Chapter 11: Deduct the Villa Bombing Costs from My Next Month's Salary
Three minutes later.
Lin Zhen leaned against the doorframe as he walked out of the rental apartment, his steps slightly unsteady.
He looked up at the New York sun, his vision a bit blurry.
"Motherf*cker, I almost got beaten to the point of needing a respawn coin by those two black and white demons. American women are just too intense."
As he spoke, he took out his phone and called Nick Furyback. As soon as it connected, Nick Fury's mocking laughter came through.
"Hahaha, hahaha..."
"Are you done?! It really only took three minutes?!"
Lin Zhen's face instantly darkened: "Director, that's a very rude question. I was just finishing the job quickly to avoid delaying the mission progress."
"Alright, I'm not going to waste time blabbering with you. Now, immediately, go to the Stark Villa right away."
"Are you reimbursing my flight tickets?"
"Yes."
"First class?"
"Economy class."
"That's it?! When Black Widow goes on missions, do you also book her in economy class?"
Lin Zhen said as he prepared to hang up.
Nick Fury immediately changed his tune: "Change it to first class!"
Lin Zhen laughed and said: "Director, if you had been this reasonable earlier, we wouldn't have ended up like this."
Nick Fury lowered his voice: "Lin Zhen, Stark isn't an ordinary person. He's very smart, so don't use low-level disguises."
Lin Zhen looked down at the Kaito Kid mask in his backpack and rubbed his chin.
"Understood, I'll use a high-level one."
"I know you can shapeshift, but what I mean is, don't disguise yourself as a woman."
Lin Zhen was stunned and asked: "Did you secretly read my mind?"
"I'm warning you not to court death."
"Don't worry, Director, I'm extremely steady."
Nick Fury was silent for a moment.
"You said the same thing last time, and then the New York Police Department requested a six-star area lockdown. Right now, only I know it was you. If you weren't so useful... if we weren't on good terms, I would have reported you first. You'd better behave yourself on this mission."
*Click!*
Before Nick Fury could finish, the phone on the other end hung up.
"Lin Zhen, motherf*cker, are you listening..."
...
Six hours later, Malibu coast, oceanfront mansion.
Inside the underground laboratory, mechanical arms moved back and forth, and sparks flew.
Tony stood in front of the platform, raising his hand, facing the unfinished red and gold armor skeleton.
Compared to the cobbled-together piece from the cave in Afghanistan, this version was clearly much more pleasing to the eye.
The lines were cleaner, the modules were more complete, and the thrusters had a new design.
"Jarvis, run another stress analysis on the left arm stabilization system."
"Yes, sir."
Rows of data scrolled down the virtual screen.
Tony stared at the model, his eyes focused.
He recalled the humiliating experience of running for his life that day and secretly swore never to let history repeat itself.
At the same time, he was considering whether to install spikes on the armor's rear. The scene where Lin Zhenkicked him in the butt and shouted "Go, Iron Turtle" was still vivid in his mind.
At this moment, the TV on the wall was playing the news.
"Tonight's charity gala is being held at the Disney Concert Hall. According to tradition, Mr. Tony Stark should have appeared, but until now, he still hasn't shown up."
The screen cut to the studio.
A suit-wearing pundit began to analyze.
"Combined with Mr. Stark's recent decision to shut down the weapons division, we have reason to suspect that he suffered extremely severe psychological trauma during his time in the Middle East, perhaps even including some indescribable physical trauma. Otherwise, it's impossible that he hasn't been near any women since returning."
The screwdriver in Tony's hand stopped.
The pundit continued.
"Some also believe that this Tony Stark who returned might no longer be the original Tony Stark."
Tony slowly looked up.
"Jarvis."
"I'm here, sir."
"Check which media outlet this is."
"Locked on."
"Buy them out, then have them loop my scandals from the past decade, especially the ones with the best-looking covers."
"Yes, sir."
Tony took a deep breath.
"Also contact Happy, have him get the car ready. I'm going to the gala right now to personally prove that I am healthy in both body and mind."
He emphasized the words "body and mind" heavily.
"I'm sorry, sir, Mr. Happy is currently at the hospital."
Tony frowned.
"Hospital?"
"Yes, he was attacked today. According to his description, the attacker was a male wearing a chicken mask."
Tony turned his head.
"Chicken head?!"
"That is how Mr. Happy described it."
Tony was silent for two seconds, recalling the scenes from Afghanistan.
"How is Happy?"
"A mild concussion and highly agitated. He keeps emphasizing that the person stole his car keys, complained that the car was too slow, and even stole Mr. Happy's clothes because they looked decent."
Tony's mouth twitched, and just then, Jarvis's voice sounded again.
"An unregistered visitor has been detected at the residence entrance."
"Who."
"Black hair, black eyes, wearing a chicken mask."
Tony's face darkened.
"Pull up the surveillance..."
"Sir, the visitor is no longer at the entrance."
"What do you mean."
"He has entered the residence grounds."
"How did he get in."
Jarvis paused for half a second.
"Climbed the wall, crawled through the window, avoided three infrared sensor zones, and even swiped a slice of pizza from the kitchen."
Tony: "..."
The next second.
*Beep, beep, beep!*
"Jarvis, what is that sound?"
Tony had just spoken, and before he could react, a wave of heat came from the doorway.
*Boom!*
As the explosion sounded, smoke filled the entire laboratory.
A figure walked in slowly, holding a detonator in his hand.
"Found you."
Tony looked up, staring at that familiar chicken mask with center-parted hair, gritting his teeth.
"It's you again, you guy!"
Lin Zhen landed, patted the dust off his pant legs, and politely reached out his hand.
"Long time no see, Iro... Boss Tony."
He had almost blurted out "Iron Turtle," but remembering that the other party was his patron, he forced himself to change it.
Tony stared at him and said word by word: "You blew up my Villa!"
"Anyway, you have plenty of money, surely you wouldn't mind, right?"
Lin Zhen withdrew his hand and took the opportunity to pat Tony on the butt.
"I swear, I will definitely install spikes in that spot! No, I'll add a backward-firing Gatling gun!" Tony thought with a gloomy expression.
Lin Zhen's gaze shifted and landed on the Mark III, with its red and gold color scheme, smooth lines, and the thrusters on the soles still glowing faintly.
Damn, good stuff!
This is definitely high-quality equipment. If I were to wear this and take it for a spin, how many girls would I charm?!
Tony's mouth twitched. He blocked the Mark III and stared at Lin Zhen, asking: "What on earth did you come here for?"
"No, can't you tell?" Lin Zhen asked with some confusion: "I don't think you're stupid, so why is your brain so slow?"
Tony: "I only see that you blew up my Villa!"
"That's exactly right, I'm here to apply for the bodyguard job!" Lin Zhen pointed to the suit he had stripped off Happyand said: "Deduct the Villa bombing costs from my next month's salary!"
Tony: " ( ° ー ° 〃 )??"
Chapter 12: Duh, half a person would scare you to death
"You, applying to be a bodyguard?"
Tony stood in the underground laboratory, looking at the door frame that had been blown into charred pieces, and then looked at the clearly ill-fitting suit on Lin Zhen.
Bodyguard?
It's good enough that you didn't blow up my Villa.
Lin Zhen nodded.
"Yeah, you need a bodyguard, I need a boss, isn't this an automatic system match?"
Tony raised his hand and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"What I need is a bodyguard, not a ticking time bomb that might blow up my Villa at any moment."
"That's unprofessional of you."
Lin Zhen pointed to the blown-open door.
"If I can blow my way in, it means others can too. I'm testing your security loopholes in advance. You don't thank me, and you even want to dock my pay? Capitalists really have no heart."
Tony: "..."
"Did you beat up my men?"
Lin Zhen immediately stepped back half a step.
"Who? You mean that guy named Happy? Nothing to do with me!"
Tony's eyes went cold.
"I haven't even said his name is Happy yet."
Lin Zhen was silent for two seconds.
"Motherfucker, you NPCs can use leading questions now?"
In mid-air, Jarvis's voice sounded.
"Sir, according to external monitoring of the Villa, before Mr. Happy was attacked, the attacker asked, 'Are you the big guy guarding Tony's house?', then hit the back of his head with a frying pan."
Tony's face darkened.
"Jarvis, add him to the high-risk visitor list."
"Already added, Sir."
Lin Zhen was immediately displeased.
"That's discrimination against employees."
"You're not an employee yet."
"Then I'm joining now."
"I refuse."
"Refusal invalid."
Tony sneered.
"I have twelve professional bodyguards, Happy is just one of them, I don't need you."
Jarvis spoke at the right time.
"Sir, correction, the other twelve bodyguards were admitted to the hospital between 4 PM and 5 PM. Five have mild concussions, three have sprained ankles, two were stuffed into the pool filtration box, and one is still applying for psychological counseling."
"The attacker was a man wearing a chicken head mask."
Tony slowly turned his head to look at Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen spread his hands.
"This just shows your security team's stress resistance is poor. I'm helping you conduct employee physical tests."
Tony gritted his teeth.
"You sent all my bodyguards to the hospital, and then came to apply for a bodyguard position?"
"Yeah."
Lin Zhen was righteous.
"That's how job vacancies are created. If they don't get laid off, the difficulty of me getting the job would rise geometrically."
Tony was choked up. He had seen many shameless people in his life.
Shareholders, reporters, the military representatives, politicians.
But compared to Lin Zhen, these people were still far behind.
Tony took a deep breath.
"Did S.H.I.E.L.D. send you?"
Lin Zhen's eyes drifted.
"I don't know any S.H.I.E.L.D., don't know that Nick Furysent me to monitor you, and definitely don't know that the mission rewards include ten thousand dollars and random equipment."
Tony: "..."
Jarvis: "Sir, he just admitted it."
Lin Zhen patted his chest.
"Don't talk nonsense, where did I admit it?"
Tony took a deep breath, turned around, and walked away.
"I don't need you."
Lin Zhen said slowly: "Outside, a bunch of shareholders are dying to hang you at the entrance of Stark Tower to dry. You just closed the weapons department, the stock price is falling faster than my belt, and those people aren't reasonable."
Tony stopped, and Lin Zhen continued.
"terrorists at most want your life, shareholders are different. They'll curse your ancestors first, smash your car, and finally turn your little brother into a souvenir to hang on a second-hand website."
Tony's shoulders stiffened.
"Also, you're going to a banquet tonight, right? Media, shareholders, pretty girls, rival companies, all on site. If someone rushes out and stabs you, your armor isn't even finished being painted yet."
Tony's expression froze.
He stared at Lin Zhen for three seconds.
He was silent for two seconds, almost gritting his teeth as he squeezed out the words: "Congratulations, you're hired!"
"Great, Iron Ki... Boss." Lin Zhen immediately reached out.
Tony stepped back a few steps.
"Stay three meters away from me, don't pat my back."
"Okay, Boss."
"Don't call me Boss."
"Okay, Sugar Daddy."
...
Half an hour later.
On the Malibu Coast Highway, a silver-gray sports car sped along the seaside, the engine sound drowning out the waves.
Tony sat in the passenger seat, his face looking worse than when he first returned from Afghanistan.
Lin Zhen held the steering wheel with both hands, his eyes bright.
"Damn, this car handles well, the steering is silky smooth."
Tony grabbed the seatbelt.
"Slow down."
"Boss, this is a sports car, not a wheelchair."
"There's a curve ahead!"
"I know, that's why it's fun."
The sports car drifted, the tires grazed the guardrail, and a string of sparks flew.
Tony was pulled back into his seat by the seatbelt.
He closed his eyes.
"Jarvis, make a note, forbid him from touching any of my cars from now on."
The car system transmitted a voice.
"Recorded, Sir."
Lin Zhen frowned.
"Jarvis, can you change to a female voice? Preferably more of a mature woman type, with a bit of breathing sounds."
Jarvis was silent for half a second.
"Sorry, Sir, Mr. Stark has not set any other voices for me."
Lin Zhen sighed: "Tony, you really don't know how to enjoy life."
Tony said coldly: "The things I enjoy, you can't even imagine."
Lin Zhen looked at him.
"Then why are you so weak?"
Tony: "..."
The car speed increased again. Ten minutes later, Los Angeles, outside the Disney Concert Hall.
The sides of the red carpet were noisy, reporters carried cameras, celebrities held smiles, and bodyguards blocked the crowd.
A low engine sound pressed in from afar.
Everyone subconsciously turned their heads. A sports car with paint peeling off from collisions rushed toward the red carpet entrance.
It didn't slow down, heading straight for the crowd.
The reporter area exploded instantly.
"Car! The car is going to hit us!"
"Dodge!"
"Wait, it's Stark's car!"
The sports car drifted sharply before the guardrail, the rear of the car swung half a circle, and it stopped steadily at the edge of the red carpet.
Tires smoked. The whole place was quiet for half a second. The next moment, the car door opened.
Tony walked down, his suit neat, his face pale, and he almost stumbled.
Lin Zhen got out of the driver's seat and tossed the car keys twice.
"Boss, you need to practice. You get dizzy at this speed? Won't you puke inside your helmet when the armor takes off later?"
Tony adjusted his cuffs and said: "Shut up, know your identity!"
On the side of the red carpet, many female reporters had already turned their lenses toward Lin Zhen.
"Who's that?"
"New driver?"
"Stark's new boy toy?"
"Why is he wearing a chicken head mask?"
The two just walked to the entrance when a bald, sturdy man came up to meet them.
Obadiah Stane.
He was wearing a dark suit, with a smile on his face, his eyes sweeping over Tony's chest.
"Tony, you finally decided to show up."
Tony looked at him, nodded as a greeting, and after perfunctorily saying a few words, took Lin Zhen into the music hall.
Just after entering the music hall, Tony's eyes lit up, and he walked toward a beautiful woman.
"As expected of a playboy, can't walk when he sees a beauty. Good thing I didn't let Black Widow come, otherwise my first time with Black Widow would definitely have been lost."
While speaking, a few more beauties crowded around, some with good cleavage, constantly rubbing against Tony's arms.
Lin Zhen watched this scene, feeling terrible.
He couldn't understand why these women all revolved around Tony. He clearly didn't look bad himself, why didn't any beauties approach him?
At this moment, a blonde beauty noticed Lin Zhen and walked over with a wine glass.
"Handsome, are you alone?"
"Duh, half a person would scare you to death."
Chapter 13: Does this bald guy usually play so wild?
Over the next few days, Lin Zhen officially became Tony's personal bodyguard.
At first, Tony was extremely resistant; he didn't want a man following him around, let alone living in his Villa.
That was until two days ago, when several bankrupt shareholders climbed over the wall, stormed into the Villawielding kitchen knives, and shouted: "Give me back my retirement money!" and "Hack off little Tony and sell him secondhand!"
Tony had just finished showering and hadn't even put his slippers on properly when a flying knife nearly stabbed him in the crotch.
If Lin Zhen hadn't suddenly appeared and knocked them out one by one with a frying pan, Tony would have almost gone from being a playboy to a play-princess.
From that day on, Tony completely behaved himself.
This day, Lin Zhen was lying on the automatic massage sofa in Tony's living room.
"Hmm, you handled things very well, especially that line about hacking off little Tony—it was absolutely brilliant."
"For the remaining balance, go find the egghead... go find the S.H.I.E.L.D. Director and just give them my name. Alright, catch you later for tea, bye!"
*Click.*
Lin Zhen hung up the phone.
That's right!
Those crazy shareholders who stormed into Tony's house were hired by Lin Zhen for a cameo appearance.
Lin Zhen had originally just wanted to boost his presence.
He hadn't expected those guys to have such incredible acting skills, especially the one who shouted about hacking off little Tony; it was just like the real thing, and the knife almost hit Tony's vital parts.
Even now, Tony has Jarvis scan the bathroom three times before he takes a shower.
At this moment, the elevator from the basement opened.
Tony walked out covered in the smell of machine oil, with dark circles under his eyes, holding an unfinished gold-red armor component.
He saw Lin Zhen lying on the sofa, holding the roasted lamb leg he had ordered, with lamb fat dripping everywhere, and using his TV to watch a beauty pageant, and he immediately exploded.
"You really don't stand on ceremony, do you? Are you my bodyguard or my father?"
Lin Zhen didn't even turn his head. "Don't try to establish a relationship; I don't have a son as rich as you."
Tony walked over and snatched the lamb leg away directly.
Lin Zhen glared. "Boss, stealing an employee's meal is workplace bullying."
Tony took a bite. "This is my house, and I'm the one who ordered this!"
"Your perspective is too narrow. You're so rich, yet so stingy."
Tony couldn't be bothered to argue with him and sat down opposite him, rubbing his temples.
Lin Zhen glanced at the component in his hand. "Is the armor finished?"
Tony curled his lips. "Of course. The Mark III is already 92% complete; the rest is just detail optimization."
"Like installing barbs on the butt?"
Tony froze.
Lin Zhen laughed. "You actually considered that?"
Tony looked at him coldly. "I also considered installing miniature missiles on the butt, specifically to defend against psychos like you who like to kick people."
"That won't work; when you fly, it'll look like you're having an explosive case of diarrhea."
Tony: "..."
He put down the lamb leg, his expression becoming a bit more serious.
"Let's talk business. I have something to tell you."
Lin Zhen sat up straight immediately and asked, "Are you giving me a raise?"
"No."
Lin Zhen lay back down.
"Then take your time telling me; I might not listen."
Tony took a silver USB drive out of his pocket and tossed it into Lin Zhen's lap.
"Do you remember that batch of Stark Industries weapons in Afghanistan?"
Lin Zhen nodded. "I remember. Those weapons scared the piss out of you back then."
Tony: "..."
"Those weapons shouldn't have appeared in the hands of the Ten Rings. After I shut down the weapons division, the board of Directors has been putting pressure on me. I suspect someone inside the company is bypassing me and continuing to sell weapons."
Lin Zhen touched the USB drive and asked, "You suspect there's a mole in the company?"
"You could understand it that way."
Tony pointed to the USB drive and said, "I need you to go to the Stark Industries headquarters, enter my office, and copy the weapons shipment manifest from the last three months."
The next second, the system notification sounded.
[NPC Tony Stark has issued a quest to you]
[Quest Name: The Mole in Stark Industries]
[Quest Objective: Infiltrate Stark Industries headquarters, copy the weapons shipment manifest, and hand it to Tony]
[Quest Rewards: EXP +300, Tony Stark Favorability +10, Random Item ×1]
Lin Zhen stared at the rewards, his eyebrows furrowing.
"Only 300 EXP?"
Tony looked at his expression. "What, you're not willing?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling, it's that these quest rewards are an insult to the words 'billionaire'."
Tony took a deep breath and said, "After it's done, I'll give you ten thousand U.S. dollars."
Lin Zhen stood up immediately. "Boss, I've long found the company mole to be an eyesore."
Tony sneered. "That's not what you said just now."
"That's not important. Justice may be late, but paid justice never is. I am willing to accept your mission."
Tony handed him an access card.
"This is a temporary access card, but it can only enter the public areas of the building. The top floor is currently locked down by the board of Directors; even I can't get up there."
Lin Zhen was stunned and asked, "It's your own company, and you can't get in?"
Tony's face darkened a bit. "They used the company bylaws to temporarily freeze my direct authority over the weapons division. If I go myself, I'll most likely be stopped."
"I don't understand."
"Simply put, several shareholders have ganged up to mess with me."
"Oh, that I understand."
Lin Zhen put away the USB drive and the access card, then asked, "Don't you have a lover named Pepper? Why not let Pepper go?"
Tony looked out at the ocean through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
"This matter might involve the the military, the board of Directors, and the black market. I don't want to let Peppertake the risk."
Lin Zhen was silent for two seconds.
"So you're letting me take the risk?"
Tony looked at him and said, "Aren't you very strong?"
Lin Zhen nodded, his mouth curling up. "I love hearing that. Although I know you're trying to PUA me, I accept."
...
New York, Stark Industries headquarters building.
Lin Zhen stood at the entrance of the lobby and looked up at the huge Stark Industries logo.
People were coming and going in the lobby; employees were wearing suits and business skirts, security personnel were distributed at the elevator entrances, the front desk, and corridor corners, with surveillance cameras one after another.
Standing next to the exclusive elevator to the top floor were two Black security guards.
Lin Zhen rubbed his chin.
"There are too many people. If I kill my way up, my wanted level might rise and attract the attention of the police."
He had originally wanted to just pull out his frying pan and fight his way up.
But Tony had said to try not to make a big scene.
Under normal circumstances, he would still listen to the words of his financier daddy.
He turned and entered the men's restroom, found a stall, and locked the door.
He opened his backpack.
He took out the Kaito Kid mask and put it on his face.
Lin Zhen thought for two seconds.
A bald man with a beard appeared in his mind.
Obadiah Stane.
He had met him once at a banquet; he had a strong aura and seemed to be in the management of Tony's company.
The mask stuck to his face, and his skin tightened for a moment.
A few seconds later, Stane's face appeared in the mirror.
Lin Zhen cleared his throat.
"Ahem, Tony is a gay."
The voice was deep, mimicking him at least 70% accurately.
He nodded with satisfaction.
"Motherf*cker, as far as acting goes, the game company owes me an Oscar."
Lin Zhen walked out of the restroom wearing Stane's face.
"Mr. Stane!"
As soon as he appeared, company employees greeted him.
"Mr. Stane, I've booked a hotel for tonight, are you free?"
"Mr. Stane, my husband isn't home tonight..."
"When are we going to hook up?"
Lin Zhen: "???"
Does this bald guy usually play so wild?
Chapter 14: The Bald Man's Romantic Encounter
"Don't work overtime tonight. Go home, clean yourself up, and wait for my call."
One of the female employees froze for a moment, her face blushing first, before she smiled and said, "Mr. Obadiah, you seem particularly in the mood today."
Lin Zhen folded the note, stuffed it into his breast pocket, and clicked his tongue inwardly.
How are the NPCs in this game getting more and more compliant, and more and more seductive?
"Motherfucker, does this bald guy usually deal in arms or wholesale seafood?"
He muttered to himself. Fortunately, his will was firm and he had a mission to complete; otherwise, he would have almost been seduced by this group of vixens.
He didn't delay any longer, turned around, and walked inside. As soon as the elevator door closed, a system notification popped up.
The elevator went up, and a man in a suit next to him, clutching some documents, looked at him cautiously.
"Mr. Obadiah, Catherine from the seventeenth floor wants to know if you are still going to her place tonight?"
Lin Zhen kept a straight face.
"Tell her to get in line; the workload is quite heavy today."
The man in the suit was stunned for a moment, then looked at him with newfound respect.
"Understood."
Ding.
The top floor arrived.
Lin Zhen stepped out of the elevator. The entire floor was unnaturally quiet. Outside the glass walls was the night view of New York, and there was a security camera every ten meters in the hallway.
Wearing Obadiah's face, he walked all the way to the door of Tony's office.
Two security guards immediately stood at attention.
"Mr. Obadiah."
Lin Zhen nodded and reached out to push the door open.
One of the guards said in a low voice, "The board of Directors has ordered that no one is allowed to enter Mr. Stark's office tonight unless there is emergency authorization."
Lin Zhen stopped abruptly.
The guard's heart skipped a beat.
Lin Zhen turned his head slowly and stared at him.
"Who pays your salary?"
The guard was stunned.
"The company."
"Who runs the company?"
"You... and the board of Directors."
"Then, by stopping me, are you trying to make me discuss at the board meeting whether you are still suitable to work here in the future?"
The guard immediately stepped aside.
"Please, go ahead."
Lin Zhen pushed the door open and locked it behind him.
The office lights were off, with only the city light filtering in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
He walked straight behind the desk, turned on the computer, and plugged the silver USB drive Tony gave him into the host.
The screen went black.
The next second, a system notification popped up.
[Cracking Stark Industries Security Protocol]
[Encrypted Directory Found: OBD - Private Project]
Lin Zhen stroked his chin.
"OBD? Obadiah's Big Darling?"
The folder popped open.
A large number of shipping manifests, secret transfer records, overseas warehouse coordinates, and weapon batch numbers all appeared.
Lin Zhen clicked on a video at random.
In the footage, Tony was tied up in a cave, with members of the Ten Rings standing beside him.
A dark silhouette appeared on the communication screen.
Although the image had been processed, that bald head and thick beard were highly recognizable.
It was none other than Obadiah Stane.
In the video, Obadiah spoke in a low voice.
"Tony cannot return; Stark Industries needs a more stable helmsman."
Lin Zhen watched, clicking his tongue in wonder.
"Good grief, is corporate infighting in the U.S. this straightforward? Just hiring people to take out the company boss?"
He continued scrolling down.
Soon, an engineering project popped up.
[Project Name: Iron Monger]
[Core Source: Mark I Wreckage]
[Goal: Rebuild and Strengthen Individual Armor System]
[Current Progress: 87%]
The blueprints unfolded.
A massive suit of gray steel armor appeared on the screen, with rocket launchers on the shoulders, an energy slot in the chest, and heavy cannons mounted on the arms. It was several sizes larger than Tony's Mark III.
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up instantly.
"Holy shit, isn't this an upgraded version of Tony's Steel Turtle?"
He immediately copied the files twice, one into Tony's USB drive and one into his own System Inventory.
He also took a screenshot of Obadiah's overseas account list while he was at it.
This stuff might be able to farm gold coins later.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
Nick Fury.
Lin Zhen answered and said in a low voice, "Hey, Director, how is it that your call comes at such a convenient time?"
Nick Fury was silent for a second.
"Do you have any progress?"
Lin Zhen scanned a copy of the files and sent it over.
The other end of the line went quiet. After a while, Nick Fury's voice deepened.
"Obadiah is also manufacturing steel armor?"
"Yes, and it's an extra-large size. It looks like it guzzles fuel."
"Lin Zhen, the steel armor technology cannot fall into the hands of such a person. I will immediately send a team to take over the R&D factory."
"Copy all the data, leave immediately, and don't alert anyone."
"Don't worry, I've already handled it."
Lin Zhen hung up the phone and pulled out the USB drive.
As soon as he opened the door, a blonde woman in a professional skirt suit walked towards him.
The woman was holding a folder, her eyes filled with practiced intimacy.
"Mr. Obadiah, you're finally back. This additional R&D appropriation needs your signature; the project team is pushing very hard."
Lin Zhen took the document and looked at it. Good grief, 30 million U.S. dollars.
"Motherfucker."
Lin Zhen immediately straightened his face, picked up a pen, and scribbled down an account number.
"Suspend this project for now, and transfer the funds to this new account."
The woman was stunned.
"Suspend? But this is the core appropriation for the Iron Monger project."
Lin Zhen was dead serious.
"There is a more important strategic project now."
"What project?"
Lin Zhen rubbed his own smooth, bald head.
"Hair growth technology."
The woman looked at his head, and her eyes instantly became understanding.
"Understood, I will handle it immediately."
Lin Zhen nodded with satisfaction.
Just as he was about to leave, the woman suddenly stepped closer and lowered her voice.
"Don't forget tonight, Room 201 at the hotel. I bought a nurse uniform, a police uniform, and black silk stockings..."
Lin Zhen was dumbfounded.
Obadiah, you old geezer, your playstyle is even wilder than Tony's.
He coughed, put his arm around the woman, and said, "Let's go now!"
...The following plot, I know you guys don't like to read it, so I'll skip it...
Chapter 15: Then Take the One in Tony's Chest!
Hotel hallway.
Lin Zhen walked out, leaning against the wall, his steps slightly unsteady.
Behind him, the room door was ajar, and the blonde secretary poked her head out, wrapped in a blanket, a flush still lingering on her face.
"Mr. Stane, you were in such great shape today, twenty years younger."
Lin Zhen, wearing Obadiah's bald, bearded face, adjusted his suit and stubbornly replied, "What do you mean twenty years younger? I've always been this vigorous; I'm just usually low-key."
The secretary's eyes became even more adoring.
"Then, will you come tonight?"
Lin Zhen's legs trembled. He coughed and said, "Company business is more important. A man shouldn't lose himself in the lap of luxury. Of course, if you insist on queuing up, I'm not entirely opposed to considering it."
The secretary nodded, her eyes filled with affection. "I understand. I'll be waiting for your favor."
Lin Zhen: "..."
Motherfucker, I'm so jealous of this bald guy.
Lin Zhen turned and left, but after two steps, he stepped back, took the hotel bathrobe from the hanger by the door, opened the minibar, and stuffed the whiskey, chocolate, and small cans of nuts into his System Inventory.
The secretary was stunned. "Mr. Stane, what are you doing?"
Lin Zhen said earnestly, "Diligence and thrift start with me."
He finished, closed the door, and walked away without a hint of hesitation.
In the elevator, a system notification popped up.
[Stark Industries Mole: Data Copy Complete]
[Current Progress: 50%]
[Please deliver the USB drive to Tony Stark]
Lin Zhen looked at that fifty percent, and the smugness on his face instantly collapsed.
"Motherfucker, I almost couldn't hold up my pants after this mission. I sacrificed so much, and you're telling me it's only half?"
He sighed.
Forget it.
Let's head back to Tony's Villa first and get that ten thousand dollars.
...
Stark Industries Headquarters.
A black sedan pulled up to the entrance of the building.
The real Obadiah Stane stepped out of the car, wearing his usual gentle smile.
But as soon as he walked into the lobby, he noticed the atmosphere was off.
When the receptionist saw him, her eyes lit up, then turned complex, filled with a hint of awe.
"Mr. Stane, you... worked hard last night."
Obadiah stopped in his tracks.
"What?"
The receptionist lowered her voice. "The queue list is already full. I've cleared your schedule for the day after tomorrow as well."
The smile on Obadiah's face faded bit by bit.
The financial director hurried over, clutching some documents.
"Mr. Stane, the thirty million in funding has been transferred to the new strategic project account as you requested."
Obadiah's eyes darkened. "What project?"
The financial director looked down at the documents.
"The Hair Growth Technology R&D special project."
Several employees instinctively looked at Obadiah's head.
Obadiah slowly turned his head and asked coldly, "Who approved this?"
The financial director was stunned. "You signed it yourself."
Obadiah reached out his hand. "The file."
The financial director handed it over.
The signature was his.
Even the handwriting looked like his.
There was even a note written on the side.
[Top priority, urgent.]
A vein pulsed on Obadiah's temple.
Just then, the elevator door opened.
The blonde secretary walked out of the elevator, saw Obadiah, and her face flushed.
"Mr. Stane, you left so hurriedly last night that you didn't return the bathrobe to the hotel."
Obadiah slowly turned his head.
The secretary continued, "Also, the nurse uniform and police uniform you asked me to prepare have been sent to the dry cleaners. Two pairs of black stockings were torn—should I expense them to the company?"
The air in the lobby died.
Several passing employees stopped simultaneously, then sped up their pace.
Obadiah looked at the secretary, his voice squeezed through his teeth.
"You, come upstairs with me."
The secretary nodded, her expression very professional.
"Understood. Is it the role-play interrogation process again?"
Obadiah: "..."
Top-floor office.
As soon as the door closed, Obadiah slammed the file onto the desk.
"Who was that person last night?"
The secretary was stunned. "You, sir."
"I wasn't in New York last night!"
The secretary blinked, seemingly trying to determine if this was a new game.
"So, do you want me to say that the person I saw last night wasn't you? You can't do this—you can't just play with me and then deny it!"
Obadiah stepped closer.
"I'm asking you, who entered Tony's office?"
The secretary finally realized something was wrong.
"Mr. Stane, you went in yourself last night. You even said that Tony is a gay."
Obadiah's face twitched.
The secretary thought for a moment and added, "You also said you wanted to regain your virility."
Slap!
A slap landed on the secretary's face.
The secretary hit the wall, and the documents scattered everywhere.
Obadiah's chest heaved. He hadn't expected someone to be able to wear his face, enter his company, mess with his projects, take his things, and turn him into the laughingstock of the entire building.
This feeling was worse than being stripped naked in public.
"Motherfucker, pull up the surveillance footage!"
The secretary covered her face, not daring to speak again, and immediately opened the screen.
On the screen.
An "Obadiah" came out of the restroom, received greetings from female employees along the way, took the elevator, went to the top floor, threatened the security guards, and entered Tony's office.
Obadiah stared at the screen.
That face, that walking posture, that way of speaking.
Almost identical.
But he was very clear that it wasn't him.
"Pause."
The image froze.
When the imposter turned his head, half of a silver USB drive was visible in his chest pocket.
Obadiah's eyes darkened.
"Could it be Tony?"
He turned and walked toward Tony's office.
The computer security logs had been overwritten, but there were traces of copying in the hidden directory.
[OBD - Private Project: Accessed]
[Iron Monger Project: Copied]
Obadiah stood in front of the screen, motionless for a long time.
A few seconds later, he picked up the phone.
"Freeze that thirty million from just now."
A voice quickly came from the other end of the line.
"Sir, the funds have already been split and transferred through seven offshore accounts. It is currently impossible to recover."
Obadiah's hand tightened around the phone.
"Impossible to recover?"
"Yes, and the final receiving account name is..."
"Speak."
"New York Sunshine Hair Growth Mutual Aid Foundation."
The office fell silent again.
Obadiah slowly closed his eyes.
The next second, he smashed the phone against the wall.
Bang!
Fragments flew everywhere.
The secretary stood nearby, even holding her breath.
Obadiah turned around and picked up another encrypted phone.
"Activate Factory Number Sixteen."
The person on the other end of the line was clearly shocked.
"Sir, the Iron Monger hasn't finished energy adaptation, the Arc Reactor cannot be miniaturized, and the experimental team still needs time."
Obadiah's voice was very low.
"I'm not asking you how long you need."
The technical lead was silent for a moment.
"Without that small reactor in Tony's chest, we can't make the armor run stably. A forced startup will burn out the control system."
Obadiah looked at the remaining access logs in Tony's office on the screen.
"Then take the one in Tony's chest!"
Chapter 16: The Boss Appears
10880 Malibu, Malibu, California.
The air warped, and Lin Zhen slammed headfirst into the kitchen sink.
Clang.
He had a pot on his head, and his hand had subconsciously caught a piece of leftover pizza sitting in the kitchen.
Lin Zhen looked down.
"Motherfucker, the teleportation point might be off, but the service is quite thoughtful—it even provides a landing meal."
He took a bite of the pizza, but just as he stepped out of the kitchen, he stopped.
The living room was a mess; glass was shattered everywhere, furniture was overturned, and there was a trail of blood on the wall where someone had been dragged.
On the carpet, a figure was crawling slowly across the floor.
Lin Zhen stopped chewing the pizza.
He took a half-step back and raised his hand, pulling out a frying pan.
"Holy crap, there are ghosts in this game?"
The figure on the ground lifted its head, its face deathly pale.
"It... It's me..."
Lin Zhen took a closer look and let out a sigh of relief.
"You scared me. I thought Sadako came over for a visit."
Tony's mouth twitched, and his body sank further into the floor.
Only then did Lin Zhen notice that his chest was empty.
Where the blue-white light used to shine, there was only a bloody, mangled circular port, with electrode wires hanging from the edges.
Tony panted, his voice intermittent.
"Obadiah... He came. He ambushed me with a sonic paralyzer and took the Arc Reactor."
Lin Zhen looked down at his chest, then glanced at the system interface.
The next second, a notification popped up.
[Emergency Mission: Save Tony Stark - Phase 2]
[Mission Objective: Reinstall the Arc Reactor for Tony]
[Mission Reward: EXP +1500, Mission Points +8]
[Failure Penalty: Death of Tony Stark, Iron Man main storyline collapse]
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up instantly.
"Boss, don't you worry. Even if Jesus came today, He couldn't take you away—unless He gave me double the reward."
Tony almost couldn't catch his breath.
"basement, glass cabinet, old Arc Reactor."
Lin Zhen just started to walk away, but then squatted back down.
Tony stared at him.
"What are you doing?"
Lin Zhen looked serious.
"Boss, this is a life-saving mission. Does it count as overtime?"
Tony gritted his teeth.
"Yes."
"What about the night-time emergency rescue subsidy?"
"Yes."
"And mental distress compensation? I thought you were a ghost just now, my heart is traumatized."
Tony raised his hand, pointing toward the basement, suppressing his anger.
"Get the hell out and get it!"
Lin Zhen nodded in satisfaction and turned to rush toward the stairs.
Halfway there, he looked back.
"Boss, aren't you Iron Man? Why aren't you wearing your armor to fight back instead of lying on the floor simulating an earthworm?"
Veins were about to pop out on Tony's forehead.
"The armor deployment sequence takes time; I couldn't activate it after being ambushed."
Lin Zhen was shocked.
"You're so rich, and your armor still needs to be manually queued for deployment?"
Tony panted and roared.
"Shut up and go get it for me right now!"
basement.
The lights were still on, the mechanical arms were suspended in mid-air, and several pieces of gold-red armor hung on the platform.
As soon as Lin Zhen landed, Jarvis's voice sounded.
"Mr. Lin Zhen, you do not currently have the authorization to access the core energy cabinet."
Lin Zhen raised his hand and pulled out the frying pan.
The laboratory was silent for half a second.
Jarvis continued.
"Authorization temporarily granted."
Lin Zhen nodded with satisfaction.
"Not bad. You're more sensible than Nick Fury, and smarter, too."
"Thank you for the evaluation, although I am not certain if that is a compliment."
Under Jarvis's guidance, he found the old-fashioned Arc Reactor that Tony had originally used and immediately returned the way he came.
At this moment, Tony was about to lose consciousness, his fingers still clutching the carpet.
Lin Zhen crouched down and aimed the Arc Reactor at his chest.
His movements suddenly stopped.
Tony struggled to open his eyes, asking weakly: "What is it this time?"
Lin Zhen looked at the circular port.
"Boss, how do you distinguish the positive and negative terminals on this thing? If I plug it in backward, will it roast you?"
Upon hearing this, Tony was almost angered to death.
"It's not a battery. Insert it into the port and twist to lock it."
"Oh, you should've said so earlier."
Lin Zhen pushed the Arc Reactor into Tony's chest and gave it a twist.
Click.
The blue-white light turned on.
Tony took a sharp breath, his whole body looking as if it had been fished out of water, his chest heaving violently.
[Emergency Mission: Save Tony Stark - Phase 2, Completed]
[Obtained Rewards: EXP +1500, Tony Stark Favorability +20, Mission Points +8]
[Mission: The Mole in Stark Industries, Completed]
[Obtained Rewards: EXP +300, Tony Stark Favorability +10, C4 Explosives ×10]
Lin Zhen stared at the rewards, his eyes shining.
"Boss, why don't you die one more time? This mission is quite lucrative."
Tony looked up at him.
"Get lost."
Lin Zhen helped him up and patted his back.
"Your body isn't in great shape either. Capitalists still need to exercise more, otherwise you won't have the ability to fight back when someone raids your home."
Tony stood up, leaning against the wall, his expression so cold it didn't look like he had just been saved.
"Obadiah took the Arc Reactor. He's going to start that armor, and I must stop him!"
Lin Zhen took a USB drive out of his backpack and shook it.
"You mean Iron Monger? I got the data, and by the way, I transferred thirty million from him and set up a Sun Hair Growth Foundation for him."
Tony's movements paused.
"You transferred thirty million from him?"
"Yeah, he's been bald for so many years, he must really need this project."
Tony looked at him, suddenly not knowing which part to scold first.
Lin Zhen tossed the USB drive to him.
"This thing also contains evidence of him colluding with the Ten Rings, selling your weapons, and hiring people to kill you."
Tony caught the USB drive, his fingers tightening. He didn't speak, but turned and walked toward the basement.
Lin Zhen followed.
"Boss, that look on your face isn't right. Are you going to turn to the dark side?"
"I am going to stop him."
Tony stood on the armor platform. The mechanical arms began to operate; the foot armor locked, the leg armor closed, the chest armor advanced, and the arm assembly followed.
Lin Zhen stood to the side, frowning as he watched.
"Boss, with the speed you put on your gear, the dungeon boss could really finish a cigarette and go for a full massage before you're ready."
Tony kept a cold face.
"This is precision engineering."
"No, this is waiting to die."
The mechanical arm snapped the shoulder armor onto Tony.
Tony's voice dropped.
"The next suit, I will have it deploy in under a minute."
Lin Zhen shook his head.
"A minute is still too slow. When I play games, changing gear takes just one click."
At this moment, the helmet finally snapped down. The red-gold armor's eyes lit up with white light; the Mark III was fully equipped.
The next second, a loud noise came from outside the Villa.
Boom!
In the direction of the coastal highway, the wall was smashed open.
Rubble and steel bars flew into the living room.
A massive gray suit of armor walked out of the dust, and the ground shook every time it took a step.
It was a whole size larger than the Mark III.
It had rocket launchers on its shoulders, heavy machine guns mounted on its arms, and the Arc Reactor on its chest shone with a blinding white light.
Obadiah's voice came from inside.
"Tony, you're always like this."
"The company, the technology, the wealth—everyone revolves around you."
"Now, hand over everything you have, including your life."
Tony didn't reply; he raised his arm, his palm repulsors lit up—he clearly had the intent to kill.
Lin Zhen stood to the side, staring at the top of Iron Monger's head.
A system prompt popped up.
[Elite BOSS: Iron Monger]
[Weaknesses: Energy Core, Joint Transmission, Cockpit Seal]
[Reward: Depending on the damage dealt to the BOSS by the player; the higher the damage, the richer the reward.]
Lin Zhen was energized.
"Motherfucker, this bald guy is really considerate, delivering a treasure chest to my door himself."
Chapter 17: Come Out, Pikachu!
The massive Iron Monger armor stepped onto the carpet, its chassis emitting a heavy hydraulic roar, and Obadiah's voice came through the loudspeaker, filled with condescending mockery.
"Tony, you're always like this, thinking you can control everything, but now, the technology you're so proud of is about to become the coffin that buries you."
He raised his thick mechanical right arm, the pitch-black heavy machine cannon slowly rotating to aim at the Mark III that had just finished suiting up.
"Motherfucker, you bald old geezer, why is the cutscene before fighting the boss so long? Don't you know players hate unskippable plot scenes the most?"
A highly discordant voice suddenly interrupted this fateful standoff.
Obadiah froze for a moment, controlling the Iron Monger's head to turn, and saw a man wearing a chicken mask with a middle-part hairstyle, holding a dark frying pan in his hand, staring at his armor with the kind of look one would give a peerless beauty.
"Who are you?" Obadiah's voice sank.
Lin Zhen completely ignored him, instead turning his head to look at Tony beside him. "Boss, does this monster count as mine or yours? The system says rewards are based on damage, so don't fight me for DPS."
Tony stood inside the Mark III, his face under the mask as dark as the bottom of a pot. "Get lost! I have the Mark IIInow; I don't need you, my bodyguard, to make a move!"
"You lack vision; you just don't understand teamwork." Lin Zhen curled his lip, his legs suddenly exerting force, and he shot toward the Iron Monger like a cannonball.
Obadiah stared at that chicken mask, and the surveillance footage his secretary had pulled up suddenly flashed through his mind.
That bastard who had used his face to swagger around Stark Tower and even signed him up for a hair growth foundation seemed to have worn this kind of mask too.
"It's you!" Obadiah's fury burned, his voice almost distorted. "You're the one who entered my company last night!"
"That's right, it's me. By the way, the quality of your secretary's black stockings is really poor; they ripped with just a little force. Remember to buy more expensive ones next time." Lin Zhen mocked loudly while sprinting.
"Go to hell!" Obadiah completely lost it, and the heavy machine cannon on his right arm fired instantly.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!
Tongues of fire spat out as large-caliber bullets swept toward Lin Zhen like a metal storm; bullets of this caliber hitting a person could tear them to shreds instantly.
Tony was shocked and hurriedly shouted: "Dodge, you idiot!"
Instead of retreating, Lin Zhen advanced, suddenly raising the frying pan with his left hand to block in front of him.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
Dense bullets hit the frying pan, bursting into blinding sparks. The immense Shockwave sent Lin Zhen flying backward, but he remained completely unscathed, not even his hand holding the pan shaking.
Obadiah looked at the screen, his eyes nearly popping out.
That was a 20mm depleted uranium armor-piercing round; it was actually blocked by a frying pan used for cooking?
Does this even obey the laws of physics?!
Tony was also stunned; Jarvis was frantically sounding alarms in the helmet, stating that it was impossible to analyze the material of that pan.
"Motherfucker, anything produced by the System is a top-tier product; this is definitely an artifact!" Lin Zhen felt the counter-shock from the frying pan and was overjoyed. He pushed through the rain of bullets and forcefully charged to the feet of the Iron Monger.
"The pedicurist is here!" Lin Zhen shouted, swung the frying pan, and delivered a heavy blow to the hydraulic joint behind the Iron Monger's right knee.
Clang!
With a loud bang, the Iron Monger's massive body swayed violently, and its right leg buckled uncontrollably.
[Hit Weak Point: Joint Actuation]
[Dealt minor physical damage, accumulated damage value: 1%]
Lin Zhen looked at the prompt that popped up before him, and his face instantly fell.
"Motherfucker, this monster's armor is so high? One pan only does one percent of its health?"
Obadiah stabilized the chassis and backhanded a slap toward Lin Zhen. "Go to hell!"
The massive steel palm slammed down with a whistling sound. Lin Zhen performed an extremely smooth tactical roll, sliding under the Iron Monger's crotch, and casually stuck two pieces of C4 explosives onto its inner thigh.
"Boss, ignite it!" Lin Zhen shouted at Tony as soon as he slid out.
Although Tony felt the scene was absurd to the extreme, his combat instincts remained. He raised his right hand, his palm repulsor instantly charged, and a searing white energy beam accurately struck the C4 Lin Zhen had just attached.
Boom!!!
A violent explosion erupted under the Iron Monger's crotch, flames engulfing its lower body. The massive shockwave knocked it back three steps, and it slammed hard into a load-bearing wall.
"Nice job, Boss. I give you a nine out of ten for this assist." Lin Zhen poked his head out from behind a sofa, looking at the Iron Monger's smoking lower half, and rubbed his hands together excitedly.
[Hit Weak Point: Armor Weak Spot]
[Dealt massive explosion damage, accumulated damage value: 15%]
Obadiah was shaken senseless in the cockpit. He looked at the red warnings constantly flashing on the screen and completely lost his sanity.
"Tony! Do you think you can win against me just by finding a lunatic!" The Arc Reactor on the Iron Monger's chest erupted with blinding light. It stabilized its stance, the rocket pod on its left arm popped open, and six micro-missiles locked onto Tony.
"Jarvis, concentrate energy on the chest armor!" Tony's expression was grave, preparing to tank this hit.
Just then, Lin Zhen pulled three more pieces of C4 from his pocket and threw them into mid-air like beanbags, accurately intercepting the flight path of the missiles.
"Boss, keep firing, don't stop, the DPS can't be interrupted!" Lin Zhen shouted.
Tony gritted his teeth. "Do you think I'm a lighter?!"
While cursing, Tony raised both hands simultaneously, firing two palm repulsor blasts that accurately hit the C4 in mid-air.
Rumble!
A chain explosion erupted in the center of the Villa living room. The intense airflow completely blew over the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, and flames and thick smoke instantly obscured everyone's vision.
"Cough, cough... Motherfucker, does this game not have friendly fire immunity?" Lin Zhen covered his chicken maskand coughed, climbing out of the rubble.
Before the smoke had cleared, a huge dark shadow suddenly broke through the wall of fire. Although the Iron Monger was charred all over with armor damaged in many places, it still lunged at Tony aggressively.
Bang!
The Iron Monger punched the Mark III in the chest, sending Tony flying backward, crashing through the glass curtain wall and landing on the balcony outside.
"Tony! So what if it's two against one? In the end, I will be the one who wins!" Obadiah laughed wildly, striding toward the balcony.
Lin Zhen became anxious when he saw this. "Holy crap, the monster is running away, my rewards!"
He immediately opened his System Inventory, took one look at the five remaining pieces of C4 inside, and without hesitation, pulled them all out, binding them together with tape.
"Old geezer, take this ultimate invincible giant firecracker from me!"
Lin Zhen rushed out of the Villa, stepped over the shattered glass, and with a giant leap, jumped directly onto the Iron Monger's back.
Obadiah felt the movement on his back and tried to reach back to grab him. "Get off, you annoying rat!"
Lin Zhen flexibly dodged the mechanical hand, climbed onto the Iron Monger's shoulder like a monkey, and shoved the entire bundle of C4 hard into the gap in its shoulder armor, which was the circuit area connecting the rocket pod and the motherboard.
"Boss, one last time, blast it to death for me!" Lin Zhenpressed the timer switch on the C4, then kicked hard off the Iron Monger's head, sending himself flying backward.
Tony had just climbed up from the ground when he saw Lin Zhen waving frantically at him from mid-air, and the bundle of red-flashing explosives on the Iron Monger's shoulder was even more conspicuous than a street lamp.
"You really are a complete lunatic." Tony took a deep breath, the Arc Reactor on his chest shining brightly, and the Unibeam fired instantly.
Boom!!!!
This explosion was more violent than any before; the power of the five pieces of C4 combined with the Unibeam directly shattered the Iron Monger's right shoulder, the entire mechanical right arm slammed onto the ground with a clang, and the sealing cover of the cockpit was also blown open at one corner.
[Hit Core Weak Point: Energy Transmission Hub]
[Dealt devastating damage, accumulated damage value: 65%]
[Current BOSS HP has dropped below the red line, triggering Berserk state]
Lin Zhen fell heavily onto the lawn, rolling twice before stopping. He looked at the system prompt, his eyes shining brightly under the mask.
"Sixty-five percent damage share, I'm guaranteed to get the lion's share this time!"
"But this guy, having taken so much damage, how is he not dead yet? Is it a BOSS bonus?"
However, before he could finish rejoicing, a beast-like roar came from Obadiah inside the broken body of the Iron Monger.
"I'm going to kill you! Kill all of you!"
The Arc Reactor on the Iron Monger's chest began to overload, emitting a piercing buzzing sound. The hidden armor on its back suddenly popped open, and a thick, heavy high-explosive missile slowly rose, directly locking onto Lin Zhen, who was lying on the lawn.
Tony was horrified. "Jarvis, full thrust!"
Flames erupted from the soles of the Mark III, wanting to rush over to intercept, but it was already too late.
"Lock confirmed, go to hell!" Obadiah laughed wildly.
Whoosh!
The heavy missile trailed a long tail of fire, whistling toward Lin Zhen.
Lin Zhen lay on the ground, watching the missile getting closer and closer, and felt his empty pockets. The C4 was gone, the grenades were gone, and the frying pan had been left in the living room earlier.
"Motherfucker, how does this monster have a second transformation phase?"
He took a look at his System Inventory, and only one lonely item remained inside.
[Random Reward: Inflatable Doll (Male)]
[Hidden Description: Can transform into a clone at a critical moment, attributes are 50% of the original, lasts for ten minutes]
Lin Zhen gritted his teeth, his eyes hardening.
"System-bro, I'll trust you once. I hope this thing really isn't for gay stuff!"
He suddenly reached into his crotch and roared loudly.
"Come out, Pikachu!"
Chapter 18: Forgot to Turn Off Auto-Pickup!
"Come out, Pikachu!"
The next second, a man in a chicken mask who looked exactly like Lin Zhen slammed onto the lawn out of thin air.
Other than the chicken mask and a flamboyant thong, it wasn't wearing anything else.
Lin Zhen was silent for two seconds.
"Motherf*cker, Brother System, did you spend the entire modeling budget on the face?"
The clone also looked at him, its voice just as cheeky as his.
"Original, what are your orders?"
Lin Zhen pointed at the heavy missile flying toward them.
"Go, hug that thing for Daddy."
The clone looked up at the missile, then looked down at Lin Zhen.
"Hug my ass, I only have fifty percent of your attributes."
"It's fine, you have one hundred percent of my handsomeness."
The missile was already right in their faces.
Tony accelerated desperately in mid-air, his foot thrusters spitting out two streams of fire, and Jarvis's alarms were practically exploding inside his helmet.
"Sir, unable to complete interception before Shockwave."
Tony gritted his teeth. "Then crash into it!"
But before he could collide with it, Lin Zhen's clone had already rushed up.
It opened its arms and hugged the missile warhead directly.
The missile pushed it backward as it flew.
Lin Zhen felt a sense of reverence.
"Brother, go in peace. I will inherit your legacy!"
Boom!!!
A ball of fire exploded at the end of the lawn.
The shockwave knocked Lin Zhen three meters away. He rolled on the ground once, looked up, and saw system notifications pop up.
[Clone suffered fatal damage]
[Clone has disappeared]
[Successfully intercepted heavy high-explosive missile]
[Player contribution increased]
[Current BOSS damage ratio: 72%]
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up.
"Holy crap, inflatable brother died a worthy death!"
Tony landed beside him, the light of the Arc Reactor in his chest flickering.
"What was that thing?"
Lin Zhen patted the dirt off his body.
"A temp worker, the kind you don't have to pay social security for."
Tony looked at the explosion site, then at Lin Zhen.
"How much other random junk are you still hiding?"
"Boss, employees have a right to privacy."
"You just pulled a person out of your crotch."
"That's called a spatial backpack; your mind is too dirty."
Tony was speechless for a moment.
On the other side, the light in the chest of the Iron Mongerflickered on and off.
Obadiah's voice was filled with electrical static, and white smoke kept pouring out of the cockpit.
"You can't destroy me, Tony. I am the true Master of Stark Industries!"
The Iron Monger's remaining left arm raised, and the machine cannon spun again.
But this time, as soon as the muzzle lifted, it jammed.
The earlier explosion had damaged the shoulder transmission; the machine cannon only spun twice, emitting a harsh grinding sound.
Lin Zhen's eyes lit up.
"Boss, its skill is jammed, go for it!"
Tony raised both hands, charging his repulsors simultaneously.
"Obadiah, it's over."
"Over?"
Obadiah laughed loudly. "Tony, you're still too naive. Do you think this will be over just by killing me?"
A small screen popped out from a damaged gap in the Iron Monger's cockpit.
On it were lists of the military contacts, coordinates for overseas warehouses, and several encrypted communication records.
"The weapons market won't stop just because you say it's closed. The Ten Rings is just one buyer. People in the the military want my goods, and people on the board support me."
"You're just a science geek who doesn't understand business!"
Tony looked up without replying, staring at the Arc Reactoron the Iron Monger's chest.
"Jarvis, calculate remaining energy."
"Sir, the current reactor output is less than seventeen percent. It is recommended to avoid high-intensity combat."
"Is it enough for one flight?"
"Barely."
Tony looked at Lin Zhen.
"Lure him to the roof."
Lin Zhen immediately retreated.
"What are you going to do?"
"I have a way to overload the Iron Monger, generate a high-voltage arc, and pierce through his armor."
Lin Zhen understood half of it.
"You mean lure the BOSS into a trap zone?"
"Something like that."
"You should've said so earlier. Technical jargon is harmful."
Lin Zhen picked up a frying pan from the ground and beckoned to the Iron Monger.
"Old man, come chase me. If you catch me, I'll let you hehehe."
Obadiah completely snapped.
The Iron Monger took heavy steps and charged toward Lin Zhen.
The ground cracked under its steps.
Lin Zhen turned and ran, shouting as he went.
"Boss, I've aggroed the mob, don't screw me over!"
Tony's feet spewed fire as he ascended, circling above the Villa.
Lin Zhen sprinted along the edge of the pool. The Iron Monger slammed a fist down, shattering the pool railing and splashing water all over him.
"Motherf*cker, if you're going to fight, just fight. Why are you splashing water? So rude!"
The Iron Monger swung its fist again.
Lin Zhen performed a fierce slide, slipped between the Iron Monger's legs, and took the opportunity to smack the joint of its other leg with the frying pan.
Clang!
[Weak point hit]
[Current BOSS damage ratio: 75%]
Just as Lin Zhen scrambled up, the Iron Monger kicked at him.
He raised the frying pan to block it hard.
Bang!
He flew into the ruins of the living room and crashed into a pile of sofa debris.
The Iron Monger chased him in, the Arc Reactor in its chest flickering violently.
Its body started to lose control, trembling as it walked.
"Tony, I won't let you destroy everything I have!"
Tony hovered above the roof, firing his repulsors at the Iron Monger's feet.
The explosion forced the Iron Monger toward the platform in the center of the Villa.
Directly below it was the main energy node of the large Arc Reactor.
Tony's voice rang out.
"Pepper, initiate overload."
In the remote communication, Pepper's voice trembled.
"Tony, you're still up there!"
"I know, press it."
The next second, the Villa's energy core lit up.
Blue-white arcs of electricity surged from the ground, like countless chains, instantly wrapping around the Iron Monger.
Obadiah screamed.
Sparks burst from the armor shell, the Arc Reactor in its chest began to backfire, and all the screens in the cockpit blared alarms simultaneously.
Watching this scene, Lin Zhen immediately rushed up.
Tony's pupils constricted.
"What are you doing? Come back!"
Lin Zhen advanced instead of retreating. Holding the frying pan, he stepped on the Iron Monger's knee and used the leverage to jump onto its chest.
Arcs of electricity struck the frying pan, sending sparks flying everywhere.
He slammed the pan onto the Iron Monger's chest reactor and pressed down with both hands.
"Boss, I'm kill-stealing!"
Tony almost cursed out loud.
"You're crazy!"
"What's the difference between not kill-stealing in a game and not flushing after using the toilet!"
The energy in the Iron Monger's chest was forcibly pushed back by the frying pan, and the white light of the reactor swelled to its limit.
Looking at that chicken mask from inside the cockpit, Obadiah finally felt fear in his eyes.
"What kind of monster are you?"
Boom!!!
The Iron Monger's chest reactor exploded.
The massive gray armor was torn apart by the arcs and the explosion. The entire machine flew backward, smashed through the wall, and fell off the seaside cliff.
Tony fell from mid-air, barely landing before his thrusters died out.
Lin Zhen was blown into the sky by the explosion, flipped three times in the air, and smacked into the pool with a splash.
A few seconds later.
Bubbles gurgled on the surface of the water.
Lin Zhen emerged holding the frying pan, the chicken mask stuck to his face, and he spat out a mouthful of water.
"Motherf*cker, I almost became a drowned chicken."
System notifications refreshed frantically.
[Elite BOSS: Iron Monger, defeated]
[Player damage ratio: 81%]
[Experience points + 5000]
[Quest points + 15]
[Obtained equipment: Iron Monger shoulder wreckage × 1]
[Obtained item: Small Arc Reactor fragment × 1]
[Obtained cash: $50,000]
[Hidden reward: Steel-type equipment modification permission (Primary)]
Lin Zhen stared at the rewards, his eyes widening.
"Fifty thousand bucks?!"
He climbed out of the pool, ran to Tony, and grabbed his iron hand.
"Boss, from now on, your enemies are my enemies. The BOSSes you spawn are way too fat."
Tony opened his faceplate, completely speechless.
"I almost died just now, how many more enemies do you want me to have?"
As he spoke, Tony's gaze swept over the Iron Monger's wreckage, and he stepped forward to search through it.
"The reactor is gone?"
Tony was stunned and had Jarvis activate scan mode.
Sure enough, the chest area of the Iron Monger's armor was completely empty.
The reactor Stane had stolen from him was gone, but such a large reactor couldn't just disappear into thin air.
Tony thought of something, immediately turned his head, and looked at the most suspicious person on the scene: Lin Zhen.
Sensing that scrutinizing gaze, Lin Zhen felt his pure dignity had been greatly insulted.
"Why are you looking at me? I didn't steal it!"
He really didn't steal it.
He just forgot to turn off the auto-pickup function.
Chapter 19: Actually, I am Iron Man!
"Actually..."
Tony stood on the press conference stage and glanced down at the script in his hand.
The next second, he closed the twenty-three-page crisis management script.
"I am Iron Man."
Boom!
The entire press area exploded instantly.
Flashes went off like crazy, and the reporters almost shoved their microphones into Tony's face.
"Mr. Stark, look here!"
"Do you admit that you possess armed armor?"
"Was last night's explosion related to Obadiah Stane?"
"Will you turn over the Iron Man technology to the government?"
Backstage.
Pepper closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
Lt. Col. Rhodes' face was filled with despair.
He turned and left.
He was afraid that if he stayed for another second, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from stuffing Tony under the press conference table.
At the same time.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
In the Director's office, a dozen screens were playing the news simultaneously.
Tony's line, "I am Iron Man," was being played on a loop by all major channels.
Nick Fury sat behind his desk, his one eye fixed on the screen.
Beside him sat his sixth cup of coffee.
An Agent walked in cautiously.
"Director, the White House, the the military, Congress, the New York Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the Stark Industries legal department are all looking for us."
Nick Fury didn't look up.
"Make them wait in line."
"They say this is a national security incident."
"Tell them national security is currently working overtime."
The Agent didn't dare to speak.
Just then, the air twisted.
Bang!
Lin Zhen fell from mid-air and landed precisely on the new sofa Nick Fury had just bought.
The sofa let out a groan.
Lin Zhen sat up, still holding half a burger in his hand.
"Director, this sofa is nice; it has great rebound."
Nick Fury's eye twitched.
"Lin Zhen, how many times have I told you to use the door when entering my office?"
"Using the door requires registration, registration requires waiting in line, and waiting in line affects work efficiency."
Lin Zhen took a bite of the burger.
"See, aren't I here to report on the mission voluntarily?"
Nick Fury pointed at the screen.
"Is this the mission result you're reporting?"
On the screen, Tony's face was still repeating.
"I am Iron Man."
Lin Zhen glanced at it and nodded.
"The boss knows how to show off; the lines are short and have strong viral potential. I suggest S.H.I.E.L.D. learns from this."
Nick Fury set his coffee cup on the table.
"We prepared twenty-three pages of explanations for him, and he ruined it all with one sentence."
"That just means your copywriting is bad—it's too long, and netizens these days don't like to read."
Nick Fury stared at him.
"One more thing, the Arc Reactor in the Iron Monger's chest is missing."
Lin Zhen's chewing stopped for a moment.
"Is that so?"
"Tony says you are the most suspicious person at the scene."
Lin Zhen immediately sat up straight, his tone serious.
"Director, this is slander; it's an attack on the character of an outstanding employee. I, Lin Zhen, have lived a clean life. Apart from stealing your cup, mouse, condoms, documents, coffee beans, parking card, and the office spare key, when have I ever stolen anything serious?"
Nick Fury was silent for two seconds.
"You don't call those serious things?"
"Don't change the subject."
Lin Zhen slapped his thigh.
"I really didn't steal the Arc Reactor."
Just then, the System Inventory interface popped up automatically.
[Auto-picked up item: Damaged Arc Reactor × 1]
[Note: Insufficient energy, but still has research value; can be used for Iron Man-series equipment modification.]
The air suddenly went quiet.
Nick Fury couldn't see the system interface.
But he saw the pause on Lin Zhen's face.
"Take it out."
Lin Zhen's gaze drifted.
"Take what out?"
"The Arc Reactor."
"Director, this isn't good; employee personal property is protected by law."
"That is Stark Industries' core technology."
"It fell on the ground; whoever picks it up gets to keep it. This is called a gift from nature."
Nick Fury stood up.
Lin Zhen immediately stepped back half a step and pulled out a frying pan.
"Director, calm down. A gentleman uses words, not hands."
"You put the pan down first."
"You put the gun down first."
Nick Fury looked down at his empty hands.
"I'm not holding a gun."
Lin Zhen stared at his eyepatch.
"Your one eye makes it look like you're hiding a skill."
Nick Fury took a deep breath.
"Hand over the Arc Reactor; S.H.I.E.L.D. will keep it."
"Not giving it to you."
"Ten thousand dollars."
Lin Zhen took out the Arc Reactor.
Snap.
The silver-white ring landed on the table.
Nick Fury's eyes darkened, and he reached out to grab it.
Lin Zhen pressed down on the Arc Reactor.
"Wait, I said rent, not sell. Ten thousand dollars a day, deposit extra, and you pay for any damages at cost."
A vein on Nick Fury's forehead throbbed.
"Motherfucker."
Nick Fury's expression darkened.
"Lin Zhen, you must know that if this thing flows into the black market, ten Iron Mongers will appear within a week."
Lin Zhen was silent for a second.
"Then shouldn't I raise the rent?"
The office door was pushed open.
A red-haired woman walked in.
She wore a black combat suit, her steps were steady, and two shock batons hung from her waist.
She glanced at the Arc Reactor on the table, then at Lin Zhen, who was wearing a chicken mask.
"Is this the trouble you mentioned?"
Nick Fury rubbed his temples.
"Natasha Romanoff."
Lin Zhen froze completely.
He turned his head slowly.
His eyes lit up instantly.
"Black Widow..."
Nick Fury interrupted him immediately.
"Lin Zhen, shut up."
Lin Zhen hid the frying pan behind his back, and his voice became serious.
"Hello, my name is Lin Zhen, an outstanding employee of S.H.I.E.L.D., single, healthy, skilled in melee, demolition, driving, clearing dungeons, and occasionally able to provide emotional value."
Natasha looked at him.
"You stared at my legs for three seconds, stared at the shock batons for one second, and only looked at my eyes last."
Lin Zhen was filled with respect: "As expected of a top-tier Agent; your observation skills are truly perverted."
"Agent Lin Zhen, right? I've heard of you..."
Lin Zhen perked up.
"Does the Director often praise me?"
Natasha said calmly: "The six-star lockdown in New York, causing Young Master Hammer to faint twice, three explosions at Tony's Villa, Happy hospitalized, and Stane's secretary applying for psychological leave."
Lin Zhen was silent.
"Director, is this how you usually promote me?"
Nick Fury sneered.
"I've already been very restrained."
Natasha walked to the table and picked up the document.
"After Tony reveals his identity, the the military and the board of Directors will target him. S.H.I.E.L.D. needs to re-evaluate his stability."
Nick Fury nodded.
"Agent Lin Zhen, the surveillance mission you were responsible for ends here. From now on, Tony Stark will be handed over to Black Widow for follow-up contact and assessment."
Lin Zhen was immediately unhappy: "No, Director, you're taking the mission away from me?"
"Yes."
"And letting Black Widow get close to Tony?"
"It's an assessment."
Lin Zhen's expression changed.
"A guy like Tony, he never looks at files when evaluating women; he only looks at the waist-to-hip ratio."
Natasha raised an eyebrow and asked: "You know him well?"
Lin Zhen said seriously: "I've lived at his place. He doesn't even let the AI use a female voice. A person like that is very dangerous if he's suppressed for too long."
Nick Fury slammed his hand on the table.
"Enough."
Lin Zhen pointed at Natasha.
"Director, I request to continue following the Tony mission."
"Not approved."
"Then I request to follow Black Widow."
"Not approved."
"Then I request to be followed by Black Widow."
Natasha's mouth twitched.
Nick Fury's face turned even darker.
"Lin Zhen, you have a new assignment now."
"What assignment?"
"Rest, and wait for orders."
Lin Zhen lay back on the sofa.
"That's just slacking off with pay. You should have said so earlier."
Nick Fury threw a document at his face.
"At the same time, organize the files on Stane. The the military needs a chain of evidence."
Lin Zhen picked up the document and glanced at it.
"Director, I helped you kill the boss, saved Tony, swiped the Arc Reactor, and provided evidence. How come I feel like I'm the busiest one?"
"Because you cause the most trouble."
Natasha looked at the Arc Reactor in his hand.
"Why didn't you give it to Tony?"
Lin Zhen put the Arc Reactor back into his System Inventory.
"Because Tony is rich; he doesn't lack an old battery."
"And you do?"
"I lack money, I lack equipment, and I also lack a female teammate who can curse in Russian."
Natasha looked at him without responding.
Lin Zhen's heart skipped a beat. As expected of Black Widow; this NPC's presence was more oppressive than an elite monster.
Just then, the office lights flickered twice.
The main screen on the wall switched automatically.
A satellite image popped up.
Location: New Mexico.
In the center of the desert, a circular impact crater was smoking.
In the center of the crater, there was a hammer.
The energy readings next to it shot into the red.
The technician's voice came through the communication channel.
"Director, three minutes ago, an unidentified high-energy object fell in New Mexico. The energy signature does not match any database on Earth."
Nick Fury's expression darkened.
Natasha also put away her previous casual demeanor.
But Lin Zhen stared at the hammer in the center of the screen, his eyes lighting up bit by bit.
The next second, a system prompt popped up.
[world Event Triggered]
[Mission Name: The Hammer from the Sky]
[Mission Objective: Go to New Mexico and make contact with the unknown artifact.]
[Special Tip: This item is suspected to be of Orange quality; it cannot be appraised at this time.]
[Completion Reward: Unknown]
Lin Zhen sat up abruptly from the sofa.
"Motherfucker."
Nick Fury looked at him.
"What do you want to do now?"
Lin Zhen had already opened the map teleportation interface, his tone serious.
"Director, don't stop me."
"That might be an alien threat."
"I know."
"You must wait for an assessment. If there are results, I will assign you to this mission."
Lin Zhen stared at the hammer on the screen and grinned.
"An Orange item has spawned; waiting even one second is an insult to a player's dignity."
As the words fell.
He disappeared from the office entirely.
Nick Fury reached out to stop him, but grabbed nothing.
On the table, the coffee cup was also gone.
Nick Fury looked down at the empty tabletop.
Two seconds later.
"Motherfucker!!!"
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