"Ivan, my presence alone proves you're no longer the only one!" Ivan laughed upon hearing the Colonel's words, lowering his voice, "They expelled me before, but from today onwards, they will make use of me to compete against you. I didn't kill you today, but someday I will also kill you! I missed my chance today because I was playing games with you, but next time I won't…"
"Do you think you can just walk away?" Tony Stark also laughed upon hearing Ivan's declaration, glancing at the Colonel while his ears twitched as if he heard something, "Colonel Cumberland, is it? Fine, a mere Colonel daring to speak to me like this. Whether your brain is faulty or someone is using you as a pawn, it doesn't matter. Just inform the military that from today onwards, all new energy weapons from Stark Industries will triple in price..."
"What? You're threatening me? Don't think that Stark Industries is the only weapons company in the world!" Colonel Cumberland's expression darkened slightly, but he wasn't very afraid, and even a hint of anticipation could be seen in his eyes, sternly saying to Tony Stark, "A soldier of iron will not back down!"
"Haha, you think after mentioning your name, I wouldn't know who you are?" Tony Stark sneered disdainfully, "Your intentions are too obvious. You like being a dog for trash Hammer Industries? Since you like being a dog, then don't try to be human anymore. If you can continue being a Colonel, it's not just about weapons; Stark Industries will also cut off all social and fiscal resources to the military. I can't guarantee any support for military weapons and systems from now on..."
"Of course, you can also choose inferior trash, like Hammer Industries, whose products are exceptionally trashy, and their financial flow can't compare to Stark Industries!"
When Tony Stark mentioned Hammer Industries, both Ivan and Colonel Cumberland's pupils shrank, and while Nick Fury didn't react at all, as if he already knew about these things.
Indeed, Colonel Cumberland was a partner of Justin Hammer and had even received a substantial amount of money from Justin Hammer to help him.
Justin Hammer had been monitoring Tony Stark's side. Seeing Ivan severely injure Hank Pym and continuously toy with Tony Stark made Justin Hammer very excited because he had never seen the proud Tony Stark in such a dire state.
Justin Hammer didn't even remind Ivan to hurry up and kill Tony Stark because he wanted to watch Tony Stark's miserable state to satisfy his twisted psychology.
It wasn't until Robert suddenly appeared, and Justin Hammer saw Tony Stark's armor flying over, that Justin Hammer urgently contacted Colonel Cumberland because Ivan must not die at Tony Stark's hands—this was their chance for Hammer Industries to catch up and surpass Stark Industries!
Moreover, as Justin Hammer saw it, the military was somewhat dissatisfied with Tony Stark already. If it wasn't for Tony Stark's weapons being genuinely powerful, who would want to deal with such an arrogant person?
Therefore, Justin Hammer believed that since Ivan had demonstrated his value with the Ark Reactor, and with Colonel Cumberland acting as a middleman, the military might not completely cut off support for Tony Stark, but at least some of the higher-ups might shift their allegiance to him...
And that's why, when Justin Hammer heard Tony Stark talk about tripling the price of weapons, he was quite pleased, thinking that this would definitely anger more military bigwigs. After all, they weren't without alternatives—Hammer Industries was still quite capable!
Just then, another suit of armor flew towards them, not just anyone, but Tony Stark's friend, Colonel Rhodes.
Previously, Tony Stark had been developing new armor models and, unable to bear Colonel Rhodes' relentless harassment and with the military keenly interested in his armor—even having produced several counterfeit versions—Tony Stark eventually authorized a suit of armor for Colonel Rhodes.
"Congratulations, Cumberland, you're going to be suspended for investigation when you get back." Colonel Rhodes revealed his face, looking at Colonel Cumberland with a smile, "Working with Hammer Industries is fine, but taking Hammer Industries' money to create discord between the military and Stark Industries is a big problem!"
"I didn't! I haven't! Don't talk nonsense!" Colonel Cumberland immediately denied, "I wasn't targeting Stark Industries. Don't you know how important the Ark Reactor is? A talent capable of creating an Ark Reactor absolutely must not be compromised..."
"Yes, Tony Stark is such a talent!" Colonel Rhodes nodded naturally, cutting off Colonel Cumberland's words with a smile.
Colonel Cumberland was choked up for a moment, and after regaining his composure, he glared at Colonel Rhodes, "Don't stand on his side just because you're close to Tony Stark. You should know very well how the top brass will choose!"
"Sorry, but this is exactly how the top brass chose. Otherwise, why would a Colonel like me be stopping a Colonel like you
?" Colonel Rhodes shrugged; he wasn't just arriving now, but the message had indeed just come in. Even with Ivan present, the military bigwigs still chose to stand with Tony Stark in the end.
Mainly, Tony Stark's wealth, connections, creative ability, and influence were entirely in a different league compared to Hammer Industries. Plus, the counterfeit products made by Hammer Industries were truly trash. After using these cheap goods a few times, the military really couldn't continue like this.
They worried that if Hammer Industries' armor exploded internally while being worn, it would be the end...
Moreover, Tony Stark was simply too wealthy. If they really fell out with Stark Industries, the military as a whole might be okay, but the individual wallets would definitely suffer!
The military's financial appropriations could never compare with personal assets. If they could, then Colonel Cumberland wouldn't have been bribed by Justin Hammer's heavy gold...
Colonel Cumberland heard Colonel Rhodes' words, hesitated for a moment, then opened his mouth. He intended to curse those old fools for being shortsighted and only considering immediate interests, but then he thought that he was the same.
"Let's go, I'll personally escort you back!" Colonel Rhodes's mouth curved slightly, looking at Tony Stark with a smile, "Tony, once I'm done handling him, I have a score to settle with you!"
"Settle a score? What score?" Tony Stark was taken aback, looking somewhat confused at Colonel Rhodes, not understanding what he was talking about.
"You dared to say he was just a mere Colonel, you know I'm also just a mere Colonel! Let me tell you, if you don't bring out your prized wine for this matter, it's not over between us!"
Soon, Colonel Rhodes took Colonel Cumberland away, and Tony Stark turned his gaze back to the now silent Ivan, sneering, "Even if you had killed me before, they wouldn't have reused you. You would only have become my replacement, endlessly crafting armor for them for free, because you have no capital to refuse..."
"You may understand human greed, but sadly you cannot comprehend the strength of capital. I hold my position today not just because I possess the Ark Reactor, but because I am one of the owners of this country!"
With a "snap!" Tony Stark's words fell, and he directly knocked Ivan unconscious. For this enemy who had almost killed him and Hank Pym, Tony Stark needed to think carefully about how to handle him. However, with Ivan possessing the Ark Reactor technology, Tony Stark wouldn't hand him over to anyone else!
"Tell me, who exactly is he? The data I found indicates he might be from Russia. Is there some secret here?" Tony Stark looked towards Nick Fury, who remained nearby, and asked.
"Well, to be honest, this matter also has some connections with your father…" Nick Fury nodded slightly, briefly recounting the past disputes between the Vanko family and the Stark family. Tony Stark's eyes flashed with understanding.
Tony Stark didn't ask whether his father Howard had really harbored any other intentions, leading to Anton being expelled from the country, because asking was pointless—it's not like they would vindicate Ivan now, right?
"Anything else?" After listening to Nick Fury's explanation, Tony Stark looked at him and asked.
Nick Fury glanced at Robert not far away, hesitating to speak. He was concerned that if he revealed anything, Robert might directly attack him or force him to hand over the Tesseract, especially since Carol wasn't nearby.
Whether it was his own trouble or an issue with the Tesseract, it was something Nick Fury couldn't accept. Thus, he held back, nodding at Tony Stark and saying, "I'll head back first. If you encounter any problems, you can contact me. We're supposed to be partners, let's not grow too distant…"
"Let's talk another time." Tony Stark didn't finish his sentence, watching as Nick Fury left before disdainfully throwing Ivan's body on the ground. Meanwhile, another suit of armor flew over and trapped Ivan within.
Wearing armor not only grants the ability to fly and escape but also confines the wearer, depriving them of freedom.
Robert didn't care about Tony Stark's methods or find anything wrong with how Tony Stark dealt with Ivan. After all, if he hadn't come, all three of them—Tony, Hank, and himself—would probably have died at Ivan's hands. There's no need to be polite when dealing with enemies.
"He just left like that?" Robert wondered what Carol and Nick Fury had discussed, sensing a change in Nick Fury's attitude, yet the occasional malevolence was still palpable.
"Looks like he hasn't given up yet. Should I find an opportunity to just kill him?" The thought flashed through Robert's mind.
"Thank you for saving Hank!" As Robert was contemplating, Tony Stark approached, sincerely thanking him. Although Robert had helped Tony Stark several times before—even helping him recover from palladium poisoning
—this time, Tony Stark's gratitude was much greater because he had truly seen his close friend Hank hanging by a thread between life and death, a distance Tony Stark didn't want to witness again, especially not with his friends and family…
"It's nothing, just lending a hand!" Robert waved it off, not taking the matter to heart, especially since Constantine wasn't nearby; there was no need to pretend that healing Tony cost him a great deal.
Hearing Robert's response, Tony Stark didn't know what to say. To say they were unfamiliar wasn't right—they were fairly acquainted, having met several times and collaborated on numerous occasions. But to say they were close wasn't quite accurate either, as Tony Stark didn't know much about Robert beyond his capabilities.
Thus, facing Robert's attitude, Tony Stark didn't know what to say, especially since he wasn't someone who typically lowered his guard to communicate with others…
"Um, Mr. Saiyan, if it's okay with you, could we invite you to a meal?" Pepper stepped forward just in time, helping Tony Stark ease the awkwardness, looking at Robert tentatively.
"Eating? Sure!" Robert was planning to leave, but brightened up at Pepper's invitation, smiling, "I eat a lot, I'm known as a big eater, you might need to prepare quite a bit…"
"No problem! I'll hire a bunch of chefs to cook on the spot!" Seeing Robert agree, Tony Stark showed off his spending power.
"Damn it! Just like that, he was taken away? The military is useless! Every time they see me, they're so forceful, even talking about making me compete with Stark Industries. Now, with just a few threats from Tony Stark, you all buckle?!" Watching Tony Stark leave the amusement park with Robert and others, and seeing Ivan being taken away, Justin Hammer's eyes flickered with anger, feeling extremely discontent.
This time, Justin Hammer had finally seen a chance to topple Tony Stark. The bigger the hope, the greater the disappointment, and naturally, Justin Hammer was not willing to accept this…