Sure enough, hearing Peter—a ruthless man who could easily tear apart mechas with his bare hands—say "I'm giving you face," Tony was immediately as happy as could be.
He felt that he had received immense respect.
It was no exaggeration to say that this feeling of being recognized by a big shot brought a sense of satisfaction no weaker than receiving a confession from a top-tier beauty.
So, without a second thought, Tony thumped his chest loudly:
"No problem, I guarantee I'll convey your demands to those old fossils in the Military exactly as they are.
Besides, I personally vouch for you! If they still dare to break the rules, you won't even need to lift a finger; I'll be the first to help you blast them, and then I'll take you and your family away from America together!"
Hearing these words, Rhodes, who was responsible for coordinating the matter beside him, felt his eyelids twitching wildly.
Buddy, I appreciate you not treating me like an outsider.
But... why do I feel like you're not treating me like a human being either!
To prove that he and Peter were on the same side, Tony specifically invited Peter to attend the press conference this Saturday afternoon at the end of the call.
However, Peter chose to decline, on the grounds that he had a date with his girlfriend.
In fact, Peter really did have a date with Gwen, and the location for this date was Gwen's house.
That's right, Peter intended to have a showdown with George on the very night Tony held his press conference!
Tony didn't feel angry or slighted by Peter's reason.
Instead, he became more certain that Peter was a kindred spirit.
After all, he himself was the representative figure of choosing women over friends.
At this moment, he was even thinking... No wonder Peter and I hit it off so well; these horny bastards just naturally attract each other!
After ending the call with Tony, Peter didn't stay idle.
Since there was no longer any need to hide things from Uncle Ben and Aunt Mei, he didn't go to school immediately after breakfast, but instead ran straight to Parker Tech.
Unsurprisingly.
At Parker Tech, the unicorn generation 1 had completed all preparatory work, and factories distributed around the world had already entered the phase of working overtime for production.
When Peter arrived, Herman, who had already received the news, directly pulled out four or five finished unicorn generation 1 units, intending for his boss to give them to his relatives and friends.
The finished unicorn generation 1 units were no different from the one Peter had assembled himself at the Osborn manor.
Except the appearance was more refined, and the system had become simpler and easier to use under Herman's refinement.
Additionally, the battery capacity had been cut in half again... This was Norman's suggestion, as he felt the previous capacity was still too large, which wouldn't be conducive to Parker Tech's future strategy of incremental upgrades.
To this, Peter had nothing to say, only that his conscience was ultimately a bit too much.
Harry also specifically chose to take the day off today, intending to discuss with Peter how to hold the phone's press conference and how to quickly build brand awareness.
To this, the suggestion Peter gave was simple and crude.
Just send a hundred unicorn generation 1 units directly to that playboy Tony later.
Let him help advertise when he holds the press conference in a few days, and while he's at it, give them out to his old flames.
Tony had hundreds, if not a thousand, lovers spread across all walks of life.
Having a few celebrities endorse it for free and a few female reporters help hype it up would build a massive wave of popularity in minutes.
When it came time for the press conference later, there would be no need to give any face to competitors. He currently had Stark on his left and Osborn on his right, and in his own pocket, he held billions in black industry assets accumulated by Kingpin over more than a decade.
He had the advantage in technology, capital, and connections, while also possessing overwhelming physical force.
In a situation like this where he held all the cards, how could his competitors even fight him?
Under such circumstances, why would he need to give competitors any face?
Just steamroll over them and be done with it!
The strong are meant to ruthlessly humiliate the weak~
...Time passed bit by bit amidst the unicorn generation 1 going viral across the entire internet.
In the blink of an eye, it was Saturday night.
Tonight, the entire American media went crazy.
Because Tony Stark had officially announced he would hold a press conference today to give a formal response to the public regarding the "terrorist attack" that occurred over Stark Tower a few days ago.
Countless reporters with cameras and microphones blocked the entrance of Stark Industries, hoping to grab the first-hand scoop.
Meanwhile, in a certain two-story house in Queens.
Peter was sitting at the Stacy family's dining table in a formal suit.
The atmosphere in the house was warm yet strangely tinged with a hint of tension.
Don't misunderstand, it wasn't Peter who was nervous, but Gwen.
Looking at Peter, who sat in his seat with a gentle smile, poised and calm as if he were in his own home.
Then looking at his own daughter, who sat there shaking incessantly, nervously looking around from time to time.
A large question mark couldn't help but appear over George's head.
He knew he had been a bit neglectful of his daughter lately, and he knew his daughter had specifically asked him to stay home today and brought Peter over for dinner likely to officially announce their relationship to him, the old father.
But... why did the two of them give him the feeling that it wasn't a nervous son-in-law visiting.
But rather more like a fiancée meeting the parents?
Which one of you is actually my child!
Under George's puzzled gaze, Grandma Pauline brought out four servings of lemon sea bass from the kitchen.
Well, different Universe, but the same lemon sea bass.
"Alright, time to eat~"
With Grandma Pauline's announcement, this small family banquet began.
Since Peter was a child George and Pauline had watched grow up, the atmosphere during the meal wasn't particularly awkward.
Even when Peter took the initiative to say, "Oi~ old man, your daughter is already with me," George only paused his hands holding the knife and fork.
Grandma Pauline even said with a smile:
"This is a good thing. I've liked you since you were little, I approve of this marriage."
Seeing his own mother say this, what else could George say? He could only give a muffled "Mhm" to indicate he knew, and only after a good while did he add a warning:
"Don't get her pregnant, and don't fail Gwen, or I'll shoot you."
Just as this dinner was about to conclude successfully in this strange yet harmonious atmosphere.
On the television, the live broadcast of the Stark Industries press conference also entered its climax.
Colonel Rhodes had clearly prepared a cue card for Tony, and Tony only needed to read according to the content on it.
But Tony only read the beginning mechanically before tossing the card aside.
Then, facing the countless flashing lights below the stage, he revealed his iconic, cynical smile:
"Alright, the truth is... I am Iron Man!"
Pfft—!
At the Stacy family's dining table, George, who was drinking cream of mushroom soup, choked and couldn't help but cough violently.
It was at this moment that Peter and Gwen looked at each other with perfect understanding.
It was time to say the long-prepared words to her father/his father-in-law:
No more acting, I'm The Punisher/Ghost-Spider, I'm showing my hand~