After everyone had chatted happily for a while, Tony finally couldn't hold back and asked Meng Ran the question he had wanted to ask earlier.
"Uh, it's not that I mean anything by it—I'm just a bit curious."
"Like you guys, hiding your identities and then taking on roles completely different from your ordinary lives."
"Does living these two contrasting lives affect you in any way?"
Hearing Tony's question, the members of the Hexagram Alliance fell silent, deep in thought.
They knew Tony didn't have any ill intent—given his personality, it was just pure curiosity.
After all, Tony never hid his identity as Iron Man. The whole world knew that Tony Stark was Iron Man, and Iron Man was Tony Stark.
Billionaire, playboy, and savior of the world—the labels all fit Tony Stark. He never hid who he truly was.
Meng Ran paused for a moment, then looked Tony in the eye and said solemnly, "I think I understand what you mean."
"To be honest, it does have some impact, because no one can perfectly manage two entirely different identities."
"Especially since our roles aren't just ordinary jobs—they represent our special abilities and carry with them far more responsibility."
After speaking, Meng Ran paused, then continued, "Actually, I've always been curious too—why did you admit that you were Iron Man at that time?"
Hearing this, Gwen and the others looked up, and even Steve and the others turned to look at Tony.
The Avengers sat quietly, like squirrels in a melon field, eating their meals while silently observing the inner thoughts of Tony and the Phantom.
Tony thought for a moment after hearing Meng Ran's question. He opened his mouth to say something but hesitated, unsure how to put it.
Seeing Tony like that, Meng Ran spoke again: "I think I can guess what you were thinking back then."
"You probably acted on a whim, not wanting to follow the script or repeat the prepared statements."
Hearing Meng Ran, Tony chuckled awkwardly and replied, "I admit that's part of it. But honestly, most of the reason, I'm not entirely sure myself. I just felt like I should do it… so I did."
Meng Ran leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Tony, Tony… you really are just as you are—impulsive and unpredictable."
"Did it ever occur to you that the moment you admitted your identity, everyone around you would also be thrown into danger?"
Tony went silent. At the time, he truly hadn't considered that.
Part of the reason was that after his parents died, he didn't have many close people around him—except Pepper and Happy.
That environment shaped a mindset very different from Meng Ran and the others.
Meng Ran sighed, then continued after a pause: "That's exactly why we do it differently."
"We don't have that kind of confidence, nor dare we take such risks."
"Because if we reveal our identities, our families and friends are exposed too. Those are our weaknesses, our soft spots."
"At that point, the danger wouldn't just be media scrutiny—it would be countless hidden attacks from the shadows."
"You wouldn't even know where they'd come from, or which ones could cause unbearable damage."
"That's the kind of result we neither dare gamble with nor could endure."
Hearing Meng Ran, everyone fell silent. Perhaps they all envied superheroes, but the price of becoming one was extraordinarily high.
After finishing the heavy topic, they stopped discussing it and shifted to trivial jokes and interesting experiences.
After the meal, the Avengers waved goodbye to the members of the Hexagram Alliance and returned to their respective bases.
Meng Ran and his team's long-standing worry over the New York crisis was finally resolved.
Although there were still minor follow-ups to handle, the major problems were now dealt with.
Afterward, Meng Ran and his team returned to a normal life: daily routines by day, night patrols by evening.
The recent New York battle had destroyed many buildings and disrupted previously established order.
Many people were left homeless, creating opportunities for criminals to exploit.
The nights had once again grown somewhat unsafe.
With new criminals emerging, the Hexagram Alliance resumed their patrols.
Because the city had previously been well-ordered and crime rates low, they implemented a shift system.
Instead of everyone patrolling every night, each member now had scheduled times to rotate.
During the period when the Hexagram Alliance returned to normal life, a shadowy investigation and conspiracy targeting them began to unfold.
In the top-floor office of Blackwater Security Company, Saiko and Landu stood on either side of the desk, listening to the orders of the person seated in the chair.
Om looked over the files, flipping pages as he asked Saiko, "So this is your performance over this period?"
Saiko hurriedly replied, "Yes. During my management, Blackwater's performance has shown a consistent upward trend."
"Not only has our client base expanded significantly, but our task forces' mission completion rates have also outperformed other branches."
Saiko's pride showed as he spoke of these achievements—all the result of his diligent management.
Om gave a cold laugh and said, "So you're proud, huh?"
"Do you really think headquarters sent me here to praise you?"
"Haven't you realized the gravity of the situation?"
Om's three consecutive questions made Saiko tense. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Seeing Saiko's nervous reaction, Om smirked with amusement: "Looks like something just occurred to you."
"I thought that after staying at the branch so long, you might have forgotten some of headquarters' rules."
-----------------------
Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Guys, I've uploaded some High Quality english translated fanfic on my Patreon shop! Feel free to check it out-if you're interested, you can grab a copy and support me there.
patreon.com/SuperTL
Here are a few titles of recently uploaded fanfics:
" Accelerator in Marvel "
" Marvel: Glory of the Sun God (18+) "
" Marvel +18: My Travel Frog Steals Across the Multiverse! "
" DC Universe: Starting Off Controlling Batman "
" Marvel Starting from Gwen Spider-Man "
" Marvel: Invading the Multiverse, Wanda and Gwen Are Shocked "
" Just Arrived in Marvel, System Awakens Silver Superman "
" Marvel: I Took Over Iron Man's Team "
many more are available 47+
Your support means a lot-thanks in advance, legends!
patreon.com/SuperTL
(End of Chapter)