Chapter 2301: Gotham Music Festival (Part 3)_1

Stark pressed the radio with an impatient look and rubbed his temples, saying, "My God, what are they singing? Is this some new-age chanting method?"

"Hey, Mr. Stark, turn it back on, that's the hit album 'Doggystyle' from back in the day! He's my favorite West Coast rapper! 'Dogg Food' should be coming up next..."

Stark, somewhat unable to bear Peter's constant chatter, turned the radio back on and said, "I really find it hard to imagine that someone who doesn't swear in real life likes to listen to rap."

"Get over it, even Captain America didn't say anything," Natasha, leaning on the windowsill of the Presidential Suite, said: "The more people like him, the more they need an outlet to vent. Besides, those swear words are nothing, barely kindergarten level. If Pepper were Russian, you would've been clutching your terrified little heart and crying all the way home by now."

"Although I don't understand what they're singing," Steve chimed in, "the melody's not bad; it sounds like funk music."

Peter immediately snapped his fingers and sat down next to Steve, as if he had found a kindred spirit, and said, "Exactly, that's why I like West Coast music, their tunes are nicer, but they always call me a traitor to New York."

"You are a traitor!" A yellow figure darted over, and Pikachu thumped into Peter's arms, exclaiming, "Jay-Z is the best rapper in the world! The king of New York! Woo-hoo!!!"

"If you're going to say that, then I have to bring up Slim Shady. He's from the same era as Eminem... Hey, wait, has Eminem released any albums in this era yet?"

Peter took out his phone to check, and Pikachu, perched on his shoulder, mocked him, "Who claimed to be a die-hard West Coast fan again? And you don't even know this."

Peter bit the tip of his other hand's finger and said, "I remember Eminem wasn't an overnight success. He had released an album before that didn't catch fire. It wasn't until his second or third album that he blew up, which is why most people don't remember the first one. Did he meet Dr. Dre in this era?"

"Whether he knew him before or not, I think he surely knows him now," Pikachu said. "You have no idea, but I feel like all the rappers in the world are now in Gotham. If a building collapses here, next year there will be ten fewer platinum albums."

Peter's eyes suddenly lit up, he put down his phone, turned to Pikachu, and asked, "So you're saying, we might have the chance to meet Eminem before he gets famous? Can I ask him for an autograph?"

"If he's not famous yet, asking for his autograph might make him think you're a lunatic," Stark interjected.

"It doesn't matter. Gotham has no shortage of lunatics, but I lack an autograph from Eminem," Peter immediately stood up and said. "The last time I went to his concert, I was almost trampled to death; that's when I knew a normal approach for an autograph was impossible."

"So you're going star-chasing now?" Stark raised one eyebrow higher than the other, clearly not understanding Peter's behavior.

"It's not exactly star-chasing," Peter rubbed his hands and said, "I'm just going to go for a walk on the streets, fight crime, and incidentally..."

"Incidentally fight crime."

"Alright," Natasha tossed a pillow at Stark, "Let the kid have his hobbies, old-timer, and let him go."

"I didn't say he couldn't go," Stark muttered, tossing the pillow back to Steve, "How could I be considered an old-timer in front of you two?"

"When is the parade float supposed to arrive downstairs at the hotel?" Steve asked, turning to Natasha.

"It should be around 9:00, but the Wayne Hotel is a very important tourist spot, so they'll probably stay at the square in front of the entrance for about half an hour," she replied.

Steve, flipping through the promotional brochure, said, "In fact, rap music is an emerging art in Gotham. Compared to it, their architectural style is more widely recognized by the art world."

Stark had come over as well, and looking at the pictures in the brochure, he said, "Before coming here, I thought all the buildings were bat-shaped—you know, pitch black, with wings, and a couple of pointy ears."

Steve looked at him with some surprise, not understanding why he would think that, but Natasha laughed and said, "Your thoughts aren't without reason. If Batman had been born a hundred years earlier, you'd have witnessed a genuine city of bats."

"I heard Batman say that his Batcave is filled with collections. Do you think he'd invite me in to take a look?"

"Who was just talking about Peter chasing stars?"

"I'm not star-chasing," Stark scoffed and said, taking the brochure from Steve, "He came to visit me, and I showed him around Stark Building."

"Then he should also show you around Wayne Building."

"Forget it; that guy just treats his office building as a showpiece. The real treasures are all in the Batcave. Besides, he said he had several children running around there most of the time, and I'm rather curious to meet them."

"Worried about Peter's rebelliousness?"

"How is that possible," Stark flicked the brochure he'd taken from Steve and said, "Compared to most teenagers, Peter is practically an angel. Helen has made me very aware of that."

"What's she up to lately?" Natasha asked with some confusion. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"She told me she's on a business trip in outer space," Stark said irritably, "hanging out with a bunch of no-good people, never coming home. Those gods from Asgard talk a good game, but in the end, they can't control her, can they?"

"Can't control who?" Loki appeared at the door of the suite with a pile of shopping bags in hand.

Natasha looked at her with some surprise and said, "You went shopping? Who did you go with?"

"Can't I go by myself?... Well, okay, I met a young girl named Pamela. She seemed utterly enchanted by me, and she was quite generous," Loki lifted the shopping bags and said.

Natasha immediately clutched her forehead and said, "I can't believe you've even deceived little girls. Your shamelessness has truly refreshed my understanding."

"This isn't deception. I saw her getting carried away, and I planned to douse her with a bucket of cold water tonight. It's just a pre-collected consultation fee."

"You've really learned some bad habits from Shiller," Natasha said while fiddling with her phone.

"You've got the nerve to talk about others," Stark said, looking at the content on Natasha's phone. "That reporter named Clark Kent already has a girlfriend."

"You used to be fixated on Pepper too, didn't you? You delayed me all day by sending me over thirty texts, right?"

"He only sent you thirty texts a day when he was courting you?" Loki exclaimed in mock surprise. "Such a wellspring of eloquence."

"I've noticed you're increasingly enjoying making things difficult for me," Stark said with a snap as he put the magazine on his lap. "Have I offended you guys recently?"

"Not just recently," Natasha retorted with a smirk. "You've been kinda neurotic since way back."

Steve shook his head and sighed, "Tony, I completely understand. You're about to enter a new stage in life, but that's no excuse for your anxiety to flare up and still refuse to see a psychologist."

"Shiller's fees are too expensive! I need to save money for the wedding!"

Upon hearing this, everyone in the room let out an "Oh," rolling their eyes upward and swinging their hands downward, with Loki even tossing a shopping bag onto Stark and adding, "It sure isn't like the days when you bought yachts every day."

Stark pushed the bags aside somewhat helplessly and added, "Besides, Shiller has been really busy lately. It's just common courtesy not to disturb someone who's busy."

"Then another Stark might take the opportunity to step in," Loki whispered into Stark's left ear.

"And then Shiller will find out that there are plenty of other Tony Starks in this world. It's not like he couldn't do without you," Natasha whispered into Stark's right ear.

"Not every tycoon needs to save money," Loki said.

"Besides, they might be even sicker," Natasha added.

Stark roared and pushed the two away, glaring left and right, then stood up and declared, "Alright, the genius Stark is off to delve into this so-called rap art. No one can refuse the investment of Stark Group, just like that."

Steve watched him and shook his head in resignation. "He still hasn't changed a bit about his aversion to seeing a doctor."

"Humans are really quite strange," Loki said as she took Stark's seat. While inspecting the contents of the shopping bag, she said, "You maintain all sorts of relationships with a variety of people throughout your life, but these relationships don't just stabilize at a certain point. You always end up complicating things with each other over some nonsensical issue."

"Do you think he's avoiding Shiller's treatment because his relationship with Shiller has changed?" Natasha asked, intrigued.

Loki sighed. "How long has it been since you've been in a genuine relationship?"

"Of course never," Natasha retorted with a roll of her eyes. "Don't ask questions you know the answers to; my heart is colder than Lake Baikal in winter."

"Tony is too proud to show weakness. He knows Shiller met lots of other Tony Starks while messing around in other universes, and then… Well, if Shiller doesn't take the initiative to contact him, he absolutely won't reach out to Shiller himself."

"What kind of thinking is that?" Steve asked, a bit surprised. "His anxiety is acting up, and he still expects the psychologist to come to him? Where in the world does that happen?"

"That's just the way he is," Loki spread her hands and said. "He demands that everyone prioritize him, and if someone neglects him for any reason, he can stubbornly give them the silent treatment until the end. He won't speak unless the other party does."

"Just like you?"

"Just like... When have I ever done that?"

"You and your brother seem to do just that," Steve said honestly. "Ever since I've known you, how many times have you two had a cold war? Twenty, or thirty?"

Loki, like a cat with its tail stepped on, nearly leaped from the sofa as she defended, "We are not having a cold war!"

"So how long has it been since you last saw him? The last time you saw him, did he come to you on his own? Have you ever taken the initiative to find him?" Natasha delivered a barrage of probing questions.

"I haven't," Loki stiffly retorted, lifting her head high. "It's just because he's been busy, and so have I."

Then, realizing how similar her excuses were to Stark's, she deflated and admitted defeat, "We really aren't having a cold war, you humans wouldn't understand. Our lifetimes are so long, a couple of days apart is just like a few seconds apart for you."

"And you don't even send thirty texts," Natasha pointed out matter-of-factly.

"But Thor and…" Loki tried to protest.

Natasha looked away and picked up her phone, saying dismissively, "Not every relationship needs an outcome. If you really feel guilty, just pull them both into it."

Loki was dumbfounded.