"Sir, your ideas are always so intriguing!" Jarvis praised.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Right now, I'm just scratching the surface of the Pym particle's capabilities. It can do so much more than you can imagine!" Fang Yan's eyes gleamed.
The potential applications of Pym particles were vast and limitless. Fang Yan had plans to develop a steel battle suit in the future. With Pym particles, he wouldn't need to wait for lengthy production times, watching as Iron Man's parts slowly came together. He could simply enlarge the steel battle suit instantly and don it in no time!
And he could even use "secondary reduction" for more purposes. For instance, he could shrink hundreds of Iron Man suits into miniatures and store them in boxes. Then, by reducing the size of the box, he could transform it into a keychain, easily carried around. With this approach, Fang Yan could essentially have an entire Iron Man Legion at his disposal!
Expanding on this concept, who's to say he couldn't have more than just an Iron Man army? He could shrink entire buildings to a convenient size and take them with him, offering unparalleled convenience.
Pym particles held a plethora of magical possibilities, and Fang Yan had only scratched the surface of their potential.
"Let's not get carried away. Dwelling on these thoughts will only clutter the mind. First, let's focus on creating my Ant-Man battle suit!" Fang Yan redirected his attention, heading straight for the laboratory.
His laboratory shared similarities with the sacred tree structure in the parallel universe, albeit with slight adjustments to accommodate the production of Pym particles and the Ant-Man suit.
"Jarvis, bring me the materials!" Fang Yan commanded, prompting the micro-robots to swarm in, meticulously placing the necessary materials for the Ant-Man suit on the experimental table.
Compared to the steel battle suit, the Ant-Man suit required different materials. These materials had been pre-processed and the molds custom-made, sparing Fang Yan the tedious process of their creation.
"Let's get started!" Casting aside all distractions, Fang Yan embarked on the production of the Ant-Man suit.
...
Meanwhile, in a rented apartment at Guo Xuerong's residence:
"Sister! Have you seen Fang Yan these past few days?" Guo Yurong's voice echoed outside Guo Xuerong's room.
The door swung open, revealing Guo Xuerong, who was wearing a mask. She glanced at her sister and quipped, "No! Why? Have you been missing him after just a few days?"
Taking a seat on the sofa, Guo Xuerong motioned for Guo Yurong to join her.
"Jarvis, turn on the TV and switch to the news channel for me!" Guo Xuerong instructed. Following her command, the TV flickered to life, displaying live coverage from a news channel.
Ever since Fang Yan granted Guo Xuerong and her sister access to the artificial intelligence system, they had fully embraced its capabilities. Their home had been transformed into a smart environment, responsive to their every command.
Having replaced nearly every conventional appliance with its smart counterpart, their daily lives had become far more streamlined. A simple word could trigger a sequence of actions, such as turning on the TV and tuning in to the desired channel.
"Sister! What are you talking about? It's just that I'm bored and thought of asking about him!" Guo Yurong protested, pouting.
"You're the one who's been idle! Instead of working on your thesis, you're engrossed in mobile games all day long!" Guo Xuerong retorted, rolling her eyes.
"Humph! And you're one to talk! Graduated and still unemployed, collecting rent all day... people are even calling you a landlord!" Guo Yurong shot back.
"What's wrong with being a landlord? I don't want to be a CEO. I prefer a leisurely lifestyle, collecting rent, shopping—much better than someone who lazes around with friends all day!" Guo Xuerong replied matter-of-factly.
"Hey! Don't criticize me! Even though you've graduated, you're still jobless, and all you do is collect rent. People are saying you're just a rent collector!" Guo Yurong retorted defiantly.
"Hey! What's wrong with being a rent collector? I'm not in a rush to climb the corporate ladder. I enjoy my current lifestyle—collecting rent, shopping, taking it easy. And unlike someone I know, you're always hanging out with friends!" Guo Xuerong retorted, raising an eyebrow.
At that moment, Guo Xuerong noticed a news report on the TV screen.
"Look, another gang member was brutally attacked by a rival gang on the streets! If these people don't rein themselves in, they're bound to meet a similar fate sooner or later!"
Guo Xuerong commented, her gaze focused on the report.
"That's just gang rivalry! I have no ties to any gang. Why would they come after me?" Guo Yurong shrugged nonchalantly. "It's also weird—why have there been so many gang-related incidents recently? This is the fourth one, isn't it?"
Guo Xuerong found the sudden surge in gang violence peculiar.
Unbeknownst to them, the recent unrest in the Ningcheng underworld had been triggered by the incident involving the loss of 60 million yuan from the three major factions. The city's criminal landscape was now fraught with tension, as various factions searched for the "traitor" responsible for the lost funds. While the traitor had yet to be found, the incident had sowed discord and fueled animosity among the three factions.
"What are you standing around for? Get back to working on your thesis! Graduation is just around the corner!" Guo Xuerong chided.
"Humph! Fine, I'm out of here!" Guo Yurong huffed and turned away. "Jarvis, please prepare the hot water for me!"
"Hot water is ready for you!" Jarvis promptly responded.
Guo Yurong made her way to the bathroom, leaving her sister behind.
...
How long did it take to create an Ant-Man suit? If Dr. Pym were to provide an estimate, he'd likely say several years of constant research and development, culminating in extensive testing.
Yet for Fang Yan, these years were condensed into a mere one or two hours.
"It's done!" Fang Yan stretched, a satisfied smile playing on his lips as he admired the red Ant-Man battle suit resting on the table.
While simpler in appearance compared to the intricately designed Ant-Man suit from the movies, this suit matched the official version in terms of capabilities and functions.
"Sir, the scan results indicate that the suit meets the parameters you set. You can use it with confidence," Jarvis reassured.
"Of course, this is a creation of my own hands!"
"Next up, it's time to experience being Ant-Man!" Fang Yan's lips curled into a mischievous grin as he began to don the Ant-Man suit.
"It's a bit snug. I probably gained some weight from not exercising these past few days. Jarvis, remind me to adjust the body shape parameters when I develop the superhuman serum!"
"Of course, sir. Your preference has been noted," Jarvis replied.
After donning the suit, Fang Yan inspected himself in the mirror
, nodding in approval.
While not as comfortable as the steel suit, it still felt good overall.
His attention shifted to the button on the glove.
"Activate!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, Fang Yan felt his surroundings rapidly expanding. Everything around him seemed to grow larger.
He was shrinking!