"Sir, the flight path has been approved."
William turned around to face Cloak and Dagger, who were waiting nearby.
This duo had trained even harder after the Battle of New York.
"We're going to California for a business trip."
"A valued client's 'asset security' has run into a minor issue, requiring our on-site assessment and intervention."
"Asset security?"
Tandy sounded a bit confused.
"A person."
Jessica Jones, holding a vodka bottle, leaned against the doorframe and added, "A billionaire who lives in a palace by the sea and just challenged Terrorists from all over the World on TV."
William ignored Jessica's complaint, "Your mission is 'extraction.' At the critical moment, you are to forcibly remove the target from the danger zone."
With that, William turned to Jessica, "Want to come along?"
...Inside the plane.
Tandy and Tyrone sat upright, looking serious.
They were like two students about to take an important exam.
Jessica, however, was a completely different sight.
She was completely sunk into the soft sofa, swirling a glass of red wine, her lips stained as if with fresh blood.
"Tsk, after doing such big business, even the transportation for business trips has been upgraded significantly."
"Xiao Wei, you're telling me with your actions that a conscience is indeed worthless."
William gazed out the window, looking down at the rapidly receding city lights below.
He was conducting a review.
From a pure business return perspective, saving Tony was a complete investment failure.
Not only was there no direct profit,
but it also required a significant investment of time and effort, and could even put his team in unknown danger.
Risk management manages not only money and assets but also one's inner self.
If he abandoned his most basic principles for profit, he would sooner or later become a puppet controlled by the system and his desires.
That kind of "success" was not what he wanted.
"I'm merely performing a necessary 'asset maintenance.'"
William turned around and gave Jessica a smile.
"The potential value of this Tony Stark policy far exceeds your imagination. Ensuring his survival is ensuring my future profits. That's very consistent with business logic, isn't it?"
Jessica rolled her eyes, too lazy to expose his high-sounding self-justification.
Just then, a sharp, urgent alarm blared in the cabin.
The screen in the cabin lit up, automatically switching to a live broadcast.
The picture shook violently, filled with smoke and Fire from an explosion.
In the background were the screams of countless reporters and onlookers.
The camera's focus was on the cliff at Malibu Beach, a place that had once been a dream for countless people.
But at this moment, the World-famous mansion was collapsing in a series of explosions, turning into countless burning debris falling into the sea.
So fast?!
From Tony's announcement of his address on TV to the attack, only a few short hours had passed!
The so-called "Mandarin's" efficiency and ruthlessness far exceeded his expectations!
"contract!"
"I'm here, My Lord."
"Immediately track the last known flight path of the Mark 42 Armor! Cross-reference civilian aviation records and meteorological data to calculate its crash point!"
"Command received, analyzing... trajectory interrupted over the central United States. Based on wind speed and debris trajectory, the final crash zone is locked... Tennessee, Rose Hill Town."
"Very good." William spun around abruptly and yelled toward the cockpit, "Immediately adjust the flight path! Destination, Tennessee, Rose Hill!"
"Tennessee? How are you so sure he'll be there?"
Jessica finally recovered from her shock, asking with a frown.
"The Armor ran out of energy; he could only fall like a lump of iron. And that small town is the only potentially populated place on the crash trajectory. That guy, Tony, even if he's barely alive, would never let himself freeze to death in the wilderness."
Hours later, the aircraft landed in a secluded clearing outside Rose Hill Town.
The biting cold wind, carrying dry dust, cut at their faces like knives.
Compared to the brightly lit New York and the warm, humid Malibu, this U.S. town felt like another World.
"Split up."
William pulled up the collar of his trench coat, his White breath instantly dispersed by the wind. "Tandy, Tyrone, you're responsible for the East District, looking for any unusual energy fluctuations or explosion traces. Jessica, the West District is yours; keep an eye out for any suspicious individuals fitting the 'homeless' description."
"What about you?"
"Me?"
William pulled out his phone. On the topographic map generated by 'contract' on the screen, a blue dot representing him was flashing.
"I'm in charge of 'approaching science.'"
William walked alone on the empty streets of the town, constantly giving commands to contract, filtering out all useless environmental information, and focusing the search on the residual energy radiation of a 'miniature arc reactor.'
Time passed minute by minute, and the search area was eliminated one by one on the map.
Just as William's patience was about to run out, contract finally delivered a long-awaited prompt.
["Faint but unique energy residue detected, source: a private garage north of town."]
Found him!
William's spirits lifted, and he immediately rushed toward the target location.
It was a garage that looked abandoned for many years, its rolling door rusty, its windows covered in thick dust.
But from the crack in the door, a faint light could be seen, accompanied by the sound of metal clanging and a boy's excited chatter.
William lightened his steps, approaching silently, and peered through a gap in the grimy window.
Inside the garage, a thin, haggard man was with a blond boy who looked about ten years old.
Tony looked like a homeless man who had just crawled out of a dumpster.
He was holding crude tools, trying to repair the severely damaged Mark 42 Armor on the ground, while the little boy, like a small assistant, chattered incessantly, occasionally handing him a wrench or a screwdriver.
Seeing this scene, the huge stone that had been weighing on William's heart finally fell.
It's good that he's alive.
He tidied his collar, cleared his throat, and then knocked on the rusty rolling door.
"Thump thump thump."
The conversation inside abruptly stopped.
"Who is it?"
The little boy asked cautiously.
William, with a hint of teasing in his tone, slowly began:
"Excuse me, is this Mr. Tony Stark? Rodriguez Risk Management Company is at your service. Looking at you, it seems your previously booked Malibu beachfront five-star resort package has been forcibly downgraded to a Tennessee wilderness survival experience. Would you like us to submit a claim for you?"
-------------------------------
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!"