Peter said while eating: "It seems that the situation is not optimistic. When I went to the laboratory to see Mr. Stark yesterday, Colonel Rhodes seemed to have been trying to persuade him."
Peter said: "Although I don't understand these things, I know that it may not be a good thing if Mr. Listak's mechas fall into the hands of the military."
"As a friend of Mr. Stark, Colonel Rhodes may also be in a difficult position. After all, he also represents the interests of a group of people." Peter said.
"You are smarter than I thought. I thought you wouldn't understand the current situation."
Peter shook his head and said: "Actually, I really don't understand, but I know that everyone wants those mechas because they are really strong."
"No, it's because it's a weapon."
"If it was just a sweeping robot, even if it could clean New York in an instant, the military wouldn't be so interested in it."
Peter was a little silent, and he said: "I don't think the mecha should be handed over, but I know that Mr. Stark is under a lot of pressure. Do you think I should...or should I comfort him or advise him?
For a moment? I can’t just do nothing, right?”
"I think you should take care of your own affairs now. If you could completely control the power of spider mutation, maybe these things would be trivial to you?"
Just as Peter said, the next day, Schiller's psychological clinic welcomed an unexpected guest, that is James Rhodes, also known as Colonel Rhodes.
He told Schiller very bluntly: "The military needs Stark's mecha technology, but he seems to have a unclear attitude. I just want to ask you, what is his plan? Does S.H.I.E.L.D. play a role in it?
Got some roles?”
"Actually, you don't want to come either," Schiller said. "I can see that."
Rhodes twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "It seems that it makes sense for Tony to charge you such an expensive consultation fee."
"Obviously, your boss knows that you can't ask Stark this question, otherwise SHIELD will get the answer faster than you. But it's useless for you to ask me."
"The military needs Stark's mecha. He can give us advantages in many places... and save many lives."
"You didn't realize that your reluctance has made your words extremely dry. Colonel Rhodes, I know you are also in trouble. The military has repeatedly forced Stark, but he is your friend."
"So you can only deceive yourself to make yourself feel better. In fact, you know exactly what these armors will be used for, but as long as you convince yourself that doing so may be beneficial, you can get rid of the guilt of forcing your friends.
a little."
"It is the bounden duty of a soldier to obey orders," Rhodes said.
"Indeed, but what about Stark? Where is your friend? You have repeatedly violated your friend's wishes, forced him to betray his own interests, and used friendship to kidnap him."
"You actually always know how much Tony values you. Stark doesn't have many friends, but you are definitely one of them...perhaps the most important one."
"You know that he is willing to pay these prices for you and is willing to do what he hates most for you - compromise and bow down."
"You know, Stark will be willing sooner or later. If you are cornered by your boss, he will definitely save you."
"Stop talking," Rhodes said.
He pressed his lips into a tight line.
Schiller pressed the button of the ballpoint pen, and the clear sound suddenly woke up Rhodes. Schiller said: "Maybe it's because you have something that he doesn't have that he is willing to do this. The advice I can give you is, maybe
These are the things you should keep the most. Stark's friendship is more precious than the military, and this is not because he is richer-"
"It's the qualities that an arrogant genius sees in you, the qualities that even he doesn't have, that make him willing to pay the price for you. They are more worthy of your persistence and pride than those false and empty honors, aren't they?
?”
Rhodes was silent.
The next day, when Schiller went to Stark Tower, he met Rhodes walking out. Behind him was an adjutant. The adjutant's face was obviously very happy. They seemed to have gotten something they wanted.
.
But Rhodes's expression didn't improve at all. He still had a tense face. He walked straight over without looking at Schiller.
After going upstairs, Stark stood in front of his armor again, looking at his work carefully.
"It looks like you've made your decision and they got what they wanted, right?" Schiller asked.
"Okay." Stark turned around. He first tensed up his shoulder muscles, then suddenly relaxed, dropped his shoulders, exhaled, and said, "I know, I should stick to your previous suggestion, then
That’s right.”
"But I didn't do it. I knew it was right and I didn't have to pay any price, but I still didn't do it..."
"I knew it wouldn't succeed." Schiller sat down at the table with the case and wrote in his notebook. He didn't raise his head, but said with a sigh: "Many people are willing to pay a huge price to chase emotions.
Compensation, especially for people like you who have never lacked material conditions."
"You would rather give up the result of maximizing interests than see Rhodes caught in the middle. You paid the price and bought back his temporary friendship with you."
"Yes, I know what you want to say. You are friends. You think so, and so does he. But especially if both parties are not so happy, this friendship can last."
"You keep spending money to buy things, and sooner or later there will come a day when you can't afford it. When you can't afford it, maybe Rhodes will understand you, but this world won't."
Finally, Schiller said: "When you feed those people's appetites, the price you have to pay for your feelings will never end."
Stark said: "It's not that I haven't thought about this problem. I know that once I let go, I will continue to lose."
"They can use Rhodes to persuade me to hand over some of my mecha technology. Then one day, they can force him to persuade me to hand over all my mechas, or build more war machines for them."
"From the moment I knew how many civilians my weapons had harmed, I knew that wisdom would not only bring wealth, but also disaster." Stark said, he put his fingers on his eye sockets and said: "I just thought about it recently.
Understand this problem, the final outcome of a genius is that there is always no retreat."
"When everyone knows that you have a brain big enough to save the world, they will also have the ambition to let you destroy the world."
After a moment of silence, Schiller stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window of Stark Tower was the sunset in New York. Stark followed his gaze and looked out. The somewhat dazzling light made his eyes blurry.
Of color, Schiller said: "What do you do when you have no retreat?"
Stark said: "This is my home, as well as Pepper, Jarvis, and... all Starks."
"In the end, no one can force me to hand over this place."
"If they want more..."
Stark's eyes that always contained various emotions looked directly at Schiller. His expression was not heavy at all, but he said calmly:
"...Iron Man never retreats."
Schiller looked at him and asked:
"So, have you ever thought about overturning this ridiculous and boring negotiation table?"
"You are like a corrupting devil."
"It's much better than praying to God."
"I never pray, I don't hope in God, I don't believe in those weird tricks, those ridiculous rumors and legends..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Stark saw that everything in his laboratory began to tremble slightly.
Then, everything floated.
For a moment, as if gravity had been lost, everything was floating in the air, cups, notebooks, computers, wrenches...
The sunset outside the window shone on places where these things should not receive sunlight. Schiller stood in the center of everything, and the light behind him cast a long shadow in front of him.
The shadows of all the items overlapped into a huge net. Stark stood in the middle of it all. He stretched out his hand, and a drop of water fell from the cup and fell on his fingertips. Stark looked up and looked around. He saw
The countless ordinary debris in mid-air, and the ordinary ceiling and walls above our heads——