300 gems = bonus chapter
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The new battle suit utilized two distinct energy sources for its power supply; this was merely the first generation of the armor.
In Ivan's considered opinion, the armor required further upgrades. With a solid foundation now established, the process of enhancement would be considerably faster. Currently, the armor's capabilities were, at best, comparable to the Mark IV level that Iron Man had previously employed; to comprehensively defeat Tony Stark, the pace of these upgrades needed to be significantly accelerated.
Tony Stark was not an isolated individual; behind him stood the entirety of Stark Industries, as well as the sophisticated artificial intelligence, Jarvis, capable of providing him with a vast array of critical services. Ivan, in contrast, was operating entirely alone; he had personally fabricated all the necessary machinery and components himself. This solitary approach had inevitably, and greatly, slowed down his speed of development and iteration.
To address this, John suggested, "You could find some assistants, subdivide your production tasks, and then delegate those to the assistants to handle."
Ivan himself felt that relying solely on his own efforts was proving too slow. It was a distinct pity he did not have access to a system like Jarvis; otherwise, his current speed of development could likely be doubled.
The first-generation machine was carefully housed within Taran Industries' underground laboratory. As the laboratory had sustained damage from the prior explosion, they were now in the process of reinstalling more advanced experimental equipment. During this period, Ivan personally supervised the operations, and the Taran reactor, responsible for energy supply, was relocated to another floor.
Olov, rubbing his hands together in anticipation, frequently visited Ivan's workspace to check on the progress. Every time he passed by the formidable armor lying quiescently in its charging bay, he could not entirely conceal the unmistakable fondness in his eyes. If it were not for the distinct fear of Ivan going on strike, this man would almost certainly have moved the armor to his own office for his private collection.
The new laboratory required a considerable amount of time for proper reinforcement. Steel and cement were extensively used to strengthen the laboratory walls, aiming to prevent them from being compromised again by any blast wave and to contain any potential fallout. The latest impact-absorbing interlayer panels were incorporated, capable of absorbing seventy-five percent of any impact force. The entire Taran Industries building also underwent a thorough renovation. Broken glass was meticulously cleaned up and replaced.
Olov specially reserved an office for John on the top floor. From that vantage point, one could behold the entire panoramic view of Manhattan; besides the Stark Tower, which was currently under construction, it was the tallest edifice in the vicinity. Taran Industries provided holidays and distributed bonuses, which significantly improved the overall happiness index of its employees.
*****
On Miami Beach, employees of Taran Industries were thoroughly enjoying the sun, sand, and a company-sponsored barbecue.
John, with one hand casually tucked into his pocket, observed Ferdinand, who was enthusiastically grilling food outdoors, a wide smile revealing a mouthful of white teeth. John remarked with a note of emotion, "I was not aware you possessed a resort hotel here."
Olov had attractive women on both sides, and these sexy and beautiful female models giggled coquettishly in his arms. Hearing John's question, Olov denied ownership, "This is not mine; it belongs to your father."
John's expression faltered. "..." It seemed he had just heard something rather incredible. His features stiffened slightly. When Olov saw this, he laughed heartily and elaborated, "Do not worry, your mother is aware. Originally, this place was slated to be converted into a Continental Hotel, but unfortunately, people frequently come here for tourism, so we ultimately abandoned that particular idea."
John breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this; he certainly did not want his Father to be beaten into a hospital bed by his Mother. Since it was the family's property, allowing employees to vacation here was naturally not an issue.
"Your assistant has been on leave for quite some time now." Olov gently patted the shapely buttocks of the two beauties, bid them to leave first, and then walked over to John, saying, "You had better find a new one. I am aware that you often do not personally handle those official duties."
"At our level, many tasks do not require personal intervention," Olov chuckled, a lewd smile playing on his lips. "The assistant handles matters during the day and... during the night."
"I am not you," John stated with a touch of exasperation. "But you did remind me that I should indeed find an assistant." If he had a competent assistant, he would not need to dispatch Ferdinand for tasks such as purchasing houses. The last time he had asked that young man to buy a house, Ferdinand had ended up buying it back for John at a price thirty percent higher than the actual value of the property. Although John possessed considerable wealth, the money of affluent individuals is not typically earned through foolishness. John also felt that he required a professional's expertise. After all, he had spent more time in the Wizarding World than in the Muggle world, and there were certain areas where he simply could not compare to seasoned professionals.
"As long as you understand," Olov remarked, picking up a glass of champagne and proceeding to dance his way outside. "Life is the most important thing, John." His cheerful demeanor and protruding belly made it difficult for anyone to associate him with the formidable figure of the former War Lord. The days of living precariously on the edge, licking blood from the blade of a knife, were gone forever. Olov now preferred to savor life, driving luxury cars and keeping beautiful women as company.
*****
After returning to New York from Miami, Ferdinand still had more he wished to say.
"We should have stayed at the beach for a longer period, Boss," Ferdinand commented while driving. "After all, I am also an employee of Taran Industries."
"If you are willing to return the over ten thousand plus that you overspent of mine," John, gazing out the window from the back seat, said indifferently, "I would not mind allowing you to stay a little longer." Ferdinand fell silent; it was his own fault for not understanding the market and consequently being taken advantage of by that cunning old man.
John opened his newly purchased laptop, typed on the keyboard, and posted a job advertisement for an assistant. After posting the information, he closed the computer and set it aside.
After all, Ferdinand had been driving for John for some time now, and he possessed a degree of understanding regarding John's preferences and frequently visited locations. Just as he was about to head towards that familiar restaurant with the yellow sign, John spoke, "Go to Stark Industries."
"What?" Ferdinand turned the steering wheel, exclaiming with exaggerated drama, "Boss, we cannot simply decide to directly eliminate Tony Stark merely to reduce business competition." He genuinely thought John was planning to assassinate Tony Stark.
John was speechless. "What are you imagining? I have an appointment with Stark."
"Okay." Ferdinand was intensely curious about the connection between the two men. After all, Ivan was still concealed within Taran Industries, and John was effectively hiding Tony Stark's mortal enemy; it certainly did not appear as though they were friends in any conventional sense.
They drove to Stark Industries and stopped downstairs. John did not open the car door to get out; he waited in the vehicle for Tony to come over. Soon, Tony approached, under the protection of his rather portly bodyguard, Happy. No, Happy was the head of security now.
Happy immediately became alert when he saw Ferdinand leaning against the car outside. Perhaps it was a form of mutual telepathy between drivers; Ferdinand and Happy both experienced a strange, indefinable feeling when looking at each other. They were mutually wary.
As Happy's boss, Tony instructed, "Alright, go get that item for me." After saying that, Tony stood there and greeted John, "Hello, British gentleman."
"I thought you would postpone this until next year," John remarked, opening the car door and getting out, then casually asking, "Renovating the building?"
"This will become a landmark edifice," Tony declared confidently. "I can permit you to take photographs free of charge."
"Do you not think the overall appearance of this building is a trifle too sloppy?" John inquired. "Did you draw the design yourself?"
"Ahem, yes, do you not find it to be very distinctive?" Tony's aesthetic sensibilities were being openly mocked. John simply gave him a look that conveyed his understanding. As for taking pictures, if John remembered correctly, this particular place would be destroyed in relatively short order.
Happy handed the silver briefcase to Ferdinand. Although Ferdinand did not know what it contained, he still acted with utmost professionalism. He stood at attention in a military posture, looking every bit the part of a professional security guard.
John asked casually, "How is the clean energy research progressing?"
Tony replied, "It is proceeding very well, especially with the incorporation of new ideas."
"That is good," John said, opening the box that Ferdinand had handed him; inside lay a USB drive. He tossed it up and caught it. "We are also quite close to a breakthrough."
"Then I will only be faster," Tony retorted, unwilling to be outdone.
To this, John just said meaningfully, "Then we shall see who is indeed faster." This was an energy race.
Getting into the car, John did not forget to remind Tony, "You had better upgrade your battle suit as quickly as possible; we do not know on what day an accident might occur here." He would not mind if the future entity known as "Purple Sweet Potato" encountered a more powerful Iron Man when he eventually entered this world.
Tony watched John's car depart, standing in place, his eyes shifting thoughtfully. "Could it be that Ivan has already fabricated a battle suit?" He did not rule out this possibility; after all, Ivan was not a fool. On the contrary, he was a genius capable of creating Steel Soldiers. Progress is often born from pressure. Tony's passion for research burned once again.
*****
New York.
A beautiful blonde woman, wearing a skirt, sat before a computer; her beautiful grey-blue eyes reflected the image of a job recruitment advertisement displayed on the screen.
At the same time, her mobile phone rang.
"You need to remain by John Wick's side. Except for truly special circumstances, other matters do not need to be reported."
"No matter what he asks you to do, you can decide for yourself whether or not to agree to it."
The person on the other end of the phone was her superior, and the conditions of the task he offered were surprisingly liberal. A trace of surprise flashed in the woman's eyes, and she asked calmly, "Can I kill people?"
"If the mission requires it, you are authorized to do so."
This was no longer as simple as an ordinary undercover assignment. The great degree of freedom afforded made this intelligent woman hesitate.
"What do I need to do?"
"No need for anything specific," the man on the other end of the phone, wearing a suit and sitting on a comfortable sofa, stated. "Just listen to him."
"Oh, correct." As if remembering something important, the man spoke again.
"Do not look him in the eye."
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