"Pepper, do you think I could learn that kung fu of his?"
Tony Stark turned to Pepper Potts and asked.
Pepper looked troubled.
"Tony, you're here today to assign positions to the people who passed their internships. I think we should finish our work before discussing kung fu lessons."
"No! No! No! I've already found a good job for Mr. Qin here: my personal combat instructor. You'll be responsible for scheduling with him and discussing his pay."
Tony Stark spoke with absolute certainty.
"I need to get back to my lab now. I still have a set of missile data to process. You handle the scheduling, Pepper. Goodbye, Mr. Instructor."
Tony Stark certainly hadn't asked whether Qin Xiao agreed. He picked up his jacket, stood, and walked off without another word.
That really was typical of Iron Man. Even though Iron Man had been Qin Xiao's favorite when he watched Marvel movies in his previous life.
He still felt an urge to punch that smug face. You just decided I'd teach you? Did you even ask me?
But to get closer to the character, Qin Xiao merely gave a self-deprecating smile and said nothing.
Pepper stepped forward and spoke understandingly.
"I'm sorry. Tony has always been like this. I hope you won't mind!"
Qin Xiao shrugged indifferently.
"It's fine. At least I know he won't disappoint me when it comes to pay, right?"
Pepper smiled too. "As you wish. You certainly won't be disappointed."
Basic Super-Soldier Serum: The kind Captain America was injected with. Initially breaks through human limits, alters the genetic sequence, and greatly increases strength, speed, and metabolic rate. Has some effect in slowing aging. 1,000 points. Money (real world): One million/1 point. After exchange, it can be transferred directly to the host's bank card, safely and without future complications. Basic Combat Skills: The level of the world's top special forces soldiers. Combines various martial arts, emphasizing speed, precision, and ruthlessness, with a focus on one-hit kills. 200 points. Basic Weapon Mastery: Allows proficient use of most melee weapons, with an initial but complete grasp of each weapon's techniques. 200 points. E-rank combat suit: Can disguise itself as any everyday clothing. Can withstand any known ammunition-based firearm (excluding special ammunition, such as vibranium, Uru metal, etc.). Also offers some damage reduction against small-scale modern weapons. In addition to being bulletproof, it can resist damage from melee weapons made of ordinary materials. 300 points. E-rank custom melee weapon: A suitable weapon can greatly increase your combat power, especially against opponents with exceptionally strong defenses. For E-rank power, refer to the E-rank combat suit. 300 points.
Qin Xiao had thought that unlocking the system shop would give him access to everything, but it turned out to be only a level-one shop.
Even with just that level-one shop, Qin Xiao felt that the five hundred points he had weren't enough.
However, Qin Xiao already had the effects of the Basic Super-Soldier Serum, which saved him the cost of the most expensive option.
After thinking it over for a long time, Qin Xiao chose Basic Combat Skills and the E-rank combat suit.
First, they cost exactly five hundred points.
Second, Basic Combat Skills were something he could use right now, and they were also the option that would increase his combat power the most at present.
As for the combat suit, one reason was that the points worked out perfectly, and the other was that protection against modern weapons was still essential in the early stages.
Besides, given the direction of the plot, whether he ended up facing Iron Monger or going to Afghanistan for a fight, having this combat suit would leave Qin Xiao with far fewer worries.
At least for now, he hadn't reached the point of being impervious to blades and bullets.
Fully unlocking the level-two shop required earning a cumulative total of five thousand points.
For now, Qin Xiao could only exchange his points for these two things to improve himself.
The system hadn't given him any missions for the time being, but Pepper had offered Qin Xiao a weekly salary of a hundred thousand dollars.
That certainly made Qin Xiao's life in this world much more comfortable.
But ever since their last meeting, Tony Stark seemed to have plunged headfirst into his laboratory.
He hadn't contacted Qin Xiao to arrange any lessons at all, leaving Qin Xiao temporarily idle.
With nothing else to do, Qin Xiao could only head to bars every evening and enjoy a lively nightlife.
With Hollywood located in Los Angeles, the bars here were unquestionably world-class.
After all, so many major stars and wealthy people gathered here.
Recently, Qin Xiao had found a bar that suited his tastes: The Roger Room!
The reason was that most of its patrons were young: young couples, single young people, and unknown actors who had just come to Hollywood to try their luck.
Compared with other bars, the people here were relatively uncomplicated.
Although Qin Xiao had also come looking to pick up women, he didn't want to meet girls who were far too seasoned or only interested in the dollars in his pocket.
Most importantly, Qin Xiao didn't like women with too much of a jaded air.
After several days in a row, Qin Xiao finally picked out a target.
She seemed to be a young girl with dreams of stardom, and her features were quite exquisite.
Qin Xiao had been secretly observing her for several days and decided to make his move today.
Just as he was about to stand, a woman's voice sounded beside his ear, slightly husky but enticing enough.
"Hi! Are you leaving? Why not stay a little longer and have a drink with me?"
Qin Xiao instinctively turned around.
He nearly blurted out, "Holy shit."
The woman before him was none other than Black Widow, affectionately known by that name.
Just as with Pepper and Tony Stark, he wondered whether coming to this real world had brought about some automatic adjustments.
Black Widow looked a little younger than she did in the movies. Today, she wasn't wearing that blood-stirring black bodysuit.
Instead, she wore a poised, elegant bright red dress.
She had an angelic face, without any of the ruggedness of Western features.
Her snow-white skin seemed faintly reflective under the lights.
Her clothing revealed part of the rounded curves of her proud breasts, complemented by that dazzlingly white skin.
Incredible. Absolutely incredible!
Qin Xiao couldn't think of any other adjectives. (If you don't think Black Widow looks good now, watch Scarlett Johansson's early movies. An absolutely angelic face. Just take this as her younger appearance after the adjustment.)
One of the founding heroes of the Avengers had left Qin Xiao utterly stunned the moment she appeared.
Of course, stunned as he was, Qin Xiao hadn't let lust cloud his mind. First, he mentally reviewed whether anything he had done since coming to this world might have drawn the attention of S.H.I.E.L.D. or Hydra.
The only point of contact should have been the assassination attempt involving Isaiah. Those people should have belonged to Hydra, but the assassins should have been dealt with by Isaiah, and the system's arrangements hadn't exposed him to their notice.
It should be safe.