“What? I’m going to live in the US with Tony?” Lan Xingyu exclaimed, bewildered. What had happened while he was away? He didn’t dislike Tony; in fact, he admired him. The man who risked everything to save the world and said, “I love you 3000,” had truly moved Lan Xingyu to tears.
It was partly because of this admiration that Lan Xingyu had stayed with Tony in the cave for two months. He wanted to witness Tony’s transformation firsthand.
But now, after just returning, he was told to leave again? What was going on?
“Yes, this is a decision I’ve made after careful consideration,” the Ancient One explained seriously. “Xingyu, you’re probably stronger than me now. Don’t rush to deny it; I can sense it. Even if I use the Eye of Agamotto, I wouldn’t be your match. I have nothing left to teach you. I want you to experience city life, as part of your mortal journey. I want you to have a perfect childhood, not just learning countless spells here in Kamar-Taj. You need to go out and experience life, to temper your heart. Sometimes, true growth only comes through experience. And Kamar-Taj can’t give you that. Plus, with your rapid power growth, you need a strong heart to handle it. Only through life experiences can you achieve that.”
Lan Xingyu knew he was growing stronger quickly. From their perspective, it was easy for him to become a slave to his power. If he wanted to do something, there was no one who could stop him. But they didn’t know that aside from defeating Mephisto, he had no other grand ambitions. Dominating the world? Reaching the peak of power? He’d rather stay home playing video games and watching anime.
Considering the Ancient One’s point, he realized city life could indeed be beneficial.
The Wi-Fi at Kamar-Taj was terrible compared to the city. Watching videos was a struggle. Just thinking about returning to the city where he could watch anime freely made Lan Xingyu happy. He laughed internally, imagining reuniting with his favorite characters and playing video games non-stop.
Suppressing his excitement, he said, “Alright, I’ll go with Tony then. Tony, please take care of me.”
“No problem! I’ll look after you,” Tony replied with a laugh.
“Alright then. Lan Xingyu, go pack up and use the portal to leave,” the Ancient One instructed.
“No need to pack. We’ll take a flight back, and carrying a lot of stuff will be a hassle. Once we’re in the US, I’ll have everything you need delivered!” Tony said with a wave, demonstrating the power of money.
Lan Xingyu looked at the Ancient One, who did not object. Accepting this, he knew he didn’t need to use Tony’s money much since he had items stored in an Asgard-made space pocket that he could sell if needed.
“Let’s go, Tony. Goodbye, Teacher. I’ll come visit when I can. Gate!” Lan Xingyu created a portal, waved to the Ancient One, and stepped through with Tony.
Returning to the desert, Lan Xingyu sensed something and said, “Tony, we don’t need to move. A helicopter will pass by soon. Let’s wait here.”
“Wow, you have so many abilities. I’m starting to envy you, little Harry Potter,” Tony said, playfully giving him a nickname.
Soon, two helicopters flew overhead.
“Hey! Over here!” Tony shouted, waving his arms enthusiastically.
The helicopters landed, and a military officer approached. Lan Xingyu was curious, knowing that the actor for this character had changed later. He wanted to see what the current Rhodey looked like. Following Tony, he went to meet them.
Seeing the thinner Rhodey, Lan Xingyu recognized him as the original.
Rhodey, excited to see Tony safe, hugged him tightly. “How’s it going?”
Tony, a bit pensive, didn’t say much, likely thinking of the soldiers who sacrificed their lives to protect him.
“Next time, ride with me, okay?” Rhodey said, releasing Tony after another hug.
Watching this, Lan Xingyu’s mind wandered to the internet theories about Captain America and Bucky’s relationship, wondering if Tony and Rhodey could be a similar case. Shaking off the thought, he watched Rhodey notice him.
“Who’s this kid?” Rhodey asked curiously.
“Oh, I rescued him. But he helped us a lot too. I’m taking him to the US,” Tony explained, covering for Lan Xingyu, who wanted to live a normal life without his magical background being known.
“Really? What a cute kid. What’s your name?” Rhodey asked.
“I’m Xingyu Lan. Nice to meet you, Uncle Rhodey!” Lan Xingyu said cutely, his passive charm working its magic on Rhodey.
“Let’s get out of this horrible place,” Rhodey said, leading them to the helicopter.
Upon landing, they saw a woman in business attire, clearly waiting for someone. As Tony emerged, she tried to hide her emotions, but her red-rimmed eyes gave away her earlier tears.
Unlike in the original story, Tony walked off the helicopter by himself, refusing the stretcher. “Are you kidding? I’m fine,” he said.
Pepper Potts, relieved at Tony’s safety, smiled. Seeing her expression, Tony was momentarily stunned, then covered it by saying, “Your eyes are red. Did you cry for your missing boss?”
“These are tears of joy. I hate job hunting.”
Lan Xingyu, feeling awkward as a child caught in their romantic moment, vowed to remember this slight against him.
“Your vacation is over,” Tony said, heading to the car with Pepper and Lan Xingyu.
Pepper noticed the child and asked, “Who’s this little one?”
Lan Xingyu nearly doubted his charm’s effectiveness for the first time, but seeing Pepper’s hesitant gesture, he felt relieved. “I’m Xingyu Lan. You must be Ms. Potts. Tony talks about you all the time.”
“Oh, hello, little one. You’re so adorable,” Pepper said, giving Tony a meaningful look before turning back to greet Lan Xingyu.
As Tony felt a bit awkward, his driver, Happy, asked, “Where to, boss?”
“To the hospital,” Pepper said.
“No.”
“What do you mean, no? You must see a doctor.”
“I don’t have to do anything. I’ve been in captivity for two months! I just want two things: an American cheeseburger and to hold a press conference.”
“Enough.”
“Not what you think. I want you to call a press conference.”
“A press conference?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Happy, take us to a burger joint.”
“Add two burgers for me,” Lan Xingyu chimed in, raising his hand to show he was also hungry.
“Sure, as many as you want. Happy, hurry up. We’re all starving,” Tony urged.
At the press conference, Tony and Obadiah entered first, while Lan Xingyu and Pepper walked in behind them.
Watching Pepper’s focused gaze on Tony, Lan Xingyu asked, “Do you like Tony, Ms. Potts? Your eyes are so focused on him.”
“Me? No, no. He’s just my boss,” Pepper stammered, trying to hide her feelings.
“Really? You know, if you don’t express your feelings, he might never know,” Lan Xingyu said, silently rooting for her.
As Pepper pondered this, a voice startled her. “Ms. Potts, hello.”
Turning, she saw a man with a high forehead, standing politely. “May I ask you some questions?”
“Sorry, I don’t do interviews. The press conference is about to start,” Pepper replied.
“I’m not a reporter. I’m Agent Coulson with the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division,” he said, handing her a card.
“What a mouthful.”
“We’re working on it.”
“You know, the FBI, CIA, and DOD have already spoken to us,” she noted.
As they finished, Lan Xingyu, watching the so-called “newbie village chief” from Marvel, spoke up. “Agent Uncle, do you have cool gadgets and a special car like in the movies?”
Coulson, noticing the child for the first time, chuckled. “Yes, we have cool gadgets. I even have a special car named Lola.”
“Agent Uncle, you must be protecting something, right? The initials of your division spell ‘SHIELD,'” Lan Xingyu said innocently, though he was actually referencing knowledge from his previous life.
“SHIELD? That’s a good name. I’ll report it to my superiors. Thanks, smart little one,” Coulson replied.
At that moment, Tony began his shocking press conference, drawing everyone’s attention.
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