Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Malibu villa, the sun is setting.

The warm golden afterglow bathed the expansive viewing terrace, and a gentle sea breeze blew by, dispelling the mechanical chill of the laboratory, but unable to dispel the lingering melancholy in Tony Stark's heart.

Colonel Rhodes has been gone for quite some time.

The argument between the two brothers about the ownership of the Iron Man suit kept replaying in Tony's mind. He leaned against the balcony railing, twirling a cold, hard reactor component between his fingers, his brows furrowed, revealing a rare look of frustration and entanglement.

He wasn't angry at Rod; it was precisely because Rod was a brother he'd risked his life for that he was so indecisive.

From beginning to end, Tony knew perfectly well that Rhodes's stance was flawless. As a legitimate U.S. Army colonel, upholding order, believing in the system, and advocating that power belong to the nation were beliefs ingrained in him. In Rhodes's eyes, equipment like the Iron Man suit, capable of revolutionizing warfare, should be placed under the unified control of the military and integrated into the national defense system to minimize casualties and protect the homeland.

Grand Duke Rhodes was selfless, devoted to his country, and had no selfish motives whatsoever.

But he himself is equally clear in his conscience about his insistence.

He had personally witnessed the weapons he developed flow into the black market and become instruments of violence used by terrorists to slaughter civilians; he had personally experienced Obadiah exploiting loopholes in the system to secretly collude with the Ten Commandments gang, nearly causing him to perish in a foreign cave. He saw the corruption of the top brass of the American military, the greed of capital, and the scheming of politicians more clearly than anyone else.

He dared not gamble.

I dare not gamble that once this world-destroying armor is handed over, it will ultimately be used to protect the people, or become a tool for a few to seize power and profit.

Both of them were on the right side, yet they went in completely opposite directions.

If it were any other military lobbyist, he would have already coldly kicked them out. But facing Rhodes, who had gone to great lengths to search for him and treated him with genuine kindness, he neither wanted to compromise nor back down, nor did he want to damage the brotherhood.

Tony Stark, who has always been arrogant, unrestrained, and independent, is caught in a dilemma for the first time between "loyalty" and "bottom line".

Feeling frustrated, he simply abandoned his research work and went to find Wang Huanbo.

In the entire world, only this Uncle Wang, who has traveled through countless planes and seen through the ways of the world, can give him an impartial and incisive answer.

Wang Huanbo was sitting on a wicker chair on the terrace brewing tea when he saw Tony walk over with a troubled expression. He didn't ask him anything, but simply poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Tony, waiting quietly for him to speak.

Tony picked up his teacup and took a sip. The warmth of the tea did nothing to smooth the wrinkles between his brows. He broke the silence first, his tone carrying a rare hint of bewilderment: "Old Wang, Rhodes came by today. Same old story, trying to persuade me to hand over the Iron Man suit to the military."

He gave a self-deprecating smirk: "It's kind of funny to say, but for the first time in my life, I don't think I'm so certain. I know he doesn't mean any harm, and what he said even makes sense—power belongs to the state, and it's only right to follow the rules. But when I think of Obadiah, and those terrorists in Afghanistan who are armed with our weapons, I feel like handing them over would be harming people."

"Am I being too obsessive, or is he being too idealistic?"

This is Tony's real inner conflict. He's not afraid to go against the whole world, but he's afraid that his convictions are wrong, that he's denying the right path because of personal grudges.

Wang Huanbo put down the teapot, looked at him calmly, and gave him a firm answer: "You're not paranoid, and he's not idealistic. Neither of you is wrong."

Tony paused, his brow furrowing even more deeply. "Neither of us is wrong? Then what are we arguing about? It can't be that we're both right, and yet we're still arguing like this."

"The problem isn't with you." Wang Huanbo spoke calmly, laying bare the crux of the matter before him. "The problem lies in this land, in this country called America."

"The order, system, and national righteousness that Rhodes believes in are inherently righteous. If power were truly in the hands of those who wholeheartedly care for the people, and if the power were uniformly allocated by the state, it would indeed protect more people. But that's not the case here."

His voice was soft, yet carried a profound wisdom honed through countless experiences: "At its core, this place is ruled by a minority. Capital, politicians, and military oligarchs hold the core interests. They talk about the country and the people, but all they care about is business and power. When you hand over your armor, you're not handing it over to the 'country,' but to this group of selfish people."

"A system that truly puts the people first and uses its power to protect every household is found in the East. There, order is a safety net, not a means to profit. But here, the rules always serve the top."

Tony listened intently, his teacup hovering in mid-air.

He had previously only thought that the military was corrupt and the higher-ups were ruthless, but he had never thought about it in this deeper way.

It turns out that it wasn't the order that was wrong, nor was it his resistance to the order that was wrong; it was that the order of this land was fundamentally not meant to serve ordinary people.

From a soldier's perspective, Rhodes believed in an ideal order; from the perspective of a participant, he witnessed the decay of reality.

Since the two people are never looking at the same thing, they naturally can't argue about who is right or wrong.

The tangled knot in my heart loosened up considerably with a gentle tug.

Seeing his expression relax, Wang Huanbo continued, his tone gentle yet powerful: "So Tony, don't force yourself to conform to anyone's logic, and don't doubt yourself just because you have different ideas from your brothers."

"You built this armor yourself, so you get to decide what's best for it. Do what you believe is right, protect those you want to protect, and just follow your heart."

"You've seen darkness, so you know better than anyone where to use your power. This isn't fanaticism, it's clarity."

A gentle sea breeze blows, and the curtains by the terrace sway slightly.

Tony remained silent for a while before slowly placing the teacup on the table.

He first looked down at the lines on his palm, as if savoring his words, then slowly raised his head. The confusion and entanglement in his eyes gradually dissipated, and the confident and arrogant light of the past shone brightly again.

The pent-up frustration that had been building up in my chest for days dissipated quietly.

Yes, what is he struggling with?

Rhodes has his beliefs, and he has his bottom line. Different paths don't affect their brotherhood, but their bottom line must never be crossed.

He is Tony Stark, Iron Man. His armor was never military equipment; it was a weapon he used to atone for his sins and to protect. Where it should fly and whom it should protect are entirely up to him.

Tony let out a long breath, his shoulders completely relaxed, and the familiar, slightly roguish smile returned to his lips.

"I've figured it out." He picked up the teacup on the table, raised it to Wang Huanbo, and said, "Thanks, Lao Wang. You really are the kind of person who can explain things to me in just one sentence."

"Fine, I won't pay. I'll deal with Rhodes slowly. If he insults me later, I'll just do whatever I want, I'll accept it."

"Anyway—" He looked up at the surging waves in the distance, his eyes bright and determined, "Who Iron Man is and what he should do are my decisions."