Inside the plane carrying him back to the United States, Tony Stark, still slightly disoriented from dehydration, finally opened his eyes. His gaze immediately fell upon Kurohane, sitting upright beside him, staring intently.
"Hey, dark-haired kid," Tony mumbled with a hoarse voice, "I'll never forget your face!"
He tried to move, but found himself tightly strapped to a stretcher. "If you don't mind me asking? Could you untie me again?"
"Of course! But there are a few things we need to discuss," Kurohane replied flatly, without making any move to release Tony's restraints. His eyes were fixed on Tony, his expression showing clear displeasure.
"First, rescuing you was merely my mission, but you didn't even utter a single word of thanks. I'm deeply disappointed. I thought you understood basic courtesy!" Kurohane sighed before continuing. "Second, handcuffing you was also part of my duty. After all, you are the biggest arms dealer of this era. Moreover, you are suspected of tax evasion and bringing back unknown medical equipment into the country! Do you acknowledge that?"
It was only then that Tony Stark realized just how 'straight' Kurohane was. This guy was too honest! For some reason, his honesty always reminded him of the figure his late father often mentioned: Captain America, with his Stars and Stripes uniform. Tony had always disliked that type of person!
However, his current position was not advantageous. He was still helplessly tied to the stretcher. He had to find a way to get the man beside him to release him first. Where had Rhodes gone? Why wasn't he the one accompanying him?
"Um... first of all, thank you for saving me," Tony said in a slightly softer tone, although his dislike for Kurohane was still palpable. "Second, I have the best tax team. I guarantee I've never paid a single cent less than I should. And about this thing on my chest... it's a matter of life and death." Tony's tone sounded sincere, even though he really didn't like Kurohane.
However, Kurohane had a point. He was indeed the biggest arms dealer of this era. When the bomb with the Stark Industries logo exploded beside him, he began to realize that this world might no longer need arms dealers, but rather... heroes!
[Under your influence, Tony Stark decided to shut down the company's weapons division, Justice Value +100]
Kurohane: (Eyebrows raised, surprised) ?
So, I can get Justice Value without killing people?! Persuading people to do good deeds also counts? Compared to ordinary villains, the rewards from these important characters in the story are much greater!
[Ding! Detected that Justice Value has reached 100, do you want to draw a reward?]
"Not now!" Kurohane replied inwardly.
Having unexpectedly gained from Tony Stark, Kurohane suddenly found Tony Stark's face much more pleasing to look at. He took the initiative to untie Tony's restraints and helped him sit up.
Suddenly remembering something, he opened an insulated box beside him, took out two still-warm hamburgers, and offered them to Tony.
"I figured you'd want these right now, even though they're a bit cold."
"Is this... a cheeseburger? Oh my God, it's definitely a cheeseburger!" Tony Stark's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the two hamburgers, then quickly snatched them from Kurohane's hand. Considering he had only relied on intravenous fluids to survive, he felt capable of devouring a whole cow right now!
As soon as he tore open the wrapper, the savory aroma of cheese wafted out, making his mouth water. Not long after, two large cheeseburgers vanished into Tony Stark's gaping mouth!
After the two hamburgers were gone, Tony Stark also felt that Kurohane in front of him looked much more amiable.
"Kuro... hane? You Asian people have such difficult names to pronounce. If you don't mind, could I have another one?"
Kurohane nodded, then took out another hamburger from the insulated box. "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, we've prepared quite a few hamburgers for you. If you want, you can eat them until we get off the plane."
"You need a shorter name," Tony Stark mumbled, grabbing the hamburger from Kurohane's hand. He really didn't feel full yet. After eating heartily, Tony rubbed his bulging stomach, let out a satisfied burp, and smiled at Kurohane. "Hey, kid. Tell me, what do you want from your agency?"
As a shrewd businessman, Tony Stark understood why Kurohane was the one guarding him. At least for the US Military, their organization didn't have this much influence. He had never even heard of such a long name!
"If you have trouble remembering our name, you can call us S.H.I.E.L.D.," Kurohane replied flatly. "Initially, S.H.I.E.L.D. needed you to help us with something, but now I've changed my mind. I need your help to hack into S.H.I.E.L.D.'s system. I suspect my superior is embezzling agency funds. He's even suspected of creating weapons of mass destruction for terrorist activities!"
Kurohane's words were indeed shocking, but they successfully piqued Tony Stark's curiosity. After all, for Tony Stark, the Pentagon's database was like his backyard. He could browse it at will. But now there was a mysterious organization he had never heard of, and someone so honest it was hard to dislike, actually suspecting his superior of doing bad things? This was too interesting!
However, Tony Stark still had the pride of a businessman. He knew that deals shouldn't be agreed to so easily. There had to be room for negotiation to gain more advantages later.
"What's in it for me?" Tony asked in an inquisitive tone.
"After World War II, led by prominent US scientists, an organization called the Strategic Scientific Reserve was formed, which absorbed a number of German scientists and technological resources. This was the predecessor of S.H.I.E.L.D.," Kurohane explained.
"Top US scientists? Could it be..."
"Yes, it's your womanizing late father!" Kurohane immediately threw out the bait, hitting the bullseye to hook Tony Stark.
Although he had long known that Nick Fury was embezzling funds to build the Helicarrier, he still needed concrete evidence! Among all the Avengers, who had the strongest sense of justice might be difficult to answer. However, among them all, the most intriguing person was definitely Tony Stark! Just mentioning Howard Stark's name, and Tony Stark would definitely take the bait!
"Howard Stark... he was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. That's precisely why I accepted the mission to rescue you. A renowned scientist since World War II, died in an ordinary car accident? Forgive me, my agent level isn't high enough to access many documents. If you want to find the answer, it depends on how capable you are."
Tony Stark: (Eyes wide, shocked) (??д?)b
Oh my God... he mentioned it directly! Although his father was notoriously unfaithful, that car accident also took his mother's life! If they didn't die in an ordinary accident, but were murdered, then he would need a powerful ally! And right in front of him stood a sniper capable of taking down hundreds of armed personnel! And the type of person who didn't mince words!
"Agreed! I admit your words have piqued my interest! But I also have a condition. If we successfully uncover the truth behind the events of that year..."
Hearing Tony Stark's words, Kurohane smirked faintly, confidently patting the M9 pistol in his holster and the handcuffs on his waist.
"Even if the opponent is the President himself, I dare to arrest him!"
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