Chapter 22: Sacrifice
In late June 2008, S.H.I.E.L.D. was furious about your public admission that you were Iron Man, but you didn't take them seriously. Tony Stark could only sourly remark on your shamelessness, an accusation you coolly ignored.
In July 2008, Tony Stark went to Afghanistan to sell arms. Thanks to arrangements you had made in advance, John Wick helped him escape from danger. Tony successfully returned to the United States and found you to express his sincere gratitude.
[In August 2008, your Pineapple Company expanded its business scope into the energy industry. Graphene batteries can now be supplied to electric vehicles.]
In September 2008, the US Senate summoned you and demanded you surrender the Iron Man suit, citing the prohibition on the private possession of weapons of mass destruction. You flatly refused. Unexpectedly, at the hearing, Tony Stark, America's largest arms magnate, testified on your behalf, stating that your Iron Man suit wasn't a weapon but a high-tech prosthesis. He was quite considerate, bald-facedly lying for your sake. You decided to forgive him for the time being.
In October 2008, your friendship with Tony Stark blossomed. Out of a sense of camaraderie, you prepared to give him an Iron Man suit of his own. Tony claimed he never accepted gifts from men, but he accepted it anyway. That same month, you received an unexpected surprise: your research on graphene was nominated for the 2008 Nobel Prize in Physics, and you won.
After winning the Nobel Prize in Physics in November 2008, you gradually became a legend. Thanks to you, the stock price of your Pineapple Company continued to rise.
In December 2008, at the Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm, you met Erik Selvig, a doctoral student in physics and astronomy, and his student, Jane Foster. Erik had also been nominated for the prize and was invited to the ceremony. You fell for Jane at first sight, and the two of you slept together.
[From January to March 2009, Tony Stark upgraded your Iron Man suit twice, improving its firepower, speed, and endurance. However, he seemed uninterested in being a superhero. He only upgraded the suit to prove he was a better researcher than you. He would rather spend his time dating more models.]
Between April 2009 and March 2010, the Iron Man suit was upgraded to two new versions. One night, S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury invited you to join the Avengers. But why, you asked, did it have to be called the Avengers and not the Pineapple Alliance? Hearing your question, Nick Fury's face turned green.
In April 2010, just as in the original storyline, a hammer fell from the sky and landed in New Mexico. Although you weren't paying much attention to that region, you got a general idea of what happened through Black Widow. After a fierce battle, Thor retrieved his hammer and defeated the Destroyer. He did not, however, find love, because Jane Foster was vacationing with you in New York.
In July 2010, the Hulk and the Abomination engaged in a fierce battle in downtown New York City. Naturally, you were present. Thanks to your foresight and command, the battle resulted in no significant damage or casualties, further boosting your fame. Late at night, you sometimes wondered if a major battle had truly occurred in New York, and if a nuclear attack had been imminent, would you have chosen to sacrifice yourself, like Tony Stark, by flying the bomb into the wormhole? You probably wouldn't have.
In September 2010, Nick Fury once again invited you to join the future Avengers. After much deliberation, you decided to accept the offer—it was simply too generous to refuse.
In November 2010, with your help, Captain America was rescued from a North Atlantic glacier and brought back to New York. Knowing the original plot and wanting to prevent the Battle of New York, you warned Nick Fury not to attempt to study the Tesseract, and he complied.
In March 2011, something unexpected happened: Jane Foster became pregnant with your child. You were surprised. Although you had no immediate plans to get married, you were pleasantly surprised nonetheless. After some discussion, you decided to have the child. (Happiness +2)
In January 2012, your first child was born. Looking at this little life, you felt a new bond with the world. (Happiness +2)
In June 2012, everything was going smoothly for you, both in your life and your career. However, you discovered that Nick Fury had reneged on his promise and insisted on conducting experiments with the Tesseract in his underground base, hoping to use it to generate eternal energy and, subsequently, create weapons of mass destruction. In mid-June, Loki appeared in the base, stole the Cube, and brainwashed Hawkeye. Following this, at Nick Fury's suggestion, the original Avengers were assembled. The first members were you, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, the Hulk, and Hawkeye. Although you were unhappy about the circumstances, you still chose to join.
In July 2012, despite your best efforts, you ultimately failed to stop Loki's plot. He used the Cosmic Cube to open a portal over New York, allowing countless Chitauri to swarm out. You and your comrades fought tooth and nail but were unable to halt the Chitauri's advance. Minutes later, faced with the Security Council's decision to launch a nuclear missile, you hesitated for only a fraction of a second before making your choice.
Even many years later, everyone present clearly remembered that moment. In the face of despair, a figure in silver-white steel armor soared into the sky, clutched a nuclear warhead, and rushed into the wormhole without hesitation. Someone has to make the sacrifice, so why not me? At worst, I can just start over.
Summary: Your life was truly remarkable, not just in science, but in business as well. The hymn of humanity, some say, is a hymn to courage. In the eyes of many, at that moment, you were the symbol of justice and courage.
It is worth mentioning that after your death, and because of your influence, Tony Stark chose to inherit your iron mantle, becoming the second Iron Man and joining the Avengers.
In this dimension, at least, when Tony Stark snapped his fingers and sacrificed himself to save humanity many years later, it was likely due in large part to the impact you had on him when you replaced Ethan.
Rating: B+
World Exploration: 56.8%
Since your exploration is over 40%, you have been awarded 3 Crossing Coins. For your significant impact on world science, you have been awarded 4 Crossing Coins. Keep up the good work!
[Simulation has ended. Host, please make a choice.]
[1. Randomly obtain three skills and specialties acquired during your journey.]
[2. Randomly draw three items you obtained during your journey. Note: The Iron Man suit does not currently include an Ark Reactor. The reactor is an item unique to the 'Infinity War' world and must be obtained from its corresponding prize pool.]
Zhou Ning was silent.
I hate to admit it, but if I were truly in that position, I probably wouldn't have chosen to sacrifice myself.
As for why my simulated self made that choice? Maybe it was because of friendship or family, or maybe it was just a spur-of-the-moment impulse.
But it's not a loss. Nothing to complain about.
As for the choice...
Choosing the second option would give me a high probability of getting the Iron Man suit, but without a power source, it would be useless. There was nothing else to consider.
Without hesitation, Zhou Ning chose the first option.
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