"Let's drop that for now," Tony said, turning to Rhodey.
"Tell me about that so-called Mandarin. Who is he?"
This was what Tony cared about most.
"That's classified, Tony," Rhodey replied.
Tony continued to stare at him without blinking.
"…Fine," Rhodey sighed.
"From the beginning until now, there have been nine bombing incidents in total. The public only knows about three of them."
"As expected—excellent information control," Tony said sarcastically, mocking Rhodey—or rather, the authorities behind him.
Rhodey rolled his eyes and continued.
"The most critical point is this: no explosives or suspected explosive devices were found at any of the scenes. Not even fragments or blast marks."
"You know I can help you investigate," Tony suddenly said with a grin.
"Just ask."
Tony knew the limits of police investigations very well. Some of their equipment was even manufactured by Stark Industries. Naturally, their investigative capabilities were nowhere near his.
"I've got plenty of high-tech toys," Tony continued smugly.
"I even have a dedicated navigation suit and the latest bomb-disposal equipment. I can contain explosions within an extremely small range."
He looked at Rhodey expectantly, clearly waiting for him to beg.
Before Rhodey could respond, two children walked up holding crayon drawings, asking Tony for his autograph. The drawings depicted Iron Man saving the world.
"No problem. What's your name?" Tony asked warmly.
"Allen~"
Tony not only signed the drawing, but also added a few strokes of his own—turning it into a scene where the little girl was rescuing Iron Man instead. He signed his name beneath it.
The two kids left happily. Only then did Rhodey continue.
"Tony, the Senate is in a state of panic right now. Ever since the New York incident, the credibility of the military and the government has dropped to an unimaginable low. They desperately need to restore their image and prove their strength."
"So stopping the Mandarin is their top priority," Rhodey said, then paused.
"But—"
"But it has nothing to do with superheroes, right?" Tony interrupted, shrugging.
"They don't want superheroes overshadowing them. I get it."
The military wanted public confidence to return to them, not to so-called superheroes.
"Exactly," Rhodey said helplessly.
"That's the Senate's position. So you really can't get involved in this."
In truth, the matter would be easy for Tony and the other heroes. As Tony said, with satellite triangulation and his navigation armor, locating the terrorists' base wouldn't take long.
But Rhodey was only a colonel. His opinion carried little weight. And the higher-ups were determined to exclude the New York heroes entirely, hoping to prove that the military was no less capable than these so-called superheroes.
---
At the same time, Happy was inspecting the security systems in Stark Tower.
Ever since the building switched to arc reactor power, the electrical systems required little maintenance. But other security measures still needed careful oversight, and Happy took his responsibilities seriously.
After Tony acquired the nanotech armor, Happy officially became Stark Industries' head of security, responsible for the tower's overall safety—a genuine executive position.
He could easily sit in an office and issue orders, but he was the kind of person who simply couldn't sit still. Whenever possible, he still preferred to handle things personally.
Happy brought a document to Pepper for her signature. It was a security proposal.
Tony had previously built a large number of cleaning robots, which were now sitting idle in the basement.
"After Tony made them, he just dumped them in the basement," Happy said.
"He even dressed them up as cartoon characters."
The document clearly stated that these robots had been collecting dust for years.
"We should put these robots to use. Leaving them idle is a waste—might as well melt them down otherwise."
"You're seriously suggesting replacing all security personnel with robots?"
Pepper stared at him in disbelief.
"These are company assets," Happy said earnestly.
"I've identified a major vulnerability—our staff structure is too large and too complex. Human Resources, in particular, is a critical point. I plan to—"
"Happy," Pepper interrupted, completely stunned.
"Are you serious? Firing the entire HR department and replacing them with robots?"
She genuinely wondered if Happy had lost his mind.
"Happy, I'm very happy for you—really," Pepper said carefully.
"You became Stark Industries' head of security, and no one could do that job better than you."
"Oh—thank you," Happy said, perking up.
"However," Pepper continued,
"since you took this position, employee complaints have tripled. And almost all of them are about you."
She was exhausted. Over the past few days alone, she had received more than a dozen complaints—all targeting Happy.
"Happy, I think you're too tense," Pepper said calmly.
"Stark Industries isn't nearly as dangerous as you imagine. This is Stark Industries—who could just barge in here? And even if they did, Tony's armors would handle it in no time."
Happy froze.
Then… what was the point of his position?
"Happy," Pepper said honestly,
"Tony didn't want you constantly on edge. He gave you this role so you could enjoy life."
Tony's real intention had been to promote Happy into a cushy executive role—good pay, minimal stress—so he could finally relax, date, and live a normal life.
"Oh… I hadn't thought of it that way," Happy admitted.
"But you know me. I'm not the kind of person who can just sit around doing nothing."
He was already used to this pace of life. Letting him suddenly relax made him feel uncomfortable all over. Not everyone could be like Lucas—lying flat all day without a care in the world.
"Ms. Potts, the visitor scheduled for three o'clock has arrived,"
the secretary said as she approached.
"Alright, I'll be right there," Pepper replied.
She turned back to Happy.
"Relax, Happy. You're a company executive now. You don't need to handle everything personally. Enjoying life is important too."
Then her tone shifted slightly.
"But the person I'm about to meet—I'll need you to come with me."
"What's wrong? Is this person dangerous?"
Happy immediately straightened up, alert.
Finally—his moment to shine.
Ever since Natasha had effortlessly thrown him over her shoulder before, Happy had been training hard in combat and mixed martial arts. Now, at last, it might pay off.
"No," Pepper said.
"I used to work with him. He keeps trying to ask me out, but you know—I'm with Tony now."
She hesitated slightly.
"So it might be awkward. If he's here strictly for business, that's fine. But if he shows any inappropriate intentions…"
Happy immediately understood.
In other words, if it was business, great.
If not—Happy would be escorting someone out the door.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For 20 advanced chapters, visit my Patreon:
Patreon - Twilight_scribe1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you enjoyed Marvel Manifestor, please give it a Power Stone and leave a review! Your support means everything.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~