Europeans, especially the upper class, placed great importance on pure bloodlines.
Justin Hammer knew that many old-school European nobles liked to hide in their castles, following the oldest traditions.
They looked down on newly rich elites with impure bloodlines—even the Queen of England was among them.
Many modern novels and films had used vampires as a theme, using them as a backdrop for their stories.
This was a group that controlled vast resources across Europe.
But Justin Hammer didn't care. He was an American, and Americans were practical and realistic.
Bloodlines meant nothing; Justin Hammer could never give up Ivan Vanko.
The miniature Arc Reactor—this was his one chance to finally stand above Tony Stark.
He put down his golf club and gave a slight bow, paying perfect etiquette to this European antique.
"You know, our project has been running for a long time. We have the best weapons, sensor systems, and so on in the world. The only thing missing is that little lamp on Stark's chest."
Senator Stern raised a finger, tapped his chest, and made a joke he thought was witty.
Then he gestured to Justin Hammer.
"Francis is interested in the armor. Of course, he doesn't want an order from the Department of Defense. He just wants some finished suits to arm his bodyguards. But there are plenty of opportunities for future cooperation, like in the renewable energy sector. If you're interested, you should know that nobles like him don't like standing in the spotlight—it's not elegant enough!"
Of course, Justin Hammer was very interested. The potential applications of the miniature Arc Reactor were vast. Limiting it to military use would be far too disappointing for a device capable of changing the course of history.
Thanks to Senator Stern's mediation, the two immediately entered a tense negotiation.
Further collaboration would be carried out gradually in the future. Today, Francis' people would bring Ivan Vanko into Hammer Industries.
Of course, the Arc Reactor technology itself could not be leaked. Francis' people would closely monitor developments, ensuring Justin Hammer couldn't seize the technology from Ivan Vanko.
After the event, Francis would invest in an American renewable energy company led by Justin Hammer to build the largest renewable energy company in the world.
These conditions were unacceptable to Hammer. After a brief discussion, he left in a hurry, wanting to make preliminary preparations for Ivan Vanko's arrival.
Watching Justin Hammer leave, Francis said to Senator Stern:
"You've found a good pawn. Ambitious, but not very smart. Letting him take the spotlight is a good choice. From now on, I'll rely on you to watch over things here for me."
Stern laughed, saying, "Pierce is searching for you all over the world. If he knew you were hiding right under his nose, he'd probably jump out of his office in rage!"
Francis also laughed: "He's fine for now. The 'Insight Project' relies on him to push things forward. Even if you point a gun at everyone in the world, Dr. Zola is a genius. This way, he can control the entire world. The blueprint for human life should be controlled by people like us, not conservatives like Pierce, right?"
Francis' words made Stern grin so widely that he showed the back of his molars. Facing the temptation of controlling the world, he had no hesitation in collaborating with Francis, betraying Alexander Pierce.
What he didn't notice was that Francis, laughing behind him, looked at him as if he were a fool.
…
Hydra operatives had brought Ivan Vanko to Justin Hammer's company.
Meanwhile, Qin Xiao and Tony were still wandering around Monaco.
Specifically, since Ivan Vanko appeared, he was probably only the second person capable of building a miniature Arc Reactor.
Pressure from the U.S. government on Tony was mounting.
Initially, Tony refused to hand over the technology but also stated that, for at least a few years, no one would be able to construct an Arc Reactor.
This slightly eased the government's and military's pressure. After all, if it remained in Tony Stark's hands, it was effectively in America's hands. The government might not fully understand this, but at least Iron Man was American, right?
But now, a second party had appeared—especially one rescued by someone without influence. The government wouldn't be so easily fooled.
If Russia obtained this technology, it would mean that the U.S. would face the threat of conflict with other countries for many years to come.
(This isn't political—it's just that in the movie world, countries at war are always the villains!)
Tony Stark was receiving multiple calls almost daily from Pepper Potts and Rhodey, each conveying pressure from different fronts.
"Tony, this isn't the way to solve it. What are you going to do?"
Qin Xiao collapsed onto the hotel sofa and asked.
These past days, he had been busy tracing clues and tracking Ivan Vanko. He had sent Jane, Thor, and Daisy back first.
Now, only he and Tony were left in Monaco.
"I didn't know before, but now I have a new idea!"
Tony had just hung up Rhodey's call.
"Rhodey is military; I trust him. If I give him a suit of armor, it can temporarily prevent the government from interfering, and ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands. Most importantly, the Illuminati will need new members—just the two of us isn't enough. Now, we can only rely on S.H.I.E.L.D. intelligence!"
"That's a good idea. Anyway, we're just looking around for now. Let's head back together—then we'll have more resources!"
Qin Xiao sat up from the sofa.
"Exactly what I was thinking. Those people took Ivan Vanko away. They can't keep him hidden forever. Their target is the armor. I've already instructed J.A.R.V.I.S. to monitor all valuable materials on the market, including the raw materials for building the Arc Reactor and the metals required for the armor!"
"Unless these people own various metal mines and have advanced extraction and smelting technology, once they start producing armor, I will find them!"
Tony Stark said confidently.
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