Chapter 21

By the time Qin Li and his group landed and arrived at Tony Stark's mansion, it was already noon. They were all stunned by the sight of the luxurious villa perched on a cliff by the sea.

Looking at the mansion in front of him, Qin Li couldn't help but say, "I finally believe that saying from back home."

Jessica, curious, asked, "What saying? What does it say?"

"The joy of the rich is something you can't imagine. Hahaha!" Qin Li blurted out, then started laughing at his own words.

The others just stared at him with blank expressions.

"Alright, alright, let's see what it's like to experience the joy of the rich for ourselves today," Qin Li said as he walked toward the door. They reached the entrance, and before Qin Li could say anything, the door opened automatically.

"Hello, Mr. Qin Li. Please follow me, I'll guide you to your destination," Jarvis' voice came from somewhere.

Following the directional arrows that appeared, the group walked along the path.

"Jarvis, where's Stark? Is he still tinkering with his toys?" Qin Li asked curiously.

"Yes, Mr. Stark is still assembling his project. And he's arranged for a five-star chef to prepare lunch for you and your companions. However, he did ask if Mr. Qin Li could bring him a cheeseburger first," Jarvis replied.

"Alright, take my friends to the restaurant first, then take me to Stark," Qin Li said, taking the cheeseburger from Jessica's hands and calling out to Jarvis.

"As you wish, Mr. Qin Li," Jarvis responded. The group split into two: Qin Li went to find Stark, while Frank and the others went to the restaurant to eat.

In the basement, Qin Li found Stark, who was working on his armor with dark circles under his eyes. He shouted, "Stark, here's the cheeseburger you wanted. And by the way, are you preparing for a heart attack?"

Stark, startled by Qin Li's voice, snatched the cheeseburger and took a bite before saying, "Damn it, Stark is working on the greatest invention of this century! You'd better be careful, you almost interrupted my inspiration. That would be a loss for all of humanity!"

Qin Li stared at the mechanical exoskeleton in front of him and raised his hands, saying sarcastically, "Yeah, yeah, your little toy's lack of inspiration is definitely a loss for the world."

Looking at the exhausted Stark, Qin Li took out two bottles of glowing magic juice from his inventory. He handed one to Tony and said, "Drink this, it'll make you feel better."

Tony Stark hesitated as he looked at the bottle of glowing purple-blue "special drink," but seeing Qin Li drink it, he closed his eyes and, as if accepting his fate, took a swig. He smacked his lips and said, "Not bad. It tastes like a mix of wine and honey..."

Before Tony could finish his sentence, he suddenly felt all the exhaustion from the past two nights vanish. He felt incredibly energized, and the heaviness in his body was gone. Instinctively, he stripped off his shirt to check his chest's reactor and saw the purple lines from the previous night's condition had disappeared.

Tony Stark quickly asked, "Hey! Li, do you have more of this drink? Can you send me a whole warehouse of it? That way I can finish this greatest invention of mine sooner!"

Seeing Tony's excitement, Qin Li couldn't help but blurt out, "Still working on your greatest invention, and you haven't even solved your palladium poisoning yet? You're using that invention to save your own life?"

Tony Stark was stunned and lowered his head, asking, "How did you know?"

"I saw you drinking vegetable juice and noticed the purple lines spreading from your chest reactor," Qin Li said calmly.

Tony Stark became more enthusiastic, "There are still so many elements, surely one of them can replace palladium. I'm not in a rush. I can finish my armor first."

Qin Li, looking at the man obsessed with his armor, couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, alright, there's plenty of time to finish the armor. How about you join us for lunch first?"

Tony Stark casually replied, "No problem. I heard you brought a lady with you? I'll go shower first. As for the boy's prosthetic, Jarvis should be finishing it. It uses a mini arc reactor too, but I've already set up the protection, so don't worry about radiation or palladium poisoning."

Hearing this, Qin Li nodded with satisfaction and said, "Alright, I'll head up now. You go take a shower. Jarvis, take me to Frank and the others."

"Understood, Mr. Li. I will guide you now," Jarvis responded.

Following Jarvis' guidance, Qin Li made his way to the restaurant to meet up with Frank and the others.

"Father Li! This lobster is amazing! You should try it too!" As soon as Qin Li entered, Nick eagerly called out. Looking at the several chefs busy in the open kitchen, Qin Li sat down and said, "Alright, I'll give it a try… Hmm, not bad, it's really delicious!"

A few minutes later, Tony Stark came downstairs, followed by a mechanical arm from his university research and a mechanical leg. When Tony Stark entered the dining room, everyone put down their chopsticks.

"Oh~ I know I'm handsome, but looking at me won't fill your stomach. Let's eat together. Here, little boy, this is the mechanical leg your father asked me to make. See if it fits," Tony Stark said, clearly enjoying the attention.

"Really? Father Li, thank you!" Nick said excitedly as he hugged Qin Li. Qin Li smiled and patted Nick's head, saying, "That's right, go ahead and try it out." As for Tony Stark's banter, Qin Li didn't bother responding, considering he had helped make the prosthetic.

"Why don't you give your Uncle Stark a hug? He made this for you!" Tony Stark teased, looking at Nick, who had only hugged Qin Li.

Nick eagerly hopped over to Tony Stark, giving him a big hug. "Thank you, Uncle Stark! Can I try it now?"

"No problem, go ahead. I used high-tech silicone at the joint to cushion it. Let me know if anything feels uncomfortable," Tony Stark replied with a grin, giving Nick a quick hug before raising an eyebrow at Qin Li, as if claiming victory.

Qin Li gave Tony Stark a dark look, then turned his attention to Nick, who was putting on his prosthetic.

Frank walked over to Qin Li, and they both watched as Nick slowly began to walk with the prosthetic. From stumbling at first to running by the end, Frank had tears in his eyes. He sat down beside Qin Li and said, "Thank you."

Qin Li didn't look at Frank but calmly said, "We're family, no need for thanks. This is something Nick deserves."

"Alright, everyone, keep eating. The chef is serving more dishes. Tonight, I'm throwing a party. Let's have fun!" Tony Stark loudly declared after confirming Nick had no issues with the prosthetic.