Ten minutes later, Jones left the small cluster of mountains where the base had been located, his face ashen.
He stepped out into the vast, desolate desert.
Jones was in a terrible mood.
An absolutely terrible mood!!!
The happiness he had felt after finally escaping from the terrorists had long since disappeared!
In fact, he even felt like throwing up.
From the memories of the original “Jones,” he had seen dead bodies before, and he had even killed more than one or two people himself.
But when Jones walked out of the cave and saw the charred bodies scattered throughout the base, he was still sickened by the sight!
“I really should’ve dragged Tony back and made him see what he just did.
I wonder if he’d be disgusted by it too.”
Muttering softly, Jones began walking deeper into the desert one step at a time.
Jones knew the way out.
Although the base was located in the desert, it was already near the outskirts.
All he needed to do was use the sun to determine his direction and walk roughly seventy kilometers east.
Then he would enter the territory of the Sultanate of Oman, a country that controlled one of the world’s most important oil-export routes.
However, seventy kilometers was an enormous challenge for Jones.
Unfortunately, he had no other choice.
The explosion earlier had destroyed all the vehicles at the base!
Jones had originally thought his willpower was pretty good, but he soon discovered that he had overestimated himself.
After walking less than ten kilometers, Jones was already beginning to feel physically exhausted.
Jones stuck out his tongue and licked his cracked lips.
He helplessly realized that although the blazing sun overhead was gradually making his eyes stronger, it was also steadily pushing his body toward death.
Slowly raising his head, Jones looked at the faint black specks visible in the distant sky and muttered inwardly, “Maybe…
I should try to hitch a ride?”
After thinking about it for less than five seconds, Jones decisively gave the idea a thumbs-up.
He lowered his head, looked around, changed direction, and began walking northeast.
….
More than half an hour later.
“Hey, are you heading to Abu Dhabi?
They might not exactly welcome an arms dealer like you there!”
Looking at the figure ahead, Jones licked his lips and shouted.
“!!!”
Hearing Jones’s voice, Tony Stark’s body visibly stiffened.
He quickly turned around and found himself looking at Jones with a smile on his face.
“You!!!
You’re still alive?!”
The moment he saw Jones, Tony’s eyes widened, and a look of shock appeared on his face.
The next moment, Tony’s gaze swept over Jones from head to toe.
After finding no weapons on him, Tony visibly relaxed, and his entire body became much less tense.
“Really?
Is Abu Dhabi ahead in this direction?”
Tony muttered softly before speaking loudly.
“I don’t know whether they’ll welcome an arms dealer, but they’ll definitely welcome money!
On the other hand, they absolutely won’t welcome a terrorist, whether he has money or not!”
“I know!”
Walking to within about a meter of Tony, Jones also let a smile appear on his face and said softly, “If you can walk one hundred and sixty kilometers to Abu Dhabi, they’ll definitely be very happy to welcome you…
and your money.”
“One hundred and sixty kilometers?!”
Tony’s expression instantly darkened when he heard this.
As time passed, the position of the sun would change, making it impossible for him to maintain an accurate sense of direction.
And once night fell, he wouldn’t be able to navigate at all.
One hundred and sixty kilometers wasn’t particularly far, but if he could only travel for a limited number of hours each day and had to do it on foot, Tony would need at least three or four days to cover the distance.
Three or four days…
with no supplies and his body already injured, forget about making it out.
He’d probably be dead long before then!
Tony wasn’t stupid.
After thinking about it for a moment, he immediately understood what Jones was getting at.
Staring directly at Jones, Tony shouted, “What do you want?
Just say it.
Don’t beat around the bush!
And let me make one thing clear first: if you want me to forgive what you did before, that’s impossible!”
“You don’t need to say that!”
Hearing Tony’s words, Jones gave a cold laugh.
“I don’t exactly expect Mr.
Tony Stark and me to be generous saints!”
“Good.
At least you understand that.”
Hearing Jones’s words, Tony showed no displeasure.
He simply stared straight at Jones and said, “Whatever your conditions are, just say them.”
“It’s very simple!”
Jones quietly looked at Tony and said, “I want to go to America, and I need a legitimate identity.
One that has absolutely nothing to do with my past!!!”