Phil Coulson waited at the airport for Tony Stark's private jet for a long time, but he didn't expect that Tony would dismiss everyone as soon as he got off the plane. Not a single department head was in sight; instead, Tony left directly by car.
The department heads at the airport didn't look too happy. Some of the more hot-tempered ones had already started grumbling, listing all the faults of playboy Tony Stark.
Only the heads of the military and S.H.I.E.L.D. looked normal. The military didn't care because they had Colonel Rhodey, so they could just sit quietly, drink coffee, and get the job done without any pressure. And Phil Coulson was either really good-tempered or incredibly patient.
Within five minutes of Pepper's order and the preparations of the frontline employees, Stark Industries officially announced that Tony would be holding a press conference. The sheer amount of work completed in such a short time made people marvel at the power of money.
The news media, previously kicked out, couldn't interview Tony Stark, who had returned from a near-death experience, at the airport. They were extremely disappointed, but then they received such a sensational piece of news, and they were all surprised that Tony Stark was ready to make a big splash as soon as he returned.
But surprised as they were, they certainly didn't slow down. After all, this press conference was a golden opportunity for these reporters to get promoted and get a raise.
When Tony arrived at the venue, it was already packed with people. He didn't care about his image, holding a half-eaten cheese burger in his hand and eating as he walked.
"Oh! Thank God! Tony! It's great to see you back safe and sound!" Tony's bald uncle, Obadiah Stane, walked over and hugged Tony, completely concealing his murderous intent.
"Didn't you bring me a burger?" Obadiah Stane joked, looking at Tony's burger.
"Uh, I haven't eaten yet." Stane was inwardly cursing Tony and those useless terrorists. "Alright! Enough talk, let's go in!"
As the press conference was being finalized, a middle-aged man with a receding hairline and a friendly smile walked up to Pepper.
"Miss Pepper. My name is Phil Coulson. I'm an agent with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division. I'd like to know the details of Mr. Stark's escape from the Middle East."
"Is your department's name really that complicated?"
"Uh, sorry, we're working on that, but the approval process for changing the official name always takes a long time."
"The Department of Defense, the FBI, and the CIA have already asked about those things. I really have nothing more to say."
"Alright, Miss Pepper. We're an independent department with more focused authority, and we can handle more things. Here's my number. You can call me if there's anything important." Coulson handed over a business card and didn't press the issue.
Tony sat on the ground, eating a burger with a mischievous look: "Can you all sit down? So I don't have to crane my neck to see you. Thank you! It's great to see you all again."
"Mr. Stark! What happened to you in the Middle East? Do you have anything to say?"
"I witnessed young soldiers being killed, killed by the weapons I invented, weapons that were supposed to protect them. I also realized I was becoming part of this irresponsible world."
"Mr. Stark! Mr. Stark!"
Faced with the barrage of flashbulbs and the chaotic questions from the reporters, Tony's mind drifted for a moment, then he seemed to make a decision. He put down his half-eaten burger, walked back to the podium, and said seriously:
"I've woken up. I realized that besides making weapons, I can contribute more to the world. So, I've decided to shut down the weapons department of Stark Industries, effective immediately, until I find a new goal for the company."
Obadiah Stane, his composure shattered, suppressed his anger and snatched the microphone from Tony: "Excuse me! The focus of this press conference..."
As Tony's good friend, Rhodey was very pleased with Tony's change, even though the decision to shut down the weapons department sounded so crazy.
Pepper, who had been by Tony's side for so long, seemed to be re-evaluating the man before her.
In the small warehouse, Zed had already set up a laptop, watching Tony's press conference. "Xiajiao, this little mustache is one of the future protagonists of Marvel, arguably the most important one. After he shuts down weapons manufacturing, he'll start developing the Iron Man Armor."
Dan Kuroto, after exiting the Time Driver, had commandeered the only chair in the warehouse, his legs propped up on the table as he watched the live broadcast on the laptop. He turned to Zed and asked, "This guy is one of the future protagonists you mentioned? What a tasteless fellow. Is his Iron Man Armor comparable to my Gamer Driver? Comparable to my Buggle Driver? And my Kamen Rider Chronicle! What's so praiseworthy about him?"
"The highest praise he receives is 'a heart of a mortal, a body of iron, with the power of a man, he rivals the gods.'" Zed emphasized the word "gods" with a drawn-out tone.
"What did you say? Rivals the gods? He has no right! I am the only god! This guy has no right to compare himself to me!" The stimulated Dan Kuroto slipped back into his erratic state.
"Alright, alright, Kami, we'll have plenty of opportunities to prove that later. Let's get the Golden Eye finished first, okay? With the Golden Eye, our secret identities will be even safer, so we can really get down to business."
"What does that have to do with me? I don't care if we're exposed or not." Dan Kuroto scoffed dismissively.
"I'll take you out to play as soon as it's done. How about it? You don't want to stay cooped up in the Time Driver all the time, do you?" Although Zed could control Dan Kuroto with the Time Driver, he still needed to coax him to bring out Kami's talents.
Dan Kuroto, feeling a bit smug, asked, "Where's the equipment?"
Zed pointed to the laptop that was live-streaming, the implication clear.
"You want me to use this piece of junk? What about a lab? What about servers?" (｀Д*)
Seeing Dan Kuroto's disdain, Zed had to pull out the big guns. "Dan Kuroto, there's a woman in Marvel, Skye, who can hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database with just a laptop like that. The Golden Eye I need only covers the area of New York, you can't tell me you can't do it?"
Dan Kuroto's expression froze, as if stunned by something impossible. After a few seconds of blankness, his face twisted with a ferocious expression. "There's nothing that I, New-Dan Kuroto-Kami-sama, can't do." Then he turned and started to furiously work on the laptop.
*Heh... Kami... *
Tony could leave the venue without a care, but Stane, Pepper, and the many Stark Industries employees couldn't. They had to deal with the media swarm.
"Mr. Stane! What exactly did Mr. Stark experience that led him to make such a decision?"
"The leader in the weapons industry isn't selling arms anymore? Is he planning to sell diapers instead?" The reporter who asked that question probably owned stock in Stark Industries.
Phil Coulson, after reporting the situation to Nick Fury, prepared to go to the hospital where Yinsen was staying to get information. Unfortunately, Yinsen was tight-lipped, and Coulson was destined to fail.
"Welcome back, sir. Ready to serve you."
"It's always a pleasure to hear your voice, Jarvis. Set up a new project file – Mark II. Put it on my private server."
A 3D projection of the damaged Mark I appeared on the workbench. "Jarvis, calculate the load-bearing capacity of the leg joints and the spine. Also, are there enough experimental materials in the company?" Tony said, modifying the Mark armor design with his fingers while instructing Jarvis.
"Sir, you've selected a wide variety of materials. Shall I purchase them and set up an experimental file?"
"Yes."
Afterward, Jarvis ordered a large number of different high-tech alloy materials for the development of the next generation of Mark armor.
While Jarvis was setting up the experimental file, a somewhat dazed Tony pulled a torn and crumpled plastic bag out of his pocket and silently looked at it.
"Jarvis, find out the source of this sedative."
Jarvis scanned the code on the packaging and said, "Sir, the packaging code indicates this tranquilizer is from the Second Hospital in Manhattan, New York. Furthermore, this tranquilizer, along with other medical supplies, was stolen two days ago. No clues were left at the scene."
"New York? Search for information about 'Kamen Rider Zi-O' in New York."
"Sir, no useful information was found, but there are clear signs of concealment and network blocking."
After watching the Stark Industries press conference, major media outlets immediately began a barrage of coverage. There were all sorts of opinions; some praised Stark for having a conscience and preparing to contribute to world peace, while others criticized Tony Stark for not focusing on his main business.
Major business groups were watching with bright eyes, wary of competitors who might try to steal their piece of the pie. The tension between Hammer Industries and Osborn Industries was particularly palpable. However, only those who could remain calm amidst the turmoil were truly players in this game.
Tony Stark's account of his escape had many suspicious points. His declaration to stop weapons manufacturing and his purchase of a large amount of different high-tech alloy materials were even more suspicious in the eyes of those with ulterior motives.
The first to notice these things happened to be Nick Fury and Obadiah Stane, both bald.
Nick Fury had been monitoring the situation at Stark Industries, and such diverse material transactions naturally couldn't escape the notice of this black-faced, even blacker-hearted, king of agents.
After receiving news of Tony's escape, Stane sent his confidants in the Middle East to capture the terrorists who had been fortunate enough to escape the base. The existence of the Iron Man Armor had already reached Stane's ears.
"Tony! Tony! You've really given me a big surprise!"
------------------------
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(End of Chapter)