Chapter 116: The Document

For Tony, if Zhong Shenxiu had chosen to capitalize on his vulnerability and demand something exorbitant, he likely would have agreed. After all, it was his life on the line; without life, everything else is meaningless.

What surprised Tony most, however, was that Zhong Shenxiu didn't make a single demand. He didn't even charge the routine medical fees, simply healing his injuries and pulling him back from the brink of death—and that was that. Had it been anyone else, they would have dropped heavy hints or boasted of their heroism, desperate to be recognized as a savior entitled to a reward. But Zhong Shenxiu did none of that; he didn't even reach out to Tony. If Tony hadn't heard from Coulson that it was Zhong Shenxiu who treated him, he might never have known at all.

To be honest, Tony preferred things that could be settled with money. Even if Zhong Shenxiu had asked for millions or tens of millions of dollars, Tony would have accepted it without issue—after all, the man had saved his life. But this complete lack of expectations made Tony feel uneasy. If money were paid, it would be a transaction, and once the payment was made, the matter would be closed. As it stood, he was left in an undefined limbo. How does one repay a life-saving debt?

This was something Tony had to weigh carefully. If he were a street hoodlum or a member of some brotherhood, he could easily shout, "I repay your life-saving kindness with my own life! From this day forward, my life belongs to you!" But Tony was not that kind of person. He was Tony Stark, the actual head of Stark Industries, a man at the pinnacle of global wealth, and the world’s most renowned technological genius. He was not like those who had nothing to lose and therefore treated loyalty as something heavier than life itself. To be blunt, even in the face of a life-saving debt, Tony had never considered sacrificing his own life in return, because compared to others, his life was far too extraordinary to throw away.

Still, Zhong Shenxiu was undoubtedly a good man, much like Yinsen. Tony thought of Yinsen, who had given his life for him in the Middle East; he was beyond the point of ever being able to repay him. But with Zhong, there were plenty of opportunities. Tony prided himself on possessing so much in this world that transcended the value of a mere life. If he were to give away just 0.1% of Stark’s stock, countless people would go mad and pay any price for it, even their lives. Since Zhong Shenxiu hadn't asked for money, Tony needed to figure out how to repay him.

A miracle doctor capable of regenerating flesh and bone—Tony would never want to make an enemy of such a person, even if it meant taking a significant loss. Especially after this incident, he realized that Zhong Shenxiu's miraculous ability was perhaps the most vital strategic asset in the world—nothing else compared. Tony felt this deeply. Glancing at his right wrist, which now resembled a soft, pink lump of flesh, he pondered: What kind of reward could he offer? It couldn't be too little, as he still needed him to help with his limb regeneration, but what exactly constituted "too much"?

Tony felt conflicted. It was a problem the billionaire had never seriously considered since birth, but now, to curry favor with the man at the small clinic in New York, he had to rack his brains. After much agonizing, he hit a wall. The billionaire felt he had everything, yet when facing a super-powered individual like Zhong Shenxiu, he felt as if he had nothing but money.

"Sigh..." With a sigh, Tony realized he was at a dead end. *I'll just thank him properly when I go back to have my right hand treated,* he thought. With that, he set the impulsive topic aside and turned to the main agenda.

Adjusting his thoughts, Tony commanded JARVIS, "JARVIS, help me investigate the list of personnel who worked with my father when he was developing the Arc Reactor."

"Certainly, sir," JARVIS replied. Its programs began to race, scouring internal Stark files for every scrap of information regarding the Arc Reactor. Because the information was so old and the security clearance so high, even JARVIS required some time. Tony used this opportunity to organize his thoughts.

He was certain that there was only one group in the world that had developed a groundbreaking product like the Arc Reactor: the research team led by his father, Howard Stark. What Tony couldn't forget was that he had seen the same Arc Reactor design in the chest of that mechanical armor. It was an improved, miniaturized version of what he had on his own chest. This had been completely unexpected and had shocked him deeply, which was why he had been constantly fishing for information about the person behind the armor during their fight.

Furthermore, the theft of the palladium made him certain that the culprit's goal was tied to the Arc Reactor. Otherwise, palladium—which had many alternatives—would not be so sought after. With Stark Industries' long-term control and acquisition of the metal, the price of palladium had far exceeded its inherent value—excluding, of course, its use as an Arc Reactor core. That was why, after learning that S.H.I.E.L.D. had no leads, Tony chose to dig into the palladium trail on his own. At the very least, he was confident he understood this matter better than anyone else. He would personally drag out the person who dared to rob Stark and nearly killed him, and make them taste the fury of Stark. That was what Tony wanted most right now.

"Sir, I have located the relevant researchers from the 077 Secret Energy Research Department," JARVIS’s voice suddenly announced.

The news stopped Tony in his tracks. "List the key personnel."

As the command was given, the blue holographic figure in front of Tony dissipated into points of light, eventually coalescing into a dizzying list of names. The very first line read: Howard Stark. The rest were names Tony didn't recognize.

"JARVIS..." Tony began, but he stopped himself. He had originally intended to have JARVIS screen everyone one by one, checking every detail of their lives, but he abandoned the idea. It was a clumsy method, and even for JARVIS, it would be too slow.

"Are there any other paper files preserved?" Tony asked.

"There are 43,793 paper files in total. Would you like them displayed one by one?" JARVIS asked.

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a bit helpless. "Check the list again for anyone suspicious... and then turn those files into thumbnails. I’ll look through them myself."