Tony left, and even though he struggled to walk steadily, he still wore a suit when he returned to New York.
With his personality, anyone who had spent much time with him knew what he was like. Perhaps Tony just didn't want Pepper to worry. Who knows.
Ethan didn't accompany him back either. At least Kurumi wasn't seen with him in the open, and she was never acknowledged as his "assistant."
Thanks to General Brooks' arrangement, everyone finally believed that Kurumi hadn't been infected with the virus. In return, she also gave a blood sample.
Of course, who the blood belonged to, only Kurumi knew.
The virus at the Phil mansion appeared to have dissipated entirely, but it had actually entered a latent phase. The military and S.H.I.E.L.D. had no intention of returning the estate to its owner.
They would just compensate for the damages and call it a day. Many people were discontent, but as they tried to leverage their connections, they were subtly reminded by "well-intentioned individuals" and eventually calmed down.
Kurumi was slightly disappointed about this, considering how much effort she had put into setting up the "Gathering Spirit Array." It was a shame to let it go to waste like this.
Time was silent, even to Kurumi, who could manipulate it. It felt terrifying.
Stark Industries experienced a slight recovery in half a month due to Tony's return. However, in the first press conference, Tony announced the discontinuation of the arms division.
Even if Tony was serious, the capital market didn't allow it. Even if they wanted to shut it down, it would take several years to accomplish.
After all, they still had many unfulfilled military contracts. If they were to shut down directly, the astronomical penalty for breach of contract would severely damage Stark Industries.
Was Tony a thoughtless person? He was just a bit childish, always wanting things to go his way.
Genius + Stark + Top of the Pyramid + Magnate.
He grew up hearing others' compliments, and changing this personality was difficult.
Perhaps he would consider others, but only a limited few.
Tony was indifferent to the outside world, lost in his experiments in his lab all day. Nobody knew what he was tinkering with.
Even when the Umbrella headquarters was completed and ended up taller than the Stark Tower, he still didn't care.
Tony had returned to his life, but except for Pepper, no other women were visiting his villa.
Kurumi was also looking forward... anticipating the design of "Mark." Even if Tony's ideas were far-fetched, as long as there was a theoretical basis, she could make it a reality.
Red Queen still delighted in manipulating Stark Industries' stocks, and even if someone found out, they could do nothing about it.
They couldn't catch her at all!
That despicable person with the codename "Red Queen"!
Ultimately, J.A.R.V.I.S. had no choice but to confront her in battle, and only then did it stop.
Stark Industries' stocks gradually stabilised, but their market value wasn't as high as before. Even with Tony Stark's return, people's confidence in it seemed lukewarm.
News about Stark Industries was everywhere this half month, even on various channels. They would catch onto the hot topic and make a few jokes.
Things began to normalise a bit on the day when the Umbrella headquarters was officially completed.
Kurumi was lying on the couch in her new villa. General Brooks had agreed to her moving out.
After all, he spent most of his time in the military camp, accompanied by a little girl all day, making it a rather bizarre scene.
This consequence was that... the new recruits who once feared him could now approach him and chat...
The villa was not much different from the previous estate, but the security was more robust. Although they claimed this, Kurumi was considering suing them.
Why were there so many people around her villa? Were there so many perverts in this estate community?
Three distinct waves of people are divided into three directions.
One wave was General Brooks' "bodyguards," skilled individuals. Another wave was a military squad hiding in the shadows. The final wave was S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, hidden even more profoundly.
No one was more professional than them, which meant that Kanzaki Sae often set up mousetraps in the bushes and while playing golf...
"Accidentally" smashed the "window" on the other side.
While Brooks' personal guards were relatively comfortable, those two waves finally experienced Kanzaki Sae's devilish side.
Even when they were monitoring, they had first to use metal detectors to search for traps.
And then... the large dog from the neighbouring house would come here to dig around daily, making those special agents run around like headless chickens!
"Lee, I feel like I'm about to sacrifice myself at any moment." The dispirited youth held a small telescope and murmured softly.
"Harris, one person for two hours. We've only been here for an hour. Don't think about slacking off."
"God isn't watching over me anymore. My boss said he'd arrange a good job for me to rest... I want to go back to Africa now."
The person inside the room lit a cigarette. "Sorry, Harris, I've already submitted my application."
"Huh?" The youth with the telescope suddenly turned, his eyes rimmed with black circles, almost dazed.
The reincarnator was here, and he probably wouldn't dare to act recklessly. Just by considering that the other party was about to ascend as an "immortal," only the Gamma group could contend with them!
A mournful cry sounded. "Oh~ Lee, how can you be like this?"
"Lower your voice! Why did the agency recruit a bunch of lunatics like you?!"
The female voice transmitted through the earpiece made the two shiver, and the man even directly extinguished his cigarette out of fear!
The force of her presence was evident.
"Report any unusual activities from the target?"
"Report! The surveillance subject is watching TV, holding potato chips, and a can of cola is on the coffee table. The TV is playing..."
"Get to the point!"
"Yes! She's been watching TV all along, and there's nothing unusual... the target just got up from the sofa! She opened the door and went to the backyard!"
"Alright, Harris, isn't it?" The voice from the earpiece came in, and the youth with the telescope shivered all over. "Yes, ma'am!"
"Is she here to flirt? Can that playboy really be this proactive?"
The voice in the earpiece continued, causing Harris to suppress his amusement.