Chapter 127: It Is a Renovation, Not an Expansion

Now that the energy crisis had been largely resolved, Ivan, who had long found the cramped underground space unbearable, resolutely began expanding the secret base.

Of course, this was only done after seeking Zhong Shenxiu’s approval. After all, strictly speaking, all of this was Zhong Shenxiu’s property, so his consent was required. When Ivan first proposed the idea, Zhong Shenxiu asked him a question: "Will expanding the base now affect the modification of the gamma-ray search truck or delay the schedule?"

Ivan’s answer was: "No, it might even help finish it ahead of schedule."

The expansion of the secret base was not just a matter of digging a bigger pit, installing a few support beams, and wrapping it in crude metal walls. It was a comprehensive expansion, covering both total area and technological integration. To be more precise, calling it an "expansion" was a bit narrow; it was more of an "overhaul."

According to Ivan’s vision, if the renovation were successful, the secret base would possess a workshop comparable to Tony Stark’s. Now, having accessed the knowledge within the Heart of Steel, Zhong Shenxiu realized that Ivan had been bragging at the time. However, it was true that all the machinery in the original secret base had been hand-assembled by Ivan with just a wrench and a hammer. Once transformed, it would become a semi-automated laboratory equipped with numerous robotic arms. Even if it couldn't match Tony’s, it would significantly boost Ivan’s efficiency.

As the saying goes, "Sharpening the axe does not delay the woodcutter." With more advanced tools, the manufacturing speed would naturally increase. It was precisely because he understood this that Zhong Shenxiu had allowed Ivan to begin the renovation. Furthermore, the previous heist on Stark Industries had been a massive success, and Ivan had hauled back an entire truckload of various materials. Selling them all on the black market felt like a loss, and leaving them idle was a waste. Using them for the base renovation was a perfect way to put them to good use. For instance, the workbench Ivan built for himself had a surface made entirely of Stark-grade titanium alloy—a testament to the abundance of such metals in the secret base now.

Beyond this, Ivan had taken a portion of the titanium and other alloys to sell on the black market. These were, after all, ultra-tough alloys specifically processed by Stark Industries, featuring internal structures modeled after the molecular arrangement of Vibranium. Their value far exceeded that of ordinary titanium. When they encountered someone in the black market who knew their worth, the buyers were often willing to pay without haggling, desperate to acquire the entire stock.

Of course, as a veteran who had lingered in the gray areas for years, Ivan was well aware of how dangerous it was to sell these metals while the heat from the Stark Industries heist was still on. Therefore, his top priority during transactions was secrecy; he would rather make no profit at all than compromise on safety and discretion. This was something Zhong Shenxiu emphasized to Ivan constantly, and Ivan kept it firmly in mind.

Despite Ivan’s caution and his refusal to sell in large volumes, he had still made a significant amount of money in just these past few days. The quality of the goods was simply too high—a true testament to the saying that good wine needs no bush. Ivan immediately turned the profits into large-scale construction tools, such as fully automated rock-drilling machines. Since they were now fifty meters underground, the soft soil was gone, replaced by dense rock walls.

As for the hydraulic jacks used to prevent the tunnels from collapsing, Ivan didn't buy any. They had a better option: Wanda.

Zhong Shenxiu surveyed the roaring machinery and turned his gaze to Wanda, who was currently inside a freshly excavated rock cavern. Her delicate face was smudged with dust, and she wore an oversized construction jumpsuit and a bright yellow hard hat. She had completely transformed from the gentle, sweet nurse into a construction worker. Of course, Wanda didn’t use a shovel or a pickaxe; her "construction tool" was magic.

Standing amidst the cavern, she waved her hand gently, and a vast amount of red Chaos Magic flowed under her control, propping up the entire cavern like invisible pillars. With her support, the automated drilling machines didn't need to worry about structural integrity; they could simply drill through the rock face. Looking at her relaxed expression, she even grinned and flashed a sweet smile at Zhong Shenxiu when she spotted him. It was clear that she was doing this with ease, thanks to her current command of Chaos Magic.

This was the change in Wanda over the past two months. Relying on the mental cultivation method Zhong Shenxiu had taught her, she had become increasingly adept at mastering her own abilities. Recently, she had even discovered that she could influence reality to a small degree using her magic alone. Although she couldn't yet reach the level of effortlessly creating doubles like Zhong Shenxiu, supporting a tunnel was a trivial task for her. Considering this level of power far surpassed the "Wanda" from the time of *Avengers: Age of Ultron*, and she had reached this point in just two months, her talent was truly astonishing.

Watching this progress, it would be a lie to say Zhong Shenxiu wasn't envious. But there was no help for it; he simply couldn't utilize the meditation technique. His own spiritual power could only be increased through the specific methods provided by the system. This was highly counterintuitive, as all his other abilities grew stronger through practice and proficiency. Yet, his spiritual power remained stubborn. It was just one of those things he couldn't explain, much like how his healing spell occasionally granted him the abilities of those he treated.

The renovation of the secret base was proceeding rapidly. With Wanda’s help and Peter—who had stopped being Spider-Man after school to come help move rocks and bolt steel plates to the walls—Ivan estimated that the entire project would be finished in at most a month. With Peter off-duty and Gwen also mysteriously inactive lately, the number of patients at Zhong’s Clinic had dropped significantly. Since Zhong Shenxiu could now visit the base during the day, he planned to drop by whenever he had a spare moment. By lending a hand, he could likely speed up the construction by at least a third, given his own knowledge.

"Boss, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you. I’ve been debating it for a long time," Ivan said, coming over to Zhong Shenxiu after setting up some programs.

"Go ahead," Zhong Shenxiu replied.

"Do you think... we should take this opportunity to add a weapons system? The base is great, but it lacks any real autonomous defense capabilities."

Hearing this, Zhong Shenxiu fell into a brief, thoughtful silence.