Soon, the person contacted by Happy arrived in an armored vehicle at the rendezvous point and drove Alex Ray and his group to the Afghan airport.
At the airport, Yinsen walked up to Alex and his group, grasped Alex's hands, and thanked him.
"Thank you for saving me, even though that wasn't your intention."
Ding!
Congratulations, host. You have successfully added Yinsen as a friend.
Acquired attribute: Chemistry Level 8
Would you like to merge it immediately?
Integrate. Alex responded silently in his mind.
A flood of chemical knowledge surged into Alex's mind, instantly elevating him to the level of a top-tier chemist.
"We're friends now—saving a friend is only natural," Alex said with a smile.
Yinsen laughed softly in response. Nothing more needed to be said.
"Dr. Yinsen, do you want to come back with us?" Alex asked.
"He's already declined," Tony interjected. "He wants to return to his hometown and see his children."
Alex remained silent. He knew Yinsen's family had actually been killed by the militants. Yinsen had only said that to give Tony a reason to survive.
"Tony… I lied to you. My family's been dead for years. Killed by those bastards. I just didn't want you to give up back in the cave. But now, I honestly have nowhere to go," Yinsen admitted, his eyes vacant.
Alex noticed his expression and patted him on the shoulder. "I'm planning to open a community school in Hell's Kitchen. You could teach science and chemistry. I've got an apartment for you—free room and board, full benefits. What do you say?"
"Don't listen to him," Tony cut in. "Come back with me to Stark Industries. I'll set up a lab for you in the Stark Tower. Study whatever you want. Your talent shouldn't be wasted in some rundown community school."
"Maybe take care of yourself first," Alex replied coolly. "See that little arc reactor on your chest? The day that thing goes out… Well, you know what that means. Whether you survive is another matter entirely. Anyway, it's settled. If Yinsen doesn't feel comfortable at our place in Hell's Kitchen, I'll send him to your fancy tower."
Eventually, Alex and his crew, along with Tony Stark, boarded Tony's private jet. Happy, his driver and bodyguard, was already waiting.
The plane lifted off swiftly, heading toward New York's Kennedy Airport.
Onboard, Pietro threw on some headphones and prepared to rest.
Deadpool— in a red hoodie—was chomping down on the in-flight meal while flirting shamelessly with the stewardess.
Yinsen was having a chat with Happy.
Alex reclined in his seat, swirling a wine glass filled with ' Coke, and watched Tony Stark across from him.
Tony was no longer in the tattered rags he'd worn in the cave. Now dressed in a tailored suit, he cut the figure of a dashing billionaire playboy.
Alex couldn't help but chuckle. "Clothes really do make the man."
"Alex, what are your plans once we're back in New York?" Tony asked.
"I mean, your dog's got something. He's ugly, but clearly smart. Ever thought about letting him work for me? I could run some experiments."
"Forget it. He's family. None of them are going anywhere," Alex replied, shaking his head.
"Family, huh? That's nice. I'll pretend I didn't say anything," Tony said, a little taken aback.
"You've got family too. Pepper Potts, for example. She was a nervous wreck trying to find you. Don't tell me that's just an employer-employee thing. Come on, you're not a kid anymore," Alex teased.
"You're younger than me, and you're lecturing?" Tony smirked. "Let's save that talk for later."
Despite how recently they'd met, Tony felt strangely comfortable around Alex—like talking to an old friend.
"Tony—I can call you that, right? You're our employer, sure, but we're friends now." Alex grinned, then leaned in. "Not many people know the truth about what happened in Afghanistan. Ever wonder who wanted you dead?"
Tony immediately caught the implication. "You think someone inside my company is involved?"
"That's your business," Alex said casually. "I'm just reminding you. Someone tried to kill you, and they probably won't stop. Be careful—the people around you could be used as leverage."
Tony's expression darkened. His eyes dropped to the arc reactor embedded in his chest. He knew he might not live long.
But the thought of Pepper being endangered because of him hit harder than expected.
"Would you take a job?" Tony asked quickly. "First task: keep Pepper safe until we find the bastard behind this. Second: track down whoever tried to kill me."
He held up a finger. "Ten million."
Alex raised an eyebrow but shook his head. "You two really care about each other. She paid us to save you. Now you're paying us to protect her. Feels like I'm working for both of you."
"Twenty million," Tony offered, doubling down.
Alex laughed and waved him off. "It's not about the money. Once we're back in the States, someone else will handle your protection. I'm not eager to get involved with them. As for the assassin, five million—that's a friendship rate."
Alex already knew who was behind the attack. The money was essentially a gift. But even so, he declined the offer.
Tony wouldn't believe him if he said the truth right now. It was better to guide him to the answer gradually.
Besides, Alex genuinely wanted to be friends with Tony. He'd just made $100 million recently—charging too much would feel wrong.
"As for Pepper, here's my private number." Alex handed him a slip of paper. "If anything happens, call. We'll be there in five minutes. Price is separate."
"If you're worried, you can have her stay in Hell's Kitchen for a while. We'll keep her safe."
"Hell's Kitchen? You serious?" Tony scoffed. He knew that part of New York. It was infamous.
"Maybe for other people. But for her, it'll be the safest place—because we're there. I'm there," Alex replied confidently.
Tony waved him off. "We'll talk about Hell's Kitchen later. Just handle the assassin. Let me know as soon as you find something."
He pocketed the slip with Alex's number and turned to Happy, already thinking about getting back to his workshop to finish the new suit.
Alex noticed Tony's skepticism and shrugged, closing his eyes to rest.
A few hours later, the plane touched down at Kennedy Airport.
Four vehicles waited beside the runway: two Rolls-Royces, a military-grade armored vehicle, and an ambulance.
Pepper Potts stood nearby, her eyes locked on the landing plane. Beside her was a military unit led by Colonel Rhodes. Paramedics waited with a stretcher.
Everyone was here to welcome Tony Stark home.
As the cabin door opened, Pepper saw Tony step out with red-rimmed eyes.
He descended first, waving off the stretcher. "I'm fine. I can walk. No need for all this. Go home."
Pepper burst into tears of joy, covering her mouth.
"You're crying? Were you that worried about me?" Tony said with a smile. "I'm back."
He pulled her into a hug.
Pepper beamed. "These are happy tears. You know how hard it is to find a good job?"
Just as their reunion turned romantic, a loud whistle pierced the moment.
It was Alex's group at the cabin door. The whistler? Deadpool, munching popcorn like a moviegoer.
Alex gave Deadpool a death glare. He hadn't come down immediately—wanted to give Tony his moment. But Deadpool, as always, ruined it.
Pepper quickly stepped away and turned to Alex. "Mr. Ray, thank you for bringing Tony home safely. I'll settle the rest of the payment later."
Tony added, "Charge it to the company. I'll cover it."
Pepper rolled her eyes. "As if I could afford it myself."
"No big deal. Just remember our bet. And if you need anything, come find me in Hell's Kitchen," Alex said casually.
Seeing Colonel Rhodes standing nearby, Alex added, "Looks like you've got things to handle, Mr. Stark. I won't take up more of your time. I'll let you know the moment I find anything."
Alex knew that soon the Iron Man suit would make its debut—marking the real beginning of the Marvel saga.
"Oh, and one more thing," Alex said before leaving. "Be careful with your new secretary."
Tony didn't say anything—but he took that advice to heart.
He was a smart man.
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Colonel Rhodes --->
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