Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

As S.H.I.E.L.D. temporarily cleared the base, the smoke gradually dissipated, and the broken Iron Monger wreckage was sealed and sampled by the agents one by one.

Nick Fury stood alone in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the darkening sky in the distance. His single eye was deep and unfathomable, and the earlier annoyance had long since faded from his heart, leaving only extreme calm and a long-term plan.

He stopped worrying about the unknown secrets surrounding Wang Huanbo.

Having witnessed firsthand Decade's dimensional combat power, which transcended Earth's existing systems, Fury had completely regained his senses. The opponent wasn't a super soldier, nor a mutated superhuman; he was a unique being completely outside his cognitive framework. Furthermore, this person was calm and composed, acting with restraint, protecting Tony while rarely causing trouble, and harboring no hostility towards S.H.I.E.L.D. or Earth.

Since we can't figure them out or control them, and the other party has no malicious intent, the best option is to let things be and not interfere with each other.

Rather than delving into unsolvable secrets, Captain America, frozen for seventy years, is currently the most solid foundation for his Avengers plan.

"Chief."

Coulson walked over lightly, holding the latest satellite transmission report in his hand, his tone filled with undisguised excitement: "The Arctic transport plane has entered the airspace of the mainland and is expected to arrive at the SHIELD dedicated medical base in an hour. The temperature-controlled refrigeration chamber is in stable condition, Captain Rogers' body cells are in good activity, his serum function has not declined in the slightest, and the medical team is fully in place and can start the resuscitation program at any time."

Fu Rui nodded slightly, a rare hint of expectation appearing on his usually stern face.

Seventy years of ice have frozen the era, and time has sealed it away, but it has not diminished the brilliance of this original superhero. Steve Rogers possesses the purest justice, the most composed mind, the most perfect super soldier physique, and is a natural leader who can keep a group of unruly superheroes in check.

With him as the first core and captain of the Avengers, the team's structure could be completely stabilized after Tony, Banner, Natasha, Barton, and others were added.

"Notify the medical team to prioritize a smooth recovery of the body; no aggressive methods are needed," Fury ordered in a deep voice. "Also, compile a new combat capability file for Tony Stark and archive it separately. Temporarily suspend all investigation records regarding Wang Huanbo, classifying him as a 'Neutral Unknown'—not a crisis event—and prohibit anyone from making any unauthorized contact or probing."

Coulson paused for a moment, then immediately understood the director's meaning and respectfully replied, "Understood."

He knew this was the best decision Fury had made after weighing the pros and cons. It was better to befriend and let go of a mysterious powerhouse who could easily crush the Iron Monger and wield dimensional armor, rather than make an enemy and test him.

Fu Rui gazed into the distance, secretly making plans in his mind.

Tony isn't in a rush.

In today's battle, Wang Huanbo killed Obadiah, completely severing Stark Industries' arms dealing scandal and undergoing a complete transformation, evolving from a profit-driven arms tycoon into a steel hero protecting the world.

Once he has fully processed this transformation, it will be easier to slowly extend an invitation to the Avengers. The success rate will only be higher.

As for the present, the most important thing is to wait for Captain America to awaken and consolidate the foundation.

……

Meanwhile, at the Malibu villa, in the underground laboratory.

The brand-new miniature arc reactor operated steadily, its clear, deep blue light gently flowing, completely stabilizing Tony's physical condition. The shrapnel that had nearly pierced his heart was firmly held in place by the stable magnetic field, unable to move an inch.

The deathly pallor faded completely, and Tony's cheeks regained their former warm and fair complexion. His disordered breathing returned to normal, and the wound on his chest slowly healed and scabbed over under the nourishment of the reactor's energy.

The sense of relief after surviving the ordeal completely enveloped the entire laboratory.

Pepper gently released her hand from the wound, watching the steady blue light. Her heart, which had been hanging in suspense all night, finally settled. She looked up at Tony's eyes, which were filled with unconcealed tenderness and lingering fear.

"Don't push yourself so hard again." She gently admonished, her tone tinged with reproach but mostly with heartache. "No one is worth risking your life for."

Tony looked at the girl before him, her eyes filled with concern for him, and a surge of warmth welled up in his heart. Having experienced kidnapping, betrayal, and a life-or-death battle, he had long since shed his former arrogance and frivolity, and had finally seen clearly the most precious person in his life.

He raised his hand and gently grasped Pepper's wrist, his tone more serious than ever before: "I promise you, Pepper. From now on, I will never put myself in danger again, and I will never let you worry about me again."

Ethan, watching the tender moment between the two, smiled gently and quietly packed up his medical equipment, not wanting to disturb this rare moment of intimacy.

Wang Huanbo leaned against the lab bench, quietly watching this scene, a faint smile in his eyes.

Iron Man's transformation finally arrived as expected. Even though his intrusion added countless variables to the plot, Tony's inherent kindness and sense of responsibility still led him to forge his own path as a hero.

"How are you feeling?" Wang Huanbo asked.

Tony slowly rose from the operating table, stretched his limbs, and felt the abundant energy within him. He smiled easily and said, "Completely refreshed. The old, first-generation reactor really couldn't withstand high-intensity combat. Next, I will thoroughly optimize the reactor structure and develop a completely new iterative version to completely eliminate the problem of energy decay."

Having experienced this battle, Tony knew perfectly well that the aging original Arc Reactor could no longer keep up with the pace of his armor upgrades and combat. If it weren't for the new reactor being replaced today, and if Wang Huanbo hadn't intervened in time, he would have already perished under the Iron Monger's heavy fist.

Ethan spoke up at the opportune moment: "Tony, your body is completely stable now. The magnetic field restraint is perfect, and the shrapnel will no longer threaten your heart. As long as the reactor is continuously upgraded, the remaining shrapnel can be completely removed from your body later."

Tony nodded, his gaze resolute: "It's not just shrapnel. From today onward, Stark Industries is completely terminating all military weapons orders and shutting down its arms trade."

This was a decision he had already made on the battlefield, facing life and death.

Obadiah's greed, the Ten Commandments' brutality, and the endless war and slaughter brought about by the arms trade made him utterly weary of everything. He possessed cutting-edge technology and boundless wealth, which should not be used to create bloodshed, but to protect peace.

"I want Stark's technology to be used to save lives, not kill them," Tony said in a deep voice.

Wang Huanbo nodded slightly upon hearing this.

At this moment, the true Iron Man was finally born.

……

The following day, a national press conference was held in the lobby of Stark Industries headquarters.

Half an hour before the press conference was scheduled to begin, the venue was already packed to capacity. Hundreds of journalists from around the world, carrying their cameras and microphones, crowded behind the security line, their recorders and video cameras almost touching the platform.

A senior reporter from The New York Times is broadcasting live in a low voice to the camera: "We are currently at Stark Industries headquarters. Last night, a massive explosion occurred at the Malibu villa. Multiple witnesses captured footage of a gold-red mech battling a massive black mech. Obadiah Stanislav, Stark Industries' number two, has been confirmed dead. There are many speculations at the moment: some say it's an internal power struggle, some say it's a terrorist attack, and some even claim that the gold-red mech was an alien visitor. We will be broadcasting Tony Stark's response live."

A young CNN reporter nearby was arguing quietly with his colleague: "I bet he'll blame it on a secret military experiment; that's the safest PR story."

"Not necessarily. Tony Stark never plays by the rules."

A variety of outrageous rumors arose from the crowd. Some said that Obadiah was assassinated and seized power by Tony, others said that the mech was a new type of weapon that Stark Industries had not yet revealed, and still others described seeing a "flying pink robot" with great seriousness.

Happy, accompanied by dozens of security personnel, stood guard around the platform, their faces grim, their eyes fixed on the restless crowd. Backstage, the public relations team was working non-stop. The chief of staff, clutching a thick press release, sweat beading on his forehead, repeatedly instructed Tony, who was about to go on stage: "Remember, just read from the press release. Only say there was an accident, that the Jaeger was a test prototype, and that Obadiah tragically died in the accident. Don't say a single extra word, or all our previous efforts will be wasted!"

Tony simply nodded and straightened his suit collar. Pepper Potts stood beside him, gently patting his arm, her eyes full of encouragement. Wang Huanbo leaned against the shadows of the backstage corridor, holding a bottle of mineral water, his expression calm.

The press conference officially began at 10:00 AM sharp.

The moment Tony slowly walked onto the platform, the entire arena fell silent. Countless flashes went off simultaneously, creating a blinding white light that was almost impossible to open one's eyes. The sound of camera shutters crackled and popped, like a torrential downpour hitting sheet metal.

Tony took the microphone from the host and stood in the center of the platform. He was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, his posture upright, having shed his former frivolous and arrogant demeanor, and his eyes now held a calm and sharp quality born of having experienced life and death.

The chief of staff clenched his fists backstage, his eyes fixed on the press release in Tony's hand.

Tony glanced down at the neatly printed manuscript in his hand, his fingertips lightly tracing the words "accident." Images flashed through his mind: the dark, damp air of the cave; Ethan's dying gaze; Obadiah's狰狞 smile; the overwhelming shadow cast by the Iron Monger as it crashed down; Pepper's red, tear-filled eyes; and Wang Huanbo's back repeatedly shielding him.

All the forbearance, pretense, and compromise vanished at this moment.

Tony Stark never needed to hide behind official pronouncements. He took responsibility for what he had done; he was accountable for those he had protected.

With all the cameras focused on him, Tony gently raised his hand and slowly placed the meticulously crafted press release on the table beside him.

This action instantly caused a commotion in the audience. The reporters immediately sat up straight, raising their microphones even higher. The chief of staff backstage turned pale instantly, almost jumping up: "What is he trying to do?!"

Tony smiled arrogantly, frankly, and firmly, holding the microphone and looking down at the countless curious, inquisitive, and skeptical eyes below the stage.

He took a deep breath, and spoke each word with a firm and resounding tone.

"I am Tony Stark."

The entire room fell silent; everyone held their breath, waiting for his official remarks.

Tony paused for half a second, his gaze sharp as a knife, and calmly met all the cameras, uttering a line that would be etched into Marvel history.

"I am Iron Man."

boom!

This statement was like an atomic bomb exploding at the press conference!

The entire room fell into absolute silence for a full three seconds. There was no sound, not even the clicking of camera shutters; only the faint static from the microphones could be heard. All the reporters stood frozen, mouths agape, their faces filled with disbelief.

Three seconds later, the silence was broken by the scream of the first female reporter.

"My God! He admitted it!"

The next second, the entire venue erupted in cheers!

Reporters surged forward like madmen, countless microphones breaching the police cordon and piling up in front of Tony, almost touching his face. Flashbulbs blared wildly, bright as day, illuminating the entire hall in crystal clarity. The rapid-fire of camera shutters, like machine gun fire, was deafening.

"Mr. Stark! Are you telling the truth?!"

"You were the one piloting that gold and red mech?!"

"What happened in last night's battle? Was Obadiah's death related to you?!"

"Did you name him Iron Man? Will you continue to act as Iron Man in the future?!"

A cacophony of questions swirled together, deafeningly loud. Security personnel, hand in hand, formed a human wall, desperately trying to hold back the reporters rushing forward, their brows drenched in sweat.

The live stream instantly went viral. Twitter servers crashed within ten seconds, and the term "Iron Man" surged to the top of the trending topics list at a rate of 100,000 views per second, followed by a bright red "Explosive" sign.

"Holy crap!!! Did I hear that right?! Tony Stark is Iron Man?!"

"What kind of magical reality is this?! A billionaire builds his own mech and becomes a superhero?!"

"Was that the golden-and-red soldier who rescued people in Afghanistan yesterday?! He's so handsome!"

"Stark Industries is really giving up arms? Are they going to become a superhero company?!"

Countless netizens flooded social media with photos, and within a minute, the front pages of major news websites were all changed to Tony's picture, with the same headline: "I am Iron Man!"

The PR team behind the scenes was in complete chaos. The chief of staff slumped into a chair, covering his face and wailing, "It's all over! All the PR plans have been for nothing!"

Pepper Potts stood rooted to the spot, gazing at the radiant figure on the platform, shaking her head with a smile, her eyes filled with tenderness and pride. This was the real Tony—open, passionate, forever true to himself, and forever disdainful of pretense.

Wang Huanbo, standing in the shadows of the corridor, took a sip of water, raised an eyebrow slightly, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

The classic scene has arrived as scheduled.

……

The press conference was broadcast live and simultaneously transmitted to the S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters office.

Coulson jerked his coffee cup off, spilling scalding coffee onto the back of his hand, but he was oblivious, staring at the screen in shock: "My God... he really admitted it."

Nick Fury sat behind his desk, his single eye fixed on the confident and arrogant young figure on the screen, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the surface, his expression complex and indescribable.

He anticipated Tony's transformation, but he hadn't expected him to be so decisive and so audacious. Without any build-up or concealment, he directly tore off all pretenses in front of the whole world and officially announced his hero identity.

This transformed Tony Stark from a controversial arms tycoon into a universally recognized superhero in America and around the world. His fame reached its peak, and no one could easily challenge his position.

The difficulty of recruiting has indeed increased again.

However, such open-minded, powerful, principled, and courageous heroes are precisely the core fighting force that the Avengers need most.

Fu Rui paused for a moment, then slowly withdrew his gaze, his tone still firm, with a hint of barely perceptible appreciation: "No rush."

"Once Rogers wakes up, I'll go to Malibu myself."

He looked out the window at the rising sun, his single eye sparkling with anticipation.

The curtain has now been raised on heroes of a new era.