Chapter 4

"Jarvis."

After failing to recall, Tony Stark began to inquire his close assistant, Jarvis, "Does the United States have an organization like S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

"Sir, there is no such organization within my database," Jarvis immediately replied.

"However, there is an intelligence agency called the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division."

"The acronym of this intelligence agency happens to form a word, 'SHIELD'."

Tony Stark immediately perked up.

This intelligence organization, with its extremely lengthy and tongue-twisting name, could it possibly be the "S.H.I.E.L.D." mentioned in the diary?

"Check this intelligence agency for any connection to my father," Tony Stark commanded again.

"Sir, this organization was indeed founded by Howard Stark," Jarvis promptly delivered the answer.

Information related to the organization, including a series of documents, photos, texts, and so on, was projected right in front of Tony Stark.

"The predecessor to the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division was the Strategic Scientific Reserve."

"This entity was specifically established by the military during World War II to combat Hydra."

"Howard Stark joined as the chief scientific advisor and cooperated with the military, waging a secret war against Hydra."

"Later, Howard Stark, along with Peggy Carter and the head of the Strategic Scientific Reserve, Chester Phillips, renamed the Strategic Scientific Reserve to S.H.I.E.L.D."

"And operated it as a separate intelligence agency, which continues to this day."

The entries in the diary were not fiction after all!

Tony Stark sifted through the dizzying array of data, internally exclaiming in astonishment.

Just like the entries in the diary indicated, this organization named S.H.I.E.L.D. was indeed impressive.

Its founders included his own father, needless to say.

And the legendary Peggy Carter!

Such a celebrity.

The date she missed with Captain America left so many sighing in regret.

Upon closer inspection, Tony Stark couldn't help but be surprised.

To this day, S.H.I.E.L.D. had evolved into an international organization.

It wasn't even under the jurisdiction of the United States!

Rather, it was employed by the UN Security Council's five permanent members and reported directly to the World Security Council.

Absolutely mind-blowing.

Tony Stark could never have imagined that Howard had established such an extraordinary intelligence agency.

According to the records in the diary.

In the future, after he announced himself as Iron Man, would this intelligence agency provide him a certain level of protection?

Aid him, shielding him from numerous troubles?

Tony Stark non-committally curled his lip.

Those guys were really overstepping their bounds and being nosy.

Did he, Tony, require anyone's help?

What a joke!

Pushing aside those tangled thoughts, Tony Stark turned his attention back to the diary.

[Speaking of Howard, it's such a pity.]

[Here was a man who, in an era when technology was so primitive during World War II, managed to create magnetic levitation trains, super-soldier serums, and many other groundbreaking inventions!]

[Even after being gone for so many years, he could still save Tony Stark's life!]

[Tony Stark may be brilliant, with an incredible intellect, but I feel he's still lacking compared to Howard.]

"Am I inferior to that old man?"

"Please, I've already surpassed him!"

"Could he build a circuit board at four years old?""Could he have assembled an engine by the age of six?"

Tony Stark immediately bristled at the comment, unable to resist blurting out his disdain.

Why would Zhou Cheng say that?

Just because of some magnetic levitation or body-enhancing serum? If he wanted to, he could do that too!

And the claim about saving his own life years after his death was even more absurd.

Utter nonsense.

Did his own future involve some life-or-death crisis where he'd be hanging by a thread and in need of rescue?

Serious illness?

An accident?

Of course, these were possibilities; no one can guarantee a lifetime free from illness or accidents.

But, all of this and his long-deceased father, how could they possibly be related?

The man had been dead for years!

[It's just a shame he was assassinated at the height of his career.]

[Otherwise, no matter how talented Tony Stark was, he probably would still be overshadowed by Howard, wouldn't he?]

Boom!

Tony Stark was suddenly stunned, as if struck by lightning.

Assassination!

His parents didn't die in a car accident!

Why would the journal suggest they were assassinated?

Why?

A joke?

A prank?

Tony Stark didn't think so.

Whoever managed to present the journal to him in an incomprehensible way.

All this trouble just for a joke?

That's the real joke!

Moreover.

Tony Stark decided to look at it from another angle.

Given his father's status and position, the intricate web of interests involved was complex.

There were many enemies, many who would have been glad to see Howard dead.

Not to mention.

Tony Stark had just learned that his father was also the founder of an intelligence agency.

The murky depths of an intelligence agency were fathomless.

Considering all these circumstances.

It was very plausible that someone risked assassinating his father.

However.

Given his father's stature and status, the assassination still being classified as a mere car accident meant that the shadowy figure behind it wielded immense power.

Definitely not an ordinary person.

But whoever it was, if this was true, Tony Stark was determined to fight it to the end!

"Jarvis!"

Tony Stark immediately gave Jarvis an order, "Retrieve all the archives related to my father from that year."

"I am giving you the highest clearance, decrypt any encrypted data if necessary."

"I need you to find all relevant information as fast as you can!"

Tony Stark was genuinely angry!

Although he had no conclusive evidence yet, he felt that the contents of the journal were true.

Zhou Cheng's identity could very well be real too.

Besides.

This was the kind of thing you'd rather believe exists than not.

"Understood, sir!"

Jarvis promptly acknowledged and began scouring the internet for all relevant information.

Besides the data already available on public networks.

You wouldn't believe it, but Jarvis did find some encrypted data.

Some of the lower-level encryption could be cracked directly by Jarvis.

But there were also some files encrypted by related departments.

Those were not so easily broken into by Jarvis.

When Jarvis reported this to Tony Stark, he became even more agitated.

Because it could only mean one thing: there was indeed more to his father's death than met the eye!