On the way back to the hotel, Uncle George asked, "John, how did you know Tony Stark? He is a world-famous weapon manufacturer!"
"Uncle George, he will change. He will become a hero!"
"Forget it, you kid. Just be good and don't learn from him!" George glanced at John.
The two laughed.
After their three-day vacation, the three returned to their peaceful life.
Aunt Jenny took the dozens of photos that had just been printed out. She sat on the bed with a smile, selecting some good-looking group photos to frame and bind.
John glanced at the topics in his group chat. There was a discussion about why Kay hadn't been active lately, but it quickly calmed down.
He also successfully found a new place to buy steel. It was a small warehouse about a kilometer from home. Although the quality was not as good as what Kay originally provided, it was stable and legal.
Seeing the progress of the steel bar strengthening slow down made John a bit anxious.
But some things can't be rushed. John believed that soon, the resources he needed would come to him.
He calmly gathered four metal rods around him and continued to practice.
A little bit of golden light slowly merged into the meridians and collaterals of his whole body, including his internal organs, giving them a golden glow.
...
Christine and Tony rolled over and fell to the floor.
Early the next morning, Christine woke up naked in a big bed.
The dark room gradually lit up under Jarvis's control.
"Good morning, it is seven o'clock in the morning. The temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit, and the weather is cloudy!" said a very lifelike mechanical voice.
The huge French window next to the bed gradually changed from pitch black to transparent, revealing a sunny blue sea outside.
"The waves are between shoulder and waist height, suitable for surfing. The big waves will arrive at 10:52."
This was a mansion built on the edge of a cliff in Malibu, California. It was also the home of billionaire Tony Stark.
Ms. Pepper, dressed in a business suit, efficiently escorted Christine out of the villa, then hurriedly left to handle the busy schedule.
Three hours later, Tony received a call from Larry at the airport and reluctantly went to the basement.
Tony drove a high song, working on maintenance in front of his favorite classic car until Pepper walked in.
Smart Jarvis saw Pepper on the phone and automatically turned off the music.
"Don't turn off my music!" Stark carefully disassembled car parts.
Pepper hung up the phone, "You should be on the other side of the earth right now!"
"What does she want from me?"
"I can only bear it!" Pepper thought for a second and replied helplessly.
"Then why do you want to kick me out of here?" Tony looked at the firmware in his hand seriously.
"Your plane should have taken off an hour and a half ago!" Pepper said, looking at him still working on the car.
"Interesting, that's my plane; it should wait for me!" Tony installed the parts in his hand, confirmed there was no problem, and stood up.
Pepper still had more to say, but Tony cut her off, "If the private jet doesn't wait for the owner, why have a private jet?"
This kind of carefree attitude left her speechless.
"There are a few more things to say here..." Pepper sorted everything out for Tony, only needing him to give a final answer.
A few minutes later, Tony decided to buy an expensive painting and signed a document. He suddenly learned that today was Pepper's birthday.
"Did you celebrate your birthday?"
"Correct!"
"I know, today?"
"Yes, the same day as last year. Weird." Pepper smiled, enjoying Tony's surprise.
"Buy yourself a present from me!" Stark smiled at Pepper.
"I already bought it."
"How was the gift?" he asked.
"Oh, great, very tasteful. Thank you, Mr. Stark," Pepper grinned.
"You're welcome, Miss Potts!" Stark couldn't take his eyes off her.
"By the way, I found this in the car. Look at what it is?" Pepper blushed and took out a small metal piece from her pocket.
"Oh, that's great! I was just wondering where this model went," Stark said, examining it. "Pepper, see what this looks like!"
Pepper thought for a while, and asked, "Where did this model come from?"
"A kid, an Asian kid, gave it to me last night. I don't know why, but it feels very familiar, though I can't quite say why!" Tony turned the truncated cone-shaped model in his hand, noticing several coil-like decorations on the bottom.
"Anyway, it's a very good model, isn't it?" Pepper said.
"Yeah, that's right. I'm giving it to you!" Stark handed the small model to Pepper, drank her coffee, and turned to the garage.
She played with it in her hand, watching Tony and Happy drive away, then placed the round model on her desk.
After thinking for a while, she turned it upside down, the small side at the bottom, and the larger side with the coil facing up.
"It feels more reasonable this way!"
Thus, Pepper put the small model of the original Arc Reactor on her desk.
...
The next night, Pepper was woken up by a phone call from the military.
"What! Kidnapping!!!"
But at that time, Pepper couldn't leave Stark Industries. There were too many things for her to handle. Tony could disappear, but Pepper couldn't.
She held the headboard tightly, her slender hands showing blue veins as she grasped the last model Tony gave her.
Tony's good friend Colonel Rhodes also received the news. Without hesitation, he took a team and flew a helicopter to the battlefield where Tony was abducted, trying to find any trace of him.
...
Two days later, Tony suddenly opened his eyes in a hospital bed. The anesthetic hadn't worn off completely, and his hands and feet felt stiff.
He struggled to pull out the oxygen tube from his nose. Then, driven by survival instinct, he tried to grab the water glass beside him but was restrained by the wires attached to his chest.
"If I were you, I wouldn't waste my energy."
Ethan was shaving his chin in a small mirror. Tony pulled off the gauze on his chest, revealing a simple metal device deeply embedded in his body.
At that moment, Stark looked up at the damp and crude dark cave ceiling with despair in his heart.