Chapter 23: Tony's arrival! I wish I had met him earlier!
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Stephen looked constipated. Lorien knew there was no clear solution to this issue. Of course, he wasn't a matchmaker or a close confidant to certain girls. So, he simply said, "Some things are hard to explain. There are things you won't understand unless you experience them. So, I have one piece of advice for you: I'd rather make a mistake than do nothing!"
The meaning of this sentence was positive but could also be applied to love. Stephen pondered and understood its significance. "Alright, I got it."
"Good." Lorien nodded indifferently, ending the conversation. This wasn't his love affair to deal with. Moreover, when it came to love, Lorien never actively pursued it. He just waited patiently for the right opportunity. Why? Because, well, it's love!
Next, after Stephen confirmed that Lorien wasn't injured from the previous night, he prepared to leave. Being a top surgeon, Stephen had major surgeries almost every day and didn't have much free time to spend with Lorien.
Stephen checked the time on his watch and said to Lorien, "I have another surgery at noon, so I need to head out. Goodbye, Lorien."
"Goodbye." Lorien waved to Stephen.
Just then, the office door swung open with a "Crash~." A man in a sleek suit, wearing a high-tech watch and sunglasses, with a small mustache, appeared at the door. He asked, "Are you in a counseling session? Should I wait outside, go home and wait for news, or can I pay to skip the queue?"
Upon hearing this cool and confident voice, Lorien knew who it was without looking. Tony Stark!
"Iron Man?" Stephen recognized the famous superhero.
Strictly speaking, Stephen and Tony had met before Tony became Iron Man, but they weren't well acquainted.
"No, no, no." Hearing the term "Iron Man," Tony waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not in the suit, so I'm Tony Stark today, not the superhero Iron Man. I'd like to have a normal conversation."
Even speaking casually, Tony's demeanor was still a bit... showy. Yes, a bit show-offish. Tony had a way of speaking that made even serious people feel uncomfortable. But luckily, Lorien and Stephen weren't very serious people. Stephen might be more so in the future as Sorcerer Supreme, but Lorien would never be.
"Okay, Mr. Stark," Lorien gestured for Tony to enter. "We're just chatting; you can come in. I didn't expect to meet a superhero yesterday and another today. It's an honor."
While saying this, Lorien only prepared a chair for Tony and thought to offer a bottle of milk tea for each of them.
Tony looked at the milk tea but didn't drink it yet, as Friday, his AI assistant, was analyzing it. Adjusting his suit, Tony asked, "Actually, I already have your business card. But I didn't expect to see you today. How many superheroes do you know, including me?"
This wasn't a simple question. With yesterday's encounter with Wanda, today's visit from Tony, and his previous acquaintance with Banner, it was three in total. Lorien took out a photo of himself with the Hulk and showed it to Tony.
"Three, and Bruce Banner," he replied.
"Wow." Tony examined the photo closely. "This is a great picture. I've never had a photo like this with the Hulk. Mostly because I didn't dare. I'm a normal person, and you're a normal person too, but you managed to do it."
On the other side, Stephen was stunned. "You actually know the Hulk? How do you know so many superheroes without telling anyone?"
Sensing Stephen's thoughts, Lorien shrugged. "He was a client first, then a friend."
After Tony put the photo down, he looked at Lorien and Stephen, saying, "The best psychiatrist in the United States and the best surgeon in the United States. I should have met you guys sooner. Then I wouldn't have had such severe anxiety attacks or dealt with all that shrapnel in my heart."
Tony's words struck a chord. Lorien and Stephen glanced at each other, recognizing the truth in Tony's statement. Tony had faced issues that they could have helped resolve.
Lorien took a sip of his milk tea before responding. "And now, I can sense your motives for coming to me. Two of them are like Bruce Banner, two are like the Avengers, two are like me, and four are like curiousity."
Tony looked surprised as Lorien uttered the last words. "Isn't that right?"
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Give me power stones for EXTRA CHAPTERS