William looked at the two large craters Iron Man and War Machine had made on the tarmac, calculating the repair costs.
Just as he was about to have Jarvis find some people to fix it, a familiar red stream of light suddenly flew back at an alarming speed!
"Swoosh—!"
Tony Stark's armor was like an out-of-control cruise missile.
It screeched to a halt in front of William.
The faceplate "swished" open, and Tony's handsome face still carried the scent of alcohol, but his eyes were much clearer.
"I almost forgot something important!"
He just hovered there in front of William.
"In three days, the Stark Industries World Expo will open at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens. Pepper will send you an invitation. Remember to dress handsomely to support our company."
After speaking, he winked at William.
Before William could answer, the red armor had already turned around, its engines roaring as it instantly became a shooting star, disappearing into the horizon.
"World Expo..."
William muttered the words.
He didn't know if Ivan Vanko would still appear to rub Tony's face in the dirt.
But he had already told him about this potential risk.
Now he believed Tony would have a way to deal with it.
Just then, his phone vibrated.
William raised an eyebrow.
It was Peter Parker.
Why was he calling him so late?
If there was something, shouldn't he ask the "anonymous consultant"?
Hesitating for a few seconds, William finally pressed connect.
"Mr. Rodriguez?"
"Your friend taught me how to be a hero, but your employees are evaluating the business value of villains?"
Peter's voice carried the black-and-white confusion characteristic of a teenager, and a hint of wronged indignation at being deceived.
"What kind of insurance company are you, anyway!"
William closed his eyes and raised a hand to his forehead.
He felt dizzy.
Tandy Bowen.
Tyrone Johnson.
What did you do!
The two interns he sent out, on their first assignment, just happened to run into his most important client?
Not only did they run into him, but they also told him everything about the company right in front of the client.
What do you call this?
This is called an intern's first move, and it's a stab in the back for the boss.
William felt his blood pressure rising at a more dangerous rate than Rhodes's just now.
He took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, forcefully suppressing the anger in his heart.
Anger?
Annoyance?
It was useless.
Things were already this way; getting angrier wouldn't solve the problem.
"So..."
William finally spoke, his voice betraying neither joy nor anger, only an inscrutable calmness.
"You know everything?"
"Mm."
Peter responded sullenly.
Little Spider felt bitter; this kind of thing could have been told to him directly, so why did Mr. Rodriguez have to find an anonymous consultant to supervise him?
Silence hung between both ends of the phone for a long time.
This silence was more uncomfortable than an argument.
Little Spider was a bit emo.
For Peter, the image of a "life mentor" who was pleasant to talk to suddenly overlapped with the image of an "unscrupulous boss" who was cunning and wouldn't even let villains off the hook.
This feeling was confusing and strange.
For William, he was thinking about how to turn this serious "information security incident" into a "corporate culture briefing" to strengthen client relationships.
William chuckled, breaking the silence.
"Alright, it seems my new employees, while expanding business, also helped you complete the ultimate challenge of 'Guess Who I Am'."
William's tone was still light, "Congratulations, Peter, you now know the company's biggest secret."
"So..."
Peter still hadn't quite grasped it.
"That handbook, that 'friend who got his face stuck on an Audi car door'... was all made up by you?"
"The handbook is real; the knowledge in it is completely true," William said righteously, "As for that friend... I can only say that art comes from life, but it's more exaggerated than life."
He would absolutely not admit that the embarrassing person was himself.
"Alright, no more jokes," William's tone became a bit more serious, "I won't hide it from you anymore. Yes, I am your consultant, and Tandy and Tyrone are my employees. Peter, you need to understand one thing."
William's voice traveled through the phone to the teenager's ears:
"This World is far more complex than you imagine. Not everyone is as lucky as you to get a 'beginner's handbook'. More people, after gaining power, only feel scared, confused, or even go down the wrong path."
"Tandy and Tyrone's job is to evaluate a possibility—the possibility of getting certain special individuals back on track, or at least ensuring that the damage they cause can be controlled and compensated for."
"Peter, my business is not essentially selling insurance."
William returned to the sofa, looking at the night view outside the window, his voice sounding distant:
"I am managing risk. Everyone's risk."
"Whether it's heroes, or... what you call 'villains'."
Peter on the other end of the phone fell completely silent.
William's words were like a bomb, exploding a new dimension in his still-developing worldview.
"So... now, my A-level client."
William's lips curled into a mischievous smile, speaking in a half-joking tone.
"Since you already understand our core business so well, would you consider transitioning from a client to our... part-time field consultant?"
"The salary is high, with five insurances and one housing fund, and also exclusive 'equipment damage insurance' and 'identity exposure risk hedging fund' for internal employees, you know."
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