Master of Marvel's World

Besides, with outsiders present, no matter how many complaints she had bottled up inside, she would still leave Tony some dignity in front of unfamiliar strangers.

"Of course. This isn't an ordinary mech."

When it came to work, Tony looked a little excited as well. He stood before Mirage in amazement. "Although it can't compare to my Mark at all, and its operating system is complete garbage, that defensive force field is incredibly powerful. Give me another week, and I'll be able to miniaturize it and install it on the next-generation Mark armor."

"Alright, so... you're not going to the gala in three days either?"

"No. You can go in my place." Tony waved a hand dismissively.

"Me? I'm just a secretary! That gala is full of CEOs from major companies!" Pepper took a deep breath before managing to suppress her anger.

"Is that so?" Tony did not even turn his head. "Then you are one now too."

"..."

The anger on Pepper's face froze instantly.

"What... did you say?"

"I said that from now on, you are Stark Industries' new CEO." Tony turned around and looked at the secretary who had worked at Stark Industries ever since his father was alive. "There may be some legal matters to handle, but you know I have the right to decide my heir. That person is you. Congratulations. You can scream now, or throw yourself a promotion party."

"But I, I..."

Pepper suddenly did not know what to say.

Yet the smile on her face simply would not stop. She looked at Tony, and Tony looked back at her. At that moment, Pepper felt that all her efforts over the years had been worthwhile.

Shen He stood to one side, taking small sips of wine, feeling as though he had been force-fed a mouthful of lovey-dovey sweetness.

But he was more concerned about something else.

If the information he had checked over the past few days was correct, the gala three days from now seemed to be a plot point. There would also be a car race that day. Tony, thinking he was about to die, would go racing to indulge himself, and then meet the film's main villain for the first time.

But now, Tony did not intend to attend the gala.

What was that poor main villain, Ivan Vanko, supposed to do?

"Alright, it's settled, then."

As though he had made some major decision, Tony seemed to relax a little. Only then did he look at the box Pepper had dragged over. "What's in here? It looks pretty heavy. A gift from a fan?"

"No, Agent Coulson asked me to bring it to you." Pepper had yet to recover from her surprise and answered almost reflexively. "He said it contains your father's belongings."

"My father's belongings?" Tony froze. "Why would they be the ones delivering my father's belongings to me?"

Well...

Shen He was stunned too.

Everything had changed. Tony's birthday party was still half a month away, while the plot where he received his father's belongings from S.H.I.E.L.D. and found a way to solve his palladium poisoning should have happened much later.

Was this the so-called butterfly effect?

Shen He sighed inwardly and interjected, "Your father, Howard Stark, was one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s founders. He was a great man, Tony. And you were his greatest pride."

"What... did you say?" Tony stared at Shen He in disbelief.

In his memories, his father had never loved him. His father had only ever been busy with work, until he suddenly died in a car accident on some deserted road.