Money Arrives

"Mr. Saitama," Tony's tone became more polite. "Could you tell me about your training method? Hmm, I know this is a bit presumptuous, like me developing the Jericho Missile and then someone coming to ask for the manufacturing method. It's quite an overstep, but I can offer compensation. I'll give you a generous reward, how about one hundred million dollars? Or even more." Tony really wanted a training method that could make someone as powerful as Saitama.

"One hundred million dollars?" Saitama looked at Tony with apparent surprise.

Seeing Saitama's reaction, Tony's lips curled into a smug smile. Setting aside other conditions, if it was just about money, Tony was confident that no one in the world was richer than him. "That's right, one hundred million dollars. I'll trade one hundred million dollars for your training method."

"Actually, it doesn't take that much money, but since you want to give it, I can accept it," Saitama nodded.

"Thank you."

"Run ten kilometers every day, one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats. Stick to it every day. Eat well for all three meals. You can have a banana for breakfast. To pursue ultimate strength and train your spirit, don't use air conditioning in summer or winter."

"Of course, it was hell at the beginning, making me want to rest for a day. But I, in order to become a strong hero, never stopped no matter how hard it was, even if I vomited blood. Even if my legs were weak, I kept doing squats. Even if my arms made cracking sounds, I continued doing push-ups."

"A year and a half ago, I found myself changed. I went bald! Then I got stronger. In other words, training like crazy until you go bald is the only way to become strong."

Saitama earnestly explained his training method, putting on a look of hardship as if recalling a painful past.

Skye covered her mouth with her hands, trying to suppress a laugh. She already knew Saitama would say this.

"..." Tony.

After a long pause, Tony looked at Saitama mockingly. "Saitama, if you don't want to tell me, fine, but don't treat me like an idiot. First, you should know that the smartest person in the world is sitting in front of you – Tony Stark. So, you can save your childish explanation. Heh, run ten kilometers every day? A hundred push-ups, a hundred sit-ups? Heh heh."

Saitama touched his bald head, looking bewildered. "Why is your reaction the same as Skye's back then? But I'm clearly telling the truth."

"..." Tony looked at Saitama speechlessly and shook his head. "Your acting is good. You almost made it sound like it was real."

Saitama looked confused, but he didn't really care. Whether Tony Stark believed him or not was irrelevant to him. The only pity was that one hundred million dollars. But it didn't matter, he already had one hundred million dollars, which was enough for his future survival. He wouldn't even need to buy discounted food anymore. Saitama was quite content with that.

A hint of displeasure on his face, Tony got up from beside Saitama and moved to a seat further away.

Tony felt he could understand Saitama. After all, if he had a powerful invention, he would never give it to anyone else, not even for money. So, it was normal for Saitama not to share his training method or path to strength. The only thing that bothered him was that Saitama had deliberately told him a story that even a child wouldn't believe, just to brush him off.

The plane landed, and Saitama and Tony had just stepped off.

"We've arrived in New York. You can come with me to Stark Industries to collect the one hundred million dollars, or you can wait until tomorrow and go directly to Stark Industries to claim the one hundred million dollar reward. Of course, if you trust me, you can leave your bank account details, and I'll transfer the one hundred million dollars to you as soon as possible," Tony said to Saitama and Skye with a hint of impatience. It was as if being busy with such a small sum as one hundred million dollars was beneath him.

"Hmm, we'd prefer to get the money as soon as possible." Although Skye knew Stark Industries wouldn't shortchange her on the one hundred million dollars, she still couldn't help but want to get the money quickly. After all, possession is nine-tenths of the law; the sooner the money is in hand, the sooner she can relax.

"Alright, I'll hold a press conference shortly. After the press conference, I'll have someone give you the money directly," Tony nodded.

At this moment, a large group of reporters swarmed forward, surrounding Tony. Countless microphones were thrust towards Tony's face, with one even nearly shoved into his mouth.

"Alright, quiet down. I'll be holding a press conference soon to announce some very important news. Also, go buy me two cheeseburgers. I haven't had one in a while, and I'm craving them." Even though Tony was still wearing the same dirty clothes, even carrying a slight odor, he exuded a unique charisma that made people overlook his outward appearance.

"Tony! That's great. You're finally back, I knew you'd be alright. This is wonderful. Just wonderful." Just then, a bald man pushed through the reporters and gave Tony a big hug. This bald man was Obadiah Stane.

"Thank you, I am indeed back. By the way, I heard you were the one who specifically found Saitama and Skye. Thank you so much. If you hadn't found them, I might not have been able to leave that hellhole," Tony said with a smile, a genuinely happy and sincere smile, because Tony truly regarded Obadiah Stane as family, as an elder.

Upon hearing Tony's words, the smile on Obadiah Stane's face froze. He had naturally heard the news of Tony's rescue, and he even knew who had rescued Tony. But precisely because of this, his mood was far from pleasant.

When Obadiah Stane first saw Skye and Saitama, he recognized at a glance that they were no mercenaries at all, but complete frauds with no real skills. It was precisely because he believed Saitama and Skye were incompetent that he recommended them to search for Tony.

However, he never dreamed that Saitama and Skye would actually find Tony, and in such a short amount of time. Heaven knows when he heard the news, he smashed his office, even destroying many of his favorite collectible treasures, only to regret it afterward.

Forcing a seemingly natural smile, Obadiah Stane scanned the surroundings and finally saw a gleaming bald head. His eyes narrowed slightly. That bald man, Saitama, looked foolish, so why could they find Tony? And even rescue him? Damn it, it was infuriating.

"Oh, and Uncle Obadiah, can you have someone transfer the one hundred million dollar bounty to their bank accounts now?"

"Uh, alright Tony. I'll give the order right away."

Within a few minutes, Skye's phone vibrated. She opened it and saw a text message. A transfer had been made to her bank account. Skye's breathing quickened and became erratic. She widened her eyes, trying hard to count how many zeros were behind the number, but for some reason, she couldn't quite make them out. Finally, Skye's eyes rolled back, and overcome with emotion, she fainted dead away.