Marvel: The Rise of Little Iron Man

Chapter 48: Chapter 48



The Triskelion, Sub-level Three, Advanced Propulsion Laboratory.

The air seemed to have solidified, so heavy it was hard to breathe.

Dozens of heavily armed agents had sealed every entrance and exit. Inside the lab, a group of gray-haired old scientists and young researchers surrounded a massive ring-shaped device, their expressions a mix of emotions.

A holographic projection of the device hovered in mid-air. Countless data streams representing energy flow and structural mechanics flickered and intersected across it, but several key parameters were flashing with glaring red alarms.

"Who did this?"

A cool voice broke the dead silence.

Paul had appeared at the lab's entrance at some point. He wasn't even wearing any protective gear, just a set of casual clothes, his hands stuffed in his pockets as his calm gaze swept across the room.

His eyes finally settled on the glaring red data, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.

A young scientist, not yet thirty, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, puffed out his chest, his face a mixture of self-satisfaction and arrogance.

"I did, Mr. Paul. My name is Jennings, Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard." He pushed up his glasses. "I studied your schematics and found several redundant designs, as well as a theoretical bottleneck in energy conversion efficiency. So I made some optimizations. I increased the power of the neutron confinement field by three-point-five percent and modified the coolant flow rate…"

He prattled on, describing his "masterpiece" as if awaiting Paul's praise and admiration.

The surrounding senior scientists looked at their feet, at the ceiling, anywhere but at him. Not a single one spoke up. The looks they gave Jennings were tinged with a hint of pity.

Paul listened quietly, his face expressionless. Only after Jennings had finished did he speak, his voice soft but carrying clearly throughout the entire lab.

"Did your Harvard Ph.D. in physics teach you to deliberately weaken the magnetic confinement field right before a high-energy particle collision?"

Jennings's smile froze on his face. "I… I was trying to increase the instantaneous energy peak…"

"Increase the peak?" Paul scoffed. He finally pulled his hands from his pockets and pointed at a spot on the hologram. "You decreased the coolant flow rate by seven percent but increased the confinement field power by three-point-five percent. Were you hoping the superconducting coils would melt from overheating before reaching the critical point? Or did you think this three-billion-dollar laboratory looked like a giant firework?"

His tone remained even, but the content of his words was like sharp icicles, stabbing brutally into Jennings's ears.

Jennings's face turned from red to white, his lips trembling. "No… impossible, my calculations…"

"Your calculations?" Paul walked forward and casually tapped a few keys on the console's virtual keyboard. A series of new formulas and data models instantly covered the screen.

"You cited the 'Kármán vortex street effect' to calculate fluid dynamics but ignored the fact that in a supercritical state, quantum tunneling caused by energy overflow increases exponentially. You didn't even factor in the most basic 'Feldman's Paradox' before you dared to touch my parameters?"

With every sentence Paul spoke, Jennings's face grew another shade paler.

The theories he had never heard of, the formulas he couldn't begin to comprehend, pressed down on him like mountains, suffocating him.

The senior scientists watched the elegant deduction unfold on the screen, their expressions shifting from detached amusement to shock, and finally, to a deep sense of awe.

Problems that had stumped their team for weeks were being solved by this young man as if they were elementary school math problems.

"Ignorance isn't your fault. But being ignorant and self-righteous is unforgivably stupid."

Paul's voice delivered the final blow.

"The result of your so-called 'optimization' isn't improved engine performance, but an uncontrollable chain fusion reaction within 0.37 seconds of ignition. At which point, the entire Triskelion will be wiped off the map."

"And you, Dr. Jennings," Paul turned, giving him a long, hard look, "will go down as the most expensive idiot in S.H.I.E.L.D. history."

"I… I…"

Jennings's mouth hung open, his mind a complete blank. He stared at the final, scarlet result on the screen—the one that represented total annihilation—and felt the world go dark. His legs gave out, and he fell straight backward.

"Medic!"

The nearby agents reacted instantly, dragging him out.

The farce was over. A suffocating silence returned to the lab.

All eyes were on Paul. His slender back, at this moment, seemed incredibly tall.

"Does anyone else have any questions about my design?" Paul asked faintly.

No one answered.

"Good."

Paul turned to the project lead, an old scientist named Dr. Adams. "Change the parameters back. Not a single decimal point out of place. Then, prepare for the final power simulation."

"Yes… Yes! Mr. Paul!"

Dr. Adams nodded quickly, like a schoolboy receiving instructions from his teacher. He immediately directed his researchers to correct the altered data, one line at a time.

When all the parameters were restored to Paul's original design, the flashing red alarms vanished instantly. The entire data stream became smooth and harmonious, like a supremely precise clock finally set to the correct time.

Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their work efficiency visibly increased severalfold.

Without the self-important "optimization," everything fell into place.

Half an hour later, all preparations were complete.

"Mr. Paul, hardware self-check is complete. We're ready to begin the simulation test at any time," Dr. Adams reported respectfully.

Paul nodded and pulled a solid black memory chip from his pocket, handing it over.

"S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current control program can't handle this engine. Use the one I wrote."

Dr. Adams took the small chip with both hands, feeling its immense weight. He had no doubt that the technology contained within it was valuable enough to make any country in the world go mad for it.

When the control program written by Paul was imported into the system, the holographic projection in the center of the lab transformed.

What was once a mere structural model was instantly imbued with life. A幽-blue energy halo ignited from the core, flowing slowly through every conduit until it converged into a brilliant river of stars.

It was an indescribable form of industrial aesthetics, a perfect fusion of violence and precision.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and anxiety.

Paul stood before the console, his gaze fixed on the ethereal blue light.

Even he couldn't help but feel a sliver of nervousness. This was the first time he was putting theory into practice, combining the memories of Hiro Hamada with the top-tier material science of this world.

This engine wasn't just for the Helicarrier. It was the first… component of his future, grander plan.

"Begin the test," he ordered in a low voice.

"Roger. Power simulation commencing. Output at ten percent… twenty… fifty…"

The operator's voice trembled slightly.

The blue light in the hologram grew brighter and brighter, and the various indicators on the monitoring screens began to skyrocket.

"Energy output stable!"

"Core temperature normal!"

"Structural stress within safe thresholds!"

Each report was like a shot of adrenaline, injected directly into everyone's heart.

"Power at ninety percent… one hundred!"

"Full power!" Dr. Adams roared.

*VMMMMMM—!*

A low hum, as if from the depths of the cosmos, resounded through the lab.

The holographic engine erupted with a light as dazzling as the sun. The幽 blue shifted to incandescent white. The immense energy readings streaked across the screen, leaving afterimages before finally locking onto a number that made everyone's eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

Silence.

A dead silence.

Everyone stood as if petrified, staring blankly at the number, their brains unable to process it.

"My God…" a young researcher murmured. He slapped himself across the face. The stinging pain told him this wasn't a dream.

"We did it… We actually did it!"

Someone shouted first, and the suppressed emotions instantly detonated.

"WOOOO!"

"WE DID IT!"

The laboratory erupted in thunderous cheers. Old scientists hugged each other, tears streaming down their faces. They threw their hats and clipboards into the air, unleashing their pent-up joy.

They had witnessed the birth of a miracle.

A miracle capable of changing the world's energy landscape.

Dr. Adams rushed over to Paul, so excited he was incoherent. "Mr. Paul! You… you are a god! This data… it's fifteen percent higher than the theoretical maximum! This is a revolution in physics!"

Yet, in this sea of celebration, Paul was the only calm one.

He looked at the dazzling data on the screen, not a hint of joy on his face. Instead, his expression grew increasingly grave.

He slowly turned his head, his gaze cutting through the excited crowd to meet Dr. Adams's. His voice was clear, rising above the cheers.

"Doctor, this engine is just the beginning."

Dr. Adams froze, his ecstatic expression fixed on his face. "The beginning? What do you mean…"

Paul's eyes grew profound as if he were seeing something beyond their time.

"In the S.H.I.E.L.D. database, I came across a fragmented file."

His voice was soft, but it made the hearts of Dr. Adams and a few other senior scientists sink.

"A file codenamed 'Project Rebirth,' and some scattered research on 'Pym Particles.'"

"This engine solves the power source problem."

A corner of Paul's mouth lifted into a smile that no one else could understand.

"Now, it's time to begin the real project."

As his words fell, he turned and walked toward the exit, leaving a room of people staring after him with a mixture of awe and confusion.

The sounds of celebration had died down at some point. An inexplicable chill began to creep into everyone's heart.

They suddenly realized that what this boy genius wanted might not be a Helicarrier at all.

What he wanted to build was something they couldn't even begin to imagine… a new world.


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