"A subpoena for her, are you sure?" Tony , no longer bothered by his strange habit of refusing things offered to him by others, immediately snatched the subpoena from the woman's hand. He carefully examined the subpoena, which bore the U.S. judicial emblem, and after a long pause, said, "You're not kidding, are you!"
"I wish those idiots up there were joking, but they've already issued the court summons and it's being delivered to him through you and me."
The beautiful police officer smiled condescendingly, displaying a clearly discriminatory prejudice against her superior's views .
"Maybe they really do have holes in their brains!"
Tony still couldn't understand why the court had summoned him. Most likely, it was the insatiable men at the Ministry of Defence who had their eyes on his iron suit and wanted to take it from him through legal means .
But summoning the Knight of the Dawn was something he couldn't understand at all.
First, Dawn Knight was someone without a specific identity. Before revealing herself, the court couldn't identify her existence. Second, Dawn Knight was a superhero , meaning that existing laws and law enforcement might not be able to handle her. Third, what reason did they have to summon her? What crime were they trying to frame her for?
This was completely inexplicable.
"When does it start?" Tony asked the bailiff, his mind racing with questions about the court's opening time. The bailiff immediately provided the answer and shared his own observations.
"Two days later, at the same time, again in Washington ... Of course, my personal opinion is that there's no need for him to attend. And there's no need to waste time with those bureaucrats."
"She'll attend. I know what kind of person she is. And, Young Lady , what you've said doesn't match your identity at all." Tony sighed, anticipating what a particular person would decide, then grinned and turned his attention back to this Irish law enforcement officer. With her current identity, she naturally held an extra appeal for Tony . "Would you like to leave a number to stay in touch? Sure, just as friends !"
"I'm sorry, my job isn't suitable!" The police officer smiled slightly, but then asked somewhat hesitantly, "Um, do you have Dawn Knight's contact information? I'd just like to offer my support as a friend ."
Upon hearing this, Tony's mouth immediately twitched.
"I'm sorry, he doesn't use a cell phone. He doesn't use any method of communication. There's no way to communicate with him other than yelling. You know, like, you know."
" Hogan , how far is Washington from here?" Tony asked his bodyguard, changing the subject .
"About two hundred and fifty miles!" Hogan estimated and replied. Regardless of whether the answer was definite or not, Tony had an excuse to leave.
"Alright, it's time for us to go to Washington . Young lady , if you change your mind and wish to leave me your number, don't forget to find me here."
"You can wait, Mr. Stark . Maybe he'll come someday." The officer smiled and stepped back slightly. Tony shrugged, stepped on the gas, and sped away.
Since the Irish girl hadn't given him the time of day , Tony naturally couldn't continue bothering her. He stepped on the gas and drove towards Washington . With his 9 o'clock hearing, he could get some sleep in Washington at his current speed .
Halfway through his journey after leaving New York , Tony touched his headset and spoke to the clever butler inside.
" Jarvis , contact Dawn Knight for me !"
"Yes sir. I'll call you now," Jarvis replied , and a moment later Zhou Yi's voice was heard.
" Hey friend , how are you?"
"Where are you now, my friend ?"
"I'm in England , I'll be back in about two days. What's up? I watched your opening ceremony, there shouldn't be a problem." Hearing Tony's question, Zhou Yi asked somewhat awkwardly. He should have known that Tony was extremely busy at the moment and wouldn't call him at this hour if it wasn't necessary. He should also have known that this time slot was always his reserved schedule and that he usually only spent time with girls.
"Not good news, my friend . For both of us!" Tony sighed, but still found a slight sense of superiority in this predicament. "However, I think your problem is much bigger than mine."
"A problem? Who would cause us problems at this time, and what kind of problem is it?" Hearing the word 'problem,' and already quite impatient with the troubles surrounding him lately, Zhou Yi immediately changed his tone.
"The US court has issued subpoenas to both of us, each of us separately. They hope that Iron Man and Dawn Knight will publicly accept the court's fair decision. Only those bureaucratic masters can explain how and why they will judge us ."
Sensing Zhou Yi's displeasure, Tony decided to get straight to the point.
"My hearing is tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock, presided over by the Military Committee. I don't even need to think about it to know that those generals with brains full of shards of glass are definitely after my invention. But you, my friend , I think they may have other intentions for you. And very important intentions."
"Their intentions towards me? They would have to be powerful enough to swallow me whole. And when does my hearing begin?"
Zhou Yi smirked mockingly. He had never been kind to the parasitic forces within the system. Since they were already preparing to act against him, he naturally wouldn't show them any mercy.
"I even think we'll be at the same time, perhaps even in the same courtroom, two days from now. But my friend , I don't really think you need to come. You know, I have your court summons, I can confidently say I couldn't find you. Anyway, they're not going to come straight to you without tearing your face apart."
Tony sensed a bad omen in Zhou Yi's words. He didn't want Zhou Yi and the Government to become too hostile , as this wouldn't benefit anyone, especially high-ranking individuals like himself within the system. The greater the conflict, the more it would affect the stability of their current system. As the guardian of this system , Tony absolutely did not want this to happen.
He hoped Zhou Yi would back down a little. But from what he knew of Zhou Yi, no matter what, Zhou Yi wouldn't bow down to that group of fools in the government . And he wasn't wrong at all.
"And let them think I've given up, let them gain even more weight! I'll be there right on time, my friend ! I'll be there tomorrow. And I'll be there two days from now!"
Hearing Zhou Yi's frank reply , Tony responded with a bitter smile.
"Alright, my friend . I'll be expecting you tomorrow. And I hope you can learn something from my methods, especially regarding how to deal with these bureaucratic managers . Trust me, you'll learn some very useful things. Maybe even something that will surprise you."
"I'm looking forward to it!" Zhou Yi hung up the phone. Tony rubbed his temples anxiously . He could tell Zhou Yi was really angry. That made him even more worried about what would happen in two days.
The government's shameless approach really made things difficult for him. After all, he was still trying to profit by relying on the government's existing reputation . If the government's prestige crumbled, it wouldn't be good for big capitalists like them .
But on one side was his close friend , and on the other were his own interests. For someone like Tony , this was a really tough choice. A typical businessman would certainly put his interests first, but Tony ... he was now ready to watch a good show.
Just then, Hogan, who was standing next to him, suddenly spoke up and asked.
" Do you really know Dawn Knight ?"
His expression was one of utter astonishment, as if he'd just seen a bull walking on its hind legs; it was very strange.
"What kind of look is that? Is it weird that I know Dawn Knight ? Remember, I'm Iron Man , after all !" Tony's eyelids twitched at Hogan's expression . What was this? Was he questioning his character?
"I thought everything you said to women was fake, so I usually don't take those things seriously!" Shrugging, Hogan's expression was as innocent as could be . But Tony's expression grew uglier.
" Hogan , I'm the boss. Don't you trust your boss that much?"
"Of course I trust you, but mostly with some reservations. Because I know that anyone who trusts you completely is a fool, and I'm not a fool. So I choose to trust you with some reservations."
" Hogan!"
"What's the problem, boss?"
"Half of your salary will be deducted this month!"
"Boss... I was wrong!"
Meanwhile, in the depths of London's night, after hanging up the phone, Zhou Yi silently flew out the window and soared into the sky, reaching an altitude of ten thousand meters.
No one disturbed her here, and no one could hear her speaking. Naturally, no one knew who she was talking to.
"How absurd! Those foolish mortals have already offended us. Do you still want to believe what they say and accept their so-called investigations and judgments?"
As Zhou Yi spoke, his face held an arrogant and unrestrained pride. However, his expression soon calmed, becoming gentle, peaceful, and compassionate towards humanity, like a god statue carved in a temple.
"People have their own opinions. As long as they don't violate principles, we have no right to order them to do anything, nor to interfere in what they do."
"This is you, not me. I am a god; not interfering with these people is within the scope of my tolerance towards you. But this does not mean that they can openly defy my authority."
Zhou Yi's expression instantly turned arrogant again; he roared. But after the roar, he returned to his calm demeanor.
"Do you have the authority? What authority do you have, are you a god? When have gods ever been superior ?"
"Remember, we're the same. What's the difference between making fun of me and making fun of yourself?"
"Yes, that will happen, my heart will feel a little more at ease."
The same person started arguing with two different expressions, and the argument gradually escalated. However, the argument began to subside when a humane expression, neither overly showy nor overly peaceful, began to appear on Zhou Yi's face .
"That's enough, this matter ends here. There's no need for further discussion!"
The moment this voice emerged, all disagreements vanished. But this was only superficial; real disagreements had actually begun to sow their seeds. And Zhou Yi was helpless about this at the moment. Because no matter what, it was himself. Destroying his own thoughts and consciousness was a complete joke.