Zhai Nizi and the others returned to the manor.
After Professor X saw the rescued girls and Mutants, he used telepathy to read their memories.
He learned what had happened on the island, shed tears, and said to them, "I'm truly sorry, I know your pain. Rest assured, everyone, we will protect you from now on."
Then he saw Zhai Nizi staring at him, his expression very displeased.
"Charles, you're being so pretentious…"
In Zhai Nizi's opinion, a bleeding heart was practically standard for the X-Men, so he still preferred the untamed Magneto.
Just then, Magneto also arrived at the manor at his summons.
Magneto already knew what had happened on the island, and he too felt very angry, which reminded him of the first time he encountered Sebastian Shaw (X-Men First Class BOSS).
But he didn't know why Zhai Nizi had called him; could Zhai Nizi still be blaming him for the Apocalypse incident?
All the servants in the manor were treating the rescued people; some of them had very serious injuries.
When some Mutants saw Magneto, their emotions began to stir. They ran to Magneto, pleading with him to avenge them.
Magneto, of course, wanted to agree to them, but he was currently standing in Zhai Nizi's manor.
He didn't speak but looked at Zhai Nizi; he needed to know what Zhai Nizi was thinking.
Seeing this, Professor X wanted to persuade these Mutants, but before he could even speak, he heard Zhai Nizi say:
"Whether human or Mutant, all of you are now free. You have the right to choose your own future.
Follow Magneto, join the X-Men, or join neither—it's all up to you.
But I will not interfere in future matters, and you must also be responsible for your choices."
The rescued people began to whisper, and finally, most of the Mutants chose to follow Magneto; they wanted humanity to pay the price.
A small number of Mutants wanted to join the X-Men, and only a few Mutants said they didn't want to join any side; they just wanted to go home.
As for the rescued human girls, some of them also wanted to join Magneto, but Magneto refused:
"I know you also want revenge on those people, but without superpowers, you would only become cannon fodder. Leave this matter to us."
Zhai Nizi expressed his agreement with Magneto's view and would provide a place for the girls to receive psychological counseling and treatment, after which they could also choose their own futures.
Charles looked at so many girls and asked Zhai Nizi:
"Can your manor accommodate so many people?"
"Of course, but they shouldn't stay with me. The place I spoke of isn't my manor."
"Then where else?"
Zhai Nizi smiled at the Professor and said:
"Buy another manor."
As a second-generation rich, Professor X gave a helpless smile:
"In terms of financial resources, I still can't compare with you. But I think the country should pay for this."
Zhai Nizi shook his head and said:
"This would give them an excuse to whitewash themselves, and I won't give them that chance.
However, I won't have to pay for this either; someone will be sending money soon."
Just then, the sound of a car parking and doors closing came from outside.
A Rolls-Royce stopped in the manor, and a man and a woman got out of the car—it was Pepper and Happy, Tony Stark's secretary and bodyguard.
The manor's guards immediately stopped them, and the woman frantically said that she desperately needed to see Zhai Nizi.
After the Professor saw the two people outside through the window, he turned to Zhai Nizi and said with a smile, "This one certainly isn't short on cash."
...
Pepper and Happy followed White Queen to Zhai Nizi. Pepper said eagerly:
"Mr. Zhai Nizi, I know you're very busy right now, but my boss, Tony, is in danger, and his life or death is unknown.
I don't know what to do, and coincidentally, you appeared on TV, which gave me an idea: I should seek your help.
Name your price. As long as Tony can be rescued, any amount of money is fine."
Zhai Nizi was a little displeased after hearing this because Pepper's tone was full of the attitude that money could do anything.
Although Zhai Nizi wanted to get some money from her to spend, he still decided to tease her.
He told Pepper to look around her and asked her, "Do you think I lack money?"
Pepper looked at the vast manor and knew he certainly wasn't short on money.
Even if he were, he had countless ways to get money.
Pepper was at a loss and could only continue to plead for Zhai Nizi's help.
Happy also chimed in, "Besides money, other things are also possible, such as women. My boss has many connections and can send you one every day, without repetition."
White Queen stared at Happy, not speaking, but her voice appeared in Happy's mind: "Do you want to die?"
Zhai Nizi, of course, sensed this voice. He knew that White Queen wouldn't dare to stop him openly, but she must have been very angry, even ignoring the fact that Zhai Nizi could sense the telepathic conversation.
The rescued girls around also stared at Happy with extreme anger. In their eyes, Happy's words and actions just now were no different from those corrupt officials and businessmen.
But in fact, Tony had never been to that island; he knew it was inhumane, and besides, Tony didn't like to force things, nor did he like girls.
Zhai Nizi thought to himself, White Queen was treating herself as the main consort. Well, he hadn't focused on taking concubines during this time, which had given her the wrong impression.
Zhai Nizi said to Pepper, "I can grant your request, but I don't want your money."
Pepper looked at Zhai Nizi curiously; she didn't know what conditions the other party would propose.
"Stay with me."
After Zhai Nizi finished speaking, everyone present widened their eyes, and Magneto and Professor X also looked at him with blank expressions.
The girls were the same; they had thought they were saved, but now it seemed this person was still the same; they had merely gone from one hell to another.
A voice also appeared in Pepper's mind: "If you dare to agree, you're dead!"
Pepper trembled with fear. She closed her eyes and said tremblingly, "I agree."
As long as she could rescue Tony, she was willing to do anything.
White Queen was very angry and turned to leave, but Zhai Nizi grabbed her arm.
"Are you angry?"
"I wouldn't dare, Master."
Zhai Nizi burst into laughter:
"A lady just performed a scene of a beauty saving a hero. How could I take advantage of someone's predicament? You're all too easy to fool."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Pepper stood rooted to the spot, at a loss.
"Disperse, go get busy."
Zhai Nizi opened two portals, letting Professor X and Magneto take their people away.
Then Zhai Nizi told Pepper to wait there, saying he would go bring Tony back now. Apocalypse stepped forward and said he would go instead of Zhai Nizi.
"What are you doing? Are you in such a hurry to whitewash yourself?"
Upon hearing this, Apocalypse could only silently back down.
Zhai Nizi opened another portal, revealing Tony and Yinsen, who were assembling the MARK 1.
"Tony! Oh my God! You're alive!"
Pepper screamed excitedly when she saw Tony!
Tony and Yinsen were stunned when they saw the portal, but then their attention was drawn by the knocking sound at the entrance of the cave they were in—the Terrorists were coming to deliver their heads.
"Tony! Come over here!" Pepper cried anxiously. If Happy hadn't been holding her back, she would have already run to the other end of the portal.
In reality, it wasn't that Tony didn't want to come over, but the MARK 1 armor was already on him, the system hadn't finished uploading, and there was no power source...
He couldn't move...
Tony's situation now was like riding a bicycle halfway and having a flat tire; he couldn't go forward or backward.
"Almost done, Yinsen, you go first."
Tony told Yinsen to go through the portal first to a safe place.
"Before I leave, I'm going to teach these sons of bitches a lesson!"
Zhai Nizi smiled and said, "You've got character."
At this moment, the cave door opened, triggering the bomb Tony had set. After killing the people at the entrance, more Terrorists rushed in.
But the armor's system had not yet finished uploading. In the movie, Yinsen sacrificed himself at this critical moment to buy Tony time.
The truth was that Yinsen had already run to the other side of the portal.
Tony looked at Zhai Nizi awkwardly and shouted, "Are you really not going to do anything?"
Zhai Nizi began to manipulate time, and the Terrorists outside moved in slow motion.
At this moment, the lights in the cave flickered a few times before completely going out. With a sound of mechanical assembly,
Iron Man was born!
Zhai Nizi and the others stood there, watching Tony wreak havoc through the portal.
The Terrorists' weapons couldn't break through the armor's defense at all; bullets would even ricochet off it.
Tony kept fighting his way out of the cave. Zhai Nizi extended a hand and pushed, and the portal followed closely behind Tony, like a moving camera.
When Tony reached the cave entrance, he looked outside and froze.
A Sentinel Robot was standing there, and it had clearly been modified, with many Stark Industries weapons added to its body.
Sentinel Robots had been abandoned by the government a year ago, so many surplus and battle-damaged robots had flowed into the black market.
These robots were originally used for reconnaissance and clearing Mutants, but now they had all been modified for human warfare.
Although they hadn't evolved into a shapeshifting state, even in this basic form, they could cause terrifying damage.
Tony looked at the Sentinel Robot in front of him, and the arrogance on his face disappeared.
Although he had studied Sentinel Robots, all his combat power now was just a crude armor.
The robot opposite him had an intelligent system and weapons of mass destruction.
Anyone could clearly see the vast disparity in their strength.
Tony wasn't a fool. He looked at the portal behind him and turned to run.
As soon as he turned around, the Sentinel Robot's arm quickly extended, instantly grabbing Tony and pulling him over.