Red Bean Bun Wins Twice, Teasing the Black Widow

Stark Charity Gala in downtown New York City.

Amidst the flashing lights, Tony Stark, wearing sunglasses and a striking purple-red velvet suit, looked incredibly flamboyant.

He was like a proud peacock, flitting among celebrities.

"Mr. Stark! Rumors are circulating that during your three-month disappearance, you were kidnapped by terrorists to manufacture weapons of mass destruction. Is this true?"

A blonde female reporter with a very low-cut top pushed past the bodyguards and nearly shoved a recording pen into Tony's nostril.

Tony stopped in his tracks, a look of disgust flashing in his eyes behind his sunglasses.

He recognized the woman; she was a columnist for Vanity Fair, who made her name by writing celebrity gossip and conspiracy theories, and whose pen was more venomous than an AK-47.

"This...blonde lady."

Tony pushed the recorder away with two fingers in disgust. "Tonight is a fundraising event for the firefighters' foundation, not the deadline for your gossip column."

"The public has the right to know the truth!"

The female reporter persisted, her body subtly pressing against Tony's.

"Some say that Stark Industries' stock price has plummeted because of your mental instability. If this is not clarified, I have reason to doubt your ability to manage this company."

The flashbulbs of cameras were clicking all around, and everyone pricked up their ears.

In the past, Tony would probably have used a few words to make her cry, or simply slept with her to shut her up.

But now, looking at the calculating face in front of him, he only felt bored.

It's really boring.

This group of people had no idea how fragile the world was, or what kind of hell they had seen in the cave.

"The truth? You want to hear the truth?"

Tony suddenly laughed, but his laugh was rather strange.

As if by magic, he pulled a seemingly ordinary small round bread out of his pocket.

"This is a new dessert developed by Stark Industries. If you eat it, I'll give you the opportunity for an exclusive interview."

The female reporter was taken aback, looking at the red bean bun that clearly looked like a five-cent bun from Chinatown, a hint of suspicion flashing in her eyes.

But seeing Tony's mocking gaze, she steeled herself. For the sake of the headlines, she would eat anything, even a poisoned bun, let alone a red bean bun!

"It's a deal!"

She grabbed the red bean bun and swallowed it in a few bites.

The taste was pretty good?

"Alright, Mr. Stark, now can you tell me what exactly happened to you in the cave?"

The female reporter swallowed the last bite, her eyes sharp.

Tony, hands in his pockets, leaned back slightly and looked at her expectantly: "No, no, no, according to the rules, now is the time for you to show your sincerity."

"Tell me, what exactly is it that you've been bothering me tonight?"

The female reporter was about to say "for the public's right to know," but her mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and she shouted out uncontrollably:

"For fame! For traffic! For money!"

"If I can just ride your coattails, I can win a six-figure prize to buy that limited-edition Hermès!"

"I don't really care how many people die. Even if it's your underwear you've worn, as long as it gets me on the front page, I can write a 5,000-word in-depth analysis!"

The entire room was completely silent.

The sound of a champagne glass falling onto the carpet was clearly audible.

The female reporter covered her mouth in horror, her eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

What is she saying? My God!

Why did she blurt out everything she was thinking?!

Wow.

Tony whistled exaggeratedly and spread his hands in front of the stunned guests.

"It seems this lady is not only career-driven, but also quite knowledgeable about my underwear."

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the professionalism of the Vanity Fair. Remember to applaud her sincerity."

"No! I...I'm a bitch...No! I did it for money...Damn it!"

The female reporter screamed in despair, trying to explain, but could only utter more offensive truths.

Amidst the uproar and laughter, she covered her face and stumbled through the crowd to escape in a disheveled state.

Tony was in high spirits, but also a little scared.

Fortunately, the embarrassing incident involving the memory bread made him hesitant to try it, otherwise he would have definitely had many secrets uncovered by this little gadget that day.

"Mr. Stark."

Before he could even get his second drink, a middle-aged man in an inexpensive suit with an average-looking face blocked his way.

"I am Agent Phil Coulson, from the Strategic Homeland Defense, Attack and Logistics Agency..."

"stop.

Tony rolled his eyes: "The name is too long. Let's shorten it to S.H.I.E.L.D., otherwise I'll suspect that you guys spent all your budget on printing business cards."

"We are considering the issue of abbreviations."

Coulson maintained his professional fake smile. "Regarding your time in Afghanistan..."

"I'm busy."

Tony suddenly stopped smiling, his gaze passing over Coulson's shoulder and settling on the center of the dance floor.

There, a tango is reaching its climax.

To the strains of a melodious violin, a young Asian man in a fitted tuxedo is dancing gracefully with a Latina woman in a backless evening gown.

That's Li Ang.

But his current demeanor is completely different from that of the charlatan who sold gashapon toys.

If Li Ang was like a shrewd businessman before, he is now like a king inspecting his territory.

Even the simplest dance steps exude a nonchalant arrogance.

The beauty in his arms was a black rose with thorns.

……

In the center of the dance floor.

Natasha felt like she had hit a brick wall.

A metal plate in a physical sense.

As Black Widow, one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s top agents, she was ordered to get close to Tony, but she never expected that this Asian youth would interfere with her plans.

No matter how you probed, the man's defense remained impenetrable.

"The gentleman's dance moves are very special, very...powerful."

Natasha wore a charming smile as she pressed her body close to Leon's.

With a spinning motion, she held a tiny anesthetic needle between her fingertips and stabbed it into Li Ang's lower back with lightning speed.

This is a new type of neurotoxin, powerful enough to incapacitate an adult elephant, and the needle is as thin as a hair, so it causes no pain when inserted into the human body.

Ding.

A barely perceptible crisp sound.

Natasha's pupils contracted sharply.

The needle... broke?

The piercing under Li Ang's suit fabric felt like it wasn't human muscle at all; it was more like being pierced by a steel plate!

That's impossible! Who would wear steel plates to a dance?

"Miss Romanov."

Li Ang suddenly lowered his head, his lips brushing against Natasha's earlobe, his voice deep and magnetic, yet sending chills down one's spine.

"As a dance partner, you're not paying enough attention."

"Also, please skip this kind of substandard acupuncture service next time; my skin is thick-skinned."

Natasha's muscles tensed, and her killing intent erupted in an instant.

Now that we've been exposed, let's take action!

She formed her left hand into a claw, attempting to lock Li Ang's throat, while her right knee slammed into his groin.

however.

Her wrist was gently grasped by a warm, large hand.

The hand looked fair and slender, even with a scholarly air, but the moment it closed, Natasha felt as if she were locked in a hydraulic clamp.

Not moving.

"Shhh."

Although it is nighttime and the bonus from Pride is at its lowest, Leon's base stats are still at Silver Super, enough to crush any so-called super agent.

"Why be so irritable? I'm just a gashapon merchant passing by."

Li Ang suddenly exerted force with his right hand, but not to attack. Instead, he followed the rhythm of the tango and spun Natasha around like a top, throwing her out.

"Since it's dancing, let's enjoy the music."

Natasha felt an overwhelming force surge through her, and the world spun around her.

After leaving a red afterimage in the air, she staggered and landed.

Li Ang remained standing in the same spot, not even the hem of his clothes was ruffled.

He elegantly adjusted his bow tie and gave the pale-faced Natasha a standard gentleman's bow.

His eyes held an undisguised condescension.

That look seemed to say: I am a lion, and you are just a kitten that has just learned to scratch.

"Wonderful."

A round of applause broke the tense atmosphere between the two.

"How did you sneak in?"

Tony walked over with a wine glass in his hand, completely ignoring Coulson and Natasha who were standing nearby on guard, and went straight to Leon.

"Just bring a ladder, and the security guard at the gate will let you in."

Li Ang snapped his fingers and casually grabbed a glass of champagne. "I just happened to be here to see if there's any new business."

Natasha took a deep breath, suppressing her shock, gave Li Ang a long look, and then quickly disappeared into the crowd.

She knew her mission for tonight was ruined by this mysterious man.

"Is that woman from S.H.I.E.L.D."

"If it weren't for you, I probably would have fallen for your honey trap tonight."

Tony lowered his voice, his tone somewhat grave.

"Look at your rosy complexion, isn't palladium poisoning quite invigorating?"

Li Ang took a sip of champagne, completely unconcerned.

"That stuff is absolutely hellishly spicy."

Tony gave a wry smile. "However, the belt you gave me is indeed terrifyingly powerful."

As he spoke, he leaned closer, like a student eager for knowledge.

"But since Kuuga has created an All-Powerful Form, does that mean there are other forms as well?"

"I mean... is there anything harder?"

He recalled the slight pain he felt that day in the cave when he faced heavy machine gun fire.

If he's going to do something, he'll do it the strongest.

Li Ang looked into Tony's ambitious eyes and smiled.

That's Tony Stark for you—never satisfied with the status quo, always striving for perfection.

Li Ang reached out and patted Tony's shoulder heavily. He leaned close to Tony's ear and whispered something that made Tony's heart race.

"Tony, remember this."

"When you want to protect something, red is the burning flame of anger."

"But when you want to stand firm like a mountain, to withstand all damage and crush the enemy..."

Li Ang raised a finger, the tip of which faintly glowed with a purple light.

"Purple represents profound defense."

"In this universe before the purple sweet potato spirit snaps his fingers, you can try it out and see what... the oppressive feeling of a Titan really means."