Chapter 71: Improving the Ark Reactor

If Zhong Shenxiu remembered correctly, Ivan Vanko’s arc reactor was somewhat outdated—at least, compared to Tony Stark’s, it lagged far behind. The reason was not difficult to guess: Tony’s reactor had been continually upgraded and refined over time, while Ivan’s was merely a direct replication from decades-old blueprints.

Naturally, this meant Ivan’s version was inferior, but it did not suggest his abilities were lacking. In fact, after a casual remark from Tony, Ivan was able to swiftly improve and upgrade his arc reactor, bringing it nearly on par with Tony’s. This showed Ivan had considerable aptitude in this field.

How exactly had Tony given that guidance? Zhong Shenxiu pondered, considering whether he should simply tell Ivan Vanko directly, sparing the time spent on insights and epiphanies.

Ah, he remembered—the rotation speed.

“Did you bring the design blueprint for your arc reactor?” Zhong Shenxiu asked Ivan Vanko after a moment’s thought.

“I did,” Ivan replied, eyeing Zhong Shenxiu with a hint of puzzlement. He wasn’t sure why the blueprint was suddenly relevant; after all, he had long since memorized it. Whether he had it on hand or not hardly mattered. Still, he worried he might overlook some crucial detail, so he carried it with him.

“Go fetch it,” Zhong Shenxiu gestured toward the elevator.

Hurry up and bring it over. Let me step in for Tony and help you improve it; this way, Ivan Vanko would avoid many detours, saving Zhong Shenxiu a great deal of time. So he thought.

Ivan nodded, somewhat mystified, but obediently stepped onto the elevator.

Moments later, he returned with a roll of deep blue design paper in hand.

Zhong Shenxiu took it, spread it out on the floor, and began to study the vast blueprint and its myriad markings and annotations. The memory, once blurred by Anton Vanko’s vodka, gradually sharpened in his mind.

[Ding! Intermediate Electrical Energy upgraded—Advanced Electrical Energy.]

Hearing this notification, Zhong Shenxiu was slightly taken aback. It was the first time he’d encountered such a situation. Previously, he had upgraded his abilities through synthesis techniques, but now, simply supplementing his missing knowledge had granted him a new path to improvement.

What about his active abilities? He thought of his uniform lineup of level-one active skills. He wondered what the upgrade path for those might be.

After a while, Zhong Shenxiu emerged from his musings, beckoned Ivan Vanko over, and pointed to the arc reactor blueprint.

“I’ve taken a quick look and found room for improvement,” he said to Ivan. “The most crucial aspect is the central energy circulation’s rotation speed. If you increase it by about twenty percent, the reactor’s efficiency and output will be vastly enhanced. You can start refining it along these lines.”

At first, Ivan Vanko could not help but be skeptical. The arc reactor was Anton Vanko’s life’s work, and Ivan himself had spent nearly a year learning how to craft it. How long had Zhong Shenxiu studied the blueprint? Five minutes, perhaps? Yet he was proposing an upgrade—one that Anton Vanko hadn’t managed in over a decade?

Impossible.

Despite Zhong Shenxiu’s mysterious power, Ivan could not fully believe it. After all, no matter how formidable he was, he was still human—not a god.

Nevertheless, out of respect, Ivan focused on the central area Zhong Shenxiu indicated, mentally simulating and calculating what would happen if its rotation speed were increased by twenty percent.

The more he simulated, the deeper he thought.

Ivan’s eyes grew wider and wider.

Gradually, realization dawned—

It really was feasible!

With this adjustment, the reutilization rate of central energy could easily increase by more than fifty percent—all from simply boosting the rotation speed. And in his repeated simulations, twenty percent proved to be the optimal figure; even a slight deviation would greatly diminish the effect.

Ivan’s eyes were as wide as bronze bells.

He turned to Zhong Shenxiu, who wore a faint, knowing smile.

This was nothing short of miraculous—

Ivan Vanko was thoroughly convinced. The once-proud technological genius suddenly began to doubt his own abilities.

If Zhong Shenxiu could modify even the arc reactor with such ease, what need was there for Ivan himself? The thought crossed his mind.

Zhong Shenxiu, of course, had no idea what Ivan was thinking, but from the ever-widening eyes, he could tell Ivan was having a revelation—he must’ve grasped the concept so quickly.

Indeed, a technological prodigy.

In certain fields, Ivan Vanko was truly comparable to Tony Stark.

Beyond the arc reactor, Zhong Shenxiu had two more tasks for Ivan.

After organizing his thoughts, Zhong Shenxiu addressed Ivan Vanko:

“I need you to make two more things for me. The first is a miniature blood preservation device, divided into many small compartments, each holding just enough to cover a fingernail.”

His Skrull shapeshifting technique required fresh blood for activation. The degree of freshness was critical, but the quantity was not; after some experimentation and estimation, he found that a fingernail-sized amount was perfectly adequate for using the technique.

With such a device containing multiple portions of fresh blood, Zhong Shenxiu could use his shapeshifting skill with great flexibility, easily changing appearances several times in a single operation.

This had considerable strategic importance.

Ivan, hearing the request, broke off his thoughts about the arc reactor and quickly conceived a plan for the device.

He nodded, saying, “No problem. Is there a requirement for how long the blood must stay fresh?”

“Within seven days,” Zhong Shenxiu replied.

Ivan memorized this, then asked, “And the second?”

“The second is a bit more complicated. I need you to craft a tight-fitting suit that won’t hinder the wearer’s movements, equipped with various combat support devices, plus two wrist launchers capable of firing high-tensile polymers…”

“Well… it’s doable, but what’s the wearer’s build? About your size?” Ivan glanced at Zhong Shenxiu.

“No, it’s for a ten-year-old child.”