"Du Mu, you have a new assignment."
That day, Du Mu woke up in his luxurious, two-hundred-square-meter villa and received a call from Nick Fury.
Don't ask how a S.H.I.E.L.D. Level 5 agent could afford such a big house.
Back in Los Santos, he'd owned more than a dozen houses bigger than this. This was nothing by comparison.
Nick Fury's voice came through the phone. "I need you to get close to Tony Stark and keep a close eye on everything he's been doing lately."
"This assignment was originally meant for Black Widow. Given her qualifications, getting close to Stark would be relatively easy, but she's tied up with an urgent assignment right now, so I have no choice but to give it to you."
Du Mu had heard a little about the Black Widow Fury mentioned.
Like him, she had a record of completing every assignment, though she wasn't as efficient as he was.
They said Black Widow was a gorgeous woman with a killer figure and plenty of admirers at S.H.I.E.L.D. Du Mu had even heard one obsessed agent declare that he wanted to drink her bathwater.
With her looks and skills, using her charms on a playboy like Tony would be a piece of cake.
But Black Widow was busy right now. So wouldn't that make him the one who had to use his charms...?
"Director, I'll perform, but I won't sleep with anyone!" Du Mu blurted out.
Nick Fury: "???"
What on earth was going through your head!?
"I'm not asking you to sleep with anyone. How you get close to Tony Stark is your problem to solve. I only care about the results!"
[NPC Nick Fury has issued you a new mission]
[Mission: Monitor Tony Stark]
[Objective: Go undercover by Tony Stark's side, monitor all his actions, and report back to Nick Fury]
[Reward: 1,000 EXP, S.H.I.E.L.D. Reputation +30, Random Item *1, Random Equipment *1]
"The rewards for missions related to Tony are pretty generous!"
Du Mu was almost certain of it.
Tony Stark was definitely one of the main characters in this game, and he played a very important role in the main storyline.
After hanging up, Du Mu began to get ready to head out.
If Black Widow were carrying out this assignment, she'd probably start with Stark Industries, forge some credentials to get hired, then use her skills to replace Tony's female assistant. That way, she could use work as an excuse to get close to him.
But Du Mu couldn't get past the first hurdle of that plan: his gender.
Unless he wanted to claim he was a psychologically female man with a cross-dressing fetish.
Besides, Du Mu thought the conventional route was too inefficient.
So he decided to take a shortcut.
10880 Malibu Beach, California. A seaside mansion.
In the underground laboratory, Tony was completely absorbed in fine-tuning his latest masterpiece, the Mark III armor.
Ever since he'd narrowly escaped death in the Middle East, he'd thrown himself into developing the Steel Armor.
Compared to the Mark I he'd built in the cave, this newest suit of Steel Armor was far more advanced.
Most importantly, it could fly!
Thinking back to the desperate, humiliating way he'd run for his life that day, Tony silently vowed never to let history repeat itself.
He was also considering whether he should install a Gatling gun on the armor. The scene of Du Mu single-handedly wiping out the terrorists that day had really gotten to him.
At that moment, the huge TV mounted on the wall was playing the news.
"Tonight, the red carpet is rolled out outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Tony Stark is set to make his third generous donation to the Firefighters' Family Fund. This annual event is a major gathering of Los Angeles high society, but so far, Tony Stark himself has yet to appear..."
Tony frowned and asked his AI butler, "Jarvis, did anyone invite us?"
"There are no invitations on record."
The voice of the artificial intelligence Jarvis sounded.
The news on TV continued: "Given Tony Stark's shocking remarks at a recent press conference, some have speculated that he suffered inhuman abuse in the Middle East, leaving him with psychological and physical trauma. Others have wondered whether the Tony Stark who returned is really the same man..."
As he listened to the increasingly outrageous speculation on the news, Tony's face grew darker and darker.
What did they mean by inhuman abuse?
What did they mean by psychological and physical trauma?
Tony gritted his teeth. "Jarvis! Find out which media outlet this is, and buy it! Make them run a week of gossip about my love life on a loop! And make sure they emphasize how healthy I am, physically and mentally!"
"Of course, sir."
"And contact Happy. Tell him to drive me to that damn charity gala right away!"
Happy was Tony's driver and bodyguard, and someone he trusted a great deal. He was almost always by Tony's side.
"Sir, Mr. Happy called in sick at short notice today," Jarvis reported.
"Hm? What happened?" Tony was a little surprised.
"According to Mr. Happy, he was attacked by an unknown assailant not long ago. Fortunately, he was unharmed. He is currently at the hospital for observation and treatment."
"Attacked?"
Tony's brows knitted tightly. "Who did it?"
"Mr. Happy said the attacker was an unfamiliar man with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a pink T-shirt and beach shorts."
Tony was baffled.
He knew Happy well. Happy rarely made enemies. Why would anyone attack him for no reason?
Just as Tony was racking his brains, Jarvis spoke again. "Sir, an unregistered visitor has been detected at the main entrance."
"Who is it?"
"A man with black hair and dark eyes, wearing a pink T-shirt and beach shorts."
Tony: "..."
I think I've found the culprit!
Tony sneered. "Well, look who came right to my door. Bring up the outside security footage. I want to see who this guy is."
"Sir, it seems the visitor has already come inside."
Tony: "???"
The next moment, a large section of the ceiling above him vanished. A nimble figure leaped down through the hole.
"Found you!"
The familiar exchange.
The familiar scene.
And... the familiar person!
Looking at Du Mu, who was holding a Diamond Pickaxe, Tony's face darkened completely, rivaling Nick Fury's.
"So it was you!" Tony gritted out.
"Long time no see."
Du Mu greeted him with the ease of an old friend, as if he'd just dropped by a neighbor's house.
His gaze swept over the floating virtual screen in front of Tony. It displayed a detailed model of the Mark III armor and a complex stream of data.
"The latest Steel Armor? It looks way cooler than that hunk of scrap you had last time!"
Du Mu's eyes lit up.
I want it! I want it!
Tony's mouth twitched. He immediately had Jarvis shut off the screen, then stared at Du Mu. "What exactly are you doing here?"
Du Mu grinned. "Isn't it obvious? I'm here to apply for a job as your bodyguard!"
Tony: "?"
You hadn't said that, and I never would've guessed!