"Hammer Industries is holding a defense expo in two days? Hammer Industries... wait, aren't they the arms dealer that tried to compete with Stark Industries in Iron Man 2?"
Of course, Hammer Industries was nowhere near Stark's level. Even their CEOs were worlds apart. Justin Hammer was laughable compared to Tony Stark. Though Hammer had managed to develop some decent tech, he was ultimately reduced to comic relief next to Iron Man.
"If I remember right, wasn't it Hammer Industries that upgraded War Machine? The so-called 'Iron Patriot'?"
After Tony Stark shut down Stark Industries' weapons division, the U.S. military had to rely on other companies. Hammer Industries swooped in and claimed a good share of the market.
"They might not be top-tier, but Hammer still has a lot of advanced hardware."
From individual soldier gear to heavy military vehicles, Hammer Industries still had a strong presence in the American defense sector.
"Two days… That's enough time!"
Ethan Chen clenched his fists as he checked the date. As much as he hated to admit it, the bleeding edge of technology was concentrated in the United States. If Ethan wanted to get his hands on high-tech innovations, he had no choice but to go to the U.S.
"Tony Stark should be rescued within two or three days and return to the States soon after. If I want access to his Iron Man technology, I need to be there too."
Now technically, even from across the ocean, Ethan could have Huaqiangbei replicate the Iron Man suit using reference images alone. But without physically examining it, the system's reproduction would be no more than an empty shell—only 1% accurate, totally useless.
"That settles it. I'm going to America."
If he wanted to gain access to truly revolutionary technology, Ethan had no alternative. Just like the early pioneers who studied in the West to uplift their homeland, he was ready to follow that path.
Of course, Ethan wasn't really sacrificing anything. All he needed was a short, seven-day trip across the globe.
"Good thing I already have a U.S. visa."
Fueled by excitement, Ethan began packing right away. He didn't need much—just a few essentials thrown into his Huaqiangbei warehouse, which conveniently had unlimited storage capacity. Why carry luggage when he could digitize everything?
After finalizing his preparations, Ethan booked a flight for the following day. He'd be landing in the United States early in the morning.
"Finally made it to America..."
The next morning, Ethan pulled out all the stops to convince his worried parents to let him go. After some serious effort, they reluctantly agreed and sent him off, trusting that their son would be safe on foreign soil.
"Being a rich kid is so exhausting sometimes..."
To his parents, Ethan still seemed like a helpless, directionless adult. Twenty years old and barely able to take care of himself abroad—what were they so worried about?
More than ten hours later, he finally arrived at his destination: New York City.
"Let's see... the Ugly Group's U.S. division has some reach. I'll book a hotel close to the Hammer Expo grounds."
With help from GPS navigation, Ethan made his way to the hotel. Once he checked in and sent a message home to reassure his parents, he allowed himself a brief rest.
The long flight had taken its toll. Ethan was still an ordinary human being, after all, with no special enhancements. His body wasn't built for prolonged fatigue.
"I seriously need to upgrade my physical abilities soon."
The exhaustion only reinforced his determination to become stronger.
"Captain America... when exactly are they planning to dig you out of that glacier?"
The night passed quietly. At dawn, Ethan bought a ticket to the Hammer Industrial Expo. After grabbing a light breakfast, he headed out.
"Helmet-mounted enhanced night vision goggles. Thermal imaging mode works in zero light conditions—impressive. Alright, I own that now."
Ethan quietly tapped the helmet on display and moved on, his face unreadable.
"The M110 sniper rifle. Semi-automatic, gas-operated—much faster than the older M24. Perfect for urban combat. Got it."
Another touch.
"Beretta M92F pistol..."
More touches.
At the crowded expo park, no one thought Ethan's behavior was odd. Most of the attendees were military tech enthusiasts. And since it was allowed to physically interact with the exhibits, Ethan's actions raised no red flags.
He casually brushed his hands across every weapon in the gun section, absorbing the complete design and technological blueprints through Huaqiangbei.
Many of these firearms were currently standard issue for the U.S. military. Some were even more advanced than their counterparts back in China.
Of course, that gap was now meaningless—Ethan had just acquired all their secrets.
"M3 Infantry Fighting Vehicle..."
"Hummer Terminator variant..."
"M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank..."
Moving beyond the weapons area, Ethan entered the armored vehicle exhibit. The towering machines of war, brimming with mechanical power, fascinated him. But he didn't lose sight of his goal. He methodically touched each vehicle, silently absorbing every detail.
But someone had noticed.
Backstage, a bespectacled man was monitoring Ethan's movements through a screen. A sly grin appeared on his face.
A quiet conspiracy had begun to unfold around Ethan.
"F22 Raptor. B2 Spirit stealth bomber. Damn, they're just scale models..."
In Ethan's memory, the Raptor was a Lockheed product. But in this world, Hammer Industries was involved in its development?
And somehow, Hammer also had ties to the B2 stealth bomber?
Of course, no single defense company could create something as complex as the F22 or B2 on its own. The reason Hammer was displaying them was likely because it had contributed to certain subsystems.
But the expo grounds clearly weren't large enough to house full-scale fighter jets, so these were just scaled-down models.
Had they been real, Ethan would have instantly acquired technologies like next-gen propulsion systems, advanced avionics, and radar-evading stealth materials.
"Too bad it's just a model..."
Ethan sighed with genuine disappointment.
"Yeah. This venue can only fit so much."