John's swollen, reddened face twitched as he watched Luca apologize with an entirely relaxed expression.
A wave of fear swept through him.
Damn Luca Stark, how was this guy so strong!
Getting slapped in the face hurt worse than being hit by a car!
He was a genetically modified super soldier, with bones several times as dense as an ordinary person's.
But those slaps had nearly shaken his brains into mush!
Just a tiny bit more!
One more slap, and he really would have gone to meet damned God today!
Luca didn't care what he was thinking. He casually picked up a towel from the table, wiped off the blood, and spoke with interest.
"Buddy, there's something I don't quite understand."
"Weren't you really determined just now? Didn't you say that even if we beat you to death, there was no way we'd get a single word out of you?"
"What? Not planning to stick to your great faith anymore? I could keep playing along with your performance, you know. I'm always happy to help."
John shuddered in fright at those words.
He didn't want to experience the feeling of his soul leaving his body again.
To hell with the confidentiality agreement and the organization's faith!
Staying alive was the most important thing now.
John tried to take a deep breath, but accidentally tugged at the wounds on his face and gasped in pain.
With no other choice, he did his best to put on a sincere expression.
"No! I'm not determined at all!"
Then he immediately put on a righteous air.
"Actually, as a man with a sense of justice, I look down on HYDRA's assassination plot against Mr. Luca and Mr. Tony!"
"This was an absolutely, completely wrong decision!"
"Who are Mr. Luca and Mr. Tony? They're important figures of global stature! Stark Industries has made an indelible contribution to the development of this world! Without you, the world's technology would be set back at least fifty years!"
John grew more excited as he spoke, as if he really were a devoted fan of the Stark Family.
"Today, I actually let those bastards in the organization lead me astray and came here to assassinate two great men!"
"I deserve to die! It's simply unforgivable! I'm willing to tell you everything I know to wash away my sins!"
The moment he said that,
everyone froze for a moment.
Luca froze too, seemingly not expecting this guy to change his tune faster than turning a page.
Then several of the beautiful women couldn't hold back their laughter.
The tense atmosphere vanished in an instant.
Tony heard it too, but instead of finding it insincere, he nodded in agreement.
Then he patted John on the shoulder, looking thoroughly appreciative.
"Very good, freak. You may be ugly and like wearing a skintight suit in the middle of the night, but you have excellent taste."
"I completely agree with you. You're right, we're the kind of people who change the world. The fact that you can recognize your mistake means your brain isn't completely broken yet."
Hearing Tony say that, Luca laughed in exasperation.
"Bro, have you no shame? He was obviously talking about me. I won him over with my personal charm and overwhelming strength, and brought him back to the right path. Where did he mention you? You're just taking credit for yourself."
Tony wasn't happy to hear that.
He immediately turned around, pointed at Luca's nose, and retorted loudly.
"Bullshit! He was clearly talking about Stark Industries' enormous contribution to the world!"
"I'm the one doing all the weapons research and development at Stark Industries. All you do every day is hole up in the lab researching those glowing things or go out picking up women!"
"What have you contributed to the world? The only thing you've contributed to is condom sales in Los Angeles!"
Luca had been hit where it hurt and immediately raised his voice to fire back.
"That's my private hobby! And once my research results are made public, they'll definitely shock the world!"
"Besides, I'm the one who beat this guy down just now. That's real combat power! Without me, he would have already stabbed you through with that lousy knife!"
"Bullshit! Even if you hadn't stepped in, I would have survived!" Tony declared, putting on a proud front.
The two brothers began arguing loudly over which of them was greater.
Meanwhile, John silently watched the two brothers argue until their faces were red.
Seeing this, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Before setting out on the mission, to make absolutely sure nothing went wrong,
he had made a special trip into the intelligence database and gathered more reports on the daily lives of the two Stark brothers.
And the facts told him that the reports hadn't lied!
Everyone in the Stark Family was a megalomaniac!
They were arrogant to the core, convinced the world couldn't keep turning without them.
As long as he catered to their temperaments, flattered them shamelessly, and satisfied their vanity, he might actually be able to save his life today!
John silently praised himself for his cleverness.
It seemed that as long as he acted enough like a bootlicker, he would get through this.
But when he thought about what had happened tonight, John still felt a pang of heartache.
What a pity about his two powerful teammates.
One had been blown to death, without even an intact body left behind.
The other had been riddled with assault-rifle fire.
This was the biggest and most humiliating blunder HYDRA had ever suffered on a mission!
John lowered his head, his eyes darting around in their sockets.
He was still fantasizing that if he managed to escape today, he would report everything that had happened here.
He would definitely bring back an entire army of fully armed superpowered soldiers and make them pay for today!
Just as his imagination ran wild and a cold smile crept onto his lips,
suddenly-
Smack!
Another resounding slap landed on his face.
The bewildered John looked utterly bewildered.
His head rang, and stars danced before his eyes.
He had no idea what he had done wrong this time.
He hadn't said a single word!
Before he could react, Luca, who had just been arguing with Tony, turned to him with an annoyed look.
"What are you spacing out for? Your eyes are spinning around like a windmill."
"With that creepy smile on your face, you're obviously plotting to escape and bring people back to take revenge on us, aren't you?"
John's heart sank, and he was scared out of his wits.
How could this guy's intuition be so terrifying!
He hurriedly shook his head and loudly denied it.
"No! How could I possibly! Absolutely not!"
"My admiration for the two Mr. Starks flows endlessly like the waters of the Mississippi River, and like the Missouri River in flood, it cannot be stopped!"
"How could someone like me possibly harbor such outrageous thoughts!"
Luca was amused by that.
He folded his arms and watched John's comical expression.
"Buddy, you've got quite a vocabulary. But honestly, compared to how you are now, I preferred you when you were unruly and defiant."
John wanted nothing more than to curse.
Like hell you did!
When I acted tough just now, you nearly beat me to death!
Now that I've backed down, you're pulling this!
Wasn't this bullying an honest man?!