A hundred million dollars meant nothing to Obadiah.
He didn't care about those shares, either. What truly worried him was the attitude Tony had shown!
Ever since Tony Stark had returned safe and sound, he'd been holed up in the lab, refusing to see anyone except Alvin. It had sent a clear message to the outside world.
Tony trusted this young man named Alvin Valshius very much!
So Obadiah had deliberately approached Tony and, using their uncle-nephew relationship, managed to pry a little information about Alvin Valshius out of him.
Although Tony had still kept a lot to himself, after contacting the Ten Rings Gang, Obadiah quickly pieced together what had probably happened.
This boy right in front of him was the one who'd ruined his plans!
Though he wanted nothing more than to wring Alvin's head off, Obadiah still had to put on a show of caring for his nephew and being deeply grateful to the benefactor who'd rescued Tony.
Of course, just now, he'd only been trying to "annoy" Alvin.
Obadiah warmly took Alvin by the arm and strode into the charity gala, sparing no effort to tell everyone that Tony would never have made it back safely without Alvin.
And so, at the charity gala that followed, Alvin Valshius became the most sought-after person there.
Industry leaders and politicians kept coming over to cozy up to him.
Alvin wore a smile throughout, politely and tactfully handling each of them one by one, but in his mind, he'd already sentenced Obadiah to death.
You old bastard. Just you wait until you fall into my hands, and you'll be sorry!
He really hated meaningless social events like this. They had no value whatsoever and were nothing but a waste of life.
Just as Alvin was beginning to suffer, his savior finally appeared!
Tony Stark made a dazzling entrance, shooed the crowd away with a few words, then put an arm around Alvin and sat with him in a corner at the edge of the hall, where they'd be less likely to attract attention.
"Thank you so much. I mean it this time." Alvin could finally catch his breath, and he hurried to thank Tony.
"So you're saying you didn't mean it before?"
Holding a glass of champagne, Tony looked at Alvin's disgruntled expression and burst out laughing. "See? This is the kind of pull Tony Stark has. Just knowing me opens up an endless stream of connections. You should feel honored, Alvin!"
As expected of Marvel's biggest show-off, he couldn't resist bragging about himself even now.
"Weren't you saying you weren't coming?" Alvin pursed his lips and asked disdainfully. "I'm curious—who changed your mind?"
"Don't get me started. Pepper insisted I come to the gala." Tony's cheerful expression faded. He drained his champagne in frustration and said angrily, "Pepper said I'd been in the lab for three days, and if I didn't get out for some fresh air, I'd rot away in there. She even threatened to quit. It's completely absurd!"
"Pfft!"
Alvin couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.
It seemed that even before becoming Iron Man, Tony was already showing the early signs of being henpecked.
"What are you laughing at?" Tony glared at Alvin, annoyed. "Hey, I came over to help you out because I consider you a friend, and you're making fun of me?"
"No, I just thought of something funny."
Alvin tried to hold back his laughter, imagining how the proud, haughty Tony would eventually be wrapped around Pepper's finger.
"What's so funny?"
Tony leaned closer, curious.
"Proud people often fail to realize what matters most to them." Alvin set down his champagne and patted Tony on the shoulder, speaking earnestly. "My friend, I hope you won't let your pride make you lose the person who cares about you most."
"Who? Me?"
Tony pointed at himself in disbelief and laughed. "Don't joke around, Alvin. I'm Tony Stark!"
"Whether you are or not, you know the answer."
Alvin smiled but didn't spell it out. Sometimes, when the time wasn't right, saying something could only backfire.
"Hey, see that woman over there?" Tony abruptly changed the subject, perhaps because he was flustered. He pointed at a beauty in a black dress, her long hair flowing and her figure curvy, and said with complete confidence, "She's coming this way. I'll bet you anything she's here to ask me out!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Watching the woman in the black dress approach, Alvin took a sip of champagne and said playfully, "Then I'll bet she's here to see me."
"To see you? No, no, absolutely not!"
Tony was brimming with confidence. He straightened his back and struck the practiced pose of a seasoned ladies' man. "All I can say is, you have no idea what Tony Stark means to women!"
"Fine. If you lose, you have to do me a favor," Alvin said.
"Deal!"
Tony agreed without hesitation, not for a second thinking he could lose.
As if! He'd been a ladies' man for decades and had been voted the man most adored by models. How could he lose to a kid who hadn't even grown his first whiskers?
The woman in the black dress held a glass of champagne as she swayed over, her sexy hips moving with every step. The slit in her dress occasionally revealed a tantalizing glimpse of skin, and her shapely, long legs carried her forward in ribbon-tied heels.
Tony crossed his legs, looking certain of victory. Lowering his voice, he said to Alvin, "Watch closely, kid. Let me teach you what a man's charm looks like!"
But beneath Tony's confident smile, the woman in the black dress stopped in front of Alvin. Her sensual red lips parted. "Hello, Mr. Valshius. My name is Natasha. May I invite you to talk somewhere?"
Crack!
Alvin could almost hear something shatter.
He turned and saw Tony frozen in place, his pupils contracting sharply, disbelief written all over his face.
"W-wait. Don't you know who I am?" Tony, unwilling to accept defeat, forced a stiff smile and introduced himself to the woman in the black dress. "I'm Tony Stark. You must know me."
"Oh, I certainly know you, Mr. Stark."
The woman in the black dress smiled. "The famous playboy, the lover every model dreams of having. They say that if someone sleeps with you just once, she'll get a whole year's worth of publicity."
Tony's mouth twitched. "I think that might be a misunderstanding, beautiful lady."
Who was spreading these rumors about him?!
What did she mean, sleep with him for one night and get a whole year's worth of publicity?
What did she take Tony Stark for?
Those damn media outlets were the worst!
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stark."
But the woman in the black dress couldn't be bothered to entertain him any longer. Instead, she shot Alvin a flirtatious glance. "Compared to your 'track record,' I prefer a more innocent sort of guy. Someone like Mr. Alvin Valshius here. You haven't accepted my invitation yet~"
Tony's heart shattered. His mind was filled with one question: Why?
A kid who hadn't even grown his first whiskers had managed to charm such a sizzling beauty, while Tony Stark had been left standing on the sidelines. It just wasn't fair!
"Of course. God would punish me if I turned down an invitation from such a beautiful lady~"
Alvin smiled, stood up, and slipped an arm around Natasha's waist. Then he looked back at Tony and winked, reminding him not to forget their bet.
"You'd better watch yourself tonight, kid!"
Tony gritted his teeth. It wasn't that he cared all that much about one woman; he was just furious at losing face.
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