Wenwu walked out of the research and development area and returned straight to the main hall, then summoned Ching-Lin.
"Ching-Lin, send someone to find another person," Wenwu instructed in a low voice when Ching-Lin entered the hall.
"Please give your orders, my lord!" Ching-Lin bowed respectfully.
"There's an arms dealer in South Africa named Ulysses Klaue. Send someone to find out where he is. He's crucial to us, so don't alert him once you find him. I intend to meet him personally," Wenwu said solemnly.
He knew full well that Ulysses Klaue was not just an arms dealer, but also one of the few people who could obtain vibranium from Wakanda.
In the Marvel Universe, vibranium was a heaven-defying metal no less remarkable than adamantium. It came from outer space and was one of the strongest metals in the universe.
It conducted almost no energy, including kinetic energy. The kinetic energy of an impact would first be absorbed by its molecular structure. Once it reached its absorption limit, it could release the energy in a burst.
Captain America's famous shield was made from this metal.
However, vibranium had a weakness too-it would become inert when exposed to sound waves of a certain frequency.
Wenwu planned to obtain the metal and use it to make himself an indestructible suit of armor.
After giving his orders, Wenwu turned and headed to Dr. Burstein's laboratory.
"How is it going, Dr. Burstein?" Wenwu asked about the experiment's progress as soon as he entered.
"Mr. Wenwu, we... we're just a little short of success," Dr. Burstein said, pushing up his glasses with some embarrassment.
"It's fine. There's no rush."
Wenwu waved a hand and did not reproach him. That was how scientific research had always been: sometimes a bottleneck could not be overcome no matter what, while at other times a flash of inspiration could bring immediate success.
"What exactly is holding it back?" Wenwu asked curiously.
"The test subject's cellular tolerance and willpower," Dr. Burstein explained.
Wenwu inwardly rolled his eyes. Instead of blaming the technique, he's blaming the test subject? But he did not call him out, giving him some room to save face.
After a moment's thought, Wenwu suddenly said, "Run the experiment again. I'll see if I can use an ability of mine to help the test subject undergo enhancement successfully."
"All right!" Dr. Burstein immediately nodded and gestured for his assistant to bring in another test subject.
He thought Wenwu meant to use the Ten Rings' energy, but they had tried that long ago, to no effect. He had assumed Wenwu had a new idea, but he had not expected the "ability" Wenwu spoke of to be the "chi" he had cultivated within his body.
Soon, a gagged man serving a heavy sentence was brought in-a burly Black man. Several guards quickly and deftly pinned him to the examination bed.
Once everything was ready, the experiment officially began.
At the same time, Wenwu infused an enormous amount of chi into the man.
"It's working! His cellular tolerance has increased significantly!" Dr. Burstein was ecstatic. He quickly pulled up the data while adjusting the voltage.
The man struggled violently in the pool of medicinal solution as the cells in his body were rapidly reconstructed and divided. The vast amount of chi Wenwu had infused became the greatest source of nourishment for his cells.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Wenwu's forehead. Clearly, the strain on him was just as great. More than half of the vast amount of chi he had accumulated had been used up in that short time.
"Is it almost done?" Wenwu shouted.
"Almost... almost, Mr. Wenwu! Hold on for another ten seconds!" Dr. Burstein replied excitedly.
As the ten seconds drew to a close, the man in the pool suddenly broke free of the alloy shackles, looking dazed. He burst out of the pool and hurled a vicious punch at Wenwu!
"You're asking for death!"
Wenwu raised his hand. The five Ten Rings on his right arm erupted with blue and gold light, and he met the attack with his right fist. Their fists collided with a thunderous crash!
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave spread in every direction. The pool shattered instantly, and Dr. Burstein, his assistant, and the guards were all sent flying!
Crash!
The man flew like a cannonball, smashing through the concrete wall and then crashing into the rocky mountainside behind it, leaving a huge crater. Cracks spread out in every direction.
A mouthful of black blood mixed with fragments of his internal organs spurted from his mouth.
But it was not over. Wenwu transferred the five Ten Rings from his left arm to his right and punched from a distance!
Boom-
The entire cavern housing the experimental base shook violently!
The Ten Rings struck the man squarely in the chest. His physique, which had been enhanced until it was comparable to titanium alloy, was instantly dealt a devastating blow. The flesh on his chest split open, and even his bones caved in!
"Pry him out!" Wenwu looked at the man embedded in the rock wall and turned to order the guards.
The guards soon pried the man out of the crater. Dr. Burstein stepped forward to examine him.
"He's still alive! But not for much longer!" Dr. Burstein exclaimed.
He had taken two heavy blows from Wenwu in succession and still had not died on the spot. Clearly, the experiment had truly succeeded!
"Keep him barely alive for your research. Once he's no longer useful, dispose of him."
Wenwu paused, then gave Dr. Burstein a faint smile. "Also, Dr. Burstein, I think you should spend some time studying my 'chi' from now on, and see if you can discover anything. If you can synthesize it directly, your human enhancement experiment will be a complete success."
"That's right, Mr. Wenwu! You must let me properly study that... whatever 'chi' thing of yours!"
Dr. Burstein was beside himself with excitement. The "chi" Wenwu had infused earlier had actually made his experiment succeed. It was incredible! He swore he would find out exactly what it was!
After three days of recovery, Wenwu's chi returned to its peak.
That day, he entered Ivan's workshop. Ivan was holding a fist-sized Arc Reactor that glowed a dim blue, directing five scientists as they moved materials.
"Mr. Wenwu, you came at just the right time. This is a safe, stable Arc Reactor!" As he spoke, Ivan tossed the reactor in his hand to Wenwu.
Wenwu caught it and weighed it in his hand.
"It can maintain an output of four billion joules per second. In theory, that's enough to keep a Boeing passenger plane cruising nonstop for nearly ten thousand hours."
Ivan folded his arms across his chest, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "This is much better than that thing Stark built in a cave!"
Wenwu inwardly rolled his eyes. He got such a huge advantage and still looks so pleased with himself. Has he considered the conditions Tony Stark was working under?
"Tony Stark is building the Iron Man Armor right now. Follow his blueprints and build a suit yourself. It would be best if you could improve on it," Wenwu ordered him.
"Sure!" Ivan made an OK gesture.
After Wenwu left, Ivan looked at Tony hammering away on the surveillance footage, a mocking expression appearing on his face.
"Poor Tony Stark. Everything you're doing now is just making a wedding dress for someone else," he murmured mockingly.
When Wenwu came out of Ivan's workshop, Ching-Lin came to report the profits from shorting Stark Industries this time.
"Three billion. Not bad, neither too much nor too little."
Wenwu nodded in satisfaction. Stark Industries' market value had been less than a hundred billion before, so making three billion this time was already a huge profit.