Chapter 43: The Focus of All Eyes, Tony Stark
Above a peaceful Manhattan.
"Oh my god, what is that?"
"Oh hell, this looks like a scene from a sci-fi movie!"
"God, this is just too cool!"
As exclamations rang out from the streets, everyone instinctively looked up at the sky.
A dazzling golden-red suit of armor was flying through the air, and every time it passed over a place, there were endless exclamations and sounds of cameras clicking from the ground below.
Inside the armor.
Listening to the shocked reactions of the crowd below, Tony Stark said with great pleasure, "Jarvis, this is how ordinary people react the first time they see the Mark armor."
"Someone like Lynn, who, upon seeing the armor for the first time, asked if I could turn it into a bracelet, is the exception!"
"Keep increasing the flight power. Although I'm very low-key, since I promised Lynn, I think I should do my best!"
In response to Tony Stark's "modesty," Jarvis teased, "Sir, you are indeed a very 'low-key' person, not enjoying the attention of the crowd at all."
"Jarvis, after this upgrade, you've definitely gone bad!"
Saying that, Tony Stark controlled the armor's flight and said, "Jarvis, see if there are any reporters around. Let's make a stunning entrance!"
"Sir, three blocks away, a New York Times reporter is buying a hot dog at a stall, and she's accompanied by a cameraman carrying a camera!"
"If that's the case, what are we waiting for?"
With that, Tony Stark flew directly towards the direction three blocks away!
After buying a hot dog from the stall, the female reporter ate it while complaining to the cameraman, "FUXX, these miserly informants, these Grinches, should be hung from a lamppost!"
"If they don't give us enough informant fees, where are we supposed to find news that's eye-catching enough? Is explosive news just going to fall from the sky?"
"I'm a graduate of a legitimate, prestigious university with a journalism major, and I'm reduced to searching for news all over the streets!"
While eating her hot dog and complaining, the female reporter didn't hear her usual "admirer's" agreement, so she instinctively looked at him.
When she saw her admirer, his eyes were wide, and he looked as if he had seen a ghost, staring at the sky.
The female reporter frowned and asked, "What are you looking at?"
Saying that, the female reporter also looked up at the sky.
When she saw the dazzling armor in the sky, her eyes widened.
Especially when she saw "it" land directly in front of the hot dog stall, the hot dog in the female reporter's hand fell to the ground.
"Could I trouble you for a hot dog?"
Landing in front of the stall, Tony Stark deliberately pretended not to see the female reporter over there.
After she excitedly ran over with her microphone, Tony Stark opened his faceplate and said, "Wow, beautiful, is that hot dog on the ground yours? Don't tell me I scared you!"
"If so, I'll buy you another hot dog!"
Saying that, Tony Stark gestured to the stall owner to give her a hot dog.
When the faceplate opened and the person inside the armor turned out to be Tony Stark.
The female reporter ignored the hot dog offered by the stall owner and instead excitedly asked with her microphone, "Oh my God, Mr. Stark? I can't believe it's you! Is this cool mech your latest invention?"
"This is just too cool, it feels like watching a sci-fi movie! Mr. Stark, is this mech the latest weapon developed by Stark Industries? Didn't you say you were going to permanently shut down..."
"Hey, hey, calm down, okay?"
Watching the female reporter excitedly thrusting the microphone towards his mouth, Tony Stark spread his hands and said, "This is not a weapon, it's just a mechanical prosthetic!"
"Also, do you think it's very cool?"
"Of course, Mr. Stark, this is simply a groundbreaking product."
"Your taste is quite good, after all, this is something only a genius can create. Of course, I only used one-fifth of my wisdom to create this mechanical prosthetic."
Facing the female reporter's praise, Tony Stark displayed an expression of course.
He didn't know where he pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and handed it to the stall owner, saying, "Give this beautiful lady another hot dog, it's on me!"
With that, Tony Stark controlled the armor and flew away.
"Oh my God, oh my God, this is just amazing!"
Waving the microphone in her hand, the female reporter excitedly said to her companion, who was carrying a camera, "Did you get all of that on film? Justin, let's head back to the newsroom immediately."
"Our bonus this month will definitely double!"
With that, the female reporter excitedly ran towards the car.
Two hours later, at the edge of the town enveloped in thick fog.
"Boss, the internet is now flooded with videos of Tony Stark flying in his armor. Some were filmed by passersby, and some are news reports from the New York Times."
"In just two hours, the views on the photos and videos have exceeded a million. Tony Stark has already become the focus of attention!"
Hearing Alice's words, Lynn Hall ate his lunch from a meal box and said, "I already expected this. After all, compared to what's happening in this small town..."
"Tony Stark and the never-before-seen armor are more attention-grabbing."
"By the way, are there any results for the pattern I drew?"
In response to Lynn's question, Alice picked up her laptop and said, "We found it, Boss. The information department searched and compared the pattern you drew online."
"It was ultimately discovered that it's related to a sacrificial ritual of a certain tribe in Eastern Europe, and based on the clues, colleagues in the information department also once saw a record of it in a book published by a mysterious Professor."
At this point, Alice looked at Lynn and said, "Boss, this Professor of mysticism also served as a Professor at Yale University, and you even attended his lectures!"
"Is that so?"
Hearing Alice say that, Lynn Hall put down his meal box and took the laptop to look at it.
When he saw the Professor on the computer, Lynn Hall finally remembered.
He had not only attended his lectures but had also read his book on mysticism in his spare time.
That book described mysterious rituals from all over the World, and even listed legendary figures such as demons and Angels.
Among them was the pattern inside the town.
No wonder when he first saw that strange pattern, he felt a bit familiar but couldn't recall it.
However, was that pattern used for sacrifice?
Lynn scrolled to the part about the mysterious pattern, took a look, and frowned.
Sacrificing life and selling one's soul to demons in Hell to gain mysterious power.
So, the residents of this town were actually the sacrificial victims in an evil ritual?