The Plot on the Verge of Running Wild II

"You want to kill them? Kill Roxxon Corporation's entire upper management? With your magic?"

Tony's eyes widened as he hurriedly got to his feet.

"Hey, listen, Ryan. I know your sister nearly being kidnapped made you furious, but you absolutely can't do that. Do you know what kind of consequences it would cause?"

"Tony!" Ryan rubbed his brow helplessly. "I clawed my way up from nothing too, so of course I know the rules of the game. This is what I'm planning..." Ryan told him about the shareholders' meeting that morning.

"You want to lure them into making the first move against you?"

After hearing Ryan out, Tony gave him a strange look. No matter how he thought about it, this was entrapment.

"Yes. I want to see just how many people can't restrain the greed in their hearts."

A chill flashed through Ryan's eyes as he answered without the slightest hesitation.

"What if no one does? I mean, what if no one wants your life and only tries to cause trouble for your company? What would you do then?"

Tony carefully chose his words, his gaze fixed on Ryan.

The answer to that question would determine his attitude going forward. After being kidnapped in the Middle East for more than a month, his way of thinking had changed greatly.

Perhaps he still could not be considered a qualified hero at this point, and he had all sorts of personality flaws, but if Ryan's answer clashed with his values, he would absolutely not continue involving himself in this matter. He might even try to stop it from happening.

"Don't treat me like some homicidal maniac, Tony!"

"Although I don't think those people will be that honest, if they really can keep to the bottom line, then naturally I won't be the one to break the rules!"

"Of course, I won't let off Hydra or certain people from Roxxon Corporation who were involved in Annie's kidnapping, no matter what."

Seeing through Tony's test, Ryan gave him a straightforward answer. Whether from the Marvel movies of his previous life or from his personal interactions with him in this life, Tony had never struck him as someone incapable of compromise. His methods should not have crossed Tony's bottom line.

"Is that so?" Tony was not particularly embarrassed that his thoughts had been seen through. Instead, he glanced around at the antique computers and asked, "Then how are you planning to deal with Hydra?"

For Tony, his first target for revenge was Hydra, the organization that had killed his parents, not Roxxon Corporation.

"Inform S.H.I.E.L.D. They're an intelligence agency, so neither you nor I are well suited to interfere directly. And Agent Coulson, the agent who contacted you, is one of the few agents I can be sure hasn't been infiltrated by Hydra. Let them fight among themselves for a while first, and when the time is right..."

"Um, though I really don't want to interrupt you, the agent who came looking for me wasn't named Coulson. She was a beautiful woman named Natasha Romanoff. Do you know her?" Tony said, rubbing his nose.

"Natasha?" Ryan turned his head stiffly.

"Yes, an incredibly sexy beauty!" Tony confirmed.

"Ahem, Natasha can be trusted too." Discovering that the plot had changed, Ryan rubbed his brow. He had long known that once he started taking action, the storyline he was familiar with would change significantly, but he had not expected changes to appear just as the Marvel plot was beginning.

Silently warning himself to stay alert, Ryan continued the previous topic.

"For now, leave Hydra to S.H.I.E.L.D. S.H.I.E.L.D.'s current director, Nick Fury, is a very capable man. Once he learns that Hydra is hiding within S.H.I.E.L.D., he'll naturally begin a purge. We just need to give them a gentle push at the crucial moment."

As Ryan spoke, he made a pushing gesture. Tony fell silent for a while after seeing it, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

"Let's get out first. If I stay here any longer, I'm afraid I won't be able to stop myself from smashing all of this!"

Tony headed toward the elevator. Ryan followed and asked, "Are you sure Zola's consciousness inside these antiques didn't notice what you did? If you can't be certain, I think we'd better smash them."

"Of course I'm certain.

They're just antiques from the eighties!" Tony said disdainfully. "Fine, you have the final say when it comes to technology!" Ryan shrugged and did not press the issue.

They got out quickly. After restoring the disguise, the three of them returned to Stark's home through a portal once more.

"I'll leave S.H.I.E.L.D. to you, Tony. But in return for helping you learn the truth, don't let those agents know about magic for now!"

Ryan took a sip from the glass of red wine he had poured before leaving and looked at Tony seriously.

His power would definitely be revealed to some extent in the future, but not now.

"Then why did you show magic in front of me?" Tony frowned. If Ryan did not want to expose it, he should not have demonstrated it before him.

"Maybe I wanted to see what you could discover if you researched magic through scientific means?"

Ryan's uncertain tone made Tony rather dissatisfied, but he still nodded in agreement to Ryan's request.

Just as Ryan had said, Tony owed him a huge favor for learning the true cause of his parents' deaths. He could not refuse such a small request.

"Then that's settled. I'll have my assistant, Ashe, come over to discuss the details with you."

Ryan was about to get up and leave when Tony stopped him.

"Did you forget something?" Tony's expression was unfriendly.

"You mean the portal and the inside information about your kidnapping?" Ryan asked after being stopped.

"So you do remember."

"Fine. You don't mind if I take a look at your workshop, do you?" Ryan asked as he headed underground.

"To be honest, I do mind a little." Tony followed closely behind.

"Then you should've said so earlier."

Having already arrived underground, Ryan pointed at the password lock above the glass door. After Tony opened it, he had Sebas create a portal at the location Tony indicated.

"Obadiah Stane. He's the mastermind behind your kidnapping."

Ryan's sudden words made Tony, who had been studying the portal with great interest, stiffen.

"Hey, you're joking with me, right?"

Tony turned around, his voice somewhat hoarse.

He had long suspected there was a traitor inside the company, but Stane? How was that possible?

"You can investigate it yourself. Honestly, if this opponent weren't so enormous that a company in the entertainment industry taking it down alone would be too conspicuous, I wouldn't have come looking for you or involved myself in your family affairs."

Ryan stroked Tony's unfinished mechanical arm as he spoke.

"I'll investigate it. And you make it sound like you could solve it yourself!"

"Couldn't I?" Ryan tilted his head at Tony.

"Maybe!" Tony's face twitched as he stepped forward and picked up the mechanical arm. "This is classified. And can you get the hell out now, you bastard?"

"You really are practical. Toss me aside once I'm no longer useful?" Ryan complained, signaling Sebas to open the portal.

"No, I told you. I'm only like this with you," Tony retorted. At the same time, he looked at Sebas, his eyes flickering as he asked, "You really are an excellent butler. Any interest in changing jobs?"

"I will only ever be loyal to one master in this life!" Sebas bowed to Ryan.

"Looks like your attempt to poach my subordinate right in front of me has failed. But I'm broad-minded, so I won't nitpick like you do." Ryan walked toward the portal as he spoke. Before stepping through, he suddenly turned back and said, "Oh, right. Since we're allies for now, let me give you a reminder. Keep an eye on your company. Your current situation isn't much better than mine."

The pitch-black portal shrank into a black dot and vanished from the basement. Tony's eyes flickered twice, and the hand holding the unfinished mechanical arm clenched so tightly that veins bulged from it.