However, Tony Stark wasn't too clear on the exact circumstances.
He couldn't be bothered to waste his brain cells thinking about such an irrelevant question.
"Jarvis, have I ever met someone named 'Kilian'?
After a brief, fruitless contemplation, the Playboy directly asked his loyal AI.
"Sir, I have checked your past itineraries, various visit records, media event records, and other related logs, and found nothing."
"So, there's a high probability that you encountered this person when I wasn't present."
"You'll need to recall this person yourself; I believe that won't be difficult for you."
Jarvis's voice immediately sounded in his ear.
In his recorded official social activity logs, there was no trace of "Kilian."
That meant this person was not on the Playboy's official social roster.
His boss would have to rack his own brain to figure out what happened.
"No, Jarvis, you know I never waste my brain cells on such things."
Tony corrected Jarvis with a straight face.
Although Tony's IQ was top-notch in the entire United States, he was never good at remembering names, especially unimportant ones.
Even the names of the ladies he had intimate encounters with, Stark would completely forget as soon as they left his bed.
The Playboy's intelligence was not meant for such matters.
"Look up the name Kilian and see if there are any notable individuals."
Tony wasted no time and immediately gave this command to Jarvis.
"Understood, Sir."
Jarvis, of course, faithfully carried out Tony's command.
And soon, the corresponding investigation results were in.
Swish!
Several relevant profiles were projected before Tony.
All of them were prominent Kilian in various industries; in other words, they were not ordinary people but individuals of status and position.
In Jarvis's logical judgment, even if Tony couldn't remember the name of a "small fry," if they had the opportunity to interact with Tony, they certainly weren't truly small fry.
They just seemed like small fry in front of his boss.
"There are so many of them?"
After exclaiming, Tony began to casually scroll through the floating profiles in front of him, sifting and reviewing them.
"Wait a minute!"
Until the face of a handsome man with a golden slicked-back hairstyle, who looked much more attractive than Tony, entered Tony's vision.
It made Tony freeze instantly.
This face!
Even more familiar!
Tony was 100% sure he had seen this person, seen this face.
But where exactly he had seen him, the Playboy still couldn't recall for a moment.
No other reason.
Kilian's appearance back then was indeed quite different from his current look.
Plus, the other party was indeed an unknown nobody at the time, an object of Tony's casual amusement.
Tony probably forgot him completely as soon as he exited the elevator.
And with so many years having passed, it was indeed a bit difficult for Tony to recall anything.
"Aldridge Kilian, founder of Vanguard Tech."
"Wow, this guy's experience is practically an inspirational story."
Jarvis removed the data of other "candidates" and re-projected Kilian's detailed information in front of the Playboy.
Some relevant photos of Kilian from when he had long hair and wore glasses were also displayed before Tony.
Only then did Tony finally remember who the other party was.
Wasn't that the guy he met at an academic conference in Bern almost ten years ago?
The other party had presumptuously squeezed into the elevator, wanting to discuss cooperation with Tony, and was ultimately dismissed by a casual remark from Tony.
How ridiculous.
What kind of status and position did Tony have? Was he someone just anyone could cooperate with?
Especially since Tony was flirting at the time, he was even less inclined to bother with such a clown.
Tony remembered he seemed to have tricked the other party into waiting for him on the rooftop.
It was certain that the other party did go to the rooftop to wait for him; as for how long he waited, and what he would do after realizing he had been stood up.
Sorry, Tony had never considered such things.
However, the Playboy never expected that the shabby guy from back then would undergo such a drastic transformation.
He had transformed into such a handsome and dazzling figure, even more so than Tony!
He was also an incredibly successful individual.
Tony had specifically looked into Vanguard Tech; they had many orders from the Military and maintained extremely close cooperation with the Military.
From the perspective of an ordinary person, Kilian was undoubtedly a big shot in high society.
But why would this guy become his enemy in the future?
Could it be because he had messed with him back then?
For such a small matter, it wouldn't be enough to hold a grudge against him for so many years, even wanting to kill him, right?
It wouldn't be, right?
It wouldn't!
Tony Stark felt it really wouldn't be.
He guessed that their becoming enemies in the future must have been due to something else.
But what exactly happened, the diary didn't provide any spoilers, so the Playboy naturally couldn't know, and he didn't continue to speculate wildly.
Instead, he continued to focus on the diary.
Soon, a word immediately caught the Playboy's attention: Extremis Warrior.
Who is this person?
Judging by the diary's tone, these "Extremis Warriors" could directly counter his Iron Man Armor!
Undoubtedly, this was a type of Super Soldier!
So, Kilian's Vanguard Tech would create a batch of Super Soldiers in the future?
Even Kilian himself was also a Super Soldier!
In fact, according to the diary's description, Kilian's combat power was incredibly astonishing, much more formidable than Captain America.
After all, Captain America couldn't possibly cripple Tony's armor; Captain America would only be beaten down by Tony!
So, Kilian had actually mastered the method of creating Super Soldiers even more powerful than Captain America!
Unexpected!
Tony truly hadn't expected it.
The guy he completely looked down on back then had actually achieved such accomplishments!
However, what did all this have to do with the Mandarin?
Tony knew who the Mandarin was.
After Tony was kidnapped by the Ten Rings Gang, he investigated this terrorist organization and knew their leader was the Mandarin.
But why did the diary say that if his battle with Kilian failed, the United States would be shrouded in the Mandarin's fear?
Were Kilian's Extremis Warriors controlled by the Mandarin?
Was Kilian actually the Mandarin's man?
Is this why Kilian, such a down-and-out guy, suddenly transformed into an incredibly impressive business magnate?
Was the Mandarin actually supporting him all along?
Tony's thoughts immediately branched out, instantly considering several related possibilities.
Each one was reasonable and perfectly fit the fragmented information revealed by the diary so far.
But what exactly happened, Tony naturally couldn't be sure, he could only wait for further spoilers from the diary.
However, one thing was beyond doubt:
There must be an inseparable connection between Kilian and the Mandarin.
[I bet Stark doesn't remember the name Kilian now, does he?]
[Right, how could Stark remember a small fry like Kilian?]
[He would never have imagined that the small-time character he tricked into waiting on the rooftop all night would become his third archenemy!]
[And his most formidable archenemy, far beyond Iron Monger and Whiplash.]
[He not only almost killed Stark but also nearly took out the President!]
[If Pepper hadn't intervened in time and eliminated Kilian, even with all of Stark's suits, it would have been useless; he would have been finished.]
Tony Stark: "..."
Alright, Zhou Cheng's taunt was right; he truly, completely didn't remember Kilian.
Even after hearing the name Kilian and seeing Kilian's transformed appearance, he still hadn't recalled him.
But this really wasn't Tony's fault.
How could someone of his status and position remember just anyone?
However, that Kilian guy actually waited for him on the rooftop all night?
It must be said, Tony truly hadn't expected such a thing.
That idiot!
After waiting for ten or twenty minutes and not seeing him come up, didn't he understand that Tony had no intention of meeting him?
Did he really need to wait all night?
No, any normal-headed person wouldn't believe he would actually go up to meet him, right?
He just said it casually to brush him off!
But how to put it, since it already happened, Tony complaining was useless.
It couldn't change the fact that he stood the other party up all night.
So, what the Playboy needed to do was not to dwell on these useless things, but to look to the future!
Focus on the potential harm Kilian might bring in the future.
Judging by the diary's tone, it also attached great importance to Kilian; this person was much more formidable than Iron Monger and Whiplash.
But then again, casually destroying several of his suits with bare hands, that was not something Iron Monger or Whiplash could do.
Wait a minute.
Whiplash!
Thinking of this, Tony suddenly paused slightly.
The diary had hinted at Whiplash for a very long time, and Tony had also had Jarvis conduct a special investigation into this person.
But as of now, it was still a blank!
Jarvis found nothing, and Whiplash hadn't actively shown himself.
Could that guy still be brewing something big in the shadows?
He's really holding out for a long time, isn't he?
Could it be that he should go to Morocco sometime and actively draw that guy out?
Otherwise, this would always be a major hidden danger for him!
However, that Kilian guy, he also planned to kill the President?
This was clearly an act of terrorism.
It seemed his guess was correct; Kilian indeed had an inseparable connection with the Ten Rings Gang.
There was nothing more to say about that.
Just one thing.
Originally, the diary hinted that if he hadn't built an Iron Legion, he would have died at Kilian's hands.
The Playboy subconsciously thought that he defeated Kilian by relying on the Iron Legion.
But now he realized that wasn't the case!
The Playboy's Iron Legion was actually no match for Kilian!
Kilian would become so powerful in the future?
But how could such a powerful Kilian be eliminated by Pepper?
How would Pepper be on such a dangerous battlefield?
Alright, even if Pepper was there for some reason, how did she defeat Kilian, who could cripple Iron Man Armor with bare hands?
Wait a minute!
Tony suddenly thought of something.
The diary had mentioned before that Pepper was also a Super Hero!
However, the diary had hardly mentioned anything about Pepper's Super Hero activities, and Tony had gradually forgotten about it.
But now that he looked at it, it seemed Pepper was actually quite formidable.
He just wondered what kind of Super Hero Pepper would be in the future?
Tony couldn't help but start fantasizing in his mind.
[Not just Kilian, there were two other people crucial to Stark at that academic conference in Switzerland.]
[I'm afraid Stark doesn't remember any of them, does he?]
[One of them later sacrificed himself to save Stark's life when Stark was kidnapped by the Ten Rings Gang.]
[The other successfully removed the shrapnel from Stark's chest, truly making Stark a normal person.]
[However, Stark's choice to remove the shrapnel was made after he overcame his anxiety.]
[At that time, Stark emerged from his psychological shadow, rid himself of his dependence on the armor, so he blew up dozens of his suits like fireworks, putting on an ultimate romantic display for Pepper.]
[Removing the shrapnel was also a farewell to the "embedded" Arc Reactor and a farewell to his past self.]
[Whether Stark will still do this now, that's unknown.]
Ethan!
This name immediately flashed through Tony's mind.
At the same time, the image of that bespectacled, somewhat scholarly man also appeared.
In that cave, the Playboy had spent a very unforgettable time with him.
Through conversation, Tony actually knew he had met him before, at the academic conference mentioned in the diary.
However, Tony never expected that Ethan and Kilian would appear at the same academic exchange conference.
And both of these individuals left a significant mark on his, well, another him's life.
One saved his life, and the other almost killed him!
That inconspicuous academic exchange conference back then was truly quite extraordinary!
Wait a minute, besides these two guys, there was another one.
Judging by the diary's spoiler, the other party was undoubtedly a skilled Doctor, even a top-tier Doctor.
So, who exactly was it?
Tony began to recall carefully, but still couldn't remember anything.