The next day.
"Hmph, they actually stuck a magnet in my chest and made me use a clunky car battery as a power source. What idiots." Tony grumbled as he wrote down a list of materials he needed.
Hong Fei sat silently in the corner, looking as though he were depressed.
In truth, Tony's surgery could have been done better, but Hong Fei did not need it to be.
Tony spoke again. "Don't worry. If your family refuses to pay your ransom, I can pay it for you. But you'll have to work at Stark Industries to pay off the debt."
"I don't have a family," Hong Fei suddenly said.
Tony's pen paused, then quickly resumed moving. "So what if you don't? Can't a person live alone? Don't worry, I'll cover your share. If that guy wants to kill the hostage, I'll say you're my assistant. I guarantee you won't die."
Hong Fei sighed inwardly. If Tony kept this up, he was going to start feeling embarrassed.
The only way he could repay Tony was by helping him clean out the traitor in his home. Hmm, that bald guy might drop a Skill Card, right?
Not long after, Tony repeatedly banged on the iron door until he summoned Frank. After handing him the list, Tony added, "I can give you the specifications, or I can even make one for you myself. But I need better treatment... at the very least, I'd like something solid to eat with every meal."
Frank's vicious glare made Tony unconsciously revise his original demand.
Frank gave him a cold glance, then shut the door and left.
Tony immediately complained unhappily, "I bet a guy like that doesn't have any friends."
Tony's proposal was apparently effective. At their second meal, Tony and Hong Fei were given US military canned meat.
Hong Fei was happily eating when the ferocious Frank suddenly burst in again. Without a word, he grabbed Hong Fei by the whole body and carried him outside.
Tony was startled by the sight. He hurriedly put down his food and stepped forward to stop him. "Wait, what are you doing? Where are you taking him?"
Frank said nothing. He simply planted a large hand on Tony's face and shoved him aside.
But Tony refused to let it go and rushed over again. "Wait, he's my assistant. I need him. There are things one person simply can't do alone—I need someone to help me!"
"He won't die." After tossing out that stiff reply, Frank still took Hong Fei away.
Back upstairs, Frank put Hong Fei down, and Hong Fei immediately asked seriously, "What happened?"
"They're here."
Hong Fei froze. "Who?"
Frank said coldly, "Reinforcements. Five in total. They went bankrupt soon after leaving the service. Some of them even lost their wives and children, and they've been living miserably. They're very willing to take the jobs you arrange for them. They'd even be willing to do more."
Hong Fei understood.
Soon, Hong Fei met the five men in Castle.
They stood in a row with their hands behind their backs. Every one of them wore a black suit, and it was hard to tell any difference in their heights at a glance.
However, none of them were particularly muscular. They could even be called thin.
Considering that they might previously have been homeless and unemployed, Hong Fei did not ask any further questions.
Frank took the initiative to explain, "They were all soldiers, and they were all once under my command. Their overall quality may not match the Marine Corps, but every one of them has personally been tempered by war. Also, I can guarantee that none of them have PTSD."
Hong Fei nodded slightly and met each of their gazes in turn.
They were also curiously studying Hong Fei, their new boss, but none of them showed any unusual reaction. After all, what they needed now was a stable job and income.
"My name is Hong Fei. I'm very happy that you've joined us—truly happy. As you probably know, there are only Frank and me in this enormous Castle right now, and every one of you possesses qualities I need. What we need to do now is very simple. You won't need to carry guns onto a battlefield, and you won't need to charge through a hail of bullets. All you need to do is change clothes, then perform one realistic play after another."
Suddenly, a loud voice rang out. "Reporting, boss, I can go to the battlefield!"
"So can I!"
"Me too!"
The others quickly spoke up as well, unwilling to fall behind.
Hong Fei turned to Frank. Seeing him nod, Hong Fei smiled as well. "Your fighting spirit is admirable, but it's too early to talk about that. Handle what's in front of you first. Still, I can at least guarantee that you'll never have to live the way you did before again."
With that, Hong Fei turned and left. After giving the five men a few instructions, Frank quickly caught up with him.
"What do we need to do next?"
Hong Fei smiled faintly. "Give me the phone. We should give our big client a surprise."
Hong Fei had found Obadiah's contact information in Tony's phone long ago.
The first call was hung up on. The second was the same. Only on the third did the other party finally answer.
"Who are you looking for?"
Hong Fei smiled. "Mr. Obadiah, good afternoon—oh, no, it might be nighttime where you are. Good evening!"
Then Hong Fei heard rustling from the other end of the line. It seemed Obadiah had already sat up in bed.
"Get to the point. I don't like people beating around the bush."
"Good. Neither do I. Then listen carefully. Stark is in my hands. To prove it, I sent you an email—remember to check it. If you want him to return safely, prepare five hundred million dollars in bearer bonds or gold, then wait twenty-four hours for my call. If you hang up on me again, then every time you do, I'll cut something off Mr. Stark."
Click!
Hong Fei immediately hung up. After switching off the phone, he stuffed it back into Frank's hand.
"Wait, aren't you asking for ransom? Why didn't you wait for him to speak? And did you just say five hundred million?"
"Of course I want the ransom. The five hundred million is additional compensation because I think I've suffered too. I didn't wait for him to speak because I wanted to give him time to think deeply."
Frank did not understand. "What does that mean?"
Rather than answer, Hong Fei asked, "Do you think Obadiah wants Stark to return?"
Frank frowned, seeming to realize something.
"Not just anyone could know Stark's itinerary, yet he was attacked while under US military escort. And as you saw, those militants never intended to leave anyone alive from the start." Smiling, Hong Fei continued, "Tony Stark's parents died long ago. This Obadiah is probably the person closest to him now. But the problem is, Obadiah doesn't see it that way. Without Tony Stark, wouldn't he naturally become the owner of the entire company? When he can be the one calling the shots, why would he choose to remain beneath someone else?"
"So you want Obadiah to personally tell you that he wants Tony Stark dead?"
Hong Fei smiled. "Exactly. That way, I can raise the price again. After all, the risks of kidnapping and murder are completely different. That's perfectly reasonable."
Frank thought for a moment, then said, "But I don't think you want to kill Tony Stark at all."
"Of course not. If he dies, who am I supposed to get the second payment from?"
"What second payment?"
Hong Fei waved a hand. "Enough. You're not here to feed me straight lines, so why are there so many questions? Hurry up and take me back. I still need to keep building mutual trust with Tony. Sigh, what a shame about this Castle. It's clearly already mine, yet I can't enjoy it for even a moment. There's no justice in that."
Before you continue