I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 539 Everything Was Calculated

"What kind of bargaining chips?"

"First, we can make additional modifications to this suit of armor, add the necessary weapon systems, and turn it into our own military symbol... But we absolutely cannot try to crack the core technology of this suit of armor as previously suggested."

As he spoke, General Ross stood up, walked to Rhodes, and patted the silver-white metal shell of the Iron Man suit.

"How can that be? We..."

"You don't really think that those researchers, who are no different from idiots in Tony Stark's eyes, can crack the secrets of this suit, do you? Tony Stark isn't stupid. The fact that he dared to let Rhodes wear this suit means that he has plenty of ways to do it and isn't afraid that the suit will fall into the hands of others."

"Moreover, if you believe that with Tony Stark's intellect, he won't be able to develop a product with better performance than this prototype armor in the future, or that he might be lucky enough to crack it and mass-produce an Iron Legion based on this Iron Man suit that could rival Spider-Man... then go ahead and break ties with them and replicate this product, which, for Tony Stark, will only become more and more outdated over time."

"..."

Of course, unsurprisingly, General Ross's first request was immediately met with opposition from the others.

But the ever-assertive General Ross wouldn't tolerate it. With a cold, questioning tone, he unleashed a barrage of counter-questions, leaving the man speechless.

Without waiting for anyone else to say anything, he continued speaking on his own.

"Secondly, we need to offer Tony Stark some tangible benefits. For example, give the green light to the promotion of clean energy, reduce approval processes, and even provide some policy support... We need to prove to Tony that what District 13 can do, we can do as well as District 13, and we will do it even better, in order to restore our image in Tony's eyes."

"This won't harm us. After all, given the current situation, promoting clean energy is an inevitable trend that we can't stop. Rather than doing what those idiots who were arrested and imprisoned before did and deliberately go against Tony, it's better to give way and do him a favor."

"Third, we will issue a public statement on behalf of the military, stating that Tony Stark's Iron Man suit is private property and protected by law. Any unauthorized acquisition, dismantling, or reverse engineering will be considered an infringement of intellectual property rights, and the military will take severe action against it."

After speaking, General Ross shifted his gaze and met the eyes of the Secretary of Defense.

After a brief silence, the latter slowly spoke.

"Are these conditions sufficient?"

"That's not enough. These are just conditions to keep Tony Stark from turning against us. But knowing his personality, he'll definitely ask for more during the negotiations."

"Huh? Wouldn't that mean Tony Stark is just lording it over our military? I disagree! That's simply...!"

"Gentlemen, I think you all saw that scene just now... that superhero standing on the demon's head, who has close ties to Tony Stark. How long do you think it would take us to react if he wanted us dead?"

"I hope you understand that now is not the time to be afraid of losing face. What we need to do is to cut our losses in time... To borrow a Chinese proverb, this is called 'a wise man submits to circumstances.'"

"..."

Upon hearing this, discordant voices once again arose from the previously quiet crowd.

But after General Ross's "well-intentioned reminder," realizing the seriousness of the problem, they fell silent again, filled with resentment and helplessness.

"Of course, in addition to the above conditions, we also need someone's help."

"Who?"

"Colonel Rhodes."

General Ross, as if he had planned this all along, not only did not give up, but instead took the opportunity to raise his next demand.

"Colonel Rhodes demonstrated exceptional loyalty and execution during this mission, but also endured immense psychological pressure. The military should acknowledge this... Therefore, I propose that Colonel Rhodes be promoted to brigadier general, as soon as possible."

These words immediately caused a low commotion in the conference room.

Rhodes stood there, stunned, and subconsciously raised his hand to point to his face.

Promotion to brigadier general?

Who?

me?

"this……"

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat felt like it was blocked by something.

General Ross glanced at him, his gaze carrying a meaningful undertone.

"Colonel Rhodes, this is what you deserve."

What he didn't say was...

This is not only compensation for Rhodes, but also a message for Tony Stark.

You're willing to sacrifice a suit of armor for your friend.

To thank your friend, we're willing to give him a way out.

By exchanging gifts, everyone saves face and can continue to be friends.

As for the future...

We'll talk about the future later.

The defense minister remained silent for a long time.

His gaze shifted back and forth between General Ross and the suit of armor, as if weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he nodded.

"We'll do as you say. You'll be in charge of all the details of the negotiation process."

"No problem, leave it to me. I'll go get ready right away. I'll head over there first."

General Ross nodded, his expression remaining impassive, and then got up and left the conference room.

But in General Ross's heart, a raging storm was brewing.

In fact, he knew from the beginning that the military's plan was destined to fail.

From the moment General Ross chose to side with Riley, just like Sheriff Black, and immediately and without hesitation informed Riley of the general's plan to coerce Rhodes, he knew.

However, during that phone conversation, Riley, upon learning the news, simply thanked General Ross in a perfunctory manner. He then indicated that, in return, he would give General Ross, who was transitioning into politics, a good opportunity to quickly enhance his prestige in the next few days, before hanging up the phone.

At that time, General Ross did not understand what Riley meant.

But now, he understands.

Because that boy had already calculated it from the moment he learned of the military's plan...

In the end, the one who will benefit the most from this game will definitely be Rose.

All he had to do was wait quietly...

When everyone was forced to gather together again according to the boy's plan, and the argument reached its peak, he stood up and became the center of attention.

This was the "good opportunity" Riley gave him.

This transformed him in the eyes of the military leadership from a "loser" whose repeated failures in the hunt for Hulk resulted in heavy losses for the army into a "savior" who could rescue his comrades from dire straits!

As for how these water and fire came about...

That's none of your business!

It was this profound foresight that made General Ross feel a long-lost sense of感慨 (gǎnkǎi, deep emotion/reflection) in his heart...

Fortunately, the first official secret organization leader Riley encountered after choosing to become a superhero was the upright and kind Commissioner Black, not that two-faced scoundrel...

If it's the latter...

General Ross could hardly imagine what New York, the United States, and even the world would become...