Inside Delong Castle, Zed was experiencing the wicked, decadent capitalist lifestyle with a critical eye.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
Setron's communication signal interrupted Zed, who was enjoying a second round of sleep. Zed looked at the display screen with displeasure. "Tony Stark, what's that guy up to now?"
Zed had set up a secret communication channel when he ordered scientific equipment from Tony.
This channel had previously been managed by Dan Kuroto. Now, with Setron, Zed had handed it over to manage, entrusting it with the security of the communications.
Tony was currently in the basement of his seaside villa, checking the palladium levels in his blood:
"Jarvis, call the Watch Merchant."
"Understood, sir. Connection established."
After the signal connected, the voice from the speaker wasn't Zed's, but Setron's mechanical synthetic voice: "Mr. Stark, how may I be of assistance?"
Tony was already used to Setron's cold voice:
"Connect me to Zed Oleg. Now that I know he's just a high school student, there's no need to beat around the bush."
Setron's reply was still icy:
"Mr. Zed has blocked you. If you have any important matters to discuss, please inform me, and I will determine whether to forward them to Mr. Zed."
Tony immediately widened his eyes and turned his head sharply, shouting:
"He blocked Tony Stark!"
"Yes, Mr. Stark. Mr. Zed also left you a message: Don't bother me if it's nothing!"
The ice-cold Setron, at this moment, perfectly imitated Zed's tone.
Tony was instantly furious and hurriedly said:
"Connect me to him immediately. That guy must have secretly transferred so much money from my account last time. I haven't even settled the score with him yet!"
Setron remained unmoved.
"Mr. Zed has entrusted me with full responsibility for this channel. I will strictly adhere to Mr. Zed's requirements.
Please tell me what you wish to say, and I will determine whether it needs to be forwarded to Mr. Zed."
Tony's mouth couldn't help but twitch, and he didn't intend to waste time chatting with the cold Setron.
"I want to invite him to my party. Does that reason pass?"
Setron's dynamic face morphed into a loading bar. After it reached one hundred percent, Setron spoke again:
"I am sorry, sir, it did not pass."
"The genius scientist Tony Stark invites Zed Oleg to a party!"
"I am sorry, sir, it did not pass."
"The genius scientist and Iron Man Tony Stark invites Zed Oleg to a party!"
"I'm sorry, sir, I couldn't get through."
"I want to host the Stark Industries Expo."
"Verification successful. Transferring to Mr. Zed."
⊙(◇)?
Zed answered the communication request submitted by Setron and roared: "What's going on so early in the morning? Don't the neighbors have to go to work? Don't they have to go to school?"
Tony retorted sarcastically: "Are you still in school? The esteemed Kamen Rider Zi-O."
Zed thought about it, and realized he probably couldn't win against Tony in a verbal sparring match, so he stopped trying. He asked: "What is it? Why are you disturbing my beauty sleep so early?"
"I invited you to a party, but the verification failed. However, it went through immediately when I mentioned the Stark Industries Expo."
"I didn't realize you were such an old-fashioned guy. Is my party really that unappealing?"
Tony had reined in his usual snark, but couldn't help but throw in a jab.
Stark Industries Expo!
Iron Man 2 had begun!
Zed immediately snapped to attention, saying righteously:
"I have no interest in such a decadent, meaningless party! I absolutely will not attend your party!"
"Skye! Where did you put Dan Kuroto's suit?"
Night fell, and Tony's seaside villa was brightly lit, with a cacophony of voices. Outside the villa, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Rolls-Royces filled the parking area.
Many socialites were self-aware enough not to expect to snag Tony Stark, so they set their sights on the other guests attending the party.
The socialites proudly swayed their waists, flaunting their charm and trying to outshine their rivals.
The men watched with amusement as the socialites vied for attention, preening and posing, quite a spectacle!
Vroom~
A flash of water-blue lightning streaked across the night sky. The roar of its engine sent professional racing enthusiasts into a frenzy, and its dazzling water-blue fluorescent patterns caused the socialites to scream.
The next-generation Setron chariot swaggered to a halt at the entrance of Tony's villa.
After the door opened, a young man in a silver-gray suit, a black shirt, and a slicked-back hairstyle, but with a small curl of bangs, stepped out.
"Who's the young master this time?"
"I'm more interested in the car."
"Looks like a custom-made luxury car."
"Wow, how cool!"
"The car or the person?"
"Both!"
Zed ignored the onlookers after getting out of the car and walked straight towards the villa's gate.
"Welcome, Mr. Zed, have a pleasant time."
"Thank you, Jarvis."
Zed had come to the party alone today. Skye had originally insisted on coming too. Only after Zed repeatedly assured her that something would definitely happen at the party did he manage to calm Skye down.
The party hadn't officially started when Zed entered the villa; all the guests were mingling in small groups. After all, guests who came solely for fun were in the minority.
As soon as Zed arrived at the villa's entrance, Jarvis notified Tony. Tony immediately put down the files he was working on and headed towards Zed.
Pepper, who was handling documents, and Natalie Rushman, a new recruit from the legal department, could only follow Tony helplessly.
"Hey! Isn't this Mr. Zed who said he wouldn't come to the party? What brings you to my decadent party now?" Tony teased with a smile.
"So good!"
Tony, smiling, picked up a glass of champagne and a glass of juice from a tray. "Minors can't drink alcohol. This is your juice, high schooler!"
Zed looked at Tony with disdain: "Where's this king's cola?"
Tony's face immediately fell, baring his teeth at the arrogant guy in front of him: "This king? Cola? Come on! What king doesn't drink alcohol? Juice only, take it or leave it!"
Tony's bickering with the young man in front of him caught Pepper's attention. She walked over and asked: "Tony, is this your friend? Why don't you introduce him?"
Pepper and Natalie Rushman's arrival caught Zed's attention, but he wasn't surprised at all. He already knew Natasha would be lurking around Tony.
What did surprise Zed was how busy the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were. They didn't even have time for rest and vacations before being sent on missions.
Natasha gave Zed a meaningful look, then pretended not to know him, just like Zed did.
Tony was momentarily speechless. He couldn't quite define his relationship with Zed.
Although both were arrogant, their arrogance manifested in different ways. Furthermore, Zed's confrontational attitude towards the military made Tony a little uncomfortable.
Zed generously extended his hand to shake Pepper's, introducing himself: "Zed Oleg, a newly established Watch Merchant."
Pepper found it strange. He claimed to be a Watch Merchant, but why didn't this young man have a watch?
Being smart and savvy, Pepper didn't pry. She politely greeted Zed:
"Mr. Zed, you're quite accomplished for your age. I hope you enjoy your evening."
"Thank you."
After Pepper and Natasha left, Tony couldn't help but laugh:
"Watch Merchant? Watch Merchant! Although it does fit your identity, what watch merchant doesn't wear a watch?"
Tony said, pointing at the socialites in the villa's hall.
Zed said disdainfully: "What if it gets broken? Besides, I'm not selling the watch itself, but what's contained within it."
Tony realized this and glared at Zed: "You'll sell your watch face? You played me so hard in the Middle East! And you even said it was a remote-controlled bomb!"
Tony clearly didn't believe Zed would sell the watch face, just as Tony refused to hand over the Iron Man suit at the National Defense Fair.
Zed shook his juice glass and said slowly: "Only a rental service."
"How much?" Tony's eyes were practically gleaming. What if he could figure out something from the watch face to cure his palladium poisoning?
"Priceless."
"Huh? Priceless! Are you messing with me, Tony Stark?" Tony was genuinely annoyed.
Zed said without a care, "The watch faces are for rent and must be returned. The rent is the power they give you when activated.
You can't activate another one now. I don't do business at a loss.
The watch face you activated in the Middle East was the price of saving you. Honest prices, no exceptions."
Tony was disappointed by Zed's businesslike attitude, but his pride wouldn't let him beg.
Tony, trying to maintain his composure, was preparing to brush Zed off and leave when Zed spoke again, "Lithium Dioxide."
"What did you say?" Tony asked, confused by the words that suddenly came out of Zed's mouth.
Zed took a sip of juice. "I said Lithium Dioxide is a good thing. You should get on stage. The party's about to start."
Zed turned and left without another word.
Tony seemed to understand something and called out, "Jarvis, begin the experiment on the reaction between Lithium Dioxide and palladium."
Lithium Dioxide couldn't completely solve Tony's palladium poisoning; it could only provide temporary relief.
This reminder to Tony would allow him to steal this favor from S.H.I.E.L.D., without affecting Tony Stark's growth.
Zed leisurely strolled through the villa with his juice, comparing Tony's modern mansion to his own classical royal castle. Zed couldn't say which was better, only that each had its own merits.
As Zed was passing a room, an arm suddenly reached out from behind the door and pulled Zed inside.
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)