Alan and his group noticed Professor X heading their way. As soon as Harry saw this, he whispered, "I'll take off now. If my dad sees me too close to him, I'll get scolded."
With that, Harry pretended to grab a drink and mingled with other guests. Alan was also curious as to why Professor X was approaching them. After all, there were only the two of them in this direction, so it couldn't be his imagination.
Gwen whispered, "Alan, it seems he's coming our way."
"I'll handle them both. You just stay behind me," Alan responded softly, his expression unchanged.
Gwen gave a slight nod.
Soon, Jean pushed Professor X in front of Alan and Gwen. Upon meeting them, Professor X introduced himself with a warm smile, "Hello, you two."
"I'm Charles Francis Xavier. And this is Jean Grey."
While Professor X's name was well-known, it was Jean Grey's name that left a stronger impression on Alan. She was one of the hosts of the "Phoenix Force," also known as the "Dark Phoenix."
A genuine Omega-level mutant, though her powers had not yet fully awakened. Under Professor X's guidance, Jean currently appeared to be just a telepathic mutant.
The saying goes, "A smiling face invites no hostility." Regardless of Professor X's true intentions, he was showing goodwill at the moment.
Alan raised his glass, "I'm Alan Ford, and this is Gwen Stacy."
Gwen nodded slightly toward Professor X and Jean, raising her glass in acknowledgment.
Professor X nodded back at Gwen, then said, "Mr. Alan is from the Asia. In your Asian culture, you would say..."
"'A perfect match,'" Professor X finished in clumsy way.
Jean and Gwen both paused, not understanding what he meant but refrained from asking.
"Who would have thought that Charles was also interested in Asian culture," Alan commented.
Professor X nodded and continued, "I once had an Asian friend who taught me a few things. However, we haven't seen each other in a long time."
"When I saw Mr. Alan from afar, it reminded me of that old friend."
Alan didn't respond directly but smiled slightly, "Then I wish you a happy reunion with your friend."
"Thank you. I have other friends to attend to. If we have the chance, let's talk again."
At Professor X's suggestion, Jean handed Alan a business card.
"This is my contact information. If you ever need my assistance, please don't hesitate to reach out."
Alan calmly accepted the card and casually slipped it into his pocket.
"Until we meet again," said Alan.
Professor X nodded and signaled Jean to push him towards Tony's direction.
As they left, Alan pulled the card from his pocket and casually placed it on the bar. Who knew what kind of tricks this old fox, Professor X, was up to?
Alan was well aware of the precarious situation mutants were in within the country. He didn't believe that Professor X would attend such a high-profile party just to have a drink.
Likewise, Alan had no interest in getting involved in mutant affairs. For one, it was troublesome; and two, there weren't many good apples among the mutants. People like Magneto were actually more representative of most mutants.
After Professor X had moved away, Gwen leaned in and asked, "What did he mean by that last sentence?"
Alan chuckled, thinking about how to translate "a perfect match" and then said, "He said we're very well-matched."
Even after translating, Alan felt it didn't quite capture the full meaning.
Gwen's face instantly turned red, "You're terrible..."
Meanwhile, Jean, through her telepathic abilities, noticed Alan placing Professor X's card on the bar. Her expression darkened instantly. Even this young man was starting to look down on them mutants? What right did he have?
"Professor, that guy just now..."
Professor X waved his hand, signaling that he understood.
"Do you know who that young man was?" he asked.
Jean was puzzled, shaking her head in confusion. She mentally searched through memories of prominent figures but found none that matched Alan, especially in terms of age.
Then, Jean considered another possibility, "Could he be a mutant too?"
Professor X shook his head and said, "Though he possesses strong psychic abilities, he is not a mutant. His mental strength is simply pure mental fortitude."
It was clear that Professor X sensed more than Jean did. Not a mutant, nor some high-ranking official—Jean couldn't fathom what kind of important figure Alan could be.
Professor X chuckled and then explained, "Before coming to this event, I reviewed the guest list. Mr. Alan is the only new face among the upper-class attendees."
"So, I had the academy look into his background, and it's remarkably clean. But he's very wealthy!"
Jean was momentarily stunned. Wealthy? Who here isn't?
Seeing that Jean didn't fully grasp his meaning, Professor X led her to a quieter corner.
"Jean, take a look at this." Professor X handed his phone to Jean. After a quick glance, her pupils contracted sharply.
"This man actually owns nearly 60% of Stark Industries' stock!"
(Note: To avoid confusion, stock and company equity shares are two different things. After defeating Obadiah, Tony holds the absolute equity of Stark Industries.)
A few days ago, 60% of Stark Industries' stock would have been considered worthless. But now, it's worth a fortune, something highly sought after.
Jean finally understood what Professor X meant by wealthy. The influential figures present, while wealthy, have their wealth tied up in assets with many restrictions. One wrong move and they could end up with nothing.
Alan, on the other hand, could sell his stock at any time. What does that mean? Cash flow!
Given Stark Industries' current growth trajectory, it's only a matter of time before Alan becomes a billionaire. And as long as Tony doesn't mess things up in the future, it's not impossible for Alan to become a multi-billionaire.
Most importantly, Alan's background is clean! A clean background means he's easy to control.
With the right moves, in this capitalist society, the influence one could wield is terrifying. And right now, mutants desperately need someone with that kind of influence to speak for them and guide public opinion.
"Professor, are you suggesting we should befriend Alan?" Jean asked.
Professor X pondered for a moment, recalling how Alan had casually placed his business card on the bar.
"If Alan is willing to befriend us, that would be the best outcome. But if he's not, for the sake of Xavier's School and all mutants, I may have to resort to some special measures."
Jean immediately grasped what Professor X meant. If Alan refused, they might be forced to control him as a last resort.
Jean opened her mouth to say something, but Professor X interrupted, "Don't worry, that would be the last option. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, he'll soon be reaching out to us for help."
"Why?"
Professor X continued, "Because it's not just me; more and more people will start noticing him... even Erik..."
Jean's expression changed.
The Erik Professor X referred to was, of course, Erik Lehnsherr. Not long ago, he had held the top officials of the country hostage—Magneto, the extreme mutant supremacist!
If Magneto targeted him, things could get very dangerous.
"Professor, shouldn't we help him?"
Professor X raised his hand, "Let's wait until he contacts us. That way, we'll be in a better position to negotiate."
"Come on, let's go see the host, Tony Stark. I've met his father, Howard, a few times."
After Professor X left, Harry returned.
"What did he say to you guys just now?"
When Gwen heard this, she blushed slightly, recalling what Professor X had said.
"He just came over to say hello."
Alan nodded, "You saw him, didn't you? He's greeting everyone."
Harry looked around. It did seem that way, like those socialite women trying to network.
Luckily, Professor X didn't hear this internal monologue. Otherwise, he might have been tempted to unleash a psychic storm on Harry.
With nowhere else to go at the party, Harry decided to stay by Alan and Gwen's side, introducing some of the prominent figures present.
Alan didn't hear any particularly heavyweight names. But that made sense—Tony had just become Iron Man, meaning the Marvel Universe was only just beginning. Many of the hidden figures hadn't appeared yet.
Meanwhile, Peter, following Harry's direction, spotted the most beautiful woman in the room—Gwen. And by her side, Alan.
After dealing with the socializing, Peter turned to Norman and said, "Uncle Norman, I'm going to find Harry."
Norman looked around but didn't see Harry. Nonetheless, he replied, "Go ahead, have fun."
Peter made his way toward that beautiful figure.
"Hey, Gwen."
"Alan..."
Peter raised his glass toward Alan.
Gwen was delighted to see Peter, congratulating him, "Congratulations on becoming Norman's assistant."
"Thank you."
"Didn't George come with you?" Peter asked, assuming Alan and Gwen had arrived with George. After all, as the NYPD commissioner, George should have been invited.
Gwen shook her head, "No, I didn't come with him. He wouldn't attend something like this. I came with Alan."
Both Harry and Peter were taken aback, looking at Alan.
Harry had also assumed Gwen came with George, so he hadn't asked much. Being a son of the upper class, he knew how high the bar was to enter this event. He himself had only gotten in by accompanying Norman.
And Alan, still a student like them, had been invited.
Alan smiled and casually made up an excuse, "Just got lucky. I bought some Stark Industries stock and became one of the lucky guests for tonight's event."
Harry nodded in understanding. If he knew it was 60%, he wouldn't have been so calm.
Peter, on the other hand, was only puzzled for a moment and didn't think much of it. He hadn't expected to see Alan here. Or Gwen...
Especially Gwen, who was dressed so beautifully tonight.
"Testing, testing, mic check..."
...
Just as Alan and his group were engaged in casual conversation, Tony's voice came through the speakers playing soft music.
All the guests turned their attention to the nearby stage, where Tony, accompanied by Pepper, stood before the microphone.
Seeing that all eyes were on him, Tony spoke a bit awkwardly, "Well, as you all know, I'm not very good at handling these kinds of situations. Without a script, I'm not even sure what to say."
Tony's humor quickly drew some laughter from the audience. He continued, "First of all, one reason for hosting this party is to celebrate that I've reclaimed my position as the world's richest man."
That rebellious attitude was the true essence of Tony Stark. The guests listening could only feel a sense of envy.
Pepper, standing beside him, just smiled at his words, unaware that Tony was about to say something else.
He glanced at her before continuing, "The other reason is that I want to invite this lovely lady beside me, Miss Pepper Potts, for a dance."
Pepper looked at Tony in disbelief. She couldn't believe that the usually unromantic Tony, who never cared about social niceties, was doing this.
"Really?" she asked, still in shock.
Tony pointed to the crowd below, "With all these people watching, if you refuse, I'll lose face."
At the sound booth, Yinsen signaled the sound technician to start the music. As the melodious music began to play, Tony wrapped an arm around Pepper's waist. "Ready?" he asked.
The two of them interlocked their fingers and began to dance slowly. Yinsen gave Tony a thumbs up, to which Tony responded with a wink. It was clear who had coached him for tonight.
Rhodey walked up to Yinsen, "I thought you were too old to know anything about this."
Yinsen gave him a disdainful look, "I've been married before."
As the music played on, the mood became more intimate. Those who had come with partners also started dancing.
Gwen watched with a hint of envy. However... with Harry and Peter there, she felt too shy to ask Alan for a dance.
But in the next moment, Alan made a gentlemanly gesture, "Miss Stacy, may I have the honor of this dance?"
Gwen immediately smiled and responded formally, "Of course, Mr. Ford."
Taking Alan's hand, the two moved to the center of the floor.
Harry put his arm around Peter's shoulder and laughed, "Next time I come to an event like this, I'm bringing some girls from school along."
Peter, watching Gwen on the dance floor, said nothing and quietly turned to leave.
Harry quickly followed, "Peter, where are you going?"
"Bored. Going back to do some experiments."
Outside the party, on the edge of a rooftop, stood an elderly man with a worn face, wearing a helmet reminiscent of a Roman soldier. He was dressed in dark red armor and draped in a black cloak.
Behind him stood a woman with blue scales covering her entire body.
The old man looked at the distant festivities, a slight smile playing on his lips as he slowly raised his hands.
At that moment, another voice came from behind him, "Magneto, I advise you not to do this."
...