Chapter 5

"Relax, it's not what you think. I obtained this information through other means. If I had to describe it with a word, it would be 'divine revelation.'" Zhou Chao, who had been in society for a year, though not necessarily very shrewd, still had some basic ability to read people's expressions. Upon noticing Tony's change in demeanor, he quickly explained.

"Divine revelation? Are you saying you're a prophet? Sorry, if that's the case, I don't think we need to continue this conversation. I don't want to hear your bizarre claims." Tony, upon hearing this, turned and placed the glass of wine on the bar counter, straightened up, and said.

"Wait, that's not what I meant. Although what I have to say might sound far-fetched..." Zhou Chao said with a bitter smile.

"But I do have one strength: I keep my word. So you have two minutes and ten seconds left." Tony glanced down at the Patek Philippe watch on his wrist and said calmly.

"What I want to say is that your trip will be dangerous. After your presentation, a group of terrorists will attack you and cause severe injuries to your body." Zhou Chao, ignoring Tony's attitude, said seriously.

"Do you have any sources for this information, or is this also something you got through your 'divine revelation'?" Tony looked straight into Zhou Chao's eyes and asked. Despite his tone being casual, Zhou Chao somehow felt a strong sense of mockery.

Zhou Chao opened his mouth but remained silent.

Seeing Zhou Chao's reaction, Tony took out his wallet, opened it, and pulled out two large denomination green bills. He walked up to Zhou Chao and, while stuffing the money into his tattered shirt pocket, said softly, "I appreciate your early morning performance, even though it was boring. I'm a generous person, so here's your payment. Use it to get a bath and change of clothes."

After saying this, he patted Zhou Chao's shoulder, turned, and disappeared into the living room, leaving Zhou Chao with clenched fists, a heaving chest, and eyes filled with anger.

However, Zhou Chao soon let out a bitter laugh, his face full of helplessness. He relaxed, pocketed the few dollars Tony Stark had given him, and turned to leave the villa.

He wanted to be principled and throw the money on the ground, but unfortunately, he couldn't. It wasn't that he lacked self-respect, but reality was harsh. If he didn't take the money, he wouldn't know how to survive, let alone afford lunch and dinner. So, even though his actions were unprincipled, they were better than ending up on the streets, begging for a living, which would be even more humiliating.

With Zhou Chao out of the way, Tony Stark stayed in the villa for another two hours before leaving with his bodyguards, heading to a nearby military airport. From there, he boarded a military plane waiting for him and flew to Afghanistan.

...

In Afghanistan, in front of a vast, mountain-encircled desert.

"Should we inspire fear or respect?" Tony, dressed in a well-fitted black suit, said to a group of high-ranking U.S. military officers.

"Why not both?"

"Guided by this belief, I present to you the pinnacle of Stark Industries' Liberty series, the first missile system to integrate our exclusive impact technology."

"Some say the best weapon is one that never fires. I disagree. The best weapon is one that only needs to fire once. My father did it, and so did America, and it has worked so far."

Then, Tony turned to a nearby U.S. soldier and said, "Find a reason to fire one. I personally guarantee that after it fires, the rats won't even want to come out of their holes."

With that, he snapped his fingers.

The soldier, receiving the order, immediately used the control system to activate the missile launcher—a mobile, ground-based launcher with a thick metal column in the middle. In front of the column was a metal sphere embedded with electronic eyes for positioning and target locking. Above the sphere was a multi-perforated, movable support frame connected to the base of the launcher. Three long, pointed missiles were placed on the support frame.

The soldier then pressed the launch button, and a missile was fired.

Instantly, a hissing sound of flames erupted from the missile's tail, propelling it from the launcher. It flew with a long white smoke trail toward the distant mountains. Midway, the missile's shell suddenly exploded, releasing dozens, nearly a hundred, ping-pong ball-sized metal spheres, each trailing a long smoke trail as they scattered and fell toward the mountains.

"For your reference, the 'Jericho' bomb," Tony said, as if on cue.

"Boom!"

A massive explosion followed, a visible white shockwave like a tidal wave surged from the distance, instantly reaching Tony and the U.S. officers, passing through them without stopping.

"Whoosh!"

Facing the shockwave and posing, Tony was nearly knocked off balance by the strong wind, taking two steps forward to regain his footing. Fortunately, the U.S. officers were shielding themselves from the sand and dust, so no one saw his slightly disheveled appearance.

After the explosion subsided, Tony and the U.S. officers walked to a portable freezer, where he took out a glass of wine and raised it to the air, saying, "To peace."

"Tony?" At that moment, a familiar voice came from his phone.

"Obadiah, what are you doing?" Tony looked at the bald white man lying naked on a large bed on the phone screen.

"I can't sleep until I know how it went. How is it?" Obadiah asked.

"Very smooth. Looks like we can celebrate Christmas early," Tony said.

"Good job, kid. See you tomorrow," Obadiah said.

"Why aren't you wearing the pajamas I gave you?"

"Good night, Tony." Obadiah didn't answer Tony's question, hung up, and Tony walked to the military Humvee waiting to take him back to the camp. With the soldiers' assistance, he ducked into the vehicle.

"Bang."

The vehicle started and sped toward the camp at over 80 kilometers per hour.

However, not long after they left the test site, a small missile suddenly flew toward the convoy with a piercing whistle and exploded violently.

"Boom!"

"What's happening?" Startled, Tony asked the U.S. soldiers escorting him. But at that moment, the soldiers had no time to pay attention to him. They opened their doors and got out to prepare for a counterattack, but were immediately shot down by unknown assailants and fell by the roadside.

Then, two more missiles flew from a distance, landing near the convoy and exploding violently.

"Boom!"

"Damn it, that bastard was right!" Tony, finally recovering from the initial shock, cautiously got out of the car, his face dark with anger.

Only then did he truly believe what Zhou Chao had said.

In the next moment, another missile flew from an unknown direction, landing near Tony, who had just found cover. As he watched the missile with Stark Industries' logo, it exploded, releasing a powerful shockwave that hurled him away.

...

Two days after Tony Stark's disappearance, in a public square in New York City, a heavy Mercedes-Benz business car slowly stopped in front of a bench.

The rear door of the car opened, and Pepper Potts, dressed in a white OL business suit, appeared in front of Zhou Chao, who was sitting on the bench, quietly eating a hamburger and now dressed in new clothes, no longer in his beggar's attire.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou," Pepper greeted. But as soon as she spoke, she remembered that Zhou Chao barely understood English and swallowed the rest of her words.

"Damn, I forgot to bring an interpreter," Pepper cursed to herself.

However, she quickly found a solution. She took out her phone, called the landline at Tony's villa, and connected with the butler, Jarvis, who served as a live translator between them.

"I thought you would send someone to arrest me like a criminal," Zhou Chao, after a brief exchange, crumpled the remaining greasy paper in his hand and said with a sneer.

Pepper, hearing this, awkwardly smiled and, somewhat embarrassed, changed the subject. "Mr. Zhou, how did you know that terrorists would attack Mr. Stark?"

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Zhou Chao looked up at Pepper, standing in front of him, and asked with a smile.

Pepper, knowing what Zhou Chao was about to say, frowned slightly, a hint of doubt in her eyes.

Honestly, she didn't believe in 'divine revelation,' but her investigation using Stark Industries' resources and network found no information on Zhou Chao, as if he had appeared out of nowhere. This made her wonder if there really were people like 'prophets.'