Tony walked through the crowd with Parker and approached Obadiah.
"What kind of world is this, where the host is not invited?" Tony joked.
Obadiah wasn't sure why Tony, who had been busy with his research, had come here, but he still smiled and said, "Look who's here, hey, I didn't expect this."
Then, noticing Parker at Tony's feet, he exclaimed, "Tony, when did you start loving small animals? You even remember to bring one to the party."
Looking at the various media personnel taking photos around them, Tony said, "I'll be waiting inside."
Without any hesitation, Tony turned to leave.
Worried that Tony might use the event to announce his research findings, Obadiah immediately grabbed Tony's arm and said, "Hey, listen to me, don't rush, okay?"
"I think I've managed to convince the board."
"Okay, got it," Tony replied.
"It was an impulsive move. I'll leave later."
Seeing that Tony has calmed down, Obadiah felt much more at ease.
...
Tony, accompanied by Parker, entered the ballroom without any obstacles.
None of the party staff or workers dared to approach Tony to tell him that pets were not allowed. Everyone knew Tony was a playboy, so what was the problem with bringing a pet?
After all, the party was held in Tony's name.
Arriving at the beverage area of the event, Tony spoke to one of the service staff, "Give me a drink."
Phil Coulson, who was considering what to drink, turned around upon hearing the familiar voice.
Coulson saw his target this time, Tony Stark. But as his gaze shifted, Coulson's pupils contracted slightly.
What did he see?
A dog wasn't important, even if it was Tony Stark's pet dog. But the key was the headgear on the dog's forehead that startled him.
After all, their director, Nick Fury, had sent their agent, Barbara Morse, to investigate the information about the person carrying this headgear and the significance it represented in Charles's surroundings.
But today, he unexpectedly saw a pet dog with this headgear symbol next to Tony Stark.
Coulson composed himself, not letting this new information distract him. He was a professional agent and hadn't forgotten his purpose.
"Mr. Stark," he said.
Upon being addressed, Tony turned to face the man before him.
"I'm Agent Coulson."
Tony raised a glass of drink and said, "Oh, right, right, you are from which department?"
Tony remembered Pepper Potts telling him about a department that had come looking for him, but he hadn't remembered the person's or the department's name.
Coulson added, "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division, Department of Homeland Strategic Intervention, or S.H.I.E.L.D."
Tony turned and looked down at his drink, saying casually, "Right, yes."
He took a deep breath and had a sip of his drink before saying, "You guys really need to change that name!"
Coulson maintained a smile on his face but recalled that Charles Doyle had said something similar when they had met. He added, "Yes, everyone says that, including Charles Doyle."
Upon hearing the familiar name, Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, and even Parker looked at Coulson.
"I know you're going through a tough time right now, but we need to understand the situation."
"There are still many unknowns, and time might not be enough right now. Let's set up another time to talk."
"How about meeting at Stark Industries on the 24th at 7 p.m.?"
Upon hearing the agent's words, Tony had initially intended to find an excuse to leave.
He had already spotted his assistant, Pepper Potts. However, upon hearing the mention of Charles Doyle's name, Tony decided to chat a little more with the agent.
"Charles Doyle? Have you already gone to find him?"
Coulson, obviously expecting Tony's interest to be piqued by the name, continued, "Yes, I specially went to see Charles Doyle and learned about the entire process of rescuing you."
Upon hearing the agent's words, Tony obviously didn't fully believe it and responded dismissively, "If you already know the whole story from someone else, why come to me?"
Despite Tony Stark's retort, Coulson maintained his smile and calmly said, "Mr. Stark, after all, this Charles Doyle isn't exactly a positive figure."
"Our department can't just listen to one side, so there are some details I need to discuss with you."
Upon hearing Coulson badmouth his friend, Tony lost interest in further conversation. Through Coulson's words, Tony understood that he probably didn't have any real information, so he said, "OK, do as you please. I need to find my assistant now."
After speaking, Tony put down his drink, and without any hesitation, walked toward Pepper Potts in the dance floor.
As Tony left, Coulson's gaze fell completely on the dog. He was very curious about why this pet dog had come to Tony's side.
Even attending such a party, Tony had it by his side. Did Tony know the meaning of the emblem on the dog's forehead?
Was it possible that even Tony Stark had joined this organization?
Or was this dog with the special emblem tasked with monitoring Tony Stark?
It wasn't that Coulson was being too imaginative; but their profession required bold assumptions and careful verification. And often, the real results aligned with their bold assumptions.
However, what Coulson didn't know was that Tony did know about the emblem on Parker's head.
After nearly a month, there was no way Tony hadn't noticed it. He had been curious and asked Parker about the meaning of the emblem.
Parker's response was that not all dogs were called ninja dogs. Only those with the emblem were true ninja dogs, possessing the ability to speak and other corresponding skills.
Only those with the emblem can be referred to as ninjas!
This made Tony curious about why he hadn't seen the emblem on Charles Doyle. Parker explained that Charles Doyle also had such an emblem, but Tony just hadn't seen it.
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