Pepper's Demand

"Obadiah Stane, Chief Operating Officer of Stark Industries, fell to his death at Stark Industries Park three days ago."

"According to the official investigation."

"Obadiah Stane's death was not caused by anyone else, but was a suicide out of fear of punishment."

"The police announced."

"Stane had repeatedly conducted arms deals with foreign terrorist forces in his personal capacity."

"He had also committed serious crimes including multiple murders and interference in other countries' internal affairs."

"Even the attack on Tony Stark, president of Stark Industries, several months ago was orchestrated by Obadiah Stane."

"For more detailed coverage, we will now connect to our reporter on the scene..."

Leon stood in a horse stance in the living room, watching the news as he stuffed a slice of cheese pizza into his mouth.

"This is just great... The stock price I'd only managed to raise again after showing up at the company the day before yesterday is about to drop again. It's like a roller coaster."

Leon sarcastically mocked himself.

"Though it doesn't really affect me, I still feel sorry for all those shareholders who support Stark."

After thinking for a moment, he opened Twitter and posted an update.

—What happened to Obadiah was only an accident. Stark Industries will never coexist with evil.

Please continue to believe in Stark Industries and support Stark Industries stock. The day you return home laden with profits will surely come. Stark never disappoints those who support it.

He attached a picture of the leftover pizza on the table.

A few seconds later, the comments under his post exploded.

Hundreds of furious comments appeared instantly, as though they had bought property on Twitter.

[Look at Obadiah. How could someone like that have been Chief Operating Officer? Stark Industries is doomed sooner or later!]

[It's all bullshit! I bought stock when Tony Stark came back, and then he shut down the weapons division and cost me half my fortune. Leon Stark showed himself again after half a year, so I bought more stock, only for their Chief Operating Officer to turn out to be a super criminal two days later?]

[I can already picture myself begging on the streets of Los Angeles a month from now! Damn you, Stark! You've made me lose everything!]

More comments popped up every second, all from devastated shareholders crying about how insane they had been to buy Stark stock.

Seeing the comment section hit 999+ in just one minute, Leon felt slightly embarrassed.

"Uh, looks like Stark shareholders have their own ideas. Forget it. I'm sure everyone will have a wonderful future, safe and happy."

Just then, Pepper walked over with a cup of coffee. "Did I just hear you praying for the shareholders?"

"Not exactly..." Leon looked at Pepper's expression and had a bad feeling.

But Pepper continued on her own.

"Honestly, Leon, if you really don't want them to lose too badly, you should go downstairs right now and drag that Tony, who's been missing for three days, back up here!"

"Then you should get back into the chair at your own company and make some money properly, instead of dumping everything on me!"

Pepper grew somewhat frantic when she spoke about work, because the burden on her shoulders was simply too heavy.

"Tony has no idea what he's doing. Obadiah committed so many crimes that he deserved to die, and you spend every day at home sunbathing. How am I supposed to handle so much work by myself?"

She complained at lightning speed. "Stark Industries, Stark Network, Stark Electronics Technology—even if I had three heads, I still couldn't handle this much work!!"

"And you, Leon, you actually still have the leisure to pray for the shareholders!"

The more Pepper spoke, the angrier she became. She shoved the coffee into Leon's hands. "Oh my God, now that I've sorted it all out, I realize just how crazy I've been these past few days!"

"Leon, I demand that you tell Tony that if he doesn't come out of that damned laboratory, I'm quitting!"

"And you! Leon, my boy, if you don't start managing your own network company, I'm quitting too!"

After saying that, Pepper glared at Leon with a serious warning in her eyes, then turned and clicked out the door in her high heels.

She had to go back to that damned job again.

Leon opened his mouth on the couch. He wanted to say something nice and ask Pepper to hold on a little longer.

But... leaving all the decision-making work for three companies to Pepper really did seem a little excessive.

He scratched his head. "Maybe I should go back to the company... No, how could I even think about going to work? Damn it."

"What I should do is... make Old Joe stop taking vacation and go back to work! Yes, that's it!"

Leon clapped his hands and asked JARVIS, "JARVIS, is Joe Bush still on vacation? Notify him and tell him to get back to work as soon as possible!"

"Sorry, Young Master Leon," JARVIS said. "In fact, Mr. Joe Bush's vacation ended yesterday. He returned to the company at four this morning."

"Four o'clock? Four in the morning?" Leon exclaimed. "So I misunderstood. Old Joe really is the best president in the world."

"One day, I have to establish a World Outstanding President Award and give it to Old Joe every year."

"Tell me... Since Old Joe is already at work, Pepper shouldn't be angry anymore, right?"

Even JARVIS fell silent for a few seconds at that question. "Young Master Leon, I'm afraid not."

"Because Mr. Joe Bush only oversees Stark Electronics Technology and temporarily handles part of Stark Network's work. Miss Pepper is still doing everything else."

Leon looked thoughtful. "I see. That was indeed how things were arranged when I left half a year ago, except Tony was also involved in managing the companies back then."

"JARVIS, do you have any suggestions?"

"Young Master Leon, in order to prevent Miss Pepper from resigning, I suggest that you return to work for the time being. Once a new president is found, you can go home and continue sunbathing."

Leon immediately shook his head. "No way. Sunbathing is the most important thing. It can't be delayed!"

"Besides, I haven't just been sunbathing these past few days. You know what I've been doing."

Three days ago, Leon had JARVIS collect every fighting tutorial on the internet.

After studying for the past few days, he had already mastered most fighting techniques.

Jeet Kune Do, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, Judo, Mixed Martial Arts, Bajiquan...

But the more he learned, the more Leon realized that while his control over his own strength had improved, his combat ability had barely increased.

That made fighting techniques seem rather useless.

Thinking about the world he was in now.

Anyone he could beat could be slapped to death directly.

Anyone he couldn't beat would be impossible to withstand even one move from, no matter how hard he tried.

Only when fighting an evenly matched opponent would those martial arts techniques have any use.

But there were simply too few people who could match him evenly.

Odin was one, Purple Potato was one, Captain Marvel was one, and... there were hardly any others.

"But your fighting skills have already reached their limit. There is no point in continuing to train."

JARVIS suggested again, "So why not return to work? That would make Miss Pepper happy, and you would have a fulfilling day as well."

"JARVIS, why do you seem especially eager for me to go to work?" Leon froze for a moment.

Then he thought of something. "Ah, I get it. You're protesting because I dragged you into it in front of Tony three days ago."

"Well, well, JARVIS. You said you didn't have subjective thoughts, yet you've already developed the very human emotion of holding a grudge!"

The glowing orb representing JARVIS flickered on the screen. "Young Master Leon, I would never do anything that harms you."

"But you would encourage me to do things that delay me from becoming stronger and make me unhappy." Leon spread his hands.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "How about this? I'll go downstairs and call Tony up first, then find a president for the company. That way, all our troubles will be gone."

"As you wish." JARVIS remained as considerate as ever.