Lin Xuan froze for a moment when he heard Tony Stark say, “Let’s go to my place to talk.”
He looked at the genius billionaire—who had been so full of confidence just moments ago but now seemed rather urgent—with a hint of amusement in his eyes.
“So direct?”
Lin Xuan’s tone carried a perfectly timed tease.
“Inviting me to your home on our first meeting… Tony Stark, you truly live up to your reputation. You never play by the rules.”
This playful jab seemed to elicit no reaction from Tony.
His mind was completely occupied, far beyond such trivialities.
The exposure of the secret of his palladium poisoning, along with the mind-boggling energy projection in Lin Xuan’s palm, had completely seized his brain.
Tony didn’t seem to find anything improper about his invitation at all.
Instead, it was more like he was issuing a matter-of-fact command.
Without even waiting for Lin Xuan’s explicit agreement, he had already turned around and started walking toward an internal corridor marked “Employees Only.”
Without looking back, he called out to the air, “Happy, get the car. We’re leaving through the back.”
His command was clear, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Almost the instant the words left his lips, a tall, muscular man with a stern expression, dressed in a sharp suit, strode toward them.
It was Tony Stark’s driver and bodyguard—Happy Hogan.
Happy’s sharp eyes immediately fell on Lin Xuan, who was following beside Tony.
A completely unfamiliar face.
A flicker of wariness and a silent question crossed Happy’s gaze as he quickly took in Lin Xuan’s appearance.
But he also clearly registered the unusual urgency and seriousness in Tony’s voice.
*Anyone who could make Tony Stark so earnest, even willing to disrupt the rest of the exposition’s arrangements to take them away immediately… was definitely no ordinary person.*
Happy instantly suppressed his doubts, offering only a slight nod before quickly stepping ahead to lead the way.
The three of them passed through the relatively quiet backstage corridors, where the only sounds were the low hum of equipment and the hurried footsteps of staff.
The air still seemed to vibrate with the thunderous roar and frenzy from the main hall, creating a strange sense of dissonance.
Their destination was clear: a relatively discreet exit at the rear side of the Exposition Hall.
Happy had likely already arranged for a vehicle to be waiting.
But plans, it seemed, were never able to keep up with reality.
Just as they were about to reach the stairs leading to the back exit, a wave of irrepressible, shrill, and ecstatic screams suddenly erupted from below!
“Mr. Stark! It’s Mr. Stark!”
“Tony! Look over here!!”
A crowd of incredibly well-informed fans, who had somehow bypassed security, had blocked the restricted exit corridor!
The dense mass of people completely choked the stairwell, their faces alight with fanatical excitement.
They held up smartphones, autograph books, and even homemade fan signs.
Amidst the crowd, a young boy, roughly seven or eight years old, stood out.
He wore an Iron Man helmet that was clearly a size too large and crudely made, nearly obscuring half his face.
The little guy was desperately standing on his tiptoes, straining to see through the gaps in the crowd.
The eyes peering out from under the helmet sparkled with adoration.
This sudden turn of events made Happy frown, and he instinctively stepped forward to intervene.
But the fans’ enthusiasm was clearly beyond anyone’s expectations.
Soon, a portion of the crowd’s attention shifted to Lin Xuan, who was following closely beside Tony.
“Quick, look! Who’s that person next to Tony?” a girl filming with her phone whispered to her companion.
“Never seen him before… He looks so young, and so handsome! Could he be a new genius recruited by Stark Industries? The future successor?”
“No, no,” another boy wearing glasses pushed them up his nose, his tone certain.
“I think I saw him in the crowd at the opening ceremony just now! He was standing right in front of me, keeping a very low profile!”
All sorts of guesses flew about, as more curious and probing gazes fell upon Lin Xuan.
Faced with this chaotic scene, Tony Stark seemed to switch modes in an instant.
The solemnity and urgency he had shown just moments ago seemed to have been temporarily cast aside.
His face once again wore that signature, slightly narcissistic and cynical smile.
He even waved to the crowd, drawing even louder screams.
He was clearly basking in the spotlight, a king on his stage, graciously accepting the cheers of his subjects.
Tony came to a halt.
With a flourish, he took the notebooks and posters from a few of the closest, luckiest fans, scrawling his signature with a bold, sweeping hand.
He even paused to strike a few classic poses for the cameras flashing in his face—shots guaranteed to make tomorrow’s entertainment headlines.
Not everyone was swept up in the spectacle.
In an inconspicuous shadow at the edge of the crowd, Justin Hammer, the head of Hammer Industries, watched the scene with a complex and brooding gaze.
Seeing Tony Stark so effortlessly enjoy the praise and attention that should have been his, a flicker of unconcealed jealousy crossed Hammer’s eyes.
*Enjoy it while you can, Stark,* Hammer sneered inwardly, his jaw tightening.
*Soon, at the Senate hearing, let’s see how arrogant you can be then!*
All in the name of “national security”!*
He couldn’t wait to join forces with the senators and crush Tony Stark, tearing everything away from him.
***
Lin Xuan stood a step behind Tony, calmly taking in the scene.
He understood Tony Stark’s almost instinctive need for performance and his relish for the spotlight.
It was part of his nature, perhaps also a way to mask his inner turmoil and stress.
Amidst the chaos, a few fans, caught up in the electric atmosphere, approached.
They figured that anyone walking so closely with Tony Stark must be someone important.
Taking a chance, they mustered their courage and tentatively held out their autograph books and pens to Lin Xuan.
“Sir… could you… could you sign one for us too?” a young woman, who looked like a college student, asked, her cheeks flushing.
Lin Xuan was slightly surprised, but his expression remained unchanged.
His calm gaze swept over the expectant fans.
He simply nodded, took the pen, and signed his name—*Lin Xuan*—on the book they held out.
His handwriting was clean and decisive, exuding a sense of steady strength.
Just as Tony finished basking in the fans’ adoration and Happy finally cleared a path to escort them to the car, a voice cut through the noise.
“Mr. Tony Stark!”
The woman’s voice was clear, efficient, and carried an unquestionable official tone.
A woman in a sharply tailored navy blue uniform, her expression stern and her gaze piercing, swiftly pushed through the crowd that was still trying to get close.
She marched straight up to Tony Stark, holding a folded document, and thrust it directly in front of him without hesitation.
Her tone was official and resolute: “On behalf of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I am formally serving you with a subpoena.”
The smile on Tony Stark’s face vanished instantly.
In its place was a complex expression, a mixture of extreme impatience and deep disgust.
He let out a dramatic groan, seemingly exasperated by the tedious legal proceedings.
All he wanted was to get Lin Xuan back to his seaside villa as quickly as possible and have a proper “talk” about the “serious business” of the Arc Reactor and palladium poisoning.
Not be here, entangled in these boring legal documents and the endless chatter of senators.
Tony Stark shot a quick glance at Lin Xuan, who was standing beside him, his eyes conveying a hint of apology.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and affectionately patted the broad shoulder of Happy Hogan, who stood next to him.
“Happy, my good friend, I’ll leave this lady to you. You know what to do.”