In a high-end apartment in New York City~
Watching Tony on the news, battling fiercely in Congress, Ivan's expression grew increasingly grim.
Despite his apparent calm since joining Umbrella, his hatred for Tony hadn't diminished. He had merely been lying low, waiting for the right moment in an unfamiliar environment.
Recently, he noticed that although there was some tension between Umbrella and Tony, it was largely a business rivalry.
Only Obadiah was his natural ally.
So, when Obadiah reached out, Ivan resigned from Umbrella a few days ago.
Now, he was working in Stark Industries' weapons development department.
A while later, he took out his phone and called Obadiah.
"....I need some materials."
......
The next morning~
Tony, dressed in a sharp black suit, arrived at the entrance of Umbrella Tower with a conflicted Pepper by his side.
The security guards stopped them.
"Hello, please present your work ID or invitation."
Pepper pulled out the appointment invitation she had received that morning.
"We have an appointment with your chairman."
The security guard checked the invitation and, seeing no issue, allowed them entry.
Tony looked around, his eyes gleaming.
"When I get back to Stark Industries, I'm going to implement something like this, to keep out all sorts of riff-raff."
Soon, under the security guards' guidance—or surveillance, as Tony noted—they arrived at the top-floor office of Umbrella.
As soon as Tony entered, he was momentarily stunned.
He saw someone familiar, yet slightly unfamiliar.
Sharon.
No, this disheveled woman with dark circles and unsteady legs couldn't be the beautiful Sharon he knew.
And was that enormous pile of paperwork on her desk even real?
Sharon was buried in her files and hadn't noticed Tony's arrival.
"Hello, we're here to see your chairman."
It wasn't until Tony knocked on the desk that Sharon raised her head, her vacant eyes landing on him.
After a moment, her gaze focused slightly.
"Tony? Why are you—"
Realizing she was about to give herself away, Tony quickly interjected, "Oh, so you know me? Are you a fan?"
Sharon paused but soon caught on.
"Yes, yes, I'm a huge fan."
Relieved, she flashed Tony a grateful look and pointed to the office door behind her.
"The office is right through there, you can go in."
"Thank you, miss."
As Tony glanced at Sharon, once more absorbed in her work, he shook his head.
Still, he was curious. She seemed to be valued by the chairman. Just how many secrets had she uncovered?
If Sharon knew what Tony was thinking, she would probably spit in his face. The documents she was dealing with, though numerous, were nothing but trivial matters.
Like the sales department requesting air conditioning or needing to reorder drinking water—nothing remotely close to confidential information.
Soon after, Tony and Pepper entered the office.
As for what they discussed, Sharon neither knew nor cared.
Because the sound of gears turning above her signaled the arrival of yet another stack of paperwork delivered via conveyor.
"Director Nick, I want to resign. This spy work is inhumane, boo hoo…"
...
In the office~
Adam sat behind his desk and looked up at the two visitors.
"Mr. Stark, long time no see. Last time we met, you ran as soon as you saw me. What brings you here so suddenly today?"
Tony chuckled awkwardly at the remark.
The last time he'd run into Adam at Obadiah's house, he had just finished badmouthing him and didn't want to stick around for a chat.
He hadn't expected Adam to remember and even tease him about it.
"And Miss Pepper, you're looking more beautiful than ever."
Pepper smiled awkwardly as well, though she handled it more gracefully than Tony.
"Mr. Adam, we're here to discuss something important with you."
"Important? Well, let's have a drink first."
With that, Adam stood up and walked to a nearby bar, pulling out a bottle of wine and three glasses.
After pouring, he picked up a glass and looked at Tony and Pepper.
The message was clear.
Drink, and the conversation would continue.
Don't drink, and there would be no conversation.
While Pepper hesitated, Tony picked up his glass without a second thought and took a sip.
"Not bad—1954 Romanée-Conti. This kind of wine is practically impossible to find on the market."
Adam smiled slightly.
"Good taste. But I'm not wealthy enough to casually serve 1954 Romanée-Conti."
"This is actually a fast-grown replica, created using Umbrella's cell cultivation technology from a single drop of the original wine. The cost is around a hundred bucks per bottle."
He raised his glass.
"This is the meaning of science: making our lives better."
Hearing this, Tony immediately understood the point of the drink.
It was a lesson.
Smiling, he replied, "Indeed, the meaning of science is to make life better."
"But we live in a world full of war and suffering. Without a future, what's the point of talking about a better life?"
"And have you ever thought about why there's war and suffering in the first place?"
Pepper spoke up, "Of course, it's because of human greed and desire."
Adam smiled again.
"Then what if science could fulfill all human greed and desire? Wouldn't that end war?"
Tony shook his head, "You're too naïve, Adam. Human greed and desire are endless. You can't satisfy them."
"Then why not use science to create endless resources? If you had an inexhaustible supply of resources, would you still risk death to wage war?"
Adam proceeded to pour the wine down the drain, grabbed several more bottles, and casually opened and discarded them.
"Just like me. I have everything I want. Sure, I still want more, but would I risk my life to start a war for it?
Since World War II, the world has seen countless small conflicts, but never another large-scale war.
It's not because human greed has disappeared. It's because technological progress has made resources more abundant.
No one needs to pay $50,000 for a loaf of bread, forcing them to wage war.
And when people's basic needs are met, they may still want more, but they won't risk their lives for it.
Because, besides greed, humans also weigh risks and benefits. This is why the most war-torn areas are often poor and underdeveloped countries."
______________________
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