Magic Conch

Marsh Island beach, the sun still shone.

"I'm such an idiot!"

Walking on the beach, holding a detector, Tony was somewhat annoyed. Natasha, walking beside him, had a hint of embarrassment on her face.

The people around them stared at the pair with peculiar looks. The woman was beautiful, but the man... did he have a problem? And he looked familiar.

Oh, right, wasn't that the billionaire Tony Stark?

One tabloid reporter's eyes lit up. He'd already thought of tomorrow's headline.

It would be titled: Shocking! Billionaire Tony Stark Loses His Mind, Scouring Beach for Treasure, Allegedly Mocked for His Genitals by a Major Star.

If it weren't for a few bodyguards in black suits approaching, smiling as they persuaded him, he might have actually gone through with it.

Tony Stark seemed oblivious to the commotion around him. He waved the metal detector in his hand, sometimes bending down to carefully examine faint signals, sometimes looking up at the vast ocean.

If you were to ask Tony what he was feeling at that moment, it would only be regret, immense regret.

This little secretary had played him!

He thought he'd have a grand time with her on the beach, but as soon as they got here, she'd thrown him a metal detector.

She said they were looking for treasure, and for some reason, he'd agreed.

Now he looked like a complete fool!

Tony Stark's mood was as complex as the "beep, beep" sound coming from the metal detector in his hand. There was annoyance at his own gullibility, mixed with a trace of unwillingness and curiosity.

He glanced at Natasha, who was pretending to earnestly search for "treasure" beside him, and inwardly grumbled, "This woman is really getting more playful."

However, even though it made a genius like him look foolish, he had to admit that this experience was a rare kind of fun for him.

He was dying soon anyway, so what was there to hold back?

"Alright, since I'm here, I might as well have some fun."

Tony secretly resolved, deliberately increasing the amplitude of his movements, bending down, standing up, bending down again, as if genuinely searching for some rare treasure.

Seeing this, Natasha felt a little better. She had no interest in treasure hunting; it was all Director Fury's mission.

But seeing how enthusiastically Tony, the one who was tricked, was playing along, how could she, the one who "invited" him, not be serious?

The two played along, and in the process, an unusual sense of camaraderie developed between them.

Just then, the metal detector suddenly emitted a strong signal. Tony's eyes lit up, and he quickly motioned for Natasha to be quiet.

He carefully dug into the sand, his heartbeat accelerating as he went deeper.

Finally, a slightly old, conch-shell-shaped object appeared before him.

Tony picked it up and examined it closely. He found it was spiral-shaped, had a light purple hue, and there was a pull string inside.

"Wow, so the Magic Conch really exists!"

Natasha feigned surprise, looking at Tony with eyes full of adoration.

Even though it was an act, her superb acting skills made Tony feel a little proud.

He cleared his throat and asked in a low voice, "Natalie, do you know what this is?"

"This should be the Magic Conch. I heard legends about it when I was a child. It's here on Marsh Island beach, waiting for the destined person to find it.

They say the Magic Conch can answer any question you have. I suddenly remembered this legend, but I didn't have much money, so I thought I'd invite you to come take a look."

Natasha was delighted. She stepped forward, touching and looking, her eyes occasionally flashing with admiration.

She didn't know about other men, but Tony's tail was practically wagging in the air.

He said proudly, "So, I'm the chosen one, huh? Then how do I use this... uh, Magic Conch?"

"It's very simple. You just ask a question, then pull the string."

Natasha smiled, her eyes twinkling with anticipation and curiosity, as if she herself was looking forward to the miracle the Magic Conch would bring.

But then, didn't this suggestion make her look like a fool?

"Stark, you're so amazing. I've never met a man as outstanding as you. Please, give us a demonstration."

Natasha walked over, gently tugged on Tony's sleeve, and pouted in a soft, coaxing tone.

Tony was taken aback by Natasha's sudden display of affection, and then a smile involuntarily curved his lips.

Being coquetted with by such a beautiful woman, even with Tony's history of womanizing, he still couldn't resist.

"Alright, since you say so, I'll reluctantly perform for you then."

Tony pretended to shake his head helplessly, but his eyes sparkled with mischief.

He raised the Magic Conch in his hand, cleared his throat, and in an exaggerated, solemn tone, said, "Oh, great Magic Conch, what should I do now?"

Then he pulled the string.

"You should now take one step to the left or right."

As soon as Tony finished speaking, a mechanical female voice answered him.

"What? Say that again?"

Tony blinked again, a little confused, and pulled the drawstring.

"You should now take a step to the left or right."

???

"Say that again?"

"You should now take a step to the left or right."

Okay, Tony was sure now. This Magic Conch was just a recording device.

The voice he'd just heard was the recording that had played earlier.

Just as Tony was about to check where the recording device was inside the conch, he suddenly felt a warm blob of something on top of his head.

He reached up and touched it, instantly understanding what it was. It was a clump of natural residue, the leftover product of the cycle of life.

Tony's face instantly turned ashen. Natasha couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, and even the bodyguards were trying to hold back their laughter. Happy, in particular, was pinching his thigh so hard it was swelling.

"Stark, you really should listen to the Magic Conch's advice, snicker!"

Tony's face instantly turned ashen. He glared at the seagull, the culprit, but could only accept his bad luck.

"Alright, it seems I really should listen to the Magic Conch's advice. What do you think this time?"

Tony chuckled self-deprecatingly and pulled the drawstring again.

"If you don't want to be embarrassed anymore, hurry up and wash your hair. Don't make a fool of yourself."

Natasha didn't know how Tony was feeling, but there was one thing she was sure of: Tony would probably flee the island by plane overnight!