There wasn't much time left before the opening ceremony, and Pepper was preparing to open the envelope, but she decided to be cautious. She would go to the restroom to open it alone.
On her way there, she accidentally bumped into a man coming out of the men's restroom.
"I'm so sorry, miss. Are you alright?" The man apologized, helping Pepper up.
"I'm fine," Pepper replied, realizing she had been rushing a bit too much.
"Are you really okay?" he asked again.
"Yes."
"Then be careful."
Pepper nodded, unaware that the envelope in her pocket had been switched.
"What a good woman," Liu A'dou muttered, looking at the intact envelope in his hands. Only a good woman would resist probing into a man's secrets. Pepper had not opened the envelope, which was proof of her goodness. Tony was indeed a fortunate man.
Of course, the envelope Liu A'dou had given Pepper last night was empty—there was nothing written on the paper inside. Liu A'dou had planned to switch it after the opening ceremony began. That was his "magic." The empty envelope was exchanged for a filled one. It was that simple.
Pepper would never know this. She carefully stepped into the restroom stall and opened the envelope.
The paper inside contained just two lines: "Tony Stark is poisoned by palladium, his days are numbered."
The paper slipped from her hands and fell to the floor. Pepper stood frozen, unable to believe what she had just read. Was it true? The careless, stubborn Tony was going to die? He wasn't even forty!
The noise and excitement outside couldn't reach Pepper. She was lost in shock from the message she had just read.
Meanwhile, the crowd outside reached a crescendo as Iron Man made his entrance. The night sky was filled with dazzling lights, the red and gold colors glowing as he flew closer, with colorful flags waving and fireworks bursting. The grand opening ceremony was the perfect backdrop for Iron Man's entrance, accompanied by cheers.
"Iron Man! Ahhh!" the crowd screamed as Iron Man flew through the circular skylight on the rooftop and landed on stage.
Liu A'dou stood among the crowd, only a few meters away from the model he planned to steal. The model was placed in the center hall of the main exhibition building. It was the vision of Tony's father, and Tony had built the entire Expo Center based on it. Today, Liu A'dou planned to steal it.
With the exciting music and Iron Man's cool entrance, the atmosphere was electrifying. Like everyone else, Liu A'dou raised his arm in the air. One had to admit, Iron Man certainly knew how to make an entrance.
The crowd was like dynamite, cheering and shouting. Natasha, however, was ready to lower her evaluation of Iron Man. His love for the spotlight didn't align with S.H.I.E.L.D.'s style.
Iron Man landed on stage and deployed mechanical arms from below to remove his suit, revealing Tony Stark in a sharp suit.
"Good evening, everyone," Tony said, spreading his arms to embrace the audience.
"Hello, Iron Man!" the excited crowd responded.
Tony lowered his arms, signaling for the crowd to quiet down. "I don't want to say that global peace is maintained because of me, nor will I claim that no one can rise like a phoenix from the ashes as I have. I won't even say that the strength of the U.S. government is because I am always at my peak." Tony had provided many powerful weapons to the U.S. military, and as Iron Man, this wasn't an exaggeration.
Such "humility," Natasha thought sarcastically. The crowd, however, continued to cheer and scream, "I love you!"
Tony smiled. "I'm not important, you're not important, we're all not important. What's important is legacy. What's important is what we leave behind for the future. So, from the beginning of this year to the end, for the first time since 1974, people from different countries and companies have gathered the world's best talents, providing them resources, sharing their vision, and creating a bright future. We're not important, the future is what matters. What I want to say, and what I have to say, is: Welcome to the Stark Industries Expo!"
Cheers and applause erupted.
The screen showed footage of Tony's father, Howard Stark, from decades ago. Howard was intRhodeyucing his great vision for the Expo and his goal to use science to change the future. In the video, Howard optimistically predicted the future development of science.
Taking the opportunity, Tony stepped off the stage and noticed Pepper standing nearby, looking disoriented. "Darling, what's wrong?"
Pepper didn't speak, keeping her head down.
The silence made Tony uneasy. "Are you worried about Kaitou Kid? He won't steal anything."
Pepper wasn't worried about Kid, but about Tony's health. "Take off your clothes."
Tony was taken aback. "Don't you think that's a bit much? When did you get so bold?" He thought he had misunderstood.
Pepper took matters into her own hands, and Tony didn't resist, afraid she might hurt herself. Beneath his shirt, the skin was marked with dark veins—signs of poisoning.
Tears welled up in Pepper's eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were poisoned?"
Tony gave a bitter smile. "How did you find out about this?" He had hoped to keep it a secret.
"Don't wear the suit anymore. You'll die." Pepper, tearfully, looked at her love. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Tony wished he could, but could he? He was Iron Man. There were so many fans outside, and it wasn't just something he could walk away from. Life in the public eye wasn't his to control.
"Let Rhodey help you," Pepper said, knowing that if Tony suddenly declared he was quitting Iron Man, it would cause a huge uproar. But she didn't want to watch Tony die.
"I'll consider it." There was no choice. If it came down to it, he'd have to rely on Rhodey. He didn't have many friends, but Rhodey was his only true buddy.
Pepper rested her head against Tony's chest. That was enough for her.
"By the way, you haven't told me how you knew I was poisoned." Besides J.A.R.V.I.S., no one else knew, and Tony had been keeping it to himself.
"Last night, Kaitou Kid landed on the balcony. He gave me an envelope with the information about your poisoning. I didn't think it would be true," Pepper explained. She had been skeptical at first, but the truth was too harsh to deny.
Kaitou Kid? Tony was startled. Just as the video ended, the audience was eagerly waiting for Tony's return, but the lights suddenly went out.
What was going on? Was there another show? The crowd eagerly waited.
Tony and Pepper stepped onto the stage, but all they could see were scattered stars. Everything was unclear.
Suddenly, a spotlight illuminated the top of the building. It was a bright searchlight, and indeed, there was another show. The audience's excitement began to grow.
The spotlight moved, and the audience followed it, expecting to see Iron Man. But Natasha noticed that Tony and Pepper were on stage, yet the light was moving toward the center, where there was nothing.
"Kaitou Kid is coming," Tony muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the light. He was curious to see if the thief had any special tricks.
The light moved, shifting from the crowd to the center, where it landed on the Expo's panoramic model.
"Ladies and gentlemen, Showtime!!"
The audience was still puzzled, unsure of what was happening. Was this the performance? Wasn't Iron Man supposed to appear?
Boom—
The lights suddenly blazed bright, and the blinding white light forced everyone to close their eyes. When the lights adjusted, they saw Kaitou Kid standing on top of the model.
Silence. The crowd in attendance were all Iron Man fans. Kaitou Kid was completely in enemy territory. His unexpected appearance caught everyone off guard, but he wasn't exactly welcomed.
"Kaitou Kid!" Tony shouted into the microphone.
Kaitou Kid looked up, his fingers brushing the brim of his hat as he gave Iron Man a salute.
Some of the audience recognized him. "It's the thief from Gotham City, Kaitou Kid! What's he doing here?" they wondered. "This is New York, not Gotham!" Without his usual backup, Kaitou Kid found himself in a tough spot.