15: Stark mansion is very noisy today

"Of course, but if it were him, he'd definitely say—"

Lyon dragged out his words, mimicking Tony's voice, "Pepper, I have many habits, but nostalgia isn't one of them, so you can take care of this. Smash it or burn it, it's up to you."

"Ha! Hahaha."

Lyon's imitation was so spot-on that Pepper couldn't help but burst into laughter.

She gazed at the Arc Reactor in her hand, unable to get enough of it.

"That's exactly what he would say." Pepper beamed with a full smile. "So, where is he now?"

Lyon shrugged. "He's sleeping. He spent the last few days working through the nights, so I knocked him out."

"Not sleeping for several days? My gosh, Lyon, you did the right thing. Is he in the bedroom now?"

"Of course, you should go up and check on him."

"Alright, I will!" Pepper nodded repeatedly, her steps light and hurried as she left the lab.

Before leaving, she turned back and said, "Lyon, you too, make sure to get some rest, okay?"

"Got it, got it!" Lyon flashed a big smile. "I'll take a break after I finish tidying up these little things."

Pepper gave him an approving look. "That's the best!"

Watching Pepper disappear up the stairs, Lyon let out a deep breath.

"Whew... problem solved!"

Jarvis spoke up, "Master Lyon, are you sure this was the right thing to do? Mr. Stark didn't exactly—"

"What's the big deal? Without me, Tony would definitely have handed over that Arc Reactor to Pepper to deal with, and he would have said something pretty close to what I just imitated."

Lyon was nonchalant. "Simulate it yourself and see if that's not the result."

Jarvis hesitated for a few seconds. "Zzz... Based on Mr. Stark's past behavior patterns, the simulated result has an eighty-three percent similarity."

"See? I just polished up the process a bit."

Lyon spread his hands. "In the end, Pepper got to be happy, Tony got to be content, and I got some free time—it's a win-win-win!"

Jarvis immediately responded, "If Mr. Stark knew, he would certainly be grateful to you."

Lyon raised an eyebrow. "He better be grateful! Alright, now that no one's interrupting, it's time to officially start building my armor!"

...

When Tony woke up again, the world seemed a little strange.

Pepper had become incredibly gentle.

Jarvis kept asking him how he was feeling today.

As for Lyon, that fuc—ehm—cunning kid, he wouldn't even let Tony into the lab!

This was his lab!

Hmph, with the way Lyon was being all secretive, he probably couldn't even build a suit of armor. He was likely just too embarrassed to admit it, which was why he wouldn't reveal anything!

Tony, after discovering that he had slept through an entire day, couldn't help but maliciously speculate.

"Very well!" Tony, fuming, stormed into the underground garage and began assembling his suit.

"Even if I can't get into the lab, I'll still beat Lyon in the competition two days from now, and then I'll pour a cup of heated cola down his throat!"

"Now, Dum-E, bring the support over! And, U..."

Tony waited for a moment and realized something was wrong. "Dummy? Where are you, Dummy? And U?"

He looked around and discovered that none of his robotic arms were in sight.

"Unbelievable! Lyon didn't even leave me a single arm. They've all turned into his lackeys!" Tony was exasperated.

In the end, Tony had to run to the lab and ask Lyon to return his "little helpers."

After all, he didn't have super strength, so if he wanted to assemble his suit, he had to rely on the machines.

Two days later.

It was another rare sunny day.

The West Coast of Los Angeles.

The sunlight reflected off the sea, blending with the waves so that each crest became a prism. From the Stark mansion, the vast expanse of the ocean stretched out, shimmering as far as the eye could see. Sailboats and yachts moved across the water, creating a serene and tranquil scene.

But even this serenity couldn't lessen the tension inside the Stark mansion today.

In the cool-toned underground garage, sunlight slanted in from the entrance, splitting the space into a stark contrast of light and shadow.

Lyon walked in from outside, his hair appearing almost translucent under the sunlight, bathed in a golden glow.

Tony sat at the far end of the garage, wearing a felt hat that cast a long shadow over his face.

"I'm here," Lyon said coldly.

"I've been waiting for you," Tony replied, his eyes hidden under the brim of his hat. "You're destined to lose; you shouldn't have come."

As Tony finished speaking, a burst of intense, sharp music suddenly blared, echoing through the garage, as if someone was about to pull out a gun and start shooting.

"What The Fuck!?" Tony was startled—he actually jumped out of his chair.

Maybe he felt like he'd lost his momentum, conceding the first round.

Tony took off his hat and slammed it on the table, frustrated and annoyed.

"Jarvis, what the hell is this music!?"

"Sir, this is Extreme Ways, a track from the movie The Bourne Identity that Lyon requested to be played in advance," Jarvis replied calmly.

Tony was speechless. "Lyon, we're competing in a battle of armor today, not a gunfight. Are you planning to pull out a gun and take me out if you can't win?"

"What are you talking about, Tony?" Lyon said, feigning confusion. "I'm using this intense, thrilling music to let you know that you're going to lose today's competition!"

"Is that so? If talking big could make you a winner, then those underground rappers in America would be the kings of the world!" Tony retorted, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Lyon remained unfazed. "You're the one boasting without even showing your armor. Who's really the one lacking confidence here?"

"Then why don't you show me what you've made in the last two days?" Tony deliberately looked around. "But all I see here is you. Could it be that you couldn't actually build any armor and are just bluffing?"

Tony spread his hands wide. "Lyon! Don't do this. As your brother, I've always taught you to be honest. If you can't do something, it's okay to apologize; I'll forgive you."

Lyon chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll see it soon enough."

"Why not now?" Tony raised his chin, challenging Lyon.

Lyon extended a finger towards Tony, signaling him to wait. "Hehe~ Because, as per international customs, ladies first."

Tony's face darkened. "Kid, I don't recall ever teaching you to speak to a gentleman like that."

"Is that so?" Lyon crossed his arms over his chest. "Then which old man told me 'ladies first' when I was about to go on stage for my graduation speech?"

"That was nearly a year ago!" Tony pinched the bridge of his nose.

"But you taught a young gentleman how to properly address another gentleman." Lyon maintained his stance.

"Alright, alright, my bad. But you shouldn't say things like that anymore—it's impolite," Tony said, unusually serious.

Lyon nodded. "Of course, I won't. I'll only say that to you~"

Tony simply turned around, deciding it wasn't worth it to exchange harsh words with this little rascal.

_____