William didn't bother with the mess on the floor, nor was he in the mood to admire the freshly minted "artwork" on the wall.
All his attention was firmly fixated on the tablet provided by the system.
The clarity and stability of the images displayed on the screen far surpassed any news broadcast.
It was an immersive, multi-angle, no-dead-spot "director's cut" perspective.
The system seemed to be using top-tier equipment to broadcast a multi-million-dollar life-and-death struggle for him, its sole audience.
The red and gold Mark III, like an arrow, weaved nimbly through traffic.
Palm Arc Pulse and shoulder-mounted weapons fired alternately, precisely detonating obstacles around the iron monger, attempting to slow down its pace.
The colossal iron monger, however, was a completely different sight.
It charged head-on, relying on its heavy armor, not dodging anything.
Cars were as fragile as soda cans before it, easily flattened and tossed aside.
Each heavy stomp made William feel his heart tremble along with it.
"My God…"
William murmured, unconsciously leaning back into the soft sofa, as if that could provide some sense of security.
This was no longer a brawl.
These were two walking weapons of mass destruction dismantling each other.
He watched as a tanker truck was swung like a baseball by the iron monger, arcing a deadly trajectory through the air, ultimately smashing into a highway pillar and exploding into a towering inferno.
The first thing that popped into William's mind wasn't "how exciting" or "Go, Tony," but a series of shocking numbers.
"Road damage, public facility destruction, third-party vehicle losses, potential casualties risk…"
His occupational hazard as an insurance salesman was manifesting itself thoroughly at this moment.
"If this had vehicle and public liability insurance, the claims department manager would probably be packing up and running overnight."
No wonder the U.S. insurance industry had such a good reputation.
They were all bankrupted by claims, weren't they?
On the screen, the battle situation changed rapidly.
The Mark III, using its speed advantage, suddenly ascended, flying into the clouds.
The iron monger followed closely, its massive body, propelled by the roar of its thrusters, appearing clumsy yet unstoppable.
"Altitude: 8000 feet… 9000 feet…"
In a corner of the tablet, precise flight data was displayed in real-time.
William saw a thin layer of frost begin to condense on the armor of both the iron monger and Iron Man.
He knew what would happen next.
High-altitude icing.
William held his breath.
Although he knew the outcome, witnessing this scene firsthand still made his heart involuntarily leap into his throat.
This was his client!
He was the source of his claim points and bonus rewards!
You absolutely can't mess up, Mr. Stark!
On the screen.
The iron monger lost all power and plummeted rapidly towards the ground.
After communicating with William a few days ago, Tony had new ideas.
But there wasn't enough time to implement the improvements.
The icing problem also affected the Mark 3.
The battle stage shifted from the sky to Stark Industries' Arc Reactor headquarters.
The two Iron giants heavily smashed through the headquarters' glass dome, crashing into the center of the lobby.
Obadiah Stane.
The once amiable "Uncle Obie" was now controlling the monstrous iron monger, approaching the fallen Tony step by step.
"It's a shame. You made such an amazing thing yourself, but you don't know how to share it!"
The iron monger's faceplate opened, revealing Obadiah's twisted and greedy face.
"You know what? Those Terrorists were going to kill you! I made them change their minds! Once you're dead, everything you have will be mine!"
The tablet clearly transmitted Obadiah's voice.
The course of events hadn't changed much.
Iron Man had a new energy source and didn't have to worry about running out of power.
But the Mark 3's attack power was insufficient to tear apart the iron monger's armor.
The heavy iron monger was also difficult to catch the nimble Iron Man.
Finally.
A thick, destructive blue energy beam shot up from the Arc Reactor core in the lobby, instantly engulfing the iron monger.
The Impact of high-frequency energy caused severe distortion and static on the tablet screen.
William's heart was in his throat.
He stared intently at the screen, terrified of seeing his client also vaporized by that light beam.
A few seconds later, the picture stabilized.
The iron monger's massive body was pierced by the energy.
Its armor, along with Obadiah in the cockpit, was incinerated into charcoal.
It finally plunged into the Arc Reactor core, triggering an even more violent explosion.
Tony Stark was thrown by the Impact, fortunately landing on the edge of the platform.
Although disheveled, the small Arc Reactor in his chest still emitted a stable and pure blue light.
That was the "claim product" provided by William's system.
It perfectly protected the client's life during the recent catastrophe.
Client 008: Tony Stark's vital signs are stable.
The Genesis Protocol claim event has concluded.
The system's cold prompt, like a beautiful symphony, echoed in William's ears.
The live broadcast ended there, and the tablet automatically dimmed.
Silence returned to the living room.
William leaned back on the sofa, motionless for a long time.
He looked at his right hand, which had just caused a little destruction, and then recalled the Impact that shot from Tony Stark's Palm on the screen, powerful enough to overturn a car.
"Miniaturization… It really is miniaturization…"
His Palm Arc Pulse, compared to the genuine article, was like the difference between a child's toy Water gun and a fire high-pressure Water cannon.
But even so, it was already a formidable weapon.
This claim not only granted him an attack capability but, more importantly, allowed him to witness firsthand the most advanced technological conflict in this World.