Hearing

The day of the hearing arrived.

Justin Hammer got Nathan Hawke a seat, and the two sat together, waiting for the day's main character to make his entrance.

Tony Stark walked into the hearing room in a carefully tailored black suit and sunglasses, looking confident and relaxed. The hall was solemn and imposing, lavishly decorated to project power and gravity.

As he entered the hall, a faint tension filled the air. The gallery was packed, every face full of anticipation and curiosity. Reporters held cameras and recorders, ready to document this important moment.

Tony felt everyone's eyes on him. Some studied him curiously, while others looked at him with doubt and challenge. He knew this was the consequence he had to face. His actions had drawn widespread attention and controversy.

The military, political parties, business elites...

The atmosphere in the hall was tense and oppressive, everyone waiting for the hearing to begin. On the dais, a stern government official watched every detail, prepared to preside over the proceedings.

"Mr. Stark."

"Mr. Stark."

Then the story diverged. The weapons expert who was supposed to be the clown was no longer Justin Hammer, but someone Nathan Hawke did not know.

This weapons expert was left somewhat stunned by Tony Stark's sarcastic ridicule.

"Is this the person you found?" Nathan Hawke asked Justin Hammer beside him with a frown.

"Ha." Justin Hammer gave an awkward laugh. The scene he had once imagined, where he would personally take the stage to mock Stark, instantly fell apart.

Nathan Hawke could tell at a glance that Justin Hammer had played a part in this scheme against Tony Stark.

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

"Mr. Tony Stark, do you realize that your actions have caused enormous harm to society? Do you truly have the ability to safeguard the world's security?"

The senator rose and delivered an accusatory speech, claiming that Tony's actions endangered public safety. Tony smiled faintly, his eyes filled with provocation and ridicule.

"Dear senator, you really are hilarious. You keep saying that I'm dangerous, yet you refuse to see your own incompetence and corruption."

The senator's expression changed as he angrily replied, "Mr. Stark, you have no right to mock members of Congress like this. We work for the good of the country. You should respect our authority!"

Tony laughed teasingly. He stared at the senator, his tone full of contempt and sarcasm.

"Authority? What is your authority based on? Empty rhetoric and a piece of paper with votes on it? Me, I possess real technology and real capability. I have brought advanced technology into this world, while all you do is sit in meeting rooms and spout grand principles without accomplishing anything."

The hall erupted in an uproar as people began whispering among themselves. Some were angered by Tony's mockery, while others began reconsidering their own stance.

Tony continued provoking the senator and the entire hearing. Fearlessly, he criticized the senator's incompetence and corruption, displaying his rebelliousness and unwavering position.

"You want my Iron Man Armor? Sorry, I can't grant your wish. This is my personal achievement, a tool I use to protect people and preserve world peace. I will not hand it over to self-important politicians like you, so you can use it to satisfy your own interests and political ambitions."

The senator sprang to his feet in fury, trying to stop Tony's mockery.

"Mr. Stark, that attitude is contempt for Congress! You must respect our decision!"

Tony gave a disdainful smile, cold indifference and contempt showing in his eyes.

"Respect? I only respect people and things worthy of respect. As for whether you are worthy of it, I think that's something you should seriously consider yourselves."

The senator was clearly no match for Tony Stark, so he could only move on to the next round.

Rhodey's arrival was announced, though it was obvious that Rhodey's side was quietly covering for Tony Stark.

At the same time, the senator proposed that Rhodey disclose intelligence about the Iron Armor that "evil elements" were secretly preparing to replicate.

"According to our local investigation, the intelligence indicates that the devices in these photographs were in fact attempts to imitate Mr. Stark's Iron Man Armor. Our allies and local personnel have confirmed this conclusively," Rhodey said calmly.

The senator looked at Tony Stark with a mocking expression.

But after Tony Stark fiddled with something in his hand, he held a transparent tablet up to the display.

Nathan Hawke curled his lip and internally complained, Justin Hammer, that clown, really did go to the military and secretly build Iron Armor. Then he used this blurry footage to frame the other side. When the time came, he could have simply taken Ivan Vanko's results directly, yet he still did this. All I can say is...

On the display, the imitation Iron Armor went out of control and began firing wildly. Blood, screams.

"Turn it off!" the senator immediately shouted.

And then there was—

"Isn't that Hammer?" As Tony Stark spoke, quite a few people immediately looked toward Justin Hammer, also noticing Nathan Hawke beside him.

Justin Hammer immediately rushed forward and yanked out the connection cable. Just before the screen went black, the final image showed the Iron Man Armor inside twisting 180 degrees, followed by a piercing scream.

What a clown. He was obviously set up. The military was clearly on Tony Stark's side, not yours, Justin Hammer. Of course, unless you truly have the ability.

Still, because soldiers died, someone as incapable as you getting set up was only natural.

Nathan Hawke noticed Rhodey's faint smile when he and Tony Stark exchanged glances.

Tony Stark also noticed Nathan Hawke watching him from behind.

Superhero? At that moment, Tony Stark seemed to realize that the Hawke Group's superhero was not as simple as he appeared on the surface.

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

The senator promptly followed up by declaring the hearing over.

And in the end, he gave Tony Stark the opportunity to deliver a stirring speech.

As Tony Stark walked, he spoke to the cameras about continuing his privatization of world peace.

Until—

Tony Stark looked at Nathan Hawke, who remained seated and did not stand.

He gave him a deep look before leaving.

"Hmph."

Ivan Vanko manipulated the data cables of his Iron Legion while watching Tony Stark grandstand on the screen.

"Privatizing world peace? As expected, the Stark family is a bunch of sanctimonious thieves."

"Are you sure you want to use this technology of yours called Eisenach? If you do, what are you going to do about your security measures?" Ryoma Sengoku asked curiously as he assisted from the side.

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

Based on the principles of electromagnetism and engineering, this technology used specialized devices and electronic systems to generate powerful electromagnetic fields. Through Eisenach devices, users could manipulate and control metal objects.

The core of Eisenach Technology was a pair of gloves equipped with electromagnetic generators and controllers. These devices could emit powerful electromagnetic pulses and manipulate metal objects through electromagnetic force. Using the controllers in the gloves, users could control the direction and intensity of electromagnetic fields through hand gestures and thought, achieving precise manipulation of metal objects.

Eisenach Technology possessed outstanding precision and flexibility. It could make metal objects perform various actions, such as bending, twisting, stretching, and contracting. It could also combine multiple metal objects into complex structures or weapons, such as the Iron Legion. With Eisenach Technology, users could display astonishing power and control in battle. They could use the Iron Legion's numerical and power advantages to fight enemies, creating chaos and destruction.

Although this technology was excellent, it still had flaws.

The first was "energy." However, this was very easy for Ivan Vanko to solve. With the ability to build reactors and put them into use, as long as he had money, it could be accomplished with ease. Justin Hammer's investment happened to resolve the urgent need for the prerequisite conditions.

The second was the server. It served as a relay station connecting the "energy" to the user. Ryoma Sengoku explained a weakness that could be exploited through another method: directly attack the server. If the server was destroyed, the Iron Legion would immediately fail, leaving only the armor under the user's personal control.

"Or are you planning to stay behind at headquarters and control the Iron Legion from there?" Ryoma Sengoku blinked, though he was clearly only saying it casually.

"I have my eye on a security company." Ivan Vanko sorted through the cables without looking at him, speaking calmly. Over the past few days of interaction, Ivan Vanko had also put aside his contempt for this researcher. With him around, Ivan Vanko's progress had sped up considerably.

"When the time comes, I'll arrange two fortress-grade Iron Armors." After thinking it over, Ivan Vanko still replied to Ryoma Sengoku.

"Fine. As long as you've considered it." Ryoma Sengoku looked over the materials in his hand, preparing to check whether the other wiring was correct.

"By the way, I need you to help me review the recruitment for the outer security perimeter," Ivan Vanko said, turning back to Ryoma Sengoku.

"Hm? So you plan to hire people for the company's outer security?" Ryoma Sengoku looked over in surprise.

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

Ryoma Sengoku laughed inwardly, realizing that Ivan Vanko had squeezed out time to read some management books. But still...

Ah, this guy probably still had no idea there was already a spy inside the company.

Ryoma Sengoku merely nodded before waving and leaving.