Hearing

The day of the hearing arrived.

Justin Hammer had secured a seat for Nathan Hawke, and the two sat together, waiting for the day's main protagonist to appear.

Tony Stark strode into the hearing room, dressed in a meticulously tailored black suit and sunglasses, exuding confidence and ease. The hall was solemn and grand, luxuriously decorated, exuding an aura of power and seriousness.

As he entered, a faint tension permeated the air. The audience was packed, every face etched with anticipation and curiosity. Reporters, armed with cameras and recording devices, were poised to capture this significant moment.

Tony felt the weight of countless gazes upon him; some scrutinized him with curiosity, while others were filled with doubt and challenge. He knew these were the consequences he had to face, his actions having stirred widespread attention and controversy.

Among them were the military, political parties, and business elites...

The atmosphere in the hall was tense and oppressive, everyone awaiting the start of the hearing. On the podium, a government official sat upright, observing every detail, ready to preside over the proceedings.

"Mr. Stark."

"Mr. Stark."

What followed was a different turn of events: the weapons expert, who was supposed to be a clown, was no longer Justin Hammer's associate but someone Nathan Hawke didn't recognize.

This weapons expert was momentarily stunned by Tony Stark's sarcastic remarks.

"Is this the person you brought?" Nathan Hawke asked Justin Hammer beside him, his brow furrowed.

"Ha." Justin Hammer gave an awkward laugh, his plan to mock Stark himself crumbling to dust.

Nathan Hawke immediately knew that Justin Hammer was involved in this scheme against Tony Stark.

An official began questioning Tony, his voice laced with mockery and doubt.

"Mr. Tony Stark, do you realize the immense damage your actions have caused society? Do you truly possess the capability to maintain world security?"

The Senator stood up and delivered accusatory remarks, claiming Tony's actions endangered societal safety. Tony smiled faintly, his eyes revealing defiance and sarcasm.

"Dear Senator, you are truly laughable. You constantly call me a dangerous individual, yet you fail to see your own incompetence and corruption."

The Senator's face changed, and he responded angrily, "Mr. Stark, you have no right to mock us, members of the council, in such a manner. We work for the nation's interests, and you should respect our authority!"

Tony chuckled mockingly, gazing at the Senator with disdain and sarcasm in his tone.

"Authority? On what basis does your authority rest? Empty words and a piece of paper with a vote? As for me, I possess tangible technology and capability. I have brought advanced technology to this world, while you only engage in empty talk in conference rooms, achieving nothing practical."

The hall erupted in an uproar, people beginning to murmur amongst themselves. Some were angered by Tony's taunts, while others started to reconsider their own stances.

Tony continued to provoke the Senator and the entire hearing atmosphere, fearlessly criticizing the Senator's incompetence and corruption, showcasing his rebellious and firm stance.

"You want my Iron Man Armor? I'm sorry, I cannot fulfill your wish. This is my personal achievement, a tool I use to protect people and maintain world peace. I will not hand it over to you self-important politicians to satisfy your own personal gain and political ambitions."

The Senator stood up furiously, attempting to silence Tony's mockery.

"Mr. Stark, your attitude is a contempt for the council! You must respect our decisions!"

Tony gave a dismissive smile, his eyes revealing coldness and disdain.

"Respect? I only respect those who are worthy of respect, people and things. Whether you are worthy, I believe you should reflect on that yourselves."

The Senator was clearly no match for Tony Stark and could only move on to the next round.

Rhodey's arrival was announced, though it was evident that Rhodey's side was subtly supporting Tony Stark.

Concurrently, the Senator began to propose that Rhodey reveal intelligence about "evil elements" secretly preparing to replicate the Iron Man Armor.

"Based on our local investigations, intelligence indicates that the devices in these photos are actually attempts to replicate Mr. Stark's Iron Man Armor. Our allies and local personnel have confirmed this," Rhodey stated calmly.

The Senator turned to Tony Stark with a mocking grin.

Unexpectedly, after Tony Stark fiddled with something in his hand, a transparent tablet was held up to the display screen.

Nathan Hawke curled his lip, thinking to himself, 'Justin Hammer, that clown, really did involve the military and secretly create Iron Man armor. Then he used this blurry video to frame the other party. He could have just taken Ivan Vanko's work directly, but he still chose to do this. I can only say...'

As the display showed the replicated Iron Man Armor losing control, firing wildly, blood, and screams...

"Turn it off quickly," the Senator immediately shouted.

And then appeared...

"Isn't that Hammer?" As Tony Stark spoke, many people immediately looked towards Justin Hammer, also noticing Nathan Hawke beside him.

Justin Hammer immediately ran forward, pulling out a connecting cable. As the screen went black, the final image showed the Iron Man Armor inside twisting 180 degrees, accompanied by a sharp wail.

"What a clown, clearly set up. The military is clearly on Tony Stark's side, not yours, Justin Hammer. Unless, of course, you actually have the capability."

"However, since soldiers died, it's only right that you, lacking capability, were set up."

Nathan Hawke noticed Rhodey's slight smile as Tony Stark and Rhodey exchanged glances.

Tony Stark also noticed Nathan Hawke watching him from behind.

'A superhero?' At that moment, Tony Stark seemed to realize that the superheroes of the Hawke Group were not what they appeared on the surface.

"I must clarify, the pilot was ultimately saved," Justin Hammer immediately said into a microphone.

The Senator quickly cooperated, announcing the end of the hearing.

And finally, Tony Stark delivered a moving and inspiring speech.

Tony Stark walked along, speaking to the cameras about the continuation of his "world peace privatization."

Until.

Tony Stark watched Nathan Hawke, who remained seated on a stool, without standing up.

He gave a deep look, then left.

"Hmph."

Ivan Vanko, while fiddling with his Iron Legion's data cables, watched Tony Stark posing arrogantly on the screen.

"Privatizing world peace? As expected, the Stark family are all hypocritical robbers."

"Are you sure you want to use this technology called 'Eisenach' of yours? How will your security measures work then?" Ryoma Sengoku asked curiously, assisting from the side.

Eisenach, an advanced electromagnetic manipulation technology developed by Ivan Vanko.

This technology is based on the principles of electromagnetism and engineering, utilizing specialized devices and electronic systems to generate powerful electromagnetic fields. Through the Eisenach device, users can manipulate and control metallic objects.

The core of Eisenach technology is a pair of gloves equipped with electromagnetic generators and controllers. These devices can emit powerful electromagnetic pulses and use electromagnetic force to manipulate and control metallic objects. The controllers in the gloves allow for the manipulation of the direction and intensity of the electromagnetic field through gestures and thoughts, thus achieving precise control over metallic objects.

Eisenach technology possesses excellent precision and flexibility. It allows metallic objects to perform various actions, such as bending, twisting, stretching, and contracting. Multiple metallic objects can also be combined to form complex structures or weapons, like the Iron Legion. With Eisenach technology, users can display astonishing power and control in combat. They can leverage the numerical and strength advantage of the Iron Legion to confront enemies, creating chaos and destruction.

Although this technology is excellent, it still has flaws.

The first point is "energy." However, this is very easy for Ivan Vanko to solve. With the manufacturing of a reactor and its deployment, as long as there's money, it can be easily accomplished. Justin Hammer's investment precisely solved the urgent need under the prerequisite.

The second point is the server. The server that connects "energy" and the user, acting as a transit station. Ryoma Sengoku explained a potential weakness that could be exploited: attacking the server directly. If the server is destroyed, the Iron Legion would immediately become inoperable, except for the armor the user is directly controlling.

"Or are you planning to stay at headquarters then? And control the Iron Legion from there?" Ryoma Sengoku blinked, though it was clear he was just saying that.

"I've got my eye on a security company," Ivan Vanko said indifferently, organizing wires and not looking at the other person. Through their conversations over the past few days, Ivan Vanko had shed his disdain for this researcher. With him around, Ivan Vanko's progress had accelerated considerably.

"I'll arrange for two Iron Man Armors with Fortress performance then," Ivan Vanko replied to Ryoma Sengoku after some thought.

"Alright, as long as you've considered it," Ryoma Sengoku said, looking at the documents in his hand, preparing to check if other circuits were correct.

"Oh, right, for the external security recruitment, I need you to take a look," Ivan Vanko turned back and said to Ryoma Sengoku.

"Hm? So you're planning to hire individual contractors for the company's external security?" Ryoma Sengoku looked over in surprise.

Ivan Vanko nodded, "I've already instructed my secretary to handle it."

Ryoma Sengoku chuckled inwardly, understanding that Ivan Vanko was squeezing in time to read some management theory. It's just that...

"Sigh, this guy probably still foolishly doesn't know there's already a spy in the company."

Ryoma Sengoku just nodded slightly, then waved goodbye and left.