465

[Soviet Defector Anton Vanko]

"Dufran?" Anton Vanke raised an eyebrow, clearly unfamiliar with the name. He glanced at Old Stark beside him for confirmation.

"Don't look at me, I have no idea either," Old Stark shrugged. "Sounds like the lead character from a movie, a classic one at that."

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the issue. "Find out which department he needs to speak with. Once you're done, send him to me. I'm busy."

The secretary hesitated. "We've told him that, but he insists on meeting with you, Mr. Stark."

Anton Vanke remarked dryly, "Sounds like a self-righteous lunatic. Albert Einstein must have dealt with plenty of these types trying to overthrow his theories."

Old Stark chuckled, "I encounter those too, you know? 'Mr. Stark, my invention will make your company number one in the world,' and I've heard that line word for word at least three times."

"Hahaha," Anton Vanke joined in, his Russian accent coloring his laughter.

"Let him go. If he causes trouble, deal with him," Old Stark instructed.

"Alright," the secretary nodded and left.

Downstairs in Stark Industries' main lobby, two men in suits sat at a coffee table, deep in conversation. One was a fair-haired Caucasian with a gentle demeanor and an air of education. The other, of Indian descent, was tall and stout, visibly uncomfortable in his ill-fitting suit, fidgeting awkwardly.

These two were Duflan, the "business knight" of the Silver Hand, and his companion Hinchrub. They had brought the Shiar Energy sample entrusted to them by Forseti for a major business proposition with Stark Industries.

"Duflan, don't you find these suits terribly uncomfortable?" Hinchrub couldn't resist asking.

Duflan smiled faintly. "You'll get used to it. Sometimes, propriety outweighs comfort."

Just then, Stark's secretary descended the stairs and approached them. "You need to leave. Mr. Stark is extremely busy."

Dufran inquired calmly, "When will he be available?"

The secretary's patience wore thin. "I don't know. Just leave now, don't waste our time."

Duflan responded evenly, "If you could tell me when Mr. Stark will be free, I could return another day. Since you won't, I take it as a dismissal."

"This is Stark Industries, and we have the right to remove you," the secretary retorted, signaling nearby security guards.

Seeing the guards approach, forming an encirclement, Hinchrub tensed, his fists clenching.

Duflan remained composed, gesturing for Hinchrub to calm down. He then said, "I understand. You must think of me as a self-righteous lunatic. For a company as grand as Stark Industries, it's understandable."

With that, he reached into his briefcase, withdrew a stack of bills, and placed it on the table—tens of thousands of dollars in total.

The secretary hesitated, but the guards promptly seized the money from the table. For these guards, $10,000 represented more than a decade's earnings. Losing their job over this sum seemed a trivial risk.

Dufran produced another $20,000, placing it in front of the secretary.

Though tempted, the secretary managed to restrain himself. He now realized that anyone capable of handing out tens of thousands of dollars couldn't be dismissed as a lunatic.

"Take me to see Mr. Stark, and you'll be grateful you did," Duflan asserted, his calm blue eyes exuding persuasive confidence.

After a moment's silence, the secretary reluctantly nodded. "Fine, follow me."

Duflan rose, Hinchrub trailing behind, as they followed the secretary upstairs to Howard Stark's private conference room.

"Apologies, Mr. Stark... Dr. Dufran insists on discussing something important with you," the secretary explained upon entering.

Old Stark and Anton Vanke exchanged a look before sighing in resignation. "Alright."

"Please, have a seat, Dr. Dufran." Stark extended a polite handshake before gesturing to Anton Vanke. "This is Anton Vanko."

"Hello," Duflan noted the Russian undertones in Anton Vanko's voice. "Mr. Vanko, are you Russian?"

"Russian," Anton Vanko confirmed.

While Russia was part of the Soviet Union, he didn't identify as Soviet due to his defection to the United States, a significant propaganda victory for the American government. He portrayed himself as a scientist who recognized the "evil nature" of the Soviet Union and sought refuge in America, the beacon of freedom and progress.

The truth behind Anton Vanko's defection likely extended beyond such public narratives. Nevertheless, his exceptional scientific prowess secured him a high-ranking position within Stark Industries, where he enjoyed bantering with Old Stark.

After a brief introduction, the four settled into their seats. Old Stark began, "Dr. Dufran, what brings you..."

Before he could finish, Dufran opened his briefcase and placed a box on the table, wordlessly.

Old Stark frowned slightly but opened the box, his eyes widening involuntarily. Beside him, Anton Vanke mirrored the expression.

"This is an energy device capable of outputting up to three billion joules per second, the only one on Earth," Dufran declared. "Mr. Stark, I believe you'll find it intriguing."

"Three billion!" Anton Vanke exclaimed.

Dufran added calmly, "And that's a conservative estimate."

"May I test it before we continue?" Old Stark requested.

"Certainly."

Old Stark and Anton Vanke proceeded to analyze and test the Shiar Energy device. Despite conducting simple tests, the results left them both astonished.

"It's real! Such potent and clean energy surpasses our current designs," Anton Vanke marveled, his voice trembling.

"More importantly, its energy density is unprecedented," Old Stark added, visibly thrilled, engaging in an animated discussion with Anton Vanke.

"After seeing this, robots seem obsolete..."

After a couple of minutes, they regained their composure, aware that the device was not theirs to keep.

Old Stark turned to Dufran. "Forgive my curiosity, but where did you acquire this?"

"That's not important, nor can I disclose it," Dufran replied. "However, I assure you, there's no other like it on Earth. Stark Industries can monopolize its production and technology."

Anton Vanke scrutinized Dufran, trying to glean his intentions. Finally, he spoke slowly in his deep Russian accent, "With all due respect, Dr. Dufran, this technology may not belong in human hands."