Around noon that day.
New York, Manhattan.
Top floor of Hammer Industries headquarters building.
Justin Hammer behind his desk.
He rested his chin on one hand, while the other hand kept tapping the replay button on the tablet.
The screen showed a replay of last night's news.
Luca Stark is in the center of the frame, punching the large green guy and sending him flying.
After slow-motion replay, you can see that the punch carried a visible shockwave, and the surrounding ground cracked.
Then the scene cuts to the crowd of onlookers, all of whom are screaming.
" Superman! Superman! Superman!"
Justin Hammer's lips twitched.
Superman? Him?
A playboy who spends his days chasing girls and throwing parties suddenly flies into the sky, and then the whole world starts calling him Superman?
What is this? Batman script?!
What's wrong with United States aesthetics? Have they been brainwashed by the California sun?
Justin Hammer turned off the replay, but couldn't resist clicking it again.
The camera angle has changed; this time it's an overhead view taken from a helicopter.
Luca floated in mid-air, his cloak fluttering in the wind.
With his arms crossed in front of his chest, he looked down at the ground.
The commentator's voice cracked with excitement. "Ladies and gentlemen! This is Superman! This is our hero! Luca Stark!!"
Justin Hammer smiled, then placed the tablet face down on the table.
Why? Why?!
Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries and heir to a three-generation arms manufacturing family, works sixteen hours a day and spends his weekends in the lab.
And the result? They couldn't even get close to the Pentagon.
And what about Luca Stark?
Aside from being handsome, having a genius IQ, having a genius brother, being the world's richest man, and having the surname Stark... what exactly did he do?!
Okay, he did do a lot.
But that's not the point.
The key question is, why is he so handsome?
This height, this build, this face!
Fuck!
Did God concentrate all the good looks of everyone else into one person when He created man?!
Frankly, this is unfair.
Justin Hammer felt he should write a complaint letter to God.
Thinking of this, his thoughts drifted back to a few years ago.
It was a military industry conference in Washington., where the nation's top arms dealers and Pentagon officials gathered together.
Justin Hammer wore a custom-made suit, the most expensive cologne, and shiny leather shoes, believing himself to be the most presentable man in the banquet hall.
Then Luca Stark appeared.
God, come out and see!
He was wearing a casual-looking black suit jacket over a T-shirt.
That's right, it's a T-shirt!
It was such an ordinary outfit, yet Luca, holding only a glass of champagne, was able to stand in the corner chatting and laughing with two models.
Justin Hammer was speechless, but he still mustered up the courage to go over.
"Hello, Luca! I'm Justin Hammer, from Hammer Industries..."
Before he could finish speaking, Luca glanced at him blankly, as if he didn't recognize him.
"Who are you?"
Justin Hammer stood there, stunned.
The two models next to him couldn't help but cover their mouths and giggle.
Justin Hammer had no choice but to explain, "I am the CEO of Hammer Industries, and our company also deals in military products..."
Oh.
Luca ended the conversation and turned to continue chatting with the model, leaving Justin Hammer with only the back of his head.
Justin Hammer stood there, unsure whether to leave or continue standing.
Then, a passing waiter, assuming he was a fellow employee, handed him a tray.
"Hey buddy, the shrimp on that table over there is gone, could you get some more?"
Justin Hammer's expression at that moment was probably like he'd been struck by lightning.
Recalling this point, Justin Hammer took a deep breath and stood up.
He walked to the wall behind the desk.
A row of photos hung on the wall, the most eye-catching of which was a picture of him with a Pentagon general.
The two stood in front of a fighter jet, smiling like best friends.
Although the general might not even remember who he was afterward.
But that doesn't matter; at least the photos are real, and the group photo is real too.
Justin Hammer smiled slightly at the photo, then straightened his back.
Justin Hammer.
He solemnly called out his name.
"You're a genius. You're the future king of arms. What's Stark? His family just got lucky; his dad knew Captain America, and his son mutated into Superman. What kind of skill is that? At most, it's a genetic lottery."
"And you, Justin Hammer, you got to where you are today through your own hard work."
"You are the real..."
"Knock knock."
The knocking interrupted him.
Justin Hammer was startled and almost bit his tongue.
In a moment of urgency, he quickly adjusted his expression, straightened his tie, sat back down in his chair, and adopted a composed and strategic demeanor.
"Come in."
The secretary pushed open the door and entered, holding a document in her hand.
"Mr. Justin Hammer, the Pentagon's procurement assessment report just arrived."
Justin Hammer's eyes lit up.
He snatched the document from the secretary, flipped it open, and his eyes immediately jumped to the conclusion section.
The samples submitted by Hammer Industries failed to meet the standards in the armor-piercing projectile test and are not currently included in the list of potential suppliers.
Justin Hammer's eyes slowly darkened.
He didn't know why he failed.
Am I not hardworking enough? Am I not talented enough?!
The secretary observed the changes in the boss's expression and cautiously added a comment.
"Furthermore, the general's message is... if the next proposal is of this caliber, there's no need to contact us again."
The office fell silent.
After a long silence, Justin Hammer gently placed the file back on the desktop and then calmly began to speak.
"Thank you. You can go now."
The secretary, feeling as if granted a pardon, turned and left, closing the door as fast as if she were fleeing for her life.
After the door closed, Justin Hammer sat there expressionless for two and a half seconds.
Then, he picked up a cup with the Hammer Industries logo on it and smashed it on the ground.
Clang!
The cup bounced twice and rolled to the corner of the wall.
Sadly, the cup wasn't broken, and it was plastic.
Justin Hammer was so angry he almost laughed.
"Okay, okay!"
"Fuck. Even the cup doesn't give me any face."
2 PM, Hammer Industries Building underground parking lot.
Despite being discouraged by the Pentagon, Justin Hammer decided to bite the bullet and go to the appointment.
What if they're just being stubborn?
What if it's just a formality?
In United States bureaucracies, leaving room for maneuver in one's speech is a basic practice.
The bodyguards walked ahead, and the limousine was already parked in its designated spot.
Justin Hammer stepped out of the elevator, his mind still wandering.
Just as he reached out to open the car door.
Mr. Justin Hammer.
Just then...
A voice came from the side.
Justin Hammer shuddered, but his bodyguard reacted even faster, stepping to the side to block him, his right hand already reaching for his holster.
A man in a dark gray suit emerged from behind a pillar.
Well, he thought this person looked really ordinary.
To what extent were they just passersby...?
Justin Hammer stared at the other person for two and a half seconds, but still couldn't remember what their facial features looked like.
If you asked him to close his eyes and recall it now, all he would see in his mind is a vague oval shape.
The other party politely raised both hands, palms facing outwards, to indicate that there was no threat.
"Please don't be alarmed, Mr. Justin Hammer. I mean no harm."
Despite this, the bodyguards remained vigilant. "Who are you? How did you get in? This is a private parking lot."
The passerby smiled but didn't answer the bodyguard's question; instead, he looked directly at Justin Hammer.
"Mr. Justin Hammer, I am speaking on behalf of a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. This friend greatly admires you and believes you are a severely underestimated genius."
Wait a minute, he said he's a severely underestimated genius?!
Upon hearing this, Justin Hammer's vigilance instantly dropped by eighty percent.
It's not that he's stupid; it's that he thinks that statement is absolutely right.
That's right, Justin Hammer is definitely underrated.
Finally, someone discovered the truth!!
But he maintained a facade of caution, frowning as he asked, "Who is your friend?"
The man on the street didn't answer the question directly, but instead continued explaining his purpose.
"Mr. Justin Hammer, this friend has deep connections with the Pentagon. He has been following Hammer Industries ' development and is very optimistic about your potential."
Are they related? What kind of relationship? How deep is it?
These questions flashed through Justin Hammer's mind and then disappeared.
Simply put, the next thing the passerby said diverted his attention.
"I know you're on your way to a meeting with the purchasing committee."
Justin Hammer was taken aback.
Are you kidding me? This news isn't public.
How did he know?!
"But I suggest you cancel this meeting," the male passerby said.
Why?
"Because of what I brought..."
Before Justin Hammer react, the passerby quickly pulled a USB flash drive from his pocket.
The USB flash drive has a black casing and no markings.
"Believe me, it will ensure you never need to beg anyone again."
He gently placed the USB drive on the hood of Justin Hammer's car.
"This is a preliminary design sketch of a miniaturized reactor. However, this isn't the Arc Reactor; it's another type we've conceived. But if your team is good enough, they should be able to produce a usable version within six months."