Su Yi finally left Betty's house after breakfast, satisfied that her "singing practice" hadn't ruined her vocal cords. It was the weekend, and though a day of rest for most, Su Yi had an important agenda.
His first stop was Tony Stark's villa. He needed the 'toolman' Tony to develop specialized security equipment for the nascent Hero Daily newspaper office. After a brief but pleasant exchange with Pepper Potts, she quickly shooed him away, clearly determined to focus on her work.
"Su, I have to go," Pepper announced. "I still need to fly abroad for business."
"Another business trip?" Su Yi sighed, disappointed at the delay in their relationship's final step.
"You know, Stark Industries' business spans the globe," she replied with a playful air, though the pressure was clear in her eyes.
Su Yi suddenly had an idea. "You should be relatively free on the plane, right? Private jets offer some privacy."
Pepper paused, sensing his implication. "What are you suggesting?"
Su Yi leaned in and whispered his suggestive plan into her ear, which she immediately rejected with a blush. "Su, I still have stacks of documents to read! It's not a pleasure trip!"
Pepper offered him a sincere kiss as an apology for the continued delay. "In about another week, I should have a clear schedule. I promise."
Su Yi finally cheered up. "That's great. Otherwise, I would have had to plan a high-stakes, dramatic kidnapping of Stark Industries' current CEO."
Pepper knew he was joking, but her tone was firm. "Su, it's really best not to joke about that."
"Of course, but I genuinely think a romantic dinner with a view of the clouds would be a magical experience."
"I'd like to try it too, but I genuinely have to leave," Pepper insisted, already heading for the door.
With Pepper off to work, Su Yi turned to his own highly anticipated task for the evening: a personal mission to intercept a crucial element of the Kingpin's life.
In the evening, Su Yi drove a deliberately low-profile luxury sedan into the Manhattan art district. He parked near the Vanessa Gallery.
Su Yi had done his research. Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, was currently single, and his civilian life was about to intersect with the elegant gallery owner, Vanessa Marianna. Su Yi found her photos and information, confirming her sophisticated beauty.
"Kingpin, Kingpin," Su Yi thought with a smirk as he walked toward the entrance. "It looks like your bald head is about to be painted green."
Inside the gallery, Su Yi walked through the exhibits. He didn't have innate art appreciation, but his grandfather's template had given him a certain level of cultural refinement. He stopped abruptly in front of a specific piece—a stark, lonely landscape.
"This painting is still here? Has Kingpin not been to this gallery yet?" Su Yi remembered from the series that this very painting was the catalyst for Fisk and Vanessa's fateful connection.
"The exhibition just started a few days ago, and my efforts keeping Kingpin busy with Peter and Gwen must have delayed his civilian outings," Su Yi realized. "So, keeping the Kingpin occupied indirectly created an opportunity for me to steal his home run. It's truly a coincidence engineered by chaos."
Su Yi was lost in thought before the painting when Vanessa herself approached. She was instantly struck by the handsome young Eastern man staring intently at the desolate scene. Despite his youth, he didn't project the usual melancholy of art patrons drawn to such work.
"What do you see in this painting?" Vanessa's voice was smooth and cultured.
Su Yi snapped out of his contemplation and turned. He had seen photos, but her real-life presence was stunning.
While Gwen, Betty, and Mary Jane possessed a vibrant, youthful beauty, and Pepper had an elegant, powerful charm in her business attire, Vanessa had a captivating, mature grace. Her simple white shirt and skirt, combined with her short hair, only amplified her inherent sophistication.
"She's indeed beautiful, even more so than the actress who played her," Su Yi thought.
He turned back to the painting before answering. "Loneliness."
"You look very young and very charming," Vanessa observed. "You don't strike me as someone who would appreciate loneliness."
"You guessed correctly," Su Yi admitted. "I don't actually 'like' the painting. However, out of all the art here, only this one showed me the inner world of a person. It makes me want to understand more, to intervene."
Su Yi's words struck a nerve in Vanessa, who often felt misunderstood by the superficial art scene. His observation shifted her perception of him; he had an intriguing quality.
"What do you want to do?" she inquired.
"I want to warm your lonely heart with mine, Ms. Vanessa." Su Yi's approach was direct and confident.
Vanessa, used to admirers, didn't panic. She found his boldness refreshing. "So, specifically, how would you go about that?"
"It's simple, and quite cliché," Su Yi said, smiling. "I think, perhaps a date, or maybe we could share dinner together."
"It is cliché," Vanessa conceded, a flicker of interest in her eyes. "But sometimes the classics are the most effective method."
Su Yi hadn't expected her to agree so easily, but realized this was the West—if there was mutual interest, things could move quickly.
"We've talked so long without an introduction. My name is Su Yi, you can call me Su."
"Su," she repeated. "And yes, I think I have time now."
"You mean, leave the gallery now and go on a date with me?"
"Why not? The gallery will be here tomorrow. Staying here won't make me any happier. Why not do something meaningful instead?" Vanessa found his spontaneous nature appealing; a chance encounter with someone interesting was rare.
"Then let's go," Su Yi said enthusiastically.
"Wait," Su Yi suddenly stopped. "I want to buy this painting."
"You wish to buy this painting?"
"I have a strange idea. I think that when Ms. Vanessa is no longer lonely, she will add something to this painting to complete it."
Vanessa studied the desolate piece again. "I can't imagine what that would be."
"So, I plan to buy it and give you the time to consider it," Su Yi said.
Vanessa didn't refuse. She called over a staff member. "Take this painting down, package it up. I want to give it to Mr. Su."
"To me?" Su Yi asked, feigning surprise.
"I'm very much looking forward to hearing what suggestions Mr. Su will offer," she replied, her eyes holding a deeper meaning.
Su Yi had acquired the pivotal painting and secured the beautiful owner's attention. His mood was excellent. The Kingpin remained entirely unaware that the most important relationship in his life was currently being intercepted by the man working to dismantle his empire.
The Kingpin's love interest is secured, and the surveillance on his organization is ready to begin.