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*****
"It seems that I can't give up on the Tony Stark lead after all."
After leaving the rooftop, George didn't return to school. Instead, he hopped on his beloved motorcycle and sped toward Manhattan, deciding that he would find the time to rescue Tony in the Middle East.
Previously, he had considered bringing Wolverine along for the rescue mission but realized it might attract the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. Moreover, relying on others wasn't as effective as depending on himself.
So he had planned to find an agent, raid all the families in the Bronx, and then invest in Stark stocks to make a considerable profit.
However, circumstances had changed, and after reflecting on the situation, he recalled a critical question he had previously overlooked:
Could Tony Stark really escape on his own?
In the cinematic universe, this would be a non-issue, but this wasn't a movie. This world had Wolverine and Professor X, and it felt like a different Marvel universe altogether.
What if Tony Stark failed to escape and died in that cave? He would end up losing everything.
How could he guarantee that buying Stark's stocks would be a sure win?
He concluded that the only way to ensure his investment was to personally go to the Middle East, rescue Tony Stark, and then immediately instruct Lyon to buy all the Stark stocks with cash. That felt like the safest approach.
As for the risk of being discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D., he had thought that through too.
He was no longer the same person who could only cast a lock-opening spell, with limited abilities and a group of inexperienced burdens around him.
Now, he had Lyon, one of the leaders among the thirteen families in the Bronx, as a partner, allowing him to easily create a legitimate cover identity.
His magnetic powers had developed to the point where he could deflect sniper bullets for long-range kills, and he had mastered all first-year spells, as well as learned several spells outside the curriculum.
Thus, he could quietly go to the Middle East and rescue Tony Stark without attracting anyone's attention.
If all went well, he could also establish a covert partnership with Tony Stark. That way, he would have allies on both sides of the law, making many future endeavors much easier.
"Tony isn't that easy to kill. Up to this point, the military hasn't given up searching for him.
Even if something were to happen to Tony, Stark Industries has some of the world's best engineers. Our weapons will still be the best in the world.
So there's no need to worry about Stark Industries' future. Please trust us!"
In New York's most upscale banquet hall, Obadiah Stane stood at the podium, passionately trying to reassure investors about Stark Industries' stock prices.
After the banquet, he sat in a luxury car driven by his bodyguard, heading to his Long Island villa, unable to hold back his anger.
"Those damn shortsighted fools! Do they really think that without Tony Stark, the company won't be able to develop better weapons?"
He knew that if anything happened to Tony Stark, the company's stock would plummet, but he hadn't expected it to drop so dramatically. If he didn't recover the stock price, even if he managed to seize full control of Stark Industries, it would still be greatly diminished.
"And then there's the Ten Rings gang. I swear I will take them all out for daring to blackmail me!"
The attack on Tony Stark in the Middle East had been orchestrated by him through the Ten Rings gang, aimed at eliminating Stark and fully controlling Stark Industries.
But the gang had immediately recognized Tony Stark's identity and demanded a price so exorbitant that even he found it hard to bear.
"Have you located the Ten Rings gang?" he asked.
"Boss, for now, we can only narrow it down to the desert near Baghlan Province in Afghanistan, but finding their exact location in that vast desert will take another two weeks," the bodyguard driving the car replied.
"Once we confirm their location, send people to eliminate both Tony and the Ten Rings gang."
Obadiah Stane's eyes were filled with malice.
Anyone who dared to threaten him deserved to die.
"Alright, let's get to work!"
Meanwhile, high above, George spotted Obadiah Stane's car approaching with his binoculars. He quickly descended and landed by the roadside, then began to chant a spell.
"Quickly soften!"
A blue beam of magical light struck the ground, causing the once-solid surface to soften and collapse.
As Obadiah Stane's speeding car drove over the area, the ground caved in beneath it, sending the vehicle flying off the road, which skidded a considerable distance before coming to a halt.
After several days of investigation, George learned that this road was essentially Obadiah Stane's main route home, so he decided to stake out the area.
As for why he wasn't waiting at Obadiah Stane's house?
Mainly because he wanted to orchestrate a car accident that would send Obadiah Stane to the hospital, further driving down the stock prices of Stark Industries.
Additionally, there were too many bodyguards at Obadiah Stane's villa. It would be more challenging to gather intelligence without being detected.
As he approached the overturned car, he could see that both Obadiah and his bodyguard were clearly injured, struggling to unbuckle their seatbelts and crawl out.
"Good evening, Mr. Stane!" George called out, crouching on the ground and waving at the two inside.
The bodyguard, extremely vigilant, immediately abandoned his efforts to free himself and instead drew his handgun, preparing to shoot at George.
However, George was already prepared; he had begun casting a spell on his way over:
"Sleep now!"
A blue beam of magical light shot toward the bodyguard, striking him and causing his head to loll as he passed out.
Seeing this, Obadiah's pupils contracted as he quickly said, "Whoever sent you to kill me, I'll pay you ten times more!"
"That does sound tempting, but I'm not here to kill you," George replied, smiling at Obadiah. He activated his telepathy while casting the spell:
"Mind Reading!"
A month earlier, he had consulted the master of mind-reading, Snape, about this spell. However, Snape had refused to teach him, believing he was too inexperienced to learn such a complex magic.
To persuade Snape, George had lied, claiming he was a natural mind reader who could read thoughts when others were unguarded and communicate with magical creatures. He insisted he wanted to learn the spell early to better control his abilities.
After some verification, Snape concluded that George indeed seemed to be a natural mind reader, and he finally agreed to instruct him on the mind-reading spell.
Despite only having practiced for a month, George could now perform the spell to a basic level. Combined with his second-level telepathy, he could forcibly read a person's thoughts, especially when they were in a state of fear.
"Tell me, where is Tony Stark?"
Two sharp blades shot out from George's sleeves, hovering menacingly between Obadiah's eyes.
"Otherwise, you will soon lose your sight, then your hearing, and finally, your life!"
(End of Chapter)