Having a Formula Made Things Easy

Someone once said that when you did a good deed, you should make sure people knew your name.

Li Wei couldn't have agreed more.

Otherwise, who would know he had gone to rescue Tony Stark?

Putting their differences aside would make Li Wei look like the bigger man.

Of course, the main point was to steal the spotlight back.

Why should Hollywood celebrities get all the attention?

And with some trashy scandal, no less. Why did that deserve so much interest?

The headlines had to be his!

So before setting out, Li Wei stood surrounded by reporters, his expression grave.

"Mr. Li Wei, we hear you're going to rescue Tony Stark. Why?"

The reporters were curious too.

The two were sworn rivals. Why would he go looking for Stark at a time like this?

Shouldn't he be secretly celebrating?

Li Wei drew himself up and declared, "You know, Tony Stark is an outstanding scientist. There's no bad blood between us. In fact, we're good friends, and I don't hold his defiance against him!"

"That's why I'm going to save him. We can't let America lose such a great scientist!"

Having a formula made answering questions easy.

Li Wei had made it a matter of national interest, leaving the reporters who wanted to stir up trouble with little to say.

In truth, if Li Wei said so much as one wrong word, they would twist it in their reports.

He needed media attention, but he also needed to build his image.

Bad publicity was still publicity...

But if he could avoid the bad part, he would. Everyone liked a clean-cut image better than a tarnished one.

"All right, everyone. I have to go. Please wait for news."

Li Wei spoke solemnly.

Then he hurried into a black vehicle with Eve and 2B.

Only special agencies dared use windows that couldn't be seen through from outside.

Otherwise, American cops would pull you over in a heartbeat.

Once inside, he saw Natasha Romanoff in the front passenger seat, staring at him in disbelief. "What was all that fuss about?"

"Natasha, long time no see."

Li Wei reached out to shake her hand. Deliberately or not, Natasha brushed a finger across his palm.

"Can't help it. Maybe I'm just too handsome."

Li Wei withdrew his hand without reacting. As expected of Black Widow, she didn't waste time.

As the saying went:

Don't let a good woman down, and don't let a bad woman go to waste.

And he liked bad women!

"You are."

Natasha turned to give him an exaggerated once-over, then nodded in agreement.

Eve watched them. If they didn't have somewhere to be, the two might have been all over each other already.

For now, Eve and 2B sat on either side of Li Wei, "protecting" him between them.

Natasha caught Eve's look and chuckled.

She liked this sort of thing.

Before long, they arrived at a military airfield.

Crates bearing the Future Technology Company logo had already been delivered.

They were being loaded onto a Quinjet.

"Let's get out."

Black Widow Natasha opened the door and stepped out first.

She wore her agent's uniform today. The black suit showed off her figure, while her long auburn curls gave her an air of mature confidence.

Maria Hill was waiting at the airfield too, tablet in hand. Her short black hair made her look sharp and capable.

"Hey."

Li Wei gave Maria Hill a hug.

"Be careful in the Middle East," Maria Hill said. "They dared to kidnap Tony Stark. Clearly, they'll do anything."

"Don't worry."

Li Wei knew she had come to see him off.

As deputy director, she couldn't go to the front line.

Black Widow Natasha, on the other hand, had already boarded the Quinjet.

Li Wei didn't linger either. He leaned close to Maria Hill's ear and said, "Wait for me to come back."

"Mm."

"Keep yourself safe," Maria Hill said reluctantly.

Seeing her concern, Li Wei smiled smugly.

Apparently, going all the way really was the way to win a woman's heart.

Then he boarded the Quinjet with 2B and Eve.

With both women protecting him, he'd have a hard time getting into trouble even if he tried.

"Sit down and buckle up."

Seeing that Li Wei wasn't used to the seat belt, Black Widow Natasha leaned over to fasten it for him. Sparks nearly flew, but nothing caught fire.

Black Widow's figure really was something else: curves in all the right places, without a single flaw.

The Quinjet then lifted straight off the ground.

Unlike other aircraft, a Quinjet didn't need a runway to take off, and its landings were smooth too.

Most importantly, it was fast.

"It'll take a few hours to get there. Do whatever you like."

Once they were flying steadily, Black Widow Natasha offered Li Wei a piece of gum.

She slipped a piece onto her own tongue with a flirtatious look and began to chew.

Li Wei unwrapped his piece and popped it into his mouth. "Do the flight attendants dance?"

"I hear Tony Stark's private jet has flight attendants of every skin tone. A whole rainbow."

Black Widow Natasha rolled her eyes at him.

"Then take Tony Stark's jet."

Men really were no good.

She promptly put on her headphones and ignored Li Wei.

Li Wei shook his head. Women.

The flight was boring, so Li Wei rested his head on Eve's lap and went to sleep.

Why not 2B's? Because Eve's thighs were more comfortable.

When they reached the Middle East, Black Widow Natasha saw how much Li Wei was "enjoying" himself and shook him awake.

"We're here."

She glanced at Eve. After Li Wei had rested on her lap for so long, didn't her legs ache?

Eve ignored her and gently helped Li Wei sit up. Her legs didn't ache at all.

Li Wei yawned and moved to the window. Outside, all he could see was desolation.

No wonder they called it the graveyard of empires...

What few cities there were had mostly been destroyed.

The US Military hadn't come here to build anything. It had come to destroy!

Eve looked outside. "Master, why does this place look like a wasteland?"

"Because it is Earth's wasteland," Li Wei said with a sigh.

The Quinjet landed smoothly at a US Military base.

The atmosphere was tense. New military equipment was everywhere, making the place look lavishly supplied.

With such an advantage in weapons, they should have been able to defeat the enemy easily. Instead, they had been dragged into a war they couldn't easily escape.

But Li Wei didn't care about that. As far as he was concerned, the longer the US Military stayed bogged down here, the better.

Plenty of capitalists thought the same way, especially military contractors like Stark Industries.

Without war, what use would there be for military contractors?

Soon, someone from the military came to greet them.

"That's General Davis," Black Widow Natasha whispered in Li Wei's ear.

General Davis did not look pleased. Li Wei was the one who had put so much pressure on them.

If Li Wei hadn't kept "urging" them on online, would this many people have paid attention to the matter?

Worse, Li Wei's speech just before setting out had sent public interest soaring again after it had finally begun to fade.

General Davis hated his guts!

Li Wei pretended not to notice and greeted him warmly. "General Davis, I've heard so much about you."