Chapter 70: The Element Palladium

When Ivan, filled with anticipation, descended in the silvery elevator to the underground base, he was momentarily dazzled by the circle of high-tech devices surrounding him. Ivan longed to reach out and touch the gleaming alloy walls, to operate the various pieces of equipment as soon as possible. Yet, not wanting to appear too inexperienced, he restrained himself and instead turned his gaze toward the unusually young and enigmatic man nearby.

With a trace of hope, Ivan thought to himself, If only I could live here, I would give anything… For someone as obsessed with technology as Ivan, this place—filled with precision instruments—was more alluring than the most beautiful women, perhaps even more so.

“This will be your workplace from now on,” Zhong Shenxiu said, glancing at the absent-minded Ivan before gesturing toward the secret base.

“Alright.” Ivan nodded vigorously in response… but after a moment, he regretted his eagerness. Perhaps he had seemed a bit too desperate… After spending over a decade behind prison walls, it was no wonder he felt stifled. Now, suddenly confronted with cutting-edge technology he hadn’t even approached in years past, Ivan could not help himself.

“Oh, by the way, give me the other fake identity card I asked you to prepare.”

Sensing that Wanda was inside, meditating with her eyes closed and refining her mental strength, Zhong Shenxiu recalled the fake identity he had asked Ivan to arrange earlier. With such an identity, Wanda could live openly under the sun; it was always beneficial to have a legal name for the future.

At his words, Ivan nodded slightly, rummaged in his pocket for a moment, and produced a small booklet stamped with the seal of the United States, handing it to Zhong Shenxiu.

“It’s made exactly to your specifications: fifteen years old, female, named Wanda. As for the surname, I simply gave her ‘Klinck.’”

Zhong Shenxiu glanced over it briefly and found the false identity nearly indistinguishable from the real thing—perhaps even more convincing. He couldn’t help but look at Ivan with newfound respect.

Fifteen years in prison, and yet, upon release, he could still find the necessary channels and forge such a convincing document. Truly, this man deserved his reputation as one of only two people on earth capable of building an Arc Reactor.

“So, what do you need me to do next?” Ivan asked, casting another look at the equipment.

This mysterious man had summoned him from afar and brought him to such a hidden base—surely not just to deliver a fake ID and then leave… Ivan mused.

“Indeed, I need you to help me build a device—one capable of searching for a particular signal anywhere on the globe.” Zhong Shenxiu pulled up a chair and sat down, addressing Ivan.

The prospect of putting his technological skills to use immediately piqued Ivan’s interest. He asked, “A particular signal? And you want global coverage?”

Zhong Shenxiu nodded. “I can’t specify the exact frequency right now, but I know it’s saturated with gamma rays and immense energy. You can start from that premise.”

As for the signal wavelength of the Space Stone, Zhong Shenxiu was completely in the dark. His situation was far more difficult than when Tony Stark and Banner had built their global scanner for the Avengers, since S.H.I.E.L.D. had records of the Space Stone’s signal type and wavelength. That was why those two could create their device so quickly.

But drawing on memories from his previous life, Zhong Shenxiu could make some educated guesses. In Avengers: Endgame, when Banner took up the Iron Man Infinity Gauntlet, he remarked, “These stones emit gamma radiation.” And, of course, each Infinity Stone is imbued with extraordinary energy. So, with these two clues, there was a lead to follow.

Hearing this, Ivan fell silent. Such demands from a client… this was a tall order. Gamma rays and powerful energy fluctuations… Ivan couldn’t imagine what the mysterious man was trying to find.

However, after scanning the secret base again, Ivan realized something. “First of all, regardless of the signal, to build a device capable of scanning the entire globe, the power supply of this base is completely inadequate.”

Zhong Shenxiu had long anticipated this problem and replied at once, “In that case, we need to start by building a device with a continuous power supply. For instance… an Arc Reactor?”

An Arc Reactor!

How does he know about that? Ivan was stunned for a long while before he finally spoke in a low voice, “So that’s your real reason for seeking me out…”

Now that the cards were on the table, Zhong Shenxiu no longer hid anything but spoke frankly, “That’s part of the reason. Years ago, Howard Stark and Anton Vanko developed the Arc Reactor together. Later, Anton was expelled by Howard. I believe that now only two people in the world can build an Arc Reactor: Howard Stark’s son, Tony Stark, and you, Ivan Vanko, son of Anton Vanko.”

“So tell me, am I right? Ivan, can you build an Arc Reactor?”

He even knows that!

Ivan Vanko could no longer contain his shock; goosebumps spread from his tailbone to the crown of his head. These were the greatest secrets of that era—Howard would have told no one, and Ivan had never breathed a word. How could this young man know?

No matter how hard Ivan tried, he could not fathom it. In the presence of this mysterious man, he felt as naive as a child—completely exposed.

So Ivan answered honestly, “Yes, I can build one. The other materials needed for the Arc Reactor are not difficult to obtain, but there is one critical component—without it, the reactor simply won’t work.”

“Palladium, isn’t it?” Zhong Shenxiu said lightly.

He even knows that? Ivan Vanko had every reason to believe that palladium played the most crucial role in the Arc Reactor’s function. That secret was known to only a handful of people worldwide. Once again, he was overwhelmed with curiosity about this mysterious man’s identity.

“Yes, it’s palladium. I brought a small amount from home, but it’s only enough to keep a small Arc Reactor running for about thirty hours. For a device capable of global coverage, it’s nowhere near sufficient.”

Palladium… Zhong Shenxiu had already considered this problem long ago. Where could one find the largest reserve of palladium in the world? Of course, at the Stark Research Center, where a massive Arc Reactor contained an abundant supply.

“No matter. I can solve that issue. For now, use the palladium you brought to build a small Arc Reactor as a trial. Let me see your work,” Zhong Shenxiu said.