Shi Xiaolei's appearance led to some changes in Coulson's work arrangements.
By shifting a certain timeline, Coulson coincidentally discovered a flaw that had gone unnoticed in the original plot, allowing him to confirm Obadiah as the mastermind earlier.
Subsequently, without Tony Stark's request, Coulson proactively led a team to Stark Industries' headquarters, arriving early to rendezvous with Pepper, who was there to steal intelligence, and escorted her to a safe house.
Since Obadiah didn't target Pepper... it was precisely because of those extra few minutes, which gave Stark time to think, that the battlefield shifted to the less populated Central Park, instead of erupting in the bustling downtown area as in the original plot.
Later, due to Shi Xiaolei's intervention, Iron Monger was quickly defeated.
Not falling into the Arc Reactor, not causing an explosion, and Iron Monger not being completely destroyed... these deviations from the original plot led to more chain reactions.
Firstly, Obadiah's survival meant Pepper needed to focus her energy on work, whether it was negotiations or hostile takeovers; in short, she would have to expend considerable effort to recover the shares Obadiah held.
Secondly, the Arc Reactor in the building didn't explode, and both combatants were hidden in their armor, not exposing their true identities. Coupled with the final battle taking place in Central Park, which somewhat diverted public attention, Stark Industries did not become the focus of everyone's attention in this incident. Thus, Stark Industries didn't need to hastily hold a press conference to stabilize its stock price, unlike in the original plot.
Finally, Iron Monger was only damaged, not completely destroyed... just like the Mark I that Tony Stark hammered together in the cave, the Iron Monger's wreckage also attracted the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra. To obtain this black technology that could significantly enhance individual combat capabilities, both sides made arrangements.
In short, Coulson didn't hover around Stark like a personal bodyguard every day as in the original plot, and Nick Fury, affectionately nicknamed 'Motherfucker' by fans, didn't immediately appear...
Without needing to hold a press conference or deal with so many miscellaneous matters, the leisurely Tony Stark spent all his time in the lab, immediately immersing himself in his favorite research work.
"Jarvis, analysis results?" After a quick shower, Tony Stark, wrapped in a bathrobe, returned to the lab in the mansion's basement, casually taking a sip of coffee handed to him by the robot Dummy.
"Tsk, what's this taste? I really should dismantle you."
"Whirr~." Dummy sadly drooped its mechanical arm, retreating to a corner in self-pity.
"Sir, according to my analysis, the potion you provided contains a total of seventy-six different components. Of these, thirty-seven have identifiable sources, and thirty-two can be analyzed for their composition but their raw material origins cannot be determined. Additionally, there are seven components that are not present in my database..."
As Jarvis replied, a translucent holographic interface appeared before Tony Stark.
He extended his free left hand, swiping through the air a few times, reviewing the list of ingredients Jarvis had compiled, then highlighting the entries marked with question marks.
Stark continued to speak while operating, "Seven unknown components, huh... Alright, it seems we have work to do. Oh, by the way, Jarvis, have the results of the biological clinical trials come out yet?"
"Biu~."
With a futuristic-sounding chime, several new panels popped up.
The central panel displayed a video. Simultaneously, Jarvis meticulously provided an explanation: "So far, the clinical effects of the red and white potions have been analyzed.
The black potion's experiment is still ongoing and is expected to conclude in three hours. Sir, what you are seeing now is the red potion's experimental process. As you can see, this potion has extremely significant therapeutic effects on various mechanical injuries. Using this as a reference standard, the efficiency for treating thermal injuries is approximately 78%, for pressure injuries it is 84%, and for radiation injuries, the efficiency is the lowest, at only 65%."
"Hmm~, continue."
"Compared to various existing topical medications on the market... for a two-centimeter long, half-centimeter deep wound, using the XXXX supplied to the Marine Corps, combined with sutures, would require at least three to five days to completely heal. However, using the red potion, it only takes fifteen seconds to half a minute. Additionally, for burns, frostbite, or acid corrosion of the same area, the healing time will not exceed one minute."
The efficiency is countless times faster. If this stuff could be mass-produced...
"It seems I need to set aside some time to catch up on biochemical and medical courses."
Having just shut down the weapons division and not yet conceived of ideas for energy development, it was understandable that Tony Stark would consider 'developing potions for profit' at such a crucial juncture, especially after receiving the potions from Shi Xiaolei.
"If you intend to launch a new drug, I personally recommend the white potion."
"Huh?" Surprised by Jarvis's suggestion, Tony raised an eyebrow, "Reason?"
"The red potion's effect is to heal injuries; for uninjured people, it doesn't have much appeal. The white potion, however, is different. After experimental confirmation, it can provide users with extremely strong endurance without any side effects," Jarvis explained. "Whether it's construction workers, farmers, athletes, or other professions requiring physical exertion, or office workers, doctors, teachers, and other professions primarily involving mental work, all can significantly improve work efficiency by taking this potion. Compared to the red potion, which only treats injuries, the white potion has a much wider range of application. It can be said that, apart from children and the elderly, everyone is a potential consumer."
Jarvis said a lot, but Tony Stark only truly absorbed one sentence.
"Enhances endurance, and has no side effects? Are you sure?"
"Yes. All control group experimental results confirm this."
"Wow~, it seems this stuff really has a lot of potential," Stark couldn't help but whistle, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "Jarvis, are there any left? Save one for me, I'll try it tonight."
"Seven were used during the experiment, three remain." As Jarvis replied, a hole opened in the wall, and a box was pushed out on a conveyor belt.
Dummy, who had been sulking in the corner, stirred, seemingly intending to retrieve the box and bring it to Stark.
"Whoa~ whoa~ whoa, stop right there, don't touch my precious, leave it there, I'll get it myself~." Fearing Dummy might accidentally break the potion, Stark frantically jumped up, "Don't make me dismantle you, okay?"