Funeral

Howard Stark's funeral was held in Richford, in central New York State. This is his birthplace and the burial place of his parents, located in the town's Church cemetery.

Stark Family is not even worthy of being called a family, as it is small in number and has only had one son per generation for three generations. The only truly important members are the Stark father and son.

Now that the Old Man Stark is gone, the young Stark, though also a recognized genius, has only proven himself in the scientific field. In the business world, he has yet to prove himself.

Very few people actually received an invitation to the Stark Family funeral, but many showed up uninvited.

People he knew would gather in groups, and these people were mostly from the same field. This gave him a good idea of the background of Old Man Stark's friends.

The largest and most orderly group of people were military personnel. Their uniforms and medals clearly indicated their status.

Starting as colonels and rising to the rank of general, the force comprises all four branches of the armed forces: the Nebula, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. It's fair to say that if these individuals were killed, the U.S. military, even if not paralyzed, would suffer severe damage.

Another group comes from the cultural field, mainly Hollywood people and the accompanying journalists.

Some of these people genuinely knew Old Man Stark, while others were just there to ride the wave of popularity. But everyone behaved very well; even the reporters were quiet and well-behaved, like kindergarten children.

Unfortunately, anyone who was too eager to conduct interviews or cause trouble was taken away by burly military men.

With a single sentence from the general, "It involves state secrets," the day when those taken away could see the light of day again seemed endless. Who knows what state secrets might be hidden at the funeral? Anyway, it's up to them.

Henry witnessed firsthand how a reporter from the Sun, who was jumping around energetically, was choked unconscious and dragged away. Whether he survived to return to the United Kingdom is unknown.

In the power struggles of conglomerates, a journalist's life is not as important as they imagine.

With such bloody examples before us, others have no choice but to behave.

If you want news, there will eventually be a press release, complete with official photos provided by Stark Industries. If you want to cause trouble, you'll have to experience the feeling of being overwhelmed by money, in every respect.

Henry, along with the two Hepburn ladies, stayed in a relatively forward position within this group of Hollywood people.

Besides her celebrity status, Catherine Hepburn's close personal relationship with Old Man Stark was well-known, and no one dared to sideline her.

The most undisciplined group was the bigwigs in the business and finance world. Many of them were people Henry had seen at Audrey Hepburn's fundraising party.

These people stood somewhat spread out, yet moved and buzzed around like little bees, as if plotting something, while also being wary of each other.

There is another very special group, the smallest in number, but with the most empty seats next to them, because no one wants to get too close to them.

Led by an elderly lady with short, silver-white hair, beside her stood a slightly thin, white-haired old man, followed by a mummy wrapped in bandages and people tightly wrapped in coats, none of whom showed their faces.

Some people's limbs under their coats were clearly not those of normal people, especially their furry tails and long, wolf-like snouts.

So, that's the famous Howling Commandos. And the woman leading them is very likely Peggy Ms. Carter is considered a descendant of Captain America.

She really doesn't resemble actress Hailey Atworth at all.

Judging from his appearance, he was probably around the same age as Audrey Hepburn, but he was much more robust and not as thin as Hepburn.

What caught Henry's attention even more was a one-eyed man in the group. He wore a black overcoat, had brown hair and white sideburns, and was so burly he looked like a bear.

Important! He's white!

Henry couldn't help but glance at this guy who resembled Nick Fury a few more times. Unexpectedly, this glance aroused the other man's suspicion, and he looked back at him.

Noticing the other person's piercing gaze, Henry, like a young man who was curious about the Howling Commandos but embarrassed at being discovered, and who usually had a clear yet foolish look in his eyes, looked back furtively.

Such actions were obviously staged. Hopefully, this acting wouldn't attract their attention, regardless of whether those people were the Howling Commandos or belonged to S.H.I.E.L.D..; intelligence-based organizations are always a problem.

The funeral mass was presided over by the Priest of the town Church. He probably didn't expect to be able to preside over a funeral of the Old Man Stark' stature, and thus seemed somewhat at a loss.

Fortunately, the minor imperfections were all small, and the overall ceremony proceeded without major problems.

Instead of Tony Stark, who had disappeared to who-knows-where, the person who truly orchestrated the entire funeral was Edwin JARVIS, the Old Man Stark's valet and the Stark Family's butler.

The fact that Edwin JARVIS could rampage through the crowd, forcing everyone to retreat like Moses parting the sea, shows just how high his status was at this funeral.

Even Howard Stark's business partner, Obadiah Stane, the second-largest shareholder of Stark Industries, could only play a supporting role.

The reason Jarvis recognized the old butler wasn't because he recognized him by his face or anything like that. Rather, it was because JARVIS personally went up to greet Catherine Hepburn when he saw her, and from their conversation, Henry learned the butler's identity.

The previous situation is unclear. But since Henry arrived, among the Hollywood group, only Catherine has received this treatment. Other guys who look like big bosses can only nod in greeting from afar.

With such influence, it's no wonder Catherine could disregard her status and stand at the forefront of Hollywood, while a host of big names and directors bowed down to her. Audrey Hepburn and Henry were simply benefiting from her fame.

In short, judging from the way the funeral was conducted, regardless of whether the bald Obadiah had any rebellious intentions at this stage, as long as the Stark Family's loyal steward was still around, he couldn't possibly cause any trouble.

When it came time for the burial, Howard Stark's coffin was placed in front, carried by six generals of all branches of the military, the order determined by the number of stars on the coffin.

At the head of Maria Stark Stark's coffin was Tony Stark, the eldest son of the Stark family, who had been absent all along and was wearing Sun Pharma. Then came the one-eyed man in the white leather jacket and black coat, followed by Edwin JARVIS and Obadiah Stane.

The last two were relatives or friends of the lady; Henry didn't recognize them, nor did he overhear their names or identities from their conversation.

However, those who can carry the coffin on such occasions must be very close to the person and have considerable influence.

Throughout the funeral, Henry, like most people, felt nothing but a sense of schadenfreude. It wasn't sadness; it was simply a feeling of watching a good show.

However, no one caused trouble in this setting, as there were precedents. This wasn't because the Stark Family were too domineering, but because the United States military intervened. Could there be a more rogue organization?

In any case, most people are probably wondering what benefits they can gain from Howard Stark's death.

Just as a whale fall brings life to countless other creatures, a dead whale provides food for countless tiny marine organisms. This process can last for months or even years.

So Howard Stark's death should be a good thing for everyone—except his family.

Even those who genuinely feel sadness based on micro-expressions, the smell of hormones secreted, and brainwave patterns cannot stop themselves from wanting to profit from it.

Of course, it's sad to see a friend die, but what's owed still needs to be taken care of, right?