In an instant, Tony Stark recalled everything mentioned in the diary, which had greatly altered his perspective.
He would be kidnapped in Afghanistan in the future, experiencing a narrow escape. But why, as the chairman of a major company, would he be sent to Afghanistan to test new weapons for the military?
It was because his Uncle Obadiah had forced him to go, insisting that he had to do something for the company. This had planted a seed of doubt about Obadiah in Tony's mind.
This couldn't be possible, could it?
Tony Stark had never doubted Obadiah, nor did he believe his uncle would harm him. After all, Obadiah had plenty of opportunities to hurt him when he was young, but he knew in his heart how much Obadiah loved money.
And that was the catch—no capitalist could ever be indifferent to money. Tony Stark couldn't be sure that Obadiah wouldn't betray him for financial gain.
"Include Uncle Obadiah in the scope of the investigation, but don't alert anyone," Tony said.
"Understood, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S. responded immediately.
"Also, hack into the military's network and search for any relevant information to see if anyone in the military has been reselling our Stark Group weapons," Tony ordered without hesitation.
At this point, Tony wasn't ready to go up against the entire military and military-industrial complex. He was, after all, part of that complex.
He couldn't control what others did, but he needed to know who was buying his weapons.
He was certain he would never allow anyone to resell his creations for harm.
Defeating the entire military was impossible, but targeting corrupt elements was something he could still try. This was his last moral line.
Tony continued reading and began to understand why, in the future, he would suddenly stop producing weapons and switch to new energy, as written in Luo Chen's diary.
He had suffered inhumane conditions in Afghanistan, narrowly escaping death. He had seen countless local children and innocent people killed by weapons produced by his company. This, no doubt, would deeply disturb him.
Not to mention the man named Ethan, who had died to save him.
Tony Stark, the playboy genius, never thought that many people would be willing to die for him.
But Ethan did.
Even though this was all from the future, and he wasn't sure if it would happen, Tony couldn't sit idly by. He had to save people.
But he could only do that after his battle armor was complete.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., record this: when my armor is finished, remind me to save this man named Ethan!" Tony ordered, feeling a sense of purpose he had never experienced before.
For the first time, Tony Stark saw the benefit of knowing the future from the diary. Tragic events could be prevented in advance.
Ethan's death was a plot point in the diary, but in reality, Ethan was a living person, and Tony couldn't just stand by and let him die.
In the eyes of a writer, Ethan was just a tool to inspire Tony to become a superhero.
But to Tony, Ethan wasn't just a plot device; he was a real person, and he had a duty to save him.
As the protagonist of his own life, Tony wasn't just a character created for a story. He had a complete growth arc, a full set of memories, and he was not a mere creation on paper.
He was Tony Stark—a proud, super-rich, super-philanthropist, super-genius, and super-scientist!
"Understood, sir. However, according to the diary, you will be kidnapped in Afghanistan, and you will have an entire platoon of soldiers escorting you during your stay there. This suggests that the armed forces of the local warlords are very strong, and it will be a risky mission," J.A.R.V.I.S. reminded.
"Of course, I've thought about that. I'm not stupid enough to go in unprepared," Tony said firmly.
Now that he knew the dangers and potential extreme situations ahead, he wasn't going to throw himself into a deathtrap. Not unless his battle armor was ready and he was fully prepared.
Tony then read the next part of the diary. Since becoming Iron Man, his carefree life had ended. With the mission of saving the world weighing heavily on him, the constant crises made it hard for him to find joy again.
"No problem. No matter what crisis comes, bring it on. I'm not afraid of you!" Tony said, trying to boost his own morale.
Immediately, another passage appeared in the diary.
"Marvel truly began with Iron Man, and it will end with Iron Man. The first generation of Iron Man, a mortal with the power of a god. As for the second generation, a black girl? Hollywood's political correctness has gone too far!"
Luo Chen couldn't help but complain about the second-generation Iron Man, who was nothing like the original Tony Stark. He thought it was absurd—how could a black girl inherit the mantle of Iron Man? Why not let Iron Man's own daughter take over?
"Equal to the gods with a mortal body. J.A.R.V.I.S., record this. This will be my motto from now on!" Tony Stark said, a smug look on his face. "This kid has some vision, yes, this is me—Tony Stark!"
"Understood, sir. But I must remind you," J.A.R.V.I.S. hesitated, "If we take it literally, this might not be a good thing. The diary says Iron Man starts and ends with you…"
J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice showed some human-like hesitation, a feature that set him apart from other artificial intelligences Tony had encountered.
"You mean, I might die?" Tony said, a wry smile forming on his lips. "That's why there's a second-generation Iron Man to take over? Is that what you're implying?"
"Yes, that's the general interpretation. If this is a series, it might span ten or even twenty years. But eventually, a new protagonist will need to take on the mission of saving the world," J.A.R.V.I.S. explained.
"But it looks like she's not doing too well," Tony said, a hint of confusion in his voice.
Though Tony wasn't racist, he hadn't expected that the one to succeed him as Iron Man would be a black girl.
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