Obadiah played a fairly important role in Tony Stark's life.
Especially after his father passed away.
That was without even mentioning how he had helped Tony run the entire company.
Back then, Tony had only been in his early twenties, with an enormous fortune, a genius mind, and an arrogant temper to boot.
Who knew how much trouble he had stirred up or how many romantic entanglements he had gotten himself into?
Obadiah had always been the one quietly cleaning up Tony's messes behind him.
Only after Pepper Potts appeared had he gradually stepped away from Tony's personal life.
Although he had done all that to keep Tony, his golden goose, laying golden eggs for him without a care.
From Tony's perspective, though, he certainly had deep feelings for Obadiah.
A partner, a friend, an elder, even a father.
In fact, he had known something was wrong as soon as he returned: his route, and the vast quantities of his company's weapons in those terrorists' hands.
There weren't many people who could have arranged both things at once.
Tony Stark was no fool, but once feelings between people came into play...
Any genius would turn into half an idiot. He didn't want to think about it, and he was a little afraid of finding that answer with his own hands.
Qin Xiao had only gotten halfway through before Tony understood completely.
Over the years, Stark Industries had become the largest arms dealer in the world.
Tony Stark's many inventions and designs had firmly secured its position in the arms market.
In other words, Tony had already paved a road for future weapons development.
All the scientists at Stark Industries had to do was follow the road Tony had laid out.
So, in Obadiah's eyes, Tony Stark had gone from a golden goose to a stumbling block preventing him from taking complete control of Stark Industries.
Naturally, Qin Xiao didn't need to explain any of this. Once it was confirmed that Obadiah had done it, Tony understood on his own.
"Whew!"
Tilting his head back, Tony drained an entire bottle of beer and let out a heavy, alcohol-laden breath.
"So right now, you're keeping him under full surveillance, aren't you?"
"I'm not sure. I'm just a temp, Tony. They took an interest in me because I'm a super soldier, but given their fucking way of doing things, probably. It comes down to what you want!"
"Tony, you saw the weapons those people had. That's just what we saw. Who knows how much we haven't seen? Terrorists? Drug dealers?"
Seeing Tony Stark hesitate, Qin Xiao spoke up beside him.
"I know, I know. Even if I stop weapons production, he still has the means and resources within the company to manufacture and sell them in secret."
Frowning, Tony rubbed his hair hard.
"Give me some time. I'll make him leave the company. I'll give him a chance to spend his remaining years in peace."
Tony still couldn't quite bring himself to do it.
Perhaps this was simply destined. Iron Monger was destined to be born and make the name Iron Man.
The difference was that Qin Xiao might now be added to the mix.
"All right! I'll tell them not to act on their own!"
Qin Xiao agreed without the slightest hesitation.
He now possessed thirty percent of Hulk's strength. In the Marvel movie universe, that might not be enough in the later stages.
But at this point in time, thirty percent of Hulk's strength was practically a cheat.
Iron Monger was nothing more than a thicker cardboard shell, just a little more troublesome to tear apart.
"Tony, I understand how you feel. It's okay. There's nobody else here. Cry if you want to. Come lean on my broad shoulders. Come on, baby!"
"Get lost! JARVIS, contact the Los Angeles police. Tell them some goddamn pervert broke into my house!"
Qin Xiao didn't know what S.H.I.E.L.D. had decided about Obadiah.
He could only call Black Widow.
"Need something from me, trainee agent?"
This time, there were no sounds of gunfire around Black Widow. It was very quiet.
"Yes, something big. I want to quit. I thought I'd joined the biggest intelligence agency and become a mysterious agent, saving the world whenever I had nothing else to do, with sexy beauties for partners and all that!"
"Who knew I'd end up a trainee agent? Forget not letting me save the world-even the beautiful agent at my side disappeared. Sigh! Do you know what it's like to miss someone so much every day that you can't sleep?"
Qin Xiao's teasing drew a lovely laugh from Black Widow.
"If you really miss me that much, I'll come to Los Angeles to see you after this mission!"
Normally, her days were almost entirely filled with missions, and all her conversations were about work.
Qin Xiao rarely managed more than a few words without joking, and that gave Black Widow a little change of mood.
"You said it! If you lie, you're a puppy!"
Qin Xiao's childish words struck Black Widow as particularly sincere.
She laughed even more happily.
"All right. If I lie, I'm a puppy!"
"Okay, there's something I wanted to tell you about Obadiah."
Qin Xiao relayed Tony's wishes.
After hearing him out, Black Widow hung up and asked about it on Qin Xiao's behalf.
S.H.I.E.L.D. could respect Tony Stark's wishes, but its people would keep Obadiah under surveillance.
If they discovered him making any moves behind the scenes, S.H.I.E.L.D. would act immediately.
That counted as giving Tony an answer. If Obadiah went looking for death himself, there was nothing to be done.
"By the way, you said you were on a mission. What mission? Is it dangerous? Do you need my help?"
With business settled, Qin Xiao changed the subject.
"That's classified. You don't have sufficient clearance, Mr. Trainee Agent!"
Black Widow teased Qin Xiao.
Only after speaking did she register the genuine concern in Qin Xiao's words, and she added another sentence.
"Don't worry. This mission is very safe. There's no real danger!"
"Damn it, I swear I'm going to crack Nick Fury's marinated-egg head open the next time I see him!"
Qin Xiao spoke viciously. He was utterly sick of being called a trainee agent.
"Marinated-egg head, hahaha! That nickname really fits. Nick would be furious enough to die if he heard you!"
"All right, no more chatting. I have work to do. Be good and wait for me in Los Angeles! Trainee agent!"
In a rare moment, Black Widow teased Qin Xiao too.
After hanging up, Black Widow stared blankly at the phone before her.
Qin Xiao was different from the people around her. The way he spoke and the concern he showed were just like those of ordinary young people.
That was precisely what Black Widow lacked and longed for. The feeling was warm.
"Am I really falling in love with that kid?"
Black Widow muttered, then immediately dismissed the thought.
She gave a bitter smile. She probably wouldn't have the chance to experience that kind of simple happiness in this lifetime.
Tossing his phone onto the sofa, Qin Xiao looked at the night view outside the window.
Just then, a rectangular golden doorway suddenly appeared behind Qin Xiao.
A woman wearing a black combat uniform with the letters TVA printed on it stepped out.
But the woman had only just stepped into Qin Xiao's apartment when a hand suddenly appeared inside the doorway.
It pulled the woman straight back in.
Then the golden portal vanished.
As though he had suddenly sensed something, Qin Xiao whipped his head around.
There was nobody there.
"Was I imagining things? Maybe I haven't been sleeping well these past few days!"
Qin Xiao scratched his head and spoke sheepishly.