Tony's appearance made everyone present breathe a sigh of relief. They had been terrified that Tony would truly disregard everything and order them slaughtered on the spot, especially since there was no evidence proving he had done it anyway.
Therefore, Tony appearing here meant that the thing they feared was not going to happen.
"For our first meeting, I am Alexander Pierce, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Pierce straightened his attire and stepped forward voluntarily to state his identity. Looking at his outstretched hand, the corners of Tony's mouth curled into an arc as he asked, "Were you the one who ordered them to come to my house and make arrests?"
Hearing this, Pierce's eyelids twitched. Naturally, he could not admit to this, and he hurriedly stated, "It was all a misunderstanding."
"We received intelligence that the Green Goblin was hiding here, which is why we gathered a force to come and surround him."
"As you know, the Green Goblin's appearance a few days ago has left the residents of New York City in a state of panic. We had to give the outside world an explanation, not knowing this was your residence."
It had to be said that Pierce truly deserved to be a director. The on-the-spot lies he spun were sound and logical, leaving people unable to pick out a single flaw.
Unfortunately, Tony was not here to reason with him.
Slap!
A crisp sound of a slap resounded through the command post.
Everyone was stunned by the scene before them. The dignified Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. had actually been slapped across the face in public by Tony.
Even Pierce wore a blank expression, completely failing to anticipate Tony's action.
A trace of irritation flashed through his eyes, but it vanished in an instant, and a hint of a smile even appeared on his face.
"Have you vented your anger?"
Seeing this, Tony gave Pierce a deep look. This fellow had some substance to him.
"No. How do you plan to make my anger subside?"
Tony said leisurely, taking the opportunity to move the palm of his right hand, giving the illusion that he might deliver another slap at any second.
Slap!
The loud sound of a slap rang out once more. Make no mistake, it was not struck by Tony, but rather by Pierce himself.
A scene like this not only shocked everyone present, it also shocked Tony.
He realized the fellow in front of him was no simple matter, yet he had never expected him to be capable of swallowing insults and bearing humiliation to this extent.
"Now then, has your anger subsided?"
Pierce smiled and asked again.
Tony did not answer the question, only looking at him with rapt interest. "Interesting."
"But you know what? The more you act like this, the more you make me want to kill you."
"Barking dogs may be annoying, but hidden vipers are far more terrifying."
Hearing these words, Pierce's breathing grew somewhat hurried. He felt the killing intent radiating from Tony's body.
Yet the more that was the case, the less he dared to make any other moves. He could only continue to smile and say, "Mr. Tony jokes."
"Today's events were fundamentally S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fault, and they implicated you."
"Rest assured, all your losses will be compensated by me, and S.H.I.E.L.D. will handle all subsequent trouble so it won't cause you any disturbance."
"I only hope you will raise your hand and spare us people this once."
Pierce continued to back down, and the killing intent surging in Tony's heart naturally subsided.
It was not that Tony intended to let this fellow off, but rather that his words had struck a chord with Tony. Quite a few people had died tonight, and if it wasn't handled, tomorrow would undoubtedly turn into a massive headache.
Although Stark Industries behind Tony could also handle these troubles, it would consume favors and connections, which was extremely troublesome.
Therefore, since Pierce promised to resolve the trouble for Tony, Tony was naturally happy to oblige.
And once a person gained value, they earned the qualification to stay alive. Right now, Pierce had fought for that qualification for himself.
Aside from this reason, there was yet another reason Tony let Pierce off.
No matter what, he was still the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., a high-ranking United States official, and a top-tier figure in Hydra.
Killing him now was simply not the time.
"It seems you are a sensible man. Then tonight's affairs will be left to you. I hope you can handle them well, otherwise..."
Tony did not continue, but both sides clearly understood what the consequences would be.
Instantly, Pierce let out a fierce breath of relief. Only after relaxing did he notice that the shirt on his body had already been soaked through with cold sweat.
Glancing around the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel in the command post, Tony turned and left the place.
He had come here purely to clip S.H.I.E.L.D.'s wings and put them in their place, only he hadn't expected Pierce to be so sensible; the guy had folded before he even made a move.
Now that business was finished, he naturally wouldn't continue lingering here.
After he departed, the Shadow Ninja that had originally surrounded the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel successively sank into the ground and vanished.
Once the Shadow Ninja disappeared, a rapid sequence of gasping breaths immediately erupted within the hall.
Everyone stared at the doorway with lingering fear, their eyes filled with trepidation.
Just a moment ago, all of their little lives had been on the verge of being thrown away right here. Had Pierce not backed down in time, several among their group would undoubtedly have ended up dead.
Thinking of this, the gazes the crowd cast toward Pierce became even more respectful.
Yet at this moment, Pierce did not feel at all good inside; one could even say he felt immensely distressed.
He knew very well that present troubles might be resolved, but this was merely a beginning. Once dawn arrived, the subsequent troubles would truly erupt.
Assassinating the head of a conglomerate was not something that could be ended so easily in this capital-supremacist nation.
However, all of that was a matter for later. It was far more important to handle the immediate situation first.
Thinking of this, Pierce hurriedly turned and gave the order, "Everyone, tidy up the scene immediately and retreat in full!"
"And clear away every trace of battle on the battlefield for me."
"Move fast!"
"Understood, Director!"
The crowd shouted in acknowledgement, and S.H.I.E.L.D. sprang into high-speed operation from top to bottom.
The wreckage of the Mecha Warrior was dragged away, the scenes blasted by artillery fire were cleaned up, and the destroyed lawn was covered with new turf.
Even the massive hole that had appeared on Tony's villa was being rapidly repaired.
The span of a single night passed swiftly. When Tony walked out of the guest room the next day, everything inside the villa had returned to its original state.
All traces of last night's battle had been purged clean, and the large hole blasted through the wall had also been restored to its original condition. Even more exaggeratedly, the furnishings destroyed inside the rooms had likewise been restored to their exact former appearance.
If Tony didn't clearly remember the battle that took place inside the villa last night, he would have thought that everything from the night before was merely a dream.
For this, Tony couldn't help silently giving S.H.I.E.L.D. a mental thumbs-up. Although their strength was somewhat lacking, their efficiency was still quite high.
Going to the kitchen to pour a glass of milk and make a sandwich, Tony sat on the sofa to enjoy his breakfast.
Yet right at that moment, JARVIS's voice abruptly sounded.
"Sir, I believe you seem to have forgotten something."
"Forgotten what?"
"Mr. Reed is still lying in the Underground Laboratory."
As the words fell, Tony's motion of eating paused, and a trace of awkwardness inevitably surfaced on his face.
Before you continue