"You kept refusing to answer. What could I do?"
Tony Stark felt somewhat guilty when he heard that, but he still stubbornly retorted.
"Forget it. What exactly did you want from me?"
Seeing Tony was still being stubborn, Harvey could not be bothered to dwell on it and asked directly.
"It's rare for me to get through to you. Want to come over to my place and chat?"
"There are some things I want to show you."
Tony Stark immediately perked up and extended an invitation.
Of course, he wanted to show Harvey Anberaka his technological achievements.
Mark II was the one he used most often, but over the past month, his armor had long since gone beyond Mark II. He had improved it all the way to Mark V.
But he was the only one who knew about that.
Tony Stark imagined Harvey Anberaka seeing the other suits in his laboratory and admiring him.
A smile appeared on Tony Stark's face.
"Will there be food?"
Seeing that Tony Stark had actually invited him over, Harvey considered it for a moment before asking in return.
"Food?"
"Harvey Anberaka, I rarely invite people to my home."
"I invite you over, and the first thing you ask is whether there's food?"
Tony Stark had been immersed in his fantasy, but the question made him pause before he spoke with some irritation.
However, Tony Stark quickly remembered a rumor circulating among New York's upper class.
Harvey Anberaka's stomach was a bottomless pit, and that rumor had emerged from Stark's charity ball a month ago.
Tony Stark had seen Harvey Anberaka eating with particular gusto back then.
"Wait... I can have someone make some."
Tony Stark came to his senses and spoke.
"Have someone prepare dinner for a hundred people first. I'll be there soon."
Harvey immediately agreed.
As soon as he finished speaking, Harvey hung up, changed clothes, and drove out.
"Jarvis, what did he just say?"
Tony Stark thought he had misheard and asked Jarvis.
"Sir, you did not hear incorrectly."
"Mr. Harvey Anberlaka said he wanted dinner for one hundred people."
Jarvis answered immediately.
"Jarvis, contact the chefs from five-star hotels and have them prepare it and deliver it as quickly as possible."
"On top of the food costs, give each of them 5,000 dollars for rushing the order."
Tony Stark said.
He did not want Harvey Anberaka to come to his home and look disgusted at his inadequate hospitality.
"Yes, sir."
Jarvis immediately began making the calls.
In truth, Tony Stark did not merely want to show off to Harvey Anberaka.
He also had some things he wanted to discuss with Harvey Anberaka, such as his opinion of the Avengers Initiative.
If possible, they could even talk about aliens.
Perhaps Harvey Anberaka already knew about aliens in the universe?
Tony Stark could not be sure of any of that, but he left the laboratory and sat down on the first floor.
"What happened?"
Pepper saw that he had only just gone down to the laboratory before coming right back up and sitting on the first-floor sofa, seeming somewhat distracted. She asked worriedly.
"Nothing. I'm just sitting here."
Tony Stark paused before answering.
"Jarvis?"
Hearing that answer, Pepper directly asked Jarvis.
"Sir is preparing to entertain a friend."
Jarvis's voice sounded in response to Pepper's question.
"What friend? He's just a guest."
Tony Stark immediately refuted him.
"What friend?"
"How come I don't know about this?"
Ignoring Tony's reaction, Pepper's curiosity was piqued, and she continued questioning Jarvis.
"It is Mr. Harvey Anberlaka. He is currently on his way here."
Jarvis answered honestly.
"When did they become friends?"
Hearing that name, Pepper looked at Tony in surprise and asked.
She was not familiar with Harvey Anberaka, but neither was he a complete stranger. She simply had not heard that Tony and Harvey Anberaka shared such a close friendship.
"Over the past month."
Jarvis answered again.
"?"
Pepper did not understand Jarvis's rather vague answer for a moment.
"Stop asking. In short, Harvey Anberaka is coming here as a guest."
"A lot of food will be delivered shortly. Help receive it when it arrives."
Tony Stark cut off Pepper's further curiosity and instructed her directly.
That only made Pepper more confused. Had they not just eaten dinner not long ago?
"That food is being prepared for Mr. Harvey Anberlaka."
"His appetite appears to be quite large, so more food needs to be prepared."
Seeing Pepper's puzzled expression, Jarvis explained.
"The rumor is actually true?"
Pepper asked in astonishment.
"Although I cannot understand why a human can consume so much food, the rumor is indeed true."
"Even competitive eaters can't eat as much as he does, can they?"
"Yes. No competitive eater anywhere in the world currently has as much appetite as Mr. Harvey Anberlaka."
Pepper and Jarvis traded questions and answers, carrying on a conversation.
More than twenty minutes soon passed.
"Sir, Mr. Harvey Anberlaka has arrived at the entrance to the estate."
"The gate has been opened for him."
Jarvis reported.
Soon, the villa's front door opened automatically as well.
Harvey was not surprised by any of it.
When Pepper saw Harvey Anberaka dressed in a white suit, standing tall and looking exceptionally handsome, she was briefly dazzled.
She often saw all kinds of handsome white men, while handsome asian men were comparatively rare.
It was not her first time seeing him, but she had usually only seen him from the side before. Knowing they would have no interaction, she had not paid him much attention.
But now that he had come to visit, she found herself captivated. Who would not like a young, handsome man?
"Ahem."
A cough came from beside her, snapping Pepper back to her senses.
"Hello, Mr. Harvey Anberlaka."
Pepper lowered her head, then raised it again with a polite smile.
"Hello, Miss Pepper Potts."
Harvey responded politely.
"Come on, let's talk downstairs."
Seeing Harvey Anberaka arrive, Tony Stark stood up and pointed behind him with his thumb.
Harvey glanced at Pepper thoughtfully, then nodded.
"Pepper, don't bring us coffee unless I tell you to. We'll come back up after we're done talking."
As Tony Stark led Harvey Anberaka downstairs, he gave her a special reminder.
Seeing Tony act so mysteriously, Pepper was curious, but she could only agree.
"So you don't want her to know. It seems what you called me here to discuss is not just the latest technology you developed."
As Harvey followed Tony Stark toward the stairs, he spoke.
"Looks like I couldn't hide it from you. But since you've guessed what I want to talk about, you also know those matters aren't something she can understand."
Tony Stark showed a trace of helplessness when Harvey saw through his thoughts from a single remark.
"It's not that you think she can't understand. It's that you think even if she does understand, she won't be able to understand you."
Harvey looked at Pepper, who stood where she was watching them curiously, then at Tony Stark, who seemed to have something on his mind.
"It's not just her. I'm afraid many people wouldn't understand, which is why I asked you here."
Hearing those meaningful words, Tony Stark sighed softly and spoke.
"Then I'm all ears."
Harvey paused, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"Jarvis, the two of them really do look a little like friends."
Although Pepper could not follow them downstairs and could not hear what they were saying, she saw Tony and Harvey Anberaka start chatting before they had even reached the underground lab.
"Sir is not good at expressing his feelings, but my judgment will not be wrong."
There was a hint of pride in Jarvis's voice.
Although he did not know much about Harvey Anberaka either, Harvey Anberaka was someone Mr. Tony Stark had persistently instructed him to call for an entire month.
Harvey Anberaka and Mr. Tony Stark surely shared common ground in some respect.
Third update delivered. Please keep voting and following; it really matters to me.
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