Looking at the reporters crowded outside the door, Linen couldn't help but feel a little curious.
How did these reporters find this place just from a name Tony mentioned?
As Linen pondered how to deal with the swarm of reporters, Tony Stark, clad in his Iron Man armor, landed from the sky.
The moment Tony appeared, the reporters immediately surrounded him.
"Mr. Stark, are you here to find this Mr. Linen?"
"Do you think Mr. Linen can solve the recent Kelly possession incident?"
"Mr. Stark…"
Hearing the flood of questions, Tony raised his hand, signaling everyone to quiet down.
When the reporters fell silent, all eyes locked on him with eager anticipation.
Tony smiled with satisfaction. "Everyone, I said it before—if anyone can solve the Kelly incident, it's definitely Linen! You know, in my heart, Linen is the number one psychic in all of Europe and America!"
This wasn't just Tony boasting. He had personally witnessed Linen summon a spirit in broad daylight in the middle of a park. That moment had completely overturned Tony's understanding of the world.
Later, when he discussed it with Natasha Romanoff, even she—the S.H.I.E.L.D. agent most familiar with supernatural events—acknowledged Linen's power.
So in Tony's heart, Linen truly was the number one psychic.
Hearing Tony Stark's confident praise, the reporters' eyes sparkled. Just as one was about to speak, Tony continued, "I know what you all want to ask—but how about letting me go in first? You're all camped out here with cameras and microphones; aren't you afraid you'll scare poor Linen away? Trust me, if he doesn't show up, you're the ones who'll lose out."
The reporters exchanged looks, then quickly stepped aside.
Seeing them cooperate, Tony nodded approvingly. "Good, you're learning."
He strutted up to the door and rang the bell.
Before Linen could even open it, Tony's muffled voice came through:
"Hey, Linen! Open up! I know you're in there! Come on, the greatest exorcist in the world can't hide forever—I know you're home!!"
Listening to Tony shouting like an impatient aunt outside, Linen sighed helplessly, walked over, and opened the door.
The moment the door cracked open, he pulled Tony inside and shut it firmly behind him.
"That's just great," Linen said dryly. "Thanks to you, I'll have to move again."
Tony just shrugged. "Oh, come on, it's just moving. This place is kind of a dump anyway. I've got several apartments in Manhattan—pick one, rent-free for a year!"
"Thanks, but I don't like owing anyone anything."
Pouring Tony a cup of coffee, Linen asked, "You did all this on purpose, didn't you?"
Tony smiled behind his cup. "Of course. You've heard about the Blood Parrot Gang, right?"
Linen raised an eyebrow. "Hard not to. After all, I was there when the 'Judge' wiped them out."
Tony gave him a knowing grin. He already knew that Linen and the mysterious 'Judge' were one and the same, but since Linen kept it secret, Tony didn't expose it.
"The case made such waves that Steve Rogers himself had to step forward and take the heat as Captain America," Tony continued. "And now? He's being hounded by media and crazy fans."
Linen smirked. "Fitting punishment for a guy who's too polite to lie."
Tony chuckled. "You know Steve—he even joined S.H.I.E.L.D. again just to hide from the attention. At this rate, I'm worried he might end up depressed."
"So your solution was to throw me under the bus?"
"Come on, don't make it sound so harsh." Tony waved his hand casually. "This was all part of your plan with Jessica, wasn't it?"
He leaned back smugly. "I've already invested in the Fox Network, so I know 'Mysterious Files' was produced by your senior, Jessica. You two built this East Coast Studio together, right? And you're the star attraction!"
He grinned wider. "Look, I just fast-tracked your fame. Consider it my way of helping."
"Oh, and as an apology, I'll make you a guest analyst on the show. You won't have to visit haunted places—just sit in the studio, analyze supernatural footage, and give your expert opinion. You'll get $150,000 per episode after tax. Ten episodes total."
Tony leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "That's a pretty sweet deal for just talking, huh? You can call it a perk from your professor."
Linen's expression twitched. "Right… ever since people found out I was a State University student, you went and became a professor there just to annoy me."
Tony winked. "Guilty."
Before Linen could respond, loud knocking came from the door again.
"That should be Senator Kenny and his wife," Tony said, smiling. "Their daughter Kelly's been possessed by a spirit, and once they found out you could help, of course they came running."
He smirked. "Oh, and by the way—Kenny loves the spotlight. He's a New York senator who'll use any chance to get on camera. Playing the worried father of a possessed daughter? It's perfect publicity."
Sure enough, Kenny was already outside, giving a heartfelt speech to the reporters. His wife stood beside him, eyes red from crying, completing the image of a grieving but loving family.
Once the cameras were satisfied, Kenny and his wife knocked politely.
Before Linen could move, Tony stopped him with a grin. "You're the top psychic in America now, buddy. Time to act like it!"
He opened the door himself and ushered them in. "This is Linen—the best psychic in the country. But he doesn't like being disturbed, you know? It took me ages to convince him to see you."
"Senator, titles mean nothing to him. If you truly want to save your daughter, show some sincerity."
Kenny immediately straightened, humbled.
"Mr. Linen," he said, voice trembling, "you've seen what happened to my daughter Kelly on TV. As her father, I can't bear it. Please… help her."
He handed over a check, eyes red. "This is just a small token. If it's not enough, I'll sell my house—anything to save her."
Tony nodded approvingly. "He's a good man. And Kelly's only nineteen—too young to be destroyed by something like this."
Linen glanced at the $200,000 check and sighed. "Alright. Jessica already told me about her childhood friend being possessed. I didn't realize that friend was your daughter. I'll come tonight and do what I can. If it's beyond my ability, I hope you'll understand."
Kenny and his wife thanked him profusely before leaving.
As the door closed, Tony turned to Linen. "So, what do you need to prepare? A Ouija board? Cross? Holy water? I'll get them for you!"
Linen chuckled. "I've already got everything I need."
Of course, he didn't actually need any of it—his own magic was enough—but Jessica had insisted he play up the drama for showbiz effect.
"Wait," Linen frowned as Tony made a call to Pepper, "you're coming tonight too?"
"Of course!" Tony said matter-of-factly. "I'm a shareholder at Fox. Besides, ever since you summoned that spirit, I've been fascinated. If I can analyze its energy frequency, maybe I can build armor that counters the undead!"
He tilted his head. "By the way, Linen—do spirits emit a unique energy field or magnetic frequency?"
Linen smiled faintly. "Something like that."
That evening, outside the Kennys' Upper East Side apartment, host Alyssa was already introducing the situation on live TV.
All across the country, viewers were glued to their screens.
"Here we go! They say they've invited the greatest psychic in the West—do you think he can really save poor Kelly?"
"That's the guy Tony Stark endorsed! My God, he's so young!"
"I still think it's all staged… but it's creepy as hell."
"God bless that girl."
Meanwhile, in a villa across town—
A beautiful woman looked up at the TV, eyes wide. "Lily! Come here quickly!"
"What is it, Mom?"
Her barefoot daughter came running down the stairs.
"Look—it's that young man who saved you in the alley that night!"
Lily blinked, recognizing Linen on screen. "Oh my god… it really is him. He's a psychic?"
Her mother smiled faintly. "Then maybe he can help you too."
Ever since that incident, Lily had suffered nightmares that even therapy couldn't cure. Seeing the man who saved her now revealed as a psychic gave her mother a glimmer of hope.
"Lily," she said softly, "you still have his contact information, right? Invite him over when you can. Your father and I would like to thank him properly."
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