Secret Meeting in the Study

Howard Stark's study was completely different from the studies of ordinary wealthy people.

It's not a cabinet full of hardcover and antique books that might go untouched for years—purely decorative displays. Instead, it's a cabinet full of periodicals, bound manuscripts, or printed copies, some standing upright, some piled up.

Every book here, or anything resembling a book, looks like it's been read countless times. Various labels are scattered on top or sides of the books, and some are even stacked together with specific pages open.

Upon entering, Alex Hart noticed that although the books in the study were unkempt, it seemed the owner hadn't been there in a long time. Despite regular cleaning, some fine dust was still visible.

After Tony closed the door, he poured two glasses of whiskey from the liquor cabinet, one for himself and one for the invited guest.

Alex Hart took the glass, took a small sip, and said, "Mmm, as expected of Howard's treasured collection, it's really delicious."

Tony Stark also took a sip. Although it tasted different from the drinks he used to sneak in when he was a minor, having tasted the cheap liquor in bars outside, he could still tell the value of this bottle.

"Tony. May I call you Tony?" Alex Hart said.

"Yes, you can."

"Okay, Tony, you went out of your way to invite me through Catherine, you weren't just here to drink all of Howard's prized wine, were you?"

The pleasantries had been made quite a bit during the casual conversation in the living room, so the financial tycoon went straight to the point once he entered the study.

Tony Stark, clearly impatient with the rambling, asked, "You know about the murder case that happened a while back? I was involved in that case."

"Oh, that one? I noticed it. I heard quite a few Silicon Valley... um, what did you guys say, the newly rich, were also involved. But it seems like it fizzled out afterwards; I haven't heard any follow-up news reports."

"That's right, exactly. What If...? I said that all the FBI Agent were there that day were imposters, and that the gunmen I kept behind that day, including the body, disappeared without a trace, would you still think that's normal?"

Alex was silent for a moment, then asked, "You went to investigate?"

"Because I'm involved, it's normal to want to know how things develop."

"Didn't you ask Howard?"

"I'm an adult; I don't need a nominal father to take care of me."

With a soft sigh, Alex said, "Alright, you can continue."

Tony Stark continued, "I asked the LAPD, and they insisted that the case and all the evidence had been handed over to the FBI. But the FBI's Los Angeles office insists that they did not take on the case and have no record of it."

"I also asked the people who attended the banquet that day, but everyone refused to talk about the incident, as if nothing had happened. So I started to investigate what was behind it."

"However, the difficulties and obstacles are greater than I imagined. The main problem is that I don't have good methods to force those in the know to tell me what I want to know."

"Then I remembered that day's events. One of the gunmen said he wanted to give everyone a warning, which is why he chose to act in such a public setting. They also knew that there were many people they couldn't afford to mess with."

"So I think, instead of trying to find out who's behind this, we should find someone who understands those 'warnings' and just ask them what's going on. Right?"

"So you came to me?" Alex said with a wry smile, "I'll say it again, you should ask Howard, that's the right thing to do."

"I don't want to, so..." Tony Stark pointed at the person in front of him, his meaning quite clear.

Alex Hart downed his whiskey in one gulp, then refilled his glass, saying, "You're entitled to know, so telling you isn't taboo."

"But once I step out this door today, I will not admit to saying anything. What If...? you intend to implicate me, I will only say to the public that this is just the delusion of a genius mind. I hope everyone will not take it that far."

Tony Stark pretended to zip up his mouth and said, "I just want to know what's going on behind the scenes."

Alex cleared his throat and said, "There's an island off the coast of California where some wealthy people have secret pleasures. Because their activities might not comply with the laws of various states, everyone tacitly keeps quiet about it."

"You mean like the red sofa in Hollywood?"

"Maybe even wilder," Alex said, then denied it, adding, "Don't think I've been to the island and seen the world. You know, they might extend an invitation, but the choice to go or not is ultimately yours."

Tony Stark, puzzled, asked, "Even if it's wild, can't there be different ways to play? Just because there's no island, does that mean these capable people won't play?"

"Don't think that Silver Music is the only theme on the island, Tony. In fact, the island also offers many special medical services, the kind you won't find in regular medical institutions."

This realization made a lot of sense to Tony Stark. Often, what hinders medical development and advancements is not a technical issue, but an ethical one.

Realizing this, Tony developed an inexplicable aversion to the so-called island.

Alex, of course, noticed the change in the young man's expression and advised, "Don't think this is a bad thing. Everything that exists has its reason. Just like drugs, it's impossible to truly eradicate them. What If...? one day you or someone around you needs them, you'll be grateful for the island's existence."

"So what does this have to do with that warning?" Abandoning the pursuit of the background, Tony Stark went straight to the part that was personally relevant.

Alex said, "Since those services are unaffordable for ordinary people, why let so many unrelated people know about them? Do you really think those poor people who struggle to support themselves can afford the enormous fees they might not earn in a lifetime?"

"What If...? these poor bastards found out, they would only do one of two things: either demand the same service for free, or make sure no one gets that service."

"You don't think this is a good thing, do you? It's like that old saying, they never ask themselves what they've done for the country, they only ask what the country has given them."

"So, the dead guy was a big mouth?" Tony asked.

"That's right, he let too many unfiltered people know these things. The host didn't want things to get out of control where he couldn't see them. So they wanted to silence them, and incidentally, warn others as well."