"How's it going?" Zhou Yi immediately called Tony after hearing the latest news about Gunnila and the unexpected crash of a brand-new US military fighter jet. He was eager to tease his old friend and hear about his new profession.
"How's what going? If you mean how my jog was, I feel pretty good. It's been two months since I last did any proper exercise," Tony said, evading the question. He never answered directly, no matter who asked.
"Tony, you know exactly what I'm asking. You did crash Rhodey's plane. Don't you feel even a little guilty?"
"I do feel guilty, which is why I didn't confront him. He was the one who crashed into me first." Tony's temper flared, and he retorted, naturally falling into Zhou Yi's verbal trap.
"Alright, so how does it feel, wearing that flashy red armor?"
"What do you mean 'flashy'? You're just a black-obsessed dork who doesn't know good taste." After defending his aesthetic, Tony finally answered the question. "You're right, it feels absolutely amazing."
"I feel like I've become a completely different person. You know, I took down an entire terrorist base single-handedly. It was like something straight out of a movie."
Seemingly finding a kindred spirit to confide in, Tony couldn't contain his excitement. He was like a child who had discovered a thrilling new game, his mind completely consumed by the thrill of it all.
"Yes, it felt amazing. I know. But aside from that, are you feeling any better?" Zhou Yi interrupted Tony's rambling, making it clear he wasn't here to listen to a self-congratulatory speech. He cared about Tony's inner state, specifically his guilt.
As one of Tony's closest friends, Zhou Yi knew his friend's biggest flaw: his self-righteousness, impulsiveness, stubbornness, and arrogance. Even with friends, Tony wouldn't hold back when his temper flared. Though he'd often try to make amends after sobering up, some wounds inflicted on friends could never be healed. This was why Tony had so few friends; few could tolerate his personality.
For an ordinary person, such traits might only affect those around them. But in the realm of superheroes, this personality could be fatal—not just for Tony, but for many others.
Superheroes existed not for themselves, but for the greater good. The one thing such individuals couldn't afford was impulsiveness. That's why Zhou Yi had to remind him, to chain him down, to keep him from stepping onto a path of no return.
"Tony, now that you've joined this path, as a friend and as a senior, I must remind you to remember your original purpose. You became a warrior in an iron suit to protect those who were harmed because of you. So, if you continue to fight in that suit, you must never forget that purpose. You fight for others, not for yourself."
Tony listened, but remained silent. After Zhou Yi finished speaking, he added nothing more. They maintained this mutual understanding in silence until one of them broke it.
"Man, did you take the wrong meds today? Actually saying such high-minded stuff... Honestly, you've kind of scared me." Tony tried to brush it off with a joke, clearly hoping to get out of it. But Zhou Yi wouldn't let him off so easily.
"Tony, I need you to promise me. You'll remember what I told you today."
"Does it really matter that much, man?"
"It matters. It concerns the lives of many people. You should have this awareness by now."
Hearing the word "lives," Tony fell silent again. After another long period of contemplation, he finally gave him his answer.
"I'll remember, man."
"Good, Tony. I hope you'll stick to it." Zhou Yi chuckled softly. "So, what's your next move? Continue causing trouble in the Middle East? Rhodey's already complained to me. If you keep this up, next time it won't just be a plane waiting for you."
"I know what I need to do. I've already asked Pepper for help. Obadiah's been making backroom deals behind my back. If Pepper can get me the evidence, I can reclaim my seat on the board. Then I'll need your support."
"Understood. My representative will fully support you at the shareholder meeting. Of course, that's all I can do."
"That's enough, man!" A faint smile appeared on Tony's face. Exposing Obadiah wouldn't be easy, but having a friend's support offered some solace.
"Contact me if you need anything, you know. My other identity can be quite helpful." Zhou Yi reminded him, remembering that another showdown between Tony and Obadiah was coming. He was tempted to get involved. Obadiah's character truly repulsed him. In the past, he'd tolerated him out of respect for Tony, but that was no longer the case.
"If I can, I'd rather handle this myself. Goodbye, buddy. I've got a lot to prepare." Tony hung up the phone. As he said, he had a great deal to prepare.
Obadiah was no ordinary man; he controlled resources rivaling Tony's. To completely purge Obadiah's influence from the company, Tony needed meticulous planning.
He had already assigned Pepper to special tasks while he pulled out files from over thirty years ago—files about his father. As his suspicions about Obadiah grew, so did his doubts about other matters, such as his father's death.
Howard Stark, in his prime, had died in a car accident. It never looked like an accident. Before, Tony hadn't had any reason to suspect anything, so he hadn't dwelled on it. But now, everything had changed.
As he flipped through the printed documents, an uncontrollable rage burned in Tony's heart—a rage directed at Obadiah.
Tony had a very complex relationship with his father. He resented Howard, who valued his scientific work and career more than he valued his son. Yet at the same time, he deeply admired him. His father's genius, his irreverence, and his playboy ways—all of these were things he had learned to imitate. The role of a father was deeply important to him.
Before reading this information, he had never considered harming Obadiah. At most, he had thought about dismantling his power base, reducing him to a powerless old man living off his stock dividends. He had even considered reconciling with him in the future. But now, after learning that Obadiah was closely involved in his father's death, his perspective shifted. He felt a surge of impulse to kill Obadiah.
However, this impulse had yet to manifest when the unexpected happened. A searing pain shot through his brain, instantly paralyzing his nervous system and stripping him of all control over his body. At that moment, Obadiah stepped out from behind him.
Obadiah narrowed his eyes, staring down at Tony as he lay on the floor like a wooden doll. After a moment, he spoke, his voice low and menacing.
"You're truly unlucky, Tony. To have me overhear such a crucial matter. You actually tried to have me kicked out of Stark Industries. Do you know what that meant, Tony? It was a murder attempt on me."
He crouched down and picked up the printed documents from Tony's hand.
"Fortunately, my partner gave me an unexpected gift, forcing me to come see you. You know, I was originally wondering how to borrow that miniature reactor from you. But now! I've changed my mind. It's better to just take it directly."
At this point, the veins on Tony's face were bulging, and his eyes had turned bloodshot. It was a look of pure fury, as if the rage itself was about to squeeze his eyeballs from their sockets. Seeing this, Obadiah laughed.
"Don't worry, Tony. You'll be back to normal in fifteen minutes. Remember? This is that little thing you invented—the Infrasonic Human Paralysis Device. It's lightweight, compact, and incredibly useful. It's a shame the government never approved it for production. I ended up keeping this sole sample, and I must say, it's proven quite effective."
As he spoke, Obadiah sat down, beginning to chat with Tony as if nothing had changed.
"You know, Tony, I've always considered you like a son. You're so intelligent and capable; at one point, I was genuinely proud. Stark Industries' current success owes a great deal to your efforts. Many times, I've wondered if I was too harsh on you. But Tony, you truly broke my heart."
"Ever since you started hanging out with that little rascal Zhou Yi, you've become increasingly reckless. Stark Industries isn't growing like it used to; Osborn has even caught up. The two of you joined forces and repeatedly vetoed my proposals. Don't you realize those were opportunities to advance the company? I've tolerated you again and again, but you just keep pushing the boundaries."
"Do you know who leaked your whereabouts and got you kidnapped to that hellhole?" Obadiah's face twisted into a grotesque mask as he finally revealed his true nature to Tony. "It was me, Tony. I couldn't stand by and watch you destroy the company—my life's work for over forty years. I had them kill you, but I never expected the Ten Rings Gang to get their hands on you."
"But it worked out for the best. They actually unlocked your potential. I saw the first battle with that Iron Man armor—the Ten Rings Gang gave me incredibly detailed data. And with your old blueprints and that prototype, thanks to your brilliant mind, I built a bigger one myself. Of course, it's still missing a few things."
Only then did Obadiah glance at the documents in his hand.
"You're thinking of Howard again, aren't you? How unfortunate. I was devastated by Howard's accident, and I truly didn't want to do this. But he had the same ideas as you. Should I call it father-and-son instinct? The father died at my hands, and now the son will die at my hands too. Should I say it's all determined by fate?"
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