After the weapon showcase by Rhodes Island Industries, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
Thanks to their cutting-edge technology and innovative concepts, Rhodes Island Industries gained a significant edge over competitors like Hammer Industries and secured most of the national defense contracts for the next five years.
From next-generation strategic deployment plans, self-checking ships with fully automated damage control systems, to new air-defense equipment – a flood of new projects were approved and began development.
The new demands and orders kept pouring in.
Meanwhile, military and police units equipped with Rhodes Island's advanced defense weapons played an increasingly pivotal role in peacekeeping missions around the world.
They completed many tasks that were once thought impossible.
The initial vision of Kagura Hitomi was truly coming to fruition.
The global military trade was stabilizing, and regional conflicts and small-scale wars were slowly decreasing.
Most importantly...
Ah! The money! All this money is coming in!
The company's operations ran smoothly, and profits kept rising.
As Hitomi's financial assets grew, the wealth that Tony Stark had "borrowed" to help set up the company was quickly being returned to its rightful owners.
Now that her position was more stable, she felt it was time to leave Stark Industries.
Having dual roles meant double the workload. Even though she was an android, mentally, it was starting to wear on her.
Because...
I just want to play games! Watch comics! Catch up on anime!
I don't want to work!!!
But, on the other hand, as the de facto owner of Rhodes Island Industries, staying at Stark Industries felt like infiltrating a competitor as a spy. It was a strange feeling, even if no one else knew.
After much thought, Hitomi decided it was best to resign from her assistant role at Stark Industries.
Christmas Eve, 2008
Christmas was a significant holiday in the West, comparable to the Chinese New Year.
In the U.S., Christmas usually meant a 7-15 day holiday period from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day.
On this particular evening, while Hitomi was at home immersed in her video games, she received a call from Tony Stark.
"Hello? Mr. Stark?"
"Hey, Hitomi, would you be interested in joining us for dinner? It's Christmas Eve."
"Eh?"
"What, you're surprised? Pepper and Happy are here too. I thought you might be lonely, so I'm inviting you. You wouldn't reject your boss's dinner invite, would you?"
"But... New York is so far from Los Angeles..."
"Don't worry, we're spending Christmas in New York this year," Tony reassured her. "Do you need time to think about it? I can call you back later."
"I'll come, Mr. Stark," Hitomi replied. "Just let me know the time and place."
"Great," Tony said on the other end. "Happy will pick you up. See you soon."
"See you, Mr. Stark."
After hanging up, Hitomi sat back, deep in thought.
A Luxurious Private Room in a Five-Star Hotel in New York
The atmosphere of the Christmas Eve dinner was warm and intimate. A rectangular dining table was filled with a variety of delicacies.
Hitomi sat next to Pepper Potts, with Tony Stark sitting across from her. Happy Hogan, ever the dedicated bodyguard, stood by the door, refusing to sit with Tony.
This man really is quite stubborn, Hitomi thought with a smile.
She ate gracefully, her heart lifted with genuine happiness.
Christmas was traditionally a time for family reunions in the West, but Hitomi had no family of her own. Since coming to this world, she had been alone.
Originally, she thought she would spend the holiday playing games in solitude, but unexpectedly, she received an invitation from Tony Stark.
The warm light from the dinner candles reflected off her face, making her feel snug inside. It really felt like being at home.
Looking at Tony Stark and Pepper Potts across the table, she felt a deep sense of gratitude. They had taken her in as family.
I'll always think of them as family too, she silently thought.
"Hitomi, is something on your mind?" Tony noticed her deep in thought.
"Well, actually…" Hitomi hesitated. Was it okay to bring up quitting today, on Christmas Eve? But no, now was actually the best time.
Work was just a small part of maintaining relationships.
Looking at it from an emotional perspective, discussing a career change during a family dinner felt like a natural conversation about future plans.
She trusted Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, and she knew they trusted her.
"Actually, I'd like to change jobs, Mr. Stark," Hitomi said.
"Change jobs? You want to move to another department?" Tony asked.
"No, I want to try something different, so I'd like to resign."
"Resign?" Tony was a bit surprised by the sudden decision. "Can I ask why?"
With a smile, Hitomi replied, "The world is so big, I want to go explore."
"I see," Tony nodded.
"No problem. I support you. Your life is yours to choose."
"Thank you for understanding, Mr. Stark. Of course, if I need to transition out of my assistant role for a while…" she began.
"Oh, don't worry about it," Pepper said, stroking Hitomi's silver hair.
"There's no need to stress about work."
"Mm," Hitomi nodded. "Sorry for bringing this up on Christmas."
"No need to apologize, Hitomi," Tony said warmly.
"We're family. I respect your choices. If you want to do something, just go for it. I'm not planning on tying you down for life."
"Mm, thank you, Mr. Stark."
Outside the window, light snowflakes drifted down, covering the streets in a blanket of silver.
Hitomi silently prayed, wishing for a peaceful and happy future for everyone.