Chapter 77 Tit For Tat

Chapter 77 Tit For Tat

Justin Hammer, who is approximately the same age as Tony Stark, shares the same family business and runs his own company, Hammer Industries. He's even involved in the arms trade. However, despite these similarities, Hammer has always lived in Tony's shadow.

Whether it's their knowledge or their respective companies, Hammer falls short compared to Tony. The reason for Hammer's sudden emergence today is because Tony, along with Leon, has decided to gradually reduce the weapons department's operations and eventually close it down. This presented an opportunity for Hammer to step in and establish himself as the military's primary business partner.

So, instead of dwelling on the fact that Leon never acknowledged his existence, Hammer decided to make his move right away: "I believe many of us are aware of the reason for gathering here today."

Tony turned his head and raised an eyebrow at Leon, indicating that the person making the attack was about to begin.

As expected, Hammer directed all his words at Tony, or rather, Iron Man. "We all recognize Tony Stark as a brilliant weapons inventor who has consistently crafted our most potent 'spears' and now wields a 'sword' like Iron Man."

"But he insists that Iron Man is merely a shield, urging us to hide behind it instead of contributing to our nation's strength."

"I'd like to ask Mr. Tony, if Howard were still alive and as self-centered as you, how long would it take us to develop an atomic bomb? How could we win the war and end it swiftly?"

Hammer even dared to invoke Howard's name because in the Marvel universe, Howard was instrumental in the creation of nuclear weapons. By highlighting Howard's contributions to a country and comparing them to Tony's, Hammer was making a bold statement.

After all, when it comes to his own father, Tony found it difficult to respond. Should he deny his father's contributions or seek compromise?

The Minister of Defense on the opposite side wore a satisfied and smug smile, thinking he had the upper hand, and said to Tony, "Stark, we all recognize your significant contributions to the country, especially with the creation of weapons like Iron Man. We intend to honor you with a medal."

A damn medal, can I eat it? Tony sneered inwardly.

At this point, he had to hold his tongue; otherwise, he might be pressured into surrendering the Iron Man battle suit.

"You're suggesting that Iron Man is a weapon?" Tony redirected the conversation away from his father and directly at Iron Man.

"Isn't it?" The Minister smiled condescendingly, believing that Tony's responses were futile.

Unexpectedly, Tony retorted, "Absolutely not. It's a prosthesis. Haven't you seen what Iron Man looks like?"

The Minister was left speechless, and laughter erupted in the room. It had been six months since Tony revealed his identity as Iron Man, and because he never maintained a low profile, everyone was familiar with Iron Man's appearance. To the casual observer, Iron Man appeared as though he wore a suit, and it was quite a stretch to label it as a prosthesis. Nevertheless, everyone understood that Tony was making a point.

"Also, you're asking me to hand over Iron Man?" Tony exclaimed incredulously, "Come on, don't forget that I once declared that I am Iron Man. I am one with my battle suit. Handing over Iron Man is like handing over myself. You don't want me to be a slave, do you? Or maybe you'd prefer I become...?"

Laughter filled the room once more.

The minister found himself at a loss for words.

Hammer couldn't tolerate it any longer. He knew that the primary objective today was to obtain the core secrets of the Iron Man battle suit. There was only one way to make Tony submit, and that was to prove that the battle suit was indeed a weapon. Using the nation's interests as leverage, they aimed to force him to relinquish it.

So, Hammer had come prepared. He first operated on the laptop he had brought, then walked to a monitor in front of the audience and turned it on. As a video began to play, he continued, "Tony, regardless of whether you acknowledge it or not, you can't deny the power of this battle suit. The entire world is now trying to replicate it. If other nations manage to study it while our country does not, it poses a significant danger."

Hammer then presented evidence in the form of a video, showing individuals working on mechanical equipment similar to the Iron Man battle suits.

Tony secretly sneered and quietly took out his smartphone. Leon, who was by his side, recognized it as the latest product developed by Stark Group. Thanks to the smartphone Tony used as a sample, Stark Group's research and development had progressed smoothly and was expected to launch before the end of the year. Tony's smartphone was custom-made, with even part of the J.A.R.V.I.S system uploaded onto it.

Now, Tony was asking J.A.R.V.I.S to decrypt Hammer's computer, swiftly discovering some hidden secrets.

While Hammer continued to speak, Tony once again blacked out the monitor behind him and manipulated it to display additional information.

"Everyone, please take a look at the screen," Tony stood up, taking his turn.

There had been a significant issue with Hammer's footage earlier. He had intentionally created an illusion that made it appear as though others were on the verge of replicating the technology, creating a sense of threat and intimidation.

However, Tony now revealed the complete footage, exposing the fact that many countries had indeed attempted to secretly replicate the technology. Yet, none of these mechanical armors had been successful. Problems ranged from being unable to harness the energy, system malfunctions, to using rudimentary parts. There wasn't a single instance of near success.

The video even showed Hammer's involvement in a foreign country, where he attempted to assist in imitating Tony's Iron Man battle suit.

As a result, the battle suit abruptly twisted nearly into V shape, eliciting a shocked reaction from the onlookers.

Wouldn't such a drastic rotation potentially harm the pilot? Could the spine withstand it?

Panicked, Hammer unplugged the video, explaining that the pilot was unharmed. However, he knew he had lost this battle. His attempts to secretly replicate the technology had been exposed, and the failure was both embarrassing and glaring.

Fortunately, Tony had never been one to shy away from audacity, so no one accused him of impropriety.

Only the minister glared at Hammer, then turned to Tony, who appeared victorious. Reluctantly, the minister conceded, "Actually, we still have a key witness. Let Colonel Rhodes come in with his report."

Colonel Rhodes? Why was he here?

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Lao Lao Xu: Real Author

Fake Author/Translator Zatch[King]Rex

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