"Here, the burger you asked for."
The car rolled to a stop, and Tony Stark stepped out, his face scratched and clothes dusty from his recent ordeal. His loyal driver and bodyguard, Happy Hogan, handed him a fast-food burger.
"Tony! My dear nephew, you're finally back!"
Obadiah Stane greeted Tony with a broad smile, walking forward to pull him into a tight, overly enthusiastic hug.
"Let's get you to a hospital first."
Noticing Tony's visible injuries, Obadiah put on a look of concern as he suggested medical attention.
"No need. I'm fine," Tony replied with a calm smile. He scanned the surroundings and spotted the media already gathered. Ignoring Obadiah, he headed straight into the reception area. Before arriving, he had already tipped off the press about holding an emergency press conference.
No one present could have predicted that Tony was about to make an announcement that would send shockwaves through the defense industry: the immediate shutdown of Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division—America's most prominent military supplier.
Naturally, Ethan Chen wouldn't miss this kind of pivotal moment. He followed with great interest.
…
"I've had a wake-up call. I now realize I can offer the world something far more valuable than just advanced weaponry. And so, I've made a decision—I'm shutting down Stark Industries' weapons manufacturing division. Effective immediately."
Tony's words were delivered with calm finality. The moment they left his mouth, the press room fell into stunned silence.
"Until I decide on a new direction for the company," he added.
Even though Obadiah stepped forward, trying to halt Tony before he could go further, the damage was done. The reporters had heard everything loud and clear. There was no taking it back now.
"I'd say today's headlines are going to fly off the shelves," Obadiah said with a strained chuckle, trying desperately to smooth things over as he took to the podium.
But Tony wasn't finished.
"I'll be seeking a direction I believe is in alignment with what's best for our country and the world."
With that, he walked off the stage, leaving behind confusion, chaos, and Obadiah to handle the fallout.
This was the part that infuriated Obadiah the most. Tony had always acted unilaterally, and now, without so much as consulting the board or his closest advisors, he had made a decision that could sink the company. Obadiah, who had been instrumental in building Stark Industries into a global power, now found himself completely sidelined.
"Well then, let's focus on the positive—Tony's back and safe," Obadiah said through gritted teeth, forcing a smile as he began answering the onslaught of questions from reporters.
All the while, Ethan Chen watched with quiet interest. For him, this was a learning experience.
His ideals, however, couldn't have been more different from Tony's.
Tony had become disillusioned with the destructive consequences of the weapons his company built. They had fallen into the wrong hands—used to kill the very people they were meant to protect. His decision was fueled by guilt and a desire to make amends.
But Ethan? He believed the opposite.
To him, strength was the only true deterrent. Only superior technology could protect a nation. Only by being powerful could one stand against unforeseen dangers. That's why Ethan had come to America—to Hammer Industries, to Stark Industries. His mission wasn't public-facing; it was quiet, tactical, and covert.
In truth, Ethan's operation was closer to what one might call "industrial espionage." But no one could have guessed his secret.
Because who would believe that simply observing a piece of tech could give him deep insight into its workings? That touching it would allow him to replicate it in full?
His talent was so impossible, no one would think it was real.
And now, with access to Stark Industries and Hammer Tech, he had successfully absorbed nearly all of their most advanced technologies.
After Tony exited, Obadiah tried to contain the press frenzy. But it was too late. The bombshell announcement had already rippled outward—soon, the entire nation, even the world, would be talking about it.
"That damned brat…"
Once the media had finally cleared out, Obadiah muttered under his breath, his fake smile dropping to reveal clenched teeth and stormy eyes.
"Where the hell did he go?"
Obadiah turned to one of his aides, his patience exhausted. He was furious. Tony had just unilaterally shut down the company's most profitable division, treating Obadiah—technically still a key member of the board—as if he were a nobody.
"He went to the Ark Reactor lab," the assistant replied quickly.
"Let's go. You too, Mr. Chen."
Obadiah's tone was clipped, no longer trying to keep up appearances for Ethan. The warmth he'd shown earlier was gone.
Ethan didn't mind. Obadiah was angry, and he had no intention of provoking him further. Besides, Ethan had long looked forward to finally meeting Tony Stark face-to-face.
Following the fuming Obadiah, they made their way back to the Ark Reactor facility—where they had just been earlier.
When they stepped into the lab, they found Tony standing beneath the towering reactor structure, lost in thought, gazing up at the enormous piece of technology.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" Obadiah asked, frustrated and exasperated.
"I'd guess I'm public enemy number one right about now," Tony replied nonchalantly, as if he'd rehearsed this moment in his mind dozens of times. None of this surprised him.
"You're definitely catching heat, but what about me?" Obadiah stepped closer, his voice tinged with resentment. "I can already picture Stark's stock crashing through the floor."
"Oh, by the way, who's this?"
Tony finally noticed Ethan standing quietly in the background.
"Oh, this is Mr. Ethan Chen. We've come to some preliminary agreements on the smartphone sector. We're planning to explore it further," Obadiah explained with a flat tone, clearly unenthusiastic.
"Smartphones, huh? Actually, not a bad pivot. Maybe Stark Industries should consider building phones," Tony mused, intrigued by the idea. Even in this tense moment, he couldn't help but spot potential.
"That would be a brilliant direction," Ethan agreed, offering a polite nod. "Certainly more constructive than building bombs."
At least with smartphones, we'd be putting tech into hands that build lives—not end them.
At minimum, Ethan thought, it's better than turning Stark into a glorified baby bottle company.