Chapter 69

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Yes, Tony Stark's mood is still very good, even excellent. He even has a smile on his face similar to that of Zhou Cheng.

Iron Man gazes at the shiny "new battery" in his hand as if he's looking at an extremely rare treasure.

Indeed, a new element has been synthesized!

Just as recorded in his father's journal, after discovering the secret behind the Stark Expo model, Iron Man immediately brought it back to his mansion for analysis and research.

He managed to synthesize the new element without a hitch and built a "production line" right in his own home.

In just three days, he turned theory into reality and truly synthesized a new "battery."

"Sir, congratulations, you've synthesized a new element!" Jarvis, his attentive AI butler, immediately sends his congratulations.

"Yes, I did!" Iron Man says with a smile, putting the new battery into the arc reactor with anticipation.

Buzz! The arc reactor, which had been still like dead water, immediately started to flash with a dazzling and stunning blue light.

Jarvis was constantly monitoring the data and readings and immediately reported the results.

"Sir, the reactor has fully accepted the new power core!"

Tony Stark's smile grew even brighter.

"Begin the tests immediately!"

"I swear, fresh vegetable juice, oh, that damn chlorophyll, I'm really going to throw up," Tony Stark then instructed Jarvis again.

"As you wish, sir!"

The reliable Jarvis immediately began a series of necessary tests on the new reactor.

The results were unquestionably successful.

The newly synthesized element had no issues and was ready for use.

Iron Man, without any hesitation, swiftly removed his toxic "old reactor" and replaced it with the new, non-toxic one.

"Sir, how do you feel?"

Jarvis inquired about his master's condition.

"Fantastic!"

"Except for a strange taste that's a mix of metal and coconut."

"But overall, fantastic!"

Iron Man, feeling the new energy from the battery, moved his arms and legs with ease and nodded continuously.

Whether it was because of the joyous spirits or the removal of the palladium poisoning from his body, Tony Stark felt incredibly great.

"Sir, congratulations."

"You can now use your suit freely without any concerns."

Jarvis once again sent his congratulations.

"You're right, so—"

"Jarvis, we've been lax for a while, it's time to catch up on our previous work!"

"Sir, are you planning to make a cameo as 'Iron Man'?"

Jarvis, of course, understood his boss's intentions.

"It's the 'Destroyer.'"

"As you wish!"

Clank, clank, clank! Accompanied by the mechanical sounds of collision and assembly, various robotic arms circled around Tony Stark, getting to work.

In no time at all, the cool and domineering Mark III armor was donned by Tony Stark.

Iron Man, oh no, the Destroyer, made his dazzling appearance once again.

"Bring up Stane's list!"

Tony Stark commanded Jarvis once more.

Swoosh! With a command, a list was projected right before him.

Tony Stark quickly scanned the list and pointed at one name.

"That's the one, Jarvis, what are we waiting for?"

Swoosh! The stylish armor shot up into the sky once again.

And this time, with the arc reactor issues thoroughly resolved, Tony Stark had no more worries.

He went even further to destroy the Stark Industries weapons that had fallen into the hands of terrorists.

Boom, boom, boom! Bang, bang, bang! With continuous explosions and flashes of fire around the world, the lengthy list he had obtained from Stane started to shrink continuously.

Until...

"Iron Man!"

"It's the legendary Iron Man!"

"Damn it, he's real!"

In a village that Tony Stark had never even heard of before, a group of terrorists occupying the place, looking up in surprise and anger at the falling hunk of metal, shouted non-stop.

They all gripped their various weapons tightly, aiming at Iron Man.

"Jarvis, what are they saying?"

Tony Stark, unable to understand those exotic languages, asked Jarvis curiously.

"They are astonished by the appearance of Iron Man."

Jarvis summarized succinctly.

"I'm only going to say this once!"

"I am the Destroyer!"

As Tony Stark emphasized this point, he raised his hands towards the terrorists.

His palms started to flicker with a bright, dazzling light.

Tat-tat-tat! Tat-tat-tat! The terrorists didn't hesitate to mercilessly pull their triggers at Iron Man.

A hail of bullets immediately surrounded Iron Man.

But of course, it had no effect on Iron Man.

Ting, ting, tong. Amidst the crisp sound of metal colliding, Iron Man calmly retaliated against the terrorists.

He effortlessly eradicated them all and had Jarvis scan to locate their hidden armory.

Swoosh! Iron Man fired a missile directly at it.

Boom, boom, boom! With a thunderous explosion, fierce flames shot up into the sky, even seeming to tint the horizon red.

Among the violent explosion and shockwave, Iron Man's limbs emitted brilliant flames and he flew away with casual ease.

"Sir, congratulations, that was the last one on the list."

"Your mission is complete!"

As he just entered the clouds, Jarvis's voice echoed in his ears.

Yes, the destroyed military base was indeed the last one on Stark's list stolen from Stane.

After roughly half a year of work, Tony Stark finally completed this task.

"Yes, my mission is complete," Tony Stark firmly stated, then after a pause, added, "Temporarily."

"It sounds like you have a plan," noted Jarvis, intuitively sensing something from his well-understood boss.

"Yes, I have a plan."Tony Stark said with a profound look.

He returned to his luxurious villa.

After shedding his Iron Man armor, he immediately called for Pepper Potts.

He disclosed his so-called "plan" to Pepper Potts.

"You're going to reveal your identity as 'Iron Man'?"

Pepper Potts was somewhat surprised by this decision, as Tony Stark's choice seemed rather abrupt.

Indeed.

Aside from a few people who had read his journal and Rhodey, Pepper Potts was the only person who knew Tony Stark's secret identity.

It had to be said that Iron Man really trusted his personal assistant as he didn't hide such matters from her.

"It's the identity of the Destroyer!" Tony Stark emphatically clarified.

"Okay, Destroyer or Iron Man, it doesn't matter!"

"The important thing is, Tony, have you really decided?"

Pepper Potts fixated her eyes on her boss for confirmation, looking incredibly excited.

For her personally, Pepper, also known as "Pepper Potts," naturally welcomed this development.

After all, Stark Industries had been half-dead for the past six months; it had been tough.

Tony Stark's decision could become the life-saving straw that would save Stark Industries from impending collapse.

"What other choice do I have?"

"I've created the coolest thing in the world, only to use it in secret?"

"Every time I go out, I have to rely on Rhodey to secretly help me and deal with air traffic control?"

Tony Stark shrugged his hands as if it were only natural.

Pepper Potts nodded.

Indeed, giving it more thought, that proved true.

If the Iron Man suit was to be used openly, it would have to be revealed.

Otherwise, it would forever remain something that could not see the light of day.

Not to mention...

As Tony's actions continued, the clues he left behind became more and more evident.

Lately, quite a few people had been calling Pepper Potts.

Some were insinuating, others were directly asking about the relationship between Stark Industries and the Iron Man suit.

The public opinion was getting harder to suppress.

Pepper Potts completely understood Tony Stark's desire to hold a press conference.

However, what Pepper Potts didn't know was that Iron Man decided to go public with the suit for an even deeper reason.

During his time battling crime in the Mark III suit, Tony Stark had truly found the meaning of his life!

Although all the criminals on the Stark list had been dealt with, Tony Stark's fight against crime would not stop there.

"Give me some time to arrange things."

Pepper Potts left those words behind before hurriedly departing in her high heels.

Soon after, an official statement from Stark Industries was released, drawing high attention from all walks of society.

It also caught the attention of Zhou Cheng, a transmigrator familiar with the plot.

"Iron Man is holding a press conference?"

Zhou Cheng was very curious and looking forward to this news.

After all.

This marked Tony Stark's first public appearance since he had announced the closure of the weapons manufacturing division six months ago.

Especially with the rumors about "Iron Man" gaining more traction.

Some off-the-record sources had been circulating, claiming Iron Man was Tony Stark's creation.

Not just because in all of America, Tony Stark was the only one with the capability.

But also because someone had captured footage of the Iron Man suit flying out of Malibu.

Combined with other details and traces that Zhou Cheng couldn't imagine.

It led a considerable number of people to suspect the connection between Iron Man and the Iron Man suit.

With this background, Zhou Cheng grew more curious.

Did Tony Stark ultimately become Iron Man even after Zhou Cheng's intervention caused some butterfly effect?

Would the iconic "I am Iron Man" scene be replayed?

Therefore, Zhou Cheng paid close attention to the press conference.

Of course, it wasn't just Zhou Cheng interested.

The whole of New York and the entire United States were following this press conference.

Iron Man's much-anticipated appearance couldn't be overstated.

...

At Stark Tower.

Tony Stark, dressed in a dapper suit, walked onto the stage amidst the gaze of the crowd.

The reporters from various media who were invited couldn't help but perk up, fixating their gaze on Iron Man.

The always impulsive Tony Stark was known for creating sensational headlines.

But what kind of explosive news would he drop this time?

Many speculated that the legendary "Iron Man" was Tony Stark. Was this press conference called because of that?

Everyone was filled with anticipation.

"I know, I can tell from the look in your eyes."

"In fact, it's all written on your faces."

"Rumors have been circulating lately, suggesting I have a relationship with that 'Iron Man'."

"Some people even emphatically state that I am 'Iron Man'."

As expected, the moment Tony Stark spoke, he immediately whetted everyone's appetite.

"Here, I want to declare solemnly to everyone, that it is not a rumor!"

The room instantly erupted into chaos, boiling over with excitement.

Not a single reporter could remain calm.

Everyone grabbed their microphones, aimed their cameras, and all lenses targeted Iron Man.

"Mr. Stark!"

"Mr. Stark!"

"Mr. Stark!"

Questions flooded in like a torrential downpour, overwhelming Iron Man.

Every person was frantically asking questions about Iron Man, making Iron Man's head spin.

"I want to emphasize here that I am indeed the 'Iron Man' you're referring to."

"But that doesn't mean I accept the 'title'; I only acknowledge the identity."

"As for the title, I've coined a better one for myself, 'Destroyer.'"

"You may call me Destroyer."

Destroyer?

What's that about?

Zhou Cheng, watching Tony Stark's effort to explain and clarify on TV, was suddenly full of questions.

What's the situation with Destroyer?

He thought when Iron Man confidently acknowledged "that's not a rumor," Zhou Cheng believed it was a done deal.

The iconic "I am Iron Man" scene would reoccur.

But then – Destroyer?

Zhou Cheng was genuinely taken aback.

This was indeed an ending he couldn't have anticipated.

After all, he couldn't recall a Tony Stark who went by Destroyer in the cinematic universe, the main comic universe, or any other multitude of parallel universes.

Overwhelmed and puzzled, Zhou Cheng subconsciously pulled out his journal to record his baffled thoughts.