"Mr. Ghost?"
Tony looked uncertainly at the familiar figure before him.
From the darkness came a hoarse voice. "Tony, you should know your time is running out. So why are you still wearing that armor?"
Tony froze for a moment, then smiled bitterly. Though he didn't know how the Ghost knew about his condition, it no longer mattered.
Without answering, Tony walked to the table, poured two glasses of liquor, and handed one to Meng Ran.
Meng Ran accepted the glass, his gaze steady and silent.
Tony lifted his mask, downed his drink in one gulp, and gave a weary smile. "Since you already know my situation, Mr. Ghost, why bother asking?"
"My time's short. I don't want to think about anything anymore—just do whatever I feel like doing."
Meng Ran replied quietly, "Nothing at all? Your good friend just drove off in one of your armors right in front of you."
"We're both smart men. Was that really you 'not thinking'?"
Tony chuckled and shook his head. "Mr. Ghost, you can't accuse me like that. He stole it."
Before Meng Ran could respond, Tony sighed. "Ah, think of this as me settling my affairs, Mr. Ghost. I've already arranged everything. It's time I went to see my parents."
Meng Ran's tone deepened. "Do you regret it, Tony? Without the armor, you might've lived longer."
"Or rather, if you hadn't used the reactor as the armor's core and only for sustaining your life, a bit of palladium poisoning could've been treated with chlorophyll extract."
"So, do you regret it? If you could choose again?"
"Regret…" Tony murmured the word, his eyes distant with thought.
Until today, he hadn't really faced that question—not because he refused to, but because he hadn't needed to, or hadn't had time to.
Meng Ran didn't interrupt. He raised his glass and took a sip.
Damn, what is this? Tastes awful. Meng Ran grumbled inwardly, setting the glass down. He wouldn't break his cold persona by complaining aloud.
After a long silence, Tony exhaled and refilled his glass. "There's not much point in saying this now, but… if I could choose again, I'd still do the same."
"I didn't realize before that the weapons I created would end up in the hands of terrorists."
"For those who lost their homes in war, for those who died because of my weapons… I can't think of a reason not to make the choices I made."
He drained the glass again, then said with a pained smile, "I don't know if you remember Ethan—the man you rescued with me."
"I always thought his family was still alive. The last time we drank together, I even asked when he'd visit them."
"At first, he dodged the question. Later, after a few more drinks, he told me… his family was gone."
"They were killed by those damn terrorists—by weapons I built."
Tony's eyes reddened. His voice trembled. "I… I didn't know how to face him."
"Maybe Ethan sensed it too. He told me he was tired of the lab, wanted to travel the world."
"Then he left. At first, I knew where he was… then I lost track. I still don't know where he went."
Tony wiped away his tears, his voice catching. "I should've apologized to him. Maybe if I had, he'd still be here."
Meng Ran fell silent. He could feel the guilt and pressure crushing Tony's heart.
Sudden death isn't the scariest thing. What's terrifying is watching yourself sink step by step toward it.
For a long time, Tony Stark had been living under that shadow. He couldn't tell anyone. He could only prepare everything in secret—to reduce the damage when he was gone.
He didn't trust the government or the military. The only ones he trusted were Rhodey and Pepper. He'd left Stark Industries to Pepper, and his armors to Rhodey.
Meng Ran looked at the weary, red-eyed Tony and gently patted his shoulder. "I don't trust those clowns either. But I trust you."
"So, Tony—you can't die yet."
Tony shook his head softly. "I've tried every element. None can replace palladium."
Meng Ran said, "Maybe your father left you the answer. He left you the key to the future."
Tony lifted his gaze, puzzled. "My father? How could he…?"
"We'll get to that," Meng Ran interrupted. He took out a small, ornate wooden box marked with a simple yet mysterious emblem—a circle enclosing a six-pointed star drawn in black lines.
"Take off your armor," Meng Ran said.
Tony looked at the box with curiosity, but didn't hesitate. Soon, he stood unarmored before Meng Ran.
Meng Ran opened the box, revealing six syringes filled with a faintly glowing blue liquid.
He lifted one and explained, "This is a serum my team and I developed specifically for you. It has one purpose—curing palladium poisoning."
"Two doses make one full treatment. That should cure your poisoning."
"But remember—this serum isn't infinite. The more you use it, the weaker its effects become."
"So you still need to find a new element to replace palladium."
Meng Ran handed him the entire set.
Tony stared at them in disbelief. In the face of death, a spark of hope had suddenly returned.
Without hesitation, he took one syringe and injected it into his arm.
He was already a dying man—what did he have left to fear?
As the serum entered his veins, Tony felt his body lighten. He quickly pulled open his shirt and looked in the mirror.
The dark veins around his chest had already shrunk to a ring around the arc reactor. Another shot, and they'd likely vanish entirely.
A smile broke across his face—raw and genuine. The crushing weight of death suddenly lifted.
He turned to Meng Ran, his tone sincere. "Thank you, Mr. Ghost."
This was a debt of life—one he would never forget.
Meng Ran replied calmly, "No need to thank me. Like I said—I don't trust those fools, but I trust you, Tony Stark."
"We both seek justice and peace. Our paths may differ, but our goal is the same, isn't it?"
His words dispelled Tony's last doubts. He understood now why Meng Ran had done all this.
"Now," Meng Ran continued, "let's talk about your father."
Tony listened intently.
"The arc reactor your father left behind was only a prototype—it still has potential for evolution."
"I won't bore you with the details. Soon enough, Nick Fury will come to you. He'll explain everything."
Meng Ran paused, then spoke solemnly. "What I want to tell you is about the key to the future your father left behind."
"That key is what you need to find the new element to replace palladium."
"You've heard of your father's dream—the city of the future."
"The answer you seek is hidden within that design."
Tony fell silent, deep in thought. After a while, he looked up and muttered, "Can't you just say it more directly—"
Before he could finish, the Ghost had already vanished.
-----------------------
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