Ivan Vanko was still lying in the hospital, and it was estimated he wouldn't wake up for several more days.
The competition had ended without incident, but the two men, hounded by reporters, couldn't afford to care about the shocking spectacle they were creating.
One simply flew into the sky, while the other leaped directly from the ground to the rooftop of a nearby building.
With a few massive leaps, they vanished from sight, completely disregarding the countless rooftop surfaces they shattered.
***
That evening, on a yacht off the coast of Monaco:
Pepper had taken over Stark Industries, and the chaotic mess Tony had left behind had her running around like a whirlwind, darting all over the world.
So, as soon as her workday ended, Pepper whisked herself away with Happy, who had now become her personal bodyguard and driver.
This left Tony looking dejected. Of course, his main reason for feeling dejected was the two pairs of lovebirds sitting before him.
Although Jane and Thor's relationship was genuinely normal, Tony still mentally labeled them as a pair of lovebirds.
"Qin, you should have told me earlier that you were bringing a date today. If I'd known, I would have invited some lovely ladies to join us!" Tony said, looking at Daisy, who was sitting beside Qin Xiao, with a mournful expression.
At first, things went well. Qin Xiao introduced everyone and they chatted pleasantly, discussing everything from Asgard to Jane's research in astrophysics.
But as the conversation wound down and everyone grew more comfortable, the couples' occasional affectionate gestures began to make Tony feel a pang of jealousy.
"That's your own fault. You never cared about other people's partners when you used to hit on girls. Besides, you haven't had any girls around you lately!"
Qin Xiao frowned, thinking carefully. It seemed to be around the time of the Iron Monger incident.
"You don't actually like me, do you? God, strike this perverted bastard with lightning! I'm just a kid out of college, and this guy's about to turn forty!"
Qin Xiao looked at Tony with disgust.
"Shit! My sexuality has always been perfectly normal. I've just been... I've just been busy, modifying the reactor, working on my armor, and having to join that ridiculous costume club with you."
For the first time, a trace of panic appeared on Tony's face.
Qin Xiao knew Tony didn't really like him, but Tony's behavior still intrigued him greatly.
"Something's up with you, Tony!"
Qin Xiao raised his glass, took a deep drink, and savored the taste.
"Come on, tell me what's going on. Is there something you can't say?"
"You're crazy! My health is better than ever. It's just... about Pepper. You know, us..."
Tony rarely spoke of his feelings for Pepper.
"We haven't officially defined our relationship, but we've always been... I'd love to just be together already, but things have been hectic lately!"
Tony felt a mix of helplessness and fear.
He could have any woman he wanted outside—in fact, he didn't even have to reach out; they'd come flocking to him.
But when he finally met someone he truly liked, he didn't know how to approach her.
Even though he knew Pepper felt the same way about him, he still couldn't find the words.
Qin Xiao tilted his head and pondered, "It's just like in the movies."
In *Iron Man 1*, Tony almost kissed Pepper once, but was interrupted by a female reporter questioning him about selling weapons to terrorists. He immediately rushed off to confront Obadiah.
Later, just before the press conference, he almost confessed his feelings, but still couldn't bring himself to do it.
It wasn't until the climax of *Iron Man 2*, after he saved Pepper from the crisis, that they finally embraced on the rooftop, truly solidifying their relationship.
One was outwardly flippant but deeply insecure, afraid to express his true feelings when he met real love. The other had grown accustomed to seeing Tony surrounded by beautiful women.
He'd lost count of the mornings he'd arranged cars to escort the girls from Tony's house. This lack of security kept them both from taking that crucial step forward.
This was something outsiders couldn't help with. Tonight, Tony was destined to wallow in his solitary melancholy.
***
Ivan Vanko remained in a coma in Monaco for three full days.
Shortly after he regained consciousness, Qin Xiao and Tony arrived at the hospital.
"I saw the earliest blueprints; they mention Anton Vanko. Was he your father?" Tony asked, cutting straight to the point.
Ivan Vanko remained silent.
"You don't deserve to speak that name," Ivan retorted calmly. "Your family are thieves, crooks. Everything you have now should have belonged to the Vanko family!"
He showed no resentment for his failed attack on Tony or his current predicament as a prisoner.
"It was your father who wanted to profit from this thing! He wanted to turn it into a weapon! My father stopped him! Anton Vanko made his own mistakes!" Tony shot back.
After that, silence fell between them. They simply stared at each other, both knowing that arguing about right and wrong was pointless.
After a long pause, Ivan suddenly blurted out,
"You lost, Stark! You lost from the very beginning! Hahahaha!"
He laughed so hard he could barely breathe, his manacled hands clattering against the bed frame.
Qin Xiao and Tony exchanged glances. Qin Xiao awkwardly scratched his head.
"Are you out of your mind? I used PVC pipes! Sure, I put a little extra force into it, but that shouldn't be the problem. Did Thor hit you so hard you went stupid? Hey! What are you laughing at?"
Ivan Vanko was laughing so hard he could barely breathe, turning to Qin Xiao.
"You should ask Stark how painful palladium poisoning is when it kills you. Hahaha!"
"Palladium poisoning?"
Qin Xiao feigned surprise, turning to Tony with a face full of concern from a friend.
Ivan Vanko laughed even harder.
"Ha! Looks like your friend doesn't know about this yet. You should tell him about the side effects of having a reactor in his body!"
"Oh! Damn it! Tony, is this true? Why didn't you tell me sooner? We could have figured something out together. What do we do now? Let's go to a doctor together. There has to be a solution, right? Oh my God!"
Qin Xiao was playing along with Ivan Vanko very cooperatively, but his performance was far too exaggerated.
Tony had intended to play along too, but he couldn't help himself and shoved Qin Xiao away.
"Your acting is too over the top. A Broadway opera from a hundred years ago would look more natural than you. It's disgusting!"
"Oh, really? Is it that bad? I even read 'An Actor Prepares'! I thought I did pretty well, what do you think, Ivan?"
Qin Xiao asked Ivan Vanko with a mischievous grin.
-----------------------
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