Just like Nick Fury, Coulson, Black Widow, and others, Tony Stark was also caught up in a whirlwind of activity.
However, the Playboy's busy schedule had nothing to do with the diary.
He didn't make any arrangements in response to the diary's spoilers; instead, he was conducting an investigation.
Investigating what?
Undoubtedly, it was the EMP pulse that had caused his armor system to go offline.
The moment Tony Stark learned about this, he immediately realized he had been played!
Someone wanted to kill him!
The appearance of the Hulk was a meticulously planned assassination plot aimed at Tony Stark.
Who could it be?
The Playboy fell into deep thought.
And frankly speaking,
there weren't many people with such motives and the ability to pull it off. Tony Stark almost immediately and naturally guessed the answer: HYDRA!
To want to kill him and have the capability to orchestrate such a grand scheme, it could only be HYDRA, right?
He had sent Senator Stern to prison and eliminated the Winter Soldier.
For HYDRA to remain indifferent would be far stranger!
"Jarvis, retrieve all surveillance footage from the scene at that time. See if you can find anything."
However, a strong suspicion was one thing; the necessary investigation couldn't be omitted. Tony Stark immediately gave Jarvis this command.
Swish, swish, swish!
One by one, relevant surveillance camera feeds were projected around Tony Stark by Jarvis.
They looked dense and dazzling.
Jarvis also immediately began searching through the relevant surveillance footage.
Unfortunately, the ones who secretly attacked Tony Stark were high-level HYDRA Agents, and avoiding surveillance was basic procedure for them.
Jarvis's search found nothing useful.
Tony Stark wasn't too surprised by this. For someone attempting to assassinate a figure like him, HYDRA naturally wouldn't leave any obvious traces.
"Sir, should I contact Nick Fury?"
The thoughtful AI Jarvis offered this suggestion to Tony Stark.
Since no traces were left on surveillance, it was naturally more appropriate to hand this matter over to an expert like Nick Fury.
"No need."
Tony Stark waved his hand. The Playboy already had another idea.
Hmph, did they really think that just because they left no traces at the scene, Tony would be out of options?
How naive!
Don't forget, the Playboy is the World's most outstanding scientist!
So Tony Stark was very clear that, given the current technological level, only a handful of people globally could produce that kind of EMP pulse.
Tony Stark had a rough idea of the technologies, key materials, and even the necessary experimental equipment required to manufacture such an "EMP emitter."
So, for Tony Stark, he only needed to investigate who was researching EMP pulse weapons, right?
Such a complex and precise weapon, developed from scratch, couldn't possibly be silent and leave no traces.
"Make sure you hide well, don't let me find you too easily!"
A sharp glint flashed in the Playboy's eyes, and he began to conduct a detailed investigation into the matter.
And in just half a month, Tony Stark indeed found a conclusive result.
HYDRA!
It was indeed HYDRA.
According to the Playboy's investigation, there were indeed a few people in the U.S. deeply researching EMP pulses—a mere handful, totaling no more than five.
The only one who had weaponized it was a single research team.
And the Playboy had Jarvis conduct comprehensive surveillance and investigation of that research team.
It had been confirmed that the lead researcher was none other than a HYDRA Agent!
So, were there any more questions?
None whatsoever.
The one who secretly assassinated him using the Hulk as a setup was HYDRA.
Stone cold proof!
And even if he didn't fully understand HYDRA's current structure or only had a rough idea of its scale, one thing was beyond doubt:
If HYDRA had moved against someone of Tony's caliber, the order must have come from the top!
That's right, Tony was now completely and utterly at odds with HYDRA.
Of course.
Tony Stark wasn't surprised by this outcome; in fact, he had anticipated it the moment he forced his way into the HYDRA Base and killed the Winter Soldier.
He had already prepared himself mentally.
"HYDRA, huh?"
Tony Stark murmured, his voice becoming increasingly meaningful.
If they wanted to play, Tony would play until the end!
"Jarvis, contact Nick Fury."
After a brief thought, the Playboy gave Jarvis this command.
Against a behemoth like HYDRA, he was still a bit outmatched on his own, and more importantly, the efficiency would be very, very low.
After all, Tony Stark's primary reliance was still Jarvis, and as proven when investigating the Winter Soldier, this wasn't enough.
Only by combining forces with S.H.I.E.L.D. could they achieve twice the results with half the effort.
Moreover, since their goals aligned, joint operations were naturally a logical step.
"Understood, sir!"
Jarvis immediately obeyed Tony Stark's command and contacted Nick Fury.
"Stark?"
Soon, Nick Fury's voice, devoid of any emotional fluctuation, rang in his ear.
But in reality, Nick Fury was quite curious about Tony Stark proactively contacting him.
After all, this wasn't the Playboy's usual character.
It seemed Stark must have something important!
Nick Fury quickly made a judgment in his mind.
"Nick Fury, regarding the Hulk's appearance last time, I've made some new discoveries. I think we should discuss them in depth."
Tony Stark directly stated his purpose to Nick Fury, though he didn't go into too much detail.
But even so, it immediately caught Nick Fury's attention.
"I'll be there in three hours."
After a brief pause, Nick Fury gave this answer.
"Beep, beep, beep."
After ending the call with Tony Stark, Nick Fury quickly began to handle the matters at hand.
By the time he was free and arrived at the Playboy's luxurious Villa, it was indeed three hours later.
One could only say Nick Fury's time management was truly superb.
"Alright, Stark, this should be the safest place in the World."
"So, whatever you have to say, you can say it directly."
After a simple opening, Nick Fury went straight to the point with the Playboy.
Tony Stark, naturally, didn't waste any words either. He told Nick Fury about HYDRA's assassination attempt on him, using the Hulk as a setup.
He also conveyed his desire to cooperate with S.H.I.E.L.D. against HYDRA.
"It seems HYDRA has provoked someone they shouldn't have."
Nick Fury sighed meaningfully, outwardly composed, but inwardly in high spirits.
The matter of HYDRA had always been a huge weight on Nick Fury's mind.
Although the Skrulls' reverse infiltration plan into HYDRA had proven feasible and effective, it was still far from enough for Nick Fury.
Tony Stark's involvement would be an incredibly important asset for Nick Fury.
After all, technology like Jarvis, which was beyond the current era, could indeed play a crucial role.
"Yes, this is the worst thing they could have done!"
Tony Stark nodded in deep agreement, then began to discuss the specifics of "cooperation" with Nick Fury.
It concluded after about half an hour, with both parties quite satisfied.
"Stark, if I were you, I would request protection from the Military."
Before leaving, Nick Fury earnestly suggested to Tony Stark, "Or, I can arrange personnel."
"No, I'll call Rhodes instead."
After some thought, the Playboy made this decision.
Although Tony Stark always appeared arrogant and aloof, seemingly caring about nothing, he could still distinguish between priorities.
Now, being targeted by an extremely dangerous organization like HYDRA, even if he disliked being followed by a group of bodyguards, Tony Stark understood the necessity of doing so.
Not to mention his parents died at the hands of HYDRA, just consider last time.
If Satan hadn't appeared in time, Tony would have died a long time ago, wouldn't he?
With such an ironclad lesson, how could Tony Stark not make corresponding preparations?
The reason he chose the Military instead of S.H.I.E.L.D. was naturally because the Playboy trusted his good friend Rhodes more than Nick Fury.
What if Nick Fury arranged an undercover Agent for him? Wouldn't the Playboy be tired of living?
Of course, there was another consideration besides that.
Dragging a behemoth like the Military into the fray would naturally cause even greater trouble and a more fatal blow to HYDRA.
After all, even HYDRA couldn't easily provoke the Military's power.
The matter was thus amicably agreed upon.
"OK!"
Nick Fury said no more and left Stark's mansion directly, returning to his office.
In the following days, Nick Fury truly began full cooperation with Tony Stark.
Both sides shared intelligence and resources, and the efficiency increased by more than several times!
Many, many secrets that Nick Fury had never been able to discover before, hidden extremely discreetly, were continuously unearthed.
Nick Fury's mood could be said to be very good; this was indeed good news.
And a few days later, Hawkeye Barton brought another piece of good news.
"Officer, we've found Red Guardian!"
"He's being held in a secret prison in the Gulag forest."
"It's one of those secret detention Bases Natasha provided."
Inside the office, Hawkeye Barton stood before Nick Fury, reporting.
Nick Fury remained outwardly calm, but a flicker of excitement flashed in his heart. Things were going so smoothly!
Red Guardian had been found so easily!
Not only found, but he was also in Siberia!
Good, the operation would be even more secretive and smooth, and less likely to be noticed by others.
It was as if Heaven itself was making things convenient for him.
It must be said, this was indeed an unexpected pleasant surprise for Nick Fury.
Nick Fury didn't know whether to say the Red Room was bold or if they had a problem with their brains.
They knew Black Widow, a "traitor," was active outside, yet they truly had no defenses at all?
Even if she had orchestrated the illusion of the Red Room's demise, shouldn't they still cover up the traces that needed covering?
Clap!
At this point, Hawkeye Barton placed a file bag on the desk.
Nick Fury opened it to find a collection of photos of Red Guardian.
Looking at the guy's big belly, it was indeed exactly as described in the diary. How fat had he become?
"Barton, I'm giving you a new mission."
His single eye turned away from Red Guardian's photos, and Nick Fury continued to give Hawkeye Barton a new mission.
What mission?
Undoubtedly, it was the mission to rescue Red Guardian from that secret prison.
This mission certainly had some difficulty, but for a top Agent like Barton, it wasn't much.
After all, both Black Widow and Yelena were able to do this, and with Nick Fury providing Hawkeye Barton with all sorts of support, Barton couldn't fail.
And indeed, things went as Nick Fury expected.
Barton, leading the team provided by Nick Fury from outside S.H.I.E.L.D., spent a month and a half from planning to execution, successfully rescuing Red Guardian.
He brought him to a top-secret Base, and presented him before Nick Fury.
"The prison food wasn't bad, Mr. Aleksey."
Nick Fury gazed at Red Guardian with meaningful eyes, "Or, should I call you, Red Guardian."
"It's been a long time. I didn't expect anyone to still know that name now."
The bearded, wild-haired Red Guardian said with emotion, then revealed a hint of wariness and solemnity, staring intently at Nick Fury, "Who are you, and what is your purpose in bringing me from that hell?"
"You are a man like Captain America. It's truly a pity for someone like you to rot in a place like that."
"So, I've decided to offer you a second chance."
Nick Fury first gave Red Guardian high praise, and then revealed his purpose.
"So, what kind of chance is that?" Red Guardian raised an eyebrow.
"Avengers."
Nick Fury then told Red Guardian about the Avengers initiative.