"It's like this—I like your mentor," Tony said without a trace of embarrassment. "Actually, the reason I was able to find you at all was because Shen He mentioned your name."
"Mentioned?" Shen He sat up from the lounge chair. "When did I mention that?"
"Oh, it was when that girl suddenly appeared in your bedroom. You said, 'If only we could find Dr. Helen.'" Tony waved for the other girls to step back a little. "So, Ms. Zhao's project getting investment—it's all thanks to you. In fact, the funding itself came from your company."
"Wait… at that time you weren't even there… you had J.A.R.V.I.S. watching me?"
Shen He suddenly remembered. Back when the two Rituals had just been summoned, he had indeed considered that well-known biologist from the Avengers movies.
But at the time, Dr. Helen's bio-nano repair technology hadn't yet been developed, so he abandoned the idea.
"Come on, we weren't that close back then." Tony shrugged, not denying the surveillance. "Besides, I only tidied up the traces you left behind after you moved out."
"That actually makes sense." Shen He swirled his drink to sober himself up a little, then stared at Tony. "You weren't bribed by some egghead, were you?"
By now, he realized what was happening.
It seemed that Tony had planned all of this since the morning he came to see him.
Including, of course, the so-called "gift," Ms. Zhao Helen.
"You two seem to have something to discuss."
Dr. Helen watched them thoughtfully, then politely moved to another spot.
"Look at her," Tony leaned over Shen He's lounge chair. "Beautiful, intelligent, smart… if I'm not mistaken, this is your type. Why not try to pursue her? You're a billionaire now, and that way you wouldn't feel so bored. Or is it that Chaldea forbids romance during missions?"
"Don't change the subject, Tony. What do you want?" Shen He looked at him helplessly.
By now, he was completely certain—Tony had an ulterior motive for all of this today.
"I want to know more… about our future." Tony finally spoke directly.
"Do you want to know, or do they want to know?"
Shen He's voice was low, measured. He began to realize that everything he had shown so far might have been too conspicuous.
"Just me!" Tony said resolutely. "Come on, He, do you really think I'd trust a bunch of politicians?"
"No, that's not like you." Shen He shook his head slowly. "Tony… what makes you feel like you can't protect world peace on your own? What makes you anxious? The Tony I know wouldn't worry about what might happen in the future."
At least, not right now.
Shen He added that silently in his mind.
It was only after the Battle of New York, when humans were exposed to aliens and felt their world threatened, that Tony would desperately try everything to protect the Earth—including the Ultron project.
Right now, Tony should still be in a period of confidence in everything.
"…"
Tony was suddenly silent for a moment, then spoke:
"War… Fury told me everything. Just barely, and two alien civilizations could have destroyed everything on Earth through war—and all because of some arrogant prince, right?"
"…"
This time, it was Shen He's turn to fall silent.
Back then, he had exaggerated the facts and the future to make Thor realize his mistake more deeply.
He hadn't expected that it would scare not just Thor,
but also Tony.
In the original story, too, it was only after Thor's arc that humans realized they weren't alone or safe—and that anxiety peaked after the Battle of New York.
But now, the panic was even greater. In this situation, Shen He—and Chaldea, which seemed to possess vast amounts of information—undoubtedly became the focus of attention.
"Dr. Helen's technology was only a prototype. Nobody even believed in her project," Tony said seriously, with no trace of the playboy demeanor. "But you knew she would succeed. So I brought her here, gave her funding, and let her technology come out sooner. You understand how many people that could help—and with this kind of preparation, we could do so much more."
Tony was afraid.
He had confidence in dealing with crises on Earth, but precisely because he was smart, he understood the gap between civilizations.
If the threat came from beyond Earth—from the completely unknown—he couldn't be confident in protecting the people he wanted to protect.
"The future isn't set in stone. Chaldea… Chaldea can't ensure everything."
Shen He frowned. Only he and his followers knew that Chaldea wasn't real, that the Human Order Preservation Agency didn't exist.
All he had was a constantly changing narrative and a heart that, far from steadfast, wanted to save the future.
"What does that matter?" Tony lowered his voice. "Isn't that what you wanted all along—to change the future? Come on, tell me, so we can protect our world too, instead of leaving everything to you guys at Chaldea."
"Give me some time, Tony." Shen He sighed.
He truly needed time—to think about what he could do, and whether he was truly ready to pay the price for it.
"…Alright."
Tony could only stand. "I'll call Dr. Helen over. At least… I hope your advice about dating is real—coming from a friend's perspective."
When Dr. Helen arrived, the two Rituals and Violet were still on the way.
Violet sat in the car, her small hand acting like a compass, constantly pointing in the direction of her master. The driver followed her lead, finding roads they could take. Lucky for them it was the hotel's driver; an ordinary taxi wouldn't have been this patient.
After twisting and turning several times, the car entered a deserted road near the sea, with only seven or eight other cars behind them.
The two Rituals sensed something was off.
These cars… seemed familiar.
Violet turned and leaned against the seat, looking out the rear window. Compared to the Rituals, she was more sensitive to being followed.
"Leave this road. Go somewhere crowded."
The Rituals suddenly spoke, gripping her longsword tightly.
"Understood, Miss Rituals."
The driver nodded and pressed a hidden button in his sleeve.
Boom—!
The front chassis of the car suddenly exploded, the vehicle flipping violently forward.
In that instant, the Rituals drew their swords, slicing through the trajectory. The car roof shattered into pieces, and they nimbly leapt clear, riding the momentum.
Without enhancements, that alone would have caused serious injury.
But several cars behind had already arrived!
"Mission start. Order: capture alive."
A cold, robotic voice murmured.
-----------------------
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