Chapter 16: Unusual Odor

Sitting in the off-road jeep that had been hidden beforehand, Ang didn't need to drive. His attention was fixed on the system screen in front of him.

Having eliminated nearly a hundred members of the Decalogue Gang terrorists, the system judged that his "Good-Evil Value" had shifted 7 points towards the good direction. Of course, this couldn't compare to Black Mask's generous 100 points.

"Even mosquito meat is still meat!"

What's crucial is that Ang discovered he could use the accumulated red souls to enhance his skill proficiency. These red souls directly elevated Ang's "Basic Combat" skill to level 12.

Unfortunately, he couldn't see the branches that followed. It was estimated that, like "Basic Marksmanship," he needed to kill a Boss or something similar.

Ang deeply regretted not realizing that when he remotely detonated the bomb and injured Black Mask, he likely killed many of Black Mask's subordinates as well. Unfortunately, since he didn't approach the Black Mask Club, he naturally didn't see these red souls.

"Damn it! What a waste of resources!"

Amid Ang's regret, he couldn't help but focus on the criminal elements of Gotham City...

The next day became the turning point in Tony Stark's fate.

Using the first version of the Iron Man suit, he successfully escaped. He crash-landed on a soft sand dune ten kilometers away and used his homemade satellite positioning distress system to immediately contact the U.S. military upon freeing himself.

Unexpectedly, upon arriving at the U.S. military base, Tony was astonished to find that Ethan was already there.

"You... are indeed alive."

"Mr. Quetos is a reliable person. The two of them rushed in, shot and killed a bunch of terrorists, then rescued me. If it hadn't been for your rescue, I would've taken a military plane to New York," Ethan said, tears streaming down his face.

The two abducted souls embraced each other.

"Don't worry, Ethan. Come with me, and I promise you'll live a good life."

The subsequent events unfolded as expected.

Having narrowly escaped death, Tony underwent a profound change. He transformed from a reckless playboy with no sense of responsibility into someone who could finally act responsibly.

Back in New York safely, Tony immediately announced in public that Stark Industries would cease its involvement in the arms trade. This undoubtedly enraged his partner, Stane.

However, this time, the roles were reversed. It was no longer Stane behind the scenes and Tony in the spotlight.

Stane didn't even get the chance to utilize his replica of the "Iron Monger" suit based on the "Iron Man Mark I" design before Tony tracked him down and apprehended him with a daring assault.

This diminished the legendary aura around the official "Iron Man" debut to some extent.

But, everything paled in comparison to Tony's public announcement in front of the media:

"I am Iron Man!"

Without a doubt, this was a groundbreaking declaration.

In the neighboring city of Gotham, people looked at the eccentrically dressed 'heroes' like Batwoman and Batgirl, but when Tony Stark revealed his identity, it was even more shocking.

Some even maliciously suspected that characters like Batman and Spider-Man were nothing more than attention-seeking show-offs.

Of course, with the support of the U.S. military behind him, Tony easily withstood criticism and even attempts at subversion.

After his grand revelation, Tony's private phone rang. It was a secure call from "Quetos."

"Hey, Tony, do you remember our deal?"

"Of course! Your money was a bit dirty, though. But just like the little toys you wanted, I've taken care of it."

"And then?"

"Sorry to inform you that despite acquiring 5% of the shares in this group, due to the timing of your investment, and considering Stark Industries is no longer involved in the arms business, you've lost roughly 70% according to today's average stock price," Tony said with evident satisfaction.

In his mind, he had already predicted that the other party would be furious. If Quetos showed a hint of compromise or revealed any weaknesses, he would "reluctantly" agree to let Quetos invest at the post-crash stock price. Even if it meant that Quetos would become the second-largest shareholder of Stark Industries.

But things didn't go as planned.

"Heh heh! It doesn't matter. It was a windfall to begin with. Compared to this small sum, I value our 'friendship' more."

Tony's heart skipped a beat. Quetos was definitely not an ordinary person. If he didn't value this, either Quetos had a grand plan that Tony couldn't possibly afford, or...

"Quetos, we have a deep bond. If there's anything I can help with in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

"Nothing much. If I ever find myself in trouble, I hope that Iron Man will come to my rescue."

Tony paused for a second before agreeing, "OK! Both Ethan and I owe you our lives."

"Don't be so nervous. I can be a just partner too! Please handle my stock dividends and the little things I asked for..."

Quetos hung up, leaving Tony feeling the weight of the pressure.

Ethan, who had been listening, interjected, "Tony, if he asks you to do something you're not willing to..."

Tony forced a bitter smile, "I was already a blood-stained arms dealer to begin with, wasn't I? One more instance won't make a difference."

...

Meanwhile, Ang, accompanied by Black Canary, discreetly returned to Dubai.

Upon seeing them, Louis couldn't help but burst into tears.

"Boss, I... I feel incredibly guilty."

The source of the bodyguard's guilt was the exaggerated bill.

Renting the presidential suite at the seven-star sailboat hotel in Dubai cost $18,000 per day, not to mention the numerous additional expenses. Within a couple of days, Louis was feeling the financial strain.

In just a few days, the amount spent skyrocketed into the seven-figure range.

Although it was truly luxurious and worth the money, Ang worried that if he returned and refused to pay, what would happen?

When Ang returned, he was met by the smiling hotel manager, and he signed the bill in the face of the astronomical amount.

Ding ding! A success.

He thought, this black gold card of mine is quite interesting. He suddenly recalled the famous saying from before his transmigration: "For true scions of the wealthy, squandering isn't about eating, drinking, and having fun, but about 'venturing into business.' That's the real bottomless pit."

Honestly, he was quite pleased to get away without paying. Even more so if he knew why he was getting away with it and could continue to do so.

Before today, he would've been a bit anxious, worrying that someday the bank would tell him he owed an eight-digit sum and he'd be forced to sleep under a bridge.

After today, he didn't care about a thing!

As long as the world didn't end, he could live off the dividends from Stark Industries until he turned a hundred.

Wait a second! Did I just set some kind of amazing flag?

After banishing that dreadful thought from his mind, Ang felt a bit annoyed. He had a vague idea of who was behind him. Gotham City wasn't exactly a burgeoning internet city.

It was an ancient city.

Every lucrative business was controlled by one or a few fixed tycoons. Only in the daring underground world did positions of power change hands.

Gotham City was initially established by these four prominent families. Today, these families' industries spanned the entire city, controlling various sectors.

Can you guess the four major families?

The Wayne family, where Batman Bruce resided;

The Kane family, where Batwoman Kate belonged;

The Elliot family, associated with the major antagonist "Hush";

And the Cobblepot family, where the "Penguin" Oswald was from.

Apart from the criminal families, most others were under the control of these four.

Wait a second! My body grew up drinking the 'clean and sanitary' Gotham water. If that rumored super-wealthy adoptive father of mine finds out I'm partnering with Tony, would he want to kill me?

He could only mutter these words to himself.

Ang, accompanied by Black Canary and Louis, boarded a private Gulfstream jet and finally returned from his "vacation."

Unbeknownst to him, in Gotham City's poverty-stricken district, Sarah Lance finished work for the day and returned home.

In the Celestial Empire, the greatest danger for girls going out at night is... street food stalls.

"Every festive season adds three pounds" is a terrifying curse!

In Gotham, however, girls going out at night often faced life-threatening risks.

Sarah wasn't afraid. She had the same talents as her sister: ultrasonic attacks and top-notch combat skills. The key difference from history was that she hadn't joined any Assassin Brotherhood.

Instead, she lived in Gotham City as an ordinary girl.

But this night, after she returned home from overtime, she smelled an unpleasant, putrid odor.

She tried to locate the source of the stench and suddenly saw a familiar silhouette behind the curtains in the living room.

"Sister?" Sarah tentatively called out.

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