Conditions for Support

Tony Stark, who wasn't even there, was completely stunned by this beating.

Henry didn't stop there, continuing his criticism, "Isn't it normal for the government to prevent the news from reporting on this?"

They need manpower to be on the front lines of rescue efforts, and also to reassure the survivors and prevent panic.

"Just look at the Vietnam War, and you'll know that what the U.S. government wants is stability and to save face; human lives don't matter."

Oh, actually they have made progress. As long as they don't die on the spot, it's okay. Got it?

"Do I really need to teach you this? Are you really Tony Stark? Or is some AI idiot talking to me in Tony Stark's voice? Tell your designers that your dialogue logic is so stupid, it's a complete waste of my time."

As soon as he finished speaking, Henry hung up the phone. Tony Stark, who was about to retort, realized the line was busy and blurted out, "Don't eat that sour radish!"

Tony Stark, though not exactly furious, was quite angry when the call was hung up on. Had he not been too weak, he would have crushed the phone in his hand on the spot.

Tony Stark picked up the list on the table again, and reached for the pen that Happy Hogan had tucked into his breast pocket. He began to check off items, trying to figure out what Stark Industries had to offer.

Ninety-nine percent of the items on the list could be provided by Stark Industries; although some were in the lab, there shouldn't be any major problem in taking out a prototype for a real-world test.

The remaining portion could be provided by Tony Stark's own studio. However, in terms of execution, he would likely need to be on-site to compile and control the program himself.

After handing the checked list to Virginia Potts, Tony Stark instructed, "Pepper, prepare these items and have them sent to the World Trade Center Twin Towers. As soon as possible."

"Wait!" Obadiah Stane stopped Pepper Potts.

Seeing this, Tony Stark said, "Obadiah, we should have a public relations budget to do these things. What If...? it's not enough, I'll personally cover the difference."

Obadiah Stane explained, "Don't get me wrong, Tony. I'm not trying to stop you, and I support your support for this disaster relief effort."

"However, many of the devices require professional personnel to operate, which means we also need to send people. Therefore, these devices cannot be considered donations to the New York City government or the Police Station; they are merely being lent to them for use."

"And our people must wear conspicuous uniforms with the word ' Stark ' in big letters. Everyone needs to know that it's our doing. That's my condition for agreeing."

Tony Stark didn't waste any words, simply nodding. He turned and ordered, "Pepper, you heard what Obadiah said. Go do it."

Obadiah Stane wasn't so oblivious, saying, "Ms. Potts, I'll have my secretary help you. He's very familiar with the situation in each department. Henck, you go and assist Ms. Potts."

"Yes, boss," the secretary standing next to the old bald man nodded.

After seeing off the people who had left, Obadiah Stane said to his nephew, who was not related to him by blood, "Tony, please prepare a guest room for me. I plan to stay here."

"Judging from what your friend said, it seems that Manhattan will be uninhabitable for some time. I don't own any other property in New York."

Tony Stark did not refuse, and immediately instructed Happy Hogan to direct the preparations.

Obadiah Stane then asked, "The guy you just spoke to, was he the kid from Stark Studios? Aren't you planning to bring him back? How much salary does he want?"

"It's not about money. That guy can't be swayed by money," Tony Stark said irritably.

As he spoke, Tony Stark, whose mood was growing increasingly worse, abruptly stood up, preparing to go upstairs to change his clothes. He casually instructed, "Happy, have someone prepare breakfast—well, lunch, a generous portion. I'm going out this afternoon."

"Boss, you're not planning to run off there, are you?"

Happy Hogan, who has gained weight, is no longer as timid as before, only daring to nod and remain silent.

However, he wouldn't go against his boss's wishes; he would just chat a bit in a relaxed and equal tone. Anyway, Tony didn't mind.

Tony Stark genuinely didn't care about Happy Hogan's attitude; their relationship had long since transcended a simple employer-employee dynamic. He said, "Even if I don't go immediately, I need to prepare myself."

"Moreover, there are some devices that others don't know how to use. What's the point of just delivering the equipment if I don't go there myself? When everything is ready, I'll also send two technical staff members to the original site of the World Trade Center Twin Towers, and I'll teach them how to operate it on the spot."

"Speaking of employees, Obadiah, what are you going to do with the staff at headquarters? Although headquarters isn't right next to the Twin Towers, it's not far. What If...? the air is indeed polluted, the headquarters staff will likely be affected as well."

After thinking it over, Obadiah Stane said, "Hmm, let's move to the research center area first. It's not in Manhattan, far from Lower Manhattan, so it shouldn't be affected by air pollution."

"Okay, let's do it that way." After giving his instructions, Tony Stark went upstairs.

It's something I got from the backyard workshop, and there are still some finishing touches to be done. I'll have to put in a lot more effort before I can actually use it.

This scene wasn't limited to Stark's mansion. Businesses that received the faxed list from the New York City government faced the same choice.

Most people simply don't intend to take their most treasured possessions to the disaster site; providing a batch of standard supplies is already more than enough.

And while New York City is important, the New York City government isn't. Mayor Rudy Giuliani isn't qualified to ask these companies for help, not even to beg. Perhaps George Bush making a personal call would offer some justification.

Therefore, most businesses rejected the requirements on the list. This even backfired, further deepening the negative perception of the stubborn mayor, let alone encouraging cooperation.

Compared to large conglomerates that can disregard the demands of a New York City, other companies don't stand as straight.

Or perhaps they are also looking for a legitimate publicity channel, a Google platform. The New York City government's list of demands seems destined to be given away for free, so why not try to turn a bad situation into a good one?

The most proactive person among them is none other than Justin Hammer, the Monaco- born entrepreneur.

Hammer Industries already had a certain foundation in Europe. But Justin Hammer wanted to enter the United States market, to transform the company, to embed United States DNA, and to connect with the largest customer in the defense industry, the U.S. military.

To achieve this, this is an excellent opportunity, and Hammer Industries needs to perform well.