But if it wasn't like that, how could Obadiah possibly let him go so easily? When he recovered, he could just call the police, and Obadiah would be going to jail. Given the methods of a capitalist, he could be sure that Obadiah would spend a lifetime in prison. If he wanted, he could probably write a check for a million dollars, and countless people would be eager to help, ensuring Obadiah's demise in prison, with no news ever getting out.
So Obadiah must have been certain he was going to die. Then, what did his suspected poisoning have to do with the Arc Reactor?
Yes, he recognized what it was. Or rather, it was a new technology he was still conceptualizing: the Arc Reactor, a Cold Nuclear Fusion technology.
It was still in the conceptual stage, not fully conceived yet. But clearly, in the future, after he returned from Afghanistan, this technology had matured.
It was ready to use!
"If it's Cold Nuclear Fusion..." Tony Stark suddenly thought, connecting it to what Lin Feng had mentioned in the diary.
If the things Lin Feng wrote in the diary were true, then his future self, after being kidnapped in Afghanistan and returning, had undergone a massive change in personality. He shut down the weapons department. Before, he thought Lin Feng was crazy, or maybe he himself was crazy.
Giving up the weapons division is easy to say, but it's like abandoning the foundation of Stark Industries, it's basically over.
But what if Stark Industries had another path now?
The arms industry is, of course, a very profitable industry. If there's something even more profitable than arms, it's the energy industry. Look at those wealthy Middle Eastern countries, aren't they all making a fortune selling oil?
This is also why he studied related technologies in the first place. Nowadays, there are only a few countries that can handle nuclear fission power plants. If they could develop Nuclear Fusion, as Obadiah Stane said, it would be the key to opening a new era of energy.
Once Nuclear Fusion is developed, Stark Industries will inevitably soar. He could easily become the richest man in the world in one fell swoop, and even a single person's wealth could rival that of a financial magnate, which was also foreseeable.
He immediately understood, Lin Feng was waiting for him here.
Waiting for him to shut down the arms division, then the stock price would plummet, and then enter the market to buy at the bottom. When his Nuclear Fusion technology was developed, the stock of Stark Industries would soar. Back and forth, it was even possible to multiply by ten times.
This time, many things that he couldn't understand before suddenly became clear.
He didn't mind Lin Feng hitching a ride to make some money; he was just very concerned about how Lin Feng knew.
But there was one thing he still didn't understand: why would he put the Arc Reactor in his body? Because that would lead to an obvious problem: poisoning.
If he used the materials he was currently considering, like Palladium, it would cause Palladium poisoning.
But something he could figure out with a glance, it didn't make sense that his future self wouldn't understand, unless he was forced to, even if it meant facing Palladium poisoning, he had no other choice.
More and more questions filled his mind as he continued to watch. The image of himself in the screen looked poisoned, his face pale with a hint of green, covering his entire face.
"Jarvis, analyze it. What kind of illness could turn me into that state in such a short time!" Tony Stark said coldly.
In the image, Tony Stark struggled down to the basement, found the discarded Arc Reactor, and struggled. Just as he was about to fail, the robotic arm he had previously ridiculed brought the item over. Then, he smashed the glass surrounding the Arc Reactor.
Tony Stark's mind was racing, trying to figure out why he seemed to die if he left the Arc Reactor. And it seemed like everyone knew about this problem, even Obadiah.
The scene shifted, showing Obadiah Stane placing the Arc Reactor he'd stolen from Tony Stark into a massive mech.
"A mech?" Tony Stark couldn't believe his eyes.
Did Obadiah actually have the capability to develop something like that?
Tony Stark was puzzled. It wasn't that he looked down on Obadiah, but the truth was, the entire company's research staff combined couldn't hold a candle to him.
Meanwhile, in the scene, Tony Stark had been rescued by his black friend, Colonel Rhodes. But his concern was still for Pepper Potts.
In the scene, Obadiah, clad in the huge Iron Monger Armor, had already found Pepper Potts. Seeing this, Tony Stark's heart clenched.
"I have no further need of you, darling!" Obadiah sneered.
He was about to strike. Just as Pepper Potts was about to be in danger, a figure suddenly flew in. It was none other than Tony Stark, arriving in the nick of time in the Mark II Armor to provide rescue.
The two sides began a fierce battle on the street.
However, it was obvious that Tony Stark was at a disadvantage. His Arc Reactor didn't have much power left; it had already been retired, and it was down to only nineteen percent just moments after he'd appeared.
"For forty years, I've been supporting you! I built this company from the ground up, and I won't let anyone stand in my way, especially not you!"
In the video, Obadiah Stane, while brutally beating Tony Stark, vented his resentment of so many years. Clearly, his dissatisfaction with Tony Stark wasn't a recent thing.
Seeing that he was completely outmatched, Tony Stark simply flew into the high sky, and Obadiah, piloting the Iron Monger Armor, followed closely behind.
The two flew higher and higher. They even alerted the U.S. military, but fortunately, Colonel Rhodes arrived and stopped the plan to launch intercepting fighter jets.
They flew higher and higher, until Tony Stark's energy was almost depleted. He was caught by Obadiah, who grabbed him directly.
"I've caught up to you, Tony! I have more power than you!"
And facing this situation, Tony Stark just asked calmly, "How did you solve the freezing problem?"
Before Obadiah could react, his Iron Monger Armor had already frozen into ice. In an instant, the Iron Monger Armor short-circuited and fell from the sky.
Tony Stark also consumed most of his power, and finally, step by step, he stumbled and finally landed safely, almost being killed by the fall.
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(End of this chapter)