As Xiao Han walked down the center aisle, a young congresswoman in the front row suddenly stood up.
"Mr. Xiao!" Her voice rang out clearly in the silence.
"I... I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my sister in yesterday's New York subway accident."
Xiao Han paused briefly, nodded in acknowledgment, and continued forward.
This simple gesture seemed to open a floodgate. People in the audience began to stand and applaud.
By the time the two of them pushed open the doors of the meeting hall, a thunderous applause and cheers erupted behind them.
Senator Stern stood alone on the podium, his gavel suspended in mid-air, ultimately unable to bring it down.
The hearing ended in an eerie silence.
When Xiao Han and Tony walked out of the Senate building, over a thousand people had already gathered outside.
They held signs supporting Superman, and cheers rose and fell in waves.
"Can you sign it?" A little girl shyly offered a notebook.
Xiao Han squatted down and took the pen. "What's your name?"
"Alice." The girl replied, her face flushed.
Xiao Han wrote in the notebook, "To Alice - With great power comes great responsibility,"
Then he signed his name.
Tony raised an eyebrow from the side. "Using a quote?"
"The original author won't mind anyway." Xiao Han stood up, nodded to the crowd, and then, under the escort of security personnel, walked towards the Audi R8 with Tony.
The moment the car door closed, Tony breathed a long sigh of relief: "God, I almost thought you were going to use Heat Vision to sweep through the parliament."
Xiao Han fastened his seatbelt: "They're not worth it."
The engine roared, and the sports car drove away from the parliament building.
In the rearview mirror, the crowd was still cheering, and the flashbulbs were a continuous string of lights.
"So."
Tony turned the steering wheel, "Where to next? Save the world or drink coffee?"
Xiao Han looked out at the passing street scene: "First, to your tower, then home. Wanda is still waiting for her training session."
Tony whistled. "Whoa, Wanda? So soon, already hiding a beauty?"
"She's a Mutant," Xiao Han said flatly. "Her abilities are strong, but she needs guidance."
"Mutants, alien technology, magic." Tony shook his head in amazement. "My life has been a mess since I met you."
Xiao Han rolled his eyes. "But you love it."
Tony didn't deny it, just hit the gas, sending the sports car speeding through the streets of Washington.
Stark Tower Lab
The silver-gray elevator doors slid open slowly. Pepper Potts walked in, carrying a stack of files, her heels clicking crisply on the marble floor.
She was looking down at the data pad in her hands, her blonde hair pulled back into a neat bun.
"Tony, the quarterly financial report I put in…"
Her words trailed off as she looked up and saw a stranger standing in the lab, besides Tony.
Xiao Han was facing away from her, his captivating profile even more alluring under the lab lights.
He turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes gleaming with a faint gold in the light.
Pepper's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh, Pepper!" Tony poked his head out from behind the workbench, a sparking circuit board in his hand.
"Perfect timing, let me introduce you. This is our new shareholder, Xiao Han."
Xiao Han nodded slightly, offering a polite smile. "Ms. Potts."
Pepper quickly composed herself, flashing a professional smile. "Mr. Xiao, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. Tony speaks of you often."
"I hope it's nothing unfavorable," Xiao Han said gently.
"Quite the opposite."
Pepper placed a file on the table, her gaze lingering for a moment on Xiao Han's armor. "He said you're the smartest person he knows."
Tony spread his hands dramatically. "I never said that!"
Pepper rolled her eyes at him, then turned back to Xiao Han. "Although you hold shares, you don't seem to be involved in company decisions?"
"I have no interest in business," Xiao Han replied flatly.
"Only interested in technology itself."
Pepper nodded, seemingly pleased with the answer. "That's perfect. Saves me from having to deal with another headstrong board member like Tony."
Tony feigned injury, clutching his chest. "Hey! What's headstrong about me?"
"Shall I list them?" Pepper raised an eyebrow. "Since you got back, our military industrial complex has vanished, and last week…"
"Alright, alright!" Tony quickly interrupted, winking at Xiao Han. "See? This is why you can't mess with women. Terrifying."
Pepper huffed, picked up the coffee on the table, and took a sip. "I'm just here to drop off some documents. Carry on. Oh, Tony, are you still going to the race in Monaco on Thursday?"
"I'll deal with it later," Tony replied dismissively.
She nodded to Xiao Han and turned to the elevator.
After the elevator doors closed, Tony exhaled deeply and turned to the central workstation. "Women, can never understand them."
Xiao Han looked in the direction of the elevator, thoughtful. "She's very smart."
"Too smart," Tony muttered, his fingers flying across the holographic keyboard.
"Sometimes I wonder if she's the real CEO."
A holographic projection lit up, displaying a brand new armor design.
Unlike the previous streamlined style, this armor was more angular, with retractable vibranium structures at the joints.
"The new Mark Armor prototype incorporates nanotechnology, the Uru Metal you provided, and a bit of new technology you gave me from Asgard," Tony said excitedly, spinning the model around.
"Energy conduction efficiency is up 40%, but the weight is only one-tenth of the previous generation."
Xiao Han walked closer to observe, his super vision penetrating the projection, analyzing every detail: "The shoulder joints need reinforcement; they overheat easily during high-speed maneuvers."
"Already thought of that," Tony said, pulling up a submenu.
"I added a liquid cooling system, but it consumes 3% of the energy output."
"Replace it with Uru Metal," Xiao Han pointed at the shoulder armor.
"Asgardian energy circuits can solve this problem."
Tony's eyes lit up: "Right! How did I not think of that!"
He immediately modified the design, and the Uru Metal's patterns formed complex rune designs on the shoulder armor.
The two of them discussed the technical details, and time flew by.
After a long while, Tony suddenly stopped his work, leaned against the table, and looked at Xiao Han: "I remember what you said before Pepper came? That Wanda, does she have something to do with me?"
Xiao Han put away the hologram, his hands in his pockets: "Her parents died in an explosion in Sokovia. The culprit used a Stark Industries missile."
Tony's expression instantly froze.
"She and her twin brother hid under the rubble for three days, with a dud missile in front of them, bearing your name." Xiao Han's voice was very calm, but it made Tony's fingers clench unconsciously.
"Obadiah," Tony said in a low voice, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
"As expected, that batch of weapons must have been smuggled out. I had no idea."
"Does she know?"
Xiao Han shook his head. "Even if she did, what difference would it make? The facts remain the same."
Silence descended upon the lab, broken only by the hum of the machinery.
"Once she's calmed down, I'll talk to her, though it's really none of your concern," Xiao Han finally said.
Tony looked up at him. "You think she'll listen?"
"She's stronger than you think." Xiao Han walked towards the floor-to-ceiling window.
"Hate can blind you, but the truth always finds a way out."
Tony nodded thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, "Why are you helping her?"
Xiao Han gave a meaningful smile, "Guess."
He raised his hand, and golden sparks drew a perfect circle in the air. The other side of the portal was the living room of the Long Island Villa.
Wanda was sitting on the sofa, reading a book. She looked up at the sound.
"See you tomorrow, Tony." Xiao Han stepped into the portal, his figure disappearing in the golden light.
Tony stood alone in the lab, the blue light of the holographic projection reflecting on his face.
He was silent for a long time, then suddenly slammed his fist on the table.
"Jarvis, activate the clean energy plan."
"All of it, sir?"
"All of it."
Tony's voice was firmer than ever. "Shut down all production lines, and redirect the funds to medical and energy sectors.
Also, contact the families of the victims, especially those from Sokovia."
He gazed at the night view of New York outside the window, determination flashing in his eyes.
This time, he would atone in his own way.
PS: If you like this, check out my new book on my homepage, "Just Arrived in Marvel, System Awakens Silver Superman."
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