Chapter 113: Five Months

“All right, she should arrive by tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”
“She will be responsible for your daily living needs and some minor matters.”
“If you wish to take things further, it depends on whether you, Mr. Tony, can persuade this female secretary.”
“Dinner will be delivered to you a little later. Mr. Tony, I hope you will grow accustomed to living here.”
“If there’s anything you wish to purchase, please contact me.”
“I will arrange it for you as quickly as possible.”

After Sonia saw Tony check off the list that appeared, she smiled slightly, politely finished speaking, and then left.

Tony somewhat understood Harvey’s intention — it was clear he didn’t want him to cause any trouble with Pepper.

Knowing this, Tony realized that pursuing romantic interests was out of the question for the time being.

But that was fine too; it severed his fanciful notions and allowed him to focus wholeheartedly on studying the universe and developing new technology.

So Tony began searching through the villa for equipment; first, he needed to install J.A.R.V.I.S.

Fortunately, the more advanced the civilian technology, the easier it was to operate.

It didn’t take long before Tony finished setting it up.

“Sir, this is—?”

J.A.R.V.I.S.’s voice sounded as it connected directly to the villa’s devices.

“This is Sandal Star. We will be spending the next year here.”

“Quickly connect to the network and scour the databases.”

“Investigate the history of Sandal Star, and gather all information related to cosmic fighter jets.”

“Then design a laboratory for me.”

Tony gave the command casually, allowing J.A.R.V.I.S. to handle it.

“As you wish, sir.”

J.A.R.V.I.S.’s convenience lay in saving Tony a great deal of time on research, allowing him to work efficiently.

Tony didn’t idle either; he began surfing the network using his cosmic communicator, checking the news from Sandal Star and events across the universe.

※※※※※※

Sonia returned to Harvey’s villa.

“Mr. Kassadin, everything has been arranged for Mr. Tony,” Sonia said as she approached within a few meters of Harvey.

“Did he show any displeasure?”

Harvey was somewhat surprised at how quickly Sonia had returned.

“Mr. Tony thought he could sneak around without issue, but following your instructions, I persuaded him to abandon the idea.”

“But will this really work?”

“Mr. Tony was originally a wealthy magnate, wasn’t he?”

Sonia smiled upon hearing this.

Mr. Kassadin had shared some intelligence about Tony, revealing that on his original planet, Tony was a world-renowned tycoon.

“For now, we’ll keep him in check. Once he invents something and starts making money, if he still has such thoughts, no one will be able to stop him.”

Harvey understood Tony’s nature. On Earth, Tony feared exposing his identity and being seen as an outcast.

Moreover, with Pepper by his side, it was natural for Tony to restrain himself from indulgences.

But now, although Tony and Pepper could communicate, they were separated by tens of thousands of light-years.

Once Tony developed his technology, gained money, and found some free time, he would surely be unfaithful.

However, Harvey had done all he could to dissuade him. If Tony ever caused trouble with Pepper, it would no longer be his responsibility.

“You are free to do whatever you wish now.”

Harvey looked toward Sonia and spoke.

“Yes.”

Sonia nodded in acknowledgment, then left to find food. After eating, she planned to exercise.

Meanwhile, Harvey gazed down upon Sandal Star, contemplating the future.

On Earth, he had achieved complete financial freedom, earning vast sums daily without effort. Naturally, he aimed to reach at least that level in the universe.

As the saying goes, money is always too little when you need it most; that was why he had brought Tony here.

Now, all that remained was for Tony to begin researching, inventing, and generating profits.

As his power grew, Harvey found himself looking forward to the day he would meet Thanos.

※※※※※※

Time passed swiftly, half a month gone.

Tony’s laboratory was fully built, and research had begun.

Harvey, meanwhile, enjoyed Sonia’s meticulous care and patiently observed those who came to the Void Cult seeking power.

With Rhenoli, Kyle, and the Seer staying a month before leaving the island to return to their lives, word of the Void Cult’s blessings spread ever wider.

More and more visitors came to pay their respects.

Thus, Harvey extended the waiting period to ten days, and the trials to come would be longer.

Time slipped by, and in just five months, with unlimited resources from Harvey and Tony’s tireless research, they finally developed a gravity device of their own.

It was more refined than any gravity device sold on Sandal Star, primarily designed for cosmic fighters and warships, and offered at a significantly lower cost.

Not only was there a breakthrough in gravity technology, but arriving in space had exposed Tony to knowledge he had never encountered before.

After learning, inspiration surged like a fountain, leading him to improve his Iron Man suit’s thrusters, significantly enhancing its speed and performance.

Tony was also researching nanotechnology, aiming to create a nanotech armor. However, nanotechnology proved more challenging, so progress was slow.

Nonetheless, Tony remained undeterred. At this pace, before 2017 arrived, he was confident he could elevate his abilities to their utmost peak and confront whatever unknown enemy awaited.

※※※※※※

“Mr. Tony, during these five months, a total of 865.34 million credits have been spent on research.”

“However, Mr. Tony has overcome the technological barrier of gravity control.”

“If Mr. Tony can develop more advanced thrusters and cosmic wormhole-jumping technology, he will possess the three main systems necessary to produce cosmic warships.”

Sonia reported this news to Mr. Kassadin with evident surprise in her voice.

“Mr. Kassadin, did you already anticipate this?”

Seeing that Mr. Kassadin was unsurprised by Tony’s achievements, Sonia asked with some curiosity.

Over these five months, Sonia had kept abreast of Tony’s progress as his secretary.

She knew that Tony’s initial grasp of gravity devices was merely rudimentary.

Yet, within a few months, Tony not only mastered the core technology but also improved it.

He produced more sophisticated gravity devices at a lower cost, which promised immeasurable wealth.

Although the models he created were limited and not suitable for high-budget large warships, they were widely applicable to small warships and fighters, already enough to generate vast profits.

Recovering over 860 million credits was merely a matter of securing a few major contracts with large companies and the military.

“I told you, few can rival Tony’s talent in technology,” Harvey said with a smile upon hearing the report, unsurprised by the outcome.

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Side note: Many thanks to Mu Jiangyi for their generous support of the fifth chapter.