In Tony's mind, Leon should have been someone his own age, or at the very least, not this young.
Because whenever Tony spoke with Leon, he always felt as though he had found a kindred spirit.
Most of the time, they did not need explanations or to spell things out. Leon could understand what Tony meant.
Mind Reading was obviously a joke, and Tony knew that perfectly well. So, in Tony's imagination, beneath Leon's mask should have been the face of a middle-aged man, perhaps even sporting a beard much like his own!
But when he suddenly saw Leon's true face today, he turned out to be a kid in his twenties!
Tony felt that his feelings had been deceived.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words, unsure what to say.
Pepper, on the other hand, nodded in satisfaction.
Wasn't this a hundred times better than a street robber (mask mode) or a mental patient (painting demon mode)?!
She warmly invited Leon to sit down, and the three of them began their first proper conversation.
It had to be said that no matter how career-driven a strong woman was, she was still emotional at heart.
Pepper could see that Leon was clearly not even old enough to have finished college yet. She kept talking about everyday matters—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—leaving Tony, who was sitting beside them with a bellyful of questions, utterly stifled.
Leon was also happy to see Tony wearing such a frustrated expression. He was laughing his head off inside, while outwardly discussing the differences between Chinese and Western cuisine with Pepper in all seriousness.
They chatted like that for a long time. In the end, Pepper took pity on Tony. Her boss could not get a word in edgewise, and he had been