LightReader

Chapter 121 - Illusion? Press Conference!

Brazil.

This is a country where passion and chaos coexist.

Chaos gives rise to its passion.

Here, even a beggar could be carrying a gun.

Beyond the fact that Brazil is, in some aspects, a developed country, its defining features are notable: aside from the gathering of gangs, the most famous aspect is its favelas.

Separated from the wealthy areas by only a single wall, yet it feels like an entirely different world.

...

At this moment, Rio de Janeiro Airport.

Phil and his group had just arrived in this country. The moment they set foot on this land, the foreign atmosphere hit them immediately.

Stockman widened his sly little eyes, his gaze locked on one voluptuous, scantily-clad woman after another, drooling rivers.

Phil's expression remained calm as he patted Stockman on the shoulder.

"Let's go."

With that, he led the way into the airport.

Following him were Stockman and the remnants of the Bigfoot gang.

The remnants were led by the female ninja, Karai.

During the New York Police Department's crackdown on the Bigfoot gang, Karai had narrowly escaped, then hid in a safe house. Once the dust settled, she gathered the few members who had also escaped and met up with Stockman, through whom she came to know Phil.

From Phil and Stockman, she learned about the plan to assemble a complete Psychic Transmission Device. Karai decided to follow the professionals' advice.

If the device could be assembled, rescuing Schreiber would be a straightforward task.

Although the incomplete device could be used for now, its stability was questionable.

If Schreiber was transmitted to an unknown location, there might be no chance of retrieval.

Faced with the mysterious and unpredictable Batman, Karai thought it best to play it safe. She obediently followed Phil and Stockman to Brazil to secure the last component of the Psychic Transmission Device.

They exited the airport.

Suddenly, they noticed a line of green military jeeps parked along the roadside.

Phil glanced over, surprised.

Standing beside the vehicles were soldiers, standing tall and proud. Judging by the flag patches on their uniforms, these were Americans.

What's going on?

Phil's curiosity piqued. His instincts as a journalist picked up on something unusual.

But he was currently busy and could not investigate, so he had to let it go—though he stole a few extra glances.

Karai and the others' expressions grew serious.

Seeing these soldiers, they also sensed that something was amiss.

Something unknown may have occurred in Brazil.

But it probably had nothing to do with them.

As long as they weren't involved, they would pretend not to have seen anything.

Their immediate task: assemble the Psychic Transmission Device, rescue Schreiber, and revive the Bigfoot gang.

As Phil's group walked away…

Beside the jeeps, a muscular man of average height withdrew his fierce, murderous gaze.

"Colonel Bronski, it's time to move out!"

A subordinate reported.

"Understood."

Emil Blonsky nodded lightly and took the passenger seat of the jeep.

Vroom!The vehicle started.

"Colonel, what were you looking at just now?"

The driver, an old acquaintance, wasn't as reserved as the other soldiers. He smiled. "Brazil is a great place. Beautiful women everywhere."

"I saw some unusual people. They seemed… different."

Blonsky replied, "But they went in the other direction. They shouldn't interfere with us."

"Don't worry, Colonel. No one will stand in our way."

The driver said, "This is your closest chance at promotion. I believe you can catch that creature."

"Of course."

Blonsky nodded.

...

New York.

Anton and Eddie received a text from Phil, confirming that he had arrived in Brazil. They knew his next step: enter the tropical rainforest to find the final component of the Psychic Transmission Device left on Earth.

They had already retrieved the piece from the New York Museum.

Only the last piece remained.

Once obtained, they could execute their plan: assemble the founding members of the Justice League and let them test their abilities.

It had to be said, the alien Lange was an excellent practice target.

Plus, Anton had already activated Steelbone. Using Steelbone's capabilities to access the War Fortress network, control Lange's fortress, and then deal with Lange, would naturally provide a suitable base for the Justice League.

Moreover, last night during a meeting with Black Egg, he had promised to liaise with the UN Security Council on behalf of the Justice League.

Thus, although the Justice League remained an illegal organization, it now had some basis for legitimacy.

Of course, the most important aspect remained the Justice League itself.

Through the Psychic Transmission Device, the alien Lange would appear with the War Fortress, allowing the world—and the UN Security Council members—to witness both the alien and the League's strength, proving the League's necessity.

At that point, even if the UN Security Council were reluctant to acknowledge the League, they would have no choice but to accept it.

With this thought, Anton turned his attention to the computer on his desk.

It was showing Stark Industries' press conference regarding the "Failed Artificial Sun Experiment."

Otto's failure had paved the way for Doctor Octopus.

Though brief, the nickname had been widely recognized in the media.

It was coined by New York's top star reporter, Eddie Brock.

Obviously, Eddie wouldn't advertise it widely. In truth, the idea originated from Anton.

"Mr. Stark, does Stark Industries' failure in the artificial sun experiment mean your plans in the energy sector have ended?"

"Today, Stark Industries' stock plunged again, erasing billions from its market value. Mr. Stark, do you have anything to say?"

"Have you considered lifting the ban, allowing Tony Stark to return to the board as chairman?"

A flurry of questions hit Obadiah on live broadcast. Yet he remained composed, unflustered, with answers ready.

"Our energy sector initiatives have only just begun. I regret the failure of the artificial sun experiment, but there's a piece of news you don't know: Stark Industries has developed small nuclear reactor technology. It's not yet ready for large-scale deployment, but when the time is right, we'll bring it to market."

Obadiah answered each question: "Stock value drops are temporary. Our annual financial reports and substantial orders prove our strength. In fact, this year our business volume and profits exceed last year's. Soon, everyone will see the results."

"Tony?"

"Tony's current health cannot guarantee he can manage the company. He has always been chairman of Stark Industries. We simply paused his work due to health concerns. He can return anytime if healthy. We all want to see a healthy Tony Stark, don't we?"

Obadiah smiled, responding gracefully.

In the audience, Daily Bugle staff snapped photos frantically.

Beside them, Eddie remained calm, gaining a clearer understanding of Obadiah's shamelessness.

This guy could lie with such sincerity, almost as if he believed it himself…

Talent, indeed.

...

DC Headquarters, office.

Anton and Eddie shared the same thought.

Obadiah's shamelessness and experienced responses gave them a new respect for the old man.

Although Obadiah was arguably the weakest villain in the Iron Man series, and arguably in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, his presence could not be ignored.

His presence surpassed eighty percent of villains.

It was Obadiah's scheming that shaped an era in the Marvel world.

Honestly, if Obadiah had genuinely cared for Tony like his father Howard, Tony would have lived an exceedingly good—but perhaps boring—life.

In that life, Tony might never hear "I love you 3000."

"The artificial sun experiment failed; Obadiah has no way out!"

Anton watched the live broadcast, thinking the moment when Tony would declare "I am Iron Man" was not far off.

Coincidentally, Obadiah passionately spoke at the press conference.

"Currently, Stark Industries is developing a special weapon, which may replace current weapon systems and become essential in future warfare."

Obadiah confidently declared, "Stay tuned. Stark Industries will not disappoint."

"Can you provide details?"

A reporter asked.

"Sorry, detailed information will be released at a later date."

Obadiah reassured, "But rest assured, this is no lie! Once our new weapon is ready, every nation will place orders with Stark Industries."

His confidence influenced many.

Despite recent bad news, Stark Industries' strength was still trusted.

People wondered if internal issues existed, similar to the recent Osborn company conflicts.

However, with Tony's recent appearances, it became clear Stark Industries was stable.

Obadiah's statements restored confidence in Stark Industries.

Though the company would not immediately regain its former market value, Obadiah's speech provided reassurance.

"Anton, you seem confident about Obadiah's weapon?"

Betty knocked and entered.

Since Natasha resigned last night, Betty had resumed her assistant role.

Seeing Anton watching the news, she asked, surprised, "We're now minor shareholders in Stark Industries. If you truly believe in Stark Industries, this could be our chance."

"Do as you see fit."

Anton instructed confidently, "Soon, you'll witness a different Stark Industries."

"Alright."

Betty nodded, then reported, "Steelbone's global box office has reached 800 million USD. Thanks to yesterday's news, every market saw a significant rebound. Congratulations, Anton, your second movie has reached unprecedented heights."

Steelbone's appearance yesterday naturally consumed a lot of fan points.

Activating Steelbone's avatar for an hour cost 20.2 million fan points, almost emptying the balance.

But by the next morning, fan points rebounded to over 3 million—enough for several hours of activity.

Green Arrow was even easier. With existing fan points, he could remain active for days without issue.

"How are Superman and The Dark Knight progressing?"

Anton asked, thinking of the two other films in preparation.

"Superman is nearing the end of filming. The Dark Knight is in post-production. Quentin and Jim have high expectations, pursuing perfection—no mistakes allowed."

"Very good."

Anton nodded.

With his career on track, he didn't need to micromanage these companies.

His main focus remained the Justice League's emergence and its development.

Black Egg would not abandon his Avengers plans.

As known, Black Egg was extremely insecure—likely due to his past.

In his youth, when he felt safest, he encountered Carol returning to Earth, participated in the Kree invasion, and met numerous aliens, shattering his worldview.

Over the years, he became cautious and untrusting.

He trusted no outsiders, not even allies, especially those with extraordinary powers like the Justice League.

If Batman rallied the League, how many would respond? Black Egg wouldn't dare to imagine.

Thus, he granted only limited trust to his own superhero teams.

His real backup was not the Avengers, but Captain Marvel, patrolling the universe.

Hence, the New York battle was never a major concern for Black Egg.

It was merely a training exercise.

...

Meanwhile, Los Angeles.

Back at his seaside mansion, Tony watched Obadiah's poised responses on live broadcast and grew slightly interested in the weapon he mentioned.

As chairman of Stark Industries, he still had authority to access ongoing projects, despite being temporarily suspended.

"JARVIS, check all top-secret projects currently in progress at Stark Industries."

Seconds later:

"Sir, all relevant projects are displayed."

There were many major projects, but only one or two with the highest secrecy.

Tony found nothing meeting the criteria.

His expression darkened.

He stared at Obadiah at the press conference, taking a deep breath.

"I hope this is just my imagination… Obadiah!"

-----------------------

Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!

Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.

Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:

New Addition 

"Living in Marvel: Starting by Building 2B Missy (18+"

" Marvel: Glory of the Sun God (18+) "

" Marvel: This Position of Authority, I'm Taking It for Sure "

" Marvel: Zaun Captain America, Villains Call Me Ancestor-Man (18+) "

"Marvel Summoning Villains "

"Marvel: Weekly System Refresh, King of S.H.I.E.L.D. "

 many more are available 47+

Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!

patreon.com/SuperTL

(End of Chapter)

More Chapters