The Nameless Place — Headquarters of the Time Variance Authority.
The woman who had suddenly appeared behind Qin Xiao earlier now stood inside a chamber resembling a courtroom.
Opposite her, seated on a platform much like a judge's bench, was a young blonde woman with blue eyes, dressed in a formal uniform.
"I don't understand," the woman in black said angrily. "Why did you stop me from arresting that criminal? He violated the Sacred Timeline. He's not just a time criminal—his very existence is affecting the Sacred Timeline itself."
She pointed accusingly at the blonde woman seated above her.
"C-18, I fully understand your determination to protect the Sacred Timeline," the blonde woman replied calmly, her expression unchanged. "But the Time Keepers themselves are paying attention to this matter. Their will is to prevent you from arresting that individual."
"But he will cause chaos like this! The Sacred Timeline must never be profaned!" the woman in black protested.
She had been born for this purpose—to guard the timeline they called sacred.
"Are you questioning the Time Keepers' decision?"
The blonde woman's voice suddenly rose.
"I wouldn't dare!"
At the mention of the Time Keepers, the woman in black immediately suppressed her anger and bowed slightly.
"Very good."
The blonde woman nodded in satisfaction.
"The Time Keepers are omniscient and omnipotent. I need only carry out their will. You may go."
After the woman in black left, the lights throughout the chamber went out.
In the darkness, a soft sigh echoed…
(If you're unfamiliar with the Time Variance Authority, you can check out Marvel's series Loki. Personally, I think it's far more exciting than WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.)
…
Qin Xiao was completely unaware of the TVA's actions.
After lying low for a few days, he returned to Tony's house once again.
This time, his main goal was J.A.R.V.I.S. He still had 2,000 points left in his account.
So far, he had accumulated 3,000 points—still some distance away from unlocking the second-floor shop.
At the moment, he had nothing suitable to exchange, leaving only real-world currency conversion as an option.
While that didn't help much directly, it did free him from worrying about money.
However, money alone wasn't enough if he wanted true freedom.
He needed to build a business empire.
A business empire founded on cutting-edge technology.
So the question was—who possessed the most advanced technology?
If Black Panther hadn't happened, Tony Stark would've been the undisputed king.
And so, Qin Xiao shamelessly showed up at Tony's lab again.
"Bang!"
The moment he stepped down into the basement, he saw Tony spinning upward into the air.
His entire body flipped upside down before smashing into a protruding wall midair.
Then, just like in the posters, Tony slid down the wall headfirst, hanging upside down.
Qin Xiao rushed forward and grabbed Tony by the ankle, preventing an extremely awkward head-first landing.
"Tony, you should hire a private acrobatics coach. I just saved you again—you'd better write it down in a little notebook!"
"Damn it! I should've started testing at ten percent output. Put me down!"
Two minutes later, Tony sat with an ice pack on his neck, staring at Qin Xiao in disbelief.
"Why would you want to hire an AI housekeeper? No offense, but your apartment is smaller than my garage—and it looks rented."
"I've got my eye on an apartment downtown. I plan to buy it and renovate everything," Qin Xiao replied. "I want all the appliances to be fully automated—smart home style. Doesn't have to be as advanced as J.A.R.V.I.S., you know what I mean."
Qin Xiao rolled his eyes. "Tony's words may be hurtful, but they're incredibly insulting."
And yet, he couldn't refute it.
When you're richer than someone, you challenge their entire net worth with your pocket change.
"Buy the place first, then send me the blueprints," Tony said casually. "Don't worry about the rest. I'll help you set up a private server and install an AI system."
"I'll have Pepper handle the renovation using my designs—but you're responsible for the furniture."
"Tony! I love you! Don't worry—I'll pay you back!"
Qin Xiao threw an arm around Tony's shoulder, flashing a cheap grin.
Tony shot him an arrogant glance and brushed his arm away.
"Pathetic. Keep your lousy apartment. Anything I pull out of my garage is worth more than your house."
"Alright, alright, I get it—you're rich, and you're Tony Stark. While you're at it, help me keep an eye on the furniture too. I really wish you'd buy one less car. I've seen what's in your garage…"
"Get out! J.A.R.V.I.S., revoke this guy's access. I don't want to see him again."
The two bickered endlessly, clearly joking.
Then a news broadcast on the TV caught Tony's attention.
"Yesterday, the small town of Komira suffered a brutal massacre by terrorists. The group calls itself the 'Ten Rings'…"
As the reporter spoke, footage of the ruined town filled the screen.
Bodies of civilians lay scattered along the roads—women and children among them.
In several clips, the word 'Stark' was clearly visible on the terrorists' weapons.
Most striking was a bald man, seemingly their leader, standing among the ruins and directing the carnage.
"Is it him?"
"He's still alive?"
Tony and Qin Xiao spoke almost simultaneously.
They had both watched that bald man walk toward the cave entrance—Tony had personally pressed the detonator.
Against all odds, the man had survived.
"Damn it… Yinsen!"
Tony suddenly stood up, letting out a sharp cry.
"I've heard of this town before. It's Yinsen's hometown. For God's sake—J.A.R.V.I.S., contact Rhodey!"
"Tony, intelligence agencies can handle this faster," Qin Xiao said quietly.
He knew exactly what Tony was thinking.
After the cave incident, Tony had tried to arrange a job for Yinsen in the U.S.
But Yinsen insisted on returning home to treat the people there.
Tony had even promised to build them a large hospital someday.
No one expected the terrorists to arrive first.
Qin Xiao still called Black Widow. Yinsen had kept in touch with everyone, even though he hadn't shared the same daily life in the cave like Tony had.
They were comrades—brothers-in-arms who had survived gunfire together.
Black Widow moved fast.
Within twenty minutes of hanging up, she had an answer.
"Tony… I'm sorry. Yinsen is gone."
"Survivors say the terrorists captured him and burned him alive inside a house."
Qin Xiao hung up, his voice heavy with grief.
"Where's his family?"
Tony stared unblinkingly at the bald man on the screen.
"They were all in that house. No one got out."
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