Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River—Never Mock a Poor Young Woman!

"Mr. Stark!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Stark!"

"I'm Christine Everhart, a reporter from Vanity Fair. May I ask you a few questions?"

The female reporter, Christine, was stopped at the perimeter by two burly bodyguards in black suits and sunglasses. Since she had called out a surname, no one knew whether she meant Tony or Leon.

At least, Leon believed she was calling for him.

Tony had already gotten into the stretch limousine, while Leon stood outside the door with a young model in his arms, about to get in. After giving Christine's figure and looks a once-over, Happy quietly said to the two brothers:

"Pretty hot."

"Really?" ×2

Tony and Leon were both immediately interested, but Leon had the better position and moved faster.

Without a hint of reluctance, he shoved the young model, whom he had yet to formally get acquainted with, straight into Tony's arms inside the car.

"Big bro, she's yours."

"You brat."

Tony laughed and cursed at him, wrapping an arm around the model's slender waist. He told Happy to drive off first, lest the reporter had come to interview him and make his little brother awkward.

Before leaving, Tony did not forget to remind him, "Just have fun. Be safe. Don't get anyone killed. I won't be going home tonight—I'll fly there directly."

Seeing how understanding Tony was, Leon smiled and nodded, indicating that he got it.

After watching the limousine drive away, he turned to the bodyguards.

"All right, let her through."

With their boss's order, the two bodyguards immediately stepped aside.

"Nice night, isn't it?"

Christine walked over. After glancing at the rear of Tony's car, she put on a professional smile and spoke to Leon.

"If Miss Christine stood outside in the cold wind all night just to ask such a boring question, then I don't think we have much to talk about."

With that said.

Leon raised a hand, about to signal the bodyguards to send Christine away.

Christine immediately panicked. She quickly dropped her flirtatious tone, seized the opportunity she had waited so long for, and began the interview in earnest.

"Mr. Leon, some people call your brother the Leonardo da Vinci of our time. What do you think of that?"

"Ridiculous. He doesn't even paint."

"Oh, if Miss Christine means paintings made of spit, then there's no doubt Tony is a master."

"Still, it's obvious that I'm more deserving of the title 'Leonardo da Vinci' than he is."

Leon stated this fact with confidence and pride.

"Uh..."

The corner of Christine's mouth twitched as she continued, "Then what do you think of Mr. Tony's other nickname, the 'Death Merchant'?"

"Cool."

Leon whistled, pinched his chin, and gave a brief answer, while openly running his aggressively appraising gaze over Christine's body.

It was hard to tell whether Christine did it on purpose or by accident.

Despite the chilly wind outside, the top button of the white shirt she wore underneath was undone.

That was an illness. It needed an injection, and Leon had extensive treatment experience.

"Let me guess—you went to Brown University?"

"Mm-hm~"

Christine gave a proud little hum.

"That's what I thought. Only Brown University, a school known for rebellion and freedom, could cultivate someone as sharp-tongued as Miss Christine."

Leon's tone was faintly mocking as he continued, "Miss Christine, this world isn't perfect, but we have no other choice."

"We can only do our utmost from our respective positions to turn this imperfect world into the one we hope for."

"If the day comes when we no longer need weapons to enforce peace, I promise I'll have Tony switch careers and build children's hospitals."

"You must have practiced that line many times," Christine exposed him.

"Of course."

Leon readily admitted, "Every night before bed, I practice in front of the mirror."

"I can tell."

Christine agreed without giving him an inch of face.

"How about coming home with me and seeing how I practice at home?"

Faced with Leon's direct advance, Christine maintained a reserved yet polite smile. "Could you answer my questions seriously?"

"All right."

Leon shrugged and answered seriously, "I once studied in Dragon Country. Even now, I clearly remember something one of my professors said: 'Having no sword in hand and having one but choosing not to use it are two different things. Dignity exists only at the edge of a blade, and truth exists only within the range of cannon fire.'"

"I deeply respect and agree with his philosophy. Weapons are not made to take lives, but to demonstrate one's strength and thereby deter others."

"Only then can the people be protected from the suffering of war and chaos."

"And Stark Industries' cutting-edge weapons happen to be capable of doing exactly that."

Christine was clearly dissatisfied with Leon's explanation and retorted, "That's just a self-congratulatory claim, isn't it?"

"No, no, no. It's the truth."

"My father helped defeat the Nazis and participated in the Manhattan Project. Many people, including your university professors, call him a hero."

"And many people say he profited from national disaster," Christine added.

Leon could not help laughing. "Then why don't they report on how we saved millions of lives with advanced medical technology, or solved famine through intelligent agricultural technology?"

"Those projects were funded by the military too, honey."

"Wow..."

Christine was left somewhat speechless by Leon's rebuttal. "At the end of the day, selling weapons means selling war. You profit from it—doesn't that make you too ashamed to sleep?"

"Of course not."

Leon denied it flatly and chuckled. "Though I wouldn't mind losing sleep for you."

It had to be said.

When she met Leon's eyes, which looked affectionate even when he was staring at a dog, Christine could not help falling into them, despite having mentally prepared herself beforehand.

His Adam's apple bobbed, the tip of his tongue lightly brushed his lips—everything went without saying...

On the drive home.

It was as if dry tinder had been set ablaze.

Even a seasoned driver like Leon could barely keep his hands steady on the wheel.

If Tony had not anticipated this situation and installed a JARVIS subsystem in Leon's sports car long ago to assist with driving.

Leon probably would have hit the jackpot in a crash long before today.

JARVIS was the AI butler Tony developed, named after Howard Stark's old butler when he was alive. With his computing power, driving a car was child's play.

They made it home without incident.

Naturally, a fierce battle that would leave Leon sleepless was unavoidable...

The next day.

When the radiant Christine woke up, the overworked Leon was still sleeping like the dead.

Her fingers gently traced Leon's mature, handsome face. A satisfied expression appeared on Christine's face, and she kissed him on the cheek, unable to get enough of the experience.

After getting out of bed, Christine wrapped herself in nothing but a white bath towel and wandered barefoot through the high-tech villa built atop a seaside cliff.

Here, all kinds of high-tech products rarely seen outside were piled together as if they cost nothing, making it feel as though she had entered the world of the future.

Inside the spacious seaside villa.

Christine's gasps of amazement rang out from time to time.

After wandering to the entrance of a cylindrical elevator that seemed to lead to the basement, Christine tried pressing the down button.

"ERROR!"

"You do not have authorization to enter this area, Miss Christine."

"Oh my God, what was that?!"

A mechanical male voice suddenly sounded beside her ear. In an era when even the concept of artificial intelligence had yet to become widespread, Christine was genuinely startled.

At that moment.

A gentle female voice came from behind Christine.

"That's JARVIS. He manages the entire house."

Christine turned at the sound and saw a capable professional woman in secretary attire, her short blonde hair tied into a ponytail.

"I brought your clothes. They've all been dry-cleaned and pressed. There's a car waiting outside at all times, and it can take you wherever you want to go."

As she spoke.

Pepper Potts handed the pressed clothes to Christine.

"You must be Miss Pepper Potts."

"That's right."

"You've been by Tony and Leon's sides for so many years, and they still make you do laundry?"

Christine took the clothes and changed right in front of Pepper, boldly displaying her youth and assets without the slightest embarrassment.

In response.

Pepper merely smiled faintly.

"I do anything Mr. Stark asks of me because he is my boss. As for Leon, he's like a younger brother to me, even though I'm younger than he is."

"But occasionally dealing with the trash my little brother leaves behind after a night of fun also falls within this big sister's duties."

"Any other questions, Miss Christine?"

Pepper asked with a "smile."