Chapter 67

The next morning.

Tony Stark drove the flashy and stylish Audi sports car back to the hilltop villa.

"Hmm?"

Tony parked the car, casually took out a bottle of chilled top-grade red wine, poured himself a glass, and while drinking, wandered around the underground laboratory. Suddenly, he felt something was odd and asked in confusion, "Usually, when I come back, Bai would be the first to run down, asking some scientific questions or inquiring about the progress of Mark II. Why hasn't he come today? This isn't right!"

"Could he still be asleep?"

Tony glanced at his watch, which read 10:24 AM, and his brows furrowed. "That's not right. Bai is the one who loves to wake up early. Every morning, he sits cross-legged in the sun, meditating and experiencing nature, saying it helps him understand the power of magic patterns. It's this late, he can't still be asleep! Could he have gone out to play?"

"Sir, I have a message left for you by Mr. Bai Xiaofei," Jarvis's voice suddenly sounded.

"Oh? What message?" Tony was taken aback and then asked curiously, "Jarvis, where is Bai? Why can't I see him? Has he finally come to his senses and gone out to date girls?"

"Sir, Mr. Bai Xiaofei has left New York!"

"What?!"

Jarvis's voice was like a bolt of lightning, instantly shocking Tony. The glass of expensive red wine in his hand slipped and shattered on the ground.

This news was too sudden.

So sudden that Tony found it hard to accept, as if he had lost something important. Tony felt his heart constrict.

To Tony, Bai Xiaofei was not only a savior but also a good friend and brother!

Although Bai Xiaofei's scientific foundation was poor, his ideas in some areas aligned with Tony's. Moreover, Bai Xiaofei's expertise in magic patterns greatly impressed and valued Tony, who once considered him a genius in the field of magic patterns!

Geniuses respect each other, even if they are in different fields!

Tony had given Bai Xiaofei ample recognition and affirmation. After these days of interaction, sharing hardships, and escaping death, as well as the research and discussions on the Mark series, Tony had completely regarded Bai Xiaofei as a friend, brother, and even family. Tony had few friends, and for him to consider someone family, it showed how much he valued and trusted Bai Xiaofei!

But now, his recognized family member had suddenly left, and Tony naturally felt upset!

Tony was a genius, whether in intelligence or other aspects, he was superior to others. He suddenly had a bad feeling, and his intuition told him that Bai Xiaofei's sudden departure must have some negative factors!

"Sir, I detect that your emotions are unstable. According to Mr. Bai Xiaofei's message, I will automatically play his message."

"Hi, Tony. By the time you receive this message, I must have already left New York. I am very sorry for leaving without saying goodbye! You know, I am a Chinese person, an adventurer who loves ancient literature. Fate brought us together in a time of crisis, and we became the best friends through life and death. Now that everything is over, it's time for me to continue my adventures!"

"I have made a file of the design suggestions for Mark II and the construction of the magic pattern system, which I have stored in Jarvis's data server. You can access and check it at any time. If you have any questions, you can send me an email, and I will reply when I have time. Don't forget to notify me when Mark II is successfully built. I wish you all the best!"

"Oh, right, regarding the kidnapping incident, I did some analysis and investigation. Although I didn't find any evidence, I think Obadiah Stane is very suspicious. You should be careful! Also, Mark I crashed in the cave during our escape, and the design materials that were not destroyed in time might be used by someone. You should take some preventive measures!"

"Um, that's all I need to tell you. With your abilities, you don't need to worry about other things, so I won't mention them. Lastly, about Pepper Potts, although I didn't interact with her much, I can see that she is a great girl. I hope you treat her well and don't let her get hurt or endangered, or I'll spank you!"

After listening to Bai Xiaofei's message, Tony's emotions calmed down a bit, but he became more alert.

After these days of interaction, Tony understood Bai Xiaofei's personality. Even if Bai Xiaofei was obsessed with the study of ancient artifacts, he would never leave without saying goodbye. Combined with the warning words in the message, Tony felt that Bai Xiaofei must have been threatened and had to leave.

Tony had also investigated the kidnapping incident that almost killed him, but the other party was very secretive, and he found no clues. However, based on some hints, he had traced the source to Obadiah Stane, though he was unwilling to believe it.

Obadiah Stane was a good friend of Tony's father and had always been very caring towards Tony, helping him with both company affairs and personal matters. Suddenly, to believe that Obadiah Stane wanted to kill him was hard for anyone to accept!

Now, after being spurred by Bai Xiaofei, Tony Stark had to re-evaluate Obadiah Stane's character.

Even the person who threatened Bai Xiaofei, Tony first suspected was Obadiah! "Jarvis, did Obadiah come here when I was away? Did he say anything to Bai Xiaofei?"

Tony Stark was very angry.

Being kidnapped out of the blue, almost dying, and barely escaping, he thought everything would get better, but it only got worse. The company was in chaos, investigations were ongoing, Yinsen was gone, and even Bai Xiaofei, his closest friend, had left!

Everything made Tony feel the taste of a conspiracy!

Tony was a genius, with the pride and arrogance of a genius, as well as an eccentric temperament. Such people are generally not controlled or influenced by anyone. Once someone tries to do so, it greatly stimulates Tony's pride and self-respect, causing his eccentric temperament to burst out completely!

As Tony's savior, a friend who shared hardships and escaped death with him, Tony had not yet repaid the kindness, but his friend was threatened and had to leave hastily. This greatly insulted Tony's pride and self-respect, making him feel an overwhelming anger!

However, Jarvis's response surprised Tony.

"Sir, Mr. Obadiah has not been here these past two days. However, a man named Phil Coulson came yesterday. His target was Mr. Bai Xiaofei, and they had a lengthy conversation. As Mr. Bai Xiaofei is a good friend of Mr. Tony, I did not monitor or record their conversation!"

Tony was taken aback. It wasn't Obadiah?

"Jarvis, get me the information on this Phil. I want to call him and ask what's going on!"

"I'm sorry, sir, I only know his name. The rest of his information is unknown. He seems to have a mysterious background. To investigate his information, I need to hack into some government systems. Sir, are you sure you want to do this?"

The angry Tony Stark didn't care about such things and said, "Yes, hack into any system! I want his detailed information!"

Jarvis replied, "Understood, sir. Please wait, this will take some time."

Half an hour later.

Jarvis said, "Sir, I have found the information on the individual. Phil Coulson is from the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division (S.H.I.E.L.D.), an eight-level agent with very high rank and authority. His identity is highly confidential. Even after hacking into their system, the information I could find is quite limited. Here is his phone number..."

Whoever you are!

Daring to threaten my friends and family, I'll make you eat shit!

Finding the source, Tony Stark's anger immediately flared up. He dialed Phil's number and, without any courtesy, shouted, "Phil Coulson, I don't care what your organization does or what powerful background or influence it has. But you dared to threaten my friend, and that makes me very unhappy. You better give me a reasonable explanation, or I can't guarantee I won't do something crazy!"

...