Howard looked at his son, remaining silent for a long time.
He could see the fire in Tony's eyes; it wasn't the impulsive passion of a young man, but a resolve born of deep consideration. He could hear the sincerity in Tony's words.
Howard had waited too long for this moment.
He had always hoped that Tony would mature, take on responsibilities, and carry the torch of the Stark family.
But when this moment finally arrived, what he felt wasn't just relief, but a complex mix of emotions.
There was pride, worry, and also a sense of release.
His son had finally grown up, and he could finally lay down his heavy burden.
Maria walked to Howard's side and gently took his hand.
She said nothing, but that gesture conveyed everything: support, understanding, and trust in her husband's decision.
Howard took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.
He stood up and walked over to Tony. At seventy, he was a bit shorter than his son, and his back was slightly hunched, but at this moment, his figure appeared exceptionally tall in the morning light.
"Tony," Howard said, his voice trembling slightly, but his eyes were firm. "If you are truly ready, if you truly want to do this..."
He paused for a moment, then said solemnly, "Then, Stark Industries is yours."
Tony's eyes lit up, but Howard raised his hand to stop him from speaking.
"However," Howard continued, his expression serious.
"You must remember, this is not a gift, but a responsibility. You must be responsible for every employee in the company, for the company's future, and for Stark."
Tony nodded solemnly. "I know."
Howard looked at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.
It was a truly relaxed, truly gratified smile; Tony hadn't seen such a smile on his father's face for a long time.
"Good!" Howard said, patting his son's shoulder. "Then, we will go to the company tomorrow. I will convene a board meeting to officially announce the handover, and then..."
He looked out the window, at the garden, and further out to the sea level. "Then, I can finally take a long vacation with your mom; she has always wanted to go to Greece."
Maria also smiled, tears glistening in her eyes. She walked over to Tony and gave him a gentle hug.
"We are proud of you, Tony," she said softly. "Always have been."
Tony hugged his mother back, then looked at his father. Howard nodded; it was a father's recognition of his son, and also the passing of an era's baton.
"Congratulations, Tony."
The voice came from the second floor, carrying a familiar, relaxed smile.
Tony looked up and saw Mavuika standing by the railing on the second floor, though he didn't know when she had arrived. Her body was slightly leaning forward, elbows resting on the smooth wooden handrail, watching the scene in the living room downstairs with a smile.
The morning light shone obliquely from the window behind her, gilding her silhouette with a golden edge. She was wearing a simple white long-sleeved shirt and dark trousers, looking like an ordinary person resting at home.
Tony rolled his eyes. "What's there to congratulate?" Tony said, his voice carrying feigned disdain.
"Dealing with a pile of boring board documents every day, handling those hypocritical politicians and businessmen... how is this worth congratulating?"
He paused, then added, a teasing curve forming on the corner of his mouth. "And after I take over the company, the time I have to help you fix your car will shrink."
"Do you know what this means? It means your poor motorcycle might have to wait several days for repairs, it means you might have to temporarily say goodbye to those crazy off-road adventures, it means—"
"It means you will assign the best engineers at Stark Industries to be specifically responsible for my car?" Mavuika interrupted him, her smile becoming even brighter.
"Or, you will design an automatic maintenance system, allowing the motorcycle to self-diagnose and self-repair?"
Tony was choked for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh. "You certainly have high hopes."
"Wouldn't you do that?" Mavuika walked down the stairs, her steps as light as if she were dancing.
"Fine." Tony finally admitted, shrugging. "Maybe you're right; I'll design something so your car won't keep coming to me every few days."
She walked to the window, looking at the sunny garden outside, her voice relaxed. "It doesn't matter; I have plenty of time anyway. I'll come to you when you're free."
The two bantered back and forth, and the serious atmosphere in the living room became much more relaxed.
After handing over Stark Industries to Tony, Howard felt it was about time to retire.
This thought had been brewing in his mind for a long time.
At over seventy years old, having experienced war, founded a company, and participated in projects that changed the World...
His life had been rich enough, exciting enough; now, it was time to leave the stage to the young.
Since Stark Industries had been handed over, it was time to let go of S.H.I.E.L.D. as well.
This decision was even harder. Stark Industries was his life's work, but S.H.I.E.L.D. was his responsibility—responsibility to the country, to the World, and to those fighting in the shadows.
He had participated in the founding of S.H.I.E.L.D., watching it grow from a small intelligence agency into a global security organization, just like watching his own child grow up.
But now, this child was sick.
Infiltrated by HYDRA, possibly even lurking with alien spies... Howard had tried his best to investigate, but the clues were too few, and the enemies were too hidden.
He needed someone younger, sharper, and with more energy to continue this work.
And before truly retiring, Howard still needed to entrust the two major problems in his hands to someone else.
The first was the threat of the Skrulls.
That green-skinned prisoner was still locked in the reinforced room of the Villa, needing food and water every day, requiring surveillance, and more importantly.
It needed someone to continue investigating his accomplices and investigating their purpose for infiltrating Earth.
The second was the resurgence of HYDRA.
Bucky's appearance proved that this organization had not only not perished but had become stronger and more hidden after decades of lurking.
They had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D., and possibly other organizations, and were secretly implementing some unknown plan.
Both problems were very serious and dangerous; they couldn't just be entrusted to anyone.
Howard needed someone capable, determined, and most importantly, trustworthy.
After careful consideration, Howard had a candidate.
Nick Fury.
That young Agent who had recently been in the spotlight within the agency and was rising through the ranks extremely quickly.
Howard remembered him; Fury's performance at S.H.I.E.L.D. was impeccable, with a high mission completion rate, accurate judgment, and decisive actions.
More importantly, he had ambition, but not the kind of blind ambition; it was ambition with clear goals and a strong sense of responsibility.