Chapter 45: Tony: I Declare You the Strongest

One hundred million dollars, in Obadiah’s eyes, meant nothing at all.

Even those shares meant nothing to him; what truly warranted caution was Tony’s attitude.

Since Tony Stark returned safely, he had been locked in his lab, seeing almost no one except Alvin—clearly sending a signal to the outside world.

That signal was: Tony deeply trusted this young man, Alvin Valthius.

To that end, Obadiah deliberately drew close to Tony, and through his uncle’s connection, managed to extract a few details about Alvin Valthius.

Though Tony still concealed much, Obadiah, after contacting the Ten Rings, quickly deduced the gist.

It was this very boy who had ruined his plan.

Though inwardly he longed to twist Alvin’s head off, outwardly Obadiah still put on an air of doting affection for his nephew and profound gratitude toward this man who had saved Tony.

Of course, just now was purely meant to annoy Alvin.

Obadiah warmly took Alvin’s arm and strode into the charity gala, tirelessly proclaiming to everyone that without Alvin, Tony could never have returned safely.

Thus, in the ensuing charity gala, Alvin Valthius became the most sought-after man.

Elite figures from every industry, and politicians alike, kept approaching him to curry favor.

Alvin maintained a smile throughout, politely and precisely handling each one—but in his heart, he had already sentenced Obadiah to death.

You old bastard, don’t you dare fall into my hands, or you’ll regret it!

He truly hated these meaningless social events—utterly worthless, pure waste of life.

Just as Alvin was suffering beyond endurance, his savior finally appeared!

Tony Stark made a dazzling entrance, dismissed the crowd with a few words, then pulled Alvin to a secluded corner of the hall, out of easy sight.

“Thank you so much—I mean it this time,” Alvin sighed in relief and hurriedly expressed his gratitude to Tony.

“So you mean all previous thanks weren’t sincere?”

Tony raised a glass of champagne, watching Alvin’s discomfort, and burst into laughter: “See? This is Tony Stark’s popularity. Once you’re connected to me, you’ll get endless connections. You should feel honored, Alvin!”

No wonder he was Marvel’s show-off king—even now he couldn’t resist bragging.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t coming?” Alvin sneered. “I’m curious—who changed your mind?”

“Don’t mention it. Pepper insisted I come to this gala.” Tony’s cheer vanished; he downed the champagne in one gulp, growling: “Pepper said I’ve been locked in the lab for three days—if I don’t get some fresh air, I’ll rot and mope. She even threatened to quit! It’s absurd!”

“Pfft!”

Alvin couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Clearly, even before becoming Iron Man, Tony was already showing signs of being henpecked.

“What are you laughing at?” Tony scowled at Alvin. “Hey, I came here as your friend to rescue you, and you’re mocking me?”

“No, I just thought of something funny.”

Alvin suppressed his laughter, his mind filled with the future image of proud, stubborn Tony, utterly subdued by Pepper.

“What’s so funny?”

Tony leaned forward curiously.

“Proud people often fail to realize what they care about most,” Alvin set down his champagne, patted Tony’s shoulder, and said solemnly: “My friend, I hope you won’t lose the one who cares for you most—because of pride.”

“Who? Me?”

Tony stared in disbelief, pointing at himself and laughing: “Don’t be ridiculous, Alvin—I’m Tony Stark!”

“You know deep down whether it’s true.”

Alvin smiled but said nothing; sometimes, timing wasn’t right—and pushing too hard would backfire.

“Hey, see that woman over there?” Tony, perhaps flustered, abruptly changed the subject, pointing to a stunning woman in a black dress, long hair flowing, curves accentuated, and said with full confidence: “She’s walking toward us—I bet she’s here to ask me out!”

“Oh, really?”

Alvin sipped his champagne, amused: “Then I bet she’s here for me.”

“For you? No, no, no—impossible!”

Tony sat up straight, exuding the seasoned charm of a seasoned ladies’ man: “Let me tell you—you have no idea what Tony Stark means to women!”

“Fine. If you lose, you owe me one favor?” Alvin said.

“Done!”

Tony agreed instantly, certain he couldn’t lose.

Come on—he’d been conquering women for decades, voted the most desirable man by models—how could he possibly lose to some kid with no beard?

The woman in black, champagne in hand, swayed her seductive hips; the slit in her dress occasionally revealed glimpses of skin, her long, shapely legs stepping gracefully in silk-heeled shoes.

Tony crossed his legs, smugly confident, and whispered to Alvin: “Watch closely, kid. Let me teach you what real male charm looks like!”

Then, under Tony’s confident smile, the woman in black arrived before Alvin, her red lips parting: “Hello, Mr. Valthius. I’m Natasha. May I invite you for a chat?”

Crack!

Alvin thought he heard something shatter.

He turned—and saw Tony’s face frozen, pupils sharply contracted, utterly stunned.

“W-wait… you don’t know who I am?” Tony, unwilling to yield, forced a stiff smile and introduced himself: “I’m Tony Stark. You should know me.”

“Oh, I do know you, Mr. Stark,” the woman smiled faintly. “The famous playboy, the dream lover of models—they say one night with you guarantees a full year of publicity.”

Tony’s lips twitched: “I think that’s a misunderstanding, madam.”

Who the hell was trashing his reputation?!

What did they mean—sleep with him once and get a year’s promotion?

What the hell did they think Tony Stark was?!

Those damn media outlets were despicable!

“Sorry, Mr. Stark,”

But the woman had no interest in him anymore; she cast Alvin a sultry glance: “Compared to your ‘achievements,’ I prefer innocent boys—like Mr. Alvin Valthius. You haven’t answered my invitation yet~”

But the woman in black no longer bothered to address him; instead, she cast a seductive glance at Alvin: “Compared to your ‘record,’ I prefer more innocent boys, like this Mr. Alvin Valthus—you haven’t accepted my invitation yet~”

This kid with no beard somehow landed a hot woman like her, while he, Tony Stark, was left standing there? It was unjust!

“Of course, refusing an invitation from such a beautiful lady would invite divine punishment~”

Alvin smiled, stood, and slipped his arm around Natasha’s waist, then winked at Tony—reminding him: don’t forget your bet.

“You little brat, watch yourself tonight!”

Tony gritted his teeth—not because he cared about the woman, but because losing face had him seething.

Tony gritted his teeth—not because he cared much about a woman, but simply because losing face had made him furious.