Chapter 53: You’re Actually Pretty Decent

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"I didn't expect that in the end, it was my money that saved me."

Tony chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Of course, to others, he was nothing but a war criminal, a weapons manufacturer whose creations had ended up in the hands of terrorists. So, this outcome was only natural.

Who would bother to save a war profiteer like him, except for those with vested interests?

"Honestly, besides your money, I can't think of much else people would care about. But from what I've heard, a lot of people hate you."

"I remember passing through Sokovia once. There was a brother and sister from there, whose civil war was fueled by weapons from Stark Industries. Their parents were killed by one of your missiles. They swore they'd never forgive you."

George shook his head as he spoke.

Even though this universe's Quicksilver was already dead, and there was likely no Scarlet Witch either, it didn't stop George from using the story to strike a blow at Tony and deepen his resolve to shut down the weapons division.

"They have every right to hate me. I was a self-righteous jerk."

Tony felt a sharp pain in his heart. Sensing this, Ethan, who was sitting behind him, tried to comfort him.

"You still have a chance to make things right. Don't give up."

His family had also been killed by Stark Industries' weapons. But he understood that the blame lay not with the weapons themselves but with the terrorists who used them.

And after spending time with Tony, Ethan believed that deep down, Tony was a good person. He had simply been blind to the truth before. Now that he had awakened, with Tony's intelligence and resources, he could undoubtedly make a real difference and help many people.

"I'm Tony Stark, the world's greatest inventor and entrepreneur. Why would I give up?"

Upon hearing Ethan's words, Tony quickly buried his guilt, masking it with his usual carefree expression. Turning to George, he said:

"Even if it was just for the money, I still owe you a thank you for saving us. So, as a friendly heads-up, I'm holding a press conference at five in the afternoon, the day after tomorrow. Sell all your shares before then, or you might take a huge loss."

"You're actually pretty decent, you know that?"

George looked at Tony with some surprise. Through his use of telepathy and mind-reading, he had already known about Tony's plan to shut down the weapons division.

What shocked him was that Tony had actually told him outright, essentially handing him free money.

"Because I'm not planning on being a jerk anymore."

Tony shrugged.

"Well, in that case, maybe we could be friends in the future."

Suddenly, George sensed something. He stopped the jeep, opened the door, and slowly ascended into the sky.

"The military that's looking for you is almost here. I'll be off now. If possible, don't mention me to anyone."

His magnetic abilities allowed him to sense a large number of vehicles and helicopters heading their way. It was likely that the explosion had alerted Colonel Rhodes, who had been searching for Tony.

"That guy can actually fly? When I get back, I'm definitely making something that can fly, too!"

Watching George disappear into a tiny dot in the sky, Tony couldn't help but feel envious.

He resolved to further optimize the designs for his first generation of Iron Man armor and add a flight capability.

Not long after George left, Colonel Rhodes arrived with a large group of soldiers, finding Tony and Ethan sitting inside the jeep.

Meanwhile, George, who had already returned to the X-Jet, used its special communicator to contact Leon.

"You can start buying, but remember, you have to sell all the shares before five in the afternoon, the day after tomorrow."

"George, are you ready to come back?"

After George finished the call, Isha controlled the aircraft to turn.

"Let's head back," George nodded, then began to contemplate his next steps.

Once news of Tony's return broke, Stark Industries' stock prices would surely rebound quickly. If he sold all his shares before the press conference, he could make a hefty profit.

After the conference, Stark's stock would likely plummet to historic lows due to the closure of the weapons division. That would be the perfect time to reinvest the earnings.

Once Tony acknowledged that he was Iron Man, George could wait for the stock to rise again and sell a portion whenever he needed money. Given the trajectory, Stark's stocks were bound to increase in value.

However, he also needed to be cautious. He had killed the head of the Ten Rings and destroyed the original designs in the cave, which meant Obadiah could not produce Iron Monger. It was likely that he would take other actions as well.

To protect his investments, George couldn't let Obadiah do something reckless and eliminate Tony.

Yet, he also didn't want to kill Obadiah outright.

On one hand, with Obadiah still around, he could help stabilize Stark Industries' stock prices after the press conference, giving Tony time to develop the Iron Man suit and use its popularity to restore the stock value.

On the other hand, he could wait for Obadiah to make a move against Tony, creating another opportunity for Tony to owe him a favor.

After all, the hardest debts to repay are personal favors—except, of course, for the ungrateful.

"I need someone to keep an eye on things; it looks like I need to speed up my search for a doctor."

He had to balance his time between studying and researching magic; he couldn't monitor Tony Stark every day. The only one in the base skilled in this area was Wolverine.

However, he wasn't entirely confident in Wolverine's current state and needed to help him resolve his toxic condition soon.

If possible, he would also like to alleviate Professor X's seizures, which would address the students' learning issues as well.

Previously, he hesitated to seek a doctor out of fear that any treatment would leak their secrets. But now, having learned the basics of a memory-erasing spell, he could easily wipe the doctor's memory afterward.

The next day, news of Tony Stark's return sent shockwaves around the globe, and Stark's stock prices skyrocketed, even surpassing their previous levels before the incident.

On the third day, Tony Stark returned to New York aboard a military aircraft and announced a press conference for five in the afternoon.

After the press conference, Stark's stock prices plummeted.

That night, George met with Leon again on the rooftop.

"Mr. Grim Reaper, here is the cash you requested."

Leon handed a box filled with cash to George.

The way Leon looked at George was almost reverent.

In just a few days, his assets had multiplied tenfold. The Leon family's wealth now exceeded that of half the families in the Bronx.

"Tomorrow, reinvest most of the idle cash into Stark stocks," George instructed as he accepted the box. He didn't explain why, and Leon didn't ask for clarification. He had come to regard George's words as law.

"Also, no matter what it takes, find me the best neurologists and neurosurgeons. Bring them to the rooftop tomorrow night; I have use for them."

Before leaving, he assigned the task of finding doctors to Leon.

As one of the thirteen families, Leon was a local powerhouse; finding top-tier doctors was child's play for him.

"Rest assured, tomorrow the best doctors in New York will be here for you to choose from," Leon assured him, thumping his chest.

(End of Chapter)