Chance Encounter at a Restaurant

As everyone left the underground laboratory, Claire chirped like a cheerful little bird about the food she was looking forward to. "I want pizza with cheese that stretches like a waterfall, and pasta where the cream melts like clouds with one poke of the fork!" Ashley, meanwhile, clutched the mini scanner Li Stark had given her. Every so often, she took it out to scan roadside billboards and vending machines, quietly muttering as she analyzed the data, as if the little device were a magic wand for exploring this new world.

When they pushed open the Italian restaurant's ornate glass doors, the rich aroma of tomatoes and cheese, mixed with the warmth of the ovens, washed over them and instantly enveloped the group. Warm yellow light flowed over the vintage red-brick walls like honey. In the black-and-white photographs hanging there, Italian street cafés and horse-drawn carriages seemed to tell stories of years gone by. Soft jazz drifted through the air, saxophone melodies gently teasing their ears, while the crystal chandelier scattered flecks of light across the wooden floor.

"Wow, this place looks way fancier than the high-end restaurants in Raccoon City!" Claire's eyes sparkled. Her boots thudded heavily against the wooden floor, as if keeping time with her amazement, drawing glances from nearby diners. She strode toward a long table by the window and dropped into a seat. The chair let out a protesting creak, but she did not notice at all as she grabbed the menu and began reciting, "Pizza, pasta, tiramisu... I want it all! Two of everything! I'm making up for all the food I missed out on in Raccoon City!"

Ada Wong elegantly smoothed the hem of her qipao, its satin fabric glowing softly beneath the lights. She sat beside Li Stark and deliberately raised a brow at Wanda, a sly smile hidden at the corners of her eyes. "Little Stark, aren't you going to recommend some dishes worthy of my taste? After all, in certain respects, you understand me better than a professional waiter." Before Wanda could respond, Natasha rolled her eyes first. She idly played with a dinner knife, its reflected gleam falling across her face. "Don't make things difficult for him. If you're really that particular, why not go back to Umbrella and eat at a three-star Michelin restaurant? Maybe their chefs could even develop new dishes based on virus samples."

Just as everyone was making a racket, a commotion rose at the restaurant entrance. Tony Stark walked in wearing his signature sunglasses, strutting with an exaggerated model's gait. The shades playfully slipped down his nose, but with a single push of his hand, he precisely set them back in place. Happy followed behind him with a miserable expression, like an old ox laboring beneath a heavy load. He carried several shopping bags stamped with luxury-brand logos, their metal chains swaying and clinking brightly. "Wanda! Natasha! Fancy running into you here!" Tony pulled off his sunglasses, spinning them dexterously between his fingers as he headed straight for them with his trademark roguish grin. "I thought you were out on some secret mission. What, are you here taste-testing so you can give the Avengers cafeteria some suggestions?"

Only then did he notice the unfamiliar faces around the table. A flicker of confusion crossed his eyes, but then his smile widened as he returned to his teasing tone. "Wait, what's this mysterious gathering? Little Li, when did you secretly start a 'weird costumes club'? And this lady in the red qipao—what Republican-era movie set did she step out of? And this beautiful lady holding a shotgun, is she planning to play a live-action game of Whac-A-Mole in the restaurant, except the 'moles' are unruly diners?" Tony studied Ada Wong, Jill, and Claire with great interest, leaning forward like a curious child waiting to hear a story.

Rather than getting angry, Ada Wong tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing her delicate collarbone. Her red-painted nails tapped lightly against the tabletop in a steady rhythm. "Mr. Stark, we're far more exciting than any movie. Why don't you guess how many secrets we carry that are more shocking than an Arc Reactor?" Her fingertips unconsciously brushed across the back of Li Stark's hand. The air around Wanda abruptly turned cold, and a thin layer of frost instantly formed over the water glasses on the table, spreading along their sides like enchanted vines.

Jill and Claire exchanged a glance, then quietly nudged each other with their elbows. "Didn't expect to meet a celebrity here," Claire whispered, though her eyes remained fixed on the reactor in Tony's chest. Blue light reflected in her pupils. "Can that thing really be installed in someone's chest? Doesn't it feel uncomfortable? I feel like it would clank around whenever you ran." As she spoke, she could not resist reaching out to touch it. Her arm was only halfway extended when Jill swiftly grabbed and pressed down her hand. "Don't do anything reckless. We're guests right now. You pulled out guns in Raccoon City, but you can't just go around touching people's chests here!"

At that moment, a waiter passed by carrying a large pizza. The cheese atop it was still bubbling, while tomato sauce dotted it like rubies. The aroma made Claire's mouth water. "Mine! That's mine!" She pounced like a little beast guarding its food, but stood up too quickly and accidentally knocked over the condiment bottles beside her with her elbow. The salt and pepper shakers clattered onto the floor, scattering white and black powder across the tiles in bizarre patterns like an abstract painting. Nearby diners cried out in alarm, and some women even dramatically covered their mouths.

Tony laughed so hard he nearly doubled over, tears almost coming out of his eyes. He pointed at Claire, unable to straighten up. "I told you there was a risk in bringing you people to a restaurant! Well, now we've got some demolition crew from who-knows-where switching over to the culinary battlefield!" Still laughing, he pulled out his phone and photographed the mess on the floor, even starting a livestream. "You guys have no idea—today I ran into a bunch of 'food destroyers.' This is more exciting than my Iron Man press conferences!" Happy hurriedly got up to help clean, muttering, "Sorry, sorry, we'll compensate you..." The way he crouched on the floor cleaning up made him look exactly like a parent dealing with a mischievous child's aftermath.

Li Stark blushed as he helped wipe down the table, explaining, "They just arrived in this world, so they might be a little..." "Unrestrained," Ada Wong smoothly finished for him. She elegantly picked up a slice of pizza between her slender fingers. The cheese stretched into long strands, and she lightly blew on it, sending silvery threads drifting away. "But since you offered, Mr. Stark, why not add some lobster and champagne? Consider it a welcome feast for us. After all, our story deserves the finest food to accompany it."

"Sure, as long as you're not afraid of blowing the restaurant roof off." Tony waved grandly and called to the waiter, "Add ten more lobsters, and bring a few bottles of eighty-two Lafite! If you don't have that, seventy-eight or seventy-nine will do. I'm not picky!" He then turned toward Ashley and saw her studying the pizza with the mini scanner, its blue light flickering across her face. He leaned closer curiously. "Kid, are you checking whether there's alien matter in that pizza? Does this round pie contain some code to save the world?"

Ashley's face reddened as she awkwardly explained, "I just think this scanner is amazing, so I wanted to see if it could analyze the pizza's ingredients. Like the gluten strength of the flour, the fat content of the cheese, and whether the tomato sauce has some secret recipe."

"Ha, you should've said so!" Tony pulled out an even more compact device from his pocket, its surface glowing with futuristic blue light. "Use my portable analyzer. It can not only analyze ingredients, but also score food. Out of ten, I bet this place's pizza can't score above a seven—unless..." He deliberately paused and raised his brows. "Unless they used Stark Industries' exclusive seasoning." He handed the device to Ashley and showed her how to use it step by step. The scene instantly turned into a little technology lesson, Ashley's serious data recording forming an amusing contrast with Tony's exaggerated explanations.

Inside the restaurant, laughter, arguments, and the clinking of cutlery intertwined. Tony occasionally joked with Wanda and Natasha, recounting embarrassing moments from past missions and making them laugh until tears came to their eyes. Then he pulled Jill and Claire into discussing their battles in Raccoon City. Whenever he heard a thrilling part, he even mimicked zombie movements, drawing frequent glances from nearby diners. He also did not forget to trade barbs with Ada Wong, their verbal sparring like a duel between masters. Happy bustled around beside them, either cleaning up the messes or pouring drinks for everyone, the clink of glasses crisp and pleasant. Though he was exhausted and drenched in sweat, he could not help smiling at the lively group, his expression filled with warmth and contentment.