An Anomaly Discovered

[Super Physique: LV5 (0/16000)]

Mark was quietly satisfied as he looked at the Super Physique that had already reached Level 5.

He had tested it before. At this point, the pulling force of one hand had already exceeded a ton, and with both hands, he could easily flip over a small sedan.

What he had just done was merely a small test of his abilities.

Besides his greatly increased strength, Mark's physical toughness and endurance had also improved significantly—otherwise, his body would not have been able to withstand the force it could unleash.

Back at the hotel, Mark had tested his body's defensive capabilities with a fruit knife.

Using the strength of an ordinary adult, he could no longer pierce his own skin with the dagger, though he probably still could not completely withstand gunfire.

Mark hailed a taxi and got inside with his two bodyguards.

"Mark, are we going home now?"

Torres, the bodyguard beside him, asked.

"No, we're going to the Intercontinental Hotel on Hollywood Boulevard."

Mark said.

While on the plane, he had spoken with Rosalie and learned that she was not at home. She was attending a film's celebration party in Hollywood.

Rosalie had recently appeared in a movie called "Speed Killer," playing the third female lead.

Now that the film's box office had surpassed two hundred million dollars, the producers had invited the entire cast and crew to the hotel for a celebration.

Missing her son dearly, Rosalie had told Mark to come directly to the hotel when she learned he had returned.

Rosalie had once merely been an extra. Even if she had been invited to a similar gathering, she would not have been qualified to bring her family along.

But now that she had played an important role in a movie, no one would say anything about her bringing her family to the party.

The taxi quickly stopped in front of the Intercontinental Hotel.

The moment Mark stepped out of the car, he saw Rosalie waiting at the hotel entrance in a blue evening gown.

"Mark!"

Rosalie rushed forward excitedly and pulled Mark into her arms.

The mother and son had never been apart for so long before.

Although they video-called every day, Rosalie was still filled with longing for Mark.

Rosalie then took Mark's hand and led him into the hotel.

The two bodyguards following Mark were stopped at the entrance. Only after handing over the pistols at their waists were they allowed inside.

However, they did not follow Mark into the main hall. Instead, they went to the side hall where bodyguards and drivers were accommodated.

"Haha, Director Gordon, congratulations on your movie's massive box office success!"

"Congratulations to us all. We'll make money together."

"..."

Mark's ears twitched slightly, and the conversations in the hotel ballroom, along with the clinking of glasses, entered his ears with perfect clarity.

As his Super Physique improved, Mark's five senses had also been greatly enhanced. His sight, hearing, smell, and other senses now far surpassed those of ordinary people.

When Mark followed Rosalie into the ballroom, he noticed that many people who had been chatting nearby seemed to cast occasional glances his way.

There was no need to guess. These people had probably seen the earlier CBS interview and recognized him as the boy suspected of being Tony Stark's illegitimate son.

But every year, there were at least eight thousand, if not ten thousand, women in the Federation who publicly claimed to have slept with Tony Stark or borne his child.

As long as Tony Stark did not publicly acknowledge him, no one would truly think much of Mark.

"Florine, Kelly, Riser... this is my son, Mark."

Rosalie ignored the gazes around them and smilingly introduced Mark to several friends she had met on the film crew.

Mark noticed that the people in the ballroom had naturally divided themselves into different circles according to their status.

The people Rosalie knew held positions in the crew similar to hers.

"Hello, everyone. I'm Mark."

Mark politely greeted them.

"Wow! Rosalie, your child is so cute!"

"Mark is so polite. I wish I had such a well-behaved child too!"

"Rosalie, this is simply the best gift God has given you!"

"..."

Everyone around them praised him in turn. Some of the actresses' eyes even lit up as they looked at him, as if they wanted nothing more than to rush over and kiss him twice.

After unlocking Super Physique, Mark's skin had regained the tender, smooth softness of infancy.

That made him, already exceptionally handsome, even more irresistible to these women.

After introducing those friends, Rosalie quietly introduced Mark to the three people standing at the center of the ballroom, surrounded by a crowd.

"That is the director of 'Speed Killer,' Louis Gordon. Beside him are the film's male lead, Lucas Kane, and female lead, Adela Evans."

When she mentioned Adela, Mark could hear the envy in Rosalie's voice.

She seemed to want to be like Adela too, attracting countless eyes wherever she went.

Although Rosalie had now risen to become a third-tier Hollywood actress, her status was still far below that of an A-list star like Adela.

"Lucas is the real tough guy. He personally performed a whole series of dangerous scenes in the movie—jumping from buildings, high-speed driving, car crashes—and he never used a stunt double!"

"That's right. I think Lucas is Hollywood's next Stallone. Now that's a real man!"

"Adela was also incredibly beautiful in the movie, and her acting was outstanding!"

"..."

Although the ballroom was noisy, Mark still heard many people constantly praising Lucas and Adela.

Even the quiet conversation between Lucas and Louis was heard clearly by Mark.

"Director, what exactly was that drug you injected me with during filming? I felt my strength increase tremendously after the injection, and my reaction speed became far faster than before! Without that miracle drug, I'm afraid I couldn't have completed those difficult moves."

"Don't ask so many questions! That drug is expensive. If it weren't for your talent for acting, I wouldn't have been willing to use it on you."

Hearing their conversation, Mark could not help frowning. Something's wrong! What exactly did Louis inject into Lucas? There are plenty of drugs in Marvel that can enhance the body, but most of them have side effects.

Malibu Cliffside Villa.

Not long after Mark got off the plane, JARVIS reported his whereabouts to Tony Stark.

"The kid went to a movie celebration party right after getting off the plane?"

Tony Stark was initially surprised, then frowned. "'Speed Killer'... why does the name of that movie sound so familiar?"

"Sir, 'Speed Killer' was a film Stark Industries invested fifty million dollars in last year."

JARVIS reminded him.

"Oh... so it's a movie made by our company. Then I should go take a look!"

Apparently having finally found himself an excuse, Tony Stark stood and headed outside.