"Come on, it's a joke! There's no such thing."
"Why don't you just tell the truth and show us the Gundam already?"
Tony kept pressing me. I shot pleading looks at Rhodey and Pepper, but instead of helping, they just stared at me with eyes full of expectation.
"Jin, look at this."
Tony held up his phone, showing an online map. My island was labeled Gundam Island.
"Wow… that's insane…"
"And there are eyewitness reports popping up too."
"Sigh… I have no idea where that rumor started, but I've been too busy building ships to make anything like that."
"Really? You really don't have one?"
"No."
"Damn it…"
Tony pulled a ten-dollar bill from his wallet and handed it to Rhodey, who took it with a grin. Apparently they'd even bet on whether I had a Gundam.
"Jin, what's this?"
Pepper was holding a foldable smartphone — a prototype.
"That's a folding smartphone, but it's still in durability testing. Miss Pepper, please don't mention it anywhere. It's going to be our company's flagship product."
"Wow, that's amazing. The screen actually folds."
Pepper kept folding and unfolding it, fascinated. It was 2010, so a foldable phone would feel like magic.
"That's what the lab is for."
Tony was staring at an autonomous vacuum cleaner.
"Jin, give me one of these. It'd be so convenient."
"That's the only pre-release unit… I'll send you one when it launches. Just settle for the drone today."
I guided them around the lab, then we boarded a small flying boat and headed to the integrated resort ship, Lakshmi.
"It's massive."
Rhodey marveled at Lakshmi's overwhelming scale. We toured the ship. Nano and I had designed the interior to be ultra-luxurious, so it took a long time to build.
"This is the theater, and over there is the pool. A little farther and you'll find the hospital and pharmacy."
"Wow… it's like an entire beautiful small city inside a ship."
Pepper admired the vessel's elegance as we walked. We eventually reached the bridge. The bridge was surrounded by glass, giving a panoramic view of the surroundings. Right now, all you could see was ocean.
"Lakshmi."
[Yes, Master.]
"Can we run it now?"
[No system anomalies. We are ready to operate at any time.]
"Start the test."
"You're taking it out today?"
"Yeah. I got all the permits lined up for your visit. Lakshmi, depart."
[Yes, Master.]
The Lakshmi gave a slight shudder and began to rise into the sky. Everyone looked stunned. The Helicarrier didn't exist yet, so of course they were shocked.
"Whoa! This thing flies?"
"Yep, it's an airborne vessel. That's why I kept it secret and worked on it nonstop, but those senators at the hearing ruined everything."
Hearing that, Rhodey sighed.
"Politicians, every last one of them."
"Right! Hold on a sec."
I grabbed the captain's hat hanging on the wall.
"Who wants to pilot?"
The moment I held up the hat, Tony darted over and snatched it.
"Heh, first come, first served. I am Captain Sparrow! Men overboard, women drop your panties~!"
Tony put on the hat and shouted nonsense, and Rhodey immediately grabbed it from behind.
"This kind of test flight is for an Air Force lieutenant colonel, Tony."
"This isn't the military!"
Tony and Rhodey tugged the hat back and forth like kindergarteners fighting over a toy. Pepper sighed and cut in.
"Honestly… men… just do rock-paper-scissors?"
"Fine, rock-paper-scissors it is."
"One round!"
Rhodey won and took the wheel. Tony looked devastated as he watched me explain the controls.
"So this is throttle, and the wheel is for turning, right?"
"Right, and the screen next to you shows radar and satellite maps."
"Rhodey, if it's too hard, hand it over?"
Tony, still salty about not going first, kept needling him. Rhodey fired back.
"No way. This is easy."
After Rhodey had his fun driving, he passed the wheel to Tony, who immediately floored it like he was testing the limits.
"Tony! Tony!! This isn't a race car!!!"
Pepper yelled, clutching the safety bar in fear, and only then did he slow down.
"Wow, I didn't know it could corner at that speed."
Neither did I.
"You gotta push these things to break them in."
We all sighed at Tony's insane comment. We returned to the island, ate lunch from inventory-tagged random lunch boxes, and Tony, Rhodey, and Pepper got ready to leave.
"Jin, that was fun. The food was great too. Let's hang out again."
"Tony, wait."
I handed Tony a silver case.
"What's this?"
Tony opened the case to find several syringes.
"Jin, is this drugs?"
"No, it's nothing shady. It's a palladium poisoning suppressant. Lithium dioxide. Take it and the symptoms will ease."
"Oh! Thanks."
"But it's not exactly healthy. Think of it as fighting poison with poison. Don't use it recklessly — only when it's dangerous."
"Got it. I really lucked out with a friend like you. I owe you a drink."
With Nano's help, I made it effective with minimal side effects. It was probably way better than whatever Nick Fury would give him.
The next day, the world went crazy over the luxury airship cruising the skies. We ran ads recruiting crew and held an information session at the Stark Expo.
The price was a bit steep for average people, but comparable to one overseas trip. For the wealthy, we promoted the views and service. Being able to tour both the Arctic and Antarctic in one trip made it incredibly attractive, and reservation inquiries flooded in.
I was meticulous about security. On Rhodey's recommendation, I hired retired, skilled soldiers as security staff, and vetted every crew applicant. Anyone with a shady background was filtered out. Among the rejects were Hydra, SHIELD, and Ten Rings operatives, but they couldn't escape Minerva's information network.
[Master, an invitation to the F1 Grand Prix has arrived from Mr. Tony Stark.]
"Got it."
The main story of Iron Man 2 was finally starting.
[Also, Ms. Natasha contacted us from your New York home. She's looking for you.]
"Really? Why? Something happen?"
I teleported to New York immediately. When I left my room, Natasha was sitting in the waiting area in a suit, drinking coffee.
"What brings you here today? I'm busy with the cruise ship."
Natasha hesitated before speaking.
"Well… I got fired. The damage was too big this time, and the higher-ups wanted someone to take the fall. The Director tried to cover for me, but there was nothing he could do. My face is all over the country."
"Oh~ Perfect. Ms. Natasha, you're hired as my secretary and bodyguard."
"Really? No suspicion at all?"
"I advertised the upgraded Baby Shark to the Director, so that won't be an issue."
"Lucky me. Thanks for trusting me. I had nowhere to go. No one would hire me with my face exposed. And the Director asked me to deliver this."
The sealed letter read: Take care of Natasha for now. There's no trick.
"Now then, try calling me 'Chairman Jin.'"
"Tch, damn it… Chairman… Jin!"
Natasha had spy training and rarely showed emotion, but she'd suffered a lot because of me, and now that she didn't have to hide her feelings, she clenched her jaw and forced out "Chairman Jin" like it physically pained her.
"Haha, it's fine if it's hard. You'll get used to it. Do you have a place to stay?"
"I do… but it's in another city."
Come to think of it, Avengers 1 was a few years away, and New York would be trashed. I'd be fine, but my employees would be in danger. I needed to relocate.
"Wait here a moment."
I went into my room and pulled several stacks of hundred-dollar bills from my inventory.
"Your first job is shopping and vacation. Let's go shopping."
"Shopping for what all of a sudden?"
"Clothes first."
I called my secretary and security team, and we took Natasha to a luxury clothing store.
"Buy dresses you want to wear, not as a spy."
"Why dresses all of a sudden?"
"Because I attend a lot of events and parties, so you'll need them."
"I see. I can buy expensive stuff, right?"
"It doesn't matter."
Natasha picked five dresses.
"Is there nothing else you like?"
"This feels like a lot already…"
She said she'd buy expensive things, but seeing the prices, she got intimidated and only grabbed a few.
"Who do you think I am? Pick everything you like. If there's nothing else, we'll move to another store."
We bought ten more outfits, plus shoes, bags, and accessories. The clothes needed tailoring, so they'd be delivered to my house later.
"Now that we've covered party wear, let's get comfortable clothes. The suits will be custom bulletproof and take time."
"Can you really spend money like this?"
"Who's the richest person in the world?"
"…You."
"Exactly. Let's go."
We went to a sportswear store and bought workout clothes and sneakers. There wasn't room in the car for anything else.
"That's enough for today. Let's head home. I'll book you a nearby hotel."
"Okay."
"Oh right, do you have weapons?"
"No, not one. I had to return everything when I left."
"You mainly used a Glock 26, right?"
"Yeah."
"Got it. And this is living expenses for now. Use the card for big purchases."
I put the stacks of cash and a card into a designer bag and handed it to Natasha. Back home, I stored everything except a few immediate necessities in my room. Then I drove her to the hotel.
"The F1 Grand Prix is in a few days. Until then, I'll send a secretary with you to tour New York. There are lots of shows and plays worth seeing. I'll be busy until the Grand Prix, so I might not see you. Contact me if anything comes up."
"Got it."
I returned home and told my secretaries to find a luxury house near New York — a mansion big enough for secretaries and security staff.
A few days later, Natasha and I flew on my private jet to Monaco for the F1 Grand Prix.
"Did you enjoy your vacation?"
"Yeah, I saw plays, caught several shows, ate great food… honestly, it made me feel pathetic. Like I've just been grinding away at work my whole life."
"The Director didn't give you vacation?"
"He did. I'd train at home, clean, do laundry, and when I had nothing to do I'd watch TV and sleep. That was it."
"I see. I'll give you plenty of vacation, so go out with the secretaries often."
Natasha was one of the most tragic deaths in the MCU. She was raised as a spy from childhood, did only that her whole life, and had no family. That's why she called the Avengers team — her coworkers — family. I didn't care when she was with SHIELD spying on me, but now that she was mine, I wanted her to enjoy life.
"And how's the suit you're wearing? It's made of special Kevlar, so it's tough. Any discomfort?"
"No discomfort. But this stops AK rounds?"
"It will. It'll just hurt a lot. And this is your weapon."
I put a bag on the table. Natasha opened it, took out a Glock, and checked it — racking the slide, inspecting the chamber.
"It's a bit different from what I used."
"The barrel is made of a special metal for durability and precision, and I tweaked the functionality. It's almost identical to a standard Glock, so operation shouldn't be an issue, right?"
"No, the weight and balance feel good."
"And these are backup weapons."
Knives, a taser, nearly invisible monofilament wire — I showed her various tools straight out of a 007 film.
"Oh~ lots of useful stuff."
"If you're not sure how to use something, check the manual. And tell me if you need any other weapons."
"Got it."
"And I'll speak casually from now on. You're my secretary and bodyguard."
"Sure."
"And last, the combat suit. Basic bulletproofing, enhanced breathability, and thermal regulation for cold environments. Not sure if you'll like the design."
I showed her the large bag. Natasha pulled out the suit and inspected it.
"Not bad."
"There's a vehicle too, but it takes time to build. We'll look at it next time."
We chatted about this and that, and before we knew it we arrived in Monaco. We dropped our luggage at the hotel, and Natasha and I toured the city.
The next day, Natasha, dressed in a beautiful gown, and I headed to the VIP party for the Grand Prix. Tony and Pepper were greeting people.
"Hey~ Tony."
"Oh~ Jin! You made it? Is the beautiful lady your girlfriend?"
"Yeah, she's my girlfriend."
I introduced her as my girlfriend to avoid complications. Natasha didn't object.
"Wow! That's surprising news. I honestly thought you were celibate."
"What! I like women too. I just don't sleep around with anyone like you."
"Hello, miss. I'm Jin's friend, Tony Stark."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Tony Stark. I'm Natasha Romanoff."
Tony stared at Natasha's face.
"Hmm… Ms. Natasha, have we met before? You look familiar…"
"Ahaha, it must be your imagination."
He'd seen her in the hearing video. Time had passed, and in the video she had no makeup and a scowling face, so he couldn't recognize her.
"Miss Pepper, long time no see."
"Nice to see you, Jin."
Just then, Tony's rival CEO Hammer approached us.
"Tony, nice to see you. Oh~ Jin's here too."
Tony was visibly annoyed but returned the greeting.
"Nice to see you, Hammer."
"Pleased to meet you, Hammer."