Before long, the contact Happy arranged arrived at the rendezvous point in an armored vehicle, picking up Chen Ye and his group and heading to the Afghan airport.
At the airport, Ethan turned to face Chen Ye and his group, grasping Chen Ye's hands in gratitude.
"Thank you for saving me, even though it wasn't your original intention."
Ding.
"Congratulations to the host for successfully adding Ethan as a friend."
"Attribute acquired: Chemistry Lv8."
"Would you like to merge immediately?"
"Merge," Chen Ye replied in his mind.
A wealth of chemical knowledge flooded his mind, instantly making him a top-notch chemist.
"Aren't we friends now? Saving a friend is the right thing to do, isn't it?" Chen Ye smiled.
Ethan laughed as well, understanding everything without words.
"Dr. Ethan, are you coming back with us?" Chen Ye asked.
"Ethan already turned me down. He wants to go back to his hometown to see his kids," Tony interjected.
Chen Ye remained silent because he knew Ethan's family had been killed by militants. Ethan had only said that to give Tony Stark hope for life.
"Tony, I actually lied to you. My family is long gone, killed by those militants. I was lying to you before. Now, I really don't know where to go," Dr. Ethan admitted, his eyes vacant.
Noticing his poor complexion, Chen Ye patted his shoulder and tentatively suggested, "I'm planning to open a community school in Hell's Kitchen. You could be our science and chemistry teacher. I have an apartment there with room and board, plus benefits. What do you think?"
"Ethan, buddy, don't listen to him. Once we're back, come to my Stark Industries. I'll set up a lab for you in Stark Tower. You can research whatever you want. Your talent shouldn't be wasted in a mere community school," Stark interrupted.
"Take care of yourself first, look at that little light on your chest. If it ever goes out, I don't need to say what the outcome will be. Whether you survive is another matter. Enough said. Let's settle it like this—if Ethan ever feels uncomfortable in Hell's Kitchen, I'll send him over to your company," Chen Ye decided with a hint of threat.
Finally, Chen Ye's group and Tony Stark boarded his private jet, greeted by his driver and bodyguard, Happy. The plane quickly took off, heading for New York's Kennedy Airport.
On the plane, Pietro put on headphones to rest, while Deadpool enjoyed the meal prepared by the stewardess—of course, not missing the chance to flirt with her. Dr. Ethan was chatting with Happy.
Chen Ye sat in his seat, swirling a glass of wine, looking at Tony Stark across from him. The glass was filled with '82 cola. At this moment, Tony Stark no longer looked disheveled like in the cave; he was in a suit, eating a Western meal. His entire demeanor reminded one of his playboy persona.
Chen Ye couldn't help but sigh, "Clothes really do make the man."
"Chen, what are your plans when you return to New York? I noticed your dog is quite something—though a bit ugly—but it's intelligent. I can study it," Tony Stark said with interest, looking at Deadpool's dog.
"Don't even think about it, they're all my family. Not one will be missing," Chen Ye replied with a helpless shake of his head.
"Family, huh? That's nice. Then I'll pretend I didn't say anything," Tony Stark paused after hearing that.
"Don't you have one too, Miss Pepper Potts? Seeing how anxious she is, I can't believe it's just an employee-boss relationship. Come on, pay more attention, you're not getting any younger," Chen Ye shrugged.
"You—you're so young, what are you talking about? We'll talk about this later," Tony Stark replied, not expecting the man in front of him to say such things.
Even though they had just met, there was an inexplicable feeling of chatting with an old friend. Tony Stark didn't think much of it—perhaps because Chen Ye had saved him.
"Tony, I hope it's okay to call you that. After all, even though you're our employer, we're friends too, right?"
Seeing Tony didn't object, Chen Ye continued, "Not many people should know about your trip to Afghanistan. Have you thought about who wants to take you out?"
Tony Stark, being a smart man, caught the implication in Chen Ye's words. "You mean there's a mole in my company?" He rubbed his chin, pondering.
"That's your business. Just giving you a heads-up. Judging by their stance, they want you dead. We saved you this time, but I believe they won't give up easily. Including the people around you—they might use them to threaten you," Chen Ye warned.
Tony Stark's face darkened, his gaze dropping to the small arc reactor on his chest.
Although he might not have long to live, the thought of Pepper Potts being harmed because of him made Tony Stark quickly say, "I don't know if you're still taking commissions. The first commission is to protect Miss Pepper Potts from harm until the mastermind is caught. The second commission is to help me find the mastermind."
"Ten million," Tony Stark held up one finger.
Chen Ye smiled and shook his head, sighing, "Your relationship is really something. Miss Pepper Potts paid to hire us to save you, and now you're paying us to protect her. So, I'm just working for the two of you, huh?"
"Twenty million," Tony Stark increased the offer.
Chen Ye shook his head. "It's not about the money. Once you return to the U.S., there will be people to protect you. I'm not too keen on getting involved with them. As for the mastermind—five million, friendship price."
Chen Ye knew who the mastermind was, and this money was basically easy to earn, but he still refused the previous offer.
On one hand, if he revealed it now, Tony Stark wouldn't believe it—after all, it was his uncle. It was better to slowly guide him to the truth. On the other hand, Chen Ye also wanted to be friends with Tony. Having just earned a hundred million dollars, asking for too much more would be embarrassing.
"As for Miss Pepper Potts, if anything happens, you can call us. This is my private number. As long as we receive the call, we'll be there within five minutes—price negotiable."
"If you're worried, you can have Ms. Pepper Potts stay in Hell's Kitchen for a while. We'll ensure her safety," Chen Ye added.
"Hell's Kitchen? Are you kidding?" Tony Stark scoffed.
"To others, Hell's Kitchen might be dangerous. But for Ms. Pepper Potts, it's the safest place. Because we are there. Because I am there," Chen Ye said confidently.
A few hours passed, and the plane slowly landed at New York's Kennedy Airport.
Beside the runway, four cars were parked: two Rolls-Royces, a military armored vehicle, and a medical ambulance.
Pepper Potts watched anxiously as the plane landed, standing alongside Colonel Rhodes' military team and medical personnel.
As the cabin door slowly opened, Pepper Potts, with reddened eyes, saw Tony Stark emerge.
"You're crying? Were you worried about me? It's okay, I'm back."
Tony Stark stepped forward and hugged Pepper.
Pepper Potts laughed, "These are happy tears, you know. Good jobs are hard to find."
A whistle interrupted their moment.
It was Deadpool, grinning at the cabin door.
Chen Ye gave Deadpool a death glare—he had waited to give Tony Stark some time, only for Deadpool to ruin it.
"Mr. Chen, thank you for bringing Tony back safely. I'll settle the remaining payment later," Pepper said gratefully.
"By the way, be careful of your new secretary," Chen Ye added before leaving.
Chen Ye believed Tony Stark was a smart man—he would take it to heart.