Chapter 1841

"It was Hydra that kidnapped you."

Stark stared wide-eyed at Shiler, who said this, trying to find a trace of guilt on the doctor's face, but there was only calmness on Shiler's face.

"So all of this was directed by you?"

"Not entirely."

Stark slammed his hand on the table next to him and said: "Stop saying 'not entirely.' Is it or is it not?"

"You could say so." Shiler nodded and said: "Don't be impatient. This isn't me shirking responsibility; I'm just stating facts."

"Tell me from the beginning." Stark closed his eyes, extended a finger, and said: "Stop using these ambiguous words. I want to hear specific, accurate facts."

"The fact is, you have never seriously listened to me, never used your intelligence to scrutinize the experiences I told you, and just went ahead and assumed I was a victim and a good person."

Stark frowned deeply. He raised a hand to stop Shiler from saying anything further and reviewed the experiences Shiler had told him in his mind again.

According to the timeline, Shiler should have been kidnapped in his childhood to a laboratory to undergo human experimentation. After escaping halfway through, he returned to the United States to go to school, during which time he killed many of the masterminds behind this project, was finally arrested by the FBI, and went to work in a secret military laboratory.

At first glance, the experience was rich, but Stark thought carefully and found there were no details, and naturally, there were no points to scrutinize, so he looked at Shiler, waiting for Shiler to give him an answer.

"I told you long ago that I have no morals. Why would you think I would honestly submit to the law and work for my enemies?"

Stark opened his mouth and closed it again. Then he looked at Shiler and asked in disbelief: "So you joined Hydra long ago?"

Shiler nodded and said: "There is another loophole. You have seen my abilities, so how did the FBI manage to catch me?"

"You joined Hydra that early?"

"Even earlier."

"How early?"

"Guess how I returned to the United States?"

Stark slapped his forehead with his palm.

It wasn't because of Shiler's legendary experience, but because he felt he was really stupid.

If Shiler had been kidnapped and undergone human experimentation in his childhood, then his social identity would have been gone long ago. Being able to attend a proper university in the United States certainly meant he wasn't an undocumented immigrant or a stowaway, so how he got his later social identity was obvious.

Suddenly, Stark realized something. He frowned and looked at Shiler seriously, saying: "Hydra being able to help you get back your nationality and identity shows that your people's social status is not low."

"Actually, it is very high. Remember? Cut off one head, and two more grow back."

Stark was just about to speak when Shiler interrupted him and said: "And this brings us to why I brought you here instead of to a Hydra base."

Stark suddenly shivered. He suddenly realized that he had trusted Shiler a bit too much, actually getting into his car knowing he might be a Hydra, and letting him drive him around.

He didn't dare to think what would happen if this base was a secret Hydra base. Although the robot he built was powerful, it wasn't him personally. If the other side was prepared and fully armed, and he just fell into a trap so defenselessly, external force would be useless. If the other side pointed a gun at his head, they could make him obediently hand over the remote control.

I shouldn't have made an unmanned robot! Stark gritted his teeth and thought to himself, it would have been better to make a suit of armor to arm himself.

Stark calculated in his heart that if there was an opportunity to leave here, he must make a set of intelligent armor and wear it on his body. Then, no one would be able to threaten his physical self.

But Stark still felt uneasy. This was the first time he had felt real fear toward Shiler.

Stark didn't know why he had only spent such a short time with Shiler, yet his IQ had suddenly gone offline, he hadn't picked out any flaws in Shiler's words at all, his trust had suddenly been maxed out, and he had even developed a dependency on the other person.

This made him feel more fear than the shrapnel in his body, because it was silent and subtle; he couldn't even find the direction the bullet came from.

Stark swallowed and thought that external armor alone wasn't enough; he would probably have to systematically study psychology.

Then Stark was also a bit puzzled. Shiler had gone to such great lengths to direct a play to kidnap him and gain his trust, so why did he give up at the last minute?

Stark raised his question. Shiler didn't answer directly, only saying: "The last time I left the cave, I learned from my teacher and superiors the full content of their plan for you. It was a bit more radical than I imagined."

"What was that?" Stark asked tentatively.

Shiler turned his head slightly and said: "My teacher believes that the social identity of Tony Stark is too easy to cause trouble. Even if you are kidnapped, once you find an opportunity to show your face, it will cause huge turmoil."

"So..."

"They prepared a human experimentation project with the goal of a brain transplant. This way, they could ensure that even if you appeared in public, no one would admit you were Stark, and it wouldn't damage your intelligence."

Stark keenly grasped the key point in Shiler's words. He repeated those words: "Human experimentation project?"

He noticed that during this process, Shiler never looked him in the eye. Stark lowered his eyelids and lowered his voice, saying: "So this is the reason you changed your mind at the last minute? Because you didn't want me to experience the same tragedy as you?"

"I told you, don't imagine me as a hero." Shiler still looked at Stark with that gentle gaze and said: "I just think their plan is too stupid. Just think about it, this kind of stupid experiment will definitely have all kinds of mishaps. I did it for their own good, not for you."

"Then you could have completely not told me all this." Stark felt he had finally grasped Shiler's lifeline. He pointed out sharply: "You just needed to hand me over to someone and let them take me back to the United States, instead of bringing me here to explain all this to me yourself."

"Then in your view, why would I do this?"

Stark leaned forward, pressed a hand on Shiler's knee, looked into his eyes, and said: "Actually, you hope I will be grateful and repay you. Don't refute it; I'm talking about your instinct."

"You said you weren't interested in returning to society and didn't want to return to the United States, but the only reason you are doing this now is that if I clearly know you saved me, then I will fulfill my promise and help you return to civilized society, to be a doctor, not some Hydra."

"But unfortunately, what gives me the initiative isn't civilized society, but Hydra."

"Not anymore." Stark said firmly: "I don't care what your stance is. You saved me in action, and twice at that. You didn't receive any benefits from civilized society, so this wasn't your responsibility. So, of course, I will repay you."

"You should go." Shiler stood up and said: "The real reason I will explain all this to you is that I got your private secretary's phone number through the media. I told him the news of your survival and the address here. He will send a plane to pick you up immediately."

Just as Shiler finished speaking, the sound of helicopter rotors came from outside the base door.

The giant door slowly opened. After a violent storm, the rare, bright sunlight gradually wound its way in through the crack in the door.

But what appeared outside the door wasn't Pepper, but a group of fully armed agents.

Stark saw a shocked expression on Shiler's face for the first time. He looked up and saw a familiar man.

"Alexander Pierce?" Stark called out his name. He remembered he had met him at some banquet.

The agents rushed up quickly, sweeping past Stark like a school of fish, and with lightning speed, pinned Shiler to the table next to them.

Pierce walked up leisurely, showing a worried and relieved expression. He gave Stark a hug and then said: "Mr. Stark, I'm glad you're okay. I am Alexander Pierce, the director of S. H. I. E. L. D. You should still remember me, right?"

Stark's brain was a bit dazed. Why did Shiler say he sent a message to Pepper, but the one who came was the director of S. H. I. E. L. D.? And why did he pin Shiler down as soon as he arrived?

"Sorry, Mr. Stark. The reason S. H. I. E. L. D. appeared here is because we ran into our old adversary. I assume you already know that the one who kidnapped you was the resurgent Hydra?"

Stark turned to look at Shiler, and Pierce also turned his head. He lowered his eyelids and looked at Shiler, saying: "We have already confirmed the suspect's identity. According to reports from an informant S. H. I. E. L. D. planted in a group of Hydra active in Eastern Europe—Shiler Rodriguez, a member of the terrorist organization Hydra, was sent by his superior, a Hydra leader codenamed Baron Strucker, to infiltrate the U. S. military base in Afghanistan three years ago."

Pierce touched his wrist lightly and said: "He is the mastermind who planned the Tony Stark kidnapping case, and it was he who instigated the local terrorists to carry out the terrorist attack."

Pierce's voice was very loud. Stark felt that this wasn't being said to him, but to everyone present, and there were clearly more than just S. H. I. E. L. D. employees on the scene.

"I didn't expect that after so many years, this terrorist organization would still be putting up a desperate struggle. This is indeed S. H. I. E. L. D.'s dereliction of duty." Pierce sighed lightly and said: "I am very sorry, Mr. Stark. Next, we will communicate with Congress on how to better carry out S. H. I. E. L. D.'s work. During the time you were missing, your family and friends missed you very much. Let's get on the plane first."

Looking at Pierce's smile, Stark suddenly thought of something. His back was almost instantly soaked with cold sweat.

Hydra easily helped Shiler restore his nationality and social identity, which showed that they had long ago achieved a pivotal position in the upper class of the United States, and also showed that Shiler's superior and teacher were in the United States, and were definitely not ordinary people.

Shiler said he contacted Pepper, but the one who came was Alexander Pierce. The most terrifying thing was that Shiler's previous expression proved he knew Pierce.

Stark was just about to blurt out his suspicions when he couldn't help but look at Shiler again.

Then he saw Shiler, who was being held tightly by both hands on the table with half his face pressed against the desktop, looking at him with an exceptionally focused and even slightly terrifying gaze, and mouthing a word to him: "Quiet."

Stark's legs went weak instantly.

He instinctively reached for the gun in his pocket, but Pierce saw his movement. Stark could only bite the bullet, take out the gun, rub it in his hand, and pretend to be relaxed, saying: "Fortunately you arrived in time; this little guy didn't come in handy."

"Yeah, against this kind of cunning terrorist, a small pistol isn't of much use."

Stark heard the probing in Pierce's words. He threw the pistol directly to an agent next to him and said: "Your S. H. I. E. L. D.'s level is rotten enough. This Hydra killer almost killed me, but we'll talk about that when we go back. I have to hurry back to clean up the mess of the Stark Group."

Pierce looked relieved. He waved his hand, several agents took Shiler away, and the two walked toward the exit together.

But he didn't notice that Stark turned his head to watch Shiler's back, clenching his fists tightly.