Something is going wrong, very wrong.
Tony had a bad feeling after Justin Hammer finished his speech .
His speech had put Tony in a difficult position because, according to his account, Tony had completely embodied that kind of character:
He possessed the latest technology capable of protecting people's lives and property, but he only wanted to benefit from the advantages and fame that this technology brought him.
He had no intention of handing it over to the government to maximize its value , and he refused to compromise with the government even when people's lives and property were under great threat .
From the public's point of view, Tony's behavior was extremely selfish.
From Tony's point of view , Justin Hammer was engaging in the most extensive form of moral blackmail.
He presented him to the public.
Not everyone might agree with his point of view, but it was certain that many would believe his narrative.
Tony was about to say more to reverse the current decline, but it was clear his opponent had no intention of giving him any breathing room.
Thus, the Senator , sitting in the Judge's chair, responded to Justin Hammer's attack with his own combination punch before he could even say a word .
"You're absolutely right, Mr. Hammer."
Now let's invite Colonel James 'Rhodey' Rhodes to the meeting .
" Rhodey ?"
Upon hearing the name, Tony turned around in disbelief and immediately saw Rhodey enter with a sullen expression on his face .
It wasn't just Rhodey ; many people saw US military personnel entering.
They started arguing almost immediately, because most of those present knew about the friendship between Rhodey and Tony ; so a rather strange thought began to cross their minds: Was Stark about to be abandoned by his closest allies?
This was certainly not a good sign for Tony , but it was something the group at the Ministry of Defence was extremely pleased to see .
The senator had a smile on his face and began to speak with a touch of impatience .
" I have a complete report on Iron Man's weapons, collected by Colonel Rhodes . "
Colonel, please read the contents of the fourth paragraph on page fifty-seven."
Rhodey's facial expression wasn't good at all.
Although his duty as a soldier was to follow orders, he could never feel comfortable with his superior using him as a tool to frame a friend.
He then straightened his face and said sharply:
"Do you want me to read a specific paragraph from the report?"
I thought I had come here to present a complete and detailed report, not to use a passage taken out of context to represent my point."
"I understand what you mean, Colonel!"
The senator coughed and called out Rhodey's rank ; this was also a reminder that he shouldn't forget his identity.
"I understand your current thoughts, but there are many variables involved today."
We don't have time to listen to you read the entire report.
So, you just need to read the paragraph I mentioned."
Upon hearing this, Rhodey could only sigh.
He gave Tony an apologetic look , then opened the file report in his hand.
"Okay, page fifty-seven, line four: ' Iron Man is not affiliated with any government agency .'"
After a brief pause, he continued.
"Therefore, his presence poses a threat to national security and interests."
However, my conclusion is this... if Mr. Stark were to join the military command system, Iron Man's advantages would far outweigh his disadvantages ."
"That's enough, Colonel Rhodes !"
The senator interrupted Rhodey's speech immediately , and Tony couldn't contain himself.
"I don't like joining any system, but I might consider becoming Secretary of Defence . "
Of course, working hours will definitely need to be shortened.
Eight hours a day is too tiring, I think four hours would be enough."
The room was filled with laughter.
Faced with this blatant mockery of the Department of Defense, the senator had to purse his lips and change the subject.
"Colonel, I'd like to play the video from your report."
"I don't think it's the right time yet; these videos aren't suitable for public viewing at the moment."
Rhodey shook his head, clearly indicating his disapproval, but the Senator completely ignored his opinion.
"I understand your concerns, Colonel, but we would be very grateful if you could release these videos."
Hearing this, Rhodey sighed again.
The entanglement of soldiers and politicians was the dirtiest business, and the most distressing thing for a soldier was having to listen to a politician simply because he was nominally his superior .
Therefore, he had no choice but to raise his hand to signal the nearby law enforcement officers to start playing the video.
Rhodey's obedience pleased the senator greatly, and he nodded.
Naturally, someone started playing the video footage they had prepared beforehand.
A satellite image, apparently of a military factory, appeared on the screen.
Looking at the blurry image , Rhodey picked up an electronic pen and pointed to a relatively distinct shadow on it, saying:
"The data shows that the devices in these videos are actually exact replicas of Mr. Stark's iron armor . "
This has been confirmed by our allies and ground intelligence agencies, and we believe these replica iron armored vehicles may already be operational."
While Rhodey introduced the video, Tony started attending to his own affairs.
As soon as he saw the video, he pulled out his phone and began decrypting and hacking the video signal.
These were indeed classified internal documents of the US military, but for Tony , it was different. Stark's clever butler believed there was nothing truly classified about them.
He quickly brought everything under control.
Therefore, he no longer passively accepted the attacks of others.
"Just a minute, buddy, let me take a look ."
She said, tapping her phone lightly.
Suddenly, various file reading and program editing information started appearing across the entire screen, until a large 'Welcome, Mr. Stark ' icon appeared, and Tony grinned awkwardly.
"Ah ah, I understand, I'm very well."
You mentioned they might already be operational, let's take a closer look.
Let's make the data more transparent and see what they're really after."
Seeing this, the senator could no longer maintain his smile.
He sat up straight and asked loudly, "What's going on?"
But no one paid attention to him, because everyone's eyes were fixed on the video on the big screen.
In contrast to the previous blurry video where even buildings were indistinguishable, the screen now displayed a very clear, high-resolution image; it was almost possible to make out a person's real face.
The video showed a somewhat strange robot , staggering and covered in various weapons .
Next to the recording were large Korean descriptions identifying the robot .
"It looks like a North Korean product," Tony thought as he examined the robot on the screen , then it fell to the floor .
Their guns started spinning uncontrollably and firing in all directions.
Screams of agony echoed from behind the screen, and shortly afterward, the entire screen was covered in blood.
This situation caused an official representing the South Korean government to immediately cover his face, while the senator simultaneously shouted.
"Turn off the screen, please turn it off quickly!"
"It looks like they failed!"
What about Iran?
Tony now had control of the screen, so how could it be turned off with a single word from the Senator ?
He grinned and switched the video to another test field scene.
At this point in the video, a steel figure was seen rising towards the sky, then crashing to the ground with an explosion.
Justin Hammer couldn't stand still at that moment either.
She rushed over to turn off the screen, but she couldn't find a way to do it either.
And at that moment, thanks to Tony's intervention , Justin's image had already appeared in the video.
In the recorded audio , Justin stands next to a rather sturdy-looking iron suit , addressing the person inside in his usual arrogant tone.
"Captain, how are you feeling?"
Honestly, it's not easy to find a soldier as great as you these days.
You went to the battlefield, killed terrorists , rescued your teammates, and even earned medals.
If I didn't have my connections with the Ministry of Defense , it would be really difficult to get you out of there.
But trust me, you won't regret it.
Have you seen Tony ? Did Stark declare himself Iron Man ?
"I guarantee you, soon you too will become a super weapon, just like him, admired by everyone."
"Damn it!"
Justin didn't smile when he heard his own impeccable oratory .
Instead, he knocked over the table right in front of him and simultaneously shouted loudly to those around him, "Where's the outlet, where's the outlet?"
Justin Hammer looked very anxious, but the increasing anxiety was a clear indication that things were about to get very serious.
Therefore , Tony naturally enjoyed causing him more trouble.
" Is that Justin Hammer ?"
Why does he also produce counterfeit products?
Hey Justin , don't make such a fuss.
Look , buddy , you're on television!
"Pose nicely."
Justin completely ignored her.
He simply wanted to stop it all before the next scene unfolding downstairs could be seen by others.
And Rhodey started to giggle.
Having prior knowledge of military documents, he naturally knew what the next scene would be.
It's safe to say Tony has long since broken free from these frustrating ties.
The only ones who would have problems the next day would be the Department of Defense and Justin Hammer .
While the Justin below was frantically running around like a dog searching for bones, the Justin on the screen was proceeding methodically.
"Yes, Captain, extend your hand."
Great, exactly.
Now try to rotate your body.
Don't hesitate to use force.
Hammer Industries is a military-industrial company you can completely trust; we have excellent quality assurance."
Under his command, the Iron-Armored Captain carried out his movements with unusual slowness and decisiveness.
Lying down, moving her legs, turning—everything seemed normal.
However, an accident occurred when Justin encouraged her to use the repulsive device.
The iron armor didn't explode; instead, like a torch lit from within, countless flames instantly shot out from the gaps in the armor.
The flames were so intense that the surface of the armor turned completely red, and naturally, the Captain inside began screaming terribly.
The screams stopped completely a few seconds later.
At the same time , Justin also started swearing loudly in the video.
At that moment, the screen suddenly went black.
An angry Justin had already unplugged the screen.
He leaned back in his chair without saying a word, but a commotion had already begun around them.
Everyone was pointing at him and whispering, and countless cameras were focused on him.
Hammer Industries' reputation was destroyed at that moment.
Stark, however, was only making the pain worse.
"Most countries will have this technology within five to ten years, while Hammer Industries' will probably take twenty years."
I apologize, I'm not belittling anyone's abilities, I just want to state a fact..."