Chapter 031: He and I Are Not Friends

When Tony Stark walked in, Caleb's anger instantly vanished, replaced with a forced smile. He quickly stood up, eager to greet him. The crowd, which had been focused on Jiang Chen, now turned their attention to Stark.

The women who had been surrounding Jiang Chen immediately flocked to Tony's side, their excitement obvious. Tony Stark's reputation in the U.S. was unmatched—an inventor, adventurer, billionaire, playboy, and madman. No one in their right mind would mess with him. There was nothing he feared.

"Yes, yes, 10 million is really nothing," Caleb said, laughing nervously as he approached Tony. Then, with a conciliatory smile toward Jiang Chen, he added, "So you're Tony Stark's friend? If I'd known, I wouldn't have misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" Jiang Chen's voice was calm. "There's no misunderstanding. I'm not friends with him."

The statement caused a ripple of shock. Caleb froze, his smile faltering as he processed the words. How could someone not know Tony Stark, let alone dismiss him so casually? Was this guy insane?

Tony barely gave Jiang Chen a glance and smiled at the crowd, raising his glass. "There's a party later. Hope to see everyone there."

The group quickly shifted their attention, hanging on Tony's every word.

"Tony, did you hear about the recent bombing in New York?" someone asked. "Think you'll catch the bad guys?"

"Yeah, Iron Man has to take care of it!"

The room buzzed with excitement about the prospect of Tony saving the day again. Meanwhile, Jiang Chen, having won his bets and collected his money, quietly made his way toward the exit.

Just as he was about to leave, Tony's voice called out to him.

"Hey."

The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the two men. Tony approached Jiang Chen with his champagne in hand, eyes sharp with curiosity.

"You look familiar. I feel like I've seen you before," Tony said, sipping his drink. "Can't place it though. You interested in coming to my private party?"

Jiang Chen smiled faintly and shook his head. "Not interested."

Without another word, he turned and left the hotel.

Tony frowned, staring at the spot where Jiang Chen had stood. He took another sip of champagne and spoke quietly to his AI. "J.A.R.V.I.S, get me everything on that guy."

"Retrieving information, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S replied. "Sir, there is no record of him. His identity is unknown."

Tony's eyebrows shot up. "No record? That's interesting. Let's run a memory recall."

A moment later, J.A.R.V.I.S responded, "Recall successful. He's the fire-user who fought Captain America."

Tony chuckled. "Well, J.A.R.V.I.S, let's not call it 'fought.' Cap's got a lot of pride. He wouldn't want it phrased that way."

Tony drained the rest of his drink, and then, without any more fanfare, ran out of the hotel, leaving Happy and the others behind in confusion.

Jiang Chen stepped into the elevator, only for Tony Stark to slip in right after him.

"Look," Tony said as the elevator doors closed, "parties are a lot of fun. You don't need to leave so soon. Unless, of course, you've got better plans—like blowing up a bank or a failing burger joint."

Jiang Chen narrowed his eyes. "Do you really think any of that has something to do with me?"

Tony shrugged. "Shouldn't I?"

Jiang Chen's gaze turned cold. He wasn't interested in playing along with Stark's banter, but Tony continued anyway.

"Look, there's no hard proof for those things," Tony admitted, "but there is proof of one thing. You hit the Captain."

Tony tilted his head slightly, his tone turning sarcastic. "I know your kind—superhumans with flashy powers. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against it. It's just—"

Tony's demeanor shifted, becoming serious as he looked at Jiang Chen directly. "I want to see what you're really capable of."

Jiang Chen's face remained impassive. "It doesn't matter whether you think I'm a killer or a villain. I have my own code for good and evil. Do I need your judgment?"

Tony's smirk faltered for a moment. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't back down. "You seem pretty confident that you could beat me."

Tony paused, flashing a cocky grin. "Sure, you beat Cap, but—sorry—you're not going to beat me."

The elevator dinged as they reached the top floor of the hotel. Tony stepped out, giving Jiang Chen a sideways glance. "Unlike Cap, I won't go easy on you. I'm Iron Man."

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed as he watched Stark walk away. His voice was low but firm. "In my eyes, there's no difference between you and him."