Press Conference

After Jinger was taken out, everyone in Yuri's little shop returned to their peaceful lives. Yinsen clocked in, slacked off, and clocked out every day. During the day, Shack and the others mastered the ability to project the energy Yuri had newly granted them; at night, they joined Daredevil in neighboring Hell's Kitchen to fight crime.

Tony came by once during this time. The reason was that the AI Jarvis had discovered Yuri was using borrowed money to buy up Stark Industries stock. With Yinsen and the others looking on, the two engaged in a spectacular war of words. In the end, they reached an agreement: once Yuri had acquired the shares, he would not interfere with the company's operations without good cause and would always support any decision Tony made about the company. That was enough to make the man with the twitching mustache give up on the stock.

Seven days later, the financial company whose entire senior management Yuri had brought under his control had converted all 502.3 billion dollars into Stark Industries stock. After a comprehensive assessment, Yuri held roughly 18 percent of the company's shares, making him a bona fide major shareholder of Stark Industries.

They had done a great job. To show his gratitude, Yuri used Life Energy to help restore their health, which he considered payment for all the resources and connections they had expended over the past week.

As soon as Tony heard the news, he began promoting the "Regeneration Potion." Within just a few days, a deluge of advertisements and videos of disabled volunteers regaining their lives had gone viral across the entire United States. After the military lent its support, dozens of countries around the world placed enormous orders with the not-yet-officially-established "Rebirth Pharmaceutical Company"—orders so vast that fulfilling them would likely take years, even if production had already begun.

"Boss, how do I look?"

Yinsen smoothed back the few strands of hair on his head and nervously straightened his tie. Pushing his glasses up his nose, he waited for Yuri's response with some trepidation. Since he had absolutely no confidence in his ability to manage a company, he had decided after discussing it with Yuri to act as the representative for Yuri's 18 percent stake in Stark Industries. Yuri himself would represent Rebirth Pharmaceutical Company.

Yuri gently smoothed the tiny wrinkles on his shoulder, gave him a careful once-over, then smiled. "Yinsen, I personally picked out this outfit. You should have a little faith in my taste. You look good—smart and understated."

Just then, Shack and the others filed down the stairs. Their demeanor had changed considerably. Put simply, they acted more like people now, rather than a pack of untamed beasts. The three male Mutants looked imposing in their black suits, while the two female Mutants wore evening dresses that accentuated their stunning figures and beautiful faces.

"Boss, it's time to go."

Shack checked the time on his watch, then put on the dark sunglasses clipped to his breast pocket. Tiger and Cheetah took their places beside Yinsen, while Shack opened the shop door for Yuri. Today, the five of them were serving as bodyguards and dates: Yinsen had two bodyguards, while Yuri had two dates.

The car had been "generously provided" by the cheap old man who had kicked him out of the family at the start. Yuri looked it over from every angle, and the more he looked, the more it resembled the car he'd been thrown out of back then.

Sure enough, when he opened the door, his cheap old man, Rob Ambrosius, was inside, holding a glass of red wine and regarding him approvingly. "Get in, my exceptional son. You're the fastest person in our family's history to make it on your own. Your mother and I are sincerely proud of you."

Yuri couldn't be bothered to respond. After getting in, he merely gave his cheap old mother in the passenger seat a gentle hug, then casually draped an arm around each of his two female companions right in front of his father, as if the man weren't even there.

"Hahaha."

His cheap old mother, Shaher, covered her mouth lightly. Her every smile and frown radiated the grace and refinement of a noblewoman. She turned to Rob, whose face had darkened, and mocked him without mercy. "Looks like our son is still angry with you, my dear Rob."

"Ahem!"

Rob cleared his throat and set his glass down on the tray without so much as a ripple, despite the smooth ride. Then his expression suddenly turned serious as he looked at Yuri. "Yuri, I admit that what I did to you recently was rather abrupt. But your grandfather, the rest of the family, and I all went through the same thing."

Yuri glanced at him and nodded indifferently. "I know. Honestly, I'm not blaming you. I just want to know what other hidden rules there are in the Ambrosius family, with its one heir per generation. You know I don't like being kept in the dark and then forced to accept things."

"Um..."

Rob's eyes flickered a few times. He discreetly glanced at Vanax and Kate, who were in Yuri's arms. "There are indeed a few more things, but it's a long story. I'd rather explain everything you need to know in detail in my study."

Yuri raised an eyebrow. He'd known there was something strange about the family he'd stumbled into by sheer accident. As the saying went, wealth seldom lasted beyond three generations. How could a family like the Ambrosius family have only one heir per generation, with every successor eager to get himself killed, yet somehow blessed with such incredible luck that nothing could ever finish them off?

Of course, that didn't include Yuri Ambrosius, that unlucky bastard.

After all, he'd caught the eye of the leader of the Mutants, a being whose origins reached back before human history.

Once they'd cleared the air, the atmosphere in the car soon returned to normal. Yuri's cheap old mother was clearly a seasoned socialite; in just a few words, she steered the conversation toward the upcoming press conference. Yuri slipped naturally into the role of "son." His golden eyes did make his parents suspicious, but he quickly used his Psychic Ability to make them accept the idea that "their son had always looked this way."

The car soon pulled up at the venue: Stark Tower.

Tony wanted to combine the launch of the new company with the announcement that Stark Industries' energy division would replace its weapons division, taking care of both at once. Yuri thought it was a great idea, so he left everything to Tony.

When the car door opened, Yuri got out first and helped his mother out. As expected, reporters from all sides soon swarmed them, snapping pictures like mad. Their current understanding of Yuri was still limited to "the next heir of the Ambrosius family." Just as they were preparing to write a story titled "A Devoted Son: Scion of a Wealthy Family Opens the Car Door for His Mother," they saw Yuri turn and link arms with two women whose beauty could rival that of goddesses.

"Click! Click! Click! Click! Click..."

The barrage of camera shutters surged like a tidal wave. A whole slew of bizarre headlines bubbled up like fountains, including "New York's Latest Playboy," "The Ambrosius Family's Shame," and "A Fallen Scion."

Excitement shone on every reporter's face—this was far more newsworthy than a devoted son and his mother!

Just then, a familiar voice rang out over the broadcast system in the lobby on the first floor of Stark Tower. The AI Jarvis spoke in a firm, resonant voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the press conference will officially begin in half an hour. Please take your places. Our main attraction will be arriving shortly!"