The next day.
"Hmph, to think they actually inserted a magnet into my body, and on top of that, they have to use a bulky car battery as an energy source. It's simply stupid."
Tony grumbled while writing down a list of materials he needed.
Hong Fei sat in the corner without a word, looking as if he were depressed.
In reality, Tony's surgery could have been done better, but Hong Fei didn't need it to be.
Tony then said, "Don't worry, if your family is unwilling to pay your ransom, I can pay it for you, but you'll have to work for me at Stark Industries to pay off the debt."
"I don't have any family," Hong Fei said suddenly.
Tony's pen paused, but he quickly resumed, saying, "If you don't, you don't. Can't a person live on their own? Rest assured, I'll cover your portion. If that guy threatens to kill you, I'll tell him you're my assistant now, and I guarantee you won't die."
Hong Fei sighed inwardly; if Tony kept going like this, he was going to start feeling embarrassed.
The only way to repay Tony was to help him clear out the traitor in his home. Hmm, that bald guy should have a chance to drop a skill card, right?
Not long after, Tony kept banging on the iron door until he summoned Frank. After handing him the list, Tony added, "I can give you the data, or I can make one for you right now. However, I need better treatment... at the very least, I hope to eat something solid for every meal."
Frank's fierce gaze made Tony subconsciously revise his initial request.
Upon hearing this, Frank gave him a cold glance, then closed the door and left.
Tony immediately grumbled unhappily, "I bet a guy like him definitely doesn't have any friends."
Tony's proposal was clearly effective; by the second meal, Tony and Hong Fei were eating canned meat from the U.S. military.
Just as Hong Fei was enjoying his meal, the vicious Frank suddenly rushed in again and, without a word, grabbed Hong Fei and hauled him out.
Tony, who was nearby, was startled and quickly put down his food to stop him, "Wait, what are you doing? Where are you taking him?"
Frank said nothing, his large hand pressing directly onto Tony's face to push him away.
But Tony persistently rushed up again, "Wait a second, he's my assistant, I need him! Some things can't be done by one person alone; I need someone to help me!"
"He won't die." After throwing out that blunt sentence, Frank still took Hong Fei away.
Back upstairs, Frank put Hong Fei down, and Hong Fei immediately asked seriously, "What happened?"
"They're here."
Hong Fei was stunned, "Who?"
Frank said with a cold face, "Helpers, five in total. After they retired, they all went bankrupt quickly; some even lost their wives and children and are living very poorly. They are very willing to accept the work you arranged, and are even willing to do more."
Hong Fei realized.
Soon, Hong Fei met these five people in the castle.
They stood in a row with their hands behind their backs, each wearing a black suit, and it was hard to tell the difference in their heights with the naked eye.
However, their builds were not strong; one could even say they were thin.
Thinking that they might have been homeless, unemployed individuals before, Hong Fei didn't ask any further questions.
Frank took the initiative to say, "They were all soldiers, and they were all my men. Although their overall quality doesn't match the Marine Corps, every single one of them has personally experienced the baptism of war. I can guarantee that they don't have PTSD."
Hong Fei nodded slightly and made eye contact with the five of them one by one.
The others were also curiously looking at Hong Fei, their new boss, but they didn't show any strange expressions; after all, what they needed now was a stable job and income.
"My name is Hong Fei. I'm very happy that you could join. I'm truly happy because, as you probably already know, there are only Frank and me in this huge castle right now, and each of you possesses the traits I need. What needs to be done now is very simple: you don't need to go to the battlefield with guns, you don't need to charge through hails of bullets. All you need to do is put on some clothes and then perform real-life dramas."
Suddenly, a high-pitched voice rang out, "Report, Boss, I can go to the battlefield!"
"I can too!"
"Me too!"
Subsequently, the others spoke up, not wanting to be left behind.
Hong Fei turned to look at Frank, and seeing him nod, he smiled. "Your fighting spirit is admirable, but it's too early to talk about that now. Let's finish the work at hand first. However, I can at least guarantee that you won't have to live your previous lives again."
After saying this, Hong Fei turned and left immediately, and after Frank gave a few instructions to the five men, he quickly caught up.
"What needs to be done next?"
Hong Fei smiled slightly, "Give me the phone. We should give a big client a surprise."
Hong Fei had long since found Obadiah's contact information on Tony's phone.
The first time he dialed, the other party hung up; the second time was the same, and it wasn't until the third time that the other party finally picked up.
"Who are you looking for?"
Hong Fei smiled. "Mr. Obadiah, good afternoon—oh wait, it might be night over there, good evening!"
Subsequently, Hong Fei heard rustling sounds on the other end of the line; it seemed Obadiah had already sat up from his bed.
"Speak your mind; I don't like people beating around the bush with me."
"Very good, me neither. Then you'd better listen carefully: Stark is in my hands. To prove it, I've sent you an email, so remember to check it. If you want him to return safely, prepare 500 million in bearer bonds or gold, and then wait for my call in twenty-four hours. If you hang up on me again, I'll cut off a piece of Mr. Stark for every time you hang up."
Click!
Hong Fei hung up the phone and switched it off. He then stuffed it back into Frank's hand.
"Wait, aren't you going to ask for a ransom? Why didn't you wait for him to say something? And why did you just say 500 million?"
"Of course I want the ransom. The 500 million is because I feel I've suffered, so I want to increase the compensation. I didn't wait for him to speak because I wanted to give him time to think."
Frank was confused. "What do you mean?"
Hong Fei didn't answer. Instead, he asked, "Do you think Obadiah wants Stark to return?"
Frank frowned, as if realizing something.
"Stark's whereabouts aren't something just anyone can know, yet he was attacked while being escorted by the U.S. military. Even you saw it—those militants didn't intend to leave anyone alive from the start."
Smiling, Hong Fei added, "Tony Stark's parents passed away a long time ago, and Obadiah is currently his closest person. But the problem is, Obadiah doesn't think so. If Tony Stark didn't exist, wouldn't he logically become the Master of the entire company? When one can be the one in charge, why insist on being subordinate to others?"
"So, you want to make Obadiah admit he wants to kill Tony Stark?"
Hong Fei smiled. "Exactly, and this way I can raise the price even higher. After all, the risks involved in kidnapping versus murder are completely different; it's only reasonable."
Frank thought about it and added, "But I don't think you want to kill Tony Stark at all."
"Of course not. If he dies, who am I going to ask for the second payment?"
"What second payment?"
Hong Fei waved his hand, "Alright, you're not a straight man in a comedy duo; why so many questions? Hurry up and send me back; I still need to continue building trust with Tony. Sigh, it's such a pity about this castle. Even though it's already mine, I can't enjoy it for even a moment; it's simply unjust."