New York
Top Floor, Stark Tower
Tony Stark swirled his glass, the amber liquid catching the light like molten gold.
He squinted at the young man in front of him, a mocking curve tugging at his lips.
"Let me guess," Tony drawled,"You're some scientist who escaped from a lab? Or maybe the newest consultant for S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Xiao Han remained calm, his gaze steady.
"I want 15% of Stark Industries' shares."
Tony scoffed. "Look at this, J.A.R.V.I.S.—a guest who's never seen the world. With all that advanced tech at his disposal, he's fixated on the shares in my hand."
"I don't need money," Xiao Han said lightly."What I want are resources, channels, and legal identity. In return, I can guarantee that for the rest of your life, you'll never face mortal danger again."
Tony set down his glass, spreading his hands in exaggerated flair. "Wow. How touching! But sorry, I, Tony Stark, don't need anyone protecting me."
Xiao Han sighed softly."Seems like you need to see for yourself."
Suddenly, Tony's smartwatch flashed red."Abnormal energy surge detected!"
The next second, Xiao Han's eyes glowed a searing golden hue.
Sizzle! Boom!!!
Two blazing beams of energy pierced the bulletproof glass of Stark Tower and struck a distant abandoned factory with pinpoint accuracy.
KABOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the industrial district, turning a building into a sea of fire under intense heat.
Tony leapt to his feet, pupils shrinking."J.A.R.V.I.S.! Energy readings!"
"Sir, the beam's temperature just reached 5,500 degrees Celsius—comparable to the surface of the sun."
Tony's breath quickened slightly, but he forced himself to remain composed."Not bad… a laser weapon? Or some kind of energy projection device?"
Xiao Han said nothing. He floated upwards, his black suit fluttering lightly in the still air.
Tony's expression finally changed."Anti-gravity tech?"
Xiao Han smiled faintly."No. Pure strength."
Before Tony could react, Xiao Han appeared in front of him, gripping his shoulder.
"Wait, what are you—"
Boom!!!
A sonic boom shattered the air as they rocketed skyward at a speed beyond human sight.
0.5 seconds later
Tony's eardrums nearly ruptured from the pressure difference. He gasped wildly, realizing he was…in Earth's orbit.
In the blackness of space, the blue planet rotated slowly beneath their feet.
"Wait… I'm gonna die…" Stark's face went pale instantly.
Xiao Han glanced at him, raising a hand to envelop Tony in a golden force field.
Tony Stark—genius, billionaire, playboy, Iron Man—stood frozen, staring like a child at the breathtaking sight.
"This… can't be…" he muttered.
Xiao Han's calm voice echoed in his ear:"Still think I'm dreaming?"
Tony stiffly turned to face the man who had effortlessly carried him beyond the atmosphere. He didn't question why one could speak in space."Who… are you?"
Xiao Han's suit floated naturally in the vacuum, sunlight forming a dazzling halo behind him."Didn't you already guess?"
Tony's throat worked. He finally whispered the name."Superman?"
Xiao Han shrugged."Correct. No reward, though."
Back at Stark Tower, Tony slumped onto the sofa, fingers trembling slightly.
As a top-tier scientist, he fully understood what had just happened. Breaking through the atmosphere, surviving reentry temperatures—these were feats beyond human technology.
"You… really are Superman?" Tony's voice was dry.
Xiao Han's gaze deepened."I suppose you can call me Superman."
"Like the comics? Kryptonian? Power from a yellow sun?" Tony instinctively analyzed.
Xiao Han smiled faintly."Something like that. But my story is far more complicated."
Tony suddenly caught on. "Wait. Then why did you ask for Stark Industries' shares? With your powers, you could easily…"
"Because I don't want to rule the world, Tony," Xiao Han interrupted."I need a legal identity, a platform to operate from. You're the perfect candidate.""15% of shares in exchange for never having to worry about kidnappings, assassination attempts, or any threats again."
Tony was silent for a long moment. Finally, he looked up, his eyes no longer brimming with arrogance, but something more complex."Deal."
Over the next half-hour, Tony acted like a thirsty student, firing question after question.Xiao Han patiently answered some, deftly dodged others.
"So you can hear everything on Earth? See through walls?" Tony suddenly asked, his expression strange."That means you could—""Don't worry. I have no interest in other people's privacy," Xiao Han said with a faint shrug.
Tony went to the bar, poured himself a drink, and downed it. The alcohol calmed him slightly."15%… the board will go insane," he murmured.
"You can say I'm representing an offshore fund," Xiao Han suggested. "Or just call it your personal decision."
Tony's signature sly grin returned. "Or… you could solve a small problem for me first, to prove your sincerity?"
Xiao Han had expected this but wasn't about to intervene personally."The reactor in your chest is poisoning you."
Tony instinctively touched the Arc Reactor in his chest."Yeah. But I've tried everything on the periodic table."
"The model your father left for the Expo," Xiao Han said softly, "holds the answer."
Tony shot upright, eyes wide. "How… do you know?"
"Trust me. Check the model," Xiao Han stood."I'll return by this time tomorrow. Then we'll discuss the shares in detail."
Before Tony could respond, Xiao Han vanished into the night sky, leaving only the curtains swaying gently.
Tony stood frozen for a long moment, then said to the empty room,"J.A.R.V.I.S., pull up all materials from the 1974 Stark Expo."
"Ready, sir. Should I contact Miss Pepper now?" the AI responded.
Tony shook his head, excitement long absent returning to his face."No. Get a car ready. I'm heading to the warehouse."
As Tony drove off, S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ sounded the alarm.
Nick Fury stared at the satellite feed showing the figure breaking through the atmosphere, one eye gleaming dangerously."Find him," Fury ordered Black Widow. "Before anyone else does."
In a dark conference room, Alexander Pierce watched the same feed."Winter Soldier program suspended temporarily," he said into the phone."We need to reassess this guy's threat level."
High above the clouds, Xiao Han floated silently, his super-hearing capturing every conversation about him on Earth.
He knew he had stirred the waters—and that was exactly the point.
"The game begins," he whispered, merging into the glittering stars.
He flew onward, farther still, toward the sun.