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*****
A few days had passed since the argument with Tony, and Fini gradually put the matter aside. Understanding was one thing, but Tony's act of threatening him with a repulsor cannon was very real; Fini had no intention of sucking up to someone who gave him the cold shoulder.
Consequently, he was unaware of the events unfolding over the past few days. Following the natural course of the future, Tony had retaliated against the terrorists and destroyed the weapons his company had been selling under the table.
Meanwhile, the remaining terrorists had outsmarted themselves by contacting Obadiah. Thus, the Iron Monger—currently lacking a power source—was in the process of being born.
Following this, Tony began a rigorous investigation into the weapons division. Through his own firsthand verification, he had confirmed that the weapons used by the terrorists were indeed supplied by his company.
According to company records, all signs pointed to Obadiah being the mastermind behind the scenes, but Tony currently lacked direct evidence.
As the boss's assistant, Pepper needed to report in after finishing her daily work, while also bringing documents that required signatures to Tony. This work usually took place at Tony's villa.
Although their relationship seemed to have shifted after the recent gala, the barrier of their professional status made them both somewhat unnatural, unable to truly open their hearts to one another.
In the workshop, Tony was using tools to tune the various components of the Mark II. After the previous real-combat experience, he had discovered many areas that needed improvement.
Watching Tony focus so intently on researching the armor again, Pepper's heart was filled with complex emotions. She didn't know exactly what Tony had gone through during that period, but the changes in him now made her very uneasy.
Especially when she saw the armor riddled with bullet holes and blast marks that day, she feared in her heart that she might lose Tony again if things continued like this.
Just as she was thinking about how to persuade Tony to stop doing such dangerous things, Tony noticed her arrival and spoke first: "Hey, you free? Can you do me a favor?"
"Go to my office, hack into the mainframe, and get all the shipping manifests."
As he spoke, he handed over a black USB drive, explaining: "Use this to get in. It might be in the executive folders, or it might be a hidden disk."
Actually, Tony had thought about returning to the company to check himself, but if Obadiah was wary of him, it would be difficult to act in secret and might even alert the enemy. If he were to ask anyone else for help, only Happy and Pepper were trustworthy.
But Happy was a computer illiterate who didn't necessarily even know how to copy and paste, and he had no good reason to go to the office. Therefore, only Pepper could help him.
"Why are you doing this?"
Taking the USB drive first, Pepper asked worriedly.
"I'm going to find my weapons and destroy them!" Tony said firmly. Thinking of the tragic state of the town earlier, he felt he had to do this.
"Tony..."
Pepper also thought of the scenes from a few days ago, her eyes filled with deep concern as she urged: "You can't just run wild like this. I can't help you."
"I've decided. From now on, no more opening ceremonies, no more charity, and no more... signing documents!" Tony looked straight at Pepper and said: "My only mission is to destroy these weapons, nothing more."
"Nothing more!?"
Pepper almost laughed out of anger, the look in her eyes growing increasingly complex. Finally, she took a deep breath and said: "Then, I quit!"
Tony clearly hadn't expected Pepper to say that. Watching her drop the USB drive and prepare to turn and leave, he immediately took a step forward to stop her: "For all these years, you've been helping me earn that blood money, and now that I want to make amends, you want to leave!?"
"Because you're committing suicide, Tony, and I really can't do that."
"I was supposed to die anyway." Tony thought again of what Yinsen had said to him as he died in the cave. Sitting on a nearby chair, he said with a complex expression: "Unless I have a reason to live."
"I'm not crazy. I've just realized what I'm supposed to do, and I feel that for me, there's really no other choice!"
Looking at Tony's somewhat helpless and lonely appearance, Pepper ultimately couldn't find the heart to just walk away. After a sigh, she turned back to retrieve the USB drive, looked at Tony, and said: "Other than you, I don't have another choice either!"
If Fini were here, he would surely complain sarcastically: The room is full of the smell of "dog food" (public displays of affection).
"Right, wait a second." Just as Pepper was about to leave, Tony suddenly thought of something and called out to her. After searching the desk for a long time, he finally found a slip of paper and said: "In case something unexpected happens, besides me, you can also call this number and ask him for help. Help me apologize, and say I owe him one."
For the sake of his beloved Pepper, Tony could choose to swallow a bit of his pride. Fini's abilities were eerie and unpredictable; that portal trick was the best backup option he could think of to save the day.
"He is?"
Hearing Tony's words, Pepper was struck with surprise. She had never seen anyone who could make Tony speak like that.
"A little boy who does magic tricks."
Although they had only had two interactions, Tony felt he had some understanding of Fini's character. As long as he was willing to apologize and admit his mistake, the other party would likely agree to a request for help.
Seeming worried that such a description would mislead Pepper, Tony added another sentence: "It's not ordinary magic. Anyway, if there's any dangerous situation, you can call him for help."
Pepper still had a look of confusion on her face, but seeing that Tony had put it this way, she still carefully recorded the number and then prepared to go to the company to find the data for Tony.
If things had followed the original trajectory, Pepper would have thrillingly yet safely found the evidence of Obadiah hiring people to kidnap Tony, as well as the secret construction of the Iron Monger.
But an accident quietly descended.
Perhaps due to Fini's appearance and intervention, Tony's ego hadn't inflated quite as much after creating the armor, and his relationship with Obadiah had become slightly more hostile. This had triggered more vigilance from Obadiah.
Consequently, Pepper suffered for it. While copying files on the computer, she was caught red-handed by Obadiah.
"It was you who had Tony kidnapped!"
In the office, Pepper questioned Obadiah indignantly: "He always treated you like family."
"But you see how he treats me now." Obadiah sneered and replied coldly: "I built and expanded this company with my own hands, while Tony is just an inventor. What right does he have to control the company? And now he even wants to destroy it."
"Pepper, you're a good woman. It's a waste to follow someone like Tony. Come help me. Together, if you get the miniature Arc Reactor technology from Tony's hands, we can control the whole world."
He~tui! (Spit)
Obadiah was still thinking of winning Pepper over at this moment, but Pepper was clearly not a traitor like Kaecilius. After spitting hard at Obadiah to show her stance, she backed away in fear.
At the same time, her hand reached quietly into the bag on her arm, preparing to call the police.
Unfortunately, they were the only two in the room, and her every move couldn't be hidden from Obadiah, who was staring at her intently.
Obadiah thought Pepper was hiding some weapon in her bag and immediately rushed over, preparing to strike first. However, out of consideration for their past relationship and his current position, he didn't intend to kill her directly yet.
Seeing Obadiah's movement, Pepper didn't bother hiding anymore. She immediately reached into her bag, pulled out her phone, and without time to scroll through her contacts, she hurriedly pressed the dial button.
The number happened to be Fini's, which she had just saved!
Work hard, work hard!
(End of Chapter)