Lock said: "My woman will not bet with you."
"So you have a racing car?" Hammer challenged.
At this moment, Iron Man interjected, "I'll bet for my friend—with the Iron Man suit. Hammer, if you can win, not only will you get the suit, but also its design drawings and patent ownership. From that day on, you'll be Iron Man."
hiss…
The sound of sharp intakes of breath spread through the crowd.
Everyone here knew the Iron Man suit's power. It had even been discussed in Congress, where a group of officials tried to force Tony to hand it over—only for Tony to shut them down with ease.
Back then, they had only demanded the production technology, and Tony had refused without hesitation. Now, he was wagering not just the suit, but the patents and design drawings.
With those, countless suits could be produced, and the arms market could be all but monopolized—a trillion-dollar opportunity.
Even among this wealthy, powerful crowd, hearts began to beat faster.
Hammer, fearing Tony might back out, quickly raised his voice, "You all heard what Tony said! If he tries to go back on it, you'll bear witness for me."
"I never go back on my word," Tony replied coolly. "But you—trading a racing car for my suit? I'm afraid that's not enough."
Now it was Hammer's turn to be stuck. He truly had nothing of equivalent value to wager.
Gritting his teeth, he said, "How about 20% of Hammer Industries' shares, plus this car?"
Though valuable, it was still far less than the suit's worth.
Tony didn't care. For him, the wager wasn't about fairness—it was about backing Lock.
"Whatever. Judging by how poor you are, you can't offer me anything worthwhile anyway."
Hammer's face flushed with anger, but there was no way to refute it. Everyone here knew Hammer Industries was still a step behind Stark Industries.
"Hmph! Tony, you'll pay for your arrogance."
His confidence rested on his bodyguard—not only the king of underground fighting, but also injected with the latest human enhancement serum, pushing him beyond normal human limits.
Since World War II, Captain America had been a legend, and countless companies had tried to replicate his serum. Hammer Industries was one of them.
They'd made progress. The serum they produced had been used on the man who became Abomination—Emil Blonsky—enabling him to survive the later infusion of Hulk's blood.
This was all highly classified, and even Tony had no idea.
Hammer felt certain—Eastern martial arts or not, Lock couldn't match his bodyguard.
After Lock lost, those Western beauties gathered around him would walk away.
The thought made Hammer grin. Soon, he'd have both the suit and the woman.
Too bad Hammer didn't have the top-level intel—Fury had kept Lock's true capabilities tightly under wraps. If Hammer knew that even Captain America himself wouldn't last a single punch against Lock, he wouldn't be smiling.
"It's inconvenient here," Hammer said. "Too many people. Let's change the location."
"No," Lock said flatly. "We'll do it here. Let both of your men come at once. If a single wine glass gets broken, I lose."
"Wow…" The crowd stirred at the audacity.
If the other side cheated and simply smashed a wine glass on the ground, wouldn't Lock automatically lose?
"Alright! This is the craziest Oriental I've seen. You said it yourself. Tony—don't you dare go back on it."
Hammer shot his bodyguards a glance—if they couldn't win cleanly, they'd cheat.
Bodyguard A stepped forward. "Boy, don't beg for mercy later."
The crowd instinctively backed away, clearing a space.
Only Tony, Pepper, Natasha, and Happy stayed put. Happy knew Lock was strong—but not how strong. Seeing Tony stay, he reluctantly stayed too.
Hammer warned, "Tony, you're not wearing the suit—best to keep your distance."
Tony swirled his wine and smirked. "I'll sweeten the pot. If your men can make me spill even a drop of this, I'll give you a European winery."
Gasps erupted again.
A winery owned by Tony Stark was worth a fortune. Many in this room had visited it themselves.
Hammer's gut clenched. Could Lock be Stark's hidden ace—someone enhanced with a serum like his own man? Even if so, two-on-one gave plenty of room for one to distract while the other cheated.
"Come on," Lock said impatiently. "The banquet's boring."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Bodyguard A charged like a human tank, shattering the wooden floor as he came.
Lock's left hand still rested lightly on Natasha's arm. With his right hand, he suddenly raised his palm high.
The bodyguard's eyes widened. Though taller than Lock, he suddenly felt as if the sky itself were pressing down. He threw all his strength into resisting.
Bang…
With a muffled thud, the oak floor and concrete beneath it cracked as the bodyguard was driven waist-deep into the ground.
Lock drew his hand back as if brushing away a fly.
The man was still alive—thanks only to the serum—but his bones were broken. An ordinary man would have been pulp.
hiss…
Gasps swept the hall.
Hammer shouted, "Wine glass!"
Bodyguard B bolted toward the nearest lady. She screamed.
In an instant, a gust of wind swept the hall. Lock appeared between them.
Another palm strike—and Bodyguard B was buried in the ground like his partner.
Lock gently took the lady's wine glass. "Please, beautiful lady—hold onto this."
She stared at him, eyes bright. "Which family are you from? Leave your contact, I'd like to thank you properly."
Natasha's eyes narrowed like a predator's.
Hammer, desperate, hurled his glass toward the floor—only to find his wrist caught, bones creaking.
"Mr. Hammer," Lock said coldly, "cheating is not gentlemanly."
"Let go! My hand—"
"You still have something to say."
"I… I lost, okay?"
Hammer hurriedly shoved a key into Lock's palm.
Lock turned to Natasha. "I haven't given you a gift yet. Let's see if you like this."
She smiled. "Perfect timing—my last car crashed."
"As long as you like it." Lock turned to Tony. "The shares are yours."
"Haha—there are plenty of witnesses. He won't dare deny it," Tony grinned.
Hammer stormed out, humiliated.
The hall came alive again. Nobles swarmed Tony, probing about the "super serum," assuming Lock was his man.
The ladies, meanwhile, set their sights on Lock.
Natasha's glare promised retribution for any who tried.
Before long, Tony and Lock slipped away as the race was announced.