"That's that. So, I like your mentor." Tony smirked, showing no embarrassment. "Actually, I found you because Shen He mentioned your name."
"Did I?" Shen He sat up from the couch, rubbing his temples. "When exactly did I mention it?"
"Oh, it was right when that girl suddenly appeared on your bed. You mumbled, 'It would be great if I could find Dr. Helen.'" Tony waved a hand, motioning for the other women to give them space. "So, Ms. Zhao, your investment came courtesy of Shen He. In fact, the money? It's from his own company's budget."
"Wait… You weren't there at the time." Shen He narrowed his eyes. "You had Jarvis spying on me?"
Then it clicked. When he first summoned the two ceremonies, he had indeed thought about Zhao Hailun—the famous bioengineer from the Avengers storyline. But back then, her bio-nano repair technology wasn't developed yet, so he'd dismissed the idea.
"Come on, we weren't even that close back then." Tony shrugged but didn't deny it. "Besides, all I did was follow the trail of breadcrumbs you left behind after moving out."
"Sounds reasonable," Shen He muttered, shaking his head to clear the last traces of alcohol. Then he fixed Tony with a pointed stare. "You didn't do all this just for fun. What do you really want?"
Tony had planned the entire day. The supercars, the shopping spree, the party, even introducing Zhao Hailun as a 'gift'—it was all leading up to something.
"You seem to have something to discuss."
Zhao Hailun, sensing the shift in atmosphere, excused herself politely and walked toward the crowd.
"Look at her." Tony leaned back on Shen He's recliner. "Beautiful, intelligent, and ambitious. If I'm not mistaken, she's exactly your type. You're a billionaire now—why not try dating? It'll stop you from moping around. Or does Chaldea have a rule against romance during missions?"
"Don't change the subject, Tony," Shen He sighed. "What do you want?"
Tony hesitated for only a moment before getting straight to the point.
"I want to know more about our future."
"Do you just want to know, or do you need to know?" Shen He's tone deepened. He was beginning to realize that he might have been too conspicuous.
"It's just for me!" Tony insisted. "Come on, He—do you really think I can trust those politicians?"
"No, but this isn't like you." Shen He studied him carefully. "What makes you think you can't handle things on your own? What's making you so anxious? The Tony Stark I know doesn't obsess over the future like this."
At least… not yet.
The Tony from the original timeline only spiraled into paranoia after the Battle of New York, when he realized Earth was completely unprepared for cosmic threats. That anxiety eventually led to the creation of Ultron. But right now? Tony should still be at his peak confidence.
"…"
Tony was silent for a long moment before he finally spoke.
"It's war." His voice was grim. "Fury told me everything. We were this close to total annihilation—two alien civilizations ready to wipe out Earth over some arrogant prince's mistake. That's not a game, Shen. That's extinction."
Shen He exhaled slowly.
He had exaggerated parts of the story to make Thor truly grasp the consequences of his arrogance. He hadn't expected Tony to take it this seriously.
In the original timeline, the public only started fearing extraterrestrial threats after the New York invasion. But now, thanks to his interference, Tony's existential crisis had started even earlier.
It also meant that the world's focus had shifted—toward Shen He and the so-called "Chaldea," the enigmatic group that seemed to possess knowledge of the future.
"Dr. Zhao's research is in its infancy. No one even believes in her project." Tony's voice was unwavering. The playboy façade had vanished, replaced by the determined genius. "But you knew she would succeed. That's why I funded her—because of you. Do you have any idea how many people that technology could help? We could start preparing for the future now."
Tony was afraid.
He believed he could protect Earth from anything—but only if he understood the scale of the threat. And as a genius, he knew how far behind humanity was.
Shen He hesitated.
"The future isn't fixed," he finally said. "Chaldea… Chaldea can't guarantee anything."
That was the truth.
Only Shen He and his Servants knew that Chaldea wasn't real. The organization was nothing more than a fabricated identity, an illusion.
What he had wasn't an advanced predictive system—just knowledge of a story that was constantly changing. And a heart that wanted to save the future, even if he wasn't sure he could.
"What does that matter?" Tony's voice dropped to a near whisper. "Didn't you want to change the future? Let us help protect our world. Don't just dump it all on you Chaldeans."
"…Give me some time," Shen He finally said.
He needed to think. What could he change? And was he really ready to pay the price?
"…Alright." Tony sighed, pushing himself up. "I'll call Dr. Helen back over. But as your friend? I hope you were serious about the dating advice."
Just as Zhao Hailun rejoined them, something else was happening elsewhere.
Meanwhile…
The two ceremonies and Violet were making their way toward Shen He.
Violet sat quietly in the car, her small hands moving like a compass, constantly pointing in the direction of her Master. The hotel driver followed the path accordingly. An ordinary taxi driver would've lost patience long ago.
After countless turns, the car veered onto an isolated coastal road. The night was eerily quiet—except for the seven or eight vehicles trailing them.
Something wasn't right.
The two ceremonies stiffened. Those cars… She'd seen them too many times tonight.
Violet turned in her seat, peering through the rear windshield. Unlike the two ceremonies, her instincts were sharper—she knew they were being followed.
"Get off this road. Take us somewhere crowded," the two ceremonies ordered. Her fingers curled around the long blade at her side.
"Understood, Miss Liangyi."
The driver nodded. Then, with a subtle movement, he pressed a hidden switch inside his sleeve.
BOOM!
The car's front chassis erupted in flames, the force flipping the vehicle forward.
In a split second, the two ceremonies' sword flashed, slicing through the lines of death—the weakest points of reality itself. The car shattered like glass, torn apart midair.
She and Violet landed effortlessly, rolling to absorb the impact.
Had they not been enhanced, they would've died instantly.
The cars behind them screeched to a halt. Doors slammed open.
A voice, cold and emotionless, crackled through a communicator:
"Mission start. Capture them alive."