Chapter 15: Cat Poop?!
"Jarvis, look up the 'Emerald Dream' plant shop."
"Yes, sir. Here is the compiled information. The shop owner is Oaks Woods, a Cornell University Ph.D. in Biology. Here is his resume and related information."
Tony reached out, and a holographic display showed all the publicly available information on Oaks in front of him.
"Hmm... He's an excellent biologist, but not as handsome as me."
"But he's quite young, sir."
With one hand supporting his chin, Tony completely ignored Jarvis's comment and used his other hand to manipulate the holographic display. Then he raised an eyebrow.
"He turned down research project invitations from six professors but personally participated in the 1KP project. He's a peculiar fellow, but he suits my taste."
"Yes, sir. Additionally, Dr. Woods recently posted on a small forum, claiming to have formulated a potion that can quickly heal wounds, remove scars, and nurture the skin."
"Just now, Professor Woods uploaded over ten plant samples marked as from the Amazon rainforest to a professional forum for the 1KP project, engaging in preliminary exchanges with other botanists."
"The Amazon rainforest?"
Tony walked to the coffee machine, and the holographic display followed. He ground the coffee beans in his hand while his mind continued working.
"When did he return from the Amazon?"
"I couldn't find Dr. Woods's travel records, sir."
Jarvis's answer made Tony pause for a moment, but luckily, the coffee machine had filled the cup and automatically stopped.
"No travel records? Not even international ones. Hacking into the airline databases for that would be too boring for me."
"No, sir."
Jarvis answered with certainty, "Other than school-organized activities, Dr. Woods has no private travel records. Taxis cannot be tracked, but there is indeed no record of him using buses or the subway. There are no records of train, airplane, or boat travel. However, there are records of his expenses and accommodations in various places around the country, but no records of him refueling at any gas station."
"He did have a record of sending packages to the city of Manaus in the Amazon rainforest, with the earliest record dating back five years and the most recent one half a month ago."
Tony fell silent for a moment, showing an 'interested' expression.
"As expected, something's not right... This guy doesn't even take planes. How did he get to the Amazon?"
Walking briskly back to his workbench, Tony took a sip of coffee and gave further instructions.
"Jarvis, bring me all the information you can find on Dr. Woods."
"Yes, sir. But since biology isn't your area of expertise, would you like some reference books?"
"I don't intend to study biology. I just want to see comments and ratings."
"Understood, sir."
...
Completely unaware that he had been thoroughly investigated, Oaks returned from his usual rounds in the small rainforest.
With Antonio's help, things in the shop had become much easier for him.
The only difference now was that his rounds were done in the morning, which he explained to Antonio as his morning exercise.
"Mr. Oaks, I'm leaving!"
"Hmm, have you become skilled at driving?"
"Don't worry, I have excellent learning abilities!"
Antonio carried his laptop bag, ready to go to school.
Indeed, to avoid the common performance art in the New York subway and escape the torment of the old drivers in Brooklyn, Antonio applied to use Oaks' smart car to commute to school. In return, he took care of all the delivery tasks after classes.
Anyway, Oaks didn't drive much, so it didn't matter. Let him do as he pleases.
While this kid doesn't have any lab projects assigned by his mentor, let's squeeze some extra labor out of him.
"But, Mr. Oaks, isn't there something strange about this car?"
Antonio hesitated for a moment and cautiously asked, "The fuel gauge is always full. Although this car is fuel-efficient, isn't it too exaggerated? Could the fuel gauge be broken?"
"It's not broken, it's fine. Just drive it. Don't worry about the fuel."
Seeing the mysterious look on Oaks' face, Antonio touched his chin and suddenly realized, "Oh... Mr. Oaks, you must have connections. I've heard that American oil companies are privately owned."
Leaving a look that said, "I understand," Antonio quickly got into the car and drove away.
"...Well, close enough."
Although it was slightly different from what Antonio had thought, Oaks couldn't be bothered to explain further.
The more he explained, the more troublesome it became.
After organizing the items in the shop, Oaks opened his computer, intending to check the forum, when he noticed a Rolls-Royce Phantom parked outside the shop.
"Is a tycoon here?"
Oaks just started to smile when his expression froze.
Because the driver opened the back door, and a stylish and imposing figure stepped out.
Tony Stark.
"Wow, the air here is amazing!"
The driver and bodyguard, Happy Hogan, opened the shop door, and Tony walked in with sunglasses on as if he were entering his own home.
"Happy, how would you compare the air here to the air in the CEO's office at Stark Tower?"
"...There's no comparison."
"You're too straightforward. Go back and tell them to cancel the production plan for the air purifiers."
"But the raw materials were procured yesterday..."
"Tell Pepper, she'll know what to do."
"Yes, sir."
Oaks tapped his temple. This guy had been boasting non-stop since he entered, an annoying megalomaniac. But I liked the content.
"Welcome to Emerald Dream. How can I assist you?"
"Ah, Dr. Oaks Woods, I believe there's no need for introductions. I..."
"Who are you?"
Tony took a deep breath and took off his sunglasses.
"I..."
"Oh, so it's the billionaire Tony Stark. Welcome. I wonder if there's anything here that catches your eye?"
"Uh... um..."
Tony glared at the smiling Happy and cleared his throat heavily.
"I like humorous people, but I like it even more when another genius refers to me as 'Genius Tony Stark'."
"Well then, Genius Tony Stark."
Oaks gave a wry smile. From the moment Tony entered, he had anticipated this—this guy wouldn't leave any stone unturned in his investigation.
"It seems you're not here to buy anything. Shall we go inside and talk?"
"Sure, you can consider me here for business."
Oaks made a gesture of "please" and went to the lounge area.
"Take a seat. What would you like to drink?"
"Coffee."
"And for you?"
"Just water, thank you."
The coffee and water were placed in front of Tony and Happy. The former's eyes lit up.
"The aroma... What brand is this?"
"It's a rare variety from the Amazon rainforest, cultivated by myself. It's an exclusive product."
Oaks poured himself a cup from the same coffee pot and took a sip.
"It's slightly more refreshing than regular coffee but not harmful to the body."
"Hmm..."
Tony raised his cup and took a sip but couldn't hold back his laughter any longer.
"You know what, Dr. Woods? After drinking this, I feel like all the coffee beans in my house are cat poop."
"Meow~"
Goose walked over with a leisurely gait, climbed onto Oaks' lap, and lay down.
"Uh... um..."
"Happy!"
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