Arlington, on the banks of the Potomac River, home to the Pentagon, the highest military command of the United States...
In the banquet hall on the second floor, known as the 'Gold Room', soothing music with a lively rhythm and beautiful melody flowed quietly.
Dignitaries from the Military Committee, dressed in uniforms adorned with medals, moved about the room. Among them were even the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Duncan Hunter, and the Secretary of Defense, appearing together... This was a testament to the weight of this banquet.
The two VIPs scanned the room repeatedly, only realizing after whispered reminders from their aides that the true protagonist of the evening had yet to arrive. The genius from New York, who had seemingly vanished from the public eye recently, had reportedly abandoned his work to travel through Eastern Europe.
Senator Hunter and Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter exchanged knowing smiles. Just as they had once indulged Tony Stark, these powerful figures always exhibited immense patience toward young men of talent and value, dismissing their eccentricities as charming quirks of genius.
Of course, the prerequisite for such preferential treatment was possessing the outstanding ability or considerable worth to earn their admiration.
Tony stood at the edge of the banquet hall, muttering sarcastically, "Back then, they couldn't wait to fawn over me the moment they saw me. Now, they've grown accustomed to ignoring my existence."
Pepper held his arm, covering a light laugh with her hand. This was, after all, a celebration for Umbrella Corporation securing the Department of Defense contract. Naturally, all eyes were on the absent Sean, while she and Tony were merely background decorations.
Stark Industries hadn't even been on the original guest list... partly because it had withdrawn from the defense industry, and partly because… the Department of Defense wasn't particularly fond of the playboy.
Every procurement officer or military official who had dealt with Tony Stark had to possess two essential qualities... extraordinary patience and mental resilience.
God only knew just how caustic and sharp-tongued that unrestrained playboy could be. He might start by critiquing your attire, then move on to disparaging your taste in wine and cigars, reducing everything about you to worthlessness... all while effortlessly flaunting his own wealth and extravagant lifestyle.
The most infuriating part? It wasn't even deliberate. Enjoying the finest things had become second nature to Tony, it was ingrained into his very bones.
If you tried to cater to his interests by bringing up women, a topic Stark was well-versed in, you'd be making an even bigger mistake...
He would launch into a detailed discourse on women of different nationalities and skin tones, from cover models of fashion magazines to A-list Hollywood actresses, even delving into the charms of female academics, leaving you questioning the meaning of your own mundane existence.
And that was precisely Tony's goal... to make everyone believe he was one of a kind, and that his brilliance impossible to overshadow... He aimed to be forever the center of attention.
However, after many twists and turns, things had changed. A new focal point had emerged, which eclipsed Tony Stark's dazzling aura to the point where no one even noticed his arrival.
"Defeating me without even showing up?" Tony seethed inwardly, though there was little he could do about it.
"The military brass are all waiting to see you humiliated," Colonel Rhodes said as he approached, glancing at his indignant friend, "You said it yourself at the hearing... no one would be able to replicate the Arc Reactor for at least twenty years."
Tony fell silent for a moment. This was precisely why he had attended this celebration. Even though Stark Industries had exited the defense sector, its connections and influence remained. When news of Ivan Vanko's successful energy weapon research reached him, Pepper had informed him immediately.
Energy weapons had remained conceptual for two main reasons: energy consumption and miniaturization... the two biggest hurdles in transitioning from conventional firearms to energy-based arms.
Yet that Russian bear of a man, Ivan Vanko, had done it. Not only had he successfully reverse-engineered the Arc Reactor, solving the energy supply and conversion loss issues, but he had also achieved miniaturization.
Though there were still minor flaws like recoil and accuracy, there was no denying that this was the prototype of a true energy weapon.
From this foundation, laser weapons, ray guns, and particle beam weapons could be developed... high-tech equipment capable of long-range precision strikes and wide-area directional damage. It was only a matter of time before they were adapted for infantry use.
The last time Tony had seen Sean, he had condescendingly warned him that the military procurement field was treacherous and best avoided. Ivan Vanko's achievements now served as a brilliant, wordless rebuttal.
"I looked into that Russian's background. His father was once a partner of mine... it's no surprise he had the Arc Reactor blueprints… What shocks me is that he managed to replicate it using just a rough sketch."
For once, Tony expressed genuine admiration. He had examined the first-generation prototype of the energy weapon, and its design and energy core were nothing short of genius.
"Still, he's not quite at my level," he added immediately.
Colonel Rhodes and Pepper simultaneously turned away. Silence was the wiser choice at this moment.
Though the true star of the banquet was absent, the weapon's designer, Ivan Vanko, made his first public appearance under the guidance of Harry and Sean's secretary, Yuriko.
Remembering how his father had been humiliatingly expelled by Howard Stark decades ago, then deported back to the turbulent Soviet Union where he was ostracized and discriminated against by his own countrymen due to his past work for the Americans, Ivan's resentment burned fiercely.
Exiled to Siberia, his father had wasted away in alcoholism and despair. All of it, every last bit, was thanks to the Stark family!
His gaze locked onto Tony who was standing at the periphery, and a ferocious grin split his face. Sooner or later, he would crush that mustachioed man. The humiliation the Starks had inflicted on the Vanko family would be repaid tenfold.
The VIPs swarmed around Ivan, blocking his line of sight. Recalling his young employer's advice, the hulking Russian forced himself to appear amiable, suppressing his innate aggression as he exchanged pleasantries with the crowd.
Meanwhile, Harry and Yuriko worked the room, engaging with military officials and elevating the banquet's atmosphere to its peak.
Tony felt the weight of Ivan's hostile stare. A chill ran down his spine. Sean had truly found him a worthy adversary.
"He still has time to vacation in Eastern Europe… How enviable," Tony muttered self-deprecatingly.
Since throwing himself into the promotion of new energy initiatives, Tony had rarely had time to enjoy life. Most days were spent either in the underground workshop refining the next generation of Mark armors, or jet-setting around the globe with Pepper.
He had nearly forgotten his former playboy lifestyle. The idea of abandoning his busy work to vacation abroad alone could only flit through his mind before being dismissed.
"Maybe this is what Pepper calls 'maturity.'"
As he prepared to leave, Tony suddenly remembered something. He strode over to Sean's personal secretary and lowered his voice, "Tell your boss to watch out for Justin Hammer. Though any smart person knows no one can touch Umbrella at this stage, not everyone is that smart."
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Pepper to offer an awkward smile, "That's just Tony's unique way of showing concern..."