With Obadiah Stane's arm around his shoulder, Justin Hammer felt increasingly uncomfortable. His expression shifted nervously, unsure of what Obadiah was up to.
But hearing Obadiah thank him, Justin froze in surprise, staring at the man with suspicion.
"Haha, Justin, first of all, I owe you an apology," Obadiah began. Using his size and strength, he pushed the hesitant Justin toward the exit of the building. "You know how it is—William has long been one of Stark Industries' shareholders. He's involved in business ventures that don't conflict with ours, so why the hell would Stark Industries help those idiots from Lockheed in going against him?"
He continued with a smile, "As for you," Obadiah raised an eyebrow but quickly softened his expression, "I'm sorry for being so harsh earlier. It was just an act to provoke you, to make sure you left the room before those guys could unite and make any solid plans against William."
Justin's skepticism eased a little upon hearing this explanation. He blinked in disbelief as Obadiah offered him what sounded like a genuine partnership.
"But to my surprise," Obadiah continued, "you turned out to be a supporter of William Devonshire. In that case, maybe we should travel to London together to welcome him back."
"This... really? That would be incredible! Thank you, Mr. Stane," Justin responded, overwhelmed by the offer.
Obadiah smiled, pleased with Justin's reaction. He gave Justin a firm pat on the shoulder. "Looks like we're on the same page. So, will we meet up in London, or do you want to plan a trip there together?"
"Let's go together, of course," Justin replied enthusiastically. "I want to express my gratitude for your help in introducing me to Mr. Devonshire. I'll handle all the travel arrangements."
"Perfect, then it's settled," Obadiah said, grinning. "I know you're still a little unsure, but don't worry—we can talk about some business matters we both care about during the trip."
Justin's curiosity was piqued. "Oh? What matters?"
Obadiah's smile grew as he noticed Justin taking the bait. "Perhaps you've heard about a certain rifle William developed. What's the name again?"
"HK416," Justin answered immediately, his expertise on firearms kicking in. "I heard that during field tests in the extreme desert climate, the prototype malfunctioned 236 times over 6,000 rounds. But after Mr. Devonshire reviewed the data, the final production model only jammed 78 times—better than even the AK-47 under similar conditions."
At this point, Justin's eyes lit up with dollar signs. However, his excitement dimmed as he continued, "Unfortunately, it seems Mr. Devonshire has no intention of mass-marketing the rifle. Rumor has it that apart from a special unit in England, only the royal guards have access to a hundred of these rifles."
"Exactly. If he were to market it, there'd be no room for the rest of us to compete," Obadiah noted with a chuckle. "That's why our secondary objective on this trip is to remind William that sometimes, all he needs is a capable partner to handle certain business opportunities for him."
"Absolutely, Mr. Stane! You're absolutely right," Justin exclaimed excitedly. "Mr. Devonshire may not care much about low-margin ventures, but as his friends, it's our duty to point out that some deals, with the right partner, can bring in substantial profits while saving him time."
"That's exactly the mindset I like in a business partner," Obadiah complimented. "I'm sure William will feel the same when he meets you."
Obadiah's car pulled up at the curb. He shook hands with Justin before adding, "Alright then, we'll iron out the details when we fly to London in a couple of days."
"Understood!" Justin replied, gripping Obadiah's hand firmly. "Thank you, Mr. Stane."
"See you soon, Justin," Obadiah said as he entered the car.
From the rearview mirror, Obadiah watched Justin enthusiastically wave goodbye. His smile became more sinister as he murmured to himself, "Delivering this Hammer family remnant straight to London ought to put William Devonshire in a very good mood."
Meanwhile, Justin finally lowered his arm after Obadiah's car disappeared from sight. He celebrated by pumping his fist in the air before getting into his own car.
However, the moment the door closed, his expression turned dark and contemplative.
There was no question in his mind that Obadiah had ulterior motives. During the meeting, Obadiah had openly mocked him. Justin didn't believe for a second that it was simply to protect William. If not for the sudden alien attack on the Qatar base, Justin admitted he would've been tempted to steal a piece of the pie himself, despite the risk of retaliation from William.
Justin suspected there were hidden stakes he hadn't yet uncovered.
Yet despite his unease, he refused to give up the opportunity to meet William. He convinced himself that if he could secure the rights to manufacture the HK416 rifle, he could dominate the U.S. civilian market.
With William's reputation backing the product, Justin estimated sales could easily exceed a million units annually—bringing in billions of dollars in revenue. That kind of success would raise Hammer Industries' market value by tens of billions.
Still, one thing puzzled him: why had William named the gun "HK416"? Justin made a mental note to suggest a name change if they ever launched it commercially.
For now, Justin shifted his focus to preparing a special gift that might impress William. He pulled out his phone and called his personal assistant.
"Check my collection of antiques," he ordered. "See if there are any rare, unique Chinese artifacts. If not, scour the market for something suitable."
Meanwhile, William remained unaware of Justin and Obadiah's schemes. Even if he knew, he wouldn't care. The upper hand was entirely his.
If their proposals aligned with his interests, he wouldn't hesitate to collaborate—regardless of their reputations as villains.
In his eyes, compared to the likes of Tony Stark, Obadiah and Justin were minor nuisances.
(End of Chapter)
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