The data projected on the holographic screen in front of Tony Stark told him one thing — the man standing before the cameras was no ordinary person.
This man, Henry, was a half-blood genius who had graduated from MIT at just eighteen. Shortly after, he founded Vanderbuilt Technologies, a company that had risen at lightning speed to rival even Stark Industries in technological potential.
By all logic, a young man like Henry — brilliant, ambitious, and wealthy — should have been the kind to flaunt success. Yet, the truth was quite the opposite. Henry lived in near-total obscurity.
He avoided interviews, skipped press conferences, and was almost never seen in public. Every journalist who tried to reach him found nothing but polite rejections. He didn't seek fame.
And yet, his popularity only grew.
The internet buzzed with theories about him. Some said he was the next Steve Jobs. Others thought he was a government experiment. The mystery only fueled his fame. In a capitalist country like the United States, where people adored self-made legends, a hidden genius was the perfect modern myth.
The more people couldn't see him, the more they wanted to know him.
His secrecy, combined with a sharp intellect and movie-star looks, turned him into a phenomenon. Forums overflowed with photos of his rare public appearances, and every time he appeared, the internet went wild.
And now, standing under the blinding flashes of cameras at the International Technology Summit, he had returned to the stage — and completely stole Tony Stark's spotlight.
Reporters swarmed the red carpet like a tidal wave. "Henry! Over here!" "Is Vanderbuilt Technologies unveiling a new product?" "How do you feel about competing with Stark Industries?"
Even Tony, watching from a distance, chuckled as he scanned the digital display beside him.
"I see," he murmured, smirking. "So the mystery man finally shows himself."
According to the file J.A.R.V.I.S. had just pulled up, Vanderbuilt Technologies hadn't released a single new product for over a year. Yet here its elusive founder was, invited as a guest of honor to the summit.
"Interesting," Tony muttered, rubbing his chin. "A ghost company that still has enough clout to sit next to me? J.A.R.V.I.S., dig deeper. I want to see what Vanderbuilt's hiding."
"Understood, sir," the AI replied smoothly. "Initiating penetration of Vanderbuilt Technologies' data firewall."
"Don't make it sound illegal," Tony said with a grin. "Just… professional curiosity."
He adjusted his tie and strolled casually toward the main hall.
---
Meanwhile, at the entrance, camera flashes painted Henry in white light.
He stood tall and calm, his dark hair brushed neatly back, his posture flawless. His expression was polite but detached, his eyes revealing only a faint emotion that no one could read.
What no one knew, however, was that behind those calm eyes was not the soul of this world's Henry.
Three years ago, he had transmigrated into this universe — a world where American comics converged into one reality.
A world where Thanos could snap half the universe into dust, Dormammu devoured worlds in eternal loops, and Galactus fed on the energy of living planets. Supervillains lurked behind every city corner. Even the strongest nations were but fragile toys in the hands of gods and monsters.
For an ordinary person, survival here would be impossible.
But Henry was no ordinary person.
Upon awakening in this body, a glowing message had appeared before his eyes — his "Gold Finger" system.
> [Masque Inheritance System Activated]
It was called the Masque Inheritance System, a mysterious force that allowed Henry to draw power, technology, and even entire legacies from countless masked universes.
From worlds of Kamen Riders, heroes, and scientists beyond comprehension — he could inherit anything.
But there was a catch.
Each inheritance required World Points, a measure of how much impact he had on this reality. The greater his influence, the more points he earned.
And once enough points were accumulated, he could unlock a new "Masked World" and inherit its full legacy — technology, power, and sometimes even the people who came with it.
The thought of it alone was exhilarating.
"If I can one day unlock the worlds of ZIO or Decade," Henry once mused, "then even Thanos won't scare me."
The Demon King and the God Emperor — those were legacies that could bend time and destroy galaxies. But such heights demanded astronomical World Points, a number so high it bordered on impossible.
So, for now, Henry had to take things step by step.
He would unlock lesser inheritances first, develop technologies from them, and use that influence to reshape this world's balance of power. Each new ripple of change would feed him more World Points.
That was his path — the path of a hidden god among mortals.
---
When he first arrived, the system had granted him a starter inheritance: the world of Kamen Rider Zero-One.
At first, Henry had been disappointed. Zero-One's story might not have been the most compelling — even he thought the plot was "a bit of a mess."
But when it came to technological prowess, it was unparalleled. The entire world of Zero-One revolved around artificial intelligence, nanotech exosuits, and human-machine symbiosis. The potential was immense.
Henry inherited the complete scientific database of that world.
The knowledge was dizzying — terabytes of advanced AI algorithms, nanite manipulation, and biomechanical engineering. At first, he could only grasp the simpler theories, but over time, he began turning them into practical inventions.
Those early breakthroughs became the foundation of Vanderbuilt Technologies.
As his understanding deepened, his company's influence spread. AI prosthetics, energy converters, neural command circuits — Vanderbuilt's products revolutionized several industries.
But that rise drew attention.
The corporate titans — Stark Industries, Hammer Tech, Roxxon, and other old-money consortiums — saw his success as a threat. They didn't like an upstart genius eating into their profits.
And so, they united.
Contracts were cut off. Distributors were bribed. Patent lawsuits appeared overnight. Vanderbuilt Technologies was blacklisted across multiple trade networks.
For a while, Henry's momentum stalled. His company hadn't released a single new product for a year. Investors fled. The media whispered that he had failed.
But Henry had not stopped.
While the world thought he was hiding, he was mastering every last fragment of Zero-One's inheritance.
Months of sleepless research later, he was ready.
His understanding of AI architecture now surpassed even that of Stark. He could create self-learning cores without the risk of rebellion, autonomous bodies without the instability of Ultron, and neural links that could evolve without corruption.
And today — at this very summit — he was about to announce his counterattack.
---
Under the flashes of countless cameras, Henry finally stepped forward, smiling faintly at the journalists.
Behind that calm expression, however, his thoughts were sharp as blades.
"This," he thought, "is the moment the world sees what true innovation looks like."
He wasn't here just to boast or debut another gadget. He was here to make history.
On one hand, he intended to display Vanderbuilt's technological might — to prove to the world's biggest industries that their era of dominance was ending.
On the other, this public move would generate an enormous ripple through the global media and technological community — and that ripple meant World Points.
Every shockwave of attention, every headline bearing his name, every piece of awe his inventions inspired would feed the Masque Inheritance System.
That was the true reason he had come.
To fight back against the blockade — and to grow stronger.
As he looked toward the grand stage where Tony Stark was about to give his opening speech, Henry's lips curled into a confident, almost predatory smile.
"Enjoy the spotlight while you can, Stark," he whispered. "When Vanderbuilt Technologies unveils what I've created, the world will remember who truly leads the future."
A cold gleam flashed in his eyes.
The summit was about to begin.
The age of Vanderbuilt — and of masked inheritance — had just dawned.
---
Important Events in this Chapter:
Henry (formerly Li Wei) introduced as the founder of Vanderbuilt Technologies.
Revealed that he is a transmigrator with the Masque Inheritance System.
The system grants inheritances from various masked worlds using World Points earned through global influence.
First unlocked world: Kamen Rider Zero-One, granting cutting-edge AI and nanotech knowledge.
Consortium blockade: major corporations unite to suppress Vanderbuilt Technologies.
Henry prepares a counterattack at the international tech summit, both to restore his company's glory and to harvest massive World Points.
Tony Stark begins investigating Vanderbuilt, unaware that a new rival genius is about to rise.