Three Cannons Ambushed, Tony Declares War

As dawn broke, the rising sun cast its first rays.

Hong Fei stood on the lawn in loose black training clothes, his posture like an ancient, gnarled tree rooted to the ground, his spine as straight as a spear.

A walkie-talkie lay on the grass. After all, only Hong Fei and Number One were here now, and a walkie-talkie was faster and more convenient than a phone call.

Suddenly, Number One's voice crackled from the walkie-talkie: "Boss, Frank's back. He's injured."

Hong Fei's eyes snapped open, his brow furrowing involuntarily.

The main gate swung open, and a red car sped in.

As it approached, Hong Fei saw that the driver wasn't Frank, but a young woman.

After getting out of the car, she glanced at Hong Fei curiously before pulling open the rear door and helping the dejected Frank out.

Seeing the bruises on Frank's face and the blood seeping through his bandages, Hong Fei couldn't help but laugh.

"Well, well, if it isn't our famous Punisher. What's this, look like you've been punished by someone else?"

Frank glared at Hong Fei, annoyed.

After entering the room and sitting down, Hong Fei continued with a smile, "Tell me, what happened?"

Frank, huffing, remained silent.

Seeing this, the woman beside him spoke up, "Sir, hello, I'm Claire Temple. He was being chased by a group of gangsters last night, and I happened to run into him. I've treated most of his injuries, but he needs rest now."

Claire Temple, the Night Nurse.

She had a reputation, but no special abilities, it seemed. Would someone like her drop a Skill Card?

Hong Fei looked at Frank teasingly. "Remember what I told you the last time you left?"

"Enough, I remember, I know. I was wrong this time!" Frank replied sullenly, then his face contorted in anger. "I didn't expect The Hand and the Mafia to join forces and set a trap for me. Once I've recovered, I won't let them get away with it!"

"Alright, it's good that you know you were wrong."

Turning, Hong Fei stood up and extended his hand to Claire. "Hello, I'm Hong Fei. Thank you very much for saving Frank."

Claire quickly stood up as well. Their hands touched briefly and then parted. "Mr. Hong, Frank needs to rest. I've given him all the necessary medication. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

"Miss Claire, there's no need to rush off. It's still early, why don't you join us for breakfast?"

"No, thank you." Claire shook her head and added, "Don't worry, I won't say anything about this to anyone. I deeply admire people like Mr. Frank who bravely fight against dark forces. If you ever need any medical assistance in the future, you can contact me again."

Hong Fei glanced at Frank, saw him nod, and smiled. "Alright then, I'll see you out."

A moment later, Hong Fei returned and sat opposite Frank, his smile fading slightly.

"Tell me in detail."

Frank took a deep breath and began to narrate.

The day before yesterday, Frank learned that The Hand was going to conduct a transaction at the port, and this deal was originally meant for the Mafia.

Frank believed that the Mafia, having their business stolen, wouldn't let it go. During his subsequent reconnaissance, he indeed found that the Mafia was preparing to disrupt the deal.

So, last night, Frank ambushed the port in advance. When the Mafia and The Hand clashed, he joined in, firing his weapon to create chaos.

Unexpectedly, the firefight was a ruse, and it was a trap set to lure him out. Once the hidden forces located Frank, he was immediately surrounded and attacked by both sides.

If Frank hadn't been cautious, planned his escape route in advance, and coincidentally run into Claire along the way, he would likely be dead by now.

Hong Fei: "So, you did take at least a little of my advice to heart."

Although he wasn't entirely convinced, Frank still nodded. Hong Fei's warning had indeed made him more cautious, and he hadn't expected them to be plotting against him.

"Alright, it's good that you came back alive. You've been too active lately, killing so many people. The other side must have been alerted long ago, and it was only a matter of time before they came after you.

For now, focus on recovering from your injuries. Take your time to plan. There's no rush for revenge; they aren't going anywhere.

Coincidentally, the underground space needs to be renovated and expanded. You can oversee the construction and guidance. Number Four and Number Five will be back soon with their people. Once they arrive, divide the personnel and focus on security above ground first."

"You're assigning all this to me, so what will you be doing?"

"I'll be doing more important things, of course, like finding a top-tier scientist and doctor for us. By the way, can we recruit that Claire?"

"I don't know. I've only met her twice."

"Then she's your responsibility too. Try to recruit her if you get the chance, but don't force it, because we have better options."

"Understood."

Frank's spirits were low, so Hong Fei didn't say any more. He got up and continued his morning training.

At noon, Hong Fei turned on the TV in his room, writing down his plans while listening to the broadcast.

"...I am Iron Man!"

This declaration made Hong Fei look up slightly. He glanced at Tony's face, calm yet filled with a sense of superiority, then lowered his head again.

Although Obadiah had been sent away by Hong Fei in advance, the time Tony admitted to being Iron Man was still at least half a month later than originally.

During this period, losing to Hong Fei while wearing the armor had caused Tony to calm down and focus on research for a long time. Destroying his own weapons in the Middle East also took a considerable amount of time. Dealing with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s continuous visits took another while. It was only now, after a video of him was leaked, that he was forced to hold a press conference.

If there hadn't been video evidence, Tony would likely have continued to hide.

This was because he believed he still had a major enemy in Hong Fei to deal with, so it was better to keep his abilities concealed.

But now, the more Phil Coulson urged him to keep the secret and he tried to stall, the more defiant Tony became. He decided to just admit it.

"Wait a moment, quiet! I have something else to say!"

Tony's voice came again, and Hong Fei couldn't help but look up.

"Remember the shelling incident a month ago? I know who the culprit is."

As soon as he said this, the scene became chaotic and noisy again. After Tony loudly silenced them once more, he placed his phone on the table, and a holographic projection appeared.

It was a figure wearing a white mask and a black combat suit.

"I'll only say this once, don't interrupt me," Tony said again, and the media immediately held their breath and fell silent.

"Clearly, this is the culprit you've all been looking for. I was looking for his whereabouts earlier than anyone else. The reason I didn't inform the police and the military in advance is because this person is the real culprit behind my previous kidnapping!"

Immediately, someone couldn't help but exclaim, then covered their mouth under Tony's gaze.

Tony turned to face the camera directly: "I don't know if you're watching now, but I believe you will eventually see or hear what I have to say today."

"I, Tony Stark, will find every way possible to locate you and bring you to justice! Unless you disappear and change your identity starting now, if you dare to continue doing evil, one day, I will appear before you!"