Does he hate me?

"Let's go upstairs and eat."

Harvey said casually after seeing Tony Stark understand.

"Okay."

Tony Stark nodded upon hearing this.

The two of them went directly to the dining room on the second floor this time.

Tony Stark would usually prepare a lot of delicious food for the New Year.

This year, he was preparing even more because he planned to visit Harvey Anberlaka.

After meeting Harvey Anberlaka, he had also asked people to prepare two whole roasted beef dishes, so these few tables weren't enough to hold everything. It was like a buffet with a rich variety of dishes.

"Mr. Harvey Anberlaka, the whole roasted beef will be ready in about half an hour. Let's eat these for now. The plates are over there."

Pepper said with a smile after seeing Tony and Harvey Anberlaka come up from downstairs.

Although Pepper was very shocked the first time she saw him, after she saw Harvey effortlessly finish a dinner for a hundred people.

Pepper gained a new understanding of Harvey Anberlaka's appetite.

Hearing that Tony had specially prepared two extra whole roasted beef dishes for him this time, she was no longer surprised.

"Mhm, thank you, Miss Pepper. I'm sorry to trouble you."

Harvey smiled and nodded when he heard this.

"Eat quickly, we're expecting another guest soon."

Tony Stark picked up a plate, began selecting the food he wanted, and said casually.

Then, Tony Stark went to a nearby dining table and sat down.

"Another guest is coming? A man or a woman?"

Pepper didn't stand on ceremony either. She started serving herself the food she liked and also came to the dining table. Hearing Tony's words, she asked curiously.

Harvey Anberlaka directly picked up two plates, filled them, and sat down at the dining table.

"It's Coulson. He's going to bring me something later."

Tony Stark said casually upon hearing this.

"What do you guys talk about downstairs every time?"

"Why is Coulson involved again?"

"Isn't he the agent who specializes in handling strange incidents?"

"Are your conversations related to strange incidents? Can you tell me about it?"

Hearing this, Pepper felt completely in the dark and was extremely curious.

Like Tony, Pepper actually talked quite a lot.

"Don't you have a lot of things you want to ask Mr. Harvey Anberlaka?"

Tony Stark steered the conversation towards Harvey.

"Mr. Harvey Anberlaka, you're in the stock and real estate business, right?"

Seeing that Tony didn't want to discuss the topic, Pepper's beautiful eyes flashed, and she wisely didn't press further, turning her gaze to Harvey.

"Strictly speaking, I'm in the stock business. Real estate is just a side business."

"Because I don't have much of a relationship with the military, I can't directly obtain development permits to develop certain land. I can only casually buy some real estate and wait for it to appreciate."

Harvey said after swallowing the food in his mouth.

"..."

Hearing the word "casually," Pepper was momentarily speechless.

"His values and behavioral logic are so incomprehensible that even I can't understand them, so you don't need to dwell on it, Pepper."

Tony Stark glanced at Harvey and said.

Harvey Anberlaka owned over a hundred properties worth more than ten million USD each, spread across various states in America.

Especially the manor where Harvey lived most often. Although he hadn't been inside the house to see it, judging by the land area, decoration, and various facilities, it was worth at least hundreds of millions of USD.

Among them, Harvey Anberlaka had the most properties in New York, with as many as fifty-seven villas and manors.

Tony could understand if Harvey Anberlaka bought some villas in other states and cities.

Because having property meant having a comfortable place to stay no matter which city he went to.

However, buying so many in New York was something he couldn't fully comprehend.

America was still developing, especially New York City, where real estate was constantly appreciating. It wasn't impossible to buy them specifically to hold for appreciation.

But given Harvey Anberlaka's keen eye for stocks, the money spent on real estate could have earned much more if invested in stocks.

However, thanks to the numerous properties under Harvey Anberlaka's name, almost everyone believed that Harvey Anberlaka was in the stock and real estate business.

Therefore, Tony Stark could only convince himself by thinking that Harvey Anberlaka simply wanted to keep a low profile and not be too conspicuous.

"Alright, Mr. Harvey Anberlaka, someone has asked me to inquire with you multiple times."

"What exactly would it take for you to attend the banquet they're hosting?"

Pepper was a bit surprised by Tony's words, but she didn't dwell on his previous question. She politely asked, "I've received many invitations recently and it's quite bothersome."

"Please trouble Miss Pepper to relay my message to them."

"I have many things to do normally, so please ask them not to send me pointless invitations."

Harvey said earnestly.

"I'll convey your message tactfully."

Pepper, hearing his clearly dismissive words, was taken aback for a moment. Then she recovered and smiled, agreeing.

Rumor in New York had it that Harvey Anberlaka was also a playboy, but it seemed the rumors weren't entirely true.

At the very least, it was certain that Harvey Anberlaka had no interest in some of the younger rich women in New York.

"Yes, thank you, Miss Pepper."

Harvey replied politely upon hearing that.

He continued to walk towards the tables laden with food, carrying his finished plate.

"Tony, does Mr. Harvey Anberlaka actually hate me?"

Seeing Harvey go to get food, Pepper asked in a voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum.

It was fortunate that Tony Stark's body had been significantly enhanced, improving his hearing; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to hear her.

"Not at all. If he truly disliked you, he wouldn't be polite. He would have directly shown his aversion."

"So, as long as you don't see him showing extreme dislike, there's no need to overthink it."

"He's just going to get more food. It's not as bad as you imagine."

However, once Tony Stark heard clearly, he immediately shook his head and spoke.

After several encounters, Tony Stark knew Harvey Anberlaka was a very proud person.

Obadiah Stane was directly called trash.

Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., was also shown no respect at all.

If Harvey Anberlaka truly disliked Pepper, he probably wouldn't even bother speaking to her, let alone responding to her with polite words.

Hearing Tony's explanation, Pepper glanced at Harvey Anberlaka, who was picking out food, and felt reassured.

"Miss Pepper, how does it feel to be in charge of Stark Industries?"

Harvey naturally heard Pepper's words, but he pretended not to notice. After getting his food, he sat back down and casually asked.

"Mr. Harvey Anberlaka, I know you are a shareholder of Stark Industries."

"But it's the first day of the new year, so please don't talk about work matters."

"Let me clear my head and have a day of rest."

Pepper rubbed her temples, looking troubled, when Harvey mentioned Stark Industries.

Stark Industries was currently managed by her, while Tony himself was constantly engrossed in research, preparing for Stark Industries' transformation.

And she had to run around everywhere, which wasn't as wonderful as she had initially imagined.

"I don't have the authority to control the direction of Stark Industries."

"Naturally, I have no intention of inquiring. I was just making small talk."

"Miss Pepper, if you don't want to discuss these things, you don't need to worry too much."

Harvey said while eating, seeing Pepper's troubled expression.

Looking at Pepper's life, regardless of whether people liked her or not.

From a young age, Pepper had worked for Tony Stark, diligently handling all of Tony Stark's affairs, big and small.

Facing the arrogant, sometimes eccentric, and even willful Tony Stark.

Pepper might have her moments of being a typical woman, complaining and grumbling, but in the end, she would still choose to believe in and support Tony Stark.

The strong bond built over many years had made Tony Stark dependent on Pepper.

This was also the key reason why Tony Stark eventually settled down, stopped being a playboy, and wanted to marry Pepper.

When Tony Stark faced an opportunity that could completely change him, he didn't immediately desire power similar to his own, possibly due to considering Pepper's opinion.

Harvey had known all of this for a long time, so he wasn't surprised when Tony Stark asked if Pepper could also be granted a long lifespan.

For Harvey, the more people and things that believed in and joined the Void, the better.

In any case, he could obtain Void energy, and they could obtain a long lifespan and extraordinary power. This could be considered a win-win situation.

Therefore, Harvey never worried about being unable to win over others to believe in and join the Void.

After all, the prospect of a long lifespan alone was enough to drive countless people mad.

"I will create another Arc Reactor, one that cannot be replicated."

"I have some ideas now, and they might succeed, so give me some more time."

Tony Stark knew that the reason Pepper was running around and getting headaches was because Stark Industries was in a transition period.

Without any new energy sources to show, this would lead to dissatisfaction among other shareholders of Stark Industries, putting pressure on Pepper.

It's just that if the Arc Reactor he was currently making was leaked and obtained by other companies, they could replicate it with some time to analyze it.

Therefore, it was impossible for Tony Stark to announce the Arc Reactor to the outside world.

"Tony, you don't need to feel too much pressure. We're transitioning to new industries, not sticking to the old path. We just need to take it slow."

Upon hearing Tony's words, Pepper first offered some comfort.

"I'm sorry to have made you witness that, Mr. Harvey Anberlaka."

"I was just trying to avoid having my rare day off disturbed, and my reaction was a bit much. I don't mean to blame you at all."

Then, Pepper said to Harvey with a touch of embarrassment.

"I understand. After all, managing a company as large as Stark Industries isn't easy."

Harvey shook his head slightly, indicating he didn't mind, and said.