"If we can finalize a cooperation agreement for this project and grant you the rights to use the appearance of our weapons, then consider the licensing fee waived. It's yours—no problem at all."
Obadiah Stane said it with a smile, casual and confident.
Toy market? Hundreds of millions in revenue?
He hardly gave it a second thought. To him, that was pocket change. If his plan succeeded, it would bring in far more than just a few hundred million dollars.
The smartphone market was about to explode. China's rapid development meant mobile phones would soon become a necessity for every citizen. With each device costing hundreds, possibly thousands, of dollars, it would quickly evolve into a trillion-dollar market—one Stark Industries could hardly ignore.
And the real prize? The intelligent operating system. It would soon become the true heart of every smartphone, more vital than even the chipsets inside them.
Smart systems had the power to collect data, track user behavior, and even breach personal privacy. That made them not just tech products—but powerful strategic assets.
Obadiah had complete faith in Jarvis, Stark Industries' proprietary AI. China's digital defenses had long been a challenge for the United States. If Jarvis could breach that firewall, it would give America unprecedented access and control.
After all, America's ambition to counter China's rise hadn't faded in the slightest.
It was clear what Obadiah really wanted: to infiltrate China using Jarvis. The waived licensing fee? A mere formality.
China was already the world's factory—manufacturing nearly everything, including 90% of global toys. Toy guns were mass-produced without any concern for copyrights. No one in China paid American companies for such licensing, and frankly, no one cared.
Even Ethan Chen's request to legally license the designs had initially struck Obadiah as laughable. He had to double-check to make sure he'd heard it correctly.
Once confirmed, he saw an opportunity—and devised a new plan to use Ethan as the key to unlock China's market from within.
"That's great to hear. I'm honored to collaborate with you on the smartphone initiative," Ethan replied, appearing eager and excited.
But Ethan—who already knew Obadiah's true nature from his experiences—wasn't fooled. He had a clear idea of the hidden agenda behind the offer. Still, he didn't care.
You want to give me Jarvis? Be my guest.
Thinking he could weaponize Jarvis to dominate the Chinese market? Sorry—wrong guy. As soon as Jarvis was in Ethan's hands, he would witness firsthand the terrifying technological prowess of Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei.
Jarvis? That AI would be reverse-engineered and transformed into Ethan's own tech almost instantly.
"Haha, perfect. And as for the licensing fee—consider it a gift. No strings attached!" Obadiah said with glee. He was thrilled that Ethan had accepted. Money was something he cared about, sure—but control was more important. And in his mind, he'd get it all back later. He had plenty of ways to manipulate a deal.
"Mr. Stane, actually, there's something else I'd like to ask you," Ethan added.
"Go ahead."
Obadiah looked at him curiously, a bit intrigued.
"I've always admired Stark Industries' advanced technologies. I'd love the opportunity to study them up close—to broaden my horizons."
Of course, what Ethan really meant was: I want to see it, touch it, and copy it.
This was the refined art of modern industrial espionage—without anyone ever suspecting a thing.
"Haha, of course! Not a problem at all."
In Obadiah's mind, showing off Stark's cutting-edge tech to some wide-eyed kid from China was hardly a threat. In fact, he wanted to dazzle him. He wanted to reinforce how far ahead America was.
"Tell you what—Tony will be back around noon. I'll introduce you. You're both young, talented men—you'll have plenty to talk about. You can work out the specifics with him directly."
Obadiah was in such a good mood that he was ready to give Ethan a full tour of Stark Industries' most classified equipment.
"Tony's back already?" Ethan blinked, mildly surprised. That was faster than he expected. Maybe he'd misjudged the timeline?
No matter. It didn't change his plans.
Young men, huh? Ethan was twenty. Tony Stark had to be in his mid-thirties by now.
Calling yourself young in your thirties? That's rich.
"Come on, I'll show you the real F-22 Raptor and B-2 bomber!" Obadiah clapped Ethan on the shoulder, grinning. "I heard you didn't see the real thing at Hammer Industries yesterday. Must've been disappointing. Well, you've come to the right place—Stark Industries doesn't deal in models. What we have is the real deal!"
To Obadiah, Ethan was a valuable potential partner. Giving him a tour? No big deal. Letting him touch a few things? What could go wrong? What could this young foreigner possibly take from them?
Steal a fighter jet? Absurd.
In that regard, Obadiah wasn't much different from Justin Hammer. Both men had bloated egos. They just showed it in different ways.
Justin would say it aloud. Obadiah? He kept his superiority complex under wraps.
"That sounds amazing!"
Ethan was genuinely excited. This was the opportunity he'd been waiting for.
He wasn't pretending this time—these technologies were worth more than gold. With them, China's military capabilities would leap ahead in ways no one had thought possible.
Obadiah, smug and self-assured, led Ethan to a massive production facility. Ethan got to touch both the F-22 Raptor and the B-2 stealth bomber, inspecting them up close. They continued through the park, and Ethan got a look at a wide array of weapons and equipment.
From handheld firearms to next-generation jets, Ethan explored it all. He touched, observed, and memorized. Meanwhile, Obadiah, clueless and prideful, had no idea he was helping Ethan extract his most prized technologies.
Poor Stark Industries. It had followed Hammer Industries into the same trap. Unwittingly, they'd handed over the crown jewels of American defense technology.
And the one who had made it all possible? None other than Obadiah Stane himself.
No one—neither Obadiah nor Justin—could have imagined that Ethan Chen, an unassuming young man, was capable of absorbing all their technology simply by seeing, touching, or analyzing it.
By the end of the day, Ethan's Huaqiangbei tech arsenal had already surpassed that of Stark Industries—combining the best of both Stark and Hammer into something even more powerful.