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"Next, as long as the time is right, the entire S.H.I.E.L.D. will be at my disposal…"
Eddie Brock sat on the sofa, picked up his wine glass, and gulped down a mouthful.
The wine flowed down the corner of his mouth, but he made no move to wipe it.
Instead, he stared intently at The Daily Bugle channel on the TV, which was broadcasting the news, as if it were his imaginary enemy, and then sneered, muttering to himself:
"Karl Merks, just you wait, it won't be long until we meet again."
"Only this time, I will use my actions to make everyone understand one truth, and that is… those who underestimate Eddie Brock will pay a heavy price!!"
...
...
In the laboratory at PPDC Organization Headquarters.
It was spacious and bright, with various instruments and equipment blinking indicator lights and emitting a faint hum.
Tony Stark, who had just arrived, was dressed in a stylish suit, holding a steaming cup of coffee.
He sipped it idly while teasing Reed Richards, who was wearing blue-light-blocking glasses and working diligently at a computer, like a 'code farmer':
"So… you're saying that Director Fury and Stacker Pentecost have officially shaken hands and made peace for some unspeakable reason?"
He raised an eyebrow, a playful smile on his lips.
"Tsk tsk tsk, I remember not long ago S.H.I.E.L.D. and PPDC Organization were secretly fighting fiercely over funding ratios and other issues… I didn't expect them to put aside their differences so quickly and work together to develop the Titan Hunter Mecha Project.
How delightful!"
Tony Stark spoke while pacing around the laboratory, the coffee cup in his hand gently swaying with his movements.
Reed Richards, who was constantly debugging data in front of the computer, pushed up his glasses and looked intently at the data on the screen, continuing to type on the keyboard without looking up, "As far as I know, it seems to be due to the impact of the previous 'Titan Cataclysm' that occurred in Washington, which forced these two stubborn guys to cooperate."
Apparently, the two stubborn guys he referred to were Director Fury and Stacker Pentecost.
"I don't think it's that simple, is it?"
Tony Stark scoffed, then pulled out a futuristic 'crystal slab phone' from his pocket and tapped it.
Immediately, a holographic projection appeared in mid-air, showing the scene of several Titan Behemoth corpses, including Ghidorah, being publicly auctioned at a certain auction house, along with a long string of astronomical figures.
The holographic images were lifelike, as if the auction had been brought into the laboratory.
"Not long ago, in order to successfully acquire these Titan Behemoth corpses from Hyperspace Group, S.H.I.E.L.D. and PPDC Organization really bled a lot, spending hundreds of billions of dollars… Tsk tsk, that's enough for me to build a dozen new Mark armors!"
Tony Stark shook his head, a hint of emotion on his face.
Although he was a true tycoon, he would still think carefully before making such large expenditures of hundreds of billions.
After all, the landlord's wealth didn't just come from nowhere, did it?
"Moreover, I originally wanted to participate in this auction and buy a Titan Behemoth corpse to play with, but Director Fury told me I had to give up…"
From his previous words, it was not difficult to hear that Tony Stark was very annoyed by Director Fury's domineering methods.
After all, he wasn't an employee of S.H.I.E.L.D., so this guy was being a bit too meddlesome, wasn't he?
"If you're complaining that this recruitment didn't include a consultation fee."
Reed Richards finally looked up, pushed the glasses on his nose, and said with a hint of schadenfreude, "I suggest you go directly to Director Fury, instead of complaining to me here!"
"Oh, come on!"
Tony Stark waved his hand exaggeratedly, "Director Fury is a typical miser, incredibly stingy… He hasn't even paid me for the design of the standardized upgrade plan for the Sky Carrier's power system that I developed for him before."
He spoke while pacing back and forth in the laboratory, his leather shoes making crisp sounds on the floor.
"But speaking of which…"
Tony Stark suddenly stopped, squinting his eyes, and looked at Reed Richards with interest, "I remember you were busy developing that space exploration project before, weren't you? How did you end up being dragged here too?"
Reed Richards' fingers paused on the keyboard, and a helpless bitter smile appeared on his face… there were just too many tears to tell!
He couldn't possibly tell Tony Stark that he was 'invited' back by Director Fury using threats and inducements because he didn't want to join S.H.I.E.L.D., could he?
"Ahem." Reed Richards coughed twice, clearing his throat to hide the embarrassment on his face, "Let's not talk about that, let's get down to business…"
"The mission this time is to help PPDC Organization develop a new type of intelligent AI, specifically for assisting Titan Hunter Mecha pilots in combat."
"Wait a minute."
Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, a hint of doubt and dissatisfaction in his eyes, and asked with a strange expression, "Are Director Fury and Stacker Pentecost not trusting me?"
"Huh?" Reed Richards was bewildered by the sudden question, and asked with a blank expression, "Tony, why do you say that?"
Tony Stark's voice unconsciously rose a few octaves, and he replied unhappily, "Otherwise, why wouldn't they just buy artificial intelligence directly from me?"
"Besides Jarvis, I have several intelligent AI assistants that have been tested in real combat."
"Tony, don't overthink it."
Reed Richards actually wanted to say: Tony, you're right, they… no, actually it's Director Fury who doesn't trust you, which is why he specifically asked me to lead the development of this new AI artificial intelligence.
But obviously, he couldn't say that, and he didn't dare to say that…
After all, his life and future were all in Director Fury's hands now.
So he quickly tapped a few keys on the keyboard, bringing up a combat video from the Battle of Washington on the large screen in front of them, "Tony, look at this… In the battle that happened in Washington before, the MUTO Hunter Mecha exposed many serious problems in combat."
The large screen was showing the terrifying scene where Scylla used liquid nitrogen to freeze the cockpit of the giant MUTO Hunter Mecha, and then used its tentacles to forcibly stuff the two pilots into its mouth to devour them from the outside.
"Help me…"
"Commander Stacker, save us…"
Inside the cockpit of the MUTO Hunter Mecha, the two pilots screamed in horror, their voices echoing in the laboratory, making one's hair stand on end.
And after the cockpit was destroyed and the two pilots were devoured, the entire MUTO Hunter Mecha immediately lost power, collapsing to the ground like a broken puppet, raising a cloud of dust.
"Once the 'Ranger' piloting the mecha has an accident, the entire Hunter Mecha will completely lose its combat effectiveness."
Reed Richards' tone gradually became serious.
He stood up, walked to the large screen, pointed at the image, and said earnestly:
"So Mr. Stacker Pentecost hopes that we can develop a new AI intelligent system based on Jarvis that can autonomously take over the mecha and continue fighting in critical moments when the pilot is forced offline!"
"So…" Tony Stark stroked the beard on his chin, his eyes slightly narrowed, and he said thoughtfully, "They actually want an enhanced version of Jarvis?!"
"No." Reed Richards shook his head decisively, his expression serious and firm, "What they need is an upgraded AI far more powerful than Jarvis!!"
"I calculated before that the information processing capacity of the Titan Hunter Mecha is at least hundreds, or even thousands, of times that of the Mark armor."
"Such a high-density data flood, with Jarvis's current underlying architecture, simply cannot handle it…"
Tony Stark's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, his usually carefree gaze instantly becoming serious, even with a hint of eagerness.
He nodded repeatedly, "Reed, you're right, actually, not only does the Titan Hunter Mecha need a new AI, but my Iron Legion also needs a new AI intelligent housekeeper that is stronger and more comprehensive than Jarvis."
"Huh? What is the Iron Legion?"
Reed Richards looked at him with a puzzled expression, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes full of curiosity.
"No, buddy, what new trick are you up to this time?"
Tony Stark smiled mysteriously, his eyes sparkling with excitement, "It's a grand idea I've recently had… I want to build a self-defensive intelligent mechanical army based on my Mark armor, to prevent threats from aliens and protect Earth's safety."
As he spoke, he gestured with his hands in front of him, trying to use words and actions to show the powerful mechanical army he had already begun to build.
"However, as the number of members in the Iron Legion gradually increases, the problem of Jarvis's insufficient computing power becomes more and more obvious.
Clearly, its current computing power is not enough to support the scale I envision…"
At this point, Tony Stark's expression became somewhat solemn.
He paced back and forth in the laboratory, as if contemplating a solution to this problem.
"And your words just now perfectly enlightened me.
If we can create a more powerful intelligent AI and apply it to the Iron Legion as well, then all problems will be solved."
He suddenly stopped, looked at Reed Richards, and smiled confidently, "Of course, this way, Director Fury and Stacker Pentecost won't have to pay me extra consultation fees!"
"Uh… so, you're planning to use public resources for private gain? But you don't want Director Fury and Mr. Stacker Pentecost to know?"
Reed Richards asked uncertainly, with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Absolutely correct, but do you know why?"
Tony Stark did not shy away from the question, stating directly, "Because I don't have time to engage in 'election debates' with them, nor do I want to hear anyone tell me 'this practice doesn't comply with the rules' and other blah blah blah nonsense…"
"My vision is to protect the World to the best of my ability.
I don't want the Battle of New York to happen again… And my armors and machines are my most loyal soldiers!"
His voice was firm and strong.
Reed Richards looked at him with a hint of sympathy, his eyes full of concern, "Tony, you really don't need to put so much pressure on yourself?"
"As a playboy… ah no, I mean a scientist with assets over a hundred million, you've already done very well."
"I believe the task of guarding this World has never been accomplished by relying on one person or one organization… Sometimes, choosing to let go appropriately is also a wise choice."
"For example, the alien invasion that occurred in Greenwich, and the hell demon invasion that happened in front of the Empire State Building… Weren't they perfectly resolved by Karl Merks and Hyperspace Group, even without S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers' involvement?"
Reed Richards tried to persuade Tony Stark in his own way, to not put too much pressure on himself.
"No."
Tony Stark interrupted him firmly, "On the issue of how to protect Earth, Director Fury and I share the same view… We both don't trust Karl Merks!!"
Seemingly unwilling to delve too much into this sensitive topic, Tony Stark then changed the subject, like a top lecturer in a pyramid scheme, and began to 'paint a picture' for Reed Richards.
His face was once again beaming with an enthusiastic smile, "Reed, activate your brain, and imagine boldly."
"If my idea ultimately succeeds, then when the next alien army invades Earth, there will be no need for the Avengers members to act, nor for Hyperspace Group to act…
In fact, we just need to lie on a sunny beach, sipping Margaritas, enjoying the sunbath and the bikini-clad beauties, and those Invaders will already have been utterly defeated by my 'intelligent Iron Guards'."
"I firmly believe that this fragile Earth we live on needs my plan to protect it!!"