I Just Wanted to Say Thank You

As Xiao Han walked down the central aisle, a young female congresswoman in the front row suddenly stood up.

"Mr. Xiao!" Her voice rang out especially clearly in the silence.

"I... I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my sister during yesterday's New York subway accident."

Xiao Han paused slightly, nodded in acknowledgment, and continued forward.

That simple gesture seemed to open some kind of floodgate, and people in the gallery gradually rose to applaud.

By the time the two of them pushed open the chamber doors, thunderous applause and cheers were already erupting behind them.

Senator Stern stood alone on the podium, his gavel suspended in midair before finally falling limply.

The hearing ended in an eerie silence.

When Xiao Han and Tony walked out of the Capitol Building, thousands of people had already gathered outside.

They held signs supporting Superman, and cheers rose one after another.

"Can I have your autograph?" A little girl timidly held out a notebook.

Xiao Han crouched down and took the pen. "What's your name?"

"Alice," the girl replied, blushing.

Xiao Han wrote in the notebook, "To Alice - With great power comes great responsibility."

Then he signed his name.

Tony raised an eyebrow beside him. "Stealing someone else's famous quote?"

"The original author won't mind." Xiao Han stood up, nodded to the crowd, and under the escort of security personnel, headed toward the Audi R8 with Tony.

The moment the car door closed, Tony let out a long breath. "God, I almost thought you were going to sweep the chamber with Heat Vision."

Xiao Han fastened his seat belt. "They weren't worth it."

The engine roared, and the sports car sped away from the Capitol Building.

In the rearview mirror, the crowd was still cheering, camera flashes blending into a sea of light.

"So."

Tony turned the steering wheel. "Where to next? Save the world or grab coffee?"

Xiao Han looked at the streets flashing past outside the window. "Your tower first, then home. Wanda is still waiting for her training session."

Tony whistled. "Whoa, who's Wanda? You're keeping a beauty hidden away already?"

"She's a Mutant," Xiao Han said calmly. "Very powerful, but she needs guidance."

"Mutants, alien technology, magic." Tony shook his head with a sigh.

"My life has been a complete mess ever since I met you."

Xiao Han rolled his eyes. "But you enjoy it."

Tony did not deny it. He merely pressed down on the accelerator, sending the sports car racing through the streets of Washington.

Stark Tower Laboratory

The silver-gray elevator doors slowly slid open, and Pepper Potts walked in carrying a stack of documents, her high heels clicking crisply against the marble floor.

She was reviewing the data tablet in her hands, her blonde hair pinned into a neat, capable bun behind her head.

"Tony, I put the quarterly financial report you wanted..."

Her words came to an abrupt stop as she looked up and saw that, apart from Tony, there was an unfamiliar figure standing in the laboratory.

Xiao Han had his back to her, his striking profile looking even more captivating beneath the laboratory lights.

Hearing her voice, he turned around, his eyes carrying a faint golden glow beneath the lights.

Pepper's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh, Pepper!" Tony poked his head out from behind the workbench, still holding a sparking circuit board.

"Perfect timing. Let me introduce you. This is our new shareholder, Xiao Han."

Xiao Han gave a slight nod and offered a polite smile. "Miss Potts."

Pepper quickly composed herself and gave him a professional smile. "Mr. Xiao, I've heard a great deal about you. Tony mentions you often."

"I hope it wasn't anything bad," Xiao Han said gently.

"Quite the opposite."

Pepper placed the documents on the table, her gaze lingering briefly on Xiao Han's suit. "He said you're the smartest person he's ever met."

Tony spread his hands dramatically. "I never said that!"

Pepper shot him a look, then turned to Xiao Han. "Though you hold shares, you never seem to participate in the company's decision-making?"

"I'm not interested in business," Xiao Han said evenly.

"Only in the technology itself."

Pepper nodded, seemingly quite satisfied with that answer. "That's good, then. It saves me from having to deal with another willful board member like Tony."

Tony clutched his chest as if wounded. "Hey! How am I willful?"

"Do you want me to list the reasons?" Pepper raised an eyebrow.

"Since you came back, our entire military-industrial business has disappeared, and then there was last week..."

"Okay, okay!" Tony hurriedly cut her off and winked at Xiao Han.

"See? That's why you can't provoke women. Terrifying."

Pepper gave a soft snort and took a sip from the coffee on the table. "I only came to deliver the documents. You two carry on. Oh, and Tony, are you still going to Monaco on Thursday to watch the race?"

"We'll talk when I'm done," Tony answered perfunctorily.

She nodded to Xiao Han, then turned and walked toward the elevator.

After the elevator doors closed, Tony let out a long breath and walked toward the central workbench. "Women. You can never figure them out."

Xiao Han looked in the direction of the elevator, thoughtful. "She's very smart."

"Too smart," Tony muttered, his fingers flying over the holographic keyboard.

"Sometimes I really wonder if she's the CEO."

The holographic projection lit up, displaying a completely new armor design.

Unlike the streamlined style of the previous models, this suit was more angular, with retractable Vibranium structures at its joints.

"A new prototype for the Mark armor—nanotechnology, the Uru you gave me, and some new Asgardian tech you brought back." Tony excitedly rotated the model.

"Energy transmission efficiency is up forty percent, but it weighs only a tenth as much as the previous generation."

Xiao Han stepped closer to inspect it, his Super-Sight piercing through the projection as he analyzed every detail. "The shoulder joints need reinforcement. They'll overheat during high-speed maneuvers."

"I already considered that." Tony pulled up a submenu.

"I added a liquid cooling system, but it takes up three percent of the energy output."

"Replace it with Uru." Xiao Han pointed at the shoulder armor.

"Asgardian energy circuits can solve that problem."

Tony's eyes lit up. "Right! How did I not think of that?"

He immediately altered the design, and patterns of Uru formed intricate rune-like designs across the shoulder armor.

The two continued discussing technical details, and time passed quickly.

After a long while, Tony suddenly stopped working and leaned against the table as he looked at Xiao Han. "I remember you mentioned something before Pepper arrived. That Wanda—she has something to do with me?"

Xiao Han put away the hologram and slipped his hands into his pockets. "Her parents died in an explosion in Sokovia. The killer used Stark Industries missiles."

Tony's expression instantly froze.

"She and her twin brother hid beneath the rubble for three days. An unexploded bomb landed right in front of them, with your name printed on it." Xiao Han's voice was calm, but Tony's fingers unconsciously curled tight.

"Obadiah," Tony said in a low voice, a chill flashing through his eyes.

"As expected, those weapons must have been smuggled out. I had no idea."

"Does she know?"

Xiao Han shook his head. "And even if she did, what would it change? The facts wouldn't change."

The laboratory fell silent, with only the hum of machinery echoing through the air.

"Once she calms down, I'll try to talk to her, though this has nothing to do with you," Xiao Han finally said.

Tony looked up at him. "Do you think she'll listen?"

"She's stronger than you think." Xiao Han walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.

"Hatred can blind the eyes, but the truth always finds a way out."

Tony nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Why are you helping her?"

Xiao Han gave him a meaningful smile. "You tell me."

He raised a hand, and golden sparks traced a perfect circle through the air. On the other side of the portal was the living room of the Long Island Villa.

Wanda was sitting on the sofa reading, and she looked up when she heard the sound.

"See you tomorrow, Tony." Xiao Han stepped into the portal, his figure disappearing in the golden light.

Tony stood alone in the laboratory, the blue glow of the holographic display reflected across his face.

He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly slammed his fist onto the table.

"JARVIS, initiate the clean energy program."

"All of it, sir?"

"All of it."

Tony's voice was firmer than ever. "Shut down every production line and redirect the funding to medical care and energy.

"And contact the families of those victims, especially the ones in Sokovia."

He looked out at New York's nightscape, determination shining in his eyes.

This time, he would atone in his own way.

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