"Tsk, tsk… look at this thing. Doesn't it look like an oversized fish tank? The kind meant for raising… hmm, mermaids maybe. Honestly, Dr. Cho, are you sure you're doing biomedical research and not secretly indulging some girlish fantasy of yours?"
Helen Cho's cheeks flushed at his teasing, though she didn't feel the slightest trace of disgust.
Compared to the awkwardness in the elevator earlier, Henry's slightly flirty, playful tone actually made her feel more at ease.
She took a deep breath, doing her best to sound professional and not let his sharp eyes throw her off—though she couldn't stop herself from stealing glances at him.
She swore it wasn't intentional. But damn… she'd never seen muscles look that good.
"Mr. Stark, as you said before, this is the Life Cradle—a revolutionary technology that could completely change modern medicine. In theory, it can use 3D printing and biological tissue samples to perfectly repair any damaged human tissue in a very short time, and even regenerate entire new organs."
"Oh? Really?" Henry raised an eyebrow, deliberately playing dumb.
He strolled up to the console, eyes scanning the complex genetic models and cellular activity charts.
Then, with a half-joking tone, he said, "Sounds great. But, Doctor, let me remind you—there's usually a gap between theory and reality. About… oh, at least a Tony-sized gap. You know, my idiot brother is theoretically a genius, too. But honestly, his brain probably has less nutritional value than the nutrient fluid in this fish tank."
Helen's lips twitched as she fought back laughter.
Patiently, she explained, "We've already conducted trials on lab mice with a success rate of 92%. The next step is live primate testing. If all goes well, in half a year this technology could enter clinical trials."
"Half a year? Too slow." Henry shook his head, fingers dancing rapidly across the holographic screen.
His words sounded like criticism, but his eyes gleamed with focus.
"Look here—your cell regeneration algorithm. The energy conversion rate is pathetic, and there's a huge risk of genetic collapse. This isn't saving lives, it's just adding workload for God's recycling bin. I'd bet money that if you put Tony in there, the first thing he'd do when he came out would be to check if he grew a couple of extra arms or legs."
Helen froze.
She stared at Henry in shock.
This algorithm was her life's work, the pinnacle of modern biomedical research. Nobody—nobody—should be able to grasp it so quickly.
Yet this man had not only understood it, but instantly pinpointed its biggest flaws.
Was he really just a playboy?
Even geniuses weren't this outrageous.
He was only twenty-five!
Her eyes lingered on Henry's broad back, the outline of his muscles visible beneath his suit.
For the first time, a strange thought crept into her mind—maybe the rumors were true.
This man really was like Superman. Not only did he have incredible strength, but wisdom that far surpassed ordinary people.
And the combination of power and brilliance… for a woman like her, devoted to science, it was fatally attractive.
"Mr. Stark, how did you…" She took a deep breath to steady herself.
"How do I know?" Henry turned and caught her stunned expression, flashing a smug little smile.
"Oh, come on, Dr. Cho. You didn't really think I'm just a playboy who spends his days partying and flirting, did you? Don't forget—you said it yourself. When I earned my PhD in bioengineering from MIT, you were probably still back in Korea… fangirling over K-pop idols."
As he spoke, his fingers flew across the holographic keyboard, rewriting line after line of her code.
"Look—your entire energy conversion model is wrong from the start. You're relying on traditional biochemistry to stimulate cell regeneration. Way too inefficient, unstable too. What you should do is switch perspectives. For example…"
He paused, lips curling into a mysterious smile.
"…use this."
Helen was completely dumbfounded.
She stared at the screen, at the strange theoretical models she had never even imagined.
It felt like her proudest worldview was being smashed apart by this unreasonable man.
...
Meanwhile, outside Stark Tower.
An Audi R8 screeched to a stop at the front gates with a perfect drift, earning gasps from the onlookers.
The door swung open, and out stepped Tony Stark, dressed in a sharp suit and wearing his signature sunglasses.
Reporters screamed, fans shouted—he was the brightest star in the world, always walking with his own spotlight.
"Hey, ladies! Miss me?" He blew a kiss to the crowd before swaggering past the security guards and into Stark Industries.
Inside, he greeted employees with waves, throwing winks at every pretty face he passed, leaving them blushing and flustered.
That was Tony Stark, forever charming, forever insufferable.
Taking his private elevator, he quickly reached the top floor—the CEO's office.
Pushing open the door, he saw Pepper buried in a mountain of paperwork… and a red-haired woman standing beside her.
"Oh-ho, what do we have here?" Tony slipped off his shades, flashing that familiar smirk.
"Two gorgeous ladies having a secret afternoon tea without me? That's cruel. You know I'm the best at livening things up."
Pepper looked up, relief flashing across her face before she rolled her eyes.
"You're finally here," she said tiredly. "The press conference is about to start, you—"
"Press conference? Boring. We'll talk about that later." Tony cut her off and walked straight to the redhead, eyeing her from head to toe.
"Have we met before? Milan Fashion Week? A yacht party? Gotta say, that figure of yours is unforgettable."
Natasha Romanoff kept her perfect professional smile, though she was rolling her eyes internally.
This narcissist was exactly as described in the files.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Stark," she said politely. "I'm Natalie Rushman, Ms. Potts's new assistant."
"Ah, assistant." Tony nodded knowingly, then leaned closer, lowering his voice to what he thought was a seductive whisper.
"How about changing jobs? Come work as my assistant. Double the pay, plus… great benefits."
The corner of Natasha's mouth twitched. She was sorely tempted to smash his smug face.
"Tony!" Pepper snapped, finally losing patience. She shot to her feet, glaring. "Stop harassing my assistant!"
"Fine, fine. Where's Henry?"
Tony frowned, feigning casualness but clearly annoyed.
"That ungrateful bastard probably ran off to have fun somewhere. He—"
"Mr. Henry went to the biotech labs," Natasha interrupted smoothly, cutting off Tony's rant.
"Oh?" Tony blinked, curiosity lighting up his face.
"That place is nothing but cells and DNA—what's so fun about that? Don't tell me he went to see that new Korean beauty doctor. If so, he owes me a report."
With that, he turned and headed toward the biotech division.
Time to see what kind of nonsense his unreliable little brother was up to now.
***
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