Chapter 54

"Wait, wait, wait, what did I just hear? You cut off a Japanese guy? How come, in your words, Japanese people aren't even human?" Tony Stark asked with a shocked expression.

"That Japanese guy was selling children, feeding them to vampires as food," Frank said calmly.

Tony's face instantly returned to normal as he replied, "Well, that's different. But wait, you only cut off his finger? You didn't do anything else? Seriously, if that's all you did, then you're really slacking on your cold-blooded killer persona."

"Before he died, I made sure he couldn't walk or eat," Frank said casually.

"Alright, forget I asked. By the way, is that HP potion really capable of fixing a severed limb?" Tony asked, curious.

"Yes, it can help with that, but it can't regrow limbs," Frank nodded in confirmation.

At this point, Qin Li was too lazy to explain to Frank and Tony that he had other ways of fixing things. He turned directly to Tony and said, "Tony, regarding the arc reactor's element problem, you might want to check with S.H.I.E.L.D."

"S.H.I.E.L.D.? What's the point of asking them? Not that I'm underestimating them, but when it comes to tech, other than me, no one can keep up with the times," Tony replied indifferently.

"One of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders was your father. The arc reactor was developed by your father and a guy named Anton Vanko. Your father might even have left you a video or something," Qin Li said matter-of-factly.

"Huh? My father left me something like that? He only cared about work and research. I was just an afterthought," Tony said flatly.

Qin Li shook his head and said, "That's not it. I suggest you check it out. What if your dad left you a solution, but he just didn't have the means to do it in his time?"

Tony hesitated. Qin Li made a good point, and trying wouldn't take much time. Finally, Tony nodded and said, "Alright, I'll contact Coulson later and arrange to visit S.H.I.E.L.D. If my dad really was a founder, why haven't they mentioned it? It's time to get what's mine."

Qin Li sighed with relief. He wasn't incapable of healing Tony Stark, and regrowing a heart wasn't an issue for him. The HP potion couldn't do it, but with a blessing from Remy, it would be fixed in no time. The real goal was for Tony to know that his father had loved him.

When he saw Howard Stark say, "My greatest invention is you," Qin Li couldn't help but feel moved. If Tony could understand his father's love, his life would truly be complete.

As the sun set, Tony Stark suddenly realized the time and turned to Qin Li and Frank. "Alright, it's getting late. I need to head home and see if the remaining elements are compatible."

"Alright, remember to ask S.H.I.E.L.D. for what's rightfully yours," Qin Li nodded and said, calling out to Tony's retreating back.

Tony didn't say anything, but he gave an "OK" gesture with his hand and pushed open the door, starting his journey home in his Mercedes.

Watching Tony leave, Qin Li turned to Frank and Jessica. "Forget about cooking tonight. Let's eat out. Jessica, go upstairs and bring Nick down."

Once Jessica went upstairs, Frank turned to Qin Li and said, "I'm thinking of sending Nick back to school. What do you think?"

Qin Li casually replied, "I think it's a good idea. It'll also help him break his addiction to video games. Frank, I have to say, you owe him a lot, but there are some things you need to take responsibility for. Are you just going to let him waste his life on games instead of continuing your Castor family bloodline?"

Frank felt a bit guilty but continued, "I'm afraid he won't want to talk to me anymore."

Qin Li rolled his eyes and said, "Oh please, you've spoiled him enough already. If you keep at it, you'll end up raising a useless person. While he's still young, it's not too late to fix it. You should take action now."

Frank looked at Nick, who was reluctantly being dragged downstairs by Jessica, and thoughtfully nodded.

By the time Tony Stark arrived home, the sky had turned completely dark. He walked into the living room and noticed only one light was on. He called out, "J.A.R.V.I.S." expecting the lights to turn on, but there was no response.

Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness, "Ian Ironman (Bald Egghead Hero!), you think you're the only superhero?" As the figure moved into the light, Tony could finally see someone standing there.

Before Tony could speak, the dark figure continued, "Mr. Stark, you've already become part of the greater world, even if you don't know it yet."

Tony walked forward a few steps, confident in his eyesight but unaware of how dark the figure was. He still couldn't make out the person's face, so he asked helplessly, "Who are you?"

As Tony asked, Nick Fury stepped into the light and replied, "Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D."

"Oh, so what Qin Li said was right. You are really dark. I couldn't see you at all just now, and your head looks like a boiled egg. Oh! Sorry, that was Qin Li's joke," Tony instinctively said, then realized that the person was standing right in front of him. He quickly shifted the blame to Qin Li, who was still out with everyone else.

Fury's already dark expression grew even darker. He hadn't expected Qin Li to talk behind his back like that, but Fury held his anger in check and continued with his lines, "I'm here to arrange tonight's operation for you."

"Oh, no, no, no. Tonight I just want to get a good night's sleep. Please don't bother me," Tony waved his hand dismissively.

"Mr. Stark! I'm telling you..." Before Fury could finish, Tony interrupted him, "I don't want to hear what you have to say tonight. And by the way, my father was one of the founders of S.H.I.E.L.D. Maybe you should tell me about that?"

Fury was taken aback. How did Tony know that? Then he quickly realized—it was Qin Li! Damn it! Fury didn't know how to respond to Tony.

Looking at Fury, who had frozen up, Tony added, "You can leave now. Before you go, get J.A.R.V.I.S. back up. We'll talk about everything tomorrow."

And so, Fury, still in the dark, left just as quietly as he came.