517

[Tony Stark]

Queens, located east of New York City, is the largest of the city's five boroughs.

As a frequent visitor to Earth, Forseti has visited Queens more than once.

This time, his visit to Queens was solely to observe Thor, now rendered mortal by Odin.

Thor had been living in an orphanage in Queens under the name Donald Black for some time, according to Heimdall's reports.

Approaching the orphanage's entrance, Forseti activated his Allspeak and immediately spotted Thor.

Although Odin had transformed Thor into a mortal child, his powers and memories were only temporarily sealed, not truly lost.

Thus, using the Allspeak's energy vision, Forseti could easily identify Thor amidst the crowd.

Upon entering the orphanage, a young female volunteer stepped forward to greet him. "Hello, sir, how can I assist you today?"

"Do you accept donations here?" Forseti asked casually.

"Donations? Of course," the volunteer replied, momentarily taken aback before her face lit up. "Are you planning to donate?"

Who in the world refuses donations?

Forseti nodded. "Yes, I intend to donate one hundred thousand dollars to aid the homeless children here."

"One hundred thousand dollars!"

This sum was significant for a small orphanage.

"I need to gather information first. Could you show me around?" Forseti inquired further.

"Certainly!"

The volunteer eagerly prepared to lead the way, but it was Forseti who took the lead, and soon they arrived at the playground where children were playing.

Forseti glanced around and spotted Thor sitting in a corner, playing with mud.

"What's that child's name?" he asked.

"His name is Donald Black," the volunteer replied. "Are you considering adoption? If so, you should know he has some disabilities."

Forseti shook his head. "No, I was merely inquiring."

Though Odin had tasked him with observing Thor more closely, Forseti had no intention of becoming Thor's adoptive father, nor did he wish to maintain such a connection in the future, considering the differences in their standings.

"Are there many disabled children here?"

"Quite a few," the volunteer answered. "Disability is often a primary reason for abandonment, and it's rare for disabled children to find adoptive families."

Forseti continued, "Do you provide education for these children?"

The volunteer nodded. "Yes, unless there are intellectual barriers, we ensure they receive education and attend school whenever possible. Our dean often says that only knowledge can change destiny."

Forseti nodded in acknowledgment, then approached Thor.

"Your name is Black, correct?" Forseti asked, crouching down with a friendly smile.

"Yeah." Donald Black nodded, continuing to hold mud in his hand.

Clearly, he was a reserved and quiet child, quite unlike Thor in this aspect.

Forseti wondered how this introverted new life would influence Thor in the long run.

"What are you making there?" he asked.

"A hammer," little Black muttered.

His pronunciation was not quite clear, and without careful listening, one might not understand he was referring to the hammer he was crafting.

"Let me help," Forseti said, taking the mud from his hand and quickly shaping it into a hammer.

He handed the mud hammer back to little Black. "Here you go."

Little Black silently gazed at the small mud hammer in his hand.

Suddenly, Forseti's expression changed as if he had discovered something extraordinary.

He hesitated, then sniffed his fingers.

"...What kind of mud did you use?"

Little Black remained silent.

But Forseti quickly noticed mud stains on the child's open-crotch pants and fell silent.

After a moment, Forseti took a deep breath, retrieved a high-resolution cosmic camera from his Holy Tome space, and aimed it at little Black. "Stand still. I'll take some pictures for you."

"Click-click-click..."

Forseti took several pictures of the child and decided to keep them safe, feeling a bit more balanced.

After leaving the playground, he completed the donation process, contributing $100,000 to the orphanage.

This donation primarily facilitated his future visits, ensuring he would be remembered, becoming a significant donor was undoubtedly the simplest path to being remembered.

...

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was the end of 1999, the last day of the twentieth century on Earth.

Bern, Switzerland.

A grand banquet was underway here, celebrating the imminent arrival of the New Year. Distinguished figures from various fields gathered, exchanging toasts and engaging in lively conversations, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

A bearded man, impeccably dressed in a suit and leather shoes, stood out in the crowd. He sported a slightly ostentatious white top hat, commanding attention wherever he went.

"Mr. Stark, such a pleasure to meet you!"

"Could we take a photo together, Mr. Stark?"

"Haha! Tony, it's been ages! I'm the cousin of your college buddy Tom's uncle. Remember me?"

Wherever he went, people sought to converse with him, some receiving a smile in response, while others were met with a swift departure, his responses skillfully handling the interactions.

This man with the infectious smile was none other than Tony Stark, current Chairman of the Board at Stark Industries.

As the world's foremost genius scientist, engineer, and affluent entrepreneur, he had long grown accustomed to being surrounded by stars, navigating the interactions with ease and contentment.

Soon, he turned his attention to a woman, engaging in lively discussion with a scientist named Maya Hansen.

"...What's next on our agenda?"

"Let loose for a while, then delve into your research findings," Tony Stark's approach to wooing women was straightforward—direct and discussing bed games over meals.

If another person were to utter the same, it would undoubtedly be seen as sexual harassment.

However, when spoken by Tony Stark, it was perceived as charming banter, met with a "decline" from Maya Hansen, accompanied by a smile. "Let's stick to discussing research."

As an experienced player, Stark could sense when he had sealed the deal. Thus, he took her hand, leading the way to their hotel room.

Maya Hansen offered no resistance, half-pushing, half-following along.

"Hello, Mr. Stark. I'm Ho Yinsen," a bald man approached Tony and introduced himself.

"Hello." Tony smiled, responding casually, before moving on after exchanging a few pleasantries.

As he approached the elevator, a blond man on crutches hurried over.

Disheveled, with the air of an addict or alcoholic, he exclaimed excitedly, "Tony, I'm Aldrich Killian!"

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