Soon, news of Tony Stark's rescue spread throughout the United States. It could be said that all of New York, and even most of the United States, were paying attention, especially the Air Force base and the Kingpin Group. They were all waiting for a result, a result they already knew but wanted to see.
Tony Stark was helped off the plane by Colonel Rhodes. Medical personnel, who had been waiting, pushed a gurney over. Tony Stark's eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice, "I don't need that. Tell them to go away!"
Colonel Rhodes subtly waved his hand at the medical personnel, who wisely moved away. Colonel Rhodes also lowered his voice, "Tony, remember, no matter what decision you make, I, the Air Force, and the Sherman family will support you!"
"If you knew my next decision, you probably wouldn't say that," Tony Stark shook his head, not taking Colonel Rhodes' words to heart.
"No, this is what the Sherman family wants. They want your friendship. No matter what you do, they will support you!" Colonel Rhodes reiterated Mark Sherman's instructions.
"Oh?" Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, but quickly dismissed the remark, as he was well aware of his significance to the U.S. military. In Tony Stark's opinion, these words were merely an attempt to curry favor and appease him.
"Your eyes are red. Are you crying for your long-lost boss?" As he spoke, Tony Stark walked up to Pepper, who had red eyes but a happy smile, and asked seriously.
"These are tears of joy. I hate looking for a new job…" Pepper said, refusing to admit it.
"Alright, then the vacation is over." Tony Stark nodded and got into the car.
"Sir, where are we going?" Happy, the bodyguard and driver, asked with a smile.
"Happy, please take him to the hospital…" Pepper said first.
"No!" Tony Stark firmly refused.
"Tony, you must go to the hospital and let the doctor check your condition…" Pepper urged.
"There's nothing I must do. I've been imprisoned for three months. Right now, I only want to do two things. I want a cheeseburger, and the other…" Tony Stark looked at Pepper seriously and said.
"That's impossible!" Pepper, thinking Tony Stark wanted to release some pent-up energy after three months, firmly rejected him. What a joke, he had just been kidnapped, how could he do such a thing?
"It's not what you're thinking. I want to hold a press conference." Tony Stark raised an eyebrow. "But first, let's drive to get a cheeseburger."
At the press conference, Tony Stark sat on the ground, somewhat tired, pulled a hamburger from his pocket, and took large bites. At the same time, he waved to the reporters in front of him. Although he was tired, his eyes gleamed; he had completely firmed his resolve.
"Hello, Ms. Pepper, I am Agent Phil Coulson from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division…" Coulson approached Pepper, handed her a business card, and said in a low voice.
"Oh, your name is really long, but the Department of Defense, FBI, and CIA have all already contacted us…" Pepper raised an eyebrow, took the business card, and glanced at it.
"I know, we are working on that. We are an independent department, and we need Mr. Stark to give us a briefing on the details of his escape…" Coulson smiled kindly.
"I'll arrange it, if that's alright?" Pepper replied in a very official tone.
"Thank you." Coulson smiled faintly, then walked away to watch Tony Stark's speech.
"Can everyone sit down, so I don't have to be so formal…" Tony Stark took a bite of his hamburger and said with a smile to the reporters in front of him.
The reporters had never seen such an interview,
But considering he was Tony Stark, who had just been kidnapped, and for the sake of this big news, everyone eventually sat down. Most importantly, Obadiah, whose face was beaming with a smile, had already taken a seat beside Tony Stark.
However, Obadiah's smile soon vanished because Tony Stark uttered a statement that caused the atmosphere of the entire press conference to solidify.
"I discovered that the weapons I created, those weapons that were supposed to protect us, are actually killing our young compatriots, and I, in turn, have been complacently enjoying all of it, without taking on any responsibility…" Tony Stark looked around at everyone, his gaze shifting as he spoke.
"Mr. Stark, what exactly happened there?" A reporter raised his hand first and asked.
"I've been through a lot, and I've realized that I need to contribute more to this world, and not just by manufacturing explosive weapons…" Tony Stark stood up, and his words caused Obadiah's expression to change dramatically. "That's why I'm shutting down Stark International's weapons manufacturing division, effective immediately!"
"Whoa!" The entire press conference erupted in an uproar. Obadiah quickly stood up, wanting to rectify and correct what had happened, but Tony Stark had no intention of giving him that opportunity. He directly stood up and walked past the reporters, each eager to ask a question.
"Now, will they still support me?" Tony Stark asked in a low voice as he walked past Colonel Rhodes.
"They will." Colonel Rhodes' answer surprised Tony Stark a little, but he still didn't believe it and quickly left.
After Tony Stark left, Obadiah still tried to salvage the situation, but unfortunately, the reporters had already recorded everything and reported it.
And the Kingpin Group and the Sherman family, who had been waiting for all this and were well-prepared, also began to act. For the Sherman family, although they intended to continue investing in Tony Stark after he closed his weapons manufacturing division, why pass up an opportunity for easy money?
"Jack, you need to pay more attention to your teacher, okay?" Mark Sherman even called Jack again, instructing him. Tony Stark's actions today, having been pointed out in advance by Huang Wen, made Mark Sherman pay even more attention to Huang Wen, this unfathomable investment target.
At this moment, Huang Wen and Belle were still in the uninhabited area of North Asia. This place was vast and sparsely populated, but it had a unique natural beauty that made Huang Wen and Belle slow their pace.
"Hmm?" Belle, who had just appeared in the clearing with Huang Wen using the Dream Butterfly Escape, frowned slightly and subconsciously looked back at the place they had just been.
"What's wrong?" Huang Wen looked at Belle, puzzled, because there was nothing around that would surprise Belle.