Chapter 41
As Tony Stark led Qin Li into the warehouse, he started speaking, "Alright, my friend, just drop the materials here. Although, I'm not sure if it's enough to build a..." Before he could finish, his sentence trailed off. The previously empty warehouse was now piled high with lower-tier hardeners, leaving only about one-fifth of the space for stacks of carbon crystals.
"That's it for now," Qin Li said, glancing at his personal inventory and noting that he still had over a thousand units of each material left. Seeing Tony Stark staring in disbelief, mouth agape, at the filled warehouse, Qin Li gave him a nudge to snap him out of it. "What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Li, this is a massive surprise! Seriously, these materials... Forget where you got them; their applications alone are incredible. This entire warehouse is essentially filled with gold," Tony marveled, though his tone turned slightly awkward near the end.
Qin Li smirked, understanding Tony's hesitation. Stark was clearly uncomfortable taking the materials for free, being accustomed to transactional exchanges. But Qin Li also knew that if he let money muddy their friendship, it would diminish its purity.
"Relax," Qin Li said, clapping Tony on the shoulder. "Consider this a thank-you gift for helping Nick with his prosthetic leg. Besides, if you hadn't experimented and figured out how to use these materials, they'd still be worthless lumps to me."
Hearing this, Tony relaxed and replied more lightheartedly, "Oh, absolutely. That kid's mechanical leg is on a lifetime warranty, and I'll upgrade it whenever we have new tech. Totally worth the trade. In fact, there's another warehouse next door—you're welcome to fill that one up too."
Laughing, Qin Li playfully punched Tony. "Your designs are ridiculously expensive. Good thing I'm your friend; I can barter instead of paying cash."
"Well, the rich and benevolent Mr. Stark can't help being so generous," Tony replied with an exaggerated shrug, feigning helplessness at his wealth.
Qin Li, already used to Tony's antics, turned and walked away. "Alright, let's head back upstairs. Don't forget what we discussed earlier—who knows, I might have more interesting materials for you in the future."
"Wait up! I'm coming! So, Li, about those mid-tier and high-tier hardeners—are they even better than the lower-tier ones?" Tony caught up eagerly, his curiosity taking over.
The group spent the next few days enjoying themselves at Tony Stark's luxurious villa. As the visit came to an end, Qin Li prepared to leave, and Tony had gifts ready for everyone.
For Nick, he gave the latest gaming console, which had the young man jumping around in excitement and clutching it like a treasure.
Jessica received tickets to her favorite singer's concert, personally arranged by Tony's staff, with backstage access to meet the star. While she accepted them with a calm demeanor, her grip on the tickets was so tight that her knuckles turned white, betraying her excitement.
As for Frank, Tony handed over a few phone numbers of women from the parties they'd attended. These women had been utterly charmed by the stoic, battle-hardened Frank. Though Frank accepted them with his usual calm, Qin Li's amused grin made him flush slightly, breaking his composed facade. After all, being a single dad wasn't always easy.
When it came to Qin Li, Tony didn't prepare anything specific. Instead, he asked directly, "So, what do you want?" Qin Li replied nonchalantly, "Your garage downstairs is full of motorbikes gathering dust. Let me take a few for a spin."
Tony, confused, said, "Sure, take them for a ride whenever you want. But seriously, what do you want?"
Qin Li sighed, realizing Tony didn't understand the cultural significance of gift-giving. After some explanation, Tony caught on and laughed. "Oh, I get it now. You're right, they're just sitting there. Feel free to take care of them for me." The two shook hands, both grinning, while the others rolled their eyes at the display of theatrics.
The group boarded Tony Stark's private jet to return home. By the time they arrived at the church, it was evening. After unpacking and having dinner, everyone settled in for the night. On TV, they noticed Tony Stark attending a charity gala for firefighter families—the third annual event. Qin Li recognized this as the event where the legendary Stan Lee made a cameo during Iron Man. He couldn't help but wonder about Stan Lee's role in real life.
At the gala, Tony encountered his uncle, Obadiah Stane. "What kind of world is this, inviting guests but ignoring the host?" Tony said sharply.
Obadiah turned with a smile. "Well, look who decided to show up. Honestly, I didn't expect you to come."
Realizing there was no point in arguing, Tony replied, "I'll head inside and wait for you." As he moved past, Obadiah placed a hand on his shoulder and said, "Hey, listen. I think I've convinced the board."
Tony, keeping a straight face, replied, "Alright. I'm just here on a whim; I'll leave soon." He then made his way to the bar and ordered a drink.
"Mr. Stark, I'm Agent Coulson," a sharp-dressed man introduced himself, standing nearby with hands clasped.
"I know," Tony replied casually, sipping his drink. "You're with S.H.I.E.L.D., right?"
Coulson smiled politely. "Correct. We're aware things haven't been easy for you lately, but we need to discuss certain unresolved matters. I understand time is tight, so perhaps we can schedule a meeting? How about two days from now, 7 PM, at Stark Industries?"
As Coulson spoke, Tony's attention wandered to Pepper Potts in the crowd. Barely listening, he absentmindedly extended a hand for a shake. Confused, Coulson hesitated before shaking it. "Right, you're absolutely right," Tony mumbled distractedly. Once they shook hands, Tony snapped out of his trance and added, "Let me find my assistant, and we'll finalize the details later." With that, he headed straight for Pepper, leaving Coulson behind.