Chapter: 31

California, an abandoned railway hub, was now crowded with many Middle Eastern-looking adult men carrying weapons.

Bonfires burned around, with people patrolling and guarding the perimeter, giving it the appearance of a "military stronghold."

At this moment, a black commercial van tore through the dark night, slowly approaching from a distance. However, strangely enough, this heavily guarded base did not stop this car that seemed out of place here, allowing it to enter the interior of the base.

The vehicle arrived at the central area, where the security was even tighter. After the car stopped, a black bodyguard dressed in bulletproof clothing and carrying a Stark Industries fully automatic rifle got out first, opening the car door for the important figure in the back seat.

And the person who got out of the car was none other than Tony's dear uncle, Obadiah.

"Welcome!" spoke a scar-faced man. If Tony were here at this moment, he would easily recognize this person's identity as the lieutenant of the Ten Rings who had kidnapped him.

And this place was a temporary base they had established secretly after smuggling into the United States.

As Obadiah confidently walked towards the scar-faced man who welcomed him, one could tell from his relaxed expression that he had encountered these terrorists before.

Approaching the scar-faced man, Obadiah did not respond to his welcome but wore a superior smile, staring mockingly at the scars on his face.

The scar-faced man showed no fear and pointed to the scars, saying, "This is a gift Tony Stark left me!"

Hearing this, Obadiah's mocking tone grew stronger. "If you had killed him when you were supposed to, you wouldn't have that."

Understanding the double meaning behind the other's sarcasm, the scar-faced man became somewhat angry and said, "You expect us to kill such a powerful figure with the little money you've given us?"

However, Obadiah did not give him a chance to continue complaining. Without a trace of sympathy in his words, he pointed directly to the purpose of this visit, saying, "Lead me to see that weapon."

"Very well, leave your bodyguard outside," the scar-faced man paused for a moment and agreed to the request.

The Ten Rings had possessed this set of armor for some time now, but due to limitations in funds and knowledge, even with the existing model and the blueprints Tony drew in the surveillance, the illiterate members of the Ten Rings could not find a way to replicate the armor.

Given that, they had no choice but to find a partner who had both the knowledge and the funds, and most importantly, the ambition to cooperate in this goal. Once this plan was accomplished, they would not only possess the most powerful force but also gain a continuous source of money.

After considering for a while, they finally chose the suitable candidate for this partnership, which was Obadiah Stane, an ambitious person who intended to kill Tony Stark and seize his company and industries.

And tonight's meeting was to finalize this deal.

Obadiah made a gesture, indicating that his bodyguard should stay outside, and then followed the scar-faced man into a rudimentary tent.

Opening the curtain, as soon as they entered, Tony's Mark I, handcrafted by him and Yinsen in a cave in Afghanistan, came into view.

Greed gleamed in his eyes, like the eyes of a feline animal in the night. Even with the crude assembly by the illiterate members of the Ten Rings, it did not hinder him from appreciating it as the most marvelous artwork in the world.

"He escaped but left us with a little surprise," the scar-faced man said, looking at Obadiah with a hint of pride.

"So this is the secret weapon he used to escape the cave all by himself!" Obadiah asked while his eyes were fixed on every component of the Mark I.

"This is just a preliminary creation. Tony Stark has improved its design and already made a masterpiece capable of killing!"

"With just a few of these suits, a person can rule over Asia. And you, too, desire Stark's throne. We have a common enemy." The scar-faced man calmly expressed his immense ambition.

Obadiah shifted his gaze away from the Mark I, glanced at him, and gestured for him to continue speaking.

"We can continue our business negotiations. I can give you these designs as a gift! In return, I want you to create an army of steel soldiers for me."

Obadiah didn't reply but smiled at him and then approached him intimately, placing his hand on his shoulder.

Unbeknownst to the scar-faced man, a small device had already appeared in Obadiah's hand. He pressed a switch, and the device emitted a high-frequency sound wave. Before the scar-faced man could react, his brain became congested, and he completely lost his ability to move.

"This is the only gift you will receive." Obadiah pointed to the noise-canceling earplugs in his own ears and shook the ultrasonic device in his hand, revealing a cruel smile.

"Technology—this is your eternal weakness in this world." As he spoke, Obadiah turned off the device and removed the earplugs from his ears. "But don't worry, the effect of this thing only lasts for 15 minutes. But this is the least of your troubles..."

After finishing his words, Obadiah directly lifted the curtain of the tent and walked out.

Outside the tent, seeing that all the Ten Rings guards had been subdued by his own bodyguards, Obadiah showed no surprise. It was evident that he had planned this in advance.

"Bring me the armor inside and clean up the mess. It's time for us to leave."

As soon as his words fell, along with the sound of gunfire and the hissing of firearms, the abandoned railway hub fell into silence once again. It was unknown how long it would be until someone set foot here again.

"Establish Sector 16 beneath the Arc Reactor prototype. The mission must be conducted in secrecy. Gather our best engineers. I want you to immediately create a prototype for me.

Also, keep an eye on Tony and Mark for me. Everything related to Stark Industries must fall into my hands. We cannot afford to make any more mistakes this time!"