Chapter Sixty-Five: Lord Man

This time, the League of Legends S2 World Championship was a resounding success. In the end, it was Team WE from the LPL who, after a grueling five-game series, narrowly defeated SKTT1 to claim the world championship trophy. As the five young Chinese players lifted the championship cup, golden streamers rained down inside the arena like a shower, and this moment was captured by cameras for posterity.

The viewership for this match surpassed 800 million, with the live comment feed flooded with praise for WE, clearly showing just how excited and proud the Chinese fans were.

After the match, Arthur conducted the post-game interview. Speaking in flawless Mandarin, he asked the young players several questions and informed them that, in addition to winning the championship, they would receive a $10 million prize and the opportunity to design their own champion skins. The news sent the team into a state of pure joy.

The second and third place teams also received substantial rewards of $3 million and $2 million respectively—certainly making their journey worthwhile.

The S2 World Championship for League of Legends was an unequivocal triumph. Though Arthur and Tony had invested heavily in this event, the impact it generated was equally immense.

Overnight, the player base for League of Legends surged by 80 million, especially in China, where almost everyone knew that the Chinese team had defeated the Koreans to become world champions! Even CCTV, the national broadcaster, devoted a full 30 seconds of its prime-time news broadcast to reporting on the event.

A new phenomenon swept across China: internet cafes were packed with League of Legends players, and the game officially surpassed World of Warcraft to become the most popular online game in the world.

Previously, the media had doubted Stark Industries’ foray into the gaming industry. Now, they were forced to eat their words, turning to laud Tony Stark’s foresight and declaring Stark Industries’ entry into gaming as the wisest decision.

Meanwhile, Hero Video Network, thanks to the vast number of users streaming the League of Legends World Championship, leapfrogged established giants like YouTube to become the largest live-streaming platform in the world.

Hero Video also formally launched its mobile app, allowing users to watch high-definition videos and live streams directly on their phones. On the day of its release, it shot to the top of the hot-selling charts on both iOS and Android.

……

Time flew by, and Christmas was just around the corner. Although Arthur was never particularly fond of the holiday, this year he had Wanda and Pietro to spend it with, so he decided to put in the effort to make it a memorable Christmas.

He hung strings of lights on a pine tree at his doorstep, transforming it into a festive Christmas tree. He also bought a tree for inside the house, along with a trove of decorations, filling the home with a holiday spirit.

Yet fate had other plans for Arthur’s Christmas.

That weekend, while watching TV at home, Arthur caught the news: a terrorist known as the Mandarin had hacked into American broadcasting networks, appearing live on television. The entire country was on high alert, yet all efforts to track him down had thus far failed.

Next came news of Tony’s friend, Colonel James Rhodes, donning a garishly colored suit of armor with the moniker “Iron Patriot”—the President himself was sending him to deal with the Mandarin.

Several news outlets mocked the Iron Patriot’s armor, suggesting the military was simply playing dress-up.

Arthur couldn’t help but agree—the color scheme was truly atrocious. He made a mental note to tease Rhodey about it the next time they met.

At that moment, Tony and Rhodey were dining at the Atlantis restaurant, discussing the Mandarin situation.

“You know, Arthur's braised pork is actually pretty good. Ever since I saw that video, I’ve wanted to try it,” Tony remarked.

“Why not just go to Arthur’s place and have him cook for you?” Rhodey suggested.

“To be honest, I still have my doubts about Arthur’s cooking. Even though everyone praises it in the videos, I figure it’s just for show,” Tony replied cynically.

“Alright, enough about food. Let’s talk business. What’s the story with this Mandarin?” Tony asked.

“That’s classified! Well, alright—there have been nine explosions,” Rhodey replied.

“Nine?” Tony asked in surprise.

“The public only knows about three. The problem is, no one has found any devices or bomb fragments,” Rhodey explained.

“I can help. I’ve got new tech—auto-piloted armor that can intercept explosives mid-air,” Tony offered.

“Aren’t you busy with the Avengers?” Rhodey asked.

“The Avengers base is already designed. The construction crew just has to follow the blueprints,” Tony replied.

Suddenly, two kids approached Tony for his autograph. One mentioned the alien incident in New York, and Tony’s reaction became noticeably agitated.

He quickly rushed outside, donned his armor, and asked Jarvis to run diagnostics—he was having trouble breathing.

Jarvis’s diagnosis: anxiety disorder. Tony refused to believe it. He bid Rhodey farewell and went home.

……

Two days later, Arthur finally saw the Mandarin’s performance on TV. He had to admit, the act was surprisingly convincing. The following news segment, however, truly caught Arthur’s attention.

Happy Hogan, Tony Stark’s bodyguard, had been attacked by terrorists and rushed to the hospital. In response, Tony Stark publicly declared war on the terrorists.

Speaking directly to the camera, Tony said, “My name is Tony Stark. I’m not afraid of you! You’re a coward, so I’ve decided to take you out myself! This isn’t about politics, just old-fashioned vengeance! If you’re a man, remember my address: 10880 Malibu Point. I’ll be waiting for you!”

Tony had underestimated his enemy. If Arthur recalled correctly, Tony’s home would be destroyed right after revealing his address. Arthur decided he’d better check on Happy’s condition at the hospital.

Arthur drove to the hospital, found out Happy’s room number, and went to see him. Looking at Happy, lying unconscious and covered in injuries from the explosion, Arthur clenched his fists. Happy had always looked out for him at Stark Industries.

Very well! I’ll see this through to the end, Arthur resolved.

On Christmas Eve, as dusk fell, Arthur was in his villa learning how to prepare a turkey—a staple of every American Christmas, though he never understood its appeal.

He finished prepping the turkey, stuffed it with his favorite spices, and placed it in the oven to roast for an hour. Wanda was pan-searing steaks, while Pietro prepared the champagne.

Arthur whipped up a few more dishes, brought out the roasted turkey, and the three of them sat down to dinner. Pietro poured the champagne, and Arthur raised his glass: “Come on! Merry Christmas! Cheers!”

“Cheers!” Wanda echoed.

“Cheers!” Pietro chimed in.

Arthur carved the turkey, serving portions to Wanda and Quicksilver, then tried a bite himself. As expected, the meat was rather dry, though the flavor wasn’t bad. Still, it wasn’t to his liking.

Just as they were enjoying their meal, an emergency news bulletin interrupted the broadcast: “Tony Stark’s villa was attacked by terrorists this afternoon. The mansion collapsed, and Iron Man Tony Stark is missing…”

With a loud smack, Arthur slapped the table. These people were getting too brazen—attacking Tony in broad daylight with impunity. Fortunately, Arthur remembered that Tony survived, having been whisked away by Jarvis.

Arthur called Tony’s phone, but it was switched off. With no idea where Tony was, he could only wait for new developments.

……

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