Monaco, Hôtel de Paris!
The most luxurious hotel in all of Monaco, bar none. (Whether it's the most luxurious or not, I don't know, but this is definitely the hotel. I even took another look at Iron Man 2, and this is the hotel.)
The Monaco royal family emptied the entire hotel specifically for this race to accommodate the team owners participating in the race, as well as the wealthy and powerful people who came to watch the race!
Not only were there hotel rooms specially provided for them and their entourage, but there was also a high-rise bar with a view of most of the racetrack.
When Tony Stark arrived, Qin Xiao was chatting happily with Justin Hammer at the bar.
Meanwhile, Daisy and Jane, along with the big guy, enjoyed a variety of top-notch cuisine in a car by the window.
"Hey Tony! You're finally here! We've been talking about you for ages!"
Justin Hammer was very good at spotting Tony in a crowd; he spotted Tony and Pepper Potts as soon as they walked in.
"Oh, how could I forget you, dear Miss Potts? Congratulations on becoming the president of Stark Industries!"
Justin Hammer strode forward, first giving Pepper Potts a cheek kiss, then warmly putting his arm around Tony Stark's shoulder.
In contrast, Pepper Potts at least gave Justin Hammer a polite smile and basic social etiquette.
Tony practically had "I hate you" written all over his face.
With a look of disgust, he pushed Justin Hammer's arm away, not even bothering to glance at him, and went straight to Qin Xiao and said.
"I remember you told me you weren't interested in racing, so how come you're here with this guy? I have to say, your taste in friends has been getting worse lately. Want to chat for a bit?"
"OK!"
Qin Xiao picked up the two glasses of wine that the waiter had just mixed from the bar and walked towards an empty seat by the window.
"We still have things to discuss."
Just as Tony was about to leave, Justin Hammer spoke up from behind him.
"I'll return Qin Xiao to you. Sit here and have a drink, look at the beautiful women around you!"
Tony patted Justin Hammer on the shoulder in a childlike tone.
After saying that, he walked straight towards Qin Xiao's table.
"Okay, anyway, I've already arranged for a female reporter to interview me!"
Justin Hammer muttered weakly from behind.
I reached out to grab the cocktail I had just ordered from the table, but missed.
Hey! That glass of wine is mine!
"How did you end up with this guy? I hate that awful clown! Seeing his face reminds me of the apple pie I got when I was a kid at the zoo, fell into the gorilla's cage, and got stepped on by a gorilla!"
Hahahaha!
Qin Xiao imagined the scene and burst into laughter.
"Damn it, I swear I'll never eat apple pie again! That guy wanted me to be the spokesperson for their upcoming battle suit! I got publicly defeated by his battle suit at your expo! Three hundred and fifty million US dollars, haha! He must hate you to offer such a huge price!"
Tony had dealt with government officials for half his life and was well aware of the dirty tricks involved, all in an attempt to deceive the public for political gain.
"They want to beat me, but they don't dare come after me, and they can't build anything decent, so they think they can just crush you with money? Damn it! It sounds like your job is the same as that of a blonde in the Netherlands red-light district! You didn't say yes to him, did you?"
"The contract hasn't been signed yet. Once he sends it over, have your company's legal counsel review it. After the performance stipulated in the contract, if I accidentally crush a few suits of armor, does that constitute a breach of contract?"
Tony's eyes lit up. "I suddenly have a lot of even funnier ideas!"
The two huddled together and began whispering amongst themselves, occasionally letting out smiles that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard them.
In the movie, Iron Man, due to palladium poisoning, begins to act recklessly and self-destructively.
His subsequent actions led people to believe that his condition was caused by palladium poisoning.
For example, he gave the chairmanship of Stark Industries to Pepper Potts, and she personally raced in Monaco.
Until Qin Xiao arrived, like a butterfly effect, Tony upgraded the Arc Reactor ahead of schedule, eliminating the threat of palladium poisoning.
However, Tony Stark remained focused on researching the new armor in the lab, leaving all the company's affairs, big and small, to Pepper Potts.
This is a matter of personality. If he were content to simply manage the company, he wouldn't be Tony Stark.
There are always surprises.
For example, right now.
"I'm off, it's my turn to race. Our team's driver hasn't won a single Champion in five years, not even a top-three finish. I'm going to show him what real racing is all about! Oh, and don't tell Pepper before I vacate the car!"
Tony stood up, glanced guiltily around to see if Pepper Potts was watching him, and quickly prepared to leave.
" Tony! Watch out!"
Qin Xiao revealed a mysterious smile.
Thor was still eating and chatting with the two girls when Qin Xiao went over to say hello and told them he was going out for a bit.
They went straight up to the hotel roof via the fire escape.
He needed to find a place with a good view so he could properly enjoy the show that was about to unfold.
In the employee break room of a certain team, Ivan Vanko sat in the lounge, biting a match and lost in thought.
He had been preparing for this day for nearly half a year, not only successfully developing the Arc Reactor, but also for today's competition!
All for the chance to get up close and personal with Tony Stark.
He studied Tony Stark's behavior for a long time and found that there was basically no pattern to it. Apart from this race, he would come every year and take a group photo with his team after the race.
This is his chance!
He wanted to seek justice for his father, who died in Siberia amidst ice, illness, and resentment.
To seek justice for the unfair treatment I have suffered over the past decades.
The Stark Family's wealth and the title of Iron Man were all stolen from their father by the Stark Family.
As I recalled my father's unwilling look in his eyes before he died, the TV screen suddenly changed, pulling directly from the racetrack to the Stark Racing team.
It turns out that Tony Stark actually put on a racing suit and got into the race car himself.
The image shows Tony Stark waving from his race car, while next to him is an angry racer who has thrown away his helmet.
"You show-off? I'll just take care of you on the racetrack, Iron Man? Ha!"
Ivan Vanko watched Tony looking triumphant on TV.
Somewhat defiant, Ivan Vanko unbuttoned his shirt collar, and under the eerie blue light of the reactor, he let out a maniacal laugh!