The Great Demon Lord of the American Comics World

Chapter 60, Tony is actually a pretty nice guy!

Li Xingzhou pulled the car over to the side of the road, rolled down the window, and said to Tony Stark:
"Good evening, Mr. Tony... no, I mean, Mr. Stark. It's a surprise to see you here. Have you switched careers to become a traffic cop?"

Tony Stark opened his suit's visor, revealing a serious face:

"Be serious, young man, we're checking for drunk driving..."

As he spoke, upon seeing Gwen in the passenger seat, he immediately put on a charming smile:

"Good evening, beautiful lady. I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm investigating a murder case and would like to speak with your male companion..."

To be honest, although Tony Stark is a bit old, his charm is still undeniable. Coupled with his status and that cool Iron Man suit, any other naive young girl would probably have been captivated by him long ago.

Unfortunately, Gwen wasn't interested in handsome middle-aged men, especially middle-aged playboys, whom she hated the most.

As for Tony Stark's status as a billionaire and superhero, it's not a plus for her—she's lived a privileged life since childhood and isn't particularly interested in wealth. Superhero? She is one herself!
So, faced with Tony Stark's charming smile, Gwen simply gave a perfunctory but polite smile and said indifferently:

“Mr. Stark, my male companion has been with me all night, and whatever murders happened tonight, I can testify that he was not involved.”

"No, no, no, the case isn't for tonight..."

Just as he finished speaking, Li Xingzhou suddenly interrupted:
“Mr. Stark, to be honest, I’m a fan of yours, and I’m quite surprised to see you here. Could I take a picture with you? And it would be great if you could also sign an autograph for me.”

Taking photos with celebrities has always been a quick way to expand one's network and attract investment.

After Li Xingzhou posed for a photo with the Supreme Court Justice, Kingpin immediately praised Li Xingzhou as the best executioner under his command and promised to provide him with all financial support.

If he were to take a close photo with Tony Stark, he might not be able to get away with anything in the upper echelons of the legitimate world, but he could at least easily fool a lot of wealthy people.

Tony Stark was a little confused by his words—I was just talking about the murder case, how did you suddenly bring up autographs and photos?
Although you are my fan, you are not a great beauty, and I am not a fan-favorite maniac, let alone a male fan-favorite!

He intended to maintain a serious expression, but upon seeing Li Xingzhou's sincere smile, especially his dark eyes, Tony Stark inexplicably felt a subtle sense of kinship towards him.

After a slight hesitation, he thought to himself, "Alright, there's a certain resonance between handsome men. Considering you can be ranked alongside me as one of the two most handsome men in America, I'll grant your small request for now..."

"Get off the bus and take a group photo."

Tony Stark tapped the roof of the car and said bluntly.

Li Xingzhou opened the car door, got out with a smile, and stood side by side with Tony Stark, even putting his arm around his shoulder.

"Come on, smile." Li Xingzhou took out his phone and turned on the camera.

"Hey kid, stop touching me like that. I'm not comfortable being this close to men..."

Tony complained, but he didn't slap Li Xingzhou's hand away or distance himself. He just let Li Xingzhou put his arm around his shoulder intimately and then smiled at the camera.

After taking a few photos with his phone, Li Xingzhou still wasn't satisfied, so he asked Gwen to find an instant camera in the car to take a photo of him and Tony together.

Gwen took several photos of the two of them from various angles. Li Xingzhou picked out two of them, took out a pen, and handed them to Tony.

"Sign it, Tony. Just write: To Leonardo Victor, the most handsome and honorable executioner and Soul Lock Warden, may you achieve great success and rise to a high position."

"Glory Executioner? Soul Lock Warden? What kind of ridiculous titles are these? Besides, I'm the most handsome man in America!"

Tony muttered to himself, but still wrote down the blessing as instructed and signed his name.

"And this one says: Dedicated to the cutest little girl, Mandy McCready, knowledge is the most precious treasure, the ladder of human progress, and the most powerful force and weapon. Please study hard."

"Mandy McCready... Is that how you spell it? What grade is the little girl in? Only seventh grade? Well, kids this age are rebellious and don't quite understand the importance of knowledge, so she definitely needs encouragement. I must admit, you made the right choice. With this autographed photo from the smartest and most charming man in America, the little girl will definitely study hard..." Tony said with a narcissistic look, then quickly wrote the blessing that Li Xingzhou had requested and left his name.

Afterwards, he looked at Gwen and flashed that charming, captivating smile again:

"Beautiful lady, would you like to take a picture with me?"

Gwen secretly rolled her eyes and gave a perfunctory smile:
"No, Mr. Stark."

Tony shrugged regretfully, then joked with Li Xingzhou:
"Well, it seems I met this lady too late. With you, the second most handsome man in America after me, around, it looks like I have no chance."

Gwen thought to herself: Even if I hadn't met Leonardo DiCaprio, there would still be no future for us. A middle-aged man, and a playboy at that—I hate that type the most!

Li Xingzhou then said with a smile:

"Without a doubt, Tony, you are the most charming man in America, and of course, I'm just as attractive. I met the girl first, so you obviously have no chance, but the reverse is also true."

"Haha, kid, you're quite the smooth talker. I like you! Interested in joining Stark Industries? I know you're a top student from Imperial University, majoring in business. Our company would love to have someone like you!"

"I am very grateful for Mr. Stark's appreciation. However, I have my own career."

"Your own business? That little bar called 'Dream'? That's hardly a promising business for a young person like you."

Tony Stark is commissioned by General Ross to investigate the murder of the general's cousin, Barney Ross. By reviewing surveillance footage and comparing big data, he identifies several suspects.

On the day Barney Ross was killed, Li Xingzhou, who had suddenly appeared in Hudson County, New Jersey, was one of them, and even the prime suspect.

Therefore, Tony had already checked Li Xingzhou's detailed information and knew him very well.

"The bar is just a side business. I'm now preparing to enter the private prison industry and have already registered a correctional company... Speaking of which, once my private prison starts operating, I will still have some business dealings with the Stark Group, such as some intelligent early warning and defense facilities. I prefer to purchase from the Stark Group."

"You have a good eye, kid. Stark Industries' intelligent early warning and defense system has always been top-notch in the industry. But speaking of which, why private prisons? It's not that I have industry prejudice, it's just that those in the private prison business don't have a very good reputation. For example, the infamous Correctional Institution is known as a modern-day slave-owning group..."

“Tony, I’m different from those people in Punishment. I don’t pursue profits, and I can even do without them. I just want to do my part to make America better. Speaking of which, I was also moved by you. Back then, you insisted on closing Stark Industries’ most profitable military division and transitioning to clean energy, despite everyone’s opposition. This sense of social responsibility deeply touched me and made me start thinking about what I could do for this world. That’s how I came up with my current idea.”

"Haha, kid, you're right. Among all the entrepreneurs in America, no one is more socially responsible than me! Keep up the good work, learn from me, I believe in you!"

After a long chat, Li Xingzhou waved goodbye to Tony Stark and drove away.

Tony Stark closed his armor, soared into the sky, and flew joyfully toward Stark Tower.

He gradually came to his senses halfway through the flight:

Wasn't I there to investigate a suspect? How did I end up taking a photo with Leonardo DiCaprio, signing his autograph, and even becoming friends with him, giving him my personal phone number?

What kind of spell did he cast on me?

Tony was completely baffled, but he couldn't bring himself to go back to Li Xingzhou.

"Forget it, Barney Ross was just a black glove for the Charity Church anyway, a warmonger who stirred up wars all over the world. His death is actually a contribution to world peace..."

The old Tony Stark would never have thought that way. But ever since terrorists used one of his own missiles to shoot him down, Tony Stark's thinking has undergone a profound change.

His current philosophy is: world peace. War profiteers and all that stuff should be wiped out...

I need votes!



(End of this chapter)