Obadiah’s Misunderstanding

Obadiah was a director of the group, while Pepper was the group president’s secretary. The two of them had to handle countless affairs every day.

Tony planned to have them study under separate teachers, three months each. It wouldn’t have any significant negative impact on the group’s business.

Tony decided to speak with Obadiah first. Pepper could be put off until later.

He sauntered into Stark Industries, exchanged a few flirtatious words with Obadiah’s young secretary, and then went straight into the director’s office.

"Tony? What are you doing here? This is a rare sight." Obadiah was extremely surprised by his appearance.

"Haha, don’t put it that way, Uncle Obadiah. I am the group’s chairman, after all." Tony laughed and hugged him.

"Yes, the chairman who appears and disappears without a trace, the chairman no one sees even once a year, the chairman many newcomers don’t even know…" Obadiah continued to berate him without pausing.

Tony quickly cut off his rambling. "How could any newcomers not know me? I’m on television and in the newspapers every day."

"Yes, but not in the financial section or the technology section. You’re in the entertainment section." Obadiah pressed the bell to summon his secretary and have her bring them coffee.

"Go on, Tony. Weren’t you vacationing in Saudi Arabia with your little sweetheart? Why did you suddenly come running back?"

"Oh, Uncle Obadiah, that’s old news. We went to the Maldives two weeks ago."

"Who cares where you went to have fun? I just want to know why you suddenly came to harass me in my office. Have you come up with another new invention?"

"Oh, I’ve been busy practicing martial arts lately. Other than the Strong Magnetic Armor, I don’t have any new inventions."

"Strong Magnetic Armor? Is it a new weapon? An exoskeleton?" Obadiah’s ears immediately caught the key words, and he became interested.

"Oh, no. It’s armor that assists in martial arts cultivation. It’s useless to anyone who hasn’t reached the Magnetic Field Rotation Realm."

Obadiah immediately lost interest. "If it’s useless, then what are you doing here?"

"Don’t be so cold, Uncle Obadiah."

"Bullshit! Tony, I’m extremely busy with work every day, and I have a meeting soon. You’d better cut the crap!"

"Fine, fine. Uncle Obadiah, have you ever thought about learning martial arts? Becoming a super-soldier like me?" As he spoke, Tony effortlessly twisted the steel armrest of the chair into a pretzel.

"I have no need to become a soldier!" Obadiah immediately refused.

"But it can make you healthier and give you more energy. Uncle Obadiah, you’re not young anymore, and your heart isn’t in very good shape. Various age-related illnesses have already started appearing, haven’t they? But after practicing martial arts, your body can recover its health, and even the speed at which your mind operates will far exceed that of ordinary people."

Tony’s words moved Obadiah. After thinking carefully for a while, he nodded. "Fine, you’re right. I need a healthier body. I’ll set aside one or two hours every day to practice martial arts. Have that person come over and teach me."

"No, no, no, Uncle Obadiah. My master has very strict rules. You have to understand Chinese, and you must formally become his disciple before he’ll teach you. Besides, there’s Magnetic Field Acceleration around him, which helps increase the speed of cultivation."

"Rules? Tony, I’m amazed to hear those two words from you. Should I give your teacher an award for Best Teacher?" Obadiah said sarcastically in surprise.

Tony shrugged and didn’t retort, because there was no way he could explain to Obadiah what kind of person Zhan Liu really was.

"Uncle Obadiah, my idea is that you take three months off first and focus on practicing martial arts. Pepper can handle the group’s work for the time being. After three months, Pepper will also have to go to the martial arts school to practice, so I’ll have to ask you to manage her work for a while then."

Obadiah immediately became wary when he heard that.

Tony didn’t know that Obadiah had been the mastermind behind his ambush in Afghanistan, and that Obadiah had eliminated everyone involved.

Later, because Tony had become a little superman and conventional weapons were ineffective against him, Obadiah had no choice but to abandon his plan to kill Tony by borrowing someone else’s hand and hide his intentions.

So much time had already passed that he had assumed Tony would remain in the dark forever. But Tony’s words today immediately raised his guard again.

He strongly suspected that Tony had discovered some new clue and wanted to drive him out of the board of directors.

Learning martial arts was merely an excuse. His real aim was to use the opportunity to seize power.

A three-month gap would be enough for Tony to win over all his trusted allies or purge them. By then, he could only become a titular director with no real authority.

Obadiah crossed his hands, leaned forward, fixed his eyes on Tony, and asked, "Tony, have you heard some rumors?"

"Rumors? What rumors?" Tony was baffled.

"Then why did you suddenly decide to make me leave my position?" Obadiah asked aggressively.

"My master has a rule. All named disciples must achieve Current Drive within three months. Otherwise, they’ll be demoted to students and expelled from the martial arts school. Without the Magnetic Field Acceleration around him, it’s extremely difficult to achieve Current Drive afterward. That’s why I want you to focus on learning martial arts for three months and secure a spot as a formal disciple first," Tony explained in detail.

"No, I absolutely will not leave my position!" Obadiah flatly rejected the suggestion.

He abruptly stood up and shouted at Tony, visibly agitated:

"I’ve worked in this position my entire life. I’ve devoted all my energy to Stark Industries."

"My life, my ideals, everything I have… it’s all deeply bound to Stark Industries."

"Without me, Stark Industries could never have developed to where it is today!"

"And now, because of some unverified rumors, you want to drive me out of Stark Industries?"

"Stop dreaming, Tony! I’m not leaving this place. Even if I die, I’ll die in this position!"

Tony looked at the suddenly agitated Obadiah in bewilderment. He couldn’t understand what he had said wrong to make him misunderstand.

"Hey, Uncle Obadiah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not trying to drive you away. No one can replace your contributions to Stark Industries, and they can never be erased. You’ll always be Stark Industries’ pride."

"I just want you to take a long vacation, get your body into shape, and then you’ll be able to live more healthily and work more efficiently."

"Ha, are you saying you think my work efficiency is too low?" Obadiah slapped the desk hard. "I’m telling you, Tony, I’m in excellent health. I can keep working for another twenty years!"

"I don’t need a vacation! I don’t need to practice martial arts either! To hell with that damned martial arts school and its ridiculous rules!"