Dr. Maya
The meal was a little subdued, but fortunately, the talkative Katy was there. Like a stone tossed into a still lake, she sent out ripples of energy that kept things fairly lively.
It was past eleven at night by the time they finished eating. It really had been a late dinner. Li Qi told everyone else to go back to their rooms and rest, while he headed straight back to the basement workshop to continue developing, assembling, and testing his armor.
Xu Xialing assisted him, her movements brisk and her gaze focused, displaying professional competence. Daisy Johnson continued her ability training in a room on another basement level.
She concentrated fully, striving to break through her limits. Shang-Chi and Katy returned to their rooms to sleep, while Happy and the bodyguards guarded the villa with great vigilance. Like loyal sentries, they dared not let their guard down for even a moment.
Through JARVIS, Li Qi learned that Xu Wenwu was on his way. A trace of anticipation rose within him; he rather wanted to talk to this man tempered by the years. As for Ying Li in the master bedroom, he thoughtfully had someone bring her a meal. While he worked, he considered the family's situation. All four of them were staying in his villa. How should he handle this properly?
He glanced back at Xu Xialing, who was focused on assisting him, and decided to set aside all other thoughts for now and concentrate on finishing the armor. Throughout the latter half of the night, he worked single-mindedly on it, no longer allowing himself to be distracted.
It was not until the following morning, with the sun high in the sky, that the first suit of armor was finally assembled in preliminary form.
Li Qi painted the armor in classic red and white. The vivid colors complemented each other like blazing flames and pure clouds, making it particularly striking.
Next came testing. With the boost from his golden finger system, his innate athleticism and hands-on skills far surpassed those of ordinary people. In just over an hour, he familiarized himself with the new armor's maneuverability and could deftly operate it to fly steadily and make sharp turns at speed, as though he and the armor had become one.
Although he knocked several large holes in the villa, he felt it was all worth it for this result. Back in the underground workshop, he had the mechanical arms remove the armor and immediately felt lighter.
The suit weighed over fifty kilograms. It had indeed been rather awkward when he first put it on, like carrying a heavy burden.
By then, the villa had grown lively again. Katy's booming voice echoed between the floors from time to time, as though she meant to wake the entire villa. Shang-Chi finally had time to talk to his younger sister, Xu Xialing.
Shang-Chi looked at Xu Xialing with a serious expression, his eyes full of concern and puzzlement, and asked about her relationship with Li Qi. Seeing how dutifully and loyally she stayed by Li Qi's side, he had guessed a few things. Now he wanted to formally ask his sister whether she truly intended to continue like this.
Away from Li Qi, Xu Xialing once again became that proud, inwardly resilient female warrior, standing tall with a resolute gaze. At her brother's question, her expression shifted slightly, and she said firmly,
"Shang-Chi, just mind your own business. You didn't look after me ten years ago, and you have no reason to interfere with me now. I have my own plans for doing this."
Rebuffed, Shang-Chi stopped asking about Xu Xialing and Li Qi. He returned to his room and settled down to think about his future. After everything that had happened, he realized deeply that he could no longer drift aimlessly through life and resolved to make a change.
The morning soon passed. At noon, everyone enjoyed a fine meal in the dining room, savoring a moment of peace and warmth.
Afterward, JARVIS reported to Li Qi, "There is a woman at the entrance who calls herself Dr. Maya. She would like to see you."
Through the surveillance footage projected in midair, Li Qi saw a woman with Western features wearing black trousers and a white short-sleeved shirt, with a distinctly scholarly air. Her brows were tightly knitted and her expression anxious, as though she had an urgent matter that needed resolving.
Li Qi knew she was probably an Extremis Virus researcher and had come looking for Tony Stark, so he let her into the villa. Following JARVIS's directions, Dr. Maya arrived in the living room.
Behind Li Qi, Xu Xialing stood expressionless, like a cold statue, radiating an unapproachable air. When Dr. Maya entered the living room, she had expected to see Tony Stark.
She and Tony were old acquaintances who had met at a top scientific research conference in Europe. She had come to warn Tony to leave immediately so he would not get hurt.
Li Qi said to Dr. Maya, "Ma'am, you're here to see Tony Stark, aren't you? He's busy at the company right now. To tell you the truth, I've taken full control of all Tony's shares and assets. Whatever you need, you can tell me directly."
Dr. Maya's eyes filled with confusion. Since Tony was not here, was there any point in giving the warning? While she stood in a daze, Li Qi activated his mind-control ability and took control of her.
After learning why she had come, Li Qi considered for a moment and decided to settle her somewhere for now and focus on dealing with the impending crisis.
Through big-data searches and surveillance, JARVIS had discovered that Killian's squad and Xu Wenwu's Ten Rings squad would reach the vicinity of the villa at almost the same time, in less than ten minutes.
So he would deal with the immediate trouble first, then handle this woman. Li Qi called Daisy Johnson over. With Xu Xialing already beside him, he believed that the two female warriors and himself, supported by the armor, could handle these two squads without a problem.
As for Shang-Chi, Li Qi did not specifically summon him. Nor did he send Happy and his squad of bodyguards into action. They were all ordinary people, and Happy was diligent in his duties, so there was no need to make him take risks. He therefore ordered Happy to hide inside the villa and stay out of sight.
After making these simple arrangements, Li Qi first returned to the underground workshop and quickly put on his newly completed armor. His movements were practiced and decisive, as though the armor were part of his body.
Then he brought the two female bodyguards out onto the villa's balcony. Facing the sea, they quietly awaited the arrival of Killian's Extremis Virus squad. The sea breeze brushed past them, and the atmosphere was tense and heavy.