The streets were deserted in the early morning, and Hell's Kitchen was even more so.
When Su Ming walked out of the underground exchange again, his face wasn't looking good.
Because—he was out of money.
He had finally found a craftsman who accepted custom throwing knives, and even the materials and quantity were agreed upon, but the cost was 50,000 U.S. dollars.
As extravagant as he was when he angrily spent two million U.S. dollars to upgrade his talent, he was just as embarrassed now.
But would Su Ming be stumped by such a small matter?
Of course not.
Looking at the Mustang sports car by the roadside, which originally belonged to Scorpion Balin, a price tag appeared in his eyes:
【"Used Mustang Sports Car → Estimated Value 100,000 U.S. dollars"】
He quietly looked around, and after confirming no one was present, he placed his hand on the car's roof:
"Exchange!"
As the Mustang sports car transformed into a stream of data and disappeared, his account balance jumped to 101,380 U.S. dollars.
Just as Su Ming was about to return to the exchange, his mission phone rang.
"Mr. Destiny, please arrive at Stark Tower within one hour; someone will contact you."
Before Su Ming could speak, the call ended.
What an impatient guy!
Looking at the old-fashioned, single-function flip phone in his hand, he missed his smartphone a bit...
After hastily returning to the exchange to finalize the custom throwing knives, Su Ming got into a taxi heading for Stark Tower.
...
Stark Tower soared into the clouds, its exterior primarily black granite and chrome-plated metal, with a sharp spire at the top piercing the sky.
This was Su Ming's first time observing this building, which would be full of stories in the future, up close.
He was very curious about what form Jarvis was in at this time.
Stepping into the building, he saw hurried staff everywhere.
Tony values efficiency, so they had no time for idle chatter.
Just as Su Ming was hesitating whether to ask at the front desk, a tall, bald man in a suit walked directly towards him; his white beard indicated he was no longer young.
"Destiny?"
Obadiah Stane immediately spotted the distinctive Eastern face in the crowd; although he didn't know who he was, he and that person were the only ones in the entire lobby without ID badges.
Su Ming nodded slightly, saying nothing.
The man in front of him had a very strong aura, and the surrounding staff looked at him with awe; he was likely a high-ranking official at Stark Industries, and Su Ming found him somewhat familiar but couldn't recall at the moment.
"Follow me."
Obadiah Stane wasted no words; after confirming that Su Ming was the person he was looking for, he led him to his office.
As a shareholder of the company, his office was located very high in Stark Tower—but not on the top floor.
Because the top floor was Tony Stark's private domain.
Obadiah looked at the Eastern man before him, impeccably dressed in a suit and stylish trench coat, exuding an air of mystery, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes:
"Mr. Destiny, I didn't expect the person brave enough to take on this mission to be a gentleman like you."
Su Ming understood the implied meaning in his words: he just wanted him to show off a bit, didn't he?
At the same time, he remembered things about him.
"So it's you, old fellow~
You're the one pulling strings behind Tony's back, wishing he'd die every day so you could take his place.
This mission to kill Tony was initiated by this guy..."
While Obadiah Stane was introducing himself, Su Ming remembered the man and grumbled internally.
He slightly raised his arm—
Swish~
A playing card, moving at a speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye, embedded itself into the reinforced concrete wall, raising a cloud of dust.
Obadiah's pupils constricted.
"Master!"
Then, a secret delight:
"Excellent! I never thought simply throwing a mission onto the black market would attract such a person!
Tony, I'm afraid your time has come...
Hehehe."
Obadiah looked at Su Ming with excitement:
"Mr. Destiny, my friend~
You haven't answered me yet. Regarding the second mission, I mean... you know, that matter, how have you considered it?"
Su Ming looked at the bald man in front of him with a hint of amusement.
After all, openly coveting someone's life right below Tony's apartment, it's normal to feel a bit guilty.
"Of course! As a Bounty Hunter, there's no reason not to earn money.
However, Mr. Employer, you don't mind if I complete the bodyguard mission first before proceeding with the subsequent tasks, do you...?"
The one million for the bodyguard, that's mine! The three million for killing—that's also mine!
This was Su Ming's thought at the moment.
Seeing Su Ming formally accept his commission, Obadiah was as happy as a child:
"Good! Good! Mr. Destiny, I only hope that after you return from Afghanistan, you can act quickly!
The commission has already been paid in advance to the exchange's account. Once the mission is completed, the exchange will naturally give you the reward immediately."
Clapping his hands, Obadiah seemed to be in a good mood:
"Let's go, Mr. Destiny, I'll take you to meet this playboy."
Su Ming nodded in agreement; indeed, Tony had practically slept with every cover girl from "Maxim Magazine"...
When the helicopter landed at the bay Villa in Malibu, California.
Su Ming once again marveled at how much Tony truly knew how to enjoy life; this ocean-view Villa, primarily featuring glass curtain walls, metallic lines, and a minimalist style, faced the Pacific Ocean, boasting a private beach and a magnificent bay view, surrounded by cliffs and greenery, making it a premier luxury home in California.
Following Obadiah to the living room upstairs, he saw Pepper Potts, Tony's assistant, dealing with the blonde woman who had spent the night with Tony:
"I'll do whatever Mr. Stark asks, and that includes occasionally cleaning up the trash he's left over from last night."
The blonde woman's pretty face made Pepper turn red and then white with anger; she snatched the clothes from Pepper's hand and stormed out.
Obadiah gave Pepper a thumbs-up, and Pepper offered a momentary professional fake smile before turning and walking into Tony's workspace.
Giving Su Ming a look, Obadiah followed closely...
Inside the workspace.
Tony Stark was intently repairing a car.
It was a vintage car; although it looked very old, the paint and patterns were still very vibrant.
Su Ming knew that it was this vintage car that gave Tony the inspiration, and the main color scheme of the Mark 42 armor came from it.
Obadiah quietly told Su Ming that it was a 1932 Ford Flathead Roadster.
Nodding politely, Su Ming wasn't particularly interested in the vintage car; he was carefully observing Tony Stark—the Iron Man who would save the World in the future.
His slightly fluffy, dark brown short hair was naturally curly, disheveled due to his focus on mechanical repair.
His eyes were long and sharp, with dark brown pupils, and his focused gaze carried a hint of arrogance.
His eyebrows were thick and neatly trimmed, enhancing his facial contours. His well-defined chin was slightly sharp, echoing his strong jawline.
And that distinctive mustache...
Finally seeing Tony Stark, Su Ming sighed inwardly:
"He really is exactly like in the movie!"
Pepper held a notebook and reported the itinerary to Tony item by item, promptly recording every decision Tony made.
After a few brief conversations, Su Ming learned that it was Pepper Potts's birthday today.
"Obie? What brings you here?"
Just as Tony finished his coffee and turned around, he finally saw Obadiah and Su Ming.
But he only greeted Obadiah; although he saw Su Ming, his gaze immediately shifted back to Obadiah.
He perfectly embodied the phrase "looking down on others."
Su Ming understood him and showed no reaction, but Obadiah grew anxious:
"Tony~ I heard you're going to Afghanistan; the Terrorists there are rampant, you need protection! This is who I found for you..."
"No need, Uncle Obadiah!"
Tony glanced at Su Ming, his brow furrowing slightly:
"The company has its own security department, and there's military protection locally. I don't need an extra bodyguard."
With that, he picked up his jacket and left the room, with Assistant Pepper following closely in her high heels.
Obadiah looked at Su Ming, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes:
"Mr. Destiny, it seems your first mission is going to fall through..."