The next morning.
Malibu, Stark Villa.
When the sunlight streamed in, Luca had already been standing on the terrace for twenty minutes.
With eyes closed and arms slightly outstretched, let the morning sunlight evenly cover your entire body.
Energy is seeping into his cells every minute and every second.
This feeling is hard to describe.
It's like drinking a cup of coffee; the warmth slides from your throat all the way to your chest, and then spreads to every part of your body.
"Sir, your energy reserves have recovered to 97 percent this morning," JARVIS's voice came through the loudspeaker on the balcony.
"Great, another sunny day."
Luca opened his eyes and stretched his neck.
Footsteps sounded behind me, followed by Tony's voice as he peeked out from the stairwell.
"Are you photosynthesizing again?"
"Good morning, Tony." Luca didn't even turn his head.
"What time did you go to sleep last night?"
"I didn't sleep."
Luca turned around.
Tony stood at the top of the stairs, his hair a mess, and his eyes were so dark they looked like he'd been punched twice.
"Dad's notes are more complicated than I imagined." Tony took a sip of coffee, his expression turning pained.
I don't know if it's because the coffee is too bitter, or because I stayed up too late.
He made a bunch of annotations on the arrangement model of the New Element that I couldn't understand, using a symbol system he invented himself.
"Wait, you're saying you don't understand?"
"I said I don't understand it yet. 'Temporarily.' These two words are very important."
Luca smiled, then asked.
"Okay, so, what's your palladium concentration today...?"
"Twenty-three percent." Tony answered quickly.
"Still online. Don't make a fuss."
Luca pursed his lips.
OK.
He didn't ask any more questions, picked up the suit jacket from the sofa and slung it over his shoulder.
"I've gone to the company."
"So early? When did you start loving going to work? That's more surprising than you never going to parties anymore."
"Today is the new assistant's first day."
Oh~
Tony drawled out the last syllable, his tone clearly malicious.
"Your shaken Coke."
"I plan to show her around the company, let her get familiar with the environment, understand the business, and incidentally..."
"By the way, let's test which brand of cola she is."
Luca winked at him.
"You understand me better and better, Tony."
"No, I just understand the 'scumbag' species." Tony carried his coffee towards the underground parking garage.
"Don't overdo it. If she really is a spy, you might expose yourself prematurely if you provoke her too much, which would ruin the fun."
"Don't worry." Luca pushed open the door, turned around, and threw out a sentence.
"I have an excellent sense of propriety."
"Your definition of tact is different from the Oxford Dictionary's."
Bang!
The door closed.
Stark Industries headquarters building.
It was exactly 9:00 AM.
Jessica Drew arrived at the company early.
At this moment, she was standing in the reception area of the lobby, wearing a gray business suit, her hair tied in a low ponytail, and her makeup was so light that it was almost invisible.
She looked capable and professional, with absolutely no flaws.
How should I put it? He's just like an administrative assistant should be.
People were coming and going in the lobby, and every employee passing by was swiping their access cards, hurrying along, and no one gave her a second glance.
This is good for her.
As a secret agent, the best disguise is to remain unnoticed.
After returning to the safe house last night, she spent several hours reviewing the details of the interview.
That handshake made her think about it for a long time.
The moment Luca took her hand was strange.
She guessed it was a scan.
Or rather, it involves analysis and judgment.
Ultimately, she came to a conclusion.
This person's eyes and mouth are not saying the same thing.
The mouth is flirting, the eyes are dissecting.
"Be careful of him," the contact person said on the phone.
"Luca is more difficult to deal with than Tony. Tony Stark's danger is obvious; everyone knows he's a genius."
"But Luca Stark's danger lies behind a smile; you never know what he's thinking."
"You have only one task: stay by his side and figure out the limits of his abilities—frequency, intensity, weaknesses—all the data."
"There is no room for failure in this task."
Jessica was well aware of the weight of that last sentence.
In an organization, "there is no room for failure" is a technical term.
In layman's terms, it's quite simple.
That means: If you mess this up, don't come back.
So no matter what happens today, she has to stay calm.
Miss Jones?
A voice interrupted her thoughts.
Pepper Potts stepped out of the elevator, wearing a light blue suit dress and carrying a tablet computer.
She was followed by Happy Hogun, a man Jessica remembered.
Happy Hogan, the Stark family's bodyguard.
Although, as things stand, it's still unclear who is protecting whom.
"Good morning, Miss Potts." Jessica immediately smiled and nodded.
"Welcome to Stark Industries," Pepper responded with a smile.
" Luca hasn't arrived yet, he..."
Before he could finish speaking, the hall door was pushed open.
Luca Stark walked in.
Jessica noticed that the two female receptionists at the front desk sat up straight the moment he walked in.
Even more outrageous, the one on the left subconsciously touched her hair, in an attempt to show off her beauty.
"Good morning." Luca approached the group and waved to Pepper.
"Has my new assistant arrived?"
"Earlier than you." Pepper sighed helplessly.
"I'm the boss. The boss doesn't need to arrive early. The boss only needs to show up at the most opportune time. For example... now."
He turned to Jessica, his gaze sweeping from her face to her feet and back again.
"Suit, low ponytail, light makeup." Luca nodded.
"Very professional. But you could wear a brighter color tomorrow. Gray makes people sleepy."
Upon hearing this, Pepper raised an eyebrow.
Luca...
"Just kidding," Luca said, raising his hands.
"Come on, Miss Jones, I'll show you around."
He finished speaking and walked towards the elevator, showing no intention of waiting for anyone.
Jessica glanced at Pepper.
Pepper gave her a look she'd get used to.
Happy whispered something to Pepper.
Pepper paused for a moment, then replied, "I know, but that's his department; I can't control it."
Jessica listened silently to everything, nodded thoughtfully, and then quickly followed Luca.
To be honest, there's one thing she's always felt very touched about.
Her superpowers have always been incredibly strong, and her physical abilities even surpass those of Captain America.
Not to mention her various other abilities, which is why the organization gave her the codename Spider-Woman.
This has always given her confidence in her abilities, as it is the foundation of her strength.
But since meeting Luca, she has felt very small.
Her senses couldn't detect Luca's physical condition at all, as if he had blocked any possibility of detection.
This was bad news for her.
This means that Luca Stark is more than one level stronger than her.
Therefore, with his meager sensory abilities, he was completely unable to understand the other party's situation.
Damn it, what kind of monster is this?!