At the racetrack, the roar of engines was incessant.
Spectators crowded all around.
On one track, two specially modified race cars crouched at the starting line, their engines continuously warming up as the drivers inside silently awaited the signal to begin.
"The rules are simple. Three laps decide the winner."
"Yu Xian, don't cry if you lose."
Tony sat in his car wearing sunglasses, lightly tapping the door with his fingers as he looked toward Yu Xian beside him.
"Tony, are you sure you want to talk about speed in front of me?"
A teasing smile curled across Yu Xian's lips.
An armor personally made by Iron Man!
It's as good as mine!
Yu Xian looked at Tony with a provocative gleam in his eyes.
Though separated by space, their gazes seemed to clash with invisible bolts of lightning.
"Get ready!"
Catalina stood ahead of them, reluctantly serving as the referee.
"Three, two, one—go!"
Before her words had even faded, she vigorously brought down the signal flag in her hand.
Vroom!
In an instant, the cars under their control shot forward like arrows loosed from a bow.
For a time, neither side gained an advantage.
But when the cars reached the first sharp turn—
Yu Xian controlled his car at an unbelievable angle, tracing a perfect arc as he instantly drifted past Tony.
"Damn!"
"This guy's that good at racing?"
Tony's eyes widened, completely stunned by his opponent's driving skills.
He had never expected Yu Xian's racing abilities to be so exceptional.
In that instant, the guy had not slowed down at all—he had actually continued accelerating at full force!
Wasn't he afraid of flipping the car?
"Easy!"
With the reaction speed and precise judgment granted by the passive ability of his Stand, "Star Platinum," combined with racing skills maxed out through white skill points, Yu Xian instantly seemed like the god of racing himself.
His entire body seemed fused with the car. Every acceleration and every turn was perfectly timed, nothing short of flawless.
"You think you can shake me off that easily?"
"Not a chance!"
Though Tony was secretly amazed by his driving skills, he refused to admit defeat.
In the blink of an eye, they reached the final lap.
"All or nothing!"
With the finish line close at hand, Tony decided to gamble everything and tried to overtake Yu Xian from the inside lane.
However, Yu Xian seemed to have anticipated his intentions. He directly maneuvered his car to block Tony's path, completely shattering Tony's hopes.
"Damn it!"
Tony cursed under his breath, but there was nothing he could do.
Before the finish line, Yu Xian surged across first with a one-car-length lead, easily winning the wager.
"Haha! That felt great!"
Yu Xian jumped out of the car in high spirits and looked at Tony, who had also reached the finish line and stood nearby with a frustrated expression. "Want another round?"
Tony silently took off his sunglasses, his expression complicated. "Forget it. If I lose again, I won't be able to show my face."
He stepped forward and patted Yu Xian on the shoulder. "I owe you a mech. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise."
Catalina looked at Yu Xian in surprise. "Captain, you actually won! What else is there that I don't know about you?"
"Heh, never underestimate your captain's abilities."
Yu Xian curled his lips into a smile, feeling thoroughly pleased.
"Tony's picking up the tab for tonight's drinks."
[Detected that the host defeated Iron Man in a race and felt pleased. Pleasure Points +500]
Night fell.
Los Angeles's most luxurious nightclub, "Elysian Paradise," glittered with dazzling lights, while the music thundered through the air.
Yu Xian raised his glass and clinked it with Tony's. "To our friendship."
Tony smiled and shook his head. "To your damned driving skills and my soon-to-be-bankrupt bar bill."
On the dance floor, men and women twisted their bodies wildly to the rhythm, freely unleashing the passion in their hearts.
Catalina was also invited to dance by several men.
Under the effects of the alcohol and atmosphere, she relaxed for once, her blonde hair gleaming enchantingly beneath the lights.
"Look over there!"
Tony pointed at several supermodels in the corner. "Want to meet them?"
Yu Xian's eyes lit up. "Not a bad idea."
[Detected that the host felt pleased while socializing at a nightclub. Pleasure Points +200]
Over the next week, the two of them completely lost themselves in having fun.
"Slacking off during work hours is the best!"
Yu Xian lay on a luxurious lounge chair in Tony's private villa, leisurely drinking juice.
Life really is wonderful!
This protection assignment from Nick Fury is absolutely fantastic!!!
Nick Fury: (눈‸●)
[Detected that the host felt pleased. Pleasure Points +50]
"It's hard to imagine you're an agent."
Tony sat beside him, sipping whiskey. "You know how to enjoy life even better than I do."
"That's my philosophy of life!"
Yu Xian lazily stretched. "Life is short. Enjoy it while you can."
Just then, a white owl silently flew over nearby.
"Hoot hoot~ Hoot hoot~ (Boss, there's a new development!)"
Yu Xian found an excuse and slipped into the bathroom.
"What is it?"
He looked at White Phoenix, who had followed him in, and asked in a low voice.
"Hoot hoot~ Hoot hoot~ (That guy made a whole batch of huge things!)"
"Has it already begun?"
A sharp glint flashed through Yu Xian's eyes.
"I'm starting to get curious. With resources he didn't have in his previous life, just how far can this guy go!!!"
Meanwhile, inside a secret Stark Industries factory—
Obadiah Stane stood before a row of enormous steel mechs, a sinister smile appearing on his face.
"How is the assembly progress?"
He asked the engineer beside him.
"Ninety-five percent complete, Mr. Stane."
"With the new Arc Reactors, we can get all of them running."
Obadiah Stane gently stroked the cold metal surface of a steel mech,
his eyes filled with greed.
"Tony thinks shutting down the weapons division will stop war?"
"Foolish!!!"
"True power belongs only to those who dare to use it."
A force called ambition
began spreading wildly through Obadiah Stane.
Now that I have Arc Reactor technology,
and an army of steel mechs,
I no longer need to fear anyone.
Why should I keep fixating on the arms business?
Energy.
Only by controlling endless energy
can one possess the greatest backing in this world.
From the moment he gained Arc Reactor technology,
a faint idea had begun to emerge in Obadiah Stane's mind.
It was like pulling on a loose thread, only to discover an endless abyss within.
All kinds of dark thoughts grew in Obadiah Stane's mind.
I will become king of the world,
the ruler of the world's energy.
Obadiah Stane turned and left the factory.
Behind him, hundreds of steel mechs glimmered with cold metallic light beneath the dim illumination,
like a sleeping army, silently awaiting the day they would awaken and roar at the world.
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