Capítulo 112: MD-Chapter 112 A Friendly Negotiation!
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Faced with Arthur's attitude, Tony really wanted to turn around and walk away. However, the thought of Iron Monger Armor forced him to bury that tempting idea deep within his mind.
Tony still didn't know Arthur well enough. He had no idea what might happen if Arthur took the Iron Monger Armor with him. Given Arthur's questionable character and desperate need for money, there was a very real possibility that he might sell it.
And if the Iron Monger Armor's design and advanced technology fell into the wrong hands, leading to its replication and proliferation, the future of the world would be unimaginable.
So, suppressing his urge to leave, Tony spoke to Arthur in a calm and friendly tone, "How about we find a place to talk about this? What do you think?"
"If you're asking so nicely, of course, I have to go along with it, my dear Nephew" Arthur shrugged nonchalantly.
Tony was irritated by Arthur's constant use of the term "nephew," but there was nothing he could do about it. Somehow Arthur had become the supplier ofan item, and that was something Tony had to get his hands on.
The feeling of being at the mercy of someone else made Tony want to go after Arthur with all his might. However, he also had a very special and complex feeling for Arthur that made him look at Arthur deeply and say, "Let's go.
...
The conversation took place in one of Tony's homes in New York.
Pepper accompanied them, but she seemed preoccupied with something. The events of the evening had been significant, not just because of the battle on the highway, but also due to the issues surrounding Bald Stane's identity and handling of the aftermath.
Stane had been a veteran figure at Stark Industries, and this mess could damage the company's credibility if not properly explained. So Pepper was on the phone non-stop, leaving Arthur and Tony alone.
The two sat staring at each other.
Tony's eyes were filled with defiance as he looked at the figure sitting in front of him.
Arthur's eyes on the other hand were filled with kindness.
The kinder Arthur seemed, the more defiant Tony became.
And the more defiant Tony was, the kinder Arthur appeared!
It was like a never-ending loop where this intense staring contest could go on forever. Finally, Tony couldn't take it anymore and decided to rub his eyes.
After several minutes of staring, his eyes were red and teary from the strain.
Pepper returned at that moment and, seeing Tony's condition, sighed to Arthur, "He was always so emotional.
Arthur nodded, "Well, I'm practically his Godfather."
Pepper wasn't surprised by this comment and decided to remain silent.
"Who the hell are you?" Tony finally snapped, glaring at Arthur with red eyes, his expression fierce!
"You can call me Arthur. I was good friends with your father. Whenever we drank and talked, he always said he wasn't in a hurry to have children. But look, he obviously didn't keep his word - here you are, all grown up." Arthur shook his head and sighed nostalgically, as if lost in old memories.
Tony looked at Pepper before speaking, "Can we call the police? Maybe report this guy for trespassing, or I could just shoot him now and blame it on the security guards?"
Pepper slapped her face, "I think we all need to be more serious!"
"I am serious!"
Arthur and Tony said in unison, then glared at each other—one looking fiercely determined, the other overly kind.
Pepper was about to lose it. "Can you two stop being so childish?"
Tony immediately turned to Pepper with a hurt look on his face. Although he didn't say anything, his expression clearly said, "How can you say that about me? It's obviously the fault of that bad guy over there!"
Arthur whistled as he looked up at the ceiling, his gaze gradually returning to normal. Then he asked, "Have you turned off all the cameras and surveillance equipment in the house?"
Tony glanced at Pepper, who smiled slightly and said, "One moment." She stepped away for a moment, then returned and said, "All done."
Arthur immediately took off his cap and mask and let out a long breath. "You know, wearing a mask for too long really stinks."
"I didn't know and I don't want to know!" Tony said with a scowl, "Let's cut to the chase - how much do you want?"
"How crude! Do you think it's really about money?" Arthur said with a serious expression, "It's about not having money."
"..." Tony was momentarily speechless.
"The thing is, it's quite simple." Arthur held up one finger and said, "I'll explain it, and you guys can help me figure it out, alright?"
Tony was almost beside himself with anger. "You're extorting me, and you still expect me to come up with the terms?"
"Coming up with the terms won't cost you anything - how about helping me out?"
Arthur asked tentatively.
Tony looked at Arthur, then turned helplessly to Pepper, "He's by far the most shameless person I've ever met!"
"Thanks for the compliment, although it doesn't make me happy at all."
Arthur said with a smile. "First of all, I have a genetic research project! I can't reveal the details..." He shot a meaningful look at Pepper before continuing, "The theoretical data is pretty much complete, but everything depends on practical experiments. That's the problem - we don't have the funding!"
"So that's why you came to me for money?" Tony raised an eyebrow, then sneered, "Why should I lend you money for an experiment that has no meaning to me? You won't even tell me what the experiment is."
Arthur shrugged, "I realize now that I was being impulsive. I thought my reputation would be enough, but apparently it's not... So let's make a deal instead."
With a thought, the Iron Monger Armor appeared beside him. "I'm really curious, how did this guy come about? The first suit of armor you designed in the cave has always been with me, and I never leaked it... So how did this suit come into existence?"
Pepper glanced at Tony and sighed softly, "Yinsen, he went missing for a while. When we found him, he wasn't in good shape."
"Yinsen..."
Arthur blinked. "He was a good man."
"Of course!"
Tony replied, "But he was just an ordinary man. In this world, some things are worse than death."
Arthur nodded, not pressing further on what had happened. Instead, he said, "Alright, let's get back to the matter at hand. How much are you willing to pay to buy this big guy... and the little one you made earlier?"
...
Capítulo 113: MD-Chapter 113 The Fearsome Woman!
If possible, Tony would have preferred not to discuss this matter at all. He could spend a fortune on something meaningless, even without giving it a second glance. But he hated being extorted.
So he felt deeply conflicted inside, while Arthur, admiring the Iron Monger Armor, commented, "This is a really great piece of work. Its structure is unique. Although it looks ugly, its core technology is beyond imagination. I think if I sold it to someone else... or even to a country, they wouldn't hesitate to give me a huge amount of money!"
"Arthur, please don't go on..."
Pepper said helplessly, "Please state your demands!"
"Hmm..." Arthur thought for a moment before saying, "Honestly, a one-time payment wouldn't satisfy me. Nobody knows how far my research will go. Scientific experiments are full of surprises. So, in addition to a large sum of money, I also need some shares in Stark Industries!"
"Do you even know what you're asking for?" Tony looked at Arthur incredulously. "If my father knew that his friend was using something his son created to blackmail him to this extent..."
"That's too harsh a way to put it," Arthur quickly interrupted Tony. "Besides, I never intended to use those shares for anything. I don't need any real power, just the dividends would be enough. You know what I mean? All you'd have to do is pay me a sum of money every year, and whenever you don't want to see me, you'll never have to. These two big guys are like my... technological equity contribution. How about that?"
'Tech equity, my foot!'
Tony gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No way. You're asking too much. I can't agree to that."
"How about I ask for fewer shares? Perhaps a smaller annual dividend?" Arthur blinked.
"It's not the amount!!!"
Tony waved his hand. "If you like these two, you can take them with you anytime. But from now on..."
"Wait!"
Just as Tony was about to make an irreversible decision, Pepper suddenly spoke up. "Actually, what you want may not be out of reach, but your offer is far from enough."
Tony was taken aback and looked at Pepper.
Pepper gave him a knowing wink.
Tony had almost complete trust in Pepper. Seeing her speak now, he resisted the urge to say anything and waited quietly.
"All right, all right, negotiations... Go ahead, tell me what you need." Arthur said with a smile.
"We won't interfere with your experiment or your research." Pepper replied with a smile. "What we need... is your finished product! If you're willing, then this experiment could indeed be your technological equity."
Arthur blinked, then shook his head. "I'll give you the same answer: it's impossible! If my experiment succeeds, it will undoubtedly be a breakthrough that will go down in history, possibly even changing the global landscape. Just as Tony doesn't want those two guys to go on the market, I don't want the results of my experiment to go public either. At least not without my approval.
The Perfect Serum, if released, would have consequences far worse than Iron Monger Armor.
It could completely surpass them!
It's not hard to imagine that once a truly perfect serum is created, tweaking genes so that everyone could become like Steve... or even the Hulk... no number of Earths would be enough.
Why did Dr. Erskine struggle inwardly countless times before the final experiment?
Why, as if entrusting his legacy, did he hand over the last vial of the Super Soldier serum, and why did he seem so relieved after doing so?
What Arthur was now worried about was exactly what Tony had feared. Tony was as worried about the Iron Monger Armor coming to market as Arthur was about his own creation.
This conversation caused Tony's expression to change. He quietly asked Pepper, "Do you know what kind of experiment he's actually conducting?"
"I know a little."
Pepper replied quietly, then turned to Arthur and said, "Perhaps my words gave you the wrong impression. We don't need to control your entire finished product. We only need two pieces..."
"...Actually, I'm more curious about how much you really know." Arthur said, intrigued. "Do you even know what I'm actually doing?"
"What I currently know is based on my own deductions." Pepper replied with a gentle smile. "What I know is what you already know. If it were just for that purpose, I don't think you'd need the stock in Stark Industries. Since you need ongoing financial support and dividends, it proves that your ambition is something beyond that."
"Smart woman." Arthur remarked, realizing that he had to make a choice.
He thought for a moment before saying, "As for the finished product... I can only give you one."
"That's acceptable, but it's still not enough." Pepper replied. "I've been following some of Dr. Connor's activities. It's said that Dr. Connors disappeared after that night... Well, if possible, I assume you have some related products in development. When the time comes, we'd like to have the rights to manage them."
Arthur took a deep breath. He realized that he had completely underestimated this woman.
Beneath her intelligent exterior was a sharp, ruthless mind capable of making such deductions from mere bits of information.
What was he going to do?
Deny it?
Of course, he could! But that would end the negotiations.
Because she didn't think the current offer was enough!
On the other hand, if Dr. Connors was really with him and Arthur had promised certain things, then the direction of his research was almost certain.
That was what this woman really wanted!
So Arthur blinked and asked, "Just management? All the profits would go to me?"
"That's certainly impossible. In fact, I believe we could agree on a 9:1 profit split,"
Pepper proposed. "We'd take 9."
"You're delusional!!!" Arthur was stunned. How could this seemingly sweet and pretty woman make such a shocking demand?
The auxiliary products she mentioned were likely gene serums aimed at limb regeneration or similar, in case the perfect serum didn't pan out. If such products ever hit the market, the profits would be unimaginable.
And here she was, asking for the lion's share as if she were pulling off a heist with nothing but her words!
Seeing Arthur's outburst, Tony became gleeful and said, "No way, we want 9!"
Then he whispered to Pepper, "What exactly are we asking for?"
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 45 chapters on my patreon and I've also activated (date to date) subscription model on my patreon https://www.patreon.com/GGS6395
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