Real Men Eat Hellfire Spicy

7:00 p.m., New York Chinatown.

At the innermost table in the corner of an unremarkable hotpot restaurant.

The three of them sat down. The waitress handed them the menu, and Chen Xiao pushed it to the middle of the table without even looking at it.

"Same rule as always," he told the waitress. "Let the foreigners pick the broth."

The waitress was a young girl who knew Chen Xiao. She smiled and waited with her pen in hand.

Tony took the menu and glanced over it. "How do you rate the spice levels here?"

"Mild, medium, extra hot, Hellfire Spicy." The waitress listed them smoothly.

Tony thought for a moment. "Medium."

Daniel shook his head. "Mild."

The two of them looked at Chen Xiao at the same time.

Chen Xiao leaned back in his chair, hands clasped together, with a barely noticeable smile at the corner of his mouth.

"Hellfire Spicy."

"Are you serious?" Tony asked curiously. He had not had much exposure to this sort of thing.

"When have I ever not been serious?"

Daniel frowned. "Chief, last time's extra hot—"

"Last time was last time," Chen Xiao interrupted. "Real men have to be brave enough to challenge themselves."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Trying to provoke us?"

"Stating facts."

Daniel looked at Chen Xiao. His lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing. He knew exactly what Chen Xiao was doing. This guy just wanted to watch the show.

The waitress was still waiting. "So... what level is it?"

Chen Xiao looked at Tony and Daniel, enunciating every word. "Hellfire Spicy. Real men eat Hellfire Spicy."

Tony stared at the tempting picture of red chili oil on the menu and hesitated for half a second.

"Fine. Hellfire Spicy."

Daniel took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Hellfire Spicy," he said, as though he were signing his own death warrant.

The waitress scribbled three words onto the menu and turned to leave.

Only then did Tony look around—greasy floors, mottled walls, yet that did nothing to stop the bustling noise and endless stream of diners.

"A hole-in-the-wall?" He would never admit that ever since learning Chen Xiao was Eastern, he had crammed a great deal of useless knowledge into his head.

"What?" Chen Xiao unwrapped a pair of disposable chopsticks and rubbed them together. "Too good for it?"

"I'm a billionaire, after all."

"Billionaires still have to eat. Besides, this place is good."

Daniel quietly arranged his bowl and chopsticks beside him without joining the conversation.

The broth arrived.

Red chili oil boiled furiously, peppers and Sichuan peppercorns bobbing across the surface as bubbles burst with a constant gurgle.

Tony stared at the pot, his expression shifting from disdain to scrutiny, then from scrutiny to Can this thing actually be eaten?

"This color..." he said.

"Appetizing, right?" Chen Xiao said.

"All this stuff floating on top..."

"Chilies. Sichuan peppercorns. Normal."

"And the steam coming out of these bubbles..."

"Aroma. Normal."

Tony looked up at Chen Xiao. "This isn't poison brewed by some magical wizard, is it?"

Chen Xiao smiled, picked up three bottles of cola from the side, and put one in front of each person. "Cold. Keep them ready."

Daniel silently moved his cola as far away from the pot as possible.

The first bite.

Chen Xiao picked up a slice of tripe, swished it through the pot seven times up and eight times down, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, swallowed, and said without changing expression, "Not bad."

But his ears had already turned red.

Daniel looked at Chen Xiao's ears, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He picked up some beef, swished it through the pot, and put it into his mouth. His expression was as calm as Chen Xiao's, but sweat had begun to bead on his forehead.

Tony watched the two men suspiciously—one with red ears and the other sweating, yet both looking as composed as if they were drinking plain water.

"Are you two putting on an act for me?" Tony asked.

"Putting on what act?" Chen Xiao asked innocently.

"Pretending this broth isn't spicy."

"I never said it wasn't spicy. I said it was not bad."

Tony shook his head, reached out to pick up a shrimp ball, rolled it around in the pot a few times, fished it out, blew on it, and put it in his mouth.

The instant the shrimp ball entered his mouth, his expression changed.

First came confusion—why was it so hot? Then alarm—why did it feel like fire was rushing up from his throat? Then shock—what the hell was this, why was it so spicy?

He chewed twice, swallowed, then grabbed his cola and drained it in one go.

Chen Xiao watched him, unable to keep the corners of his mouth from rising.

"Well?"

Tony set down the bottle, took a deep breath, and said in a tone that screamed I can't lose, "Not bad."

But his face had already begun to redden.

Daniel glanced at Tony, then at Chen Xiao, and the corner of his mouth twitched.

Chen Xiao pretended not to notice and picked up another slice of tripe.

"You two are eating too slowly," he said. "Hellfire Spicy has to be eaten while it's hot."

Tony glared at him. "You're eating so fast, can you even taste it?"

"I tasted it. Spicy."

"Then why aren't you sweating?"

"Because I have a special constitution."

Daniel gave a soft cough beside him. Not because of the spice, but as a reminder not to let Chen Xiao get too smug.

Chen Xiao pretended not to hear.

The second bite. The third bite. The fourth bite.

Tony's face began to flush as his circulatory system underwent a catastrophe. Starting from his neck, the redness spread to the roots of his ears, until his entire face turned a shade remarkably close to the hotpot broth.

Daniel was not doing much better. Sweat covered his forehead, the tip of his nose, and his chin, yet he never wiped it away. He simply kept eating, kept chugging cola, and kept fighting Hellfire Spicy through sheer willpower.

Chen Xiao looked at the two of them and suddenly felt this scene was worth recording. But he held himself back.

"Daniel," Chen Xiao said, "didn't you say last time that men can't say they can't do it?"

Daniel's hand paused.

"What about this time?"

Daniel expressionlessly picked up a piece of baby bok choy, put it in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"This time, I can do it too."

Tony glanced at Daniel. His eyes had gone red, tears and snot streaming down his face, but there was something new in his gaze: defiance.

"You normally eat this spicy?" Tony asked.

"Sometimes," Daniel said.

"How often is sometimes?"

Daniel thought for a moment. "When the chief brings me here."

"How many times has he brought you here?"

Daniel looked at Chen Xiao.

"Twice."

Tony turned to Chen Xiao. "The first time you came, you ate Hellfire Spicy?"

"The first time was extra hot," Chen Xiao corrected. "He ordered it himself. He said, 'Men can't say they can't do it.'"

Tony looked at Daniel again.

Daniel said expressionlessly, "After that time, I didn't dare use the bathroom for three days."

Chen Xiao laughed.

Tony laughed too, although he did not understand what extra hot had to do with using the bathroom. His laugh looked a little like crying, because his lips had already swollen into a full ring.

"You," Tony said, pointing at Chen Xiao, "are really an asshole."

"A lot of people say that."

Daniel took a sip of cola, set down his cup, and looked at Tony.

"Mr. Stark, are you all right?"

"Great," Tony said. "Fantastic."

"Your lips are swollen."

Tony reached up and touched his lips. They really were swollen.

"Normal," he said. "A normal reaction to Hellfire Spicy."

The corner of Daniel's mouth twitched slightly, but he did not expose him.

Chen Xiao leaned back in his chair and watched the two of them—one with a swollen ring around his lips still forcing himself to act tough, the other drenched in sweat while pretending to be calm—and felt as delighted as if he had won the lottery.

"I'm telling you," he said, picking up some beef, "Hellfire Spicy isn't about the flavor. It's about the state of mind."

"What state of mind?" Tony asked.

"The state of mind of a real man."

Daniel expressionlessly ate a mouthful of enoki mushrooms.

Tony stared at Chen Xiao for two seconds, then picked up some beef himself, stuffed it into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

"My state of mind is very high."

"I can tell," Chen Xiao said. "It's written all over your face. In red."

Tony rolled his eyes.

By the halfway point of the meal, the atmosphere had completely relaxed. All three of them were drenched in sweat, several bottles of cola had been emptied, and the empty plates on the table were piled layer upon layer.

Tony leaned back in his chair, undid the top button of his shirt, and let out a long breath.

"Honestly," he said, "this Hellfire Spicy... isn't bad."

"Compared to medium?" Chen Xiao asked.

Tony thought for a moment. "They're not even in the same league."

"Then will you still eat medium in the future?"

Tony fell silent for two seconds.

"Depends who I'm eating with."

Daniel suddenly spoke up from beside him. "Mr. Stark, when you said medium earlier, I thought you were serious."

"I was serious," Tony said.

"Then why did you switch to Hellfire Spicy?"

Tony glanced at Chen Xiao.

"Because someone beside me kept egging me on."

Chen Xiao looked innocent. "I just made a suggestion."

Daniel shook his head and took a sip of cola.

The red chili oil in the pot continued to bubble and gurgle.

Tony's phone vibrated. He looked down at it, his brow furrowing slightly, then turned the phone over and placed it face-down on the table.

"What is it?" Chen Xiao asked.

"Nothing. Company business."

"Obadiah?"

Tony looked at him.

"How did you know?"

"Guess."

Tony fell silent for several seconds. "He's been asking me for research records. The Arc Reactor. The armor." Tony's tone was calm, but Chen Xiao could hear something else beneath that calmness. "I don't know what he wants."

Chen Xiao said nothing.

He knew what Obadiah wanted. But he could not say it outright.

"Be careful," Chen Xiao said.

Tony looked at him, and the corner of his mouth moved.

"I will."

The hotpot meal was over. The red oil in the broth was still bubbling, but every last piece of food had been fished out.

Tony leaned back in his chair, a trace of intoxication on his face, though his eyes remained bright. His lips were swollen into a ring, sweat covered his forehead, and a large patch of his shirt collar was soaked through.

"Hellfire Spicy," he said. "The name lives up to its reputation."

"Will you dare come back next time?" Chen Xiao asked.

Tony stared at the pot of red broth for two seconds.

"I dare."

"Then what will you challenge next time? The owner said he has a secret menu item called 'Hellfire Spicy.'"

Tony's hand paused.

"There's something like that?"

"There is. But I haven't tried it. They say everyone who has eaten it ended up in the hospital."

Tony fell silent for three seconds.

"...If you're treating, I'll come."

The gathering broke up.

"Senior Brother, I'll head back first. There are still some things to deal with at home."

"Alright."

Daniel gave Tony a slight nod. "Mr. Stark, it was a pleasure meeting you. Insanely spicy was quite an experience."

Tony nodded. "I'll treat you to something better next time. No insanely spicy."

The corner of Daniel's mouth twitched slightly, and he turned to walk out of the hotpot restaurant.

Chen Xiao watched his back disappear through the entrance, then turned to Tony.

"What about you? How are you getting back?"

"There's a press conference here tomorrow. I called Happy to pick me up."

"Alright, then."

The two walked out of the hotpot restaurant. New York's night wind carried a hint of chill, blowing away some of the hotpot smell clinging to them.

Tony stood outside the restaurant with his hands in his pockets, watching the traffic flow down the street.

"Chen Xiao."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think my uncle... would hurt me?"

Chen Xiao was silent for a few seconds.

"I don't know," he said. "But if you feel something's wrong, then something must be wrong."

Tony turned to look at him.

"You always only say half of what you mean."

"Because I only know half of it myself."

Tony stared at him for two seconds, then laughed.

"Fine."

Tony pulled open the car door and glanced back at Chen Xiao.

"Don't trick me into eating insanely spicy again next time."

"Then what should we eat?"

"Mild."

"Alright. Mild."

Tony got into the car, and the door closed. The black sedan merged into traffic and vanished around the corner.

Chen Xiao stood outside the hotpot restaurant, watching the car drive away as the corners of his mouth slowly curled up.

He took out his phone and sent Daniel a text: "Your hands were shaking just now."

Daniel replied instantly: "The spice."

"Didn't you say you could handle it?"

"I said I could handle it. I never said I wouldn't shake."

Chen Xiao laughed.

"Insanely spicy is for real men," he typed.

Daniel replied, "Then eat it yourself next time. I'm not joining you."

Chuckling, Chen Xiao slipped his phone into his pocket and swiped his right hand. A blue portal silently unfolded in an empty alley. He stepped into it and vanished.