A day later, Peter once again met the billionaire with many titles.
Compared to yesterday, Tony, who had rested for a full day and night, was in much better shape.
Seeing Peter arrive, he couldn't resist teasing him.
"Look who's here, my savior."
"Thank you, kid."
"If it weren't for you, I would've died in that terrorist den yesterday."
Though Tony had a sharp tongue and loved to poke fun at others, deep down, he was a good person.
His current personality was likely shaped by his childhood experiences.
The murder of his parents had left a deep scar on him.
"It's good to see you're okay."
Peter put down the fruit basket he had bought from a store. Even though it wasn't a custom in the U.S., Peter felt it was appropriate to bring a gift when visiting someone who had nearly died.
Even though the money Peter used was technically sponsored by Tony.
Tony smiled and nodded, though the gratitude in his eyes was hard to miss.
"Miss Pepper, could you go to my office and bring my briefcase?"
"Oh, sure."
Miss Pepper turned and left.
Tony sat up in bed, looking at Peter sincerely.
"Listen, kid, thank you."
"I know this might sound a bit sentimental, but without you, I wouldn't be alive today."
"Uh, Mr. Stark, you should really thank the Punisher for that."
Tony rolled his eyes.
"Come on, he watched me fight those criminals for five minutes."
"Alright, I should thank him too."
"But..."
Tony paused.
"But the person I should thank the most is you. If you hadn't told that mobster-looking guy about me, he wouldn't have come."
"You saved my life."
"I heard you're applying to college, right?"
"I have some connections at MIT. How about it, interested?"
"I was planning to offer you a job at Stark Industries, but you shouldn't miss out on the fun of college life."
Peter shook his head.
"Mr. Stark, if I wanted to go to MIT, I wouldn't need connections. My grades are good enough to get me into any university in the U.S., or even the world."
Tony: "..."
Seeing Tony's slightly deflated expression, Peter felt a sense of satisfaction.
Considering that the world's events differed slightly from the movies, Peter didn't mind dropping another hint.
"Mr. Stark, don't you think this whole thing is a bit too coincidental?"
"Huh?"
"Have you ever wondered why this happened to you?"
Tony pursed his lips, as if thinking of something, and waited for Peter to continue.
"Think about it. Who was it that sent you out of the U.S. to the Middle East?"
Peter left it at that.
Tony's Adam's apple bobbed. Anyone with a normal IQ could figure this out.
How could he not understand?
This trip to the Middle East was essentially orchestrated by Obadiah Stane.
After Rhino used Stark Industries' weapons, Tony had confronted him once.
Not long after, Obadiah arranged this Middle East trip for him.
To say there was no connection?
Tony didn't buy it.
But he didn't want to admit it or believe it.
Since his parents' death, Obadiah had played the role of a father figure in his life.
Now, because of interests, the person he trusted had set him up to be killed?
Tony couldn't accept it.
So he quickly changed the subject.
"Peter, do you have a girlfriend?"
"That receptionist you flirted with last time, if you really like her, I can introduce you."
Peter: "..."
The topic changed so fast. What was going on?
"Mr. Stark, I already have a girlfriend, and I don't need help with flirting. I can handle it myself."
"Uh, there's something I need your help with. The Punisher sent me. Consider it a reward for saving you."
Hearing this, Tony perked up.
"So, what is it?"
"I need you to develop an inhibitor chip, one that can suppress artificial intelligence."
For the next five minutes, Peter explained the specifics of the chip to Tony.
Tony nodded.
For someone who could build a reactor in a cave with a pile of scrap metal, this wasn't a difficult task.
"No problem, I'll handle it."
"Now, his reward is settled. What about yours?"
Peter was taken aback.
But this made sense. Think about Tony's actions in the Avengers.
Building a suit for Rhodes, upgrading Captain America's shield, developing a suit for Spider-Man...
He was always the one who considered others the most.
In other words, Tony had a quality in his bones that deserved respect.
Just then.
Miss Pepper walked in with the briefcase.
Tony took it and pulled out a check.
He casually scribbled on it with a pen.
"Peter, you saved my life. I don't have much to offer, but the one thing I'm not short on is green cash."
"Here's a hundred million. Spend it as you like."
"Also, I remember you live in Queens, right?"
"I have a villa there that I've never used."
"I don't like owing people favors. Now we're even."
Peter couldn't maintain his composure any longer.
"No, no, Mr. Stark, I can't accept this."
...
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