60: Chapter 60: The Final Puzzle

The seaside villa.

Tony stared at the figure flying around in silver armor on the screen, his expression complex.

Anger, disdain, and a hint of something he didn't want to admit... wariness.

"How dare they plagiarize me!"

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain, Taiwan Novel Network, for reading at any time.]

"j.a.r.v.i.s., look it up. Who is this bastard?"

"No information available, sir."

Tony's face was as grim as could be; he had to admit the other's armor power output and defensive performance were significantly better than his Mark 3.

j.a.r.v.i.s. repeatedly compared the data and finally concluded: The opponent's armor power output is 47% higher than the current model, and the odds of winning a head-on confrontation are less than thirty percent.

This wasn't just plagiarism; it was total domination.

Tony gritted his teeth and accepted it.

So, for the next month or so, he locked himself in his workshop again to upgrade the armor.

However, the tree craves stillness, but the wind does not subside.

Over the past month, that fake iron man had gone viral online. He first took out over a dozen armed outposts in Afghanistan and then pulled off a low-altitude penetration over NATO, completely stealing the spotlight from the original.

When Tony came out and heard the news, he nearly smashed the champagne he had just opened.

However, more bad news arrived.

Days of staying up late caused Tony to feel a sharp pain in his chest, and his phlegm was streaked with blood.

Startled, Tony ran a check on himself and discovered he was poisoned!

"Sir, the palladium toxins from the arc reactor are seeping into your body through your bloodstream."

"If not treated in time, it will be life-threatening."

Tony panicked. Just as he was about to give up in despair after finding no cure, j.a.r.v.i.s. delivered more bad news:

"Sir, detecting the latest news: the imposter will hold a press conference at the Stark Industries Expo Center in New York."

"What? This fake is coming to my turf to run wild?!"

"I can't let this imposter keep being so arrogant."

The thing Tony could least tolerate in his life was someone stealing his things and then acting high and mighty over him.

"j.a.r.v.i.s., suit me up!"

"Sir, your physical condition..."

"Cut the crap!" Tony gritted his teeth, letting the Mechanical Arm cover his body with the Mark 5. "I want to see which bastard dares to steal the Stark name!"

The gold-and-red armor soared into the sky, cutting through the New York night, heading straight for the Expo Center.

...

At the Expo Center press conference, the venue was packed with people.

Flashes went off everywhere as reporters jostled for a front-row seat.

Obadiah Stane stood at the side of the stage, unable to hide the grin on his face.

Two months ago, he had followed Fu Haoran's advice and removed all important data from his computer.

Sure enough, not long after, Tony's beautiful assistant, Pepper Potts, had snuck into his office and accessed his computer.

This made Obadiah breathe a sigh of relief while also becoming more wary of his collaborator, Fu Haoran.

However, after getting the production line he provided, the other party had vanished.

Aside from occasional phone calls, Obadiah had never seen him again.

Obadiah was satisfied with this; at every critical moment, the other party would provide vital advice.

For example, letting Ivan take the lead to become iron man and steal the spotlight.

Now, the military has shown great interest and plans to make large-scale purchases.

However, none of this was the main event.

The upcoming performance was the final killing blow.

As long as that playboy Tony couldn't help but make a move, he would have the chance to eliminate him.

When that time comes, the entire Stark Industries group will belong to him!

Obadiah looked down at the stage and tilted his chin toward Ivan beside him. "Go on, you're the star today. Once this press conference is over, the whole world will know who the true father of the arc reactor is."

Ivan curled his lip, a flash of ruthlessness in his eyes.

Now, he was replacing Tony step by step.

Not only had he become iron man first, but he was also going to take his industry.

Just thinking about Tony's face turning purple with rage when he saw the news made him feel great all over.

The silver armor landed slowly on the stage.

The faceplate flipped up, revealing Ivan's cynical face.

Facing the blinding flashes, he raised his hand in greeting. His English, spoken with a heavy Russian accent, echoed through the venue via the speakers:

"The Iron Man Armor circulating online is the latest achievement independently developed by me, Ivan Vanko!"

"I am iron man!"

The reporters went wild.

The sound of shutters clicking filled the air, and the flashes almost turned the venue into daylight.

On the stock market screen outside the venue, Stark Industries' stock price skyrocketed, and Obadiah's eyes crinkled into slits as he smiled.

Watching the frenzy below, Ivan's smile widened as he added, "As for Tony Stark? He's just a loser living off his father's legacy. The true arc reactor technology never belonged to the Stark family."

Just as he finished speaking, a loud explosion erupted from the top of the venue.

A gold-and-red figure crashed through the glass dome and slammed heavily into the center of the stage.

The shockwave instantly knocked over the front-row reporters; cameras fell to the ground, and the sound of lenses shattering echoed one after another.

The gold-and-red armor stood firm, the faceplate opened, and Tony Stark raised an eyebrow as he looked over Ivan, his voice dripping with disdain:

"Oh? iron man? I didn't know Stark Industries had such a bootleg branding business."

He pointed at the inverted triangular reactor on Ivan's chest and sneered, "Where did you find that thing on your chest, some toy store? The scrap in my garage is more sophisticated than that."

The reporters below instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Two iron men?!"

"Who is the real one?？"

Obadiah's expression changed, and he rushed up to grab Tony. "Tony, calm down. Let's talk privately. Don't go crazy here!"

"Crazy?" Tony shoved him away and sneered. "You steal my technology, take my name, and then call me crazy?"

His gaze fell on Ivan's reactor again, his mockery deepening. "A bootleg is a bootleg. No matter how much it looks like the real thing, it's just discarded scrap from my garage—cheap and pathetic."

When it came to sharp tongues, Ivan was no match for Tony. He immediately unleashed his full sarcasm: "Is that so? Did you build it before me, or did you go public before me?"

"You're just a jealous brat who came out to try and steal my candy because I'm in the spotlight. Oh, wait, you're an orphan with no parents..."

The next second, Tony raised his hand without warning. The palm repulsor instantly charged, and a searing white laser blast erupted.

Ivan sneered inwardly as he watched Tony lose control.

He didn't dodge, taking the blast head-on.

The laser hit his chest armor square, sending him flying backward like a broken kite, slamming hard into the steel backdrop backstage.

Boom.

The ten-meter-high backdrop collapsed with a roar, burying him completely under the debris.

Although a section of Ivan's breastplate was dented, the internal structure remained intact.

What he wanted was proof that Tony had struck first.

"That guy Fu was right. As long as I mock Tony for having no parents, he loses his mind."

"Good. Now I can strike back openly."

Ivan shouted into the comms channel, "Alright, everyone, move out!"

Ivan thought he had hired a group of mercenaries, but he didn't know that these free mercenaries were all Reincarnators.

Meanwhile, seeing the scene spiral out of control, Obadiah quietly retreated backstage, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number: "Send in the mercenaries. I want both Tony and Ivan dead."

Obadiah couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.