The light in the antique shop was slightly dim, and the air was filled with the tranquil scent of old books mixed with dust.
Tony Stark pushed open the door, breaking the silence.
Like a monarch surveying his territory, his gaze swept around before landing precisely on Lin Huai, who was sitting quietly behind the counter.
Lin Huai raised his eyelids, meeting his gaze calmly, neither surprised by his intrusion nor flustered by his identity. He even raised his hand slightly, gesturing to the empty chair opposite him.
This inconspicuous gesture, however, made Tony's carefully prepared, imposing opening remarks catch in his throat.
The other party's demeanor was not that of a caught swindler, but rather that of a long-awaited partner.
"Good psychological preparation." Tony pulled out a chair and sat down, casually placing his valuable sunglasses on the table with a soft 'clatter'.
"But in front of me, even the best psychological fortitude is useless. My friend Jarvis has uncovered some interesting data."
Tony crossed his arms, leaning back, attempting to regain control of the conversation.
"Thirty-one short-term divinations: lost items, weather, short-term stocks... The results were one hundred percent accurate."
He leaned slightly forward, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing directly into Lin Huai's eyes.
"Tell me, how did you do it? Some kind of advanced probability model? Or big data psychological profiling based on the city's surveillance network? If you can crack the underlying logical algorithm that determines 'coincidence,' I'm more interested in your brain than your little tricks."
Tony tried to define the mysterious event before him using his most familiar scientific language, pulling it into a category he could understand.
However, Lin Huai merely shook his head gently.
"Mr. Stark, your framework is too narrow."
His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable sense of authority.
"You are trying to measure the entire ocean with a teacup. Everything I do does not stem from the 'technology' you speak of, but rather from a set of 'rules' that you do not yet understand."
"Rules?" Tony raised an eyebrow, the word touching a sensitive area for him as a scientist. "Everything in the Universe follows physical rules."
"Not entirely."
Lin Huai's expression remained unchanged, as if stating a fundamental axiom.
"Your cognition stems from the material World. The 'rules' I speak of come from a higher-dimensional existence. I am merely a transcriber of His revelation, a messenger who conveys information."
"God?" Tony scoffed, relaxing his body and leaning back in his chair. "If you're here to solicit investment, you can say so directly. The churches wanting my donations could stretch from New York to California, and their rhetoric is much the same as yours. But unfortunately, I, Tony Stark, don't believe in that."
Facing Tony's unyielding atheistic belief, Lin Huai did not argue, nor did he even attempt to persuade him.
He merely spoke slowly, in a tone of utmost solemnity, as if proclaiming a fundamental law of the Universe.
His gaze penetrated the shop's roof, looking towards a dimension that did not exist in this World, his voice calm yet imbued with unparalleled majesty.
"The one I serve is—"
"The Great Ruler above the Spirit World, the king of yellow and black who controls good fortune, the Beacon of Destiny."
"His name is the Fool."
The moment the name "Fool" was uttered, an invisible weight seemed to press down on the Divination House. The sneer on Tony's lips instantly froze, and he even had the absurd illusion that everything he prided himself on—wealth, wisdom, technology—was as insignificant as dust before this name.
This was not a performance, nor was it the ravings of a fanatic.
It was a calm declaration.
Just as Newton declared universal gravitation and Einstein declared relativity, it carried no emotion, yet possessed the power to change the World.
Tony found his heartbeat accelerating unknowingly. He cleared his throat, forcing himself to sit up straight, the dismissiveness on his face completely gone, replaced by unprecedented seriousness.
"Alright... you've successfully piqued my interest." He adjusted his breathing. "So, this... 'Fool's' messenger, you didn't just find me to show me an inexplicable statistical miracle, did you?"
"Of course not." Lin Huai's gaze refocused on Tony. "My prophecy for you was not a display, but a letter of introduction, a qualification certificate."
"A proof that I am qualified to engage in a cooperation with you that concerns the future of the World."
He brought up the crucial topic.
"Cooperation?" Tony sharply caught the word.
"Yes, cooperation." Lin Huai's tone was unequivocal. "You can understand our World as a stable program that follows physical laws. And now, an external 'code' with completely different logic is invading. I call it 'Erosion'."
He rephrased it in a way Tony could better understand.
"This 'Erosion' distorts matter and pollutes the spirit. For example, 'things' that don't belong to any known biological category will be born in Water. They can burrow into your brain, amplifying your fears and desires until they drive you mad. And your top medical equipment won't detect any abnormalities."
The scene Lin Huai described sent a long-unfelt chill down the spine of the genius scientist, Tony.
The most terrifying enemy was not missiles and armor, but this 'virus' that existed outside the rules, unobservable, incomprehensible, and unconquerable.
"You need an 'antivirus software' that can'see' these viruses." Lin Huai looked directly at him. "And I am your only option right now."
"As the beginning of our cooperation, I need to raise my 'authority' to deal with the ongoing 'Erosion'. And raising authority requires a ritual, which needs specific 'components'."
He directly stated his requirements, as if submitting a project list.
"I need two things."
"First, the blood of a Lava Octopus from the deep sea."
"Second, a star crystal from deep within the Earths core crater."
Tony was silent for a long time.
His genius mind was racing, evaluating the risks and rewards of this insane transaction. This young man, from beginning to end, displayed a composure and confidence beyond his years. He didn't seem like a swindler, but rather like a representative of another super company, armed with cutting-edge technology, seeking cooperation.
"Okay."
Tony suddenly stood up, his signature smile returning to his face.
"I like crazy investments. I call this... an Angel round of funding for you and your 'Fool' behind you."
He pulled out a simply designed black phone from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"But any investor needs to see a return. Before I put billion-dollar Deep-Sea Submersibles and Geocentric Drills on my schedule, you have to prove to me that your 'Erosion' truly exists, and that your value is worthy of this investment."
Tony Stark put on his sunglasses, obscuring his complex gaze.
He had just returned from the brink of death, witnessing how the weapons he created had almost killed him. He yearned to control power beyond the rules more than ever.
"Prove to me that you, and your 'Fool', can really solve some... problems that I cannot solve."
With those words, he turned and pushed the door open, the wind chimes on the door jingling.
Lin Huai picked up the encrypted phone on the table, which was far beyond current technological levels, his expression calm.
An equal dialogue begins with equal strength.
Now, he had the qualification to demonstrate his'strength' to Tony Stark.