Chapter Fifteen: A Special Request

The villa was exquisitely decorated and ready for immediate move-in. Arthur had also gone shopping for a variety of furniture and household goods. Gazing at his new home, Arthur nodded in satisfaction and called Jack, telling them to close up shop early today and come over to celebrate his housewarming.

Arthur even went out to the sea himself to catch two large lobsters, two big crabs, and a bluefin tuna. Now that his villa was right by the water, he could dive straight into the ocean from his doorstep. He’d even had the renovation company install a glass door in the floor-to-ceiling windows for this very purpose.

Ding dong—ding dong—the doorbell rang. Arthur got up to open the door; it must be them. Sure enough, it was the six from the restaurant.

“Boss, your new place is gorgeous!” “Boss, you must be loaded to buy a seafront villa!” “Boss, does your house need a mistress? I don’t want to work hard anymore…” The three girls chattered excitedly as they explored the villa.

Zhao Long, Jack, and Mike carried in the drinks and liquor they’d brought; since the restaurant sold alcohol, Arthur hadn’t bothered with a separate trip to the supermarket.

Pointing to the seafood and various ingredients in the kitchen, Arthur said to the three, “I’ll leave all this to you. After all, you’re the professionals.”

“Don’t worry, boss, just wait for your feast!” Jack thumped his chest in assurance.

“Hooray! A feast! A feast!” Lina, hearing those two words, bounced up and down with glee. Arthur looked at the little foodie in exasperation.

“Zhao Long, make some specialties: spicy hot pot, sweet and sour fish, and crispy pork. I’ve been craving those for the past two months,” Arthur said.

“Alright, boss, just sit tight!” Zhao Long replied cheerfully.

The six gathered at Arthur’s new home, reveling well into the night. They all got drunk again, Arthur included, his vision blurred with drink. Reunited with everyone, he felt immense joy. The battles and the solitary cultivation of the past month were finally released in this evening of laughter.

The next day was the weekend—the busiest time for the restaurant—so the six made their farewells early and went off to work.

Left alone, Arthur sat at his computer, browsing the news from the past two months.

Tony Stark, after being kidnapped by terrorists, had been rescued, and on the very day of his return, announced at a press conference that Stark Industries would cease the production and sale of weapons. The news exploded like a bombshell; people thought Tony Stark had lost his mind. What was a weapons company without weapons? Stark’s stock price instantly plummeted to rock bottom.

Arthur sighed at the missed opportunity. If only he had more money—buying up Stark stock now would surely yield a handsome profit before long.

Always selling antiques from the sea floor was too conspicuous; he needed to keep a low profile.

Just then, the phone rang. It was Coulson: “Hello, Arthur, there’s something I’m afraid I’ll have to trouble you with.”

“Let’s hear it,” Arthur replied.

“I’ll come over and explain in detail,” Coulson said.

“Alright, come to my place. The address is… this is my new home!” Arthur said.

Not long after, Coulson arrived at Arthur’s villa.

“Come in!” Arthur welcomed him inside.

“I didn’t expect you to buy a house just two days after returning,” Coulson remarked as he looked around.

“It wasn’t convenient living at the restaurant all the time. I realized I needed a place of my own. But let’s get to business—what do you need from me?” Arthur asked.

“It’s like this. You know Stark Industries, right?” Coulson asked, and Arthur nodded.

“Howard Stark, the company’s founder, was also one of S.H.I.E.L.D.’s founders. His son, Tony Stark, was kidnapped not long ago but has been rescued,” Coulson continued.

“I’ve heard. It’s been all over the news lately,” Arthur said.

“We need you to protect Tony Stark for a while. Our investigation suggests his kidnapping wasn’t as simple as it appears—some senior executives at Stark Industries may have been involved.”

“We have to ensure Tony Stark’s safety. He’s of special importance to S.H.I.E.L.D.,” Coulson said.

“You want me to be his bodyguard? Are you kidding? Don’t you have enough agents to send anyone you want?” Arthur asked.

“We have no one to spare, and protecting Stark requires someone with your abilities,” Coulson said, indirectly acknowledging Arthur’s strength.

“Does Tony Stark know? And how long do you need me to protect him?” Arthur asked.

“Tony has no idea. We’ll arrange for you to infiltrate the company and guard him personally. As for how long, I don’t expect it to be too long,” Coulson replied.

“Infiltrate the company? Me?” Arthur pointed at himself in confusion.

“Yes, I can arrange for you to join Stark Industries as a security officer. While protecting Tony, we also need your help investigating the mastermind behind the scenes at Stark Industries,” Coulson explained.

Be a security guard? The mighty King of the Seas reduced to a security guard? Arthur stared at Coulson, mouth agape.

“There’s no other way. I have many other matters to deal with. Another top agent is temporarily on assignment, but she’ll soon be available to assist you,” Coulson said helplessly.

You mean Black Widow? The thought of the famous Widow as his partner made Arthur feel more accepting of the idea. (Coulson: Where’s your dignity? Arthur: This is great!)

Truth be told, Arthur had always wanted to meet Stark but never had the chance—now the opportunity was right in front of him, and with the generous compensation Coulson offered, he decided to accept.

Besides money, Coulson also provided him with a set of combat techniques at Arthur’s request. His fighting skills were lacking, and he needed to train himself.

“Alright, I agree. When do I start?”

“Now…”

…

Arthur donned a black suit, his tall frame and golden hair making him look rather handsome. Since awakening his bloodline, his physical development had accelerated; in just a few months, he’d shot up in height and grown much stronger, looking like a young man in his twenties, though he was still underage.

Arthur arrived at Stark Tower. Watching the comings and goings at the company, he strode inside.

“Hello, sir, can I help you?” the pretty receptionist asked.

“Oh, my name is Jonn Arthur. I have an appointment,” he replied.

“Alright, please wait a moment.” She made a call, and soon a stout figure emerged from the elevator.

“You’re Jonn Arthur?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Arthur replied, recognizing Happy—the trusted right hand of Tony Stark.

“Follow me!” Happy Hogan led Arthur up to the sixteenth floor, the security department of Stark Industries.

“I heard you were recommended by the Department of Defense?” Happy asked.

“Yes,” Arthur nodded.

“I’m Happy Hogan, head of security at Stark Industries. You’ll be working under me from now on. Fill out this form,” Happy said.

Arthur dutifully completed his resume and handed it over. Happy glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction—the interview seemed to have gone well.

Happy then took Arthur to the top floor, where he met Pepper Potts, Stark’s capable assistant and the company’s future CEO, widely known as “Pepper.”

After a brief introduction, Pepper informed Happy that Tony hadn’t been at the company—he’d been holed up in his home workshop for several days now.

…