Ying looked at him. "What do you expect to find?"

"I don't know," Lin Xiao said honestly. "But Ivan Vanko is a genius. Even if it's only his early design drafts, they may contain technical ideas we need. And..."

He did not finish.

And if they were lucky, there might be information about the Arc Reactor inside. Even if it was only partial, even if it was merely the preliminary results of reverse engineering, it would still be a key to Stark's core technology.

Time passed second by second.

The air in the warehouse grew stifling. The emergency lamp gave off a faint hum, while the cooling fan on the workbench ran continuously, blowing warm air that smelled of electronic components. Su Ying found a relatively clean folding chair, sat down, and closed her eyes to rest. Wolf leaned against the wall and checked his equipment. Lin Xiao remained standing before the workbench, staring at the progress bar.

Sixty-seven percent.

Eighty-nine percent.

One hundred percent.

"Transfer complete," Nightingale said. "Now beginning decryption. Estimated time... forty minutes."

Lin Xiao took a deep breath.

Forty minutes.

He walked to the other side of the warehouse, where several plastic storage bins were stacked. He opened one. Inside were compressed biscuits, bottled water, and simple medical kits. He took out three bottles of water, tossing one each to Su Ying and Wolf before twisting open his own and taking a large drink.

The cold water ran down his throat, easing his taut nerves slightly.

"Do you think it was worth it?" Su Ying suddenly asked.

Lin Xiao looked at her.

"This operation," Su Ying said. "We exposed ourselves and made an enemy of Ivan Vanko. If the things in that data aren't important enough..."

"Then the loss outweighs the gain," Lin Xiao finished for her. "But that's what venture capital is. We're betting that Ivan Vanko's technical value far exceeds the trouble he might bring."

Wolf cut in, "There had to be something important in that briefcase. Otherwise, they wouldn't have set up an ambush—they clearly feared something would go wrong with the deal too."

Lin Xiao nodded.

That was precisely what worried him.

If Ivan Vanko's team had been cautious enough to set an ambush at the trading site beforehand, then the things in their possession were indeed sensitive. And sensitive often meant valuable.

He returned to the workbench.

The decryption program was running on the screen, dense lines of code scrolling rapidly. Lin Xiao could not understand those algorithms, but he could understand the remaining time beside the progress bar: thirty-seven minutes.

He pulled over another folding chair and sat down.

Waiting.

Thirty-seven minutes later, at 3:34 a.m.

"Decryption complete."

There was obvious excitement in Nightingale's voice. "The data packet is open. I'm doing preliminary sorting and organization... Oh my God."

Lin Xiao immediately sat up straight. "What is it?"

"A lot," Nightingale said. "I'll send over the directory first."

The main screen on the workbench flickered, and a file list appeared. It was long, with only a short section of scrollbar visible. Lin Xiao quickly scanned the file names.

[ARK_Reactor_Reverse_ENG_Partial_v0.3.pdf]

[Whiplash_Mk2_Concept_Sketches.zip]

[Energy_Transfer_Coil_Calculations.xlsx]

[Hammer_Industries_Comm_Encrypted_Excerpts.msg]

[Payment_Account_Info_Partial.txt]

[Materials_Procurement_List_Q3.pdf]

Lin Xiao's breathing grew slightly rapid.

He opened the first file.

The PDF document expanded on the screen, displaying a series of complex engineering blueprints. They were clearly scanned copies, with some areas blurred and stains along the edges. But the core contents were clearly visible: a cross-sectional diagram of a ring-shaped structure, marked with densely packed dimensional data and material specifications.

The Arc Reactor.

Though it was an early version, though it was an incomplete result of reverse engineering, it was indeed an Arc Reactor.

Lin Xiao's fingers slid across the touchpad as he turned page after page. The blueprints were incomplete—some pages were missing, while details of certain key components had been deliberately smudged or cut away. But the overall structure was clear: annular acceleration chambers, magnetic containment systems, energy output ports...

He saw familiar elements.

It was seventy percent similar to the Arc Reactor from Stark Industries that he remembered.

"This is the legacy Ivan Vanko inherited from his father," Lin Xiao said quietly. "Anton Vanko and Howard Stark jointly developed the basic theory behind the Arc Reactor. But Stark monopolized the results and drove the Vankos out of the country. Ivan has been trying to recreate his father's work ever since."

Su Ying walked up behind him and looked at the blueprints on the screen. "Can he succeed?"

"Sooner or later," Lin Xiao said. "He's a genius. Given enough time and resources, he'll definitely build a functional reactor. But the problem is..."

He switched windows and opened the file named [Hammer_Industries_Comm_Encrypted_Excerpts.msg].

It was a collection of summarized encrypted emails. The sender addresses ended in @hammerindustries.com, while the recipient was an anonymous mailbox. After Nightingale decrypted and organized them, the key information became visible:

[...Regarding the cooperation proposal you submitted, Mr. Hammer has expressed interest. However, we need to see a more concrete technical demonstration...]

[...The preliminary assessment indicates that your energy transfer technology has military application potential. If testing is successful, we can provide research and development funding...]

[...The first advance payment has been transferred to the designated account. The account information is as follows...]

Lin Xiao's gaze locked onto the final line.

There was a bank account number there, along with the name of the bank: Luxembourg International Commercial Bank.

The account holder's name was partially obscured. Only "V_Enterprises" could be seen.

"Victor Enterprises," Lin Xiao said. "It should be a shell company Ivan Vanko registered overseas. Hammer Industries transferred the advance payment for their cooperation into this account."

"How much?" Wolf asked.

Nightingale answered, "The emails don't state a specific amount, but based on Hammer Industries' usual practices, advance payments for this kind of technical cooperation are generally between five hundred thousand and two million dollars."

Lin Xiao's mind raced.

Five hundred thousand to two million dollars.

To Hammer Industries, that was barely worth mentioning. To Ivan Vanko, it was crucial startup capital. And to Lin Xiao...

It was an unexpected windfall that could be intercepted.

"Can you track the account's current balance?" he asked.

"I'll need a little time," Nightingale said. "Luxembourg International Commercial Bank has a very strict security system, but I can try. Even if we can access the information, though, we'll need the authorization key to move the money inside."

Lin Xiao smiled.

It was a smile Su Ying rarely saw—calm, sharp, carrying the confidence of a chess player who had found the decisive square for his next move.

"We don't need to touch the money already in the account," he said. "We just need to know when Hammer Industries will send the money, how much they'll send, and... whether we can move it elsewhere after it arrives but before Ivan Vanko can use it."

Nightingale fell silent for several seconds.

Then she said, "You mean... intercept it?"

"Yes." Lin Xiao stood and paced through the warehouse. "Ivan Vanko should be busy tracking us down and dealing with the fallout from the failed transaction right now. He won't touch that account anytime soon—especially if he believes the account information hasn't been exposed. But once Hammer Industries' money arrives, the banking system will automatically send a notification email. If we can take over that mailbox beforehand, or intercept that notification email..."

"We can transfer the money out before Ivan Vanko notices," Nightingale finished for him. "But we need the account's complete information, including the authorization key, security token, and..."

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Lin Xiao looked at the screen.

Nightingale opened the [Payment_Account_Info_Partial.txt] file.

The file did not contain much, only a dozen or so lines. Most of it was basic account information: account number, bank name, SWIFT code... But at the end of the file was a string partially obscured by asterisks:

[Auth_Key: 7k8j3m2n9p0q*1r4s]

"That's part of the authorization key," Nightingale said. "Four characters are obscured. I need to crack the complete key."

"Can you do it?"

"I can try." Nightingale's voice became focused. "Keys in this format usually follow a fixed algorithm. Give me... two hours."

Lin Xiao looked out the window.

The rain had weakened, though the sky was still pitch-black. A faint gray-white light showed on the distant horizon—dawn was approaching.

"Start," he said. "Su Ying, Wolf, get some rest first. We need to stay in condition."

Su Ying did not object. She walked to the corner of the warehouse, where several simple sleeping mats had been laid out. She lay down and closed her eyes, but Lin Xiao knew she would not truly fall asleep—an agent's instincts would keep her half-awake.

Wolf also found a place to sit, leaning against the wall as he began checking his pistol magazine.

Lin Xiao returned to the workbench.

He opened the [Whiplash_Mk2_Concept_Sketches.zip] file.

After the archive was extracted, it contained dozens of design sketches. Some were hand-drawn, while others had been made with CAD software. The blueprints displayed various Whiplash device designs: some emphasized energy output, some focused on portability, and some even considered integration with powered exoskeletons.

Lin Xiao examined them one by one.

His memories compared them.

In the movies from his previous life, the Whiplash device Ivan Vanko used when he attacked Tony Stark in Monaco was the Mk1 version. Crude, but devastatingly powerful. The drone force that later appeared at the Hammer Industries Expo was equipped with the improved Mk2 version.

And these blueprints...

They were early concept designs for the Mk2.

Some of the ideas were even more aggressive than what the movies had shown. For example, one sketch depicted a Whiplash capable of firing energy pulses, operating on principles similar to a stun gun but powerful enough to disable armored vehicles. Another sketch designed the Whiplash to be detachable in segments, each section fitted with an independent energy source so it could continue functioning even if partially damaged.

Genius designs.

Dangerous weapons.

Lin Xiao saved all those blueprints.

Then he opened [Energy_Transfer_Coil_Calculations.xlsx].

It was a calculation spreadsheet packed with formulas and data. Lin Xiao's mathematical ability was average, but he could understand the structure of the sheet: it calculated the efficiency and thermal loss of energy transfer coils.

The last few pages of the spreadsheet contained handwritten notes.

Russian.

Lin Xiao did not understand Russian, but he had Nightingale translate it in real time.

The notes read:

[The coil material needs improvement. The copper alloy currently in use has excessive thermal loss. It overheats after more than three minutes of continuous operation. I tried silver plating, but the effect was limited. We may need to find a better conductive material...]

[What material does Stark use? His reactor can operate continuously for years without degradation. There must be some technology we don't know about...]

[Father's notes mentioned "Vibranium," but that material is almost impossible to obtain...]

Vibranium.

Lin Xiao's pupils narrowed slightly.

Ivan Vanko knew Vibranium existed.

Of course, that was not surprising. Anton Vanko and Howard Stark had been scientists of the same era, and they had likely encountered some top-level secrets. But Ivan listing Vibranium as a potential solution meant that he had already begun considering breakthroughs at the level of material science.

That was a dangerous sign.

If Ivan Vanko truly found a channel to acquire Vibranium, even in small quantities, the power of his Whiplash devices would increase exponentially.

Lin Xiao committed the discovery to memory.

Then he returned to the Arc Reactor blueprints.

Incomplete blueprints.

Missing pages.

He opened a blank document and began typing.

Two hours later, at 5:40 a.m.

Nightingale's voice sounded again, carrying obvious exhaustion and a trace of excitement. "I cracked it. The complete authorization key is: 7k8j9d3m2n5x9p0q6z1r4s. Also, I breached Luxembourg International Commercial Bank's system and found the account's real-time information."

Lin Xiao immediately asked, "What's the balance?"

"Zero for now," Nightingale said. "But there's a pending transfer record. The sender is an overseas subsidiary of Hammer Industries, and the amount is... 1.2 million dollars. It's expected to arrive at nine this morning, Luxembourg time."

1.2 million dollars.

Lin Xiao took a deep breath.

To Hammer Industries, this money might be nothing more than an ordinary advance payment for technical cooperation. To Ivan Vanko, it was research funding. And to Lin Xiao...

This was Continental Hotel's first windfall.

"Can we intercept it?" he asked.

"We can," Nightingale said. "But I need your authorization. Once we touch this money, Hammer Industries will discover the problem soon enough. They'll investigate, and Ivan Vanko will be furious too. We'll be offending two forces at once."

Lin Xiao did not hesitate.

"Do it."

"Understood," Nightingale said. "I'll use seven different offshore accounts to launder the money, then transfer the funds into the shell company account we established in the Cayman Islands. The entire process will take twenty-four hours. After twenty-four hours, the 1.2 million dollars will become 'legitimate' business investment funds."

"Is it clean?"

"Clean enough," Nightingale said. "At the very least, Hammer Industries' accountants will need several months to trace the money's final destination. By then, we'll have already used it elsewhere."

Lin Xiao nodded.

"Begin."

He shut off the communication channel.

The warehouse fell silent.

Su Ying was already awake. She sat on the sleeping mat, watching Lin Xiao. Wolf had opened his eyes as well.

"Did it work?" Su Ying asked.

"It worked," Lin Xiao said. "1.2 million dollars. It'll arrive in twenty-four hours."

Su Ying was silent for several seconds.

Then she asked, "What do you plan to do with the money?"

Lin Xiao walked to the workbench and opened the document he had just created.

The document was titled: [Arc Reactor Technology Analysis Report (Supplementation and Deduction Based on Reverse-Engineered Incomplete Blueprints)]

The document was thirty-seven pages long.

It did not contain complete reactor construction blueprints—Lin Xiao's memories were not enough to support recreating the entire system. But he had written down every key technical point he remembered, his thoughts on material selection, and energy output optimization plans. At the same time, he had marked the missing portions in Ivan Vanko's blueprints and proposed several possible solutions based on physical principles.

This was not a manufacturing manual.

It was a technical roadmap.

A... navigation chart that pointed out the direction, marked the traps, and listed alternative plans.

"This is our second gain," Lin Xiao said. "Incomplete Arc Reactor blueprints, combined with my memories, amount to a... technical consulting report that can be sold to certain people."

"Sold to whom?" Wolf asked.

Lin Xiao looked at the screen.

On the last page of the document, he had written a brief conclusion:

[...In summary, reverse-engineering the Stark Arc Reactor faces three core bottlenecks: 1) magnetic field stability control in the annular acceleration chamber; 2) thermal management of the energy output interface; 3) material fatigue during reactor miniaturization. Possible directions for solving these problems include adopting a layered magnetic field design, introducing an active cooling circulation system, and exploring the application of new highly conductive, heat-resistant alloys...]

He saved the document.

Then he said, "Tony Stark."

Su Ying raised an eyebrow. "You want to sell this report to Stark?"

"Not sell," Lin Xiao said. "Give."

"Give?"

"Yes." Lin Xiao shut down the computer. "The value of this report isn't how much we can sell it for. It's that it can help us establish contact with Stark. A mysterious ally who possesses some technical details about the Arc Reactor and is willing to provide improvement ideas for free... That is worth more than 1.2 million dollars."

Su Ying understood.

She looked at Lin Xiao and suddenly felt that the man before her was more far-reaching than she had imagined.

He was not merely taking resources.

He was also weaving a network of connections.

"What about the money?" she asked.

"We'll use it to reinforce our base," Lin Xiao said. "Purchase equipment, establish a secure communications network, recruit peripheral personnel. Grey Falcon has some channels in Eastern Europe. He can find reliable people with special skills. We need to expand the team."

"The Continental Hotel," Su Ying said softly.

"The prototype of the Continental Hotel," Lin Xiao corrected. "Now, we have funding, technical leverage, and an initial team. Next..."

He picked up the printed technical analysis report, the paper rustling softly in his hand.

Su Ying watched the light flickering in his eyes—a light that belonged to a chess player seeing the entire board, calm and sharp, carrying an absolute desire to control the future.

She asked softly, "Who's the next target?"

Lin Xiao did not answer immediately.

He walked to the warehouse window and pushed open the rusted frame. The morning air rushed in, carrying the fresh scent of rain-soaked earth. On the distant horizon, the sun was rising, its golden light piercing the clouds and illuminating the desolate industrial district.

"Wait for the money to arrive," he said. "Wait for this report to reach the person it should reach. Then..."

He turned and looked at Su Ying.

"We'll know who the next target is."