The onlookers fell silent in the moment after hearing Tony's words. Everyone was closely watching the two figures, perhaps about to witness the prelude to a clash between two titans.
However, Zane suddenly burst into laughter.
"You're still so childish. If I were to move against Stark Industries, why would I bother declaring war with you? Would I give you ample time to prepare for a counterattack?"
"What's your goal in coming here then? You, the obedient little boy, don't seem like someone who would step foot into a casino."
Indeed, in the eyes of all the elites, Zane was just an obedient little boy—no gambling, no clubbing, no promiscuity, not even a hint of scandal. His clean lifestyle was almost absurd, unimaginable for the rich. And precisely because of this, Zane became the dream lover of girls across America, much to Lorna's chagrin.
Young, handsome, wealthy, with good habits—who wouldn't want a man like that?
"I don't really have a goal. If you insist on me saying something, it's just a reminder for you to be mindful of your safety," Zane pondered for a moment before replying.
Zane's words were genuine. He had come here purely to witness the beginning of the plot. After all, he had been preparing for this moment for five years.
But seeing the future Iron Man still as arrogant and conceited as he was five years ago, Zane couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. In the movies, a character like him with such personality traits would surely attract a large number of loyal fans. But in reality, encountering such a person just made Zane chuckle.
Zane couldn't understand how the boy in front of him had become the Iron Man from Avengers 3. Comparing the two, they seemed like entirely different people!
"Can I interpret that as a threat?" Tony retorted, his tone unfriendly.
"No, no, no, you're overthinking it. If I wanted to take you down, I would've done it already," Zane replied bluntly.
"Then what do you mean?" Tony asked, his tone impatient.
"Just a reminder. There's an old saying in my country: 'It's hard to draw a tiger's skin without knowing the bones. You may know someone's face but not their heart.'"
After speaking, Zane casually tossed the chips in his hand onto the gambling table, glanced at Tony, who looked bewildered, then turned and left. Anna had been waiting impatiently at the door with a trophy in her hand.
On the spaceship, Zane quietly gazed at the scenery outside the window, suddenly smiling mysteriously.
The prelude of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been unveiled, and things are starting to get interesting.
"Boss, are you still going to Afghanistan for the arms demonstration tomorrow? I'm afraid you've forgotten to inform you in advance."
"What arms demonstration?" Zane asked puzzledly.
Anna slapped her forehead. Whether having such a negligent boss was her misfortune or luck, she couldn't decide.
"It's the arms demonstration in Afghanistan between Skynet Technologies and Stark Industries. The military wants to test our Skynet missile and Stark Industries' Jericho missile to determine which performs better. They'll place orders based on the results."
"Why does that concern me? Just send someone from the company over casually," Zane said nonchalantly while sitting on the soft couch.
"Because Stark Industries is sending their leader, Tony Stark. So, as an equivalent boss, you must also attend," Anna said solemnly.
Upon hearing Anna's serious tone, Zane sat up straight.
"Is this order important?"
"It's crucial, very crucial. The missile demonstration is secondary; the main point is the military wants to see the attitudes of both companies. Frankly, boss, our growth has been too rapid. We've achieved what took other family businesses centuries in just five years. Though our product quality is top-notch, we lack the background those multi-generational enterprises have. In other words, our network is insufficient. The company's development has hit a bottleneck, and if you don't attend this time, Skynet Technologies may face suppression from the military."
"Network? Can't it be bought with money?" Zane raised an eyebrow. Usually, he didn't bother much with the company's affairs, just had Skynet send him a weekly report to understand the business situation. He didn't expect the company to stumble upon networking issues now.
"Some can be bought, and we've already done that. But the crucial figures can't be bought with money. They have longstanding relationships with those enterprises, some even bonds formed through life and death on the battlefield. It's almost like a mutual rise and fall relationship. No matter how much money you offer, you can't buy them," Anna said helplessly.
"Alright, as long as I show up tomorrow, it'll be fine, right?" Zane nodded, indicating he understood.
"Yeah, as long as you're present, that's all we need. Leave everything to me," Anna said excitedly, her face finally breaking into a smile after being tense for so long.
Watching Anna's excitement, Zane suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. He realized he hadn't been a proper boss at all.
Although Skynet Technologies was founded by Zane five years ago almost casually, without much effort, the initial purpose was just to have a say in the US government. After all, not everything could be solved with force; a country's power was still terrifying.
Over these years, Zane's main focus had been on the secret base in Wakanda and improving his and Lorna's abilities.
However, since his own company encountered difficulties, Zane didn't mind stepping up. After all, he didn't need to do much; he could consider it a trip if he had to flatter the military.
...
There are two possible outcomes: one, have Skynet compile a few lists for Zane to deal with, sending all obstacles to the company's development to the [Death Realm] to completely solve the problem. Two, directly cause some chaos among the competitors of his company.
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