Europeans, especially the aristocracy, place great emphasis on blood purity.
Justin Hammer knew that many old European noble families preferred to seclude themselves in their ancient castles, adhering to the most archaic traditions.
They looked down upon the upstarts with impure bloodlines, even the British Queen herself falling under their contempt.
Many modern vampire stories and films were based on these old-fashioned figures.
These are the very people who control vast resources across Europe.
But Justin Hammer didn't care about that. He was an American, and Americans valued practicality and realism.
*Let the bloodlines go to hell,* he thought. *But Ivan Vanko is someone Justin Hammer absolutely cannot afford to lose.*
The miniature Arc Reactor was his only chance to finally get the upper hand over Tony Stark.
Setting down his golf club, he bowed slightly, greeting the old European with perfect etiquette.
"You know, our project has been underway for quite some time. We have the world's best weapons, armor, sensor systems, and so on. The only thing missing is that tiny little glow-in-the-dark lamp on Stark's chest."
Senator Stern tapped his chest with a finger, playing a joke he thought was hilarious.
Then, he turned to Justin Hammer and said, "Francis is very interested in the power armor. Of course, he has no ambition for Department of Defense contracts—he just wants some finished suits to arm his bodyguards. But there are many opportunities for future collaboration, such as in new energy. If you're interested, you know how these nobles are. They dislike being in the spotlight; it's not considered elegant!"
Justin Hammer was certainly interested. The potential applications of the miniature Arc Reactor were immense. Limiting it to military use would be a disservice to this groundbreaking invention.
With Senator Stern acting as mediator, the two men immediately began an enthusiastic exchange.
Further collaborations would unfold gradually. Today, Francis's people would bring Ivan Vanko to Hammer Industries.
Of course, the Arc Reactor technology itself would not be shared. Francis's representatives would be present to prevent Justin Hammer from obtaining the technology from Ivan Vanko.
Following this incident, Francis would invest in a new energy company in the United States. Justin Hammer would front the venture, creating the world's largest new energy company.
These terms were impossible for Hammer to refuse. After the meeting, he hastily departed, eager to make early preparations for Ivan Vanko's arrival.
Watching Justin Hammer hurry away, Francis turned to Senator Stern and said, "You've found a good pawn. Ambitious, but not particularly bright. Keeping him in the spotlight is a wise choice. From now on, I'll be relying on you to look after things here."
Senator Stern burst into hearty laughter. "Pierce has been searching the world for you! If he knew you were hiding right under his nose, he'd probably jump out of his office in a fit of rage!"
Francis joined in the laughter. "He can't afford to have any accidents now. Project Insight still needs him to drive it forward. Putting a gun to everyone's head in the world—Dr. Zola is a true genius! A plan to control the lives of everyone on Earth should be in the hands of people like us, not someone as conservative as Pierce, don't you think?"
Stern's laughter grew even louder, revealing his molars. The temptation of global domination had made him choose collaboration with Francis without hesitation, betraying Alexander Pierce.
He didn't notice, however, that behind his back, Francis, still laughing, regarded him with eyes that held no difference from those one might use to look at an idiot.
***
The Hydra operatives had already delivered Ivan Vanko to Justin Hammer's company.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiao and Tony were still running around Monaco in circles, chasing their tails.
Ever since Ivan Vanko had appeared—or, more accurately, since a second person capable of creating a miniature Arc Reactor had emerged—the pressure from the U.S. government on Tony had been growing steadily.
Initially, Tony had refused to hand over the technology, but he had also assured them that no one could replicate the Arc Reactor for at least several years. This had somewhat eased the government and military's stance. After all, as long as the technology remained in Tony Stark's hands, it was effectively in American hands. Even if the government didn't control it directly, Iron Man was still an American, wasn't he?
But now that a second person had emerged—and especially since that person had been rescued by a hostile power—the government couldn't be easily misled. If the Russians obtained this technology, it would mean the U.S. would face the threat of the "fighting nation" for decades to come.
(This isn't about politics; in the movie world, the "fighting nation" is always portrayed as the villain!)
Tony Stark was now receiving multiple calls daily from Pepper and Rhode, relaying the mounting pressure from various sources.
"Tony, this can't go on. What are you going to do?" Qin Xiao asked, slumping onto the hotel sofa.
For the past few days, we've been busy searching for clues and tracking down Ivan Vanko. I've already sent Jane, Thor, and Daisy back.
Only Tony and I remain in Monaco.
"I didn't realize this before, but now I have a new idea!"
Tony had just hung up with Rhode.
"Rhode's military, and I trust him. If we give him an Iron Man suit, it'll keep the government off our backs for now and ensure the suit doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Most importantly, the Illuminati needs new members. Just the two of us aren't enough. Right now, we can't even rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. for intelligence!"
"That's a good idea. We're just running around in circles here anyway. We might as well go back and pool our resources." Qin Xiao sat up from the sofa.
"Exactly. That's what I was thinking. Those people took Ivan Vanko, and they can't keep him hidden forever. The suit is their real target. I've already had JARVIS monitor the whereabouts of all precious metals on the market, including the materials for the Arc Reactor and the metals needed for the suit."
"Unless those people own metal mines and have mature extraction and smelting techniques, as soon as they start building the suit, I'll find them!" Tony Stark declared confidently.
-----------------------
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