The truth was, Tony's inner world was far less calm than he appeared on the surface.
All he really wanted was to cancel next week's orders.
After all, Tony could still afford several hundred million dollars.One or two canceled deals meant nothing.
But…
Someone had kidnapped him on video.
That was an extremely tricky problem.
Logically speaking, in a black‑and‑white world, no one should be able to kidnap him.
Especially when he had been scheduled to fly to Las Vegas the very next night to receive the annual highest honor from Colonel Rhodes.
The people in the audience—
were either wealthy or of noble background.
You could say that.
At least, that would be true if he didn't slip off to the casino next door afterward.
But he really was going there to accept an award.
He simply couldn't imagine how popular he would become on social media.
You let a famous arms dealer—someone constantly mentioned online—walk around freely?
He was awarded an honorary medal one night,and kidnapped during an arms deal the very next day?
This wasn't a kidnapping.
This was a slap in the face to the Eagle‑brand government, the military, and the media.
He—
Tony Stark.
The largest arms dealer in the country.
Kidnapped.
It was utterly absurd.
Did they expect other countries' arms dealers to continue trading with this nation?
You couldn't even protect your own citizens.
Once foreign arms dealers sensed danger, they would flee immediately.
Tony had no doubt about it.
Once news of his kidnapping broke, the Eagle government would spend at least ten years' worth of military funding—
to hunt down whoever was responsible.
Those people would have only one road left.
That was obvious to anyone with half a brain.
Tony didn't believe the Afghan military was behind it.
They wouldn't be stupid enough to miss such a self‑evident truth.
So then—
only two possibilities remained.
First:
The force behind his kidnapping was far more powerful than anyone imagined.
So powerful that it didn't fear a global manhunt at all.
Second…
They had kidnapped the wrong person.
Or perhaps they didn't even know the man they abducted was Tony Stark.
Tony's mouth twitched.
He didn't want to dwell on that possibility.
Because if it were true—
the coincidence would be ridiculous.
He would be unbelievably unlucky.
…
[Inside the cave]
Tony screamed in agony.
In a haze, he saw someone carving a hole in his chest.
But due to extreme weakness, he soon passed out again.
[Later]
Under the flickering firelight,
Tony woke up.
He pulled the thin tube out of his nostril.
Struggling to sit up, he looked around.
He saw a bald man shaving in front of a dirty mirror.
Tony instinctively prepared to grab something nearby as a weapon.
[Bald Man: If I were you, I wouldn't do that.]
Tony then noticed an old machine beside the bed.
Two wires—one red, one blue—extended from it and were connected to his chest, restricting his movement.
Terrified, Tony ripped open the bandages on his chest.
Only then did he realize—
there was a strange, circular metal device embedded there.
[Tony wanted to die.]
…
Stark Tower.
Tony felt that a small piece of the mystery had been solved.
"So that's why my chest looked swollen during that battle in New York. This was the source."
"At the time, I was shocked by how cruel I seemed—cutting open my own chest just to wear the armor."
"Now it seems this was the root of it all."
"I don't know whether that bald man is good or bad."
…
Tony looked at the bald man warming himself by the fire.
Tony: You… what did you do to me?
Bald Man: What did I do? I saved your life. I removed as many fragments as I could.
But the remaining shrapnel would still travel through your bloodstream and eventually reach your heart valves.
These are your fragments. Take a look.
As he spoke, the bald man tossed Tony a glass container.
Tony caught it and held it up to the light above.
Inside were countless tiny metal shards.
A chill ran across Tony's scalp.
He understood immediately.
[The greatest destructive power of a bomb doesn't come solely from the blast itself.]
[It also comes from the shrapnel that spreads outward after impact.]
[Under a powerful shockwave,]
[each tiny fragment becomes a high‑speed bullet.]
He knew he had been incredibly lucky.
Tony pointed at the device in his chest.
Tony: What is this?
Bald Man: A magnet. Powered by a car battery.
It attracts the shrapnel and prevents it from reaching your heart.
Tony nodded, zipped up his clothes, and glanced at the surveillance monitor on the mountain wall.
The bald man followed his gaze, shrugged, completely unconcerned.
[Bald Man: That's right. Smile.]
Tony's eyes still reflected deep distrust of everything around him.
[Bald Man: We've met before. At a technology conference in Bern.]
Tony: I don't remember.
[Bald Man: Of course you don't. If I drank like you, I wouldn't even be standing.]
Though Tony suspected the man might indeed be someone he knew, he didn't relax his guard.
Tony: Where is this place?
Before the bald man could answer, noises came from outside the door.
A bearded man who looked like the leader entered with several others.
[Seeing this, the bald man quickly raised his hands along with Tony.]
Leader: Welcome, Tony Stark!
The most infamous murderer!
It's an honor to meet you. Please help me build missiles.
The Jericho missile. A weapon of mass destruction.
[The bald man translated as the leader spoke.]
[Once Tony understood their intention, his gaze hardened.]
Tony: I won't do it.
[The leader's expression shifted from mild to vicious.]
[The camera turns.]
Tony was subjected to waterboarding for over an hour.
…
Stark Tower.
Colonel Rhodes couldn't help but worry about his old friend.
As a soldier, he understood Tony well.
A man who had never experienced torture.
Someone who had lived a life of privilege.
Suddenly subjected to over an hour of waterboarding—
What kind of torture was that?
It was essentially a physical truth serum.
The words "coercive interrogation" were far too mild.
Colonel Rhodes sighed.
"I just hope… we can use this video to identify the mastermind as soon as possible."
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