Ultimate Iron Man

The atmosphere in the modern, tall office of Mandarin International's main building was filled with tension. Zhang Wei, who called himself the Mandarin, stood near the large window that showed a view of Shanghai's vast city. He wasn't looking at the scenery. His sharp eyes stared at the glass, his face showing a frown and a tight jaw.

Behind him, his close assistants stood in a half-circle, moving uneasily and avoiding looking at their leader. The stress in the room was easy to feel.

"How?" The Mandarin's voice, calm but cold as ice, cut through the oppressive silence. "How did this happen?"

One of the lieutenants, Lin, a wiry man with hawkish eyes, stepped forward hesitantly. "Sir, the leaks started approximately six hours ago. First, our offshore accounts—Interpol and the IRS have flagged over 70% of our assets. Frozen. Seized. The financial division is in shambles."

Zhang turned sharply, his piercing gaze locking onto Lin. "Seventy percent? You're telling me we've lost billions overnight?"

Lin nodded reluctantly. "Yes, sir. And the hits keep coming. Journalists worldwide are publishing damning exposés, and our shell corporations are being dismantled as we speak. We're hemorrhaging money."

The Mandarin's eyes narrowed. "This isn't just a random attack. Someone coordinated this. Someone with resources."

Another lieutenant, Mei-Ling, chimed in, her voice trembling slightly. "Sir, it's worse than that. Our assassination network is compromised. Nearly half of our top operatives are either dead or have gone dark in the past twelve hours. Eastern European and Southeast Asian mercenaries took out our teams in Kiev, Jakarta, and Dubai."

Zhang's fists clenched tightly. The Ten Rings had been his life's work, a sprawling network of elite assassins and shadow operatives that took years to cultivate. Each loss was a blow to his empire, and he didn't believe in coincidences. Someone was targeting him.

"And Hydra?" Zhang asked, his voice low and dangerous.

Mei-Ling exchanged a glance with Lin before responding. "Hydra's bases have been exposed to global intelligence agencies. They believe we're responsible. Retaliation has already begun. They attacked two of our key facilities in Istanbul and Casablanca. Casualties are in the hundreds."

Zhang let out a sharp breath, his mind racing. This was no small act of sabotage. This was war, and it had been unleashed with surgical precision. His lips curled into a snarl. "Hydra is a dog that bites when cornered. But I do not believe they are behind this. They are too blunt, too predictable."

He paced back to his desk, his mind analyzing every angle. Who could have done this? The leaks, the assassinations, the attacks... It was a symphony of chaos, orchestrated by someone who knew both his organization and Hydra well enough to pit them against each other.

"Who benefits from this?" he murmured, more to himself than his subordinates.

Lin stepped forward again. "Sir, we're investigating possible suspects. Rival organizations, perhaps a state-sponsored effort..."

"Fool!" Zhang snapped, his voice cracking like a whip. "This isn't a rival syndicate or some government agency. This is personal. Whoever did this wants us to suffer."

The room fell silent, his words hanging in the air like a heavy fog. Zhang's mind raced. If this was personal, there weren't many with the capability or the audacity to attack him on this scale.

"Bring me the full list of leaks and known operatives compromised," Zhang ordered. "And increase security at all remaining facilities. Triple it. I want every loose end tied up, every informant interrogated."

Mei-Ling hesitated before speaking. "Sir, there's... one more issue."

Zhang turned to her, his glare enough to make her flinch. "What now?"

"Someone has placed a bounty on you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "A massive one. It's being circulated through Eastern criminal networks. The message was traced back to an anonymous source, but it appears to be coming from... within our own accounts."

Zhang froze, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the room was silent, save for the distant hum of the city below.

"A bounty," he repeated, his voice calm but laced with venom. "Using my own money?"

Mei-Ling nodded, her eyes downcast. "Yes, sir."

Zhang inhaled deeply, the muscles in his neck tightening as he fought to contain his fury. "This is not an attack. This is humiliation."

He turned to Lin. "Find the source of the bounty. Find out who accessed our accounts and leaked the funds. And when you find them, bring me their head."

"Yes, sir," Lin replied quickly, bowing slightly before retreating.

The Mandarin looked back out the window, his thoughts filled with anger and plans. This was a clear attack on his empire, a well-thought-out effort to destroy everything he had created. But even more, it was a personal insult. Whoever was behind this wanted him to suffer, to lose face, to watch his empire crumble.

But Zhang Wei was not a man who accepted defeat. He had built the Ten Rings from nothing, clawing his way to the top through sheer force of will and ruthless efficiency. He would not let some faceless enemy destroy him.

"Mei-Ling," he said, his voice low but commanding.

"Yes, sir?"

"Contact our remaining assets. I want every available operative hunting down leads. Every hacker, every informant, every mercenary. I don't care what it costs—find the one responsible for this. And when you do... bring them to me."

Mei-Ling nodded. "It will be done."

As the room emptied, Zhang stood alone, staring out at the city. He could feel his empire crumbling beneath him, but he refused to let it fall. Whoever had done this would learn the true meaning of vengeance.

And if Hydra wanted a war, he would give them one they would never forget.

...

Zhang Wei was not a man to waste time mourning losses. By the time dawn broke over Shanghai, he had issued directives to his remaining lieutenants. His operations might be bleeding, but he still commanded an army of assassins... deadly, loyal, and eager to prove their worth. While Hydra and Mandarin International tore at each other's throats, Zhang focused on neutralizing the immediate threat: the shadowy figure orchestrating this chaos.

Within hours, his orders began to take shape. Key targets were identified based on tenuous leads, and his assassins moved with brutal efficiency. The Ten Rings did not retreat; they struck back, clawing at any sign of weakness in their enemies.

[New York City]

The assassin's code name was Viper. She had been with the Ten Rings for over a decade, her reputation as an elusive killer rivaled only by her precision. Zhang assigned her to a high-priority target: Alexander Pierce, a suspected Hydra liaison based in New York. If Hydra thought the Mandarin was their enemy, Zhang would exploit their paranoia by striking at their heart.

Viper perched atop a derelict building in Manhattan, her silenced rifle aimed at the penthouse across the street. Pierce's movements had been tracked for weeks, but tonight he had deviated from routine. A late-night meeting, unusual guests. It was the perfect setup for a clean kill.

She exhaled slowly, her crosshairs locking onto Pierce's figure behind the glass window. Her finger tightened on the trigger.

"Target acquired," she murmured into her comms.

But just as she squeezed the trigger, an explosion rocked the building below her. A chain reaction of blasts followed, throwing her off balance. The sniper rifle clattered to the rooftop as she scrambled for cover.

"What the..." Viper hissed, her earpiece crackling.

"Viper, extraction compromised!" a voice shouted over the line. "Hydra operatives... they're here! It's a setup!"

Before Viper could respond, gunfire erupted from the adjacent rooftop. Hydra snipers, alerted to her presence, had positioned themselves for a counterattack. Viper cursed, rolling behind a ventilation unit as bullets peppered her previous position.

"Fall back!" her handler ordered. "We'll regroup at the safe house."

"Negative," Viper growled, her pride overriding her caution. She retrieved her rifle, quickly reconfiguring her aim. If she couldn't escape, she would ensure her target didn't either.

But Pierce was already gone.

[Dubai]

On the other side of the world, another killer was following Zhang's commands. Code-named: Shadow, this agent was skilled in fighting up close and sneaking into places without being noticed. His goal was to take out a top Hydra agent in Dubai, who was believed to be planning the attacks on Mandarin International.

Disguised as a maintenance worker, Shadow had quietly entered the fancy apartment building without anyone noticing. His target's apartment was on the 15th floor, and he moved as quietly as a ghost, hiding a blade in his sleeve.

When he reached the door, he used a small gadget to turn off the electronic lock. The lock made a quiet beep, and the door opened. Shadow stepped inside, staying very alert and ready for anything.

The room was dim, but he could hear soft whispers coming from the next room. Holding his knife, he moved quietly, his steps careful and precise. As he turned the corner, he spotted his target: a man sitting at a desk, facing away, talking on the phone.

Shadow leaped forward, his knife aimed straight for the man's neck.

But the target twisted in his chair at the last moment, revealing a smirk. "Too slow," the Hydra operative said, pulling a concealed gun and firing.

Shadow dodged, the bullet grazing his shoulder as he rolled to the side. The Hydra agent barked an order, and armed guards burst into the room. Shadow fought valiantly, his blade flashing as he disarmed one attacker and took down another. But the numbers were overwhelming. A baton struck his temple, and his vision blurred as he collapsed to the floor.

As the guards restrained him, the Hydra operative crouched down, his smirk returning. "Tell Zhang Wei: he picked the wrong fight."

[Shanghai]

Back in Shanghai, Zhang Wei sat in his secure command center, monitoring the aftermath of his assassins' failed missions. Reports streamed in from across the globe—counterattacks, ambushes, and mounting losses. It was clear Hydra had anticipated his moves, turning his assassins into prey.

"Sir," Lin reported, his voice tense. "We've lost contact with Viper in New York and Shadow in Dubai. Reports indicate Hydra was prepared for their arrival."

Zhang's expression darkened. "And the bounty? Any progress?"

Lin hesitated. "We've identified several potential leads, but nothing conclusive. Whoever orchestrated this has covered their tracks well. It's... impressive."

Zhang's gaze snapped to Lin, his voice a low growl. "Do not praise the enemy."

Lin swallowed nervously and nodded. "Yes, sir."

Zhang's mind raced. This enemy, whoever they were, had turned the Ten Rings against themselves, exploiting Hydra as a weapon of chaos. It was a move he might have admired under different circumstances. But admiration didn't matter now. What mattered was survival.

He turned to Mei-Ling. "Contact our allies in Eastern Europe. Offer double their standard rate for immediate assistance. I want Hydra's operations crippled. If we can't kill their operatives, we'll burn their resources to the ground."

Mei-Ling nodded and left to relay the orders.

...

As night fell over Shanghai, Zhang Wei stood once more by his office window, his reflection stark against the darkened skyline. His empire was bleeding, and his assassins hunted, but he was not defeated. Although from others perspective it looked like he lost enough money to cripple him, they don't even know how wrong they actually are.

Whoever had orchestrated this chaos had underestimated him. Zhang was a survivor, and the Ten Rings were not so easily destroyed. If his enemies wanted a war, he would give them one—a war fought in the shadows, where the Mandarin thrived.

"Let them come," Zhang muttered to himself with a sinister expression. The veins on his face looked as if they would pop out at any moment. "Let them think they've won. I'll show them the price of underestimating the Ten Rings."

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[Read over 16 advance chapters] [No double billing]

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