Chapter 218 Simulated Accident Scene
So he stayed in front of the TV all the time, waiting for the speech by the leader of the terrorist organization.
Finally, he had waited for it! Mandarin, the mastermind behind the bombing that happened at a similar time to the Vienna massacre but on a smaller scale, finally gave a speech on television.
Stark immediately activated FRIDAY and asked it to analyze the frequency and signal strength of the electromagnetic waves in an attempt to locate the source of the video transmission.
Although he understood that doing so would not lead directly to finding the real murderer, he believed that this clue could lead to a breakthrough, which was enough.
"Fortune cookies, this name sounds very Chinese, really, very Chinese. But in fact, they were invented by Americans. So, these cookies are just in name, full of lies, and don't taste good either." After saying that, Mandarin smashed the walnuts at hand.
After a pause, Mandarin continued, "Our believers have just destroyed another cheap American imitation - the Huaxia Theater. Mr. President, I know this is bad news for you and may make you depressed, but it's time to bring this season's horror show to a successful conclusion."
Then he laughed and said, "But don't worry, your graduation ceremony is the highlight and it will be held soon."
With a gunshot, the video ended and Mandarin appeared in the screen, holding an AK47 and shooting the portrait of the US president in the head.
However, signal analysis yielded nothing, and it seemed something was hindering Friday's exploration.
Stark took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.
During this period, if Professor Lin Feng had not been guiding him, he might have fallen into extreme anxiety.
The Kree, the Mandarins, the death of his parents, and Pepper's recent apparent rejection of him have kept him distracted from his research on the new mech. These days, he really is at a loss.
As for Rogers, he was not sure what mood he should have when facing him, so he chose to return to the United States to accompany Pepper.
However, he also noticed that Pepper was becoming distant from him.
He was confused at first, but when Maya came to visit, he immediately understood the reason.
Because he was too obsessed with mecha research, he ignored Pepper's feelings.
The visit of Maya, her former casual lover, made Pepper obviously jealous.
Despite this, Pepper didn't get angry with him, but just told him that she wasn't feeling well these past two days and needed to rest.
Lin Feng once told him that Pepper had called the Avengers headquarters more than once, asking them to keep an eye on Stark and not let him overwork.
Yes, the series of events left him breathless.
But he also realized that it was wrong of him to ignore Pepper's feelings.
He should learn from Professor Lin Feng and maintain an emotional connection with his partner while pursuing his career.
He mistakenly thought that Hashimoto Kanyue was Lin Feng's partner, but in fact there had been no progress between them.
Lin Feng, who was far away in Berlin, suddenly sneezed for some reason.
Stark hugged Pepper from behind, "Let's go to the hospital and see Kai Xin, okay?"
Pepper hesitated for a moment, then sighed, "I still have things to deal with at Stark Clean Energy. Let's go another day. I'll go with you another day. The friendship between you men needs more companionship and care."
Pepper's words made Stark's nose sore. He stared at Pepper's receding back, thinking about something.
Indeed, it is not only the friendship between men that needs companionship and care, but also the emotions between men and women.
Of course, trust is the prerequisite for all this.
Xiao La Jiao still trusts him, so he must cherish this trust more, spend more time with her, and cherish this hard-earned relationship.
He is an unruly genius and a playboy. No one can tame his paranoid and selfish personality.
Therefore, he has always been a heretic.
Although he has had countless casual lovers, deep down he still hopes for true long-term companionship.
When he was disappointed with the mundane world, God gave him a little chili pepper.
She was gentle and independent, not vulgar or flattering, with a distinct personality, round on the outside and square on the inside. She made him feel the true love in the world.
Now, how could he destroy this hard-earned relationship because of his own reasons?
Shaking his head, Stark rejected the idea. Pepper still trusted him.
With the foundation of trust, the rift between the two people could be resolved. So now, what he should do is to listen to her.
Inside the hospital, a nurse walked lightly past Happy's bedside.
She carefully checked Kai Xin's vital signs and various physiological indicators, and confirmed that he had safely passed the critical period and had no signs of recurrence. She couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Then, she walked to the infusion stand and carefully slowed down the infusion speed.
"Hi."
A voice suddenly sounded in her ears. The nurse was startled and turned her head to see Mr. Stark from the Avengers.
Stark gave her a warm smile and asked politely, "Do you mind if I turn on the TV?"
The nurse is old and rarely pays attention to the media, so her knowledge of Stark is limited to negative gossip.
Seeing his gentle attitude at this moment, I was a little overwhelmed for a moment, so I could only instinctively answer: "Well, I don't mind."
Stark thanked him and stood up to adjust the TV. He introduced it to the nurse, "This is the Sunday night show on TBS, Downton Abbey. It's very famous. He likes watching this show very much."
Having said that, he looked at Kai Xin affectionately while he was still sleeping, and recalled Kai Xin's dedication and diligence as the security minister. Although his strict requirements had caused dissatisfaction among employees, most people still abided by the rules.
Stark's eyes were slightly red. He looked at the nurse and said, "You nurses should also have professional badges, right? Please wear it. Because he is a person who pays attention to details, he will not allow people who don't wear their badges to enter. I know him."
After saying this, Stark hurriedly left the ward, fearing that he would lose his composure in front of the nurse.
Walking out of the ward, feeling the cool breeze on his face, he regained his usual composure.
Kai Xin is one of the few friends who can tolerate his personality, and he cherishes this friendship very much.
Fortunately, Kai Xin was not in danger of life, but this incident caused him serious injuries. Stark must avenge this!
Stark is a well-known figure who has been the focus of media attention since he announced himself as Iron Man eight years ago.
Although he is a little quiet at times, topics related to him always arouse heated discussions.
The fact that Stark visited Lin Feng in the evening was soon discovered by the media, and all major news media sent reporters to the hospital to stake out. A reporter said to the camera: "After the bombing, people are most concerned about Tony Stark's attitude. He just entered the hospital. I hope he can come out and respond to this terrorist attack."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion behind him.
The reporter turned around hurriedly and saw Stark casually walking out of the hospital gate surrounded by a crowd.
He had to stop as soon as he walked out the door because many reporters were already gathered at the door, ready to listen to his opinions.
"Mr. Stark, was this terrorist attack also planned by the Mandarin organization?"
"Mr. Stark, do you have any more details about the bombing?"
Stark was annoyed by the reporters' constant harassment and decided not to answer these boring questions.
At this moment, a harsh voice came into his ears: "Mr. Stark, when do you plan to punish the murderer?"
Stark suppressed his anger and turned his head to look, only to see a bearded reporter taking pictures of him with his cell phone.
Seeing him looking over, the reporter raised his eyebrows, waiting for his answer. "Say something."
The reporter's provocative interview brought Stark's negative emotions accumulated over the past few days to a climax, and the best outlet for venting at the moment was this reporter.
Stark snatched the reporter's phone and pointed the camera at himself. "You guys want to know that badly, right? Well, here's a little holiday greeting for the Mandarins, and I've already thought of the words to say. My name is Tony Stark, and I will not succumb to your terrorist attacks. You're not scary, you're just a coward who only dares to show up on TV. I'm ready, so get ready, you're going to be finished soon. I'm going to finish you off myself."
He looked around at the crowded crowd and spoke passionately: "This is a personal revenge. It has nothing to do with politics. It is only a blood debt between you and me. I want to avenge you for personal vengeance. It has nothing to do with the Ministry of Defense or the Avengers. Come on, let's fight fair and square. I will tell you my address now, 10880 Malibu Harbor, zip code 90265. The door is open to welcome you and I am waiting for your visit at any time."
After saying that, he threw the phone out with force, and everyone around him clearly heard the sound of the phone breaking.
Stark didn't care at all and said to the man whose phone he had taken away, "Go ahead and sue me, it's up to you."
After saying that, he turned and left, no longer paying attention to the reporters' interviews.
A man with a crew cut who was watching the live broadcast saw Stark introducing himself and snorted disdainfully, "Fool, as you wish, I will visit you tomorrow. I hope you are ready."
As soon as Stark stepped into the house, his first priority was to conduct an in-depth investigation, especially to track down the mysterious Mandarin.
He put aside the affairs of the Kree for the time being and devoted all his attention to this Mandarin who dared not show his true face.
Early in the morning, Stark woke up the Friday system.
"Friday, show me all the information about Mandarin." Stark gave the order while drinking water.
"Sir, I have compiled detailed information about the Mandarin for you. Based on the intercept investigation results provided by SHIELD, the FBI, and the CIA, we will now begin the virtual reconstruction of the crime scene."
Friday's work efficiency was no less than that of Scypho, which made Stark quite satisfied. "Very good, let's get started. Let me see."
While reconstructing the virtual crime scene on Friday, Stark carefully browsed the information on the full screen, reading every word. "He is called a staff, that is, the chief's adviser and consultant. He planned the strategy of the South American riots and spoke like a senior church missionary."
However, he soon became upset and complained: "There is too much information about him. It is complicated and lengthy, and much of it is irrelevant. I can't read it all. Close the information panel and let's go to the crime scene."
Friday's voice sounded at the right time. "The temperature at the scene due to the explosion reached 3000 degrees Celsius, which was enough to quickly evaporate all the blue star materials within yards around the scene. Considering that there are no other intact objects, it can be inferred that the Kree were not involved in this incident."
Stark snorted coldly, "If they really participated, that's fine. I will definitely teach them a lesson, regardless of the new or old grudges."
But then he thought of something and asked, "No bomb-related debris was found within three miles of the Huaxia Grand Theater, right? Is that right?"
Friday responded with an affirmative, "Yes, sir."
Stark thought for a moment, "It seems that only happiness can give me the answer, Friday."
Friday did not respond directly, but immediately simulated Kai Xin's position at that time.
Stark squatted down and looked at Kai Xin. Kai Xin's eyes and fingers seemed to be pointing in one direction.
Stark walked in that direction and came to the intersection of Kai Xin's sight and the direction of his finger.
He frowned and muttered to himself, "It's not a bomb, but it can cause the same destructive power as a bomb. What is it?"
Friday simulated the intersection, which was two nameplates strung together by a rope.
The originally inconspicuous nameplate immediately caught Stark's attention, and he extracted the nameplate separately from the virtually reconstructed world.
It seems that this nameplate is more like one of the identification symbols of US military soldiers, namely a dog tag.
He asked Friday, "Are there any military casualties at the explosion site?"
Friday responded quickly: "No, sir. According to the findings of the public data."
Stark suddenly had an idea, turned around and walked up the stairs, and ordered: "Get me the temperature distribution map of other accident sites, and take the temperature range of 3000 degrees Celsius into consideration."
Friday immediately pulled up the data, "Oracle Cloud has completed the analysis and is now accessing the satellite to map thermal events over the past twelve months."
Stark just took a quick glance and determined the approximate range, "ruling out the locations where Mandarin had launched terrorist attacks."
Only a few spots remain on the map.
Stark examined them one by one, and when he looked at California, he decisively ruled it out because the temperature value was not high enough.
Then he checked several areas in succession, but none of them met the criteria, so he eliminated them one by one.
Until he noticed Rose Hill, Tennessee. "That's it. Friday. Pull up the data here."
While pulling up the relevant data, Friday humanely prompted: "Are you sure this was done by him? This incident happened earlier than any known Mandarin terrorist attack. The cause of this incident was suicide by detonating explosives."
Stark was desperate, he vaguely felt that he seemed to have grasped some important clue.
"Zoom in closer. Zoom in."
(End of this chapter)
