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When Tony asked that question, it wasn’t just because he saw how angry Arthur had become. It was because he suddenly realized that there might be a treasure trove hidden in this situation beyond his imagination! As a businessman, Tony could already smell wealth.
Arthur’s face turned dark with anger as he looked at the two scheming people in front of him. He shook his head and said, “No, I absolutely cannot agree to this. If this is how you want to discuss things, then there’s nothing left to discuss!”
Arthur was a bit annoyed as he said this. He had originally just come to make a quick deal. How could he suddenly get involved in a lengthy negotiation? And it even seemed like they were heading towards a long-term partnership?
The most frustrating part was that Arthur realized that he was completely outmatched in the negotiations with Pepper. He was so upset that he almost ran out the door! Had he left earlier, Tony would have been thrilled to see him go.
But now, just watching Arthur get more and more agitated filled Tony with joy, especially since it looked like a good deal might come out of it.
In the end, Tony did everything he could to keep Arthur around, hoping to close the deal no matter what.
The three of them ended up discussing the matter all night and finally reached an agreement the next morning…
Ten percent of the shares!
But it wasn’t just a handout. Arthur had to produce a “finished product” within three months or the contract would be automatically void. The “finished product” wasn’t the Perfect Serum Arthur was researching; he just promised a product that could provide rapid healing and partial limb regeneration.
The dividends would be paid out annually, but if Arthur couldn’t deliver something satisfactory within three months, it would all be for nothing.
In addition, the products could only be marketed with Arthur’s consent, and he was to receive fifty percent of the profits.
This was the best Arthur could get after a bitter fight.
Pepper’s reasoning was simple: Stark Industries was in the weapons business; they had never done anything like this before. Opening up the market or partnering with large corporations would require a significant financial investment.
Pepper even crunched the numbers for Arthur and concluded that even if he took fifty percent of the profits, Stark Industries would still end up with a tiny fraction. She nearly cried when she told Arthur that they’d only end up with ten percent!
Arthur didn’t believe a word of it. He knew from that one night that Pepper was terribly good at business. There were a lot of things Arthur didn’t fully understand, and if he hadn’t stood his ground, who knows how badly he might have been cheated?
All in all, the general terms had been agreed upon, but the finer details would have to be worked out over the next few days.
It was clear that the events of the previous night would have a significant impact on Stark Industries, possibly causing some issues that would need to be addressed. They needed time to deal with these matters.
So that night they only discussed some confidentiality issues. Arthur was adamant about not revealing his identity.
Tony, however, wanted him to.
“A guy who’s been dead for seventy years suddenly reappears? I think it would make for great publicity!”
That was Tony’s exact words.
But even on that point, Pepper didn’t agree with Tony. She fully supported Arthur’s request for an identity protection agreement.
Tony’s look at Pepper at that moment was something like, “We have a guest here right now, but as soon as he’s gone, you’d better explain this to me.
After that, there was no time to discuss the finer points. As dawn broke, Arthur got up to say goodbye.
Finally, as he glanced back at Tony, Arthur’s expression shifted slightly, and he smiled softly, “Actually, this is pretty good.”
With that, he disappeared in a flash.
Tony stared at the now empty place for a moment before suddenly speaking, “I never thought he’d be that kind of person.”
“Hmm?”
Pepper looked at Tony curiously.
“His disappearance was the most mysterious of all. From the last communication with that star-spangled captain, the only thing my father and the others knew was… he suddenly vanished. Disappearance doesn’t necessarily mean death.”
Tony walked over to a nearby wall, which, seemingly without any seams, suddenly revealed a hidden door. Inside of which was a safe.
After a facial recognition scan, the safe opened. “After ‘his’ supposed death, my father made a decision. He gave ten percent of his shares to Colonel Phillips. They say he was a heartbroken old man. And those shares could be passed down forever. As long as Stark Industries didn’t collapse, they could live like millionaires. Unfortunately, Colonel Phillips had no descendants, so the shares reverted back to my father. They were locked away here, waiting for the one they were meant for… though I doubted they’d ever find him.”
Pepper covered her mouth in astonishment. “I can’t believe this!”
“A coincidence, maybe.”
Tony stood up. “I used to think about getting those shares back, but now it seems unnecessary. Even if my father never expected this supposedly dead man to suddenly appear and negotiate with me, what he wanted and what my father was willing to give are essentially the same. That’s the real reason why I agreed to such an outrageous demand, even though I didn’t know much about it…”
Pepper took the contract and looked at Tony with some surprise. “So you had this planned all along? Was your previous reluctance just an act?”
“An act?”
Tony immediately snapped out of his thoughtful mood and shook his head vigorously. “You’ll never understand what it’s like to see your idol fall from grace. In my father’s stories, he was different from Captain America. He didn’t have as much fame, preferred to work alone, liked to drink and brag – he was real. That’s why I thought he was a hero. But now? Now? Damn it, this guy is just a despicable scoundrel!”
“Can you believe it? He actually threatened his best friend’s son!”
Tony glared at Pepper.
Pepper wiped the spit from her face with a resigned expression and said, “But didn’t you leave him stranded in the desert in Afghanistan and destroy all the cars?”
“If it were him, he would’ve definitely made it back.” Tony snorted. “And this so-called ‘Mr. Miracle’ is nothing like him, even though they look the same.”
“Isn’t this version of him more real? More like your idea of a hero?”
“No! What did I just say? A hero? No, definitely not!”
Tony turned to leave. “Give him what you’re holding and never let me see it again!”
“Oh.”
Pepper started to walk away.
“Wait!”
Tony called to her again. “There’s no rush, he’ll have to come back anyway. How about we talk about what’s really going on between you and him?”
—
(End of the chapter)
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