Marvel's Iron Lady

Although the villa's basement workshop couldn't compare to a large-scale tech lab, it was still equipped with all the necessary R&D tools.

At the very least—whenever Miss Stark needed it, the workshop's equipment was more than sufficient for her use and indulgence.

Fabric production wasn't as demanding as heavy industry; even with the label of "new technology," what mattered most was precision.

For these delicate little inventions, Miss Stark had an entire workstation packed with cutting-edge technology.

Under the continuous operation of digitally controlled equipment, which worked 24/7, a piece of black fabric gradually took shape on the workbench.

"Due to the equipment's precision limitations, it hasn't reached the highest standards, but this is good enough for testing."

Upon receiving Jarvis's notification, Miss Stark set down her half-finished dinner and headed to her private workshop in the basement.

Seeing the black fabric lying on the workbench, a satisfied smile spread across her face, clearly pleased with the result.

"Jarvis, activate the control panel—I want to give it a try."

"Certainly, Miss. Core control system is initializing, wireless connection is stable."

Immediately, she watched as the black fabric in her hand began to exhibit an indescribable hue.

The fabric was as soft as smooth silk, reflecting intricate light patterns under the corridor lights in the basement, possessing an unparalleled beauty.

As the subtle blue and deep green hues alternated, the fabric gradually began to disappear in Miss Stark's hand.

Indeed, the fabric vanished from sight under the effect of the light-sensitive layer covering its surface.

If it weren't for the tactile sensation in her hand, even Miss Stark might have believed the fabric had completely disappeared.

"The light-sensitive layer is functioning well, Miss. I believe this optical camouflage technology could be developed into a weapon on its own."

"I can see that—but for now, it can only make it invisible to the naked eye; it can't achieve complete invisibility."

She pouted slightly, dissatisfied, and lightly flicked her wrist, causing the invisible fabric to ripple like water in the air.

Even the beam from a flashlight could pass through this layer of fabric with optical invisibility, though there were still some flaws.

"This will have to do. With the materials on hand, this is the best we can achieve."

In her original concept, this new type of fabric was supposed to be a kind of self-replicating electronic cell.

In other words, it could transform into any type of clothing under any circumstances—of course, this was just the basic function.

This new fabric was not only clothing but also a weapon, capable of both offense and defense, that could be worn close to the body.

Bulletproofing, shock absorption, and optical camouflage were just the minimum functions; more capabilities needed to be developed.

Thanks to the fabric's special properties, she could implement all the functions she desired in clothing that could be worn daily.

Moreover, in the future, this fabric could be integrated into her Iron Man suit, forming an even more powerful weapon.

The composite material, nearly five millimeters thick, was as soft as ordinary fabric when not powered up.

However, when the kinetic energy it absorbed exceeded a certain limit, the impacted area would instantly harden like steel.

Its impact resistance could reach about twenty times that of steel, comparable to low-alloy, high-strength steel with a yield strength of 460 MPa.

Even heavy anti-material sniper rifle bullets couldn't penetrate this fabric, not to mention the fabric's inherent shock-absorbing capabilities.

In her initial design concept, the composite material consisted of up to 6,500 layers, possibly even more.

The gaps between the layers were only at the nanoscale, and carbon nanotubes could weaken the impact force up to 6,500 times.

It was easy to imagine how strong this new fabric's impact resistance could be—though it remained a theoretical concept.

With the technology and equipment Miss Stark currently possessed, it was impossible to fully support the completion of this technology.

"Continue with the impact resistance tests and find out its limits—"

Sighing as she looked at the fabric that had reappeared in her hand, Miss Stark tossed it onto Dum-E, her robotic assistant.

Dum-E—Miss Stark's graduation project from MIT and a mobile robotic arm controlled by Jarvis.

"Understood, Miss. I'll get the test report to you as soon as possible."

A few minutes later, when Miss Stark appeared on the upper floors of the villa, Pepper immediately called out to her.

"I brought the new clothes you ordered earlier. There's a meeting tomorrow morning, and you need to attend, Tony."

As she spoke, Pepper handed Miss Stark four or five beautifully packaged white paper bags.

"A meeting—what's going on that I need to attend? You know I rarely get involved in the company's business activities."

"The military is coming to inspect a project, and they're bringing a fifty-million-dollar contract. The board hopes you can attend."

Hearing Pepper's words, Miss Stark frowned slightly as she reached out to take the white paper bags.

She knew her position within Stark Industries all too well; at this moment, she had not yet inherited the entire company.

And those directors, those board members of Stark Industries, hadn't seen her as the future boss since Howard's death.

Perhaps because she was a woman, or perhaps due to their inherent chauvinism, she had been excluded from the company's operations.

It could be said that within the entire company, aside from Obadiah Stane, who was superficially amiable, most of the other shareholders and board members viewed her merely as a cash cow for Stark Industries.

Miss Stark had inherited Howard Stark's intelligence and possessed considerable prowess in technology.

She created new technologies for Stark Industries, while the board handled selling those technologies for a handsome profit.

This was why Miss Stark harbored resentment toward the board—they were a group of short-sighted fools who didn't understand the true value of business management.

"Honestly, dear, I don't really want to wear a dress to the meeting..."

In the upper-level closet of the villa, she tried on several long dresses designed by top fashion designers.

Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she felt a bit embarrassed and couldn't help but protest softly.

Even in her luxurious home, she mostly opted for sleeveless tank tops and shorts.

The reason was simple—this outfit was very convenient for work, with no worries at all.

In the end—after Miss Stark's objections, a resigned Pepper had no choice but to help her pick out a new outfit.

The final choice was a casual dark blue women's blazer, paired with a white shirt and jeans that fit snugly against her figure, showcasing her curves while maintaining a modest appearance.

With a figure and looks like Miss Stark's, she was practically a walking mannequin, able to pull off any look.

The only challenge was the black high heels, which were a bit difficult to manage.

"Let's go—your private jet is already waiting at the airport."