That idiot!
That arrogant, conceited bastard who lost his mind!
William wanted to fly his plane to Malibu immediately and drag Tony out of his damn lab.
Then give him two hard punches to knock some sense into him!
But after the anger, a more rational emotion took over his thoughts.
A thought, with a hint of temptation, surfaced in his mind:
What if... Tony Stark really did suffer an accident in this attack... then the'super insurance' contract he sold him would be triggered.
He would have the chance to extract Tony Stark's ability once again.
Was it that unparalleled armor technology?
Or that genius brain, far ahead of its time?
Whichever it was, it would be enough to bring about a qualitative change in his strength.
From a purely business perspective, this was a sure-fire, no-loss deal.
This thought so perfectly aligned with his consistent 'risk and reward' principle.
So much so that William's body subconsciously shivered.
He was scared by his own idea.
He suddenly lowered his head, looking at his hands.
These hands had just earned five hundred million U.S. dollars from Nick Fury through an intelligence trade.
And now, they were calculating how to extract the maximum value from a friend's misfortune.
When... did I become like this?
He had always thought of himself as just an optimistic businessman, good at disguising himself and with a glib tongue.
He could be unscrupulous in selling insurance, but he never thought he would sell his conscience.
Now, reality slapped him in the face.
In the face of huge profits, that so-called 'bottom line' seemed so fragile.
He recalled when he first transmigrated, frantically running through the streets of New York.
At that time, his greatest wish was just to survive.
It was Tony Stark.
It was this idiot, whom he had cursed ten thousand times in his heart, who gave him the first ticket to a new World.
Without Tony, there would be no William Rodriguez today.
This kindness was heavier than any commercial contract.
"What, while calculating your billionaire friend's death benefits, you suddenly discovered you still had something called a conscience?"
Jessica Jones's voice cut through his disguise.
Exposing that dark calculation to the sunlight.
William turned around, meeting Jessica's all-knowing eyes.
He opened his mouth, but found any defense to be pale and powerless.
Jessica was right.
He had really been thinking that just now.
Only at this moment did he realize that he, too, had unconsciously been molded by this World, full of power and desire, into the very thing he once most disdained—a cold-blooded, profit-driven capitalist monster.
"I..."
Jessica looked at his disconsolate appearance, pursed her lips, and walked over to him with a coffee cup.
"You don't look like a winner who just earned five hundred million U.S. dollars; you look like a gambler who lost his shirt."
These words brought a moment of clarity to William's muddled thoughts.
Yes, what exactly am I agonizing over?
To survive, make a lot of money, and enjoy life.
These were the life goals he had set for himself.
But if, for the sake of making money, even a friend's life and death could be calculated, was that kind of life truly what he wanted?
No matter how much money he made, no matter how strong he became, if he ultimately turned into a monster he didn't even recognize, what would be the point of it all?
He could watch Tony's mansion explode into the sky, then calmly wait for the system prompt to sound, extracting a new, powerful ability.
He could also... do something not so 'cost-effective,' something foolish that might even put him at great risk.
William took a deep breath.
The vexation and struggle in his chest transformed into resolve.
He looked at Jessica, his eyes now filled with an unprecedented determination.
"You're right, Jessica. I'm not a good gambler, because I can't afford to lose."
"I can't afford to lose a friend."
Jessica raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise in her eyes as she looked at the man who seemed to have gone through an internal war in just a few minutes.
"So?" she asked. "Are you going to collect your friend's body? Or are you going to be a hero and save the World?"
"No."
"I'm only responsible for risk management."
"And right now, my biggest client, my most important friend, is facing huge risks."
"As his most professional risk consultant, I naturally have an obligation—to help him avoid this risk!"
Before he finished speaking, William had already turned and strode towards the command center.
That shrewdness and calculation, characteristic of a businessman, returned to him.
"contract!"
"I'm here."
"Immediately hack into the U.S. military satellite network! I want real-time surveillance footage of Point Dume, 10880, at the highest precision!"
"Also, notify Cloak and Dagger to come find me; we might be taking a vacation to California."
After doing all this, William had already sat back in his boss's chair.
Tony's actions, openly challenging a terrorist organization in front of the whole World, were utterly foolish.
But he also knew that when a friend made a fool of himself, he couldn't follow suit, nor could he stand by and do nothing.
Saving Tony Stark was a completely unprofitable deal.
But William felt an unprecedented sense of relief in his heart.
He sold insurance, but he didn't sell his conscience.
Today, he decided to buy the most expensive 'insurance' for his conscience.
On the screen, the World-famous cliffside mansion on Malibu Beach was clearly visible.
The sun was bright, the sea breeze gentle, and everything looked so peaceful.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 70 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
[patreon.com/TripleCrown07]
Thank you so much for your support!!!
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"