Mike smiled, "You're talking, a good start."
Flamingo gritted his teeth, "Unless my family's safety can be guaranteed, I won't hand over any evidence, except my life."
He looked like a tough guy.
Mike was noncommittal, taking out his phone and dialing Pepper's number.
"Hello, Mr. Tang." Happy answered the phone.
"Good morning, Mr. Hogun."
"It's afternoon in the US right now," Happy complained.
"Haha, sorry, I forgot about the time difference." Mike asked, "Where is Miss Potts?"
"She's working..."
"Mr. Tang, any news on Tony?" The phone changed hands, and the caller became Pepper.
"Not yet, everything is proceeding as planned, and I believe there will be a breakthrough soon. What about you, how's the investigation going?"
"According to Colonel Rhodey's recollection, before getting into the car, Tony received a call from Obadiah."
Obadiah was like a father figure to Tony. So Pepper mistakenly believed that Obadiah treated Tony as his son.
Previously, Pepper hadn't considered Obadiah a suspect. Once the seed of suspicion was planted, taking root and sprouting, and setting aside the filter of affection, Obadiah's suspicious points were like a sieve.
"Unfortunately, we can't find any evidence for now..." Pepper said regretfully.
"That's quite a coincidence..."
Mike briefly explained to Pepper about the attack, the capture of two mercenaries, and the possibility that these two had leverage over Obadiah.
Pepper was stunned.
Such a coincidence?
Someone sending a pillow when you're sleepy?
Given Mike's personality, the simplest way to complete the mission would be to directly find Obadiah, beat the bald man into a pig's head, contact the kidnappers through Obadiah, and finally find Stark.
Pepper would not agree to such a plan; she was a good person, and Obadiah was the vice chairman of Stark Industries' board of directors. Once the plan went awry, the consequences would be unpredictable.
Therefore, helping Pepper find evidence would help locate Tony Stark. Otherwise, Mike wouldn't have deliberately held back, especially with someone trying to shove a missile in his face.
Mike told Pepper to find someone to take the captives away.
"Remember to find trustworthy people," Mike specifically reminded her.
"I understand."
If Obadiah was problematic, then internal personnel of the group could not be trusted, and external personnel... Pepper thought of Coulson.
"S.H.I.E.L.D.? We'll see." (Note: Original text uses 'Snake Shield Bureau' which is a common fan nickname for S.H.I.E.L.D. in Chinese web novels, here translated as S.H.I.E.L.D.)
Hearing Pepper contact S.H.I.E.L.D., Mike inwardly grumbled that he was afraid it would be a HYDRA Agent who showed up. However, Mike had no better suggestion and could only make do.
Ending the call, Mike noticed Flamingo's eyes shifting, his expression changing.
"To deal with someone like Obadiah, you want to find evidence to sanction him by law. Do you think Miss Potts is a good person? So... how could a good person threaten someone's family to make them talk? You probably think that."
"You're right to think that; Miss Potts isn't that kind of person."
"But I am not."
As he spoke, Mike exuded a strong killing intent.
Having spent a long time on the battlefield and killed many people, killing intent naturally arises. Killing intent is real; Flamingo was very certain of this. He had once scared new recruits into wetting themselves with just a look. But he never imagined that he would have a day when he was so terrified he couldn't move.
He seemed to see a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood, saliva dripping from the corner of his mouth.
"Momochi Zabuza's killing intent is indeed formidable." Mike was very satisfied with the effect.
As the killing intent dissipated, Flamingo gasped violently, like a drowning man who had almost drowned.
Mike said indifferently, "Firstly, a good person like Miss Potts, if she promises to protect your family, will do her best. Or do you think someone like Obadiah is more trustworthy?"
"Secondly, Obadiah will soon be in a mess. If he wants to harm your family, it would at least be a post-settlement, provided that he is the ultimate victor."
"Finally, unless he hasn't done anything, Obadiah will reveal his true colors sooner or later, so - you are not as important as you think."
Reyna, who had witnessed Mike subdue the enemy from the air, finally found a place to park the helicopter and rushed over.
"Mr. Tang, are you alright?" Reyna jogged over with a gun.
Tsk tsk, he used to call him Mike, Mike, now it's Mr. Tang?
Mike didn't notice the change in Reyna's address. "You should ask those two."
Reyna looked at the unconscious Buffalo, then at Flamingo, whose hand was broken and whose thigh still had a machete stuck in it.
Is there even a need to ask?
"What now? Continue searching, or escort them back to the Base first?"
"No need, someone will come to take over."
About twenty minutes later, an armed helicopter flew over from a distance.
Mike told Reyna to hide behind a nearby rock. If the newcomers were hostile, he didn't want a burden beside him.
There was no machine gun fire, nor were missiles launched. The helicopter found a flat spot and landed.
Several people disembarked from the plane. The leader wore a black short-sleeved tactical shirt and carried a bow and arrow, followed by Agents in helmets and camouflage uniforms.
He didn't expect Hawkeye to be leading the team.
"Clint."
"Mike."
After a brief self-introduction, Mike briefly explained the situation to Hawkeye.
Hawkeye, however, had many questions.
But now was clearly not the time to be a curious baby, and he and Mike didn't know each other, so some questions were difficult to ask.
Hawkeye had his subordinates further treat Flamingo's injuries. Mike had only given him a simple bandage; the severed arm and thigh were still bleeding, and Flamingo's face was as white as paper from excessive blood loss, and he was delirious.
As for Buffalo...
Mike said, "He won't die, I held back."
"He's still alive." The Agent checking Buffalo's injuries didn't know what to say.
The bulletproof layer of his bulletproof vest was shattered into a spiderweb, and not a single rib was intact, as if he had been hit by a truck.
A few minutes later, two stretchers carried the injured onto the plane, and the S.H.I.E.L.D. personnel left in a hurry, while Mike and Reyna continued their search mission.
"Mr. Tang..."
"Just call me Mike, I'm getting goosebumps."
Reyna stammered.
Mike said impatiently, "If you have something to say, say it quickly. If you have to fart, let it out quickly. Otherwise, shut up."
Reyna mustered his courage and asked, "Tang... Mike, are you a Mutant?"
"No."
Mike thought for a moment, then added, "Hard to say, maybe I have unawakened X-genes. What, do you have a problem with Mutants?"
"No, no!"
Reyna quickly denied it. Even if he did, he wouldn't dare say it.
Mike, "Then what exactly are you trying to express?"
Reyna was embarrassed, "I just want to know how to become stronger."
Mike, "The poor rely on mutation, the rich rely on technology."
Reyna asked, "Do you rely on mutation or technology?"
Mike shook his head, "Neither. I rely on arduous training. Do you want to learn?"
Reyna nodded like a chick pecking rice.
Mike said loudly:
"Listen closely!"
"The key to becoming stronger is whether you can stick to a rigorous training plan. One hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and then a ten-kilometer run. Do one set every day!"
"Of course, three meals a day are essential, and eating bananas in the morning is fine. The key is: to temper your willpower, not using air conditioning in summer and winter is the primary method."
"At first, it's agonizing, you'll want to rest for a day, but to become stronger, no matter how painful or uncomfortable it is, you must continue training every day until you vomit blood. Even if your legs are too heavy to move, you must continue squatting. Even if your arms creak, you must continue push-ups."
"After a year and a half, I noticed changes in my body. I went bald, and I also became stronger. That is to say: you must train yourself to the death with the spirit of not caring if you go bald, sacrificing your beautiful hair. This is the only secret to becoming strong!"
Reyna, "Re-really?"
Something felt off, but his powerful voice and serious demeanor were very confusing.
Mike squinted, "Nonsense, of course, it's fake."
He wasn't Saitama Sensei after all.
The key to a Transmigrator becoming stronger is having a reliable cheat code.