Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Fox, Whose Worldview Has Collapsed
Fox thought Adam Wayne was a true genius. However, there was one flaw that made him both frustrated and amused—his obsession with money.
Despite Wayne Group essentially being Adam's family business, the kid still insisted on treating every deal as a formal transaction. No discounts, no favors. Everything had to be calculated down to the last cent.
Fox couldn't help but find this odd. He chalked it up to one of those eccentricities that geniuses often had.
"Adam, this can't be decided until the board holds a meeting," Fox said with a sigh. "We'll discuss it another time."
"Sure," Adam replied, nodding. "Grandpa Alfred will handle the negotiations with you."
Alfred was the Wayne family's butler, but he also managed many of their business dealings. For something like this, he was more than qualified to represent Adam's interests.
Fox opened his mouth to speak again, but Adam frowned and cut him off.
"What are you still doing here?"
Fox blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You're done with your business. Why are you still hanging around?"
Fox almost choked.
As the Chief Technology Officer of Wayne Group and Bruce Wayne's trusted ally, he wasn't used to being treated like this. Even Bruce always showed him the utmost respect.
But Adam? This brat acted like Fox was just some annoying guest overstaying his welcome.
Fox gritted his teeth but forced a smile. He wasn't about to let a kid rattle him.
"Adam, can I take a look at your research while I'm here?"
Adam hesitated for a moment.
Fox had earned his trust over the years. He was loyal to the Wayne family and had personally developed Bruce's Bat-Suit and gadgets. He wasn't a security risk.
"Fine," Adam said. "But don't touch anything."
Fox felt like he'd just been scolded by a schoolteacher. The memory of his early days as a young graduate student came flooding back, and for the first time in years, he felt humbled.
Still, he nodded obediently and followed Adam into the lab.
Adam had already completed the modeling and fabrication of the steel armor. All that remained was final assembly, and his lab was fully equipped for the job.
Several industrial robots, similar to the ones Tony Stark used, stood ready. Controlled by Skynet, they could handle the most delicate and complex tasks.
After double-checking the schematics and making sure nothing was out of place, Adam gave the order.
"Skynet, start assembly."
"Assembly process initiated," replied Skynet.
From the ground, mechanical arms rose, each one precise and methodical.
Thousands of parts began to come together, forming a sleek, black-and-white suit of armor. Unlike Tony Stark's minimalist design, Adam's armor had a more intimidating appearance—almost like a futuristic knight.
Fox's jaw dropped.
"What… What is this?!"
Fox immediately recognized the armor as wearable, but it was nothing like Bruce Wayne's Bat-Suit. This wasn't just defensive gear. It was something far more advanced.
It offered complete body protection and appeared to have integrated systems for buffering impacts. Compared to the Bat-Suit, this thing was a tank.
But one question lingered in Fox's mind.
"Adam, how is this thing powered? Don't tell me it runs purely on human strength."
Adam raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected Fox to catch on so quickly.
"This armor uses tens of thousands of micro servo motors," Adam explained. "Its output can reach about ten tons of force."
Fox's eyes widened. Ten tons? That was practically superhuman strength.
"But—wait a minute," Fox said, his voice rising. "Tens of thousands of servo motors? There's no way ordinary batteries can power something like this. And there's no space in the armor to store batteries either!"
Adam smirked and pointed to the chest of the armor.
"Look here."
Fox followed his gaze and saw a glowing blue light in the center of the chest—a five-pointed star pattern.
"What is that?" Fox asked.
"A controllable miniature cold fusion reactor," Adam said casually.
Fox took a step back. "You're joking."
"Nope."
"That's impossible!" Fox shouted.
He had seen the Ark Reactor Adam built, and even that had seemed like science fiction brought to life. But miniaturizing it? That was a whole other level of insanity.
Miniaturizing large-scale technology required exponentially greater precision and engineering. It was a challenge most researchers wouldn't dare attempt, let alone complete successfully.
"Fox, nothing's impossible," Adam said with a grin.
Fox shook his head. "No. This violates every known principle of modern science. Miniature nuclear reactors? Cold fusion? These things just aren't possible!
"The materials alone—there's no way any of this works!"
Adam crossed his arms. "Science isn't about what's impossible—it's about making the impossible possible. That's the whole point."
Fox's mind spun as he tried to wrap his head around it.
"Skynet," Adam said, turning away from Fox. "Activate full power output mode."
Suddenly, the reactor flared to life.
A bright blue glow filled the room, and the surrounding instruments whirred to life, processing data at speeds Fox had never seen before.
Fox stumbled back, shielding his eyes from the light.
He didn't know what he was looking at anymore.
It felt like magic—something out of a comic book or science fiction movie.
But it was real.
And it was built by a teenager in just a few days.
Fox had always thought of himself as a man of science, but right now?
Right now, his entire worldview was falling apart.
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