Chapter 27: The Millionaire Server
"Yes, this old man is absolutely right. Hey, what's your name? I'll have Pepper give you a raise later," Tony Stark said cheerfully, patting the old man's shoulder after hearing his comment.
"Really, boss? You're simply the most kind-hearted black-hearted businessman in the world!"
Hearing that Stark intended to give him a raise, the old man got so excited that he let go of the cart he was pushing and looked at Stark with enthusiasm.
However, the latter half of his sentence carried an odd undertone.
"So, the kindest black-hearted businessman is still a black-hearted businessman, isn't it?"
War Machine, Rhodey, scratched his chin in confusion after hearing the old man's remark.
"Exactly, Mr. Rhodey, that's what it means," Ned chimed in, wrapping an arm around Rhodey's shoulder. He then turned to Tony and teased, "How much do you underpay your employees Mr. Stark that even an old man like him complains to your face?"
"Sheesh! Does Tony Stark seem like the kind of guy who underpays his employees?" Stark retorted, as though deeply insulted by the jab.
Then, right in front of everyone, he pulled out a phone equipped with FRIDAY's system from his jacket, pointed it at the old man, and said, "FRIDAY, I don't want to know his name. Just add a zero to the end of his bank balance."
"Understood, boss," FRIDAY's distinct voice responded.
"Operation successful."
The next moment, the old man's phone chimed with a notification. "Oh! Thank you, boss! You're practically a god to me!"
"No need for flattery, just work hard," Tony replied, clearly basking in the praise. He shot a smug look at the others, his demeanor exuding the air of a conscientious boss.
To Stark's surprise, the old man didn't obediently hand over a beer in return. Instead, he let go of the cart, patted Tony on the shoulder in a mock-serious manner, as if he were the boss and Tony the employee.
"Oh no, boss. Good luck to you. And by the way, goodbye, boss," the old man said, leaving those words behind as he strode away with the swagger of a successful entrepreneur.
"Hey! Where are you going? Aren't you going to work anymore?" Stark yelled, sensing something was amiss.
"Heavens, kind-hearted boss, do you think I'd still work for you after getting such a deposit in my account?"
The old man didn't even look back as he replied, "I'm going to start my own company and become a black-hearted businessman myself. Then I'll hire a bunch of people to work for me!"
"Sheesh!"
Tony cursed under his breath and turned to FRIDAY. "FRIDAY, how much money does he have in his account now?"
"One hundred million dollars."
"Why so much?"
The figure clearly caught Tony off guard. If the guy had a hundred million dollars, why would he be working as a server for him in the first place?
"Because you transferred ninety million dollars to him," FRIDAY replied, her voice devoid of emotion, stabbing Tony metaphorically right in the chest.
"Sheesh!"
"Sheesh," came a tiny echo.
Little Morgan, perched on Tony's shoulders, had picked up the curse word.
"Oh no, you can't say that word! It's for adults only," Tony said, covering Morgan's mouth.
"One popsicle stick, or I'll tell Mom," Morgan said adorably, prying Tony's hand away.
"You really take after your grandfather," Tony muttered before conceding, "Fine, one popsicle. But you have to promise to keep it a secret, okay? This is a Stark family secret."
"Okay."
"Pfft!"
"Hahaha!"
While Tony managed to pacify Morgan, the Avengers weren't about to let him off the hook. Watching him stumble for once was far too entertaining.
"Stark, you truly are a kind-hearted businessman!" Ned gave Tony a thumbs-up, though the grin on his face betrayed his true feelings.
"Whatever. By the way, Mr. Leeds, does your bank account even have as much money as that former server now? Are all wizards this broke?" Tony shot back at Ned without hesitation.
"No, no, no," Ned waved his hands quickly in response. "That guy wasn't just a server. That was just a stepping stone on his entrepreneurial journey. He's about to become a big boss worth a hundred million dollars."
"Hahaha!"
The laughter spread as Ned's words tickled everyone else. Tony, meanwhile, had had enough. With a dark expression, he hoisted Morgan onto his shoulders and left the scene. "I'm going to get Morgan a popsicle."
As Tony walked off, Ned turned to Nick Fury, who had maintained his stoic demeanor throughout the chaos. "Don't you have anything to say about this? Stark just triggered a 90-million-dollar bloodbath because of you."
"What's there to say? Should I thank him? Trust me, if I did, Stark would probably blow me up," Fury replied dryly, casting Ned a sidelong glance. "Besides, sorcerer from another universe, when exactly do you plan on leaving? The longer you stay here, the more likely it is you'll cause big trouble."
"Relax. My business here is done. After today, I'll leave along with the Avengers when they return the stones. Trust me, I don't have the power to casually hop between multiverses," Ned reassured him.
"Good. Let's keep it that way," Fury said coldly before walking away. Even Captain Marvel, who passed by, gave Ned a chilly glance.
"Come on, Ned. There's a feast waiting inside!" Thor said, draping an arm around Ned's shoulder.
"Yeah."
"Ned!"
Suddenly, a voice called out from behind.
"Wait for me! Ned!"
Ned and Thor turned around, as did Steve Rogers and the others, who had stopped in their tracks. They saw Peter Parker running toward them in casual clothes, accompanied by a chubby, familiar-looking guy.
In no time, Peter and the other guy reached them. Peter said excitedly, "Ned, look! I brought this universe's Ned with me!"
"Hey, you… You're Ned? Ned Leeds?" the chubbier Leeds asked hesitantly.
"Uh… yeah, I'm Ned," replied the alternate-universe Ned, surprised but unconcerned. He didn't mind meeting his counterpart, given there were no known rules against multiversal counterparts interacting. After all, even the three Spider-Men meeting hadn't caused any issues.
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