When Su Zhou stood outside Tony's villa again, even Pepper Potts was at a loss.
"Mr. Su Zhou? Why are you back again?"
"It's a long story. I need to talk to Tony about something. Does he have time right now?"
"Tony said he always has time for you."
Pepper cheerfully opened the door for Su Zhou, then led him into Tony's villa.
It had to be said that, in an era when people were still using flip phones, Tony already had a fully automated smart home.
He even had his own AI butler, JARVIS. All one could say was that Tony was still held back by the times.
Any one of the things in his home would be a goose that laid golden eggs if he released it to the world.
Yet our future Iron Man's greatest ambition was actually to develop green energy technology.
In other words, pollution-free power generation!
How very environmentally friendly!
Then Pepper brought Su Zhou to the entrance of Tony's garage laboratory. Tony was sitting in front of a computer.
A jumble of data flashed rapidly across the screen. No one could make out what he was doing!
"Tony, Su Zhou's here to see you again. Are you working?"
Pepper reached out and knocked on the laboratory's glass door, then unlocked it with her fingerprint.
Tony remained absorbed in the data on the computer before him and did not even turn around.
"Just leave the drinks on the table. I can't step away right now."
"Tony, it's me."
Only when he heard Su Zhou's voice did Tony turn his head.
Standing behind Pepper, Su Zhou waved at Tony, then smiled at Pepper.
"Could I have a glass of juice, beautiful lady?"
"Of course."
Very pleased with how Su Zhou had addressed her, Pepper nodded and left to prepare drinks for the two grown men.
She was a very intelligent woman and knew that Su Zhou must have come because he had something to discuss with her boss.
It very likely had something to do with the metal button her boss had given Su Zhou. As a professional assistant,
there were certain things about her boss that she was better off not asking about!
Seeing Su Zhou go over his head to give Pepper work, Tony felt a weight settle on top of his head.
It felt as though an outsider pig had set its sights on the tender cabbage he had grown at home.
"Hey, Pepper's my assistant. You've never paid her a salary!"
"It's just a glass of juice."
Su Zhou strode over to Tony and noticed the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the files displayed on the monitor.
He knew the device he had planted at the secret base had taken effect, and Tony had not been idle either.
He had immediately attacked S.H.I.E.L.D.'s database, already breached its firewall, and started hauling its data home!
Su Zhou realized he could not understand Tony's operations at all. Everyone had their specialty; there was nothing embarrassing about that.
"Pretty efficient. How did you do it?"
"For that, I'll have to introduce you to my personal butler, JARVIS!"
Tony raised his head proudly, like a child showing off his high-tech toy.
As soon as Tony finished speaking, a smooth male voice rang out.
If not for a faint electronic undertone, it would have been impossible to distinguish it from a real person's voice.
"Hello, Mr. Su Zhou. I am Mr. Tony's personal butler, JARVIS.
"At Mr. Tony's instruction, you have been granted access to the front door of this villa.
"Other areas remain off-limits to you for now. Please do not wander around on your own."
Su Zhou: (눈‸눈)
Petty Tony!
Wasn't it just one little bout of unconsciousness from dehydration? He was still holding a grudge!
The most infuriating thing was this system of mine. I'd even cuffed Tony, and it still wouldn't give me Justice Points!
Even one Justice Point would have been fine!
"Don't look at me like that. This is my private villa!"
Tony was very satisfied with Su Zhou's current expression. Back in his own home, he felt confident again.
They were no longer in the sand-filled Middle East. This was the wealthy Tony's playground!
"The main function of that device you installed was to help me connect to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s internal network.
"As for breaking through their firewall, that didn't require my help at all. JARVIS could handle it.
"I have to say, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s firewall is much stronger than the Pentagon's.
"But this time, Tony Stark was on the job. That little bit of difficulty was nothing.
"I haven't found the records of your director embezzling public funds yet, but it's only a matter of ti-"
"No need, Tony. I know where that Black Nick Fury spent the funds."
Su Zhou interrupted Tony's boasting and instead took the story he had just heard from Coulson
and repeated it to Tony word for word. Tony's eyes lit up as he listened!
"Whoa! Aliens and superheroes!"
Tony was drawn in by Su Zhou's story and could not help exclaiming.
But he suddenly frowned, realizing there was a term Su Zhou had just used that he did not understand.
"JARVIS, what does that 'black braised egg' Su Zhou mentioned mean?"
"It is a food from the ancient East, but I believe Mr. Su Zhou was referring to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s director, Nick Fury."
"Pull up a picture of a black braised egg for me, then pull up a picture of Nick Fury too."
Looking at the black braised egg and "Black Nick Fury" on the monitor, Tony nodded instinctively.
Then he turned his head, looked earnestly at Su Zhou, and said:
"Su Zhou, you've officially earned my friendship. That nickname is absolutely perfect!"
Su Zhou: ゛('◇')?
Was this what a super AI like JARVIS was meant to be used for?
Was Tony's friendship that easy to earn? All it took was a suitable nickname?
Then what would you do if I unleashed Coulson's nickname?
"Do you remember Agent Coulson, who came back to the country with us? I gave him the nickname Mediterranean!"
"Mediterranean? I've been there. Why give him that nickname?"
Tony eagerly had JARVIS look up what "Mediterranean" meant in Chinese.
Then he pulled up Coulson's picture too and burst out laughing at his high hairline.
"My God, Su Zhou, you're a genius!
"The Chinese language is so interesting. Is this a kind of humor unique to you Easterners?
"JARVIS, from now on, Mr. Su Zhou has the same access as Pepper. He can come and go from my villa as he pleases."
Su Zhou had not expected that, even after he left S.H.I.E.L.D.,
his two superiors at S.H.I.E.L.D. would still be quietly helping him behind the scenes!
How touching!
I promise I'll be gentler the next time I cuff them!
"By the way, Tony, if possible, help me find some information on Hell's Kitchen."
"Hell's Kitchen? The people there are no saints!"
"I've already resigned from S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony!"
Su Zhou suddenly raised his voice, startling Tony!
"But that will never shake my determination to fight crime. Hell's Kitchen is my next battlefield!
"Tony, can you help me?"
"Like Batman and his butler Alfred? Then I should be Batman!"