Tony's Precautions

"Tony, why are we giving in? Why do both sides get 50% of the shares in Xiao Mu Phone?"

Watching Chen Mu and the other man leave, Little Pepper Potts looked at Tony Stark in confusion, clearly unhappy.

As a senior executive of Stark Industries, she naturally hoped that Stark Industries would secure more of the profits.

Obadiah had clearly reached an agreement with Chen Mu before this: Stark would hold 80% of the shares. Why had it gone from 80% to 70% under Tony, and now dropped straight from 70% to 50%?

Potts found it very difficult to understand.

"Potts, this world isn't just about making money."

Tony Stark gave Little Pepper an indifferent smile and continued, "It's rare to meet someone I get along with. There's no need to make an enemy over such a small amount of profit."

That was indeed Tony Stark's style. He had no interest in money; he never even carried cash in his wallet.

The only time Tony had ever cared about money was when his father, Howard Stark, had given him one dollar and eight cents as pocket money when he was a child.

The current Tony Stark truly had no interest in a little money.

"..."

Little Pepper fell silent for a long time, then sighed and asked.

"Did Chen Mu really develop that Iron Armor himself? You didn't help him?"

After thinking for a moment, Little Pepper Potts glanced at Tony Stark's Iron Armor by the living room wall and continued questioning him.

In her view, the only reason Chen Mu could have built an Iron Armor was because Tony had helped him.

She did not know why Tony would do such a thing, but Little Pepper felt that was the only possibility.

To put it bluntly, Little Pepper also did not believe that Chen Mu, a Chinese man, could create an Iron Man suit through his own intelligence and talent.

America's arrogance did not belong to Tony alone; it was rooted in the hearts of most of the country's people.

Little Pepper Potts was no exception.

"Why would I help him?" Tony Stark shook his head with a bitter smile.

After a moment's thought, Tony continued, "That isn't Iron Armor. His armor is called Kirin. The name seems to come from some kind of mythical beast from China. It's hard to admit, but it's the truth: Chen Mu's Kirin Armor is technologically more advanced than my Mark 3 Armor."

Though arrogant, Tony was not a man afraid to admit defeat.

His armor being less advanced than someone else's was not something he could not say aloud. In any case, the confident Tony believed that as long as he had time and kept upgrading the Mark Series Armor, his armor would surpass Chen Mu's.

"Hiss... Is that really true?"

Hearing that, Little Pepper looked incredulous and could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

"It is." Tony gave a bitter laugh and continued, "And that guy left me with a huge problem. He manufactured the Kirin series armor and actually handed it directly to the Chinese military. If nothing unexpected happens, once the American military learns about it, they'll definitely come looking for trouble with me. I don't want my armor falling into the hands of those guys in the American military."

"He gave the armor to the military?"

Upon hearing that, Little Pepper Potts' eyes widened as she said in disbelief, "Wouldn't that pose a massive threat to America?"

"Why would it be a threat?" Tony shrugged and asked in return. "Are you afraid the Chinese military will put on their armor, wave the banner of freedom and democracy, and attack American soil?"

"..." Little Pepper was speechless. She knew her boss did not think highly of the American military, so words like that did not surprise her in the least.

But honestly, her first reaction upon hearing that the Chinese military had been equipped with armor was indeed to worry that they might come knocking at America's door.

However, after hearing Tony's words, Little Pepper gradually calmed down.

The Chinese military had existed for decades, yet she had never heard of it launching wars against other nations without cause. The few wars it had fought seemed to have been clashes with the American military.

In Korea and Vietnam, Chinese forces had beaten the American military so badly they could barely lift their heads. This left many American people with a deep impression of the Chinese military.

"The Chinese military won't start a war for no reason." Tony Stark spoke very calmly.

"That's what Chen Mu said. I'll choose to believe him for now. Besides, even if they do start a war, I won't stand by and watch. I believe my Mark Series Armor will definitely be stronger than Chen Mu's Kirin series armor!"

That was Tony Stark. That was Iron Man. That was America's distinctive brand of individual heroism.

Those so-called Super Heroes always arrogantly believed that they could solve every problem.

That was how it played out in the movies. Those Super Heroes always escaped danger, successfully achieved their goals, and with the protagonist's halo around them, there was nothing they could not do.

But from a normal perspective, an individual's power was ultimately limited. If war truly broke out, Tony would have no chance at all if he tried to face China's Iron Legion alone.

Even if Tony Stark truly built his own Iron Legion, it would absolutely be no match for the Chinese military's Iron Legion.

There was no question about that.

"Little Pepper, how about I make a suit of armor for you too? Look at Chen Mu's secretary, that Eastern girl. She has a suit of armor made specifically for her. Stark Industries can't lose to them."

That was right. Tony Stark, competitive by nature, did not want to lose to anyone in any respect.

"Not interested." Little Pepper curled her lips. She had no interest whatsoever in the suggestion and simply turned to leave.

Watching Little Pepper's retreating figure, Tony Stark's smile faded. At that moment, the idea of building an Iron Legion controlled by Jarvis took root in Tony's heart with unprecedented firmness.

Just as he had said, Tony did not want to completely trust Chen Mu's words. Even if the Chinese military truly would not wage war abroad or use the Kirin Armor in warfare, Tony Stark still needed a safeguard.

Like Egghead Motherf*cker Nick Fury, the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony also had a severe persecution complex. He would never place his safety in someone else's hands.

Maintaining world peace did not require the military of other nations, nor did it require America's military. In Tony's view, he alone was enough.

He had to establish an Iron Legion for the future. If the Chinese military ever stirred up war on the international stage, he would have the means to fight back.

If Chen Mu knew what Tony Stark was thinking right now, he would surely be speechless and say that Tony was overthinking it.

Perhaps because of their ethnicity, most modern Chinese people were mild by nature and rarely took the initiative to provoke trouble.

In this day and age, most Chinese people hoped for peaceful development and worked toward it.

The possibility that the Chinese military, after acquiring Kirin Armor, would use it for brutal expansion abroad was practically zero.

Not every country was like America. In just over two hundred years since its founding, it had spent nearly all two hundred years in one war or another. To achieve its goals, America would not hesitate to start wars. China, however, was completely different.