After handing Happy the do-or-die weight-loss package, Tony Stark had basically put everything about Kraft Lee out of his mind. It had merely been a small diversion in his plain, unpretentious, and boring life as a rich man, no different from those magazine cover girls he forgot after sleeping with them.
But a few weeks later, Stark suddenly noticed a surprising change in his bodyguard Happy.
Staring at Happy, whom he had not seen for several days, Stark asked in amazement, "You actually managed to lose weight?"
As he spoke, Stark patted Happy's stomach, which had shrunk by more than a full size.
His surprise was entirely justified. As Stark's bodyguard, Happy's job was far too leisurely. Aside from driving him around and blocking reporters now and then, he had practically no other duties. And whenever Stark got hit by inspiration and shut himself in the lab, Happy got an indeterminate-length vacation.
Back in the day, Happy had been a burly man with eight-pack abs. Wasn't it this damn decadent lifestyle that had changed him?
Happy had once intended to work out properly, but laziness was one of the original sins. Without the pressure of work, Happy could never stick with it for long before giving up.
It was not until Stark gave him that weight-loss set, making Happy mistakenly believe Stark was dissatisfied with his work attitude, that he finally made up his mind to train himself ruthlessly.
However...
"What kind of fitness coach is that good? They actually got you to shed all that fat? You suddenly got so skinny that I'm not used to it."
Listen to that. Was that even something a human being would say?!
Happy's lips trembled as he pointed at Stark, too furious to speak. His eyes were filled with accusation.
Tony Stark was utterly baffled, having no idea what his bodyguard was so worked up about.
"Isn't it all because of that damn gift of yours?!"
After holding it in for so long, Happy finally roared it out. Once he started, he poured out an endless stream of complaints to Stark about how hard he had worked lately and how miserable his life had been.
And you had already forgotten every last bit of it!
Happy's glare at Stark grew increasingly furious.
"Oh, fine, I apologize, Happy... I didn't expect that kid's weird invention to work so well, and I didn't realize you'd misunderstand what I meant..."
Tony Stark raised a hand and softly soothed his bodyguard and friend, though there was something strange in his tone. He was clearly holding back laughter.
"You're still laughing!"
"Sorry, Happy..."
Not wanting to provoke Happy further, Stark quickly covered his mouth. But the amusement in his eyes could not be suppressed. After enduring it for a while, Tony Stark, who was used to letting loose, still failed to hold it in and burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha! Sorry, Happy, this is just too funny... Hahahahahahaha!"
After laughing himself silly, Stark ultimately used his usual and ever-effective money power to placate Happy. Yet it was precisely because of this incident that Stark became interested in Kraft's inventions again.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., bring up the channel of that little guy who invented the weight-loss treadmill."
After sending Happy away, Stark had J.A.R.V.I.S. pull up Kraft's Clever Hands Channel while he still remembered it, then began browsing through his old videos.
Most of the videos Kraft uploaded were knockoffs of Shougong Geng's creations. The technological content was not particularly high; it was mainly the bizarre ideas that were entertaining, so Stark mostly watched them for a laugh.
Until he found Kraft's videos about Mohist Mechanical Locks.
"Hm? This puzzle is pretty interesting."
With Tony Stark's intellect, he saw at a glance the ingenious design principles behind the mechanical lock Kraft displayed in the video. He promptly closed the video, because he did not want spoilers. Things like this were only fun when you took them apart yourself.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., buy every type of... Mechanical lock, was that what it's called? Buy them all for me... Forget it, just get me one of every product!"
Stark grandly waved a hand, unleashing his money power and going on a shopping spree through Kraft's channel.
Then New York's major media outlets suddenly noticed that Tony Stark, their favorite news subject, had at some point begun taking out several strangely shaped wooden blocks to fiddle with in his spare time. Sometimes, even when beautiful women approached to strike up a conversation, he barely paid them any attention.
Playboy Tony Stark had changed his ways!
This major discovery drove the media in New York and across America insane. Front pages and television programs everywhere began discussing the changes in Tony Stark and conducting all sorts of in-depth analyses into their causes. Naturally, someone eventually traced the little wooden blocks that made Stark ignore beautiful women back to their creator.
It was Clever Hands Doctor Kraft Lee again!
This discovery made the media frenzy even more uproarious, especially after Tony Stark said during an interview, "These little wooden blocks are quite interesting—far more fun than Rubik's Cubes. That kid Kraft has some great ideas. If he can graduate from college successfully, Stark Industries' doors will always be open to him." New York's media swarmed into Chinatown and began digging into everything related to Kraft.
Fortunately, Martin Lee's influence was already considerable by then, and he was able to shield them. The media only uncovered surface-level matters. Their darker history, such as escaping from the Maggia and being abducted for human experimentation, was all concealed by Martin. Very little information was reported, sparing Kraft a great deal of unnecessary trouble.
Even so, Kraft was harassed beyond endurance. He could not even go to school anymore and could only hole up at home and in his workshop doing research. No matter how much he enjoyed making things, being forced to keep making them would become tiresome. Not to mention the flood of mechanical lock orders Stark had brought in...
Kraft wished he could stuff every one of those Mechanical Locks down Tony Stark's throat!
Just as he was sinking into distress, Martin Lee stepped forward once again.
"Don't look so worried, Kraft."
Martin Lee sat beside Kraft with a smile, wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and gave him a gentle pat.
"Haven't you always said your experiments lacked funding? This is a great opportunity!"
Seeing that Kraft still looked confused, Martin patiently explained.
"Your Mechanical Locks are different from that previous weight-loss set. They have a much broader popular appeal, and Stark, the media darling, has even given them free publicity. As long as you expand sales of the Mechanical Locks, forget replacing Rubik's Cubes—at the very least, you won't need to worry about funding anymore. And later, you won't need to spend energy making the locks yourself. You just need to put out a new blueprint every now and then and leave the rest to the factory."
Kraft's eyes immediately lit up, but he soon slumped again. "Where am I supposed to get enough money to set up a factory and expand production...?"
"Have you gone stupid from making things all day?" Martin laughed and smacked Kraft on the head. "I'll provide the funds, and we can recruit workers from the shelter. You just handle the designs and wait to collect your share."
"Oh! Martin! I love you to death!"
Kraft happily jumped up, threw his arms around Martin's neck, and shouted.
Back when Martin Lee had told Kraft that his business was picking up and he had made a lot of money, Kraft had not really understood what that meant.
To him, making a lot of money probably meant Martin could move them into a nicer residential area in Chinatown and still have spare money to help the homeless.
After all, Martin himself only drove an ordinary-looking Ford. He did not even own a sports car. How rich could he possibly be?
But when Kraft saw Martin make a single phone call and have the company, factory space, trademark, sales channels, and everything else related to the Mechanical Locks sorted out in just a few days, he finally realized that when his adoptive father said "a lot of money," he probably meant a truly enormous amount.
Selling jars and bottles was that profitable?
In truth, Kraft did not know exactly what kind of business Martin was running. He never paid attention to such things. All he knew was that Martin had previously sold some jars and bottles, as well as oddly shaped statues and the like. Supposedly, they were antiques.
Although he was surprised by Martin's money-making ability, Kraft quickly became happy after his initial shock. At least he no longer had to worry about Martin being bankrupted by that shelter. And once the mechanical lock factory opened, he would have enough funds to try out those more advanced inventions from his dreams.
As for the Clever Hands Channel that had caused him so much trouble, Kraft was already preparing to abandon it.
"You can't!!!"
Upon hearing the news, Fatty Liao lunged forward, wrapped his arms around Kraft's leg, and began howling.
"We agreed on a win-win partnership! You can't just abandon me like this! And wouldn't that be too unfair to the fans who support you?"
Kraft was helpless in the face of Fatty Liao's shameless persistence. But Fatty Liao had been his partner from the early days of their venture, so it was clearly not appropriate to simply abandon him. Besides, his final point made sense. Kraft could not easily give up the fans subscribed to his channel just because of that troublesome Stark.
"Fine, fine. I'll still make some videos about fun inventions for you in the future. I won't care how you handle the rest."
Kraft impatiently shook his leg.
"Get off me already. You're heavy as hell!"
"I knew it, Kraft—you're a loyal friend! You're the reincarnation of Zuo Botao, the second coming of Guan Erye!"
With speed completely at odds with his size, Fatty Liao sprang to his feet. His mournful fat face switched to a radiant smile in an instant. He happily patted Kraft on the back and began praising him without the slightest shame.
"Get lost!"
Before you continue