Xiao Yu was unfazed by Chen Long's question, replying, "Is this difficult? I just followed the crowd. Besides, those schoolmates haven't figured out their little tricks yet. They'd still be chasing me even if I skipped a semester."
"Xiao Yu, you… never mind," Chen Long started to argue, but after racking his brain, he found no suitable retort. He sighed, "Fine, then stick close and don't get separated. If you encounter danger, don't charge ahead."
"Understood, Uncle Long. Scout's honor," she affirmed.
With Xiao Yu's assurance, Chen Long felt slightly relieved. Little did he know that as soon as he turned away, Xiao Yu muttered, "I'm not exactly a scout."
While Chen Long and Xiao Yu were engaged in their verbal sparring, the host's voice boomed from the open-air stage of the main venue.
"Next, let's give a warm welcome to Justin Hammer!"
Amidst cheerful music, Hammer strode onto the stage with a brisk pace. The Hammer Industries logo on the giant electronic screen was particularly eye-catching.
Upon Hammer's appearance, the host discreetly exited the stage, leaving the entire platform to Hammer's performance.
After performing a dance he seemed to have learned from somewhere, Hammer stopped at the crystal podium.
He took a deep breath and said, "That's it. Thank you all for attending."
"Ladies and gentlemen, for a long time, we've relied on our brave male and female soldiers to fight for our country. Then, Iron Man appeared, and we thought there would be no more heroic sacrifices. Unfortunately, he refused to share this technology. This is unfair, incorrect, and simply unacceptable."
From Hammer's words, it was evident his intentions were sinister. In just a few sentences, he positioned himself on a moral high ground and began to criticize Tony.
"How can he say that? It's so unfair."
Not just anyone, even Xiao Yu couldn't stand it. If she were in her darkened state, she would have already sent the Shadow Ninjas to spank Hammer.
"Xiao Yu," Chen Long said, pulling the agitated Xiao Yu back. "He's not wrong. If Mr. Stark were willing to share this technology and put it into use, I believe the lives of American police officers would be greatly protected, and crime rates in the US would significantly decrease."
"Hmph, all nonsense."
Chen Long's father, who rarely interrupted when Chen Long was educating Xiao Yu, voiced his disagreement this time.
"Doesn't America advocate for freedom and democracy? They always say private property is sacred and inviolable. Why should they demand others give it away for free? Besides, given America's track record, even if they genuinely got this technology, they wouldn't use it for world peace; it would only make the world more chaotic."
Though his father didn't explicitly state it, the implication was clear: America's ambitions were too great. Handing over the Iron Man suit to them would likely lead to its widespread use in warfare, causing even greater destruction to the world.
"Dad," Chen Long said, quickly tugging his father's sleeve, urging him to stop. Such remarks might be fine in private, but saying them publicly could lead to the FBI knocking on their door the very next day.
Yet, his father's words were not wrong. Anyone who carefully considered Hammer's speech would find its flaws.
Tony had developed the Iron Man suit himself, without any external assistance. Coupled with America's constant espousal of democracy, freedom, and the declaration of inherent human rights as inviolable, the Iron Man suit was Tony's personal property. Refusing to publicly share the technology was not problematic from an American legal perspective.
Hammer understood this, of course, but he still chose to speak. He intended to highlight the superiority of his own exhibits by belittling Tony, and these words were also aimed at the military and political figures in the audience.
Seeing that the audience's reaction was not as intense as he hoped, Hammer continued, "Regardless, this is an extraordinary invention that has captured headlines worldwide. However, today, my friends, major newspapers will face a new problem. They will run out of ink."
With that, Hammer shifted his tone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, today I want to show you the new face of the American military: the Hammer Autonomous Iron Warrior."
As the image on the electronic screen changed, the elevators on stage began to operate, revealing rows of fully armed metal contraptions to the public.
There were pale yellow ones for the Army, blue for the Navy, gray for the Air Force, and camouflage for the Marines.
The four types of humanoid robots looked largely similar in appearance, differing mainly in their weaponry and colors. Nevertheless, under the spotlight, these metal hulks did appear quite impressive.
Especially at the moment the robots collectively saluted, many of the military and political dignitaries in the audience could barely contain their excitement.
Compared to human soldiers, robots possessed inherent advantages: fearlessness of sacrifice, absolute obedience, and, most importantly, a lack of emotion. Even if captured, there were no human rights issues to worry about, and if necessary, they could self-destruct to destroy evidence, making them perfect for the battlefield.
Seeing the fervent atmosphere in the audience, Hammer couldn't resist a jest, "Let me tell you, these warriors are much more impressive than cheerleaders."
Hammer gestured to calm the excited crowd and continued, "However, despite this revolutionary technology, we still need to deploy troops to the battlefield. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you our first all-environment combat armor prototype, and its pilot, Lieutenant Colonel of the Air Force, James Rhodes!"
At this moment, all the spotlights on the stage converged on a single point. A figure clad in Iron Man armor, with a cannon on its shoulder and an appearance resembling a bulkier Iron Man, slowly rose from the front-most lift, appearing before the crowd.
This slightly cumbersome-looking machine was the precursor to the War Machine, modified from Tony's Mark II. It was later further enhanced by Hammer Industries.
Setting aside the loss of maneuverability and the minor quality issues with the weapons added by Hammer Industries, the combat capability of the current War Machine had indeed improved by several notches compared to the original Mark II, at least in terms of firepower.
"Hereby, Hammer Industries reports to the United States and its allies…"
Hammer savored the feeling of being surrounded by applause and praise. He intended to continue his promotion, but before he could finish, a roaring sound like that of an airplane filled the sky. Then, Tony Stark, clad in his newly developed Iron Man suit, flew over the audience. After hovering for a few seconds, he landed steadily on the stage.
And just like that, the moment Tony appeared in his new suit, all the audience's attention was diverted from Hammer. In fact, Tony merely showing up in his suit had a far greater impact than Hammer's lengthy speech on stage.