I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 538 General Ross, the "Bargain Hunter"

"Very good, it seems everyone has regained their senses..."

After a series of almost far-fetched arguments that forcefully steered the topic back to the truth, General Ross's lips curled into a slight smile as he returned to his seat.

He then looked around and continued speaking with a firm and resolute tone.

"Besides, whether it was an accident or a conspiracy, we've already obtained the suit, that's a fact. Instead of arguing about these useless things, let's think about what to do next..."

"After all, given Tony Stark's personality, if he sobers up and finds the suit missing, he'll definitely come looking for trouble."

"So what we should be considering now is whether to throw away the military's reputation and claim it was just an accident and return the Iron Man suit... or to seize this opportunity and use other leverage to keep the Iron Man suit."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, waking everyone up.

Yes.

Regardless of how he acquired the suit, Tony Stark will go mad when he wakes up and finds it missing.

They knew that person's temperament all too well.

But what if you choose to return this Iron Man suit...?

Wouldn't that make it seem like they're afraid of Tony Stark? Where would that leave the military's face?

But if I don't pay it back...

Will Tony Stark let this go?

Could the Spider-Man who's backing him up suddenly storm into the Pentagon like he stormed through the Golden Triangle?

"I think we should gather our researchers now, disassemble this suit, and study it thoroughly?"

After a moment of contemplation, some of the younger officers couldn't hold back and began to express their opinions.

"Once we figure out the structure of this suit, we'll have a chance to mass-produce our own Iron Legion... Then, even if we have to return the Iron Man suit, we won't suffer any loss?"

"If the workings of Tony Stark's inventions were so easy to understand, we wouldn't have needed to entrust the bulk of our arms deals to this arrogant playboy in the past."

But as soon as he finished speaking, another officer shook his head and responded with a helpless, bitter smile.

"Besides, while you're researching this Iron Man suit, how do you plan to deal with Tony Stark? Sue him, take him to court? Don't tell me you're planning to deny everything?"

"Then talk to him. Use other bargaining chips to get rid of the battle uniform."

"What bargaining chip? He's even shut down the weapons department, what do you think he lacks?"

"He lacks so much. Promoting clean energy requires policy support, approval processes, and so on—"

"No, he doesn't need to... He's already joined District 13, which is enough to resolve these minor procedural issues."

"Isn't that simpler? We can say that our military specifically requisitioned him from District 13 for tactical reasons! Now that he's joined District 13, how could he disobey military orders?"

"So you're not even going to put on an act anymore, trying to intimidate people with your power? Too bad, judging from the current situation, Spider-Man won't play these hypocritical power games with you."

"So what if he's Spider-Man! Isn't he a member of District 13 too? At worst, we'll just use the excuse of protecting his personal safety to bring his family to the military base. Are we afraid he won't behave?"

"Wow, that's a great idea... If you'd love for Spider-Man to get involved and come in and kill us all, just say so, really."

"you……!"

Soon, the debate resumed.

But this time, everyone was speaking in hushed tones, as if they were discussing something that couldn't be brought to light.

General Ross leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, and said nothing more.

He has said everything he needed to say.

The rest is up to those people.

The defense minister remained silent.

He sat in the main seat, his fingers still tapping on the table.

The slow pace indicated that the Secretary of Defense had not only listened to General Ross's advice but had also begun to calculate the gains and losses of the incident and explore a solution to maximize benefits.

"Ahem! In order to better maintain world peace, this Iron Man suit must be kept... However, we cannot allow it to cause conflict with Section 13 and lead to Spider-Man's misunderstanding."

After a short while, the Minister of Defense coughed a few times, calming the increasingly noisy scene, and then, as if he had made a decision, spoke.

"Therefore, we need someone to negotiate with District 13..."

Upon hearing this, everyone looked at each other in bewilderment.

In the end, their gazes all fell on General Ross, who was sitting in the corner, no longer speaking and not participating in the group discussion.

Clearly, they all realized it...

Whether it's interpersonal relationships or the military's status as a means of demonstrating sincerity in negotiations...

Of all those present, General Ross was the only suitable candidate.

At this opportune moment, the Minister of Defense's voice rang out again.

"General Ross, as far as I know, you have the best relationship with District 13 among us, and you've even had contact with that Spider-Man... So I'm thinking of entrusting this matter to you, what do you say?"

Upon hearing this, General Ross frowned, seemingly wanting to refuse and unwilling to take on this hot potato.

But the Secretary of Defense, being just as cunning as he was, could easily see that General Ross was using the opportunity to ask for favors.

So before General Ross could speak, he reluctantly added.

"Of course, considering our shared interests... if you can successfully complete this negotiation and retain this Iron Man suit, everyone here will owe you a favor."

As he spoke, the Minister of Defense's gaze swept across the entire room once more.

Everywhere you look, even those individual members who, due to personal grudges with General Ross, subconsciously feel conflicted and resistant to the Secretary of Defense's proposal.

However, considering that if this matter is not handled properly, it could lead to Spider-Man's retaliation, causing them all to collapse on the floor.

They suppressed their displeasure, nodding in agreement in order to save their lives and continue to enjoy the privileged life brought by power.

"Ahem, this is just my duty. How could I possibly take advantage of your kindness? I'll accept this task."

Just as the Secretary of Defense had guessed, after receiving a satisfactory reply, General Ross's attitude suddenly took a complete 180-degree turn.

With a straight face, he made a sarcastic remark, especially by deliberately giving his old rival a meaningful look. Seeing the other party blush with embarrassment but unable to retaliate, General Ross felt extremely satisfied. Only then did he suppress his laughter and speak seriously, word by word.

"Of course, to ensure the negotiations go smoothly, I need some additional leverage."