For the next few days, Lynn lived in a daze.
The chaotic and out-of-control images of the Battle of New York became a lingering shadow over him. He was too lazy to see anyone or go out, spending his days holed up in his private residence in Stark Tower, eating, sleeping, and resting to recover from the fatigue left by the war. Everyone else was busy with the post-war cleanup, and no one came to disturb him, making the entire private area deserted.
One morning, the crisp sound of the doorbell broke the silence of the past few days.
Lynn, still half-asleep, walked over to open the door, wearing loose loungewear. Standing outside was Natasha, dressed in neat casual clothes, her face clean and refreshed, exuding her usual calm and capable aura, showing no signs of fatigue.
Upon seeing the visitor, a glint of light flashed in Lynn's eyes, his sleepiness vanishing almost entirely. He deliberately spoke in a teasing tone, "Coming to see me so early? Are you planning to officially start your job as my personal butler?"
Natasha stepped into the house, her gaze sweeping indifferently over the neat and empty living room. Her tone was flat and direct, without a trace of jest. "Don't flatter yourself."
She turned around, looked directly at Lynn, and slowly explained the situation, "You were too prominent Battle of New York, and the situation of the battlefield being out of control was too unusual. It's inevitable that the outside world and the higher-ups at S.H.I.E.L.D.. have doubts. Stark has been the one to shield you from all the media attention and inquiries these past few days."
"But protective measures only address the symptoms, not the root cause." Natasha's tone was calm and clear. " Fury's arrangements were very direct: he transferred me here full-time, and all my fieldwork and duty shifts were handed over to others. From now on, I will be stationed here permanently to monitor your condition and ensure that the situation doesn't get out of control like last time."
After hearing these words, Lynn remained outwardly calm, still wearing a casual smile, but inwardly he was overjoyed.
Although the memory of the last time the battlefield went out of control still made him want to dig his toes into the ground, getting Natasha to stay by his side permanently was an absolute steal. This little bit of dark history suddenly became less unbearable.
Suppressing her inner elation, Lynn spoke naturally and amiably, "That's perfect. The butler position will still be reserved for you. You can start working there, so you can have two salaries. Such great news deserves a proper celebration. Have you eaten yet?"
Before Natasha could respond, he started complaining to himself, "I've been resting these past few days, eating standard Western white food every day. My mouth is practically watering at the thought of food. I really can't take it anymore. Now that you're officially here, we have to go out for a big meal and improve our diet, what do you say?"
Natasha nodded slightly and replied calmly, "Okay."
The simple two words were an agreement.
Lynn was in an even better mood and immediately led Natasha down the corridor, showing her the layout of this private area. He pointed to a guest room next to the master bedroom, with the best lighting and view. "This will be your bedroom from now on. Just move your things in; it's fully equipped, so you can move in right away."
He then pointed to another guest room at the end of the corridor and instructed, "That's Banner's room. After the Battle of New York, Banner was completely certain that he could control his emotions and resolved his inner conflicts, so he went to find his girlfriend Betty and won't be back for a while. Try not to go into this room; please respect other people's privacy."
Natasha nodded in agreement and silently kept these arrangements in mind.
"Pack your things quickly and rest for a bit." Lynn rubbed her hair. "I'll take a shower and change my clothes, then we'll head out."
After saying that, he turned and walked into the bathroom. The warm water washed away the laziness and fatigue of the past few days. After a quick wash, Lynn changed into a well-tailored suit. Shedding his usual casual laziness, he looked refreshed and neat, with an even more outstanding temperament.
A moment later, he took the private elevator directly to his top-floor studio.
In the top-floor laboratory, Tony was adjusting the armor data in front of the holographic screen, Ivan was drawing blueprints in the corner, and a white parrot was obediently perched on his shoulder, dozing off. The whole space was quiet and focused.
Neither of them looked up when they heard the elevator doors open; they were already used to Lynn's casual comings and goings.
Lynn didn't stand on ceremony and walked straight up to them, smiling as she said, "You two busy people, my personal butler officially starts work today, and I'm planning to take her out for a big meal to celebrate. Would you two like to come along?"
Ivan didn't even lift his eyelids, completely ignoring the whole thing, focusing solely on drawing the blueprints in his hands.
Tony looked up, a forced, mocking smile on his face, and immediately saw through his little scheme. "Is this a genuine invitation? Stop beating around the bush, just say it. I bet you don't want the two of us grown men standing next to you and Natasha like third wheels, right?"
Lynn's little scheme was exposed on the spot, and he was instantly a little embarrassed. He scratched his head and chuckled twice, "It's just a matter of politeness and courtesy. I'll say something polite first so that I can speak more clearly later."
He suppressed his smile, his expression turning serious, and said frankly, "I haven't touched the funds you transferred to me before; I'm quite well-off. I usually just use teleportation portals when I go out, which is convenient, but it lacks a sense of ceremony. Today, I want to be more formal and take Natasha out for a proper meal."
As soon as he finished speaking, he bowed slightly, his tone almost pleading. "So... Mr. Stark, could I borrow a car?"
Seeing this, Tony chuckled helplessly, then turned to Ivan beside him and shook his head, sighing, "See? What did I tell you? Love and beautiful women are indeed the best medicine to heal his psychological wounds. As soon as Natasha arrived, this kid was completely revitalized and no longer listless."
Ivan glanced up briefly, giving Lynn a slightly disdainful look, before lowering his head again to focus on what he was holding.
Tony smiled and shook his head, then reached for a car key on the shelf next to him and tossed it precisely to Lynn.
"You can park your car in the building's underground parking garage and drive it anywhere."
He waved his hand, his tone clear and unambiguous, "We won't join in the fun and get in your way."
At this point, his expression softened slightly, becoming more serious. "Now that you're better, let's get down to business. Although we successfully repelled the enemy and defended the city in this battle, your out-of-control state is too unstable, and the risks are unknown. Ivan and I plan to take this opportunity to research and develop different types of armor, improve our equipment system, and prepare for any potential future disasters."
" JARVIS has already made several prototype battle suits in the underground laboratory of the seaside mansion. When you have time, we can go there together to test and adjust them."
"No problem." Lynn caught the keys steadily and nodded seriously in agreement.
When it comes to matters of future combat effectiveness and security, he will not be perfunctory in the slightest.
Having obtained the key, Lynn turned and headed towards the elevator, intending to go back and meet up with Natasha. As he reached the elevator door, he seemed to suddenly remember something, paused, turned back to Tony in the studio, and loudly reminded him, "By the way, you womanizer, just a friendly reminder!"
"You now have a wide network of connections, many friends, and various powerful figures involved. No matter what happens in the future, remember not to easily reveal your address or private location. Just because you can protect yourself doesn't mean everyone around you can."
After saying that, Lynn secretly chuckled to himself.
He clearly remembered that Tony's future seaside mansion would be blown up due to a data leak, resulting in heavy losses. Today, a casual reminder directly saved Stark's priceless oceanfront villa and the entire underground laboratory.
All things considered, the money Tony saved, when converted into compensation, would be enough for him to enjoy several lavish meals.
I'll discuss this with Tony another day, hmm! It's a sure thing.
Feeling delighted, Lynn stepped into the elevator with light steps, ready to begin her date dinner.