As if suddenly remembering something, the young man strained to turn his body and slowly reached into the side pocket of his shorts, pulling out a pack of cheap cigarettes.
Pff.
Ignoring the fact that his actions could very well send him up in flames, he lit one.
"Mmm… this feels amazing!"
He half-closed his eyes and exhaled a ring of smoke, as if this were the happiest moment of his life.
"Young man, could you help me grab a newspaper? Thanks."
At that moment, a hunched old man with graying hair appeared outside the newsstand.
"Here you go. Take whichever you like, five cents each. Don't forget to pay."
Half-closing his eyes, the young man gestured toward the papers, blowing out a ring of smoke that filled the entire newsstand with the aroma of cheap secondhand cigarettes.
The old man struggled to straighten up, picked a copy of the Daily Bugle, and slowly pulled a nickel from his pocket, placing it on the counter.
"Kids these days…" the old man sighed, sitting down on a bench by the street as he began to read the paper.
"Superman in New York? Haha, what a fascinating world…"
As he read, a knowing smile crept across his face.
Swish!
A breeze cut through the stifling heat, bringing a slight relief.
"Can I have a paper, please?"
"Here, take one. Just remember to pay five cents afterward."
The process repeated itself.
But the young man, half-lidded eyes still savoring the nicotine, suddenly felt a cold gust brush his face.
Even under the blazing noon sun, ice crystals instantly formed on his unshaven stubble.
The biting cold made him shiver, and he quickly opened his eyes.
The cigarette, extinguished by the sudden chill, fell to the ground.
He jumped up like Tom's backside had been burned, his body shivering uncontrollably.
"Hey, Mr. Superman, here's the newspaper you wanted."
"No need to pay, sir. Consider it a gift."
"Young man, remember: whatever you do, strive for excellence!"
The old man had already risen, leaving only those words and his stooped silhouette behind.
Whoosh!
Watching that figure vanish beyond the horizon, the young man felt a pang of admiration. He wiped the nonexistent cold sweat from his forehead and silently stared at the nickel embedded in the stainless steel countertop.
…
"The greatest superhero in human history—Superman—has arrived in New York City. This is a blessing for both New York and all of humanity!"
In Obadiah Stane's office at Stark Industries, the editors of the Daily Bugle had become increasingly adept at coming up with eye-catching headlines.
Nonchalantly, Stane tossed the freshly read paper onto his desk.
He walked over and opened a highly encrypted file on his computer.
"Jericho missile? Hmm, Tony Stark, you really are a genius, comparable to your father."
"Unfortunately, like your father, he's old-fashioned and stubborn."
He casually sent this file—containing Stark Industries' most top-secret weapons specifications—along with a pre-written letter, to an unknown IP address.
Stane shut his computer and walked to the window, surveying almost all of New York City.
"Superman? Tony Stark? Power? Genius intellect?"
"Hmph. At the end of the day, the world is still ruled by capital. Whoever has the money, truly controls the world!"
As if recalling something, Obadiah turned back to his desk and picked up the phone.
"Hello, General Ross…"
"Yes, I accept the special weapons order agreement you're presenting on behalf of Stark Industries."
"Don't hang up just yet. I can offer your military an additional discounted deal as an extra incentive…"
"Haha, what an honor to cooperate!"
After hanging up, a sly grin crossed Stane's face.
At that moment, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman appeared at his office door. His expression softened immediately.
"Ms. Potts, come in. You've arrived at the perfect time. We just received two massive military orders totaling $50 billion. Please notify Tony immediately."
"Mr. Stane, can Stark Industries handle orders like this…?"
The President's secretary, Pepper Potts, had reviewed the orders and doubted their feasibility.
"Don't worry, Ms. Potts. You don't know Tony? He's the greatest weapons engineer in human history. No problem can stop him."
"Understood, Mr. Stane. I'll inform Mr. Stark."
With her limited authority, Pepper had done all she could.
…
Night fell over a luxurious Malibu mansion far from Los Angeles.
Having just returned from a party with two blonde beauties, Tony Stark ended his endless day of adventures.
Unable to sleep, he slid his hands away from the soft, beautiful bodies beside him, leaving the strangely scented bedroom and heading to the underground lab.
"Hey, J.A.R.V.I.S., let's see what new projects we've got in the pipeline."
Tony held a glass of '92 vintage red wine, shouting into the air.
"Sir, we've just received two new orders from your company. Please review the details."
With his magnetic voice, a virtual projection appeared instantly on the lab table.
"Hmm, this is…"
Tony stared expressionless at the files on the desk.
He tossed the expensive wine into the trash and tapped one of the files in midair.
"Recreating the Super Soldier serum experiment? Gamma radiation mutation? Hulk…"
The more he read, the more serious his expression became.
"These army idiots are just asking for trouble."
After a brief review, Tony found the second order somewhat challenging and clicked it.
"Are you kidding me? How could Superman possibly exist?"
As he opened the second package, doubts about its authenticity surfaced.
"Sir, this contains the latest media coverage of Superman today, the original press conference video, and numerous photos of him flying taken by passersby online."
J.A.R.V.I.S. displayed a series of videos and blurry photos of Superman.
"Could Superman really have stepped out of the comics?"
"Mr. Stark, would you like to read some Superman comics? They detail this character and might help with the order."
"Ha! Only three-year-olds read comics."
Tony looked down on comic readers with disdain.
"Warning, there is—"
Before J.A.R.V.I.S. could finish, Tony vanished from the lab.
"…"
Even the powerful AI J.A.R.V.I.S. was stunned for a few seconds.
"Emergency protocol activated. We are contacting Ms. Pepper Potts…"
…
Chapter Eighteen: Tony Stark, You've Been Kidnapped!
Antarctica—a remote, sparsely populated land, eternally covered in ice.
Suddenly, a figure streaked across the sky, breaking the silence, and plunged straight into the freezing peaks.
Inside a deep ice crevice, Peter casually dumped the forcibly brought Tony Stark onto the icy floor and slowly spoke.
"Mr. Tony Stark, I regret to inform you… you have been kidnapped…"
Ugh…
Tony couldn't respond. His stomach churned violently.
Though he had always longed for the sky, dreaming of flying freely one day, at this moment he was just an ordinary man experiencing "air sickness."
"Woaah…"
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