While the group stood on the landing pad trading barbs, a black stretch limousine slowly approached and stopped in front of them.
The door opened.
A burly, bald older man with a thick beard stepped out.
He was a veteran of Stark Industries and the prime suspect the two brothers had discussed on the plane.
Obadiah Stane.
His control over his expression was worthy of an Oscar.
The moment he saw Tony and Luca, his face lit up with elation and excitement.
He spread his arms and strode over.
"Oh! Thank God! My boys! You're finally back!"
Obadiah shouted, pulling Tony into a tight embrace first and slapping him hard on the back.
"Tony, you've lost so much weight. I can barely recognize you. You have no idea what I've been through these past two months. I used almost every connection I had to find you."
Obadiah's voice trembled, his performance utterly convincing.
Tony was held in Obadiah's arms.
Before, Tony would have been deeply moved.
But now, because of the deductions they had made on the plane, Tony stiffened slightly.
Still, he suppressed his discomfort and forced a weary smile.
"Uncle Oba, sorry for making you worry. I just took a long vacation in the desert and lost some weight while I was at it," Tony said evasively.
Obadiah released Tony and turned to Luca beside him.
But Luca had not only failed to lose weight; he was even more muscular than before.
Obadiah was dumbfounded, and a flicker of astonishment and gloom crossed his eyes.
Fortunately, he concealed it well and immediately spread his arms again, ready to embrace Luca.
"Luca, my young master, I'm so happy to see you looking so energetic."
Luca looked at him and sneered inwardly.
Hypocritical old fox!
But he didn't dodge. Instead, he gave Obadiah a warm hug.
While embracing him, however, Luca deliberately squeezed harder.
With Luca's current strength, this warm embrace was a profoundly loving one.
He squeezed Obadiah's old face bright red and nearly left him unable to breathe.
"Oh, Uncle Oba! You have no idea how much I missed you in that cave!" Luca said loudly in Obadiah's ear, pretending to be deeply excited.
Sweating from the pain, Obadiah hurriedly pushed Luca away and coughed awkwardly twice.
"Cough, cough... Luca, you're really strong. Looks like the desert is quite a workout."
Obadiah caught his breath, then put on a concerned expression as he looked at the two brothers.
"It's wonderful to have you back. Listen, you don't have to worry about anything from here on out. I'll arrange for the best doctors to examine you."
"You don't need to concern yourselves with the company's board, either. I'll temporarily take over all operations and handle everything for you. What you need now is a few months of proper rest."
Obadiah sounded utterly sincere, as though he had only their best interests at heart.
But to Luca, his words took on a different meaning.
They had only just gotten off the plane, and the old fellow was already itching to take control of the board under the pretext of letting them rest. His greed was far too blatant.
"Uncle Oba, has your high blood pressure been acting up lately? Is your head a little muddled?"
"What do you mean, temporarily take over all operations? Stark Industries is called Stark, not Stane."
"Even if Tony and I were stuck in wheelchairs, typing with our toes, we could still manage the company just fine."
"Besides, I just sent Happy to charter a yacht for a party. Where would I find time to rest?"
"You, on the other hand, Uncle Oba, are getting on in years. Your beard's already white, and you still have to worry about the company every day. I think you're the one who needs a vacation in Hawaii, where you can find a few local ladies and dance the hula."
Luca's rapid-fire attack left Obadiah no face at all.
He had always had this temper, anyway, so talking like that was entirely in character.
Obadiah froze for a moment, his smile stiffening on his face.
He wanted nothing more than to strangle this sharp-tongued little bastard on the spot.
The terrorists hadn't killed him after two months, and he had come back with the same infuriating temper!
On the surface, however, Obadiah suppressed his anger and forced an awkward smile.
"Heh heh... Luca, you still haven't gotten over that habit of joking around. I'm just worried about you boys."
"That's enough, Oba," Tony said at that point.
Although he had chosen to believe him for the time being, there was no way he would hand over control of the company.
Tony turned to Pepper.
"Potts, notify the media immediately. I'm holding a press conference at Stark Industries headquarters in one hour."
"And Happy, hurry up and buy those hamburgers. For every one you come up short, I'll dock you a month's pay."
With that, Tony pulled Luca straight into the car.
Obadiah stood where he was, his face turning extremely dark as he watched the car speed away in a cloud of dust.
His fists clenched tightly, killing intent plain in his eyes.
Those two little bastards had actually come back alive.
And it looked like they seemed to have noticed something.
One hour later.
In the press conference hall at Stark Industries headquarters.
The place was already packed with reporters from mainstream media across the United States and even the world.
Countless camera flashes flickered like stars, almost lighting the hall as brightly as day.
Everyone wanted to know what the two Stark family geniuses, missing for two months, would say after escaping death.
In the backstage corridor.
Tony had changed into a smart suit and held a cheeseburger in his hand.
He took big bites as he walked, an expression of enjoyment on his face.
Luca had also changed into a suit, his hair meticulously combed and a luxury watch on his wrist.
With that outfit and his devastatingly handsome face...
No one would have believed he was there for a press conference. He looked more like a star headed to a Hollywood awards ceremony.
"Tony, are you sure you want to go onstage eating a hamburger? It'll make the company's stock look very unserious," Luca teased with a smile, straightening his collar.
"It's called being casual. I want to show the people who thought I was dying that my appetite's just fine," Tony said indistinctly, taking another bite of his hamburger.
The two walked to the front of the press conference.
The noisy hall fell silent in an instant.
Every camera turned toward them.
Tony walked straight to the edge of the steps and sat down.
"Everyone, sit down. Don't stand there. It's tiring looking up at you like this."
Tony waved, signaling for the reporters in front to sit on the floor.
The casual gesture took everyone aback.
But that was Tony Stark's style.
Luca walked unhurriedly over to the podium, leaned against the table, and smiled at the people before him.
In the front-row VIP seats, he saw Obadiah wearing a smile.
Good. The show was about to begin.