The thunderous applause still rang in his ears, but the lines of crimson warning flashing across Paul's retina doused him like a bucket of ice water.
Hammer Industries.
Obadiah's backdoor.
The two phrases combined were like a poisoned dagger, instantly piercing through the glamorous facade of the press conference.
The smile on Paul's face slowly faded until it was gone.
He drew a deep breath, the primal instinct for danger—a relic from his past life in an orphanage—sending a chill down his spine.
But now, he was standing in the spotlight, a genius watched by the world.
He couldn't back down.
"It seems there are still some lingering doubts about Baymax's abilities." Paul looked up again, that confident, almost cocky smile returning to his face as if the warning had never appeared.
He scanned the crowd, his gaze precisely locking onto a familiar face in the press section.
"So, why don't we do a live demonstration? Any brave volunteers willing to come on stage and let Baymax reveal the secrets of your body?"
His gaze passed over the bustling crowd and landed on the female reporter who had just been questioning Tony—Christine Calvin.
Christine instinctively straightened her back.
She read a hint of a challenge in Paul's eyes.
*Is this kid trying to provoke me?*
"I'll do it!" She stood up almost without hesitation, her high heels clicking sharply on the floor with a defiant air.
With her taking the lead, several other eager media personalities and business people immediately stood up.
In the end, Paul selected four volunteers, including Christine: herself, a perennial desk worker; a silver-haired old man who looked hale and hearty; a well-built sports reporter; and a middle-aged businesswoman with a slightly haggard look.
"Miss Calvin, ladies first." Paul gestured for her to come forward.
Christine walked to the center of the stage, still skeptical as she looked at the inflatable robot that was taller than her.
"Hello, I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion." Baymax blinked its cute electronic eyes and extended a chubby arm. "Would you like me to perform a health scan?"
"Go ahead," Christine said, crossing her arms with an expression that said, *Let's see what tricks you've got up your sleeve.*
A soft blue light emanated from Baymax's eyes, sweeping over Christine's entire body like a ripple of water.
The whole process took less than three seconds.
"Scan complete," Baymax's voice was still soft and cute. "Miss Calvin, based on your bone density and muscle stress analysis, you have a slight straightening of the physiological curvature in your fourth and fifth cervical vertebrae. Your levator scapulae muscles are in a state of chronic tension. It is recommended that you reduce your time working at a desk and perform five minutes of neck stretching exercises every hour."
The expression on Christine's face froze.
As a reporter, her cervical spine issues were an old problem, constantly causing her pain, and her doctor had told her the exact same thing.
"Additionally," Baymax continued, "the scan detected mild fatty infiltration in your liver region, and a blood sample analysis shows a severe deficiency in B-group vitamins. This may be the cause of your recent fatigue and low mood. A dietary adjustment is recommended, with increased intake of whole grains and leafy green vegetables."
Christine was completely stunned.
Fatigue, low mood… intimate details that only she knew, revealed in a single sentence by a robot!
Her mouth fell open, the defiant skepticism draining away from her in an instant.
Next, Baymax performed diagnoses for the other three volunteers.
For the silver-haired gentleman, it accurately pointed out his borderline blood pressure and slight cataracts.
For the sports reporter, it detected an old injury to his left knee meniscus and provided detailed rehabilitation exercise suggestions.
For the businesswoman, it even deduced her recent severe insomnia through a trace element analysis of her skin.
Each diagnosis was like a bombshell dropped on the conference hall.
The applause, which had started as polite, grew to astonishment, and finally erupted into a fervent wave of fanaticism!
"This is impossible! You must have hired actors beforehand!" a voice of doubt finally called out from the crowd.
Paul smiled.
This was exactly what he had been waiting for.
"Sir, your skepticism is reasonable." He picked up the microphone, his voice carrying clearly throughout the hall. "I hereby pledge that our four volunteers can go to any top medical institution in the country for a full-body check-up, effective immediately. All expenses will be covered by Stark Industries! Furthermore, we will invite a notary to oversee the entire process and publicly release a comparison of the medical results with Baymax's diagnosis!"
"We don't play games. We let the facts speak for themselves!"
His words landed with undeniable force, completely dispelling the last shred of doubt in everyone's mind.
The atmosphere in the venue was pushed to an unprecedented climax!
People's gazes shifted from looking at a novel tech product to beholding a sacred artifact that could change the world!
Backstage, Pepper grabbed Tony's arm excitedly, her words tumbling out. "Oh my god, Tony! He... he really... This is incredible!"
Tony didn't speak.
He watched his son on the screen, a master of the stage. Beyond the shock and pride in his eyes, there was a hint of alarm he himself hadn't even noticed.
*This kid's ambition is even greater than I imagined.*
"I know what question is on everyone's mind right now," Paul said from the stage, as if he could read their minds. "How much does such an all-powerful healthcare manager cost?"
The entire hall fell silent, everyone holding their breath.
"Baymax will be available in three versions." Paul held up three fingers.
"The Standard Edition includes a basic full-body scan and preliminary diagnosis for over three hundred common illnesses. Its price…"
Paul paused deliberately, savoring the thrill of keeping them in suspense.
"$999."
BOOM!
The moment the price was announced, it was as if a nuclear bomb had been dropped on the hall, which instantly erupted.
Under a thousand dollars!
To buy a family doctor that could perform a check-up anytime, anywhere!
That was cheaper than the latest smartphone!
"My God! Did I hear that right?"
"He's crazy! Has the Stark kid lost his mind? Is this a charity?"
"Quick! Order ten for me! No! A hundred!"
The eyes of the Wall Street elites were bloodshot, as if they weren't seeing a robot, but mountains of gold beckoning to them!
"Of course, we also have a more powerful Professional Edition, priced at $4,999."
"Most importantly," Paul's tone shifted, revealing the hidden blade, "to allow Baymax to continuously learn, update its global medical database, and provide you with 24/7 cloud-based health data analysis and emergency alert services, we are introducing a subscription plan."
"For just $9.99 a month."
Backstage, Tony's pupils contracted sharply.
He finally understood.
*That kid… what a gentle blade.*
The $999 price tag wasn't for profit; it was bait! A ticket into his business empire that millions of families around the world would find impossible to refuse!
The real killer move was the $9.99 monthly subscription fee!
It seemed insignificant, but once the user base reached the hundreds of millions, it would generate billions in cash flow every single month. Incessantly. Endlessly!
It was a profit machine a hundred times more terrifying than selling weapons!
"That little bastard..." Tony cursed under his breath, but a smile he couldn't control crept onto his lips. He was cursing, but his tone was filled with undeniable admiration and... a complex feeling of being left behind by the next wave.
The press conference concluded in a near-frenzied atmosphere.
Paul walked off the stage, moving through a sea of congratulations and flashing lights, heading straight for the backstage area.
He ignored the swarm of reporters, his eyes fixed on the man standing in the corner.
"Well?" he raised an eyebrow, a smug, praise-seeking look on his face.
Tony looked at him, a thousand words stuck in his throat, finally settling on one sentence: "The subscription model… clever. Very… Stark."
Paul rolled his eyes, about to retort.
A secretary hurried over, her expression agitated. "Mr. Paul, there's... there's a man outside who calls himself Agent Coulson. He wants to see you. He says he's representing S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Paul repeated the name he had personally bestowed, his mind stirring.
"Yes, he said… they want to discuss a… large-scale procurement agreement for Baymax."
Paul's eyes lit up instantly.
The warning about Obadiah flashed through his mind.
A chill and a thrill intertwined in his heart.
He had thought the press conference was just about making money and building a reputation.
But now, it seemed he had gained far more than just money.
The enemy had bared its fangs, and he had finally found his first "allies."
A meaningful curve formed on Paul's lips, a smile that held a cunning and coldness belying his age.
He smelled prey.
And it was a far larger, more tempting prey than money.
"Tell Agent Coulson I'll be right there."
He turned and walked towards the VIP room, his steps small but firm and powerful.
*Obadiah, Hammer Industries…*
*You want to play a game of capital?*
*Sorry.*
*I'm about to flip the table.*