An Unexpected Invitation

The invitation was covered in red lettering stained with gold dust, the ink containing blood. Not cat or dog blood, but human blood.

The appearance of this invitation made Henry even more silent.

Generally, invitations to banquets or parties in Hollywood have a reason or theme.

It could be a celebration party, a birthday party, or even a public relations dinner for the Oscars. Whether it's a masquerade party or a costume party, the theme or reason will be clearly stated on the invitation.

Therefore, just by reading the text on the invitation, you can usually tell what kind of banquet it is and what kind of clothing to wear. Even without an invitation, the person extending the invitation will explain these things.

However, an invitation that only lists the time and place without any other information is considered very impolite unless the invitee and inviter are very familiar with each other.

Don't say that mysticism is more appealing. To wealthy people who are afraid of death, feigned mystery is a threat. Accustomed to being in control, surprise and fright are the same thing to them.

If it were according to past practice, Henry would have thrown such an invitation in the trash.

But just before throwing it away, Henry withdrew his hand and brought the invitation to his nose to sniff it.

What If...? were just human blood, Henry would have simply thrown away the strange invitation. But with his extraordinary sense of smell, the blood could be coming from more than one person.

Because this blood source is not medically processed plasma, but fresh blood flowing directly from the human body, it will contain that person's health characteristics, including blood lipids, blood sugar, and so on.

Henry could identify the blood characteristics of at least ten people. Regardless of whether these ten original owners were alive or dead, the fact remained that their blood had been drawn.

Those who are so fascinated by blood are usually not affiliated with any serious religion, or even ordinary people.

In that instant, Henry thought of a term, a group, something that he didn't know how to define in the Marvel Universe... trouble.

--Vampires.

Don't underestimate Vampires; they're easy prey for any superhero. With the right equipment, ordinary people can easily defeat Vampires.

The advantage of Vampires is that they are a group. Killing only one or two, or destroying one or two hideouts, is not very useful.

In Henry's assessment, Vampires were the second biggest problem after Mutants and Skrulls. They were like cockroaches; if you saw one, it meant there were thirty lurking nearby, and you could never get rid of them all.

Furthermore, Marvel Vampires do not take all their descendants with them at once simply because a blood relative dies.

Considering the potential trouble that might come with this invitation, should I go or not?

Another characteristic of Vampires is that they can easily infiltrate powerful circles.

Whether it's money, beauty, or health... well, distorted health, these are all readily available things for these Monster who have stepped out of legend and into the reality of this universe.

The shadow side of Hollywood is undoubtedly their stage to shine.

With that in mind, Henry had no reason not to go. Even if he wasn't afraid himself, he had to consider Charlize Theron's feelings.

Moreover, when facing such an opponent, burying your head and pretending not to see anything is not the appropriate way to deal with it.

Since you've already been targeted, it's necessary to figure out the other party's strength, influence, and background.

Although he, a former otaku, could rattle off a whole set of fantasy rules about Vampires, these rules might not apply to the realities of this world.

Henry couldn't guarantee that Vampires from outside the Marvel wouldn't pop in. Vampires- related films and television shows have always been a popular theme in the United States.

Besides, the Continental Hotel, so it doesn't belong to the Marvel Universe.

If it's the native Morlun Family, the Marvel, who are coming, then it's probably time to prepare to run away.

Driven by the motive of hunting animal totems and wreaking havoc across the multiverse, the Vampires family, Spider-Man's archenemy, is someone Henry has absolutely no desire to get involved with. Whether he can win is secondary; the main concern is the trouble.

Furthermore... is there a possibility of cooperation with them?

The current arena is Hollywood, and there's no irreconcilable animosity between the two sides. In business, interests determine allies and enemies, regardless of their stance, skin color, or species.

Let's not jump to conclusions like we do with Mutants. Henry has seriously reflected on his previous attitude towards superheroes.

Perhaps I've encountered a Reason and kind Vampires...

Even Henry himself didn't quite believe what he said.

Henry put the invitation back into the envelope and placed it in his pocket. Having only been at the company a short while, he was already preparing to leave again.

As I walked past the small office outside, I saw a plump Black girl who worked as my secretary watering a cactus with a watering can.

This is the sixth succulent Henry has grown since she came to Stark Studios. The previous ones all died from overwatering; it seems like one plant dies every two months.

"Julianne," Henry called out.

"Yes, Mr. Brown," the chubby girl quickly put down the watering can and bowed in response.

"Don't be so nervous. I just wanted to let you know that I have other things to do today and won't be at the office. Please write anything down in your memo; if anyone needs to contact me and can't wait, please call my mobile phone."

"Okay, Mr. Brown."

Henry drove to the Continental Hotel, which he hadn't visited in a while, and went into the hotel's attached café. The person he was looking for, the old gunslinger nearing retirement, Charlie Fisher, was sitting in his usual spot.

"May I sit down?"

Sipping his coffee infused with whiskey, Charlie didn't stop Henry. The man, already quite familiar with the place, placed a hotel Gold Coin on the table and beckoned to a waitress nearby. "An espresso, please."

"I thought you'd never come back here again? What a pity. You clearly had the chance to leave," old Charlie said with a sigh.

"I thought that if I went back to living in the Sun Pharma, I could escape this place. But I've encountered problems I've never faced before, so I'm seeking advice."

Henry adopted a humble, inquiring posture, placing the envelope he had received in front of old Charlie with the wax seal facing upwards so that the badge on the sealing wax could be seen.

The seasoned gunslinger raised an eyebrow, then frowned and asked, "They've come looking for you?"

"It seems you were aware of this. I thought that once I stepped into the Sun Pharma, there would be no more shadows. I didn't expect that even in glamorous Hollywood, there are places you can still access."