Chapter 69: Confusion - If I Kill You, Your Money Becomes Mine

Jason and Frank crouched in the tall grass, observing their target.

Before them stood a secluded country house, brightly illuminated with all entrances sealed tight. Thanks to Jason's enhanced vision—he easily spotted numerous suited bodyguards patrolling beyond the windows throughout the compound.

The location was remote and heavily fortified. The panicked Bennett had rushed inside and hadn't emerged since. This had to be Rawlins' sanctuary.

Beside him, Frank wore a bulletproof vest and clutched two handguns, his expression grim with determination.

Jason gave a slight nod. "Ready?"

"Anytime," Frank replied, his voice steady.

"Okay, stand up straight."

"What?" Frank looked confused but complied nonetheless.

Jason bent down, positioned one hand under Frank's armpit and the other beneath his knee, then hoisted him up.

Frank's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Don't move!"

Before Frank could finish processing what was happening, they soared through the air, streaking across the yard before coming to an abrupt stop at the main entrance.

Frank, still disoriented from the sudden flight, hadn't fully recovered when Jason frowned and asked, "Why don't you get down?"

Frank's face flushed with embarrassment. "You can fly?"

"How else do you think we'll fight alien hordes and steel robots?" Jason replied matter-of-factly.

As he spoke, Jason stepped forward and delivered a powerful kick. BANG! The two massive, solid wooden doors flew backward off their hinges!

BRRRRIIIIING!

A piercing alarm immediately filled the air.

Jason turned to Frank. "Listen, Rawlins is in the office on the west side of the third floor. Go up there and kill him."

"What about you?"

"I'll take the shortest route."

With those words, Jason's figure blurred as he shot upward.

"Fucking hell!" Frank's face turned ashen as he heard footsteps converging from all directions.

Jason flew directly to the window of Rawlins' office.

Inside, an older bald man with distinctive scar tissue at the corners of his eyes was looking outward and happened to lock eyes with Jason. His face instantly registered shock.

Jason smiled at him and threw a punch!

BOOM!

Even the reinforced bulletproof glass shattered under the impact!

The entire window frame flew inward, crashing to the floor in a chaotic spray of glass and metal.

The bald man hastily backpedaled to avoid the blast, but still caught a laceration on his arm. Blood immediately began flowing from the wound.

Jason soared into the room like Superman. Before his feet even touched the ground, BANG! BANG! Several bullets flew toward him.

He didn't bother dodging.

The bullets struck him and ricocheted away as if hitting solid steel.

He moved with blinding speed, becoming nothing but a blur. With devastating force, he slammed the two bodyguards who had fired against the wall so hard they became embedded in the plaster, impossible to dislodge even with substantial effort.

BOOM!

Jason snatched up a fallen weapon and dispatched Bennett, who had been cowering in the corner.

Now, only he and Rawlins remained in the room.

The bald man clutched his injured arm, terror etched across his face. "Don't—don't kill me! I have millions in my safe, plus gold bars—all yours!"

Jason strolled over to the desk, casually brushed the glass shards off the chair, and sat down comfortably.

Outside the firmly closed study door, the sound of intense gunfire echoed.

He toyed with the gun in his hand. "Idiot! If I kill you now, the money becomes mine anyway."

"I have another offshore account with thirty million in it. I'll transfer it all to you. Just let me go!"

Jason shook his head. "Thirty million can't buy my conscience!"

"Fifty million!"

Jason stared at him impassively.

"Seventy million! That's everything I have."

"I don't believe you."

Rawlins clenched his jaw and remained silent.

Jason gestured toward the door. "You'd better hurry. If that guy outside breaks in, I won't be able to save your life."

Rawlins jolted. "Aren't you two working together?"

"Yes. But there's a difference—I can be bribed. He can't."

Rawlins' expression changed as the gunfire outside grew louder and closer.

He realized, with sinking dread, that his only chance for survival lay in gambling on the reputation of the man before him.

"Eighty million dollars. How will you keep me alive?"

"One hundred million. The guy outside can't fly, but I can. We'll escape through the window."

"Ninety million!"

Jason shoved the computer across the desk toward him. "Your life isn't up for negotiation. One hundred million. Transfer it now."

Rawlins stood frozen, his eyes reflecting his internal struggle.

He suspected the man before him might be deceiving him, but even the slimmest chance of survival was worth taking!

Jason looked at him and shrugged. "Time's running out! What good is a fortune if you're dead?"

Rawlins' eyes flickered, and at that moment, several bullets pierced the wooden door of the study, sending splinters flying everywhere.

He finally nodded. "Fine. I hope you keep your word!"

After a few keystrokes and confirmation codes, Jason's offshore account received a transfer of $100 million.

CRASH! Something heavy collided with the study door.

Rawlins panicked. "Quick! Get me out of here!"

Jason grabbed him by the collar. "Get ready. You're leaving through the window!"

With a powerful throw, Rawlins went airborne.

"FUUUUUUCK—THUD!"

Jason shrugged. "I said we could go through the window. I never said we'd go together."

BOOM!

Frank burst through the splintered door, bloodied and breathing heavily.

After surveying the room, he heard screams from below and approached the window. "Why did you throw him out?"

Jason drifted toward the window and floated outside. "He said he wanted to leave, so I helped him along."

Frank gritted his teeth. "Shit. The bastard isn't dead yet."

What followed was straightforward. Frank interrogated the broken Rawlins, confirming everything Jason had told him about the conspiracy.

Then, Jason executed him with a single shot to the head. The progress bar for his gold-tier target reached 4/5.

Unfortunately, since the first three target had died in mundane ways with minimal emotional response, this bounty package would struggle to reach five stars.

Otherwise, Jason would have needed to get more creative.

With his revenge complete, Frank voluntarily joined the Avengers.

Jason purchased both estates adjacent to his research facility and designated them as the Avengers' headquarters.

The three properties connected formed an expansive compound. With minor renovations, the space would accommodate both living quarters and training facilities.

Obadiah sat in his car, feeling more triumphant than ever before.

The oppressive mood that had plagued him for days had finally lifted.

He couldn't resist opening the briefcase beside him. The Arc Reactor emitted a soft blue glow.

Magnificent!

This tiny marvel could power an entire suit of armor and enable flight. Truly incredible!

Tony Stark was, without question, the most brilliant weapons inventor in the world.

For seven days and nights, Obadiah had racked his brain, unable to comprehend how Tony had escaped alive from those ruthless terrorists.

Then came the news broadcast showing that the weapons Obadiah had secretly sold to those same terrorists had been obliterated by someone the Daily Bugle dubbed "The Human Can Man."

Studying the blurry photograph in the tabloid, he noticed a circular light on the mechanical man's chest. It looked strangely familiar!

In a flash of realization, he connected it to the Arc Reactor embedded in Tony's chest!

He immediately retrieved the cave surveillance footage the Ten Rings had sent him earlier.

After analyzing these recordings, he was astonished to discover that Tony's weeks of hammering in that cave weren't spent building missiles—he'd been constructing armor!

Initially, Obadiah had worried that Tony suspected his betrayal, and that his crimes would soon be exposed.

But now, he had conceived the perfect solution.

Ever since the "Day of Mourning" incident in Afghanistan had erupted, the U.S. government—despite its outward composure—had been internally terrified.

They desperately needed to restore their diminished confidence and the fear of their enemies.

If he could acquire the technology to manufacture the armor and sell it to the U.S. government, they would undoubtedly regain their standing.

Then, his past transgressions—selling weapons to terrorists, arranging the hit on Stark—would become irrelevant.

He might even become the most distinguished guest at both the White House and the Pentagon!

Unfortunately, he'd discovered that even the collective genius of the world's most brilliant scientists under his employ couldn't match Tony Stark working alone in a cave!

The bulky armor would have been challenging enough, but that miniaturized Arc Reactor that Tony had built with scraps? His team had labored for two weeks and couldn't produce a functional prototype!

Worse still, Pepper had just uncovered evidence of his crimes.

He had no choice but to extract the ready-made Arc Reactor from Stark's chest.

Don't blame me, Tony. It's all for the good of the company.

After all, you wouldn't want Stark Industries to collapse!

Oh, wait—I should say, Stane Industries!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Support me at p@treon.com/goldengaruda and check out more chapter of this or more early access chapter of my other fanfic translation.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~