"Hahaha, of course. Otherwise, how could I dare trouble my closest business partner?"
"I'll have to ask Senator Kennedy to help make the connection and arrange a place to test the product. Please pass along this message for me. Pioneer Tech's military weapon absolutely will not disappoint him."
"And when the time comes, I hope Senator Kennedy will come watch as well."
On the other end of the phone, Killian casually played with the file in his hand as he spoke in an easygoing tone.
"Oh? Me too?"
Hearing that Killian was inviting him as well, Kennedy sounded genuinely surprised.
He had assumed he was only acting as a middleman to connect him with the military. He had not expected Killian to ask him to attend personally.
"Hahaha, of course, Senator Kennedy. You're Pioneer Tech's second-largest shareholder. Since this is a company product test, it's only right that you be there too."
Killian said with a smile.
"Good. Then I'll look forward to your performance."
"Oh, right. You may run into a little trouble soon, but don't worry too much. It's only a small problem."
After saying that last sentence, Kennedy hung up immediately.
He left Killian looking confused.
He had no idea what Kennedy had meant by that final remark.
But in the very next second, he found out.
"Boss, we've received a summons from the Washington court. You are being ordered to appear before the Senate Federal Food and Drug Administration Committee and are required to arrive at court by nine o'clock tomorrow morning to participate in the questioning session."
A blonde, blue-eyed secretary knocked and entered, then handed Killian the court summons and spoke softly.
"How long is the flight from Miami to Washington?"
"Boss, four hours."
"Book four tickets for tonight."
"Yes, sir."
After receiving the order, the secretary swayed out of the office and gently closed the door behind her.
At that moment, looking at the summons in his hand, Killian could not help letting out a laugh.
Now he understood why Kennedy had called it only a small problem.
What a joke. If they had dragged him before the House, that would have been one thing, but the Senate?
That was actually better for him.
As early as a few months ago, half the Senate could already be considered on his side. And over the past few months, with his constant buying of favor and Kennedy's maneuvering, he would not dare guarantee one hundred percent support, but an eighty to ninety percent approval rate was absolutely solid.
It could be said that the whole Senate was basically his turf.
Back in Iron Man 2, why had Tony dared clown around in court and ignore the panel? Why had he even chatted and joked with Pepper right there?
Because aside from the fact that it had been a military hearing, he had the support of the military itself, along with the support of the senators who had bought Stark stock.
That was why he had been completely confident that those clowns could not bring him down.
And now...
Killian could confidently say that he was even steadier than Tony Stark had been.
...
That same night, on the flight from Miami to Washington.
Inside first class.
To accommodate the passengers who needed rest, the cabin lights had all been dimmed to a soft, low level.
"Excuse me, could I get a glass of lemon water with ice? Thank you."
As the flight attendant passed by his seat, Killian spoke in a low voice.
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
After replying politely and softly, the flight attendant immediately went to prepare it.
"Enjoy, sir."
Not long after, she returned carrying a glass of iced lemon water and handed it to him.
"Thank you."
After Killian thanked her, the flight attendant curiously glanced at him. For safety and convenience, the seats around him, both in front and behind, were occupied by four men that anyone with eyes could tell were bodyguards.
Naturally, that made her curious about Killian's identity.
Still, it was only curiosity. A moment later, she pushed her cart onward and left down the aisle.
Meanwhile, Killian held the glass, cold enough that condensation had already soaked the outer surface, and lazily reclined into the wide leather seat as he looked out at the scenery beyond the window.
At that moment, it almost felt as if he had returned to his previous life.
Nothing really seemed different.
The same scenery. The same moonlight illuminating the whole world below. And the occasional points of light on the ground looked like scattered decorations under the vast curtain of night.
As he thought about that, he lifted the lemon water and took a deep drink. The taste was sour with a faint sweetness, and combined with the icy chill, it made him feel instantly refreshed.
No matter when it was, Killian had always preferred cold drinks. They helped him keep a calm mind and a pleasant body.
To be honest, this was only the second time he had ever taken a plane, and the first time he had ever flown first class. On the previous trip, he had been so exhausted that he had slept the entire way and experienced nothing.
This time, he was truly experiencing the life of the rich in first class for the first time.
From the moment he had boarded until now, the constant care and attention from the flight attendants, along with their immediate response to every need, made him feel a great deal.
The kind of differentiated service that money bought was genuinely addictive.
No wonder so many rich people risked everything to earn even more money. Wasn't this exactly what it was for? To enjoy services ordinary people would never even get close to?
On that point, Killian had to thank the system.
Sure, he might have been able to reach his current level through effort alone, but that would have been too troublesome and too exhausting.
A person's life was limited. No matter how long the road, it would always end eventually. So rather than spending every moment straining toward the destination, why not relax when it was time to relax and properly enjoy the scenery along the way?
Over these past six months, time pressure had been pushing him so hard that he could barely breathe. So after this hearing, he had already decided that he would take the chance to go out, unwind, and relax for a bit.
'Still... luckily, everything has gone smoothly so far.'
After that thought, Killian fully reclined the seat, rested his feet on the cushion, and quietly fell asleep.
...
The next day.
Outside the Washington courthouse.
At this moment, countless reporters from media outlets big and small had already swarmed the area like sharks smelling blood after hearing that the Medical Committee had issued a summons to Pioneer Tech.
Every one of them pushed forward, trying to seize the first photos.
After all, this was the company that had created Baymax, the most famous product in the world right now.
(End of Chapter)
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