Marvel Magic Case Files

Chapter 851 Secret Deal (First Update)

Stephen Strange was just as repulsive as Tony Stark before the Afghan events. Only hardship could mold these arrogant idiots into normal people. Now, talking to Stark no longer evoked the same urge to punch his eyes out of his skull. But Salomon still couldn't get along with Tony Stark. If it weren't for Stark's research capabilities and his advanced technology, which Salomon envied, he would have avoided speaking to the guy altogether. It wasn't just because of their differing tastes (Tony Stark liked curvy women, while Salomon, though also attracted to women, preferred those with some muscle definition), but because both lacked trust in most people.

Stark distrusts Salomon, believing he should inform the Avengers about the crisis so everyone can find a solution. Even if it's not resolved, at least he won't die an unclear death—this is the "citizen's right to know" that Stark and Steve Rogers desire. Of course, the situation changes when it comes to him; for example, he might think certain information is unsuitable for the public because it would only lead to social chaos—in short, Tony Stark treats the Avengers as an independent official agency. Salomon knows why he thinks this way: because "the people love us." Avengers-flavored ice cream is a bestseller, children inevitably receive Avengers-themed gifts for Christmas, and anything related to the Avengers sells very well—Hasbro can guarantee it.

Tony Stark's unguarded mindset is like a door that arcane mages can enter and exit at will.

"Looks like you've finally found a way to save the Avengers from destruction. Congratulations, Stark," Salomon said sarcastically. "Though your comrades won't agree with your idea."

"You have a spy in the White House... damn mind reading."

"Your thoughts are easy to read, but I don't need to know the details to understand what's going on. Your comings and goings with the Rockefeller family are no secret, nor is it a secret that you handed over most of the benefits of the Arc Reactor clean energy project. I believe some people have already noticed something amiss." Salomon gestured towards the bar area; the agents who had been pretending to drink and chat seemed oblivious to his gesture. The bartender approached and poured another shot of whiskey into Salomon's untouched glass. "In their eyes, I'm still sitting at the bar drinking. Of the people who came with you, two belong to the CIA, one to the FBI, and one to the Homeland Security. There are only two real S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, one of whom is the bartender. From the beginning, the Avengers have been transparent to intelligence agencies, and so has your intelligence."

“I know, but do you think I had a choice?” Stark sighed anxiously. “I’m a normal person, not some weirdo wizard who can just disappear to some corner of the earth. I have to think about Pepper, and my destined daughter. And Steve, he certainly doesn’t want to be locked up in a military lab as research material for the super-soldier serum. And Natasha, she certainly doesn’t want to be locked up and interrogated by the intelligence agencies or sent out again as a spy—you can’t imagine what they’ll do to her. Clint, he has a wife and children, he needs a quiet life undisturbed. Dr. Banner, I haven’t seen him lately, but General Ross would be happy to take him away. And Vision, a lot of people want to take him down… even if you don’t count them, there’s my driver Happy, my employees, except for Thor and you, who don’t need to worry about them. I have to do this, I have to protect these people, it’s a necessary compromise. Good heavens, do we really have to talk about this? I just got back from Washington, and it took me ages to clear my head of all this crap! I don’t want to talk about this anymore!”

Tony Stark became increasingly agitated, downing all the liquor in one gulp, then coughing violently as if he were trying to cough up his lungs.

At this moment, the bartender came over and refilled their drinks.

"You've changed a lot, Salomon," Stark said. "What happened?"

"That's what growth is. If you can't see yourself as an idiot a year ago, then you haven't grown at all," Salomon said with a smile. "Like you, I'm ready to take responsibility, so I will grow."

"Including Finnbowent?" Stark clicked his tongue. "I never understood why you were unwilling to reveal your identity and become a hero, but now I know."

"I don't know what you've figured out, but the emergence of superheroes stems from a lack of public safety and credibility, and has absolutely nothing to do with what I've done. Besides, I have no interest in being pointed at and discussed endlessly, or in being liked by a bunch of people, you idiot."

All the agents stood up tensely, drawing their weapons and scanning their surroundings. Even the bartender behind the counter pulled out a gleaming silver pistol. One of the agents first reported the situation through a miniature microphone on his collar, then walked to the bar. "The agents monitoring outside haven't seen anything. Mr. Stark, where's the target?"

"I don't know, we had a great chat." Tony Stark picked up Salomon's untouched glass of wine and took a sip. "Then he disappeared. You know the target of this mission has superpowers, what could I do?"

He knew Salomon was going to kill some people.

As part of the deal, he wouldn't say anything this time. Sometimes he admired Salomon's eloquence; if this guy weren't a wizard, with his education and abilities, he could easily have reached the pinnacle of human society as either a scholar or a politician. Salomon would try every means to delay the Rockefeller family's move towards new energy sources, and Tony Stark would have Pepper Potts secretly cooperate. Salomon seemed so impatient that Stark even thought he had some irreconcilable feud with the Rockefeller family.

Indeed, this was the case. The first formal combat training exercise in Immortal City was against the Clinton family's private army, and Clinton's biological father was Winthrop Rockefeller of the Rockefeller family—not exactly a secret in Little Rock. Coupled with Hilary Clinton's close ties to the Freemasons and Yale's Skull and Bones, the Sorority's true targets were the Rockefeller family and a series of financial conglomerates. Tony Stark, as a rising star, succumbed to these people, which is why the media they controlled constantly praised the Avengers—if he had refused, the media could have manipulated the public, causing the Avengers' reputation to plummet, and even leading the White House to label them a terrorist organization.

Only through Hydra's years of planning and infiltration could Salomon understand the human society beneath the surface through the Malik family. Aside from the Nazi faction, the other Hydra factions' influence on society was even less than the societal divisions caused by the women's rights and human rights movements initiated by the Frankfurt School founded by these conglomerates. Although these conglomerates weren't officially Hydra, their actions were far worse.

On the other hand, Standard Oil is also a crucial partner of the Immortal City, so Salomon's attack on the Rockefeller family is also for the Immortal City's development. After all, it's better to keep energy resources like oil in one's own hands, like the Malik family—Gideon Malik is very pleased. The Malik family has never been involved in the energy sector, but now things are different. By following Salomon, they can snatch a piece of the pie that has already been divided up from others, and it doesn't matter who takes the pie from.

Please vote for me!

(End of this chapter)