Chapter 128: The Predicament of Stark Industries

In this world where Howard Stark is still alive, should he warn the other party about an assassination attempt from Hydra?

Whoever does this is an idiot!

First, he has no evidence.

Secondly, Henry is not sure which version of death the old Stark couple in this world will meet. He cannot even pretend to be a false prophet. Speaking nonsense recklessly would only ruin his meager credibility.

Furthermore, if he actually guessed correctly, he feels his troubles would only multiply.

After all, this matter stems from a problem within S. H. I. E. L. D. Those who stand with the Stark camp will naturally pursue Henry's source of intelligence; those on the Hydra side will also want to know where the leak came from.

In short, if he guesses right, he will attract the attention of both opposing camps at once, focusing all their eyes on himself. At this point, even if he tries to act like a mystic, claiming he can divine and prophesy, he cannot escape the trouble surrounding him.

There is another unspoken, private motive: without sacrificing Tony's parents to the heavens, how could Iron Man possess boundless power?

Henry does not know if preventing the appearance of Iron Man is a good thing.

To be honest, he has no intention of deliberately stabilizing a certain historical trajectory, nor does he feel compelled to change the future. He is simply looking from his own standpoint; whether Howard Stark lives or dies brings him neither profit nor loss.

Making the other party owe him a favor, thereby entering the Stark Industries system, or demanding other things?

What difference is there between that and running to the center of the universe, New York, and shouting, 'I am a Kryptonian, anyone with guts, fire at me'?

Henry has not forgotten that his goal is to live a peaceful life, not to throw himself into a vortex of trouble. Given that, what reason is there to influence this matter?

Friendship with Tony Stark? Have they met even five times in total? Just because the other party carelessly said the word 'friend', does he really think of himself as someone important?

This is no different from a beloved goddess glancing at him in a crowd, leading him to believe she fell in love at first sight. Self-awareness must have its limits; does he really think the Earth revolves around him?

And the thoughts above are purely viewing the world through the lens of the Marvel superhero universe. If one is actually inside it, looking at the economic situation of this world, one would realize that those who want Howard Stark dead are certainly not limited to Hydra alone.

The Rockefeller family, once firmly seated as the leader of the oil industry, was broken up; the Carnegie family, the famous Steel Magnate, followed the same path.

It is said that the United States is founded on conglomerates, but if any single conglomerate becomes so massive that it can dominate the United States, it is bound to face the fate of being broken up. The famous Antitrust Act was enacted to provide the legal basis for this very purpose.

Of course, where there are policies from above, there are countermeasures from below. These broken-up family enterprises were not subjected to the execution of nine generations or the confiscation of their homes; they merely retreated from the public stage to the background in a dispersed and obscure manner.

Thus, surnames like Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Rothschild disappeared from the public eye.

The only ones who could still appear before the public were financial giants like Morgan. Within the circle of real industry, almost no one possesses the status of an oil leader or a steel magnate like in the past.

The reason for saying 'almost' is naturally because there are exceptions. And that exception is Stark Industries, established by Howard Stark.

Compared to the future before Iron Man's sudden emergence, the nature of Stark Industries is a military-industrial complex, a member of an arms conglomerate.

Under Howard Stark's leadership, Stark Industries is a comprehensive industry that touches on everything. As long as it is related to manufacturing, even if Stark Industries does not have a production line, it will have a relevant laboratory.

Basically, as long as the old Stark is interested in something he can produce, he will try it. Just by looking at Hollywood, where there are also traces of Stark Industries, one can see that this person's habits are like a dog, marking territory by peeing everywhere.

Perhaps in a single field, it cannot compare to those old-established industries that have cultivated deeply for a long time. For instance, Boeing in the aviation field, Lockheed Martin in the military field, Ford in the automotive field, Intel in the chip field, and so on.

But Stark Industries forms its own ecosystem and controls both upstream and downstream industries. In terms of comprehensive industrial strength, even if you sum up the rankings from second to tenth in the United States and the entire world, they may not necessarily be stronger than Stark Industries.

It literally turned the world's business field into a situation of 'one superpower and many strong powers'. Just saying that such a person exists, who among the rulers and business competitors can tolerate him?

What is even more damn deadly is that this guy's heir is a single sprout, Tony Stark!

Simply put, as soon as Howard Stark falls, it will be a capital feast no less than the fall of the Red Empire. What is placed on the table is Stark Industries.

The reason why Stark Industries could develop to today's scale is not hard to imagine.

Howard Stark has always had a very good relationship with the military, and he is one of the founders of the Strategic Scientific Reserve. After World War II, this unit was reorganized into the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division, the famous S. H. I. E. L. D.

With the army as a backing outside and an intelligence organization supporting from within, even a pig could develop, let alone Howard Stark. Even if people dislike him, those who want to move against him have no way to start.

Moreover, to put it even more plainly, Howard Stark of this era, if he wanted to enter the White House, as long as he hinted at such an intention, he could gather a large crowd to protect him and carry his sedan chair. Old political families would have to make way.

It is said that the strongest fortresses always collapse from within. Did Howard not meet his demise precisely because of Hydra hidden inside S. H. I. E. L. D.?

As for stealing the Super Soldier Serum, that was more like something done on the side. Because no one can guarantee whether the serum Howard recovered was truly effective. Judging from the development after the MCU, it indeed did not play any role.

To sum it up, to save Howard Stark's life today, Henry would have to provide twenty-four-hour close protection.

Otherwise, even if he blocks one Winter Soldier attack disguised as a car accident, there will be a second, a third, and countless more, until the assassination succeeds.

Under these circumstances, unless Howard Stark hands over Stark Industries and takes some retirement shares or pension to settle the matter, he cannot expect to live a peaceful life.

But would the old Stark agree? One can imagine it is impossible. Even with concrete evidence, it might not be enough to convince this scientist and entrepreneur who experienced World War II; let alone Henry has no evidence at all.

So does Henry really have a need to save Howard Stark? The fact is, it is neither necessary nor possible.

This is a calamity that Stark Industries must inevitably face, and also a hurdle for Tony Stark to transform and grow.

Just like the inevitable collapse of the Red Empire, Henry, as a Kryptonian, does not even have the qualification to be a pawn in this situation. Let alone profiting from it; at most, he can scrape off some inconspicuous scraps.

Having understood all this, Henry calmly shifted his attention back to his employer, no longer focusing on that trendsetter of the era. The matter of Lady He Ben is no less than anyone else's.

(End of this chapter)