Tony picked up Pepper Potts's call, ["Hello? Tony, are you okay?"]
Looking at Obadiah in the air being batted around like a ping-pong ball by Corin, Tony was laughing happily, "I'm great~ it's just that you'll have to get some money ready for me."
Pepper had managed Stark Industries for Tony for a while after all, so money didn't mean much to her, especially when it was Tony personally giving the order.
["Money is not a problem. What about Obadiah? He's gone crazy, you have to be careful!"]
Ms Pepper didn't know Tony had just promised an order worth 200 million. She was still worrying about Tony's condition.
Tony thought, 'If you knew the amount, you definitely wouldn't sound this calm anymore.'
After all, even in Stark Industries' pool of liquid funds, 200 million is not a small number.
"Yeah, Obie is probably going crazy right now."
———
Obadiah really was going crazy.
He never could have imagined that even after pulling every string and even going as far as ripping the reactor out of Tony to build Iron Monger, he still didn't end up invincible.
Forget invincible, at this point he didn't even have the strength to fight back.
That bounty hunter was too fast. The targeting system in his armor couldn't lock on him at all.
"Is this something a human can even do?"
Right now all Obadiah could do was pin his hopes on Iron Monger's armor defense.
Luckily, only the first two hits had really been hard for him to take. The following blows, while incredibly fast, were a bit lacking in power.
That lessened his fear quite a bit.
Putting up a defensive posture and swallowing down the bloody taste in his throat, Obadiah struggled to think of a way to break out of this.
Corin had deliberately held back his strength.
He found that as he kept practicing those moves where he flung throwing knives and flew at high speed to slip in and attack the target, his motions were getting smoother and smoother.
His control of his power was also getting more and more precise.
This made Corin feel like he'd really scored big. Not only was he getting 200 million dollars, he was also improving himself while taking a job.
His strength was too great, in normal circumstances he simply couldn't find a suitable sparring partner.
Iron Monger just happened to have high defense and a huge health bar, making it the perfect sandbag for him to polish his combat skills on.
How could he bear to one-shot Iron Monger in a single move.
Besides, this job was no challenge at all. Beating up a robot, not even an alien, how is that any different from picking up free money?
'It really had to be Tony. No wonder he's my walking wallet. Every time I reach in, there's a surprise.'
In a very good mood, Corin's footwork became even more ghostly and elusive, and his attacks even more precise.
Up in the air, Obadiah tried to push the thrusters at full power to steady himself.
But under Corin's attacks, it was hard to overcome Iron Monger's huge inertia. That forced Obadiah to think of something else.
"If he could spare Tony back then, he can spare me now!"
Thinking of this, Obadiah's spirit lifted. He spat out the clotted blood in his mouth and cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible, "Mr Cockroach, please wait a second, stop hitting me, cough! cough!"
Corin had been thinking about how to blend Jeet Kune Do into this kind of aerial combat and didn't hear Obadiah calling out for a moment.
A snapping inch punch dented Iron Monger's hard skull, and only when Iron Monger spun while falling downward did Corin react:
"Hmm? Mr Obadiah, did you just say something?"
Dizzy and reeling, Obadiah finally regained control of his body and gave his eyes a fierce blink.
He couldn't tell whether Iron Monger's display was broken or his own brain was. Either way, golden stars were sparkling all over his vision.
'This damn bounty hunter, if I could beat you, I'd beat you to death!'
His heart was full of resentment, but his mouth was very polite, "That's right, Mr Cockroach, I'd like to discuss a deal with you."
Hearing there was business to talk, Corin raised a bit of interest.
It was nothing more than some request to spare him. Nothing new, but he could at least listen to the price.
"Go ahead."
"Oh, it's like this. You see… as gentlemen, fighting back and forth like this is really beneath our dignity. Why don't we solve this in a way we can both enjoy."
Opening his helmet faceplate on his own, Obadiah couldn't even remember how many years it had been since he'd spoken this earnestly.
Seeing that Corin didn't say anything or continue hitting him, Obadiah gained a bit of confidence, "Ten million! Mr Bounty Hunter, let me walk away…"
This, in Obadiah's mind, was a number a bounty hunter could not refuse.
Corin wondered if he'd misheard, 'How much?'
'Ten million?'
'Heh! I didn't expect this old fox Obadiah to be this stingy with himself too.'
'Even at death's door he is still thinking about saving money.'
For a moment, Obadiah's naivety really left Corin half amused and half speechless.
Seeing Corin stay silent, there could only be one reason, he thought the offer was too low.
'This greedy bastard!'
Obadiah clenched his molars, and a mouthful of blood instantly flowed out.
'Tsk!'
'Damn it, I'll have to get a few new teeth put in when I get back…'
Obadiah hesitated a moment, then gave a new price, "Mr Cockroach, how about this, thirty million! Let me go!"
Looking at this all-too-familiar scene, Corin couldn't help but chuckle.
Never mind that Obadiah's starting price was way lower than Tony's had been back then, even the way he raised his offer was nowhere near as bold as Tony's.
'You have no vision. How are you supposed to compare yourself to Tony Stark?'
'That free-spending, throw-money-around side of a noveau rich is nowhere to be seen in him. Pathetic!'
On that point alone, Corin couldn't muster the slightest interest in the "business" Obadiah was talking about.
Right then, Corin suddenly remembered something.
'Damn, I'm still hanging high on the underground exchange's kill list!'
Even the bounty for killing Tony Stark was only 800,000.
On the way to Oscorp last time he'd run into an assassination attempt, and they had even come as a team, costing Corin quite a bit of effort.
All because this guy Obadiah had pushed his bounty up to 2 million. Making him the undisputed number one on the list.
He had to settle this account properly.
Thinking of this, Corin showed a professional smile, distant yet friendly.
This made Tony Stark, who was watching the two of them closely from below, feel his whole body jolt, 'Crap! Don't tell me there's going to be another round of bidding?'
His heart grew uneasy.
Corin gently shook his head, "Mr Obadiah, about that bounty from the underground exchange..."
Obadiah suddenly remembered he really had put out a kill order on Cockroach.
Hearing Corin bring it up now, 'Could it be that if I cancel the contract, there'll be room to talk?'
His eyes lit up and a thread of hope rose in his heart, 'Great, I can go back and get my teeth fixed!'
Catching his drift, he contacted the underground exchange right in front of Corin and canceled the bounty on the bounty hunter [Cockroach].
After hanging up, Obadiah looked at Corin with eyes full of hope, as if to say, "Now you're satisfied, right?"
Seeing with his own eyes that the bothersome kill order on himself had finally been lifted, Corin felt a lot more cheerful inside.
There was a bit more sincerity in his smile, "Very good, Mr Obadiah."
Old Obie recalled Corin's ghostly and unfathomable methods, and a chill ran over his skin. Once again he felt that deciding to talk to him had been unbelievably wise.
"Mr Cockroach, now you can think about my request, right?"
Tony, hearing their conversation from below, couldn't help getting to his feet.
His half-narrowed eyes flashed cold, "Obie, come on then! Who's scared of who! Worst case, we just pit our fortunes against each other!"
At the same time, he was ready to call Ms Pepper for money at any moment.
Corin listened carefully to Obadiah's words and, thinking back on his behavior, knew the guy in front of him was just an ungrateful white-eyed wolf.
A man who could covet the life of the nephew he'd watched grow up just to seize control of the company, what kind of decent person could he be?
His smiling expression slowly calmed.
With a hint of indifference, Corin looked at Obadiah with slight distaste, "Don't be naive. I'm not someone who takes every job."
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