The True Hero

"Chinese soldiers, when facing any danger, stand in front of the people. To me, they are the true heroes."

Seeing Tony's silence, Chen Mu continued, "You also know that there was a major earthquake in my hometown in the first half of the year. It was the Chinese soldiers who, with unwavering courage, saved countless civilians. Their sacrifices are unparalleled, with many soldiers even losing their lives because of it."

"May I ask, for these true heroes, what's wrong with me handing over the armor to them?"

Hearing Chen Mu's words, Tony could only offer a wry smile.

Indeed, he couldn't refute it.

If American soldiers were terrifying demons, then Chinese soldiers were angels who could truly bring peace of mind to the people.

The gap was too vast, and he felt quite embarrassed.

"When Chinese soldiers wear the armor, they can better protect us Chinese people, and even protect this world!"

Just imagine, if Chen Mu equipped millions of Chinese soldiers with the armor, would alienate armies dare to invade? Wouldn't they be crushed into the ground?

Even if Thanos came to Earth, he'd be beaten to a pulp by endless steel soldiers?

"Moreover, my armor is not like your Mark Armor. How it's handled is my business."

At this point, Chen Mu gave a cold smile.

My armor is much more advanced than yours, so what? Can you say I copied your armor? Infringed on your patent?

Doesn't that make you angry?

"Yes, that's your business."

Tony gave another wry smile.

He could easily imagine the trouble the American military would cause him when they found out the Chinese army was equipped with the armor. It would give him a massive headache!

Regardless, Tony would stick to his original intention and absolutely not hand over the armor to the American military!

Perhaps, I can give them some comfort?

Give one or two sets to the military for them to study slowly? Buy as much time as possible?

However, this armor isn't something just anyone can use, so it's best to give it to his familiar old friends.

He made up his mind about the recipient instantly: Colonel Rhodes.

"Then let's talk about the next steps, Xiao Mu Phone."

Tony sighed, no longer wanting to discuss the armor with Chen Mu, and turned to other matters.

"We've successfully developed the operating system, and the press conference is ready. When are you coming to the US so we can finalize the release date together?"

Xiao Mu Phone, in essence, was Chen Mu copying Apple's design, with an operating system developed by Stark. It was expected to be no worse than Apple's in his previous life. Once this phone was launched, it would undoubtedly revolutionize the mobile phone industry.

This was a money-making venture, and Tony didn't want to delay.

Superheroes also needed to earn money to support their families, didn't they?

"These are minor matters. I'll fly over tomorrow, and we can discuss the armor together."

Aside from his arrogance, Tony wasn't that unlikeable.

Moreover, Chen Mu was quite unsatisfied with just showing off over the phone. He was already eager to personally wear his armor and flaunt it in front of Tony!

His armor was manufactured in a spatial fabrication facility in Huaqiangbei. The entire thing was made of vibranium, so its strength was definitely more than a notch above Tony's!

"Minor matters... Alright..."

Tony's expression turned dark, but he nodded nonetheless.

At this moment, Tony hadn't truly realized how substantial the profits from the mobile phone industry would be!

Besides, Tony was also a little impatient to see Chen Mu's armor, which would actually be of considerable help to his own advancements.

"Alright, I'll come find you directly tomorrow. But, give me some input, what color scheme should this prototype have?"

As he spoke, Chen Mu looked with satisfaction at the armor beside him. It was as black as ink, with sharp angles, and was already very beautiful. He was already quite pleased with its inherent black color. The reason he asked was still to show off...

"See you tomorrow..."

Tony, being incredibly sharp, naturally understood Chen Mu's intentions. He rolled his eyes, knowing it was just more showing off. Without another word, he ended the call. He needed to upgrade his own armor.

He had just gotten some good inspiration, and he couldn't lose to Chen Mu tomorrow!

Tony was indeed arrogant, but he wasn't envious.

Since someone else had developed an armor, he now placed Chen Mu on the same level as himself and could no longer look down on him.

Someone as "smart" as him always felt a bit lonely. Now that there was someone who wasn't inferior to him, it was actually good news. At the very least, it made his path of scientific research less solitary.

In Tony's opinion, Chen Mu was now very valuable to befriend. They could not only cooperate on phones but also on other aspects, such as armor?

For Tony, he didn't have much "patriotic sentiment." After all, how old was the United States? A country without history naturally wouldn't have much patriotic fervor among its people.

Especially in a capitalist society, where the country was controlled by capitalists, what was the point of patriotism? This country, from top to bottom, was driven by profit. As long as you offered enough profit, you were naturally patriotic!

Moreover, as the head of Stark Industries, Tony was also one of the influential figures in this country. This was precisely why the American military wanted the armor, and Tony could refuse them without consequence.

Want the armor? Ask the capitalists if they're willing!

If today it was Tony's armor technology, then tomorrow, if the government wanted other things, they would resort to forceful seizure. What would be the purpose of capitalists existing then?

Therefore, on this matter, the capitalists would all stand with Tony, making the American military grit their teeth but feel utterly powerless.

They truly couldn't afford to offend them!

The reason Tony wanted to hand over the Mark 2 to Rhodes was partly to give the military an explanation and a small gesture of goodwill. Another reason was that he felt he was close to death from palladium poisoning and didn't want the "Iron Man" he created to disappear. That's why he handed the armor over to Rhodes, hoping he would inherit the identity of "Iron Man" and prevent "Iron Man" from being a fleeting phenomenon.

But now, because of Chen Mu, Tony might hand over the Mark 2 to the military ahead of schedule, letting them tinker with it themselves, and bringing about the early debut of War Machine.