"This is the Attraction and Convergence Device."
Dr. Sterns walked up to the device, patted its cold metal casing, and explained:
"It can capture cosmic storms in space. The Arc Reactor supplies the power to sustain a special force field that filters out the storm's destructive high-energy particles.
The genetic anchoring field will lock onto your genome and guide the energy toward controlled, beneficial evolution while collecting all the energy data."
Wenwu looked up at the device, frowning slightly. "Why is it so big?"
"There's no way around it. We can't make it any smaller."
Dr. Sterns shook his head with a wry smile. "This device is meant to tame a cosmic storm. A failure at any stage could cause a catastrophe. We have to leave enough room for redundancy. Better to be cautious."
"In that case, leave it as it is."
Wenwu nodded, then changed the subject. "Give me all its theoretical data."
Dr. Sterns paused in surprise, but nodded in agreement. "No problem. All the files are in the terminal."
Wenwu nodded. His life depended on this thing, so he had to build another one himself to avoid getting screwed over by Dr. Sterns.
The protagonists of the Fantastic Four had been lucky. Instead of dying outright from genetic collapse, they had gained superpowers.
Even so, Victor and Ben had not been so lucky. Though they had gained superpowers, their mutations had deformed them, with Ben turning into a rock man outright.
He had no desire to become a monster.
With only half a month left until the cosmic storm arrived, he had to get the Attraction and Convergence Device into space as soon as possible.
He had already received intelligence that Reed had sought investment from Victor, his romantic rival and former classmate, just as in the original plot. They were now about to enter space.
Wenwu immediately ordered his people to move the device to the equipment area, then began studying the files Dr. Sterns had given him.
Over the past six months, his knowledge had expanded to cover more than a dozen disciplines, reaching the top level in every one. In terms of accumulated knowledge, he was no less capable than Dr. Sterns or Tony as they were now.
As such, he soon gained a thorough understanding of Dr. Sterns's theories.
Next came building a new Attraction and Convergence Device with his own hands.
Ten days later, Wenwu finally finished building it.
That day, Wenwu moved the three-meter-tall Attraction and Convergence Device aboard the medium strategic transport aircraft designated Ring-01 Black Bird.
The transport had a fuselage forty-two meters long and a wingspan of sixty meters.
Its power core was a medium Arc Reactor over three meters tall, which not only gave it a terrifying capacity for intercontinental strategic transport but also allowed it to evade detection by most of the world's radar systems completely.
For defense, the Black Bird was equipped with two small plasma close-in defense turrets capable of rapidly intercepting incoming antiaircraft missiles and drones.
A directional EMP jamming array was also concealed beneath its belly. Once activated, it could instantly disable the electronics in enemy missiles.
More importantly, it was equipped with a simulated gravity system, making it fully capable of serving as a space combat craft.
Once preparations were complete, Wenwu took Razor Fist and several mid-tier super soldiers aboard the Black Bird.
Before long, Black Bird 1 lifted off and shot into the sky.
When it entered the stratosphere, satellites belonging to other countries finally picked up its trail.
The US military even captured clear images of Black Bird 1, but when they saw the conspicuous Ten Rings emblem on its fuselage, the entire command center fell deathly silent.
Then came uncontrollable anger.
They resented and envied the Ten Rings' rapid technological development while also hating their own scientists' incompetence.
Six months had passed, and their Arc Reactor was still several stories tall. How were they supposed to install that in missiles and fighter jets?
"Reed! Victor! There's a craft approaching us!"
Inside Von Doom Industries' private space station, a beautiful blonde woman suddenly pointed out the viewport, her voice filled with undisguised shock.
"What craft? Sue, you're not joking, are you?" Victor abruptly leaned halfway out of the cabin, his brow furrowed.
"Look for yourself! You can see it with the naked eye!" Sue Storm pointed into the depths of space, her face pale.
By then, Reed, Ben, and Johnny had also heard the commotion and came out.
"Are we sure that isn't a space station?"
Reed stared in astonishment at the enormous silver object drawing closer in the distance.
"It's heading straight for us... Who are they? Could we be their target?" Ben rubbed his thick arms with some concern.
"Damn it. Will their arrival affect our research plans?" Victor cursed under his breath.
"It's the Ten Rings! Look, there's a golden Ten Rings emblem on that craft!"
Sharp-eyed Johnny recognized the emblem on the Black Bird at a glance.
"The Ten Rings? What are they doing here? Quick, send a signal and ask!"
Reed's expression changed abruptly. The Ten Rings were notorious for their ruthlessness. He had poured so much effort into this space research project. If they had hostile intentions, he and the others might even lose their lives here.
Sue immediately sent an inquiry signal.
However, the other side remained silent, offering no response. That silent pressure left all five people aboard the space station feeling utterly suffocated.
"It's stopped... One kilometer away from us," Ben said gravely, watching the radar.
"Could they be here to study the Cosmic Energy cloud too?" Victor asked in astonishment.
"Aren't they terrorists? They know the true nature of this cosmic storm too?" Johnny looked thoroughly puzzled.
"They aren't just terrorists anymore. They're a superpower with terrifyingly advanced technology."
Sue corrected him seriously.
The others exchanged looks and nodded. The technological capabilities the Ten Rings had demonstrated were indeed enough to make nations wary.
Sue spoke again, her voice heavy. "They've probably noticed what's special about this cosmic storm too. That's why they're here."
Reed and the others fell silent.
According to Reed Richards's theory, this Cosmic Energy cloud had swept past the primordial Earth in ancient times. The special Cosmic Energy it carried had induced genetic mutations and accelerated the evolution of life.
If they could analyze it, they could not only repair congenital genetic disorders and cure cancer in the future, but also achieve immeasurable breakthroughs in genetic engineering, new materials, and energy.
With such enormous benefits at stake, it was only natural that the Ten Rings would want to study it too.
"Let's hope they don't interfere with our research."
Reed sighed helplessly, then said gravely, "The energy cloud will arrive in five days. Everyone, go make your final preparations."
The others all nodded at his words.
Inside Black Bird 1, Wenwu looked through the viewport at the distant space station, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
In the original plot, Reed had miscalculated the Cosmic Energy cloud's arrival time, leaving all five of them exposed to the storm and causing their mutations.
Wenwu's own calculations had also put its arrival five days away, but to ensure nothing went wrong, he remained vigilant and ready at all times.
Time flew by.
Five days later, Reed was placing biological samples outside the space station.
According to his calculations, the energy cloud would not arrive for another eight hours, so he was in no hurry.
However, he was far too confident in his calculations. Just as he focused on his work, a torrent of golden-red energy came crashing toward him without warning, as though heralding the end of the world!
Aboard Black Bird 1, Wenwu had already entered the Attraction and Convergence Device before the storm arrived.
Razor Fist and six mid-tier super soldiers remained in the isolation area, their eyes fixed on the Attraction and Convergence Device. If anything went wrong, they would immediately activate the force field to isolate Wenwu.