Chapter 2680: Hollywood Rhapsody (Part 3)

The restaurant was clearly a bit chaotic, not just because they were serving a big star like Stark. They know there will be many people curious about Stark's wedding and his friends, a topic that could easily fill at least four or five seasons of a show.

The most impressive gimmick had to come at the beginning, using a dinner to demonstrate the interpersonal relationships within the documentary was very important, and the restaurant played a critical role in it. They had to show enough sophistication to attract more high-end clients like this one.

Steve explained to everyone, "The dishes placed behind us are not what we're going to eat later. They're testing the dishes, selecting those that look colorful together, have a rich taste, and finalizing the serving order."

"The whole dining process will take about three hours, but if you add filming to it, it might be afternoon before we finish eating. If anyone is already hungry, you can go to the styling room next door and have some dessert first."

"There is even a styling room," Peter said. "Are we really shooting a variety show? Are you sure there's no script or anything?"

"There is indeed," Eddie said. "Although we're sitting here now, we'll have to re-enter later for filming the entrances and introductions of the guests."

Peter let out a long sigh and said, "Spare me, I don't want to be a Hollywood socialite."

Everyone laughed, and Steve added, "We're still waiting for a few more people to arrive. We'll shoot everybody's entrance at once."

Strange arrived soon, and his identity was also public. The titles of Hand of God and Supreme Magician had earned him plenty of attention—a kind of gimmick that Stark would never let slip by.

But clearly, he was currently in his Hand of God persona. Shiller observed him and realized Strange must have just finished a surgery, so he asked, "Did the Elder Council Hospital also call you in?"

After downing a glass of water, Strange said, "It was a surgery scheduled a long time ago. It was a bit risky, but fortunately, it went smoothly."

Considering that Strange described the surgery as a bit risky, one could imagine how difficult it must have been. He appeared tired, after all, he also needed to keep an eye on matters in the Himalayas.

"You could go to the styling room to cover up your dark circles," Loki suggested. "Do you really want to be outshined by Stark?"

"Outshined by what?" Strange didn't quite understand the term, and Peter explained, "Have you seen 'New York Socialite'? Right now, Stark is the most flamboyantly flashy peacock among us."

Strange was skeptical at first, but then he muttered under his breath when he saw Stark, who was talking to the manager while walking in.

Stark is usually concerned with his image, and sometimes he'll dress up a bit. However, he had been run-down and tired from working on experiments recently, looking like he aged ten years overnight, which made his current vitality all the more striking.

He was wearing an extremely proper suit—of course, everyone there was in suits, but his was particularly lavish and suited him very well. He even had an unusual pin on his lapel of an Earth pattern.

The beard was clearly well-groomed, with each side symmetrical, and his eyebrows were also shaped to accentuate his deep, expressive eyes.

The hairstyle goes without saying. He must have intentionally grown his hair a little longer, then styled it, and it looked like he had slightly dyed his hair a deeper shade, making him look younger.

Rubbing his temples, Strange said, "I'm not here to watch a peacock strut its feathers. When do we eat?"

"There's still a while to go. You're not actually here for the food, are you?" Loki asked, surprised.

"Of course, I am. I can't get a reservation at this restaurant," Strange said with a sense of entitlement. He continued, "I've been trying to book since last year and still couldn't get a spot. I've always wanted to try their fusion dishes."

"Then you might be disappointed today because today's theme is Tony's wedding documentary," Peter said bluntly. "It'll be good if we can eat in another two hours."

Strange looked pained but stood up and said, "I'll go cover my dark circles, leaving people with a good impression of a mage isn't too bad."

"You know you can't," Loki said. "Being a mage never turns out well."

Despite saying that, she still accompanied Helen and Strange to the styling room, ready to use illusion magic if necessary to help Strange regain his appearance.

Of course, Eddie, the ace reporter, wouldn't miss this. He keenly adjusted the camera angle to capture their joint departure to the styling room, planning to edit it into the footage after the meal to stir up another talking point.

The other unexpected guest was Hela, who seemed to be avoiding Loki's light green color. She wasn't wearing her favorite dark green but a moon-white gown twinkling with aurora-like radiance.

She was an internet sensation, initially used to stir up Oblivion online. With her outstanding looks and unique vibe, she was revered as the punk goddess.

Of course, her identity as the Crown Princess of Asgard had not been revealed, as she had once raised an army against Odin. As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. This was not a matter of pride, and the Asgardians maintained silence on it, obviously not keen on being discussed by the human race.

Agents like Natasha and Hawkeye weren't present at the event. Their current busy status was one thing; moreover, their identities were not suitable for public disclosure. Agent Carter was an exception; if she were to marry Captain America Steve, it was only a matter of time before she would come into the public eye.

For this reason, Nick had never assigned her any secret missions, instead letting her work as a clerk within S.H.I.E.L.D., occasionally responsible for liaising with other agencies. So her identity was semi-public, with many media outlets already catching scandalous photos of her with Steve.

So many people had almost filled the table, but as a hot topic on the internet, how could mutants be absent? Polaris and Iceman arrived fashionably late, and Wanda's face turned sour on the spot.

Eddie did not miss this opportunity, capturing Wanda's expression and preparing to maliciously edit it into the main footage.

For Shiller, there was now a pressing question: With a table full of internet sensations, demons, and ghosts, what qualified him to sit amongst them?

His associates were certainly aware of his situation, and those around the table knew what Shiller was about, but netizens did not, and they would surely wonder why an ordinary psychologist would appear in such a circle.

Shiller decided to focus on the food and speak less, only appearing in the identity of Stark's friend. That way, it could arguably be explained that Stark had specifically invited a well-known psychologist to accompany them to alleviate his fiancée's prenatal anxiety.

During the backstage interviews, Shiller could then stick to pleasantries, such as analyzing Stark and Pepper's relationship and offering a professional perspective on superheroes, without becoming too famous online.

Shiller had some fame, but mostly in professional circles; the general public knew little about him. Shiller was not averse to fame, but in the age of information, netizens were the most omniscient bunch, and with his tendency to meddle in everything, it was only a matter of time before they completely exposed him.

With everyone present, it was finally time to make an official entrance.

Eddie and his team of photographers, mainly symbiont hosts with far-reaching capabilities, were positioned at various spots on the walls, adjusting their cameras toward the entrance.

Captain America Steve was the first to arrive. Seeing the filming crew, he greeted them with a smile, shook hands with the manager, and Carter nodded to everyone with a smile.

"In fact, I tried to make a reservation at your restaurant," Steve said, patting the manager's shoulder. "Unfortunately, I was put on the waitlist for two years. I wonder if carrying my shield would get me in a bit sooner."

"I'm sorry to say that's probably not possible, sir, as I have two Iron suits and a Spider-Man suit waiting there as well."

Both men laughed, walking in together. When Carter saw Pepper checking the menu, she immediately went up to her and hugged her, saying, "Long time no see, you're already an expectant mother. How have you been recently?"

"Thanks to you, quite well. Do you like snow crab legs? I was just thinking about removing them from the menu."

"I'm fine with anything, I'm not particular about crabs. Are we the first to arrive?"

"Yes." Steve was always punctual. Pepper went over to shake hands with Steve, looked around, and asked, "Where's Tony? He's not hiding somewhere, planning a big surprise for us, is he?"

"He's backstage getting ready. There should be at least one surprise appearance."

"Hey, look who it is." Shiller came in and shook hands with Steve, saying, "Remember the psychological assessment report you owe me?"

"Let's not talk about that now," Steve said. "We shouldn't create unnecessary anxiety in the presence of an expectant mother, right, Doctor?"

"Of course, I do hope Tony's doing better, you know, with his previous..."

Shiller clearly sensed that Eddie gave both of them a close-up shot, setting up the storyline, didn't it?

"He's been doing incredibly well now," Steve said. "I have to admit, he's a tough opponent, for me, and certainly for anxiety as well. Who can shake a piece of iron, right?"

Shiller and Steve sat down, while Carter was still helping Pepper with the menu. Jarvis and Wanda soon arrived, pushing a stroller with a baby inside who had changed noticeably in just over a month, now looking quite adorable.

Everyone immediately gathered around. Pepper, with a face full of motherly love, looked at the baby and said to Wanda, "Are you okay? I heard you gave birth before your due date..."

"There's never really a due date, you know," Wanda said. "After all, I am the Scarlet Witch; it's not dangerous for me, but it's different for you. I am really worried about you."

"In what way?"

"Well, Tony's mood, he's always so impulsive." Wanda shook her head, saying, "I know it's not good to say this now, but an unstable emotional environment is fatal for both mother and child."

Jarvis tugged at Wanda, who just shook her head in silence, the underlying emotions perfectly captured by the camera. In the subsequent broadcast of the video, an interview was inserted here.

"Of course, I'm not saying Tony Stark is a bad person," Wanda said with crossed arms. "At the time, I was also influenced by hormones, but I think my assessment is entirely accurate. Tony's biggest problem is his instability, a ticking bomb for those closest to him."

"I didn't expect her to talk about me like that in front of Pepper," Stark said, with his feet propped up on the legs of a chair during a backstage interview, spreading his hands. "She shouldn't say such things in front of her, because I never said that in front of Jarvis. I had to tell her that instability isn't just my flaw, it's hers too."

"I have nothing against mutants specifically, but at least when I'm not in my Battle Armor, I'm not that much of a threat. My instability won't cause any terrible consequences, but hers might. The Scarlet Witch could."