"You? Applying to be a bodyguard?"
Tony looked at Du Mu with an utterly bewildered expression.
Du Mu nodded: "That's right. Aren't you just short a bodyguard right now? And coincidentally, I'm short an employer."
'That's just too coincidental.'
Tony rolled his eyes, skipping the pleasantries and cutting straight to the point: "You're the one who injured Happy, aren't you?"
Du Mu immediately widened his eyes: "Don't just throw accusations around. I've never even met your bodyguard."
"...I never said Happy was my bodyguard."
Tony felt his temples throbbing. He demanded irritably, "You're a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Why are you running over here to be my bodyguard?"
Du Mu shrugged: "No choice. Agent salaries are too low. I have to find a side hustle to earn some extra cash. Some agents even write online novels as a side gig. One guy was located by his readers after he stopped updating, and they went to his house and broke his leg. He's still laid up. But we actually recruited that reader into the Bureau. After all, talent like that is rare."
Tony: "..."
What in the world was all this nonsense?
"I don't need a new bodyguard. Besides, I have more bodyguards than just Happy," Tony flatly refused.
J.A.R.V.I.S. interjected in a timely manner: "Sir, a correction. Your other twelve bodyguards were also attacked and hospitalized this afternoon. The attacker's description is consistent: a man with black hair, black eyes, wearing a pink short-sleeved shirt and beach shorts."
"???"
Tony stared at the innocent-looking Du Mu. 'Is this something a human would do!?'
"Artificial intelligence?"
Du Mu was surprised by J.A.R.V.I.S.'s existence.
Although A.I. was commonplace in his era, and some people even fell in love with A.I.s, he remembered the timeline in this game was supposed to be 2008. Artificial intelligence was quite rare in this era.
"Yes, sir. I am Mr. Stark's A.I. butler, J.A.R.V.I.S.," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.
"Can you switch to a mature, sensual woman's voice?" Du Mu asked curiously.
"...I cannot, sir. Mr. Stark has not configured any other voice settings for me."
"How boring."
Du Mu pouted, seriously suspecting Tony had some special kink.
What normal man would set his A.I. butler to this kind of deep, magnetic British uncle voice?
Tony took a deep breath: "I don't need a bodyguard! I can handle myself!"
"Are you sure?"
Du Mu raised an eyebrow and chuckled: "Don't say I didn't warn you. Those stockholders out there right now would love to chop you into eight pieces. They're much more vicious than those terrorists. They might even chop off your little buddy and use it for soup."
Tony's expression instantly froze.
He was silent for two seconds, then practically ground out the words: "Congratulations. You're hired!"
"Good, boss," Du Mu grinned.
Outside the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the lights were brilliant and the red carpet was laid out.
Countless media reporters were setting up their cameras and competing to interview the socialites walking the red carpet. Flashbulbs popped constantly.
Just then, a deep, incredibly aggressive engine roar was heard, approaching from a distance, instantly drowning out the noise of the crowd!
A silver-gray luxury sports car zoomed from far away, heading towards the red carpet entrance at an alarming speed.
Just when everyone thought it would lose control and crash into the barrier, the sports car pulled off a maneuver that was so clean it was almost arrogant—a sharp skid. The tires screeched against the asphalt, and it came to a perfect, steady stop right at the start of the red carpet.
A few sharp-eyed reporters immediately recognized the car model and its owner.
"It's Tony Stark!"
"Oh my God! Tony Stark is actually here!"
"Quick! Point the cameras over there! Forget about those two damn fakers! Film Tony Stark!"
"..."
Gasps of surprise instantly erupted in the press section.
All the lenses and flashbulbs, like sharks smelling blood, swiveled towards the sports car.
It was widely known that Tony Stark was the undisputed "traffic password" of the day. His star power and attention levels far surpassed any celebrity or politician.
His arrival immediately became the focus of everyone.
Soon, Tony stepped out of the car and straightened his suit.
However, his face looked a little pale, and his steps seemed a bit unsteady.
Du Mu got out of the driver's seat, closed the door, and shook his head at Tony's appearance: "You look a little weak. You can't even handle this speed."
'Who the hell speeds to over two hundred miles per hour in the city!?'
Tony suppressed the stomach-churning nausea and dizziness, silently roaring inside.
He swore he would never ride in a car driven by Du Mu again!
Tony struggled to maintain his composure, pretending not to hear Du Mu. With a slightly floating gait, he headed towards the concert hall entrance.
At the door, he encountered a burly, bald man.
This man was Obadiah Stane, the second-largest shareholder of Stark Industries and an old friend of Tony's father.
"The host hasn't arrived, so what is a guest doing here?"
"Look who it is. Isn't this our most talked-about person?"
Upon seeing Tony's arrival, Stane wore a seemingly genial smile, but his eyes were shifty.
At that moment, Stane's gaze fell upon Du Mu standing beside Tony.
Knowing he was attending a gala, Du Mu had changed into a well-tailored, pure white suit beforehand.
[Equipment: Charming Suit (A very handsome suit that greatly increases your charm)]
With the added boost of the suit, Du Mu, whose looks were already comparable to the readers', became exceptionally dazzling. His brilliance momentarily made the people around him appear somewhat lackluster, almost eclipsing Tony next to him.
As for why it was 'almost'?
No choice. Tony had the powerful aura of a billionaire surrounding him, and no amount of charm could fully suppress that.
Stane appraised the exceptionally charismatic Du Mu, who was even more eye-catching than the surrounding socialites, secretly speculating that his identity was definitely not simple.
Wanting to make an acquaintance, he asked Tony: "And this gentleman is?"
"My new bodyguard."
"?"
Stane was completely dumbfounded.
'Is the bodyguard industry really this competitive now?'
Tony clearly had no interest in elaborating. After casually exchanging a few perfunctory words with Stane, he took Du Mu and walked into the concert hall.
Inside, Tony immediately spotted his assistant, Pepper Potts, who was talking with someone while holding a wine glass.
"Just relax," Tony tossed a sentence to Du Mu, then walked straight toward Pepper, engaging in a very public display of office romance.
"As expected of the man dubbed 'The Playboy,' Mr. Tony's flirting skills are absolutely maxed out."
Du Mu watched the two, who were practically merging into one, and shook his head, admitting he couldn't learn their techniques.
Before the game started, he was a bachelor. Despite his decent looks, he couldn't find a girlfriend and still couldn't figure out why.
Just then, a blonde beauty in a stunning evening gown noticed Du Mu and walked over with a captivating smile.
"Hey, are you here alone?"
"Nonsense. Half a person might scare you to death."
"..."
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