But.
Coulson could act as if Tony Stark had never appeared, but Tony Stark couldn't pretend he'd never met Coulson.
The playboy immediately fell into deep thought after returning to his luxurious Malibu villa.
Why were the people from S.H.I.E.L.D. in the Arctic Ocean?
Specifically, they appeared near the crash site of Captain America at the key moment when the diary had just revealed that Captain America wasn't dead!
Combining this time and this place, the implications were actually quite clear.
It was impossible to simply explain it away as a coincidence, so it was really hard for the playboy not to let his imagination run wild.
"Could it be that I'm not the only one who knows Captain America is still alive?"
Tony Stark was really starting to agonize over this. "But the diary clearly says that Captain America wasn't discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D.!"
So, the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents Coulson led weren't actually there for Captain America?
They were milling around the vicinity of Captain America's crash site, seemingly probing for something, truly executing a mission.
Unrelated to Captain America?
And after they finished their mission, they would just withdraw, never discovering Captain America at all?
Leaving Captain America lying there in the vast, endless snow and ice, until he was discovered by that Russian oil team in the future?
This was… if that was the case, it was a bit too coincidental!
"From a probability perspective, the appearance of S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel at such a specific time and location due to coincidence is indeed a low-probability event."
"But, sir, you must also understand that low-probability events can still happen."
Jarvis, the considerate and intelligent AI butler, spoke, presenting his perspective from a scientific standpoint.
Tony Stark naturally understood this logic.
In fact, precisely because of this, the playboy, after comprehensively considering that the diary's information had never been wrong, could only temporarily conclude that the appearance of Coulson and the others was truly a coincidence.
Although it was an excessive coincidence, the diary had never made a mistake!
However, if this was the case, Tony Stark's plan to find Captain America would be somewhat affected.
Although S.H.I.E.L.D. was an intelligence organization founded by his father, it ultimately had nothing to do with Tony Stark.
Tony Stark didn't want to be drawn into this type of intelligence agency's missions and attract unnecessary trouble.
"Forget it!"
"Let's let Captain America keep hibernating for a while longer."
"He's slept for so long already, what's a little more time?"
After a moment's thought, Tony Stark made this decision.
After Coulson and the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents left, Tony Stark could go to the Arctic Ocean.
As for now?
He should deal with some other things first.
What things?
Naturally, it was to investigate Ivan Vanko, who was spoiled in the diary, and to investigate whether the Winter Soldier was Bucky Barnes.
These two things were quite important to Tony Stark, or rather, he valued them.
Especially the latter, which made Tony Stark even more resentful and unable to let go.
Tony Stark put practically all his energy into this matter, but he never made any effective progress.
After all, Bucky Barnes had been dead for seventy years, and didn't leave much of a trace.
The mysterious ghost, the Winter Soldier, was the same.
Apart from some fragmented information, there were no effective clues about this person.
Whoever the black hand behind him was, they must possess unfathomable power, erasing everything about the Winter Soldier completely.
Even with Jarvis, an artificial intelligence far ahead of its time, Tony Stark couldn't find anything.
But in fact, Tony Stark didn't know this...
The Winter Soldier, aside from his missions, was usually kept frozen, just like Captain America.
The traces he left behind were already few and far between.
Even during his missions, he mostly wore a mask.
Situations where his face was captured on surveillance, like the killing of Howard and his wife, were extremely rare.
Considering all these factors, even with Tony Stark's technological advantage, it was unrealistic to find anything out in a short amount of time.
The same applied to Ivan Vanko.
Because Ivan Vanko's background in America was much cleaner than the Winter Soldier's.
At least some fragments related to the Winter Soldier had leaked out, allowing Jarvis to search for them, but Ivan Vanko had absolutely nothing.
In the movie, after this guy attacked Iron Man and was arrested, the authorities collected his fingerprints, but nothing came of it.
As for Ivan Vanko's father, Anthony Vanko? He kicked the bucket before Tony Stark revealed his Iron Man identity!
Thus, Tony Stark's chances of finding Ivan Vanko through Jarvis were even smaller than finding the Winter Soldier.
So, even though Tony Stark had Jarvis working hard on the search, he still faced a very frustrating reality:
Days were passing, and apart from the Stark Industries Expo, which Pepper Potts was organizing flawlessly, everything else was proceeding smoothly.
He had made no other progress.
Of course, this was only for Tony Stark.
For Nick Fury, the head of intelligence, things were much, much smoother.
In just a month, Agent Hill had already located Ivan Vanko.
And she had thoroughly investigated his background.
Even the color of his underwear was reported accurately to Nick Fury.
"Anthony Vanko initially wanted to use the Arc Reactor to make money, so he fell out with Howard and was sent back to the Soviet Union."
"But the Soviet Union found Anthony to be of no use, so they sent him to Siberia."
"Anthony Vanko spent the majority of his miserable and impoverished life there."
"And he blamed Howard Stark for everything, pouring all his hatred onto the Stark family."
"Because of this hatred, Anthony Vanko and his son, Ivan Vanko, secretly returned to America, intending to seek revenge on Stark."
"Sir, they do possess some technology that seems related to the Iron Man armor. At the very least, the energy source is the same, since Anthony participated in the creation of the Arc Reactor."
"However, according to my investigation, they don't seem to have the technology to build Iron Man armor, and Ivan Vanko hasn't even finished miniaturizing the reactor."
In the office.
Agent Hill stood before Nick Fury, reporting all the intelligence regarding Ivan Vanko to him.
Fury appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly, he couldn't help but ponder.
From Hill's report, it seemed Ivan Vanko was indeed planning to create something to deal with Stark.
This aligned with the information in the diary, which described him as Stark's second nemesis, possessing Stark's technology!
Fury's trust in the diary increased little by little.
Of course, there was no need for Agent Hill to know about these things.
The "Egghead" quickly put those thoughts aside and refocused his attention on Agent Hill.
"Is Ivan Vanko still just at the Arc Reactor stage? Any other developments?" Nick Fury asked seriously.
"It appears he's only been studying the reactor so far."
Agent Hill gave this answer.
Is that so?
"Continue monitoring Ivan Vanko, keeping an eye on his every move. Don't alert him for now."
Nick Fury quickly made a decision, issuing this order to Hill.
Agent Hill, naturally, didn't waste any time and immediately accepted the order.
Hill could guess what her director meant with her eyes closed.
It was nothing more than waiting in the shadows for Ivan Vanko's technology to mature, and then swoop in and take the credit.
But this kind of thing probably wouldn't yield results anytime soon.
After all, technology and scientific research were unpredictable; not everyone was a genius like Tony Stark.
Nick Fury naturally understood this, so he was prepared for a long-term battle.
And as Nick Fury predicted, there was no movement from Ivan Vanko's side in the next two months.
Instead, Coulson in the Arctic Ocean made a major discovery.
"Director, I think what we've been looking for is this thing!"
Arctic Ocean, a corner of the vast, icy wilderness.
A group of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents surrounded a mostly ice-covered aircraft, with only a "tip of the iceberg" visible, and they all wore expressions of both surprise and delight.
It wasn't easy.
After being battered by wind and snow for more than three months in this godforsaken, extremely cold environment, they finally had a discovery.
"That's right, this is what we're looking for!"
Coulson sized up the aircraft's wing, which was protruding from the ice, quickly assessed the situation, and then nodded.
At the moment, it looked like this thing was indeed the same model as the aircraft that Captain America crashed in.
And it was within the range of Captain America's crash site, so they were basically certain.
"We need a large crane, we need cutting tools, and I need to get inside as quickly as possible."
"We might also need a medical team, have them ready for me."
"Now!"
Coulson didn't waste any time and immediately began issuing a series of orders.
Very quickly, the necessary tools and equipment arrived, and they cut a hole in the aircraft's outer shell.
Coulson himself, along with two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, rappelled down using ropes, entering the interior of the aircraft.
Shhh shhh! The sound of feet crunching on the snow echoed as Coulson cautiously began to survey the inside of the aircraft.
"Sir, do you really believe Captain America is still alive?"
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent couldn't help but speak.
Even now, he found the guess somewhat absurd.
"I hope so," Coulson replied.
It was clear that the honest man didn't have much confidence in this matter either.
"Sir, look!"
And soon.
A S.H.I.E.L.D. agent's eyes brightened; he had made a discovery.
Coulson and the others quickly gathered around, and they saw a familiar shield lying quietly beneath the snow.
It was none other than Captain America's shield, known to everyone in America.
"Quick, search carefully!"
Coulson's spirits lifted, and he immediately began searching the surrounding area with several other S.H.I.E.L.D. agents.
And they really found something.
Not far from the shield, they successfully dug a person out from under the snow.
It was a soldier with golden hair, wearing the familiar star-spangled uniform.
Especially the way his chest muscles were about to burst out of his clothes.
Who else could it be?
Not only that.
Captain America, at this moment, still had a very faint breath, actually hadn't died, was really alive!
And even after so many years, he showed no signs of aging, still as young as in the video footage!
It was as if he had directly traveled here from seventy years ago!
"Unbelievable, I really can't believe it."
"It's really Captain America, exactly the same as on TV!"
"This is simply incredible!"
Even the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, who were used to seeing all sorts of extraordinary things, couldn't help but exclaim in low voices.
Captain America was actually still alive!
"Great, Captain is really still alive."
Coulson, Captain America's little fanboy, couldn't help but reveal a genuine smile on his face.
"Quick, take Captain up, be careful!"
"Be careful not to hurt Captain."
"And Captain's shield!"
After instructing people to transport Captain America out immediately, Coulson didn't even have time to go up himself.
He immediately took out his satellite phone and dialed the number of the Egghead.
"Sir, we found Captain."
"As you said, Captain is still alive."
Captain America really is alive!
Exactly as recorded in the diary!
Nick Fury, on the other end of the line, was immediately stirred.
First, the confirmation of Ivan Vanko as Tony Stark's nemesis, and now the accurate prediction of Captain America's survival.
Nick Fury's level of importance placed on that mysterious diary had now reached its highest point.
Leaving aside the deviations under the assumption that Tony Stark was also a diary holder, everything on the diary, as Natasha said, had been verified.
Without exception!
And the assumption that Tony Stark was also a diary holder, just like himself, how accurate was that possibility?
If the early capture of Stan and the "I am the Destroyer" weren't enough to explain it...
The playboy's appearance in the Arctic Ocean is a strong testament to this!
So, that's right.
Judging from the current clues, the diary seems… to actually be correct!
------------------------
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