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Chapter 46: Iron Man Never Backs Down

Peter, while having his meal, remarked, "The situation doesn't seem very optimistic. When I went to the laboratory to meet Mr. Stark yesterday, Colonel Rhodes seemed to be constantly persuading him."

Peter continued, "Though I don't quite understand these matters, I know that if Mr. Stark's Mech armor falls into military hands, it might not necessarily be a good thing."

"Colonel Rhodes, as Mr. Stark's friend, is probably in a difficult position too, considering he also represents the interests of a group of people," Peter added.

"You're smarter than I imagined. I thought you might not fully grasp the current situation," said Peter.

Peter shook his head and replied, "Actually, I don't fully grasp it, but I know everyone wants those Mech armors because they are genuinely powerful."

"No, it's because they are weapons."

"If it were just a cleaning robot, even if it could clean up New York in a moment, the military wouldn't be so interested in it."

Peter fell silent for a moment before saying, "I think we shouldn't hand over the Mech armor, but I understand that Mr. Stark is under a lot of pressure. Do you think I should... should I comfort him or advise him? I can't just do nothing, can I?"

"I think you should focus on dealing with your own matters for now. If you can fully control the power of the Spider mutation, maybe all these issues will become small for you," suggested Peter.

As Peter had mentioned, the next day brought an expected visitor to Schiller's Psychological Clinic, Colonel James Rhodes.

He straightforwardly asked Schiller, "The military needs Stark's military technology, but he seems to be indecisive. I just want to know, what is his plan? Is S.H.I.E.L.D. playing a role in this?"

"To be honest, you didn't want to come," Schiller remarked. "I can see that."

Rhodes curled the corner of his mouth and said, "It seems Tony is paying you a hefty consultation fee for a reason."

"Clearly, your superiors know that this issue can't be asked directly to Stark, or else S.H.I.E.L.D. would get the answers faster than you. But coming to me won't change anything," Schiller explained.

"The military needs Stark's Mech armor. It can give us an advantage in many places... it can save a lot of lives," Rhodes argued.

"Have you not noticed that your reluctant mindset has made your words incredibly dry? Colonel Rhodes, I know you're in a tough spot. The military keeps pressuring Stark, but he's your friend," Schiller noted.

"So, you're deceiving yourself to feel a bit better, even though you know what these battle suits will be used for. But by convincing yourself, perhaps you can alleviate the guilt of forcing your friend to betray his interests using your friendship."

"Following orders is a soldier's duty," Rhodes replied.

"Indeed, but what about Stark? What about your friend? Repeatedly going against your friend's wishes, forcing him to sell out his interests, using friendship to hold him hostage."

"You've always known how much Tony values you. Stark doesn't have many friends, but you're definitely one of them... maybe the most important one."

"You know he's willing to pay this price for you, willing to do the things he hates most—compromise and bow down."

"Stop talking," Rhodes said, his lips tightly pressed together.

Schiller clicked the button of his ballpoint pen, and the crisp sound seemed to awaken Rhodes suddenly. Schiller continued, "Perhaps it's because you possess something he doesn't. He's willing to do this for you. My advice to you is, maybe these are the things you should cherish the most. Stark's friendship is more precious than the military, and it's not because he's wealthier..."

"It's because a proud genius sees qualities in you that he doesn't possess, qualities that make him willing to pay this price for you. It's worth holding onto, isn't it?"

Rhodes remained silent.

The next day, as Schiller was heading to Stark Tower, he encountered Rhodes coming out. He had an officer following him, and the officer's expression appeared quite cheerful. They seemed to have obtained something they wanted.

However, Rhodes' expression hadn't improved at all. He maintained a tense face and didn't acknowledge Schiller as he walked straight past him.

After ascending the stairs, Stark stood once again in front of his suit of armor, carefully examining his creation.

"It seems you've made your decision. They got what they wanted, didn't they?" Schiller inquired.

"Well," Stark turned around. He tensed his shoulder muscles and then relaxed them suddenly, exhaling. "I know, I should have followed your advice earlier. It was the right thing to do."

"But I didn't, even though I knew it was right. I didn't have to pay any price, and yet I didn't do it..."

"I knew it wouldn't work," Schiller said as he sat down with a case file at his desk, writing in his notebook without looking up, sighing slightly. "Many people are willing to pay a huge price to chase emotional compensation, especially for someone like you who has never lacked material means."

"You'd rather give up on maximizing your interests than see Rhodes caught in the middle. You paid a price to buy back your temporary friendship with him."

"Yes, I know what you're trying to say. You and he are friends, and you both want it that way. But especially when both sides are not equally willing, this friendship may not last."

"You keep paying a price to buy, and there will come a day when you can't afford it anymore. When you can't afford it, maybe Rhodes will understand you, but the world won't."

Finally, Schiller said, "When you've whetted their appetite, the price you pay for emotions becomes endless."

Stark replied, "I've thought about this. I know that once I relent, I'll keep losing."

"They can use Rhodes to persuade me to hand over some of the Mech armor technology, and one day, they can force him to persuade me to hand over all the Mech armor or to build more war machines for them."

"From the moment I found out how much harm my weapons have caused to civilians, I knew that wisdom not only brings wealth but also disaster," Stark said, pressing his fingers against his temples. "I only recently realized this. The final fate of a genius is always irreversible."

"When everyone knows you have a brain powerful enough to save the world, they will also harbor ambitions to make you destroy it."

After a moment of silence, Schiller stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside Stark Tower, the sunset over New York was dazzling. Stark followed his gaze, the somewhat dazzling light casting a blurry hue before his eyes. Schiller asked, "What will you do when there's no turning back?"

Stark said, "This is my home, and it belongs to Pepper, JARVIS, and all the Starks."

"In the end, no one can force me to give this up."

"If they want more..."

Stark's eyes, always filled with various emotions, stared directly at Schiller. His expression was not heavy but calm as he said, "Iron Man never retreats."

Schiller looked at him and asked, "So, have you ever thought about overturning this absurd and boring negotiation table?"

"You're like a tempting devil."

"That's much more effective than praying to God."

"I never pray, I don't rely on gods, and I don't believe in those strange tricks, those absurd rumors and legends..."

As he spoke, Stark saw everything in his laboratory begin to tremble slightly.

Then, everything started to float.

In an instant, as if gravity had disappeared, everything floated in mid-air – cups, notebooks, computers, wrenches...

The sunlight from the setting sun outside shone on these objects where sunlight shouldn't be. Schiller stood in the center of it all, and the light behind him cast a long shadow in front of him.

The shadows of all the objects overlapped into a massive web. Stark stood in the midst of it all, extending his hand. A drop of water fell from a cup and landed on his fingertip. Stark looked around, and he saw countless ordinary and mundane objects hanging in mid-air and the usual ceiling and walls overhead—

He saw it, a door to a new world.

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