"This is the worst deal I've made since founding Stark Industries."
Tony shrugged and quickly added.
It didn't really matter whether Luo Mang knew or not.
Sooner or later, everyone would find out.
At this moment, as long as the two of them understood, it was enough.
Moreover, Luo Mang was currently one of the people Tony trusted the most.
Although... their first meeting had been a bit peculiar.
Hearing Tony's guilty cover-up, Luo Mang adjusted his glasses.
The next second, he caught sight of a hurried figure outside the car window, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
"Happy, can you stop here? I see an old acquaintance."
Luo Mang's tone was gentle as he met Happy's gaze through the rearview mirror.
The vehicle slowly came to a stop, and Luo Mang gave Tony a polite smile before turning to leave.
Tony, holding his chlorophyll drink, took a deep look at Luo Mang's retreating figure before departing.
......
"Sir, I feel like I've seen you somewhere before."
In the alley.
Luo Mang blocked a figure with a cheerful smile, leisurely sizing him up.
The person in front of him wore a striped short-sleeve shirt, and his skin was slightly flushed.
At this moment, his eyes were filled with fear, and he subconsciously lowered his head.
"You must be mistaken, I look like a lot of people."
With that, he turned to leave.
"Is that so? Flint, it must be tough evading capture, right?"
Indeed, the person Luo Mang recognized at a glance was Sandman, Flint Marko.
Originally a villain in Bully Maguire's story, but for some reason, he appeared here.
But then again, with the second Spider-Man showing up, it wasn't all that surprising.
"I just want to go home."
Flint frowned, his arm tensing slightly, and fine grains of sand began to spread from his feet.
At this moment, he had already been transformed by nuclear radiation into the infamous 'Sandman.'
Watching Flint's movements, the curve of Luo Mang's lips deepened.
The next second.
As a ghostly green light flashed in Luo Mang's eyes.
A majestic and stern layer of scales began to writhe beneath his skin.
Gradually covering his entire body from the feet up.
Even his face was now tightly wrapped in scales.
These dense scales didn't evoke a sense of horror.
It exuded a rational yet cold-blooded aura of bloodthirsty slaughter.
This posture was completely different from Luo Mang's earlier gentle demeanor.
Seeing Luo Mang's appearance, Flint's body instinctively trembled.
It was his first time encountering another person with abilities besides himself.
But in the next instant.
Flint's arm transformed into a sand hammer, swinging directly at Luo Mang.
Luo Mang looked at Flint, making no move.
Just like that, he was struck by Flint's powerful blow, sent flying out of the alley.
"Ah!!!"
On the bustling street, the sudden appearance of a creature covered in scales elicited a chorus of screams.
But Luo Mang, who crashed onto the roof of a car, stood up unharmed.
The car roof had already been deformed by his impact, deeply dented.
Yet Luo Mang, with a calm demeanor, looked down at his scales.
"The defense is indeed impressive, but I wonder if the recovery ability is sufficient."
Luo Mang wasn't concerned about being exposed; instead, he looked expectantly toward the alley.
But in just a moment.
His expectation turned to bewilderment.
The Sandman, who had been in the alley moments ago, had vanished.
His gaze fell on a few grains of sand left on a manhole cover, and a tail slowly extended from Luo Mang's tailbone.
The tail hooked the manhole cover, and he leaped down.
His tail conveniently closed the cover behind him.
Luo Mang used all four limbs, crawling through the sewer like a real lizard.
If the desert was Sandman's domain.
Then the sewer was the perfect arena for Luo Mang, who had injected the Lizard Serum.
Luo Mang used all four limbs.
Rapidly crawling and leaping between the sewer walls.
The echoes of the sewer continuously reached Luo Mang's ears.
Before long, a slightly labored breath caught Luo Mang's attention.
"Got you!"
Luo Mang accelerated several times.
His body lunged forward, pinning Flint to the ground.
Flint's back scraped against the sewer bank, shedding countless grains of sand.
Luo Mang raised his clawed hand, the tips glinting coldly in the air.
Then it fell on Flint's chest, taking away another patch of sand.
Luo Mang tilted his head, curiously asking Flint.
But Flint had no intention of wasting words, his arm once again transforming into a sand hammer, aiming for Luo Mang's head.
Luo Mang didn't dodge, taking Flint's blow head-on.
Bang--!
Under the immense impact.
Flint's arm disintegrated into countless grains of sand, quickly reforming.
In contrast, Luo Mang.
Hit by Flint's full-force blow, only two scales cracked.
The scales that had just cracked and fallen off, reformed after just a few breaths.
"The recovery is adequate."
Feeling the speed of his wound healing, Luo Mang thought to himself.
At this moment, Luo Mang and Flint were extremely close, and Flint, seeing Luo Mang's face covered in scales, was filled with fear.
But as Luo Mang's claws struck, the sand within Flint's body gradually depleted, leaving him powerless.
"Penny... Penny..."
Flint couldn't stop calling out his daughter's name, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
But just as Flint completely lost the ability to resist, Luo Mang halted his attack.
The layers of scales peeled away, revealing Luo Mang's gentle face.
He extended a hand, pulling Flint up in his bewildered gaze.
"I can give you enough money.
I can even arrange for the best hospital in New York for you."
Luo Mang spoke calmly, as if discussing a trivial matter.
"What do you want?"
Flint was puzzled by Luo Mang's intentions.
Just a moment ago, they were locked in a life-and-death struggle, yet now it was as if they had returned to their initial meeting.
"Loyalty, Flint Marko, I need your loyalty."
Luo Mang didn't hide his intentions, speaking directly.
Sandman's abilities, when enough sand was available, were incredibly powerful.
Flint had only just acquired his powers.
He couldn't even fly by manipulating sand grains, only able to escape through the sewers.
If he became the 'Sand Giant' in the future, Luo Mang would likely be crushed.
After all, Sandman was a villain Peter had to go all out against.
Unlike those villains who held back, afraid of killing with a single punch, Sandman was on a different level.
But such a powerful ability user had one glaring weakness—his daughter, Penny Marko.
And exploiting weaknesses.
Was Luo Mang's specialty.