Chapter: 38

"Now let's invite Mr. Tony Stark to the stage to make a statement, but he won't answer any questions. Thank you!" Colonel Rhodes finished his speech and walked to the side of the stage, making way for Tony to take the podium.

Tony stood on the podium, looked at the audience and reporters below, then glanced at Pepper, Mark, and Rhodes on either side of the stage before speaking, "It's been a while since I last saw all of you. I'll stick to the script this time. Some people speculate that I was involved in the incidents that happened on the freeway and rooftop..."

Just as Tony began reading from the script in his hand, the journalists in the audience were unwilling to let him off the hook so easily. "Sorry, Mr. Stark, do you really expect us to believe that it was a bodyguard in armor who happened to appear, despite your bodyguards..."

"I understand that the situation is confusing, and Happy's physique is a bit bulky. But I believe if he was willing to shed a few dozen pounds, he could also fit into the Iron Man armor. Questioning the official statement is one thing, but making wild accusations or insinuations that I'm a superhero is another matter."

Tony's speech, which seemed to be a denial with no solid evidence, made the journalists in the room excited. They knew that big news was about to break!

"Mr. Stark, I never said you were a superhero."

"Is that so? Well, that's good." Tony started to blabber, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Because that would be far-fetched and delusional. Clearly, I'm not cut out to be a hero. I have a bunch of character flaws, I've made numerous mistakes, and I've been very public about them..."

"Stick to the script!" Rhodey whispered through gritted teeth, reminding Tony as he began to ad-lib.

"Okay, okay, the fact is..." Tony paused halfway and suddenly wore a mysterious smile. "I am Iron Man!"

Tony openly admitted his identity as a superhero, causing a frenzy of camera flashes from the journalists in the audience. They didn't care how many rolls of film they used up or how much memory they consumed. Their fingers were pressing the camera shutter like they were having muscle spasms, capturing photos for tomorrow's front-page headlines.

"Awesome, Dad! You're the first superhero to come out publicly since World War II!" Mark rushed onto the stage after Tony finished speaking.

"Alright, don't pour oil on the fire." Pepper took Mark aside. "Didn't you see how angry Mr. Rhodes and Agent Coulson looked? Now all the preparations they made before are in vain, and they'll have to work overtime to clean up after your dad."

"Hehe! I just witnessed the birth of Iron Man, so I'm excited. Don't worry, I'll give him face in public, but I'll definitely scold him when we get home. He can't keep causing trouble for others like this!"

"Hahaha!" Seeing Mark's serious expression, Pepper couldn't help but laugh. "It's already good enough that you don't cause trouble for others. Wanting to scold your dad on top of that? By the way, last time you asked me to buy Stark Industries stocks for you, I've already fully invested. Do you want to continue investing?"

"No need! No need!" Mark quickly shook his head. "Now that Dad has revealed his identity as Iron Man, Stark Industries stocks will definitely skyrocket. I don't have that much money to invest in it. Besides, thanks to you, Pepper, I already obtained shares from the stock market and some small shareholders. Combined, it's enough. With these shares, I can help Dad secure over fifty percent of the voting rights, so he won't be overridden by the board of directors. And my company is about to start developing its business, so my funds will be invested there.

How about it, Pepper? Do you want to leave Tony and come work at my company? I promise I won't make difficult demands like he does, and I won't throw tantrums. I'll double your current salary, and you'll receive a personalized limited edition of every future product my company launches!"

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me, Mark. But I still can't leave your dad's side. He's a grown man now, but without me, I don't know how long he can hold on."

"But don't worry, your company's employees and managers were personally selected by me. In terms of work capability and character, they are top-notch, on par with or even surpassing me."

"Hmph, I'm not concerned about their work capability. Worst case scenario, I can handle everything myself. There's no productivity that the power of technology can't replace. I just feel that it's unfair for you, sis, to stay by Tony's side and work there. Hmm!" Suddenly, a brilliant idea popped into Mark's mind. "Pepper, come closer. I have a secret to tell you!"

"What is it?" Pepper leaned in to listen.

"What if we play a prank on Tony? You pretend to resign and come work for me. Let him experience life without you by his side, so he can truly understand your importance."

"Well, that doesn't sound quite right. What if he actually approves..." Pepper expressed her concern.

"That's impossible. Even I can see that you two like each other. If you don't give him a taste of bitterness, this playboy won't take the initiative to confess. And even if he does approve your resignation, it wouldn't be a big deal to slide over to my company." Mark reassured her.

"Ah, you're taking advantage of the situation. You're quite cunning." Mark's little scheme was exposed by Pepper, and she pretended to be angry.

"Well, since you're not rejecting it, I'll take it as you agreeing to my plan!" Mark, inheriting Tony's thick-skinned nature, continued to probe. Pepper, not opposed to Mark's proposal, reluctantly nodded in agreement.

On the stage, Tony, who was welcoming the media's interviews and photo shoots, had no idea what kind of trap his mischievous son had set for him.