Chapter Fifty-Five: Plans for the Future

“By the way, where have you been for the past half month?” Howard asked Kyle with a puzzled look.

Kyle hesitated briefly before answering, “Steve crashed the out-of-control aircraft into the ocean alone. I bailed out early and landed on a deserted island in the middle of the Atlantic, one shaped like a turtle. I stayed there for a while to recover.”

“A turtle-shaped island?” Howard muttered, his curiosity piqued by yet another mystery. “How did you get back, then?”

He had no idea about the card space Kyle possessed—not to mention crossing the ocean, he was fully equipped with planes, tanks, villas, food, and everything else.

“There was a giant mutated eagle-beast on the island. I managed to tame it and rode it back here,” Kyle replied with a shrug, smoothly covering up the existence of the card space with practiced ease.

“A turtle-shaped island and a mutant beast—your luck really is something,” Howard nodded with a smile, not pressing for more details.

His industrial partner was no ordinary man!

Ever since Howard had delved into the phone and supercomputer system chip programs Kyle had given him, his mind had been more and more convinced of this judgment.

Precisely because of this, Howard felt fortunate to count himself as Kyle’s friend, a connection that would save him decades of detours on the road of technological development.

Kyle noticed the smile on Howard’s face and nodded thoughtfully, the corners of his mouth curving slightly upward.

This old gentleman, Howard, was more than just a scientific genius. To be able to navigate between the top military scientific strategy departments and his own private Stark Industries, he was a shrewd man—one who knew what questions to ask, and, more importantly, which ones not to.

Their relationship was built on the ties of comradeship from the military, friendship in daily life, and partnership in private ventures. With both interests and friendship binding them, it was unthinkable that either would betray the other. To call them ‘close friends’ was no exaggeration.

It seemed there were some matters he could safely discuss with this man before him.

Making up his mind, Kyle met Howard’s gaze and said, “That turtle-shaped island is deep in the Atlantic. Its location and environment are excellent. Once the war is over, if you come across any good architects or construction companies, I might have use for their services.”

“World War II is still raging, and you’re already thinking about postwar plans?” Howard blinked, then fell silent in thought. “Are you planning to turn it into a villa, a resort, or—something more like a fortress?”

“A casual sort of fortress, as long as it can withstand a few missile barrages and heavy weapons. Money is no object. Take it all from my Stark Industries dividends,” Kyle replied directly.

Howard nodded and agreed without hesitation. “All right. I also studied construction engineering as a minor. Once the war is over, I’ll go with you to that turtle island. I’ll arrange for a crew to handle the construction from start to finish.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it,” Kyle replied, a trace of anticipation showing in his eyes. Although the end of the war was still some way off, once the upcoming Normandy landings were over, it wouldn’t be long before the world returned to peace.

And as for the so-called turtle-shaped island, it was, of course, the one from the unique purple biological card in his card space: the Massive Ancient Dragon Turtle.

Ever since drawing that card, Kyle had nurtured the idea of creating a fortress base and a family power of his own.

No matter how high his future military rank might climb—even if he became a general, it would still only be as an officer serving under the U.S. government. Even if he became the future director of S.H.I.E.L.D., commanding the world’s finest elite force, he would always be constrained by treaties and beset by enemies eroding his authority.

Though Kyle believed he would only grow stronger, he had no desire to fight alone forever. If he could build his own elite force and even plant the roots of a legendary family in this Marvel world, that would be a true future worth striving for.

Thus, his talk with Howard about building a fortress was the first step toward creating his own family power.

Howard could guess a little of Kyle’s intentions, but he would never reveal it to anyone. On the contrary, he would help Kyle keep the secret and put forth his utmost to help build that fortress base.

Such was the tacit understanding and trust between two men.

“I’ll keep an eye out for a construction crew. You’re about to head to the main U.S. base to prepare for the campaign, right? I’ve made you a new piece of equipment—should come in handy.” With that, Howard waved him over and led Kyle into the storage area of the lab.

He set down a familiar-looking airfreight-style crate on the table, opened it, and revealed two overlapping black disc-shaped objects inside.

“These are the crystallization of my years of research into antigravity. Making two of them took half a month. They can’t be mass-produced.”

Before Howard could explain further, Kyle’s attention was already on the two magnet-like discs, and instantly, the corresponding card information flashed before his eyes.

[Gravity Magnets]: A pair of gravity magnets, one positive and one negative. Blue item card.

The gravity magnets are composed of precision antigravity research components and can alter the gravity field in a small area when in contact with the ground.

When the positive gravity magnet lands, it doubles the gravitational pull within a ten-meter radius. When the negative gravity magnet lands, it halves the gravitational pull within the same area.

If both are on the ground at once, their effects cancel out. The positive and negative gravity magnets attract each other (one can retrieve the other by tossing it onto the ground and using the other to pull it back).

Curious, Kyle picked up one of the gravity magnets and tossed it onto the empty floor.

With a snap, the antigravity magnet landed—and instantly, the gravity in the lab doubled. Howard, who had been explaining its use, immediately lost his balance and landed hard on the floor as a result of the sudden increase in gravity.

“Impressive,” Kyle commented, nodding. Even he could feel the resistance weighing down his body—doubling the gravity effectively doubled one’s weight, and ordinary people would really be hard-pressed to endure it.

Aiming the positive magnet at the one on the ground, he watched as the two attracted each other. The negative magnet flew back into his hand, and the lab’s gravity returned to normal.

Howard wiped the sweat from his brow and stood up, concluding, “The change in gravity won’t make much difference to someone with your super-soldier physique, but it’ll be tough for ordinary soldiers. Caught in a sudden shift, they’ll lose combat effectiveness.”

“I’ll take them. And I have something for you to study as well—think of it as a contribution to the nation.” As he spoke, Kyle placed the backpack he’d been carrying on the table. The moment he unzipped it, a blue light began to spill out.

It was none other than the Cosmic Cube, missing its core gem.