Chapter 1

"I am Iron Man!"

...

New York, inside a certain Western restaurant.

In an inconspicuous corner, two little heads huddled together, peering furtively at a couple dining not far away.

At that moment, the television in the restaurant suddenly broadcast the confident and spirited voice of the well-known playboy, familiar to people around the world, especially women.

As Tony Stark's voice faded, a commotion erupted both at the press conference on the TV and in the restaurant.

After all, Iron Man had been the hottest news worldwide in recent times.

The two boys, around ten years old, exchanged glances. One of them, with a cute face, black hair, and black eyes, clearly of Chinese descent, sneered and muttered, "Pfft! What a show-off!"

"Hey! Phoenix, how can you say that about Mr. Stark!"

The other boy, with brown hair and a slender build, was clearly a devoted little fan of Iron Man. Hearing this, he felt upset and spoke up to defend his idol.

"Why not? He's not my idol. To me, he's just a rich playboy, nothing more."

Phoenix, the boy, shrugged indifferently, clearly not a fan of Tony Stark. He then added sarcastically,

"Maybe he's a bit clever, at least that suit of iron looks pretty good. I just hope he doesn't hurt himself when he goes on a date with a cover girl in that thing!"

"Mr. Stark is not just a bit clever! He's the greatest genius of this century! And the Iron Man suit is a technological miracle!"

His companion immediately retorted indignantly, his words filled with admiration for Tony Stark.

Then, his eyes twinkled as he said, "Phoenix, are you jealous of Mr. Stark?"

"Ha! Jealous of him? You must be joking, Peter Parker!"

Phoenix rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Do you think I'd be jealous of a weakling? I could take him down with one hand without his Iron Man suit!"

"Oh, I almost forgot, your Mr. Stark was almost killed by his dear shareholder uncle not long ago! Looks like that suit of iron doesn't protect him very well!"

Phoenix lifted his chin, his tone harsh and his expression disdainful.

"You're being really annoying right now, Phoenix! You've become the person you once hated the most!"

"Yes, because I was just imitating Tony Stark's usual behavior," Phoenix shrugged, mocking him.

"You see, without the fan filter, you actually dislike Tony Stark too."

"That... That's not the same!"

Peter Parker opened his mouth, momentarily speechless, and finally retorted stubbornly.

Phoenix raised an eyebrow and closed his mouth, not bothering to argue further with Peter Parker. His attitude of "I don't want to waste my breath on you" made Peter Parker clench his teeth in frustration.

"Alright, Peter, we didn't come here to discuss your tin idol," Phoenix pulled the fuming Peter Parker, steering the conversation back on track.

Then, he waved his arms and, with a voice even more passionate than Tony Stark's, encouraged him,

"Cheer up, this is about Martin's lifelong happiness!"

Thinking of their purpose for coming today, Peter Parker pouted, suppressing his annoyance, and joined Phoenix in peering at the couple "having a pleasant conversation" from a distance.

At least, that's how it looked to Phoenix and Peter.

"Phoenix, do you think this will work?" Peter Parker leaned in and whispered.

"No problem! Ms. Jennifer is the most popular teacher in the school. Bobby said no man can resist a blonde bombshell!" Phoenix said confidently and assertively.

Peter Parker muttered, "Sure, Bobby said the same about Angelina. Oh, a black bombshell, nice."

Phoenix pretended not to hear Peter Parker's sarcasm. He was convinced that his carefully arranged "blind date" would succeed.

Unfortunately, things often don't go as planned. In the next second, the two boys were stunned to see Ms. Jennifer suddenly stand up, a slightly embarrassed smile on her face, apologize, and quickly walk away.

"Oh no..." Phoenix groaned weakly, "I barely convinced... I mean, persuaded Ms. Jennifer to come here."

Peter Parker wore an "I knew it" expression, shrugging indifferently and teasing, "Maybe you can invite Angelina next time."

Phoenix was dejected for a moment but quickly regained his spirits, clenching his fist and declaring firmly, "Failure is the mother of success! I will find a stepmother for myself!"

Peter Parker, moved by his indomitable spirit, sincerely remarked, "You will definitely achieve your great goal, Phoenix."

Just as the two boys were whispering, one of the people they were discussing, Phoenix's adoptive father Martin Lee, walked over and looked down at the two boys.

"I knew you two would be here!"

Martin Lee said irritably.

The two boys' expressions changed. Peter Parker, feeling guilty, lowered his head like an ostrich, while Phoenix showed no embarrassment at being caught, waving his hand and laughing, "What a coincidence, Martin, we came here to eat too..."

Martin Lee raised an eyebrow, "I don't remember giving you enough allowance to eat at such a fancy restaurant, Phoenix."

"It seems I need to cut your allowance. After all, it's not safe for a child to have so much money."

"Oh, no!" Phoenix's face changed, and he immediately put on a flattering smile, "My allowance isn't much at all, really!"

Under Martin Lee's stern gaze, his smile gradually froze, and he hung his head dejectedly, "Alright, I was wrong."

"I only agreed to come because you told me your teacher had something about your studies to discuss with me," Martin Lee sighed, looking at the silent Phoenix, "Phoenix, lying is not a good habit."

Martin Lee was very satisfied with his adoptive son. He was cute, smart, and lively, but there was one thing he always did that troubled him: setting him up on blind dates, which he had no interest in.

He couldn't understand where a fifth-grader got such strange ideas, it was just unnecessary worry.

"I just don't want you to be alone forever," Phoenix mumbled softly.

Martin Lee, slightly exasperated, ruffled his hair, "I don't think I need an eleven-year-old to introduce me to a girlfriend."

Phoenix stubbornly lifted his head and said firmly, "But if there's no stepmother, I'll have to keep eating those terrible breakfasts!"

Thinking of the hard baguette he had this morning, he couldn't help but complain.

"We're Chinese, even if we don't have century eggs and congee or crepes, we should at least have baozi and soy milk!"

"I'm sorry, Phoenix, I don't know how to make those things," Martin Lee's lips twitched. Indeed, this must be the real reason you're so determined to find me a stepmother.

Phoenix nodded, showing a magnanimous expression, "I forgive you," then changed the subject,

"So, find a wife who can cook quickly!"

Martin Lee's eyes twitched. Even with his calm nature, he couldn't help but retort,

"So you've been pushing me to get married all this time just to get yourself a cook?"

Phoenix nodded matter-of-factly, "Isn't there a saying in China, 'Milk is mother'...?"

Martin Lee's face darkened instantly.

"Damn! That's not how you use that saying!"