Chapter 14
[So this is the famous General Tso's Chicken? It's nowhere near as good as Spicy Chicken, thumbs down!]
[It seems like foreigners just don't know the real way to use chili peppers!]
…
[Haha, that made me laugh! Didn't expect something like that to happen.]
[The police shot a teenage boy dead to save him from attempting suicide, just before he could kill himself! Genius!]
…
[What the heck? How can someone even crash like that?]
[Did that idiot drive with his butt?]
…
For the following two weeks straight, the diary was full of these trivial matters.
There were no entries related to this world, Tony Stark, or anything else that Tony Stark should pay attention to.
Not even a hint.
Absolutely worthless.
Or the only value was... it allowed Tony Stark to get to know Zhou Cheng better through these criticisms, shares, records, and other content.
It made Zhou Cheng's puzzle increasingly complete.
That was all.
Tony Stark, indeed, used the content of the diary to filter through those 273 "candidates."
This reduced the number down to 219 people.
Although it was still a broad range, Tony Stark believed that as the diary was updated regularly.
One day, he would find the real Zhou Cheng.
However, even though there was no progress on the diary front, Tony Stark made substantial headway elsewhere in the past two weeks.
Tony Stark had already quietly connected JARVIS to the networks of related departments without raising any alarms.
JARVIS had begun to decrypt those key encrypted files.
With JARVIS's cutting-edge computing power that seemed almost like an unfair advantage, Tony Stark believed the results would come soon.
And indeed...
"Sir, the relevant video has been decrypted. The true cause of death of Mr. Howard has been found."
Just half an hour later, Tony Stark received the notification from JARVIS.
Tony Stark immediately perked up and instructed JARVIS, "What are you waiting for? Play it now!"
"Sir, I feel compelled to warn you to prepare yourself mentally, as the footage may have a significant impact on you."
Instead of playing it immediately, JARVIS issued another warning to Tony Stark.
Tony Stark's expression darkened slightly.
It seems like my parents were indeed murdered!
The diary was telling the truth!
By now, Tony Stark had almost no doubts left about the diary.
Not only had many of the things mentioned in the diary been verified.
But more so because...
Tony Stark once tried to show the diary to Pepper Potts, but she could not see it at all!
She couldn't even touch it.
Happy was the same!
Besides Tony Stark himself and his faithful butler JARVIS,the diary was invisible and intangible to anyone else.
Even when Tony Stark tried to speak to others about the diary, he was choked by an inexplicable force,rendering him unable to speak.
It was simply eerie.
Clearly, the diary contained a power that Tony Stark could not comprehend.This thing was not at all what he had previously thought to be some kind of space teleportation technology.
Now, it seemed clearly to be something supernatural.
Could something like this deceive Tony Stark?
Of course, it's not out of the question, but obviously, the probability is slim.
Sigh!
He adjusted his breathing.
Tony Stark no longer hesitated and commanded JARVIS: "JARVIS, play it."
Whoosh!
A corresponding image was then projected in front of Tony Stark.
On the screen, with extremely low resolution, a car was speeding on a country road as if it had lost control.
Tony Stark's expression instantly became stern.
How could he not recognize it? That was his parents' car!
Up to now, the footage didn't show anything unusual, as if it had really been a car accident.
The surveillance video released by the police and various departments at the time also showed this segment.
But now Tony Stark knew that the footage had been edited.
There was more!
Indeed.
Under Tony Stark's gaze.
A man with long hair and a metal arm appeared on a motorcycle.
He landed several heavy punches on Howard Stark's head, killing Howard Stark outright.
Then, like dragging a dead dog, he pulled Howard Stark back into the car and then he strangled Maria Stark, who was in the passenger seat to death!
Snap snap!
Tony Stark's fists were clenched tight, and his jaw was clenched even tighter.
His eyes were filled with nothing but rage and an indescribable killing intent!
No matter who the killer was, no matter what his identity was, Tony Stark would make sure he paid with his life!
Tony Stark would avenge his parents!
"JARVIS, who is the killer?"
Tony Stark immediately started inquiring with JARVIS.
"Sir, there is very little information available about this person's identity, even for me, I have only found a few scattered pieces."
"His true identity is not clear, but his codename is called the Winter Soldier."
"This is an existence that belongs in legend."
"Even many intelligence agencies do not believe in the existence of this person."
"Those who do believe call him the Winter Soldier."
"The background of this individual is unknown, but over the past fifty years, he has been believed to be the perpetrator in more than twenty assassination cases."
"Mr. Howard was just one of them."
"He is a phantom, sir."
Tony Stark's expression became unprecedently solemn.
He had long known that the person who attacked his parents must be extraordinary.
No doubt possessing huge energy to cover up everything tightly.
But he had not anticipated how complicated the matter was.
Not to mention others, just the first step was so tricky.
He couldn't even confirm the killer's true identity!
If the killer was of such caliber, the true mastermind behind all this was even more impressive.
Their energy was undoubtedly unfathomable.
Yet, even so, Tony Stark had no intention of giving up.
"JARVIS, conduct a comprehensive investigation on this Winter Soldier, I need to know everything about him!"
"I want to know who he is, and I want to know even more who is behind him!"
Tony Stark firmly instructed JARVIS.