Kamen Rider ZZZ from the American comic book world

Tony's behavior in the first half of his life meant that he could actually trust only a handful of people. Happy couldn't help in this situation, Pepper needed to stabilize the company and shareholders, and Rhodes needed to negotiate with the military.

Driven by this immense distrust, Tony didn't want to meet any shareholders, executives, or military personnel; he preferred chatting with a high school student to seeing those people.

"So you want to fight those guys?" Li Ai asked.

Upon hearing this, Tony's eyes lit up. This was exactly the answer he was looking for. "Yes! I can become someone who declares war on criminals who illegally use technology and tell them that if they dare to cross the line, they will have to face my wrath."

A rough idea of ​​a plan formed in Tony's mind, and he prepared to put it into practice.

“Great idea, Mr. Stark. You certainly have the ability to create a platform that can become a symbol.”

Li Ai first acknowledged the other party's ideas, then changed the subject and stated directly:

"Even if I hadn't investigated you, I could still hear from entertainment news that Tony Stark dated twelve magazine cover girls last year and that he frequents Las Vegas."

So, where does America's biggest playboy begin to change? And how can he possibly reverse the public's impression of his extravagant lifestyle without sufficient physical and mental strength to back it up? You've probably already seen the consequences, haven't you?

All sorts of gossip spilled out, completely exposing Tony's past decadent lifestyle, every word hitting him like a dagger.

Tony was silent for a moment, then turned to look at the reflective wall, using it as a mirror to examine himself.

Years of decadent lifestyle had indeed taken a toll on his health, making Tony realize that he still had a long way to go.

"Starting today, I'm quitting drinking and gambling!" Tony said firmly. "And I'll also have a customized fitness plan. I'm going to break free from that kind of life."

Li Ai smiled and said, "It seems this conversation can end now."

"Pretty much. I still have a lot to do. The stock price will definitely plummet after the announcement of the closure of the weapons division. I need to reassure the shareholders and also put that weapons smuggling bastard in jail."

After saying this, the two got up, and Tony led Li Ai to the garage. Before seeing off this high school student whom he found somewhat agreeable, he even generously said:

"When you're ready to apply to university, I can write you a letter of recommendation. Oh, and I'll prepare a gift for you in a few days, so remember to answer the phone then."

“I’m really looking forward to that day,” Li Ai replied.

At that moment, Happy arrived at the garage, got into the driver's seat, and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Let's go."

........................

Meanwhile, in the VIP suite on the top floor of a five-star hotel in Manhattan, New York, Obadiah Stan sat on an expensive leather sofa, silently looking at text messages on his phone.

His informant, who was stationed near the villa in the woods, only saw one car go in and out, and then nothing more.

"Tony, what exactly are you trying to do?" Obadiah rubbed his hands together, cursing the terrorists inwardly for their dirty tricks.

Those terrorists were too clever for their own good, thinking that as long as they trapped Tony, they could get a continuous supply of Jericho missiles. In the end, they were killed by Tony instead.

Moreover, since Tony returned to America and delivered a speech announcing the closure of the weapons department, he has locked himself in his suburban woodland villa outside New York, and no one knows what he is doing inside.

Obadiah had no idea what Tony was planning to do.

More importantly, those words would definitely cause Stark Industries' stock price to fluctuate and the group to transform, which would trigger a shareholders' meeting and may also lead to external investigations. When that happens, his arms smuggling business will be exposed.

To stop all this, we must strike first.

Obadiah's phone received two text messages. One was a list of blueprints his private armed squad had found while searching the cave where Tony was being held.

“Tony, even in a cave, you can create weapons that will shake the world.” Obadiah stared at the blueprints, his eyes filled with fascination.

The blueprints depicted the MK1 armor that Tony had built for his escape. Although its structure was crude, he knew the weapon's immense potential.

Obadiah believed that if he could silence the person who invented the weapon, and given his knowledge of Stark Industries' secrets, he could easily switch jobs to another company, secure a livelihood, and continue living a wealthy life.

The other message consisted of only a short sentence.

E.G.: I've arrived.

Obadiah turned to look out the huge floor-to-ceiling window. At the end of the platform was a helipad where a private helicopter was slowly landing.

The helicopter rotors slowly stopped spinning, and a tall, slender woman wearing a white evening gown and gold and gemstone jewelry stepped out.

"This woman is still as flamboyant as ever," Obadiah said, pursing his lips.

This person was Obadiah's business partner and also the representative of the faction he chose to switch sides.

The woman's name is Exeira Gioni. Born into European nobility, she is a high-ranking executive at the multinational corporation Trinity.

Sanlian Company's main businesses are pharmaceuticals, shipping, and resource extraction, but as market competition has intensified in recent years, they have gradually shifted their focus to the military industry.

Obadiah, who was considering switching jobs, secretly contacted Triumvirate and sold a number of weapon prototypes, making his cooperation with Triumvirate even closer.

Chapter 28 Biological Weapons (2/3, requesting monthly votes and continued reading)

Under Obadiah's watchful eye, Exera entered the VIP room and sat on the sofa opposite him.

"Your idea of ​​joining Sanlian Company some time ago has been approved by the higher-ups," Axela brought good news.

Obadiah smiled and said, "It seems our cooperation is going very well. But since I've given you so many advanced weapons, shouldn't Tri-United Corporation do me a favor in return?"

Upon hearing this, Exera realized that Obadiah needed her help, but knowing that business is a two-way street, she asked:

"It seems Mr. Obadiah is in trouble?"

“I need to get rid of a nasty megalomaniac.” Obadiah omitted a part of the story, but Exera could guess who he was after.

“Tony Stark? You really go all out.” Exera re-examined him.

“Because he’s the only one who knows many of the design drawings, he’ll definitely cause trouble if you commercialize those things,” Obadiah added.

Upon hearing this, Exera nodded and said, "It seems you need an assassination squad capable of eliminating Tony Stark."

“No, that’s not enough.” Obadiah narrowed his eyes and said in a low voice, “I need a 'tyrant'.”

Tyrant, a masterpiece created by Umbrella Corporation before its collapse, is a humanoid bio-weapon with combat records all over the world.

A well-trained tyrant can overturn tanks head-on and withstand most individual weapons, making it ideal for killing.

Because the terrorists had spared Tony's life on their own initiative, Obadiah was actually quite distrustful of people and felt that the soldiers were full of unstable elements.

Biological weapons that only execute orders are the complete opposite.

"How many do you need? Where do you plan to deploy them?" Exera asked, as she also had to weigh the risks of deploying such biological weapons as Tyrants.

Obadiah held up two fingers and said, “At least three, and I want them to be able to operate in places like New York and Los Angeles.”

“This request is insane. Let’s not even talk about Los Angeles; the UN headquarters is in New York. What are you trying to do?” Axela was ready to refuse.

However, Obadiah was not deterred. Instead, he remained firm in his decision, placed his phone on the coffee table, and explained:

“Tony Stark is absolutely worth the three Tyrants to deal with, because he has created another weapon that can change the battlefield.”

After saying that, Obadiah pushed the phone toward Exera, who picked it up and saw a set of armor design drawings on the screen.

Although Exera wasn't a mechanical genius, she could still see how much potential this suit of armor had.

"Flight module, shock-resistant layer, weapon system... How could someone manage to cram all these things into a suit of armor?" Exera exclaimed in surprise.

“So now you know why we used the Three-Headed Tyrant against Tony Stark?” Obadiah said.

Exera could understand why Obadiah had gone to such lengths, but she also noticed the 'flaws' in the design.

"How did he make this armor move?" Exera asked, puzzled. She knew that some companies were researching exoskeleton armor, but the current focus was on energy and materials.

Energy is of paramount importance.

“This secret has been kept hidden by the Stark family.” Obadiah lowered his head in thought. He took back his phone, looked at the circular notch on the chest of the armor in the design drawing, and thought of something very similar.

The Arc Reactor at Stark headquarters? Tony actually miniaturized that thing?

But Obadiah can't see Tony now, let alone get any information out of him. However, he is a veteran who worked at the company since Howard's time and knows some of the secrets of the original Arc Reactor design.

Obadiah recalled some things he had almost forgotten and recounted them:

"Back then, there was a guy named Anton Vanco who wanted to commercialize the Arc Reactor ahead of schedule, but his opinion was rejected by Howard. That short-sighted guy actually took the initiative to go to another major country, wanting to sell the reactor design. As a result, Howard found out and sent him to that country to be exposed to the cold wind. I don't know what happened to him there afterwards."

“A name is enough, Mr. Obadiah. Your Christmas gift to us is absolutely wonderful,” Exera said with a smile.

With the strength of Sanlian Company, as long as they know the name 'Anton Vanke' and his deeds, they can dig him out of the freezing cold and take over the Ark Reactor in no more than twenty hours.

As for whether Anton Vanke will obey orders? Sanlian Company has plenty of methods and means!

Obadiah envisioned, "My men have already salvaged fragments of the armor prototype in the desert. If your men are fast enough, they might be able to build something that has never existed before."

Tyrant, steel armor, arc reactor... Exera combined these three things in her mind, and then a smile appeared on her face.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Obadiah Stein. I’ll have everything ready for you.”

After saying this, Exera got up and left to prepare for the tyrant's transport and to send people to find Anton Vanko.

..........................................

Not long after, on the streets of Queens, New York, Li Ai was holding a camera, looking for subjects. He had already taken more than a dozen photos, but he was not very satisfied with any of them.

He stood on the street, searching for scenery worth photographing, his camera lens constantly rotating, capturing everything along the street.

Christmas trees, colorful lights, and wreaths—the streets are already filled with a festive atmosphere.

With Christmas, a very important holiday in America, approaching, the number of people in cities will increase, and the workload of workers responsible for maintaining urban infrastructure will also increase.

He looked at the bustling street, pondered for a long time, and only after it got dark did he raise his camera and take a picture.

In the photo, a giant Christmas tree stands in the center of the square, adorned with twinkling lights and decorative balls, creating a warm and bright festive atmosphere together with the streetlights and shop window lights.

"This one will do," Li Ai said, looking at the set of photos with satisfaction.

It was getting late, so he found a fast food restaurant on the street, ate a quick dinner, and then returned home. He took the memory card out of his camera, connected it to a card reader, and then used his computer to read it. He selected his favorite photo and planned to find a place to print it out the next day.

After that, Li Ai took out the ZZZ sensor and set tasks for this little gadget.

Chapter 29 Evidence in a Dream (3/3, Requesting Monthly Tickets and Further Reading)

[Monitoring Tony Stark's Woodland Villa]

Upon receiving the command, a red light flashed on the core of the ZZZ sensor, and mechanical legs resembling those of an arthropod unfolded. Li Ai opened the window and watched as the sensor disappeared into the darkness.

Given the existence of a bio-virus in this world that can silently turn humans into zombies, and Li Ai's suspicion of Obadiah's character, she decided to use her own methods to monitor Tony.

However, to prevent Tony's smart butler Jarvis from noticing, Li Ai only stationed the sensors around the perimeter of the villa in the woods, lest she overdo it and offend him.

The information scanned by the sensors is transmitted to ZZZ's mobile phone in real time, allowing him to know in a timely manner what high-energy reactions have occurred near the villa in the woods.

"Go do your pre-sleep workout first." Li Ai looked at the bio-energy reaction appearing on the ZZZ phone screen, then turned and headed to the training area in the operations room.

He only took a shower and went to sleep when he felt his muscles were slightly tired.

After entering the dream world, Li Ai saw the door that led to the shared dream world of Tony and Obadiah. He pushed open the iron door and entered.

The warm sunlight shone on her body. Li Ai looked around and found herself standing in front of a building with an illuminated sign bearing the word 'Stark' on top.

This is the California headquarters of Stark Industries, the heart of this multinational corporation.

"My identity is still the same as last time," Li Ai murmured, recalling something related to the content of this dream.

The announcement of the closure of the weapons division caused a sharp drop in the group's stock price, prompting shareholders to hold an emergency shareholders' meeting to question Tony about his true intentions, while his role was to protect the shareholders' safety.

However, he was prepared to do one thing before he could maintain his identity in the dream world.

Using the information provided by her dream identity, Li Ai was able to find out where Obadiah's office was located.

He strode into the building, pushed open a door, and saw the magnificent private offices of the Stark Group.

Ignoring the models representing Stark Industries' masterpieces and the photos of high-ranking military officials in the office, Li Ai went straight behind the desk.

There was only a computer on his desk. He pressed the power button, watched the screen slowly light up, and said:

"Let me see just how outrageous that guy really is."

Dreams are projections of a person's cognition and record everything a person experiences in reality, including Obadiah Stein's use of company computers to record evidence of arms smuggling.

Perhaps the security measures in a private residence are not as good as those in an office building, or perhaps there are other arrangements. In the original timeline, Pepper copied Obadiah's incriminating evidence here, which drove the latter completely insane, causing him to put on his Iron Monger armor and fight Tony to the death.

Soon, a large amount of evidence of smuggled arms, as well as copies of prototype design drawings, appeared before Li Ai, making him feel contempt for Obadiah.

"This old guy is a real traitor. He's not only smuggling weapons to line his own pocket, but he's also thinking of taking out Tony Stark so he can become the leader of the group. Doesn't he have the brains to do this?"

At the same time, a ZZZ agent camera appeared in his hand, and he photographed all the evidence of the crime.

All of this was accomplished in a dream, and Obadiah in reality never imagined that the evidence of his crimes would be revealed in a dream.

With a thought, Li Ai held the camera and the dream agent equipment began to automatically develop the photos.

Before long, a large number of photos appeared in his hands.