When Kurohane, in his new clothes, arrived at Stark Industries, Tony had just announced the closure of their weapons division. A huge crowd of reporters swarmed Tony like flies, leaving hardly any space for even a drop of water to pass. Without a second thought, Kurohane drew his pistol and fired a warning shot into the air. Amidst the shock of the frozen reporters, he pulled Tony out of the crowd, not forgetting Pepper who was also scared half to death, and then casually walked towards Tony's car. He immediately pushed Tony and Pepper into the back seat and calmly sat in the driver's seat.
"Get in the car," Kurohane said flatly, taking off his sunglasses and looking at Happy Hogan. "This car is my business now, and even your boss doesn't mind."
"Mr. Kurohane? You are truly the most 'unique' law enforcement officer I have ever met!" Pepper muttered, still shocked by Kurohane's reckless actions. However, she then remembered Tony's previous words. What Kurohane was doing now seemed quite reasonable, at least consistent with the man's character.
When Happy got into the passenger seat, Kurohane stepped hard on the accelerator. The car beneath them shot forward with a strong jolt, then disappeared from everyone's sight. Miraculously, Kurohane still didn't exceed the speed limit...
"Those reporters were violating your personal space. If I had brought more handcuffs, not a single one of them would have escaped the clutches of the law today!" Kurohane said coldly.
At that moment, Kurohane's [Autumn Mountain Car God] skill activated. The car glided smoothly through the heavy traffic without breaking a single rule. The vehicle moved as comfortably as if they were sitting at home. Happy, in the passenger seat, was in charge of giving directions along the way. When the car stopped right in front of the gate of Tony's mansion, Happy had completely become a fan of Kurohane. He had seen drivers who could speed, but to arrive at the destination quickly, safely, and smoothly without breaking traffic laws? This was the ability he needed most as a bodyguard!
As the car came to a steady stop, Happy immediately reached out and enthusiastically grabbed Kurohane's hand. "Mr. Kurohane, if there's a chance, could you teach me driving techniques like that?"
"Wait until I'm on leave," Kurohane replied with a faint smile and a nod to Happy. Then he turned his head back, looking at Tony and Pepper sitting in the back seat.
Pepper had been nagging Tony the whole time, her focus on the fate of Stark Industries' stock the next day. A giant company that initially dealt in weaponry was now closing its main department. This was like McDonald's no longer selling french fries! It wasn't just a matter of a drop in stock value, but also the question of whether Stark Industries could survive!
However, Tony remained silent, constantly smiling as he looked at Pepper. After three months of confinement, the nagging voice that used to sound annoying now sounded like music to his ears.
"Um... excuse me, beautiful lady, maybe we could switch places to chat?" Kurohane interjected suddenly.
Only then did Pepper realize there was another stranger in the car. She immediately shut her mouth with a slight awkwardness, a blush creeping up her neck. "I'm sorry, Mr. Kurohane. I... I couldn't control my emotions."
"You don't need to apologize to me. Besides, I'm not the owner of this car," Kurohane replied nonchalantly. He didn't mind this kind of thing. As long as you don't commit crimes... well, or perhaps more accurately, as long as he couldn't get justice points from your body, Kurohane was willing to be friends with you!
When they all entered Tony's super luxurious villa and sat down in the living room, Kurohane immediately stated that he was on a mission and had no intention of disturbing Tony and Pepper's reunion, although his expression looked a bit teasing. "If you two need three minutes, I can wait."
"Three minutes?! Kid, you're underestimating Tony Stark, the great playboy!" Pepper looked a little awkward, but Tony was clearly unconvinced.
"Maybe... two and a half minutes?" Tony offered jokingly.
"Bastard!" Tony unhesitatingly flipped Kurohane the middle finger, but immediately retracted it because he clearly remembered what kind of person the man in front of him was. Flipping him off might get him pressed to the floor again!
"Tony, I'll forgive your rudeness this time. After all, although you're a cultured person, your level of civilization is clearly not very high. I hope you can get rid of that bad habit of swearing," Kurohane said flatly. He recalled his cunning plan for the Avengers 2 plot later, when Captain America sternly forbade swearing, but he was determined to cut that habit off at the root, striving to be the only one allowed to swear in the entire Avengers!
"Hey! This isn't like you! Aren't you supposed to pull out your gun and point it at my head, then yell: 'Dare to swear and flip me off, come with me!'" Tony tried to imitate Kurohane's style, but seeing the teasing smile on the man's face, he suddenly realized that he no longer understood Kurohane. This guy wasn't as annoying as he had imagined!
"I'm just an agent with a sense of justice, not a madman!" Kurohane walked closer to Tony, patted him on the shoulder, and said in a softer tone, "I just hope this world becomes a better place. Fighting villains is just my job. I'm also just an ordinary person, I can have friends too. At least I can distinguish between a joke and deliberate insult."
This was also one of Kurohane's experiments. He wanted to see if he could get justice points just by talking, especially from someone like Tony, the protagonist destined to traverse the entire Marvel Universe.
"You know, Kurohane, you finally look like a real human now, not a machine," Tony commented, his expression not particularly friendly, but not because of Kurohane's change in attitude, but because Kurohane's sudden physical contact made him feel a little strange. "If possible, could you refrain from direct physical contact with me next time?"
"Why? Are you allergic to men?" Kurohane continued to tease, then straightforwardly stated his purpose. "I won't beat around the bush. My purpose in coming here is this thing on your chest. My superiors are very interested in the energy source that can power that battle suit, and they ordered me to get it within three days. You understand what I mean?"
"I understand what your superiors mean. So, what do you mean?" Tony asked, recalling the deal they had made. It seemed Kurohane was ready to move. Regarding the mysterious S.H.I.E.L.D. and his father's enigmatic past, Tony's curiosity had long been unbearable!
"Within two days, create something that can penetrate their database firewall. I will bring that thing to S.H.I.E.L.D., and the rest is up to you," Kurohane replied in a serious tone.
"I have plenty of things like that at home," Tony said, patting the coffee table in front of him. A hidden compartment suddenly opened from the table. He reached inside and took out something resembling a button, then tossed it to Kurohane. "As long as you can plant this thing on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s computer, leave the rest to me!"
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