"At the time, I was still thinking, are you sure you're not messing with me, pal, with such a big cleaver?" Zhou Yi, sitting at the head of the dining table, gestured with his wine glass while making a strange face at the young ladies. "I didn't expect that Chinese chef to actually use such a big tool to debone an entire chicken, and then the chef told me in broken English, 'See, it's not as hard as you think.'"
"And then?" Unlike the somewhat ravenous students, Ororo responded politely, carefully manipulating her knife and fork to get dumplings out of the chicken soup.
"Then I told him, 'pal, can you give me a day to practice?' That guy agreed."
"In half a day, you succeeded?" Jean Grey, clearly impressed by Zhou Yi's culinary skills, sided with him.
"Of course not!" Zhou Yi sighed strangely. "I had two turkeys delivered as quickly as possible, then found that Great Master chef again and asked him, 'pal, I can't manage this at all. Can you demonstrate it again?'"
"Oh. Poor Mr. Chef, another person you've 'defeated' with Mr. Franklin." Charisse, munching on a large fried dumpling, complained about her brother.
"Thank you for the compliment, my Darling sister. Mr. Franklin is the most beloved President in the World; one Mr. Franklin is worth twenty Lincolns... So, carrying him ensures you'll be fine." Zhou Yi easily won the argument.
Charisse, wisely stopping the bickering, focused on her food. Kitty whispered "Idiot!" to Charisse, who simply rolled her eyes and noted the score for later.
After the pleasant dinner, the guests bid farewell, as the students had class the next day. Zhou Yi, unable to persuade Ororo to stay in front of Charisse and Jean, simply gave Ororo a regretful look. Ororo chuckled, rolled her eyes in return, and drove away with the others.
The large Villa suddenly felt empty and lonely, especially with the mess on the dining table. Zhou Yi felt a flash of annoyance and the need for help. He considered hiring a butler and servants but quickly dismissed the idea, realizing the secrets of his underground lab made hiring regular staff impossible.
Sighing, Zhou Yi poured himself a glass of wine and lay on the sofa. He put on a flat, black-framed pair of glasses—a communication tool for Medusa. Ignoring the mess, he quietly contacted his AI.
"Medusa, search for information: adamantium!"
Medusa delivered the detailed file:
Proto-Adamantium: A super alloy developed by Dr. Myron Maclain in the 1940s using Vibranium and adamantium (an extraterrestrial element). The only known finished product is Captain America's shield. The formula is lost.
Adamantium (Secondary Version): Created when Maclain attempted replication. Primarily composed of Adamantium, carbon, titanium, and iron. Its hardness is immeasurable.
Properties: Can only be shaped at $1,500\ ^{\circ}\text{C}$. Heating it to $500,000\ ^{\circ}\text{C}$ will not alter it. Reprocessing requires a molecular rearrangement device.
Control: Officially named Adamantium and is a Military secret.
"Medusa, can we acquire adamantium?"
"adamantium is mainly distributed in Africa, brought to Earth by meteorites. All recorded adamantium currently belongs to Military supplies and cannot be acquired on the market."
Zhou Yi frowned. He wanted Adamantium because weapons made of it were one of the few things in the world that could harm him. His close interaction with Jean Grey had reminded him of a future love rival (Wolverine) who was fully equipped with Adamantium and posed a true physical threat, unlike the less powerful Scott.
More concerning was the "motor-mouthed lunatic" (Deadpool), whose combination of teleportation and an Adamantium katana made him extremely troublesome. While Zhou Yi's super neural reflexes might pinpoint the lunatic's location, a mistake could lead to being cut by the Adamantium blade.
To counter this, Zhou Yi considered:
Adamantium Armor: Too complicated and would waste his investment in nanometal technology.
Adamantium Weapon: The best defense. A handy Adamantium weapon would allow him to fight on even ground.
The key problem was the scarcity. Scientific institutions confirmed the Military's strict control made acquisition impossible in the short term. Frustrated, Zhou Yi decided to contact Tony Stark.
Contacting Tony Stark
Zhou Yi called Tony, but Jarvis answered.
"Jarvis, where's Tony? I need to contact him urgently."
"Mr. Stark has gone to a banquet held by Universal Studios. According to his itinerary, he will be discussing investment and the choice of the leading actress with a director. Due to some private matters, he has turned off his phone and prohibited all call transfers."
Zhou Yi silently criticized Tony's "in-depth discussions" with an attractive female star. Since he couldn't reach him directly, he left a message.
"Forget it, Jarvis. Please leave a message for Tony. When he gets back, tell him I want to get some adamantium to make some small items. This stuff is too tightly controlled by the Military, and I can't get my hands on it. Ask him if he has a way to get some for me. That's all!"
"Alright, Mr. Zhou Yi, I will convey your message. Have a pleasant day, goodbye!"
Zhou Yi raised his wine glass, draining it. "Have a pleasant day? In this dangerous World, having a pleasant day is not an easy thing!"