The two exchanged a glance.
Everything that needed to be said has been said.
The next step is to decide what to do.
"Let's not act yet, no, let's hide in the shadows first," Luca spoke first, his tone decisive.
"Hide this thread. Don't tell anyone."
Tony looked at him and asked in return.
"Including Pepper?"
"Including Pepper."
Luca answered without pausing for even half a second.
"Including Happy. Including Rhodey. Nobody said anything."
"We'll decide what to do after we've found out the details ourselves."
Of course, this wasn't because he didn't trust Pepper and Rhodey.
The fewer people who know about this kind of thing, the lower the risk of it being leaked.
More importantly, if this so-called behind-the-scenes organization still exists, then they must be monitoring the Stark Family's every move.
In this way, any unusual behavior they exhibit at this moment could alert the other party.
Tony was silent again, then nodded.
"Okay, I agree."
Luca nodded, then continued.
"But there's still one thing."
JARVIS.
"Yes, Mr. Luca."
Remove the relevant email data from the regular log.
"Create a separate encrypted database. Codename it... let's call it December."
"Set the permissions to highest level. Only Tony and I can access it. Other accounts, including administrators, cannot."
"Understood. Executing."
Luca glanced at Tony.
"If someone is monitoring our system, I don't want them to know that we've seen these things."
Tony paused for a moment, unsure whether to laugh or sigh.
Lately, this younger brother has become increasingly cautious.
" Luca, you're getting better and better at playing dirty tricks."
" Tony, this isn't about being cautious."
"If my parents' deaths really weren't an accident... then the people behind it all must feel perfectly safe. Seventeen years have passed, and no one has ever questioned it. They probably think this matter is over and done with."
"What I want is for them to remain safe."
"Continue to comfortably believe that no one knows the truth."
Luca turned his head and looked directly into Tony's eyes.
"Until we find out everything, and that's the day we take them down."
This was said very softly.
But Tony could clearly sense the change in the surrounding magnetic field.
For someone without superpowers, being able to clearly sense this state was already quite absurd.
This indicates that Luca's anger has affected the normal maintenance of energy.
In other words, the oppression has become tangible.
This is Luca.
On the surface, he appears to be a carefree Playboy.
But when Tony gets serious, he often feels immense pressure.
"Okay, let's do it that way."
Tony responded.
Brief, but heavy.
The two brothers fell silent simultaneously.
They don't yet know who their target is.
But the hunt has already begun.
Just then...
Footsteps came from upstairs.
That's the sound of high heels hitting the ground.
It's clear that Pepper is back.
The two brothers switched at almost the same time.
Luca turned off the screen, picked up a pen, and started scribbling something on a whiteboard.
Tony strode over to the other workbench, picked up a circuit board, and pretended to be studying it.
Then he started cursing at Luca.
"Could you please stop making this lab bench look like a junkyard? These tools are all arranged in order! How many did you touch?"
Luca retorted without even looking up.
"First, the arrangement of these props makes no sense. Second, who chose the color for JARVIS's projection? Blue background with green text? Who are you trying to blind?"
"That's called 'tech blue,' how would a layman understand it?"
"Tech blue paired with fluorescent green is an aesthetic disaster. Even JARVIS would be embarrassed to project it for you."
" JARVIS, do you think there's something wrong with my color scheme?"
"Sir, I believe that under certain lighting conditions, the current color scheme may indeed cause some visual fatigue for users who view it for extended periods..."
"That's enough, thank you, JARVIS. Nobody asked you."
The door to the underground parking garage was pushed open.
Pepper walked in, carrying two paper bags.
The aroma of the hamburger filled the air instantly.
She glanced at the two brothers who were exchanging barbs at each other, and her lips twitched helplessly.
All right.
They were arguing before they left, and they were still arguing after they came back.
They probably argued non-stop during the time I was away.
"My lads, the hamburgers are here."
Pepper placed the paper bag on the lab table.
Two spicy chicken burgers and two double cheeseburgers. I asked them to remove the pickles to avoid further complaints.
"You bought four?"
Luca walked over, opened the paper bag, and rummaged through it.
"Good, Potts. You've finally learned how much I eat."
"Two are yours, and two are Tony's. I've already had a salad outside."
Tony joined in and reached into the bag to take a cheeseburger.
"Wait a minute." Luca stopped him.
"Let me choose first."
"Why should you choose first?"
"Because I'm the younger brother. Younger brothers come first."
"Oh, shit, tell me, which law says the younger brother has priority?"
"That's the law of nature, old man! The youngest always eats first."
"I declare your laws of nature invalid."
Tony snatched the cheeseburger and took a big bite right in front of Luca.
"Mine tastes better than yours."
Luca glanced down at the chicken burger and replied expressionlessly.
"You're fatter than me."
"There are no fat hamburgers in this universe."
"Yes, it's in your hands."
Pepper sat in her chair, watching with a hint of helplessness as these two men, whose combined wealth was comparable to that of a nation, bickered over a hamburger.
This is both infuriating and hilarious.
But that's just their daily life, isn't it?
4:17 PM.
Los Angeles International Airport.
A silver Gulfstream G650 slowly taxied to its parking position.
The hatch opened.
The folding gangway unfolds.
A pair of black high heels stepped onto the stairs.
A woman stepped out of the cabin.
Her long, black hair was blown by the sea breeze and swayed gently in the afternoon sun.
She has a great figure.
Tall, slender, and with perfect proportions.
The black trench coat is tailored to fit the waistline, outlining a clean and sharp silhouette.
Sunglasses covered most of his face, revealing only a well-defined jawline and slightly pursed thin lips.
This is Jessica Drew, codenamed Spider-Woman.
After I stepped off the gangway, my phone vibrated in my pocket.
After taking it out, she glanced down at the screen.
It's still an encrypted message.
After decryption, a few lines of brief text appeared on the screen.
[Target: Luca Stark ]
[Identity cover is in place.]
[Contact window: 72 hours.]
After Jessica finished reading it, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.
She exited the encrypted communication software, opened her browser, and typed a few words into the search bar.
Luca Stark.
The next second.
Countless gossip reports and social media updates popped up on the screen.
The headline is a photo.
Luca, dressed in a black suit, tilted his head and smiled at the camera.
His smile was unrestrained, his eyes were bright, and most importantly, he was really handsome and charming.
He had his left arm around the waist of a blonde model and a glass of champagne in his right hand.
The background is the VIP area of a celebrity party.
The headline reads: [ Stark's young heir strikes again! Spotted leaving late at night with a supermodel]
Jessica swiped her finger across the screen and pulled up a few more photos.
Parties, yachts, sports cars, beautiful women.
In every photo, Luca Stark laughs without a care in the world, as if he were the most carefree person there is.
His tall stature, perfect body proportions that make you want to swear, and deep-set features that seem to have been sculpted by God.
In addition, there's the Stark Family name and countless small bank accounts.
Okay, typical Playboy.
Jessica put away her phone and took off her sunglasses.
A pair of beautiful green eyes appeared.
" Playboy?"
She murmured something to herself, then smiled faintly.
"I love dealing with people like this."
In one corner of the tarmac, a black Maybach was already waiting.
The driver opened the back door.
Jessica bent down and sat down.
The car doors closed.
The Maybach slowly drove away from the helipad and merged into the afternoon traffic.
Outside the window, the sunlight was blinding and the shadows of palm trees stretched out.
The car's air conditioning was very cool.
Jessica leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
72 hours.
That was enough for her.