Karl's sudden disappearance had made Nick Fury increasingly uneasy.
The agents stationed near Karl's manor reported that they had not seen him for a long time. Even Tony Stark had no idea where Karl had gone. The only way Fury could occasionally send messages was through May, asking her to relay them if Karl returned.
Meanwhile, far away in her laboratory, Helen Cho often found herself staring absentmindedly at the dazzling sapphire Karl had left behind.
Fury's anxiety came from uncertainty.
He hated unknown variables.
Recently, the Tesseract had also begun displaying unstable energy fluctuations, giving him an ominous feeling that something was about to happen.
Although Fury viewed Karl as a dangerous and uncontrollable factor, the analysis department had come to a conclusion after studying Karl's past actions:
If Earth ever faced an overwhelming external threat, Karl would most likely stand on humanity's side.
That was the contradiction troubling Fury.
On one hand, Karl was impossible to control.
On the other hand, he might be one of the strongest forces capable of protecting Earth.
Karl himself, however, knew nothing about Fury's worries.
He was currently inside Kamar-Taj's library, quietly studying ancient magical texts.
After closing the book in his hands, Karl looked outside.
Tomorrow would be Chinese New Year.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He raised his hand.
A circular portal with a dark blue and black magical border appeared.
Karl stepped through it.
The other side connected directly to his manor.
By now, Karl could already cast portal magic without relying on a Sling Ring.
After returning to the manor, he noticed something immediately.
The entire place had been redecorated.
Red lanterns hung from the eaves.
Spring Festival couplets were pasted beside the doors.
The festive decorations looked almost exactly like the Spring Festivals he remembered from his previous life.
For a moment, Karl stood silently at the entrance.
Memories flooded his mind.
It felt as though he had briefly returned to the New Year celebrations of his old world.
"Karl?"
A small voice interrupted his thoughts.
Karl looked down.
Wanda stood in front of him, tilting her head curiously.
Only then did Karl snap back to reality.
He smiled and picked her up before walking into the house.
Soon afterward, Karl asked someone to send invitations.
Everyone would come tomorrow night.
They would celebrate New Year's Eve together.
Speed quickly sent messages to:
Tony Stark
Pepper Potts
Samuel
Yinsen
Helen Stacy
George Stacy
Helen Cho
The message sent to Helen Cho was actually Speed's own decision.
Speed was not a simple artificial intelligence.
It was a sentient Cybertronian being capable of independent thought.
It understood Karl's intentions very well.
The next morning, Karl put on a bright red traditional Eastern outfit.
When he came downstairs, everyone had already gathered for breakfast.
Almost everyone was wearing something red — scarves, coats, or accessories.
For most of them, this was their first time celebrating the Chinese New Year.
Their faces were filled with excitement.
The decorations throughout the manor had been prepared by May and Raven.
After learning about the Spring Festival online, they had gone to Chinatown to buy lanterns, couplets, fireworks, and traditional ornaments.
Karl could immediately tell how much effort they had put into it.
They knew that Karl especially loved the Eastern New Year.
Naturally, they wanted to make the celebration special.
Besides—
Money was no longer a concern.
Even though the manor's daily expenses were considerable, they were insignificant compared to the enormous balance in Karl's bank account.
At noon, only Karl and his family had lunch.
Tony and the others would arrive later in the evening.
During the afternoon, Wanda ran around the manor with Pietro and Peter, decorating Speed with red ribbons and ornaments.
Then they set off fireworks and firecrackers they had bought in Chinatown.
Even though they all possessed extraordinary powers now, they still laughed like ordinary children while playing.
In the evening, Karl sent the manor's driver in a Rolls-Royce to pick up Gwen's parents in Queens.
Even Speed had disappeared somewhere for a while.
The first guests to arrive were Tony Stark and Pepper Potts.
Just like Christmas, Tony walked into the manor with curiosity.
But the moment he entered, he froze.
The entire place had transformed.
Red lanterns hung everywhere.
Spring couplets decorated every doorway.
The festive atmosphere was completely different from Western holidays.
Pepper immediately noticed Pietro and Peter lighting firecrackers in the courtyard.
Her playful side appeared instantly.
She ran over to join them.
Tony simply shook his head and walked inside to find May and the others.
Both Tony and Pepper had also prepared carefully.
Tony wore a deep red scarf, and Pepper's coat was decorated with red patterns — a clear sign they had researched Spring Festival traditions beforehand.
They had come prepared.
The Rolls-Royce soon returned with Helen and George Stacy.
When they stepped out of the car, they were immediately stunned by the massive estate and the festive decorations surrounding it.
Inside the manor, they saw Tony Stark standing in the courtyard.
Both of them were surprised.
They knew Karl was supposedly Tony's friend from the news.
But news reports could often be exaggerated.
They had never expected Tony Stark to actually be here.
Then George remembered something.
When he had been removed from his position earlier, Tony Stark had publicly spoken in Karl's defense.
Maybe their relationship really was that close.
When Karl saw them arrive, he immediately walked out with Gwen to welcome them.
After greeting them warmly, he brought them inside and arranged snacks and fruit on the sofa.
Soon afterward, Samuel and Yinsen also arrived.
They brought two bottles of red wine.
Even though they knew Karl didn't lack such things, it was still their way of showing gratitude.
George and Helen were briefly surprised by Samuel's huge figure but didn't comment.
They simply assumed he was another extraordinary individual connected to Karl.
Suddenly—
VROOOOM!
The roar of a Lamborghini engine echoed outside.
Karl immediately knew who had returned.
Speed.
A woman stepped out of the car.
She wore a burgundy evening dress.
Around her neck hung a brilliant blue gemstone necklace.
Helen Cho.
Karl was slightly surprised.
But then he remembered that Speed had disappeared earlier.
He immediately understood what had happened.
Instead of scolding Speed, Karl simply walked forward and welcomed Helen Cho inside.
Just as Karl was about to call for Juggernaut, another car stopped at the manor gate.
A man in a black suit stepped out.
Without saying a word, he handed Karl a box.
Then he left immediately.
Karl opened the box.
Inside were various Eastern specialty gifts.
Tea.
Medicinal herbs.
Traditional tonics.
None of them were extremely valuable, but it was clear they had been carefully selected.
Then Karl noticed a small piece of paper.
On it was only a simple symbol.
The Hand.
Karl smiled.
Whoever sent this clearly knew he was celebrating the Eastern Spring Festival.
The gifts were modest but thoughtful.
Karl was about to walk toward Juggernaut's house when suddenly—
A Shadow Ninja rose silently from the shadow beneath his feet.
Karl handed it something and sent it toward Hell's Kitchen.
If someone sent a gift, it was only polite to return one.
And Karl's gift was naturally Dragon Bones.
Aside from extending May and the others' lifespan, they were not particularly useful to him anymore.
...
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL for more chapters.