Peter was filled with gratitude for his boss, who was even younger than him. Gwen had actually thought of such a way to relieve Aunt Mei's pressure.
Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Ethan's expression turned serious, and he said in a deep voice, "But..."
Peter suddenly looked up, only to see Ethan's eyes burning, his gaze behind his spectacles serious: "Some of it, I think, is your problem. For example, being too reckless, not considering the consequences. You have Aunt Mei; you shouldn't have risked going to Afghanistan."
Peter's Adam's apple bobbed, and his fingertips unconsciously clutched the corner of his clothes.
Actually, when he was hiding in the luggage compartment, he already regretted it a little.
Vaguely, he always felt that something bad was going to happen.
This premonition usually helped him a lot, for example, when he was dealing with Dr. Connors, he successfully dodged the opponent's attack with the help of this premonition.
So Peter always felt that something would go wrong on this trip; he realized he had been impulsive.
Ethan stepped forward and patted Peter's shoulder: "I've heard some things about you since I came to New York, and I know you have superpowers like a superhero in a comic book. Your uncle taught you that with great power comes great responsibility, but don't forget, your family is also your responsibility."
Peter lowered his eyes in deep thought for a long time, finally raising his head, his gaze firm: "I understand. I won't make Aunt Mei worry again."
Hearing Peter's solemn tone and firm gaze, Ethan nodded in satisfaction and raised his hand to look at his watch.
"I have to go back and deal with things. Remember to call when you have time." With that, he turned to leave, his leather shoes making a steady sound on the steps.
Peter quickly chased after him two steps, standing at the door and waving: "Mr. Ethan, be careful on your way!"
Ethan showed a slight smile as he looked back, waving his hand in response, then quickly walked towards the subway.
Sorry, cutting expenses, even the Chairman has to take the subway... Time passed quietly, and Ethan had been incredibly busy these past few days.
It wasn't until one afternoon when his boss, who was only responsible for providing money and doing nothing else, suddenly called him into the office that he emerged, dizzy and disoriented.
Ethan pushed open the door and saw Gwen leaning against the leather sofa, her long legs together, holding a can of cola.
"Calling me in such a hurry?" Ethan rubbed his neck, asking somewhat confused.
Gwen smiled without speaking, pointing to the television in front of her.
Ethan then turned his attention to the television screen.
On the television screen, a very familiar-looking man in a suit was surrounded by reporters.
That was a face he had spent several days with.
"It seems our future sugar daddy is back." Ethan was very excited at this moment.
Just kidding, all his preparations for so many days were for today... Outside Stark Industries Tower, a large crowd gathered, as if waiting for someone.
Although the sun had made the marble ground scorching hot, and everyone was already sweating profusely, they still refused to leave.
At this moment, a black luxury car slowly drove up, the faint crunch of its wheels over gravel particularly clear in the silence.
The moment the engine sound died, the people who had been waiting for a long time in front of the tower erupted in enthusiastic applause, and the flashing lights in the distance flickered continuously, pouring down on the sedan like a sudden downpour.
Obadiah's lips curved into a brilliant smile behind his sunglasses, and he stepped forward quickly.
He reached out and opened the rear car door, his tone carrying just the right amount of concern: "Welcome home, Tony."
Tony Stark stepped out of the car, casually pulling out a piece of paper to wipe some food crumbs from the corner of his mouth. His right arm was in a sling, indicating an injury.
"We wanted to visit you in the hospital." Obadiah patted his uninjured left shoulder, his gaze subtly sweeping over the injured arm.
"I'm fine." Tony shook his bandaged arm, pulling a cheeseburger from a brown paper bag handed to him by Happy.
Obadiah's eyes behind his glasses twitched imperceptibly, and he feigned ignorance, smiling, "Did you bring one for me too?"
"Sorry, this is the only one left, and I really want to eat it." Tony mumbled, his cheeks puffed out like a squirrel's, ketchup still on the corner of his mouth.
The two walked side by side into the building, Tony having finished his burger.
Upon entering the press conference, a more surging wave of flashing lights and camera clicks welcomed their arrival.
The two simply waved to the reporters present and walked onto the stage.
In a corner of the venue, a man in a suit with a receding hairline subtly approached Tony Stark's personal assistant.
"Miss Pepper Potts." He said with a kind smile, "We have some things we'd like to ask you about..."
On the podium, Obadiah, with his cheerful smile, was about to begin his speech when his gaze swept around him, and he suddenly noticed a crucial figure missing.
He looked left and right, his brow slightly furrowed, and finally spotted Tony below the stage.
At this moment, Tony was casually sitting on the floor in front of the podium, his legs crossed, looking completely out of place in the formal suit-and-tie setting.
"Hey, can everyone sit down? Let's all sit down." Tony looked up, his gaze sweeping over the reporters, and as he spoke, he pulled a burger from his pocket, the crumpled wrapper still stained with a bit of grease. He took a big bite, bread crumbs falling onto his expensive suit, "That way everyone can see me, and I don't have to be so formal."
The reporters exchanged glances, their eyes full of surprise and hesitation, but at Tony's request, they all sat down on the floor.
Obadiah thought Tony was just being his usual erratic self and chuckled as he sat down with him.
Tony turned to look at Obadiah beside him, his gaze sincere: "It's good to see you."
"You too." Obadiah responded with a smile. He forced a calm demeanor and placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, as if comforting Tony.
Just then, Tony's expression suddenly turned solemn. He took a deep breath and slowly began, "I didn't get to say goodbye to my dad..." Realizing his voice was too low, he suddenly raised his voice, almost shouting, "I didn't get to say goodbye to my father!"
"I had some questions I wanted to ask him, I wanted to ask him what he thought about the company's actions." Tony's voice trembled slightly, "Did he ever struggle, did he ever doubt? Or perhaps he was just the man in the news documentaries."
"I saw young U.S. citizens being killed, and it was the weapons I created to protect them that killed them. I also saw... I had become part of a system unwilling to bear responsibility."
A reporter couldn't help but interrupt: "Mr. Stark?"
"Hey, Ben?" Tony immediately called out his name.
Hearing the familiar name, in front of the television, Gwen was drinking cola and almost choked from laughter.
And in an ancient building, Dr. Connors, who was visiting, also found this projected scene hilarious.
The reporter named Ben, of course, didn't know he shared a name with a great hero from another World, and he said seriously: "What did you experience there?"
Tony, however, did not answer directly. After his gaze swept across the room, he stood up.
"I had my eyes opened; I realized I could do a lot for this World, rather than creating more explosions." As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned around and stood in front of the podium, his face serious, and before Obadiah could react, he loudly announced: "Therefore, effective immediately! I am shutting down Stark International's weapons manufacturing division!"
The venue instantly erupted into chaos. Reporters stood up one after another, questions and discussions rising and falling, filling the entire space.
Obadiah's mind was about to explode at this point, yet he still had to force a smile and reach for Tony's shoulder.
Damn it, was that hamburger patty of his brewed with vodka?!