"Listen, I'm not an expert..."
"Selling *expertise? Of course not. You're a senator, okay?" Tony's words made many of the people present laugh.
Tony looked toward Pepper, thinking he had made a great joke, but Pepper only shook her head without the slightest hint of a smile.
"I'm not a weapons expert, but we've invited one here today, Justin Hammer, currently the Department of Defense's main arms dealer," the senator onstage said.
Tony perked up a little when he heard that name.
"I saw Mr. Hammer walk in, but I didn't see any weapons expert."
Ever since Stark Industries announced the closure of its weapons division, Hammer Industries had taken over its Department of Defense business.
Tony Stark, however, had always looked down on the things manufactured by Hammer Industries—a man who knew nothing but how to throw money at a problem, and whose results were idiotic.
Although Justin Hammer knew nothing about weapons manufacturing, he was a professional when it came to speeches.
"Perhaps I'm not an expert, but do you know who the real expert is?"
Justin stood at the front with a microphone in hand, speaking with ease. He pointed at Stark. "Your father! Howard Stark."
"He wasn't just our patriarch. He was also the father of the military-industrial complex. But let's be clear: he wasn't a flower seller. He was a lion."
Justin controlled the rhythm of his speech, guiding everyone's attention toward Tony.
"We all know why we're here. Over the past six months, Tony Stark has forged a sharp sword, yet he insists it's merely a shield."
"He wants us to trust him and hide behind him. I truly wish I felt safe. I really do. I wish I could leave my house without locking the door, but this isn't Canada."
"We live in