Howard took a breath. A tiger? Are you kidding me? Aren't little girls supposed to like rabbits or puppies? Why a tiger?
Su Ming, eavesdropping outside the wall, nodded. It seems the little girl is a cat person; a tiger is just a big cat, after all.
But when Howard wants to accomplish something, no matter how difficult, he can overcome it. He patted his chest, "I'll buy you a zoo, not just with tigers, but lions and giraffes too. Can I go in now?"
"Hmm, remember what you promised me." The little girl nodded, turned around, and skipped towards the garden exit, shouting to the large house in the distance, "Daddy! There's an admirer of Mom who wants to see her! Can he come in?"
"Oh, dear!"
Howard jumped down from the wall, grabbed Su Ming, and they both dashed back into the car, starting the engine and speeding away. As he drove, Howard complained to Su Ming:
"Are you enjoying yourself? My destined wife is already married and has a daughter?"
Su Ming, with a sly smile, smoked a cigarette and rolled down the passenger window to let in the cold air. "What? Can't handle a widow?"
"A beautiful widow isn't impossible, but... Wait, are you saying her husband will die? You can foresee that?" Howard slowed the car down a little and began to waver.
Seeing Howard, confused and anxious, Su Ming felt quite amused. It wasn't as Howard thought, but revealing the truth now would ruin the fun.
"Anyway, I've taken you to the place. What you do in the future is none of my business. Now, let's go to Zhongsi Academy and have a drink?"
Howard sighed helplessly. It seems this matter needs to be considered carefully. Waiting for someone else's husband to die is an indescribable feeling. He felt a bit despicable but also a forbidden thrill. It's all very complicated.
............
Meanwhile, behind them, as she heard the car noise getting further away, the little girl turned around with a smile, tapping her shovel like a little adult, speaking to herself, "Seems the legendary Stark isn't too bad, after all, he still has some shame."
Then, a group of female bodyguards emerged from hidden spots in the garden. The leading woman approached the young mistress, bent down, and asked in Spanish, "Miss Maria, what are you planning to do?"
"What else? I'm just twelve!" Maria blushed, lowered her head, and fiddled with her clothes.
The bodyguard shook her head, smiling, "Mr. Stark is indeed as the legends say, quite absurd, still up to nonsense at over thirty years old."
"No, he not only knows my name but also knows I live here. He just doesn't know my parents have passed away and my real age. There's definitely something not right here..." The girl ruffled her black hair, her expression complicated, "Anyway, send some people to keep an eye on him, see if he actually buys me a zoo."
"We could buy it ourselves," the bodyguard tentatively suggested.
Maria planted the shovel into the snow beside her and continued building the snowman, "I know, I just want to see what kind of person with such a bad reputation he is, if he is someone who keeps his word, remembers what he promised a girl."
The bodyguard bowed and left, while Maria put the snowman's head on, adding a carrot nose, button eyes, and a tin hat.
She then stared at the snowman blankly for a moment, as if remembering something, and asked a servant to fetch two pieces of coal from the kitchen, giving the snowman a comical little mustache.
Blushing, she exhaled a puff of warm air, poked the snowman's belly with her finger, and bit her lip, "What kind of admirer of mine, climbing up my balcony... Shameless, indecent, annoying..."
As she spoke, she seemed to think of something else, as if steam was rising from her head.
...........
"Oh! Uh!"
Getting out of the car, Howard clutched his waist. He was too panicked when jumping over the wall and ended up straining his back. As soon as he entered the principal's office, he flopped onto the sofa like a salted fish, sprawling completely.
"Howard Stark, scared by a little girl into hurting your back, Wang, could you call the Horn Daily for me and have them send a reporter over?" Su Ming poured himself a drink and sat comfortably in the chair Wang vacated.
Howard gritted his teeth and sat up straight, "Who said that? I'm perfectly fine, no need to call them. By the way, where's your old principal? How come there's a Hollywood child star here now?"
Wang greeted Howard with a nod and smiled, "The former principal here was my father. After he retired, I took over."
Howard looked at Su Ming curiously, "Is this position of yours hereditary?"
"Well, my Wilson Enterprises isn't like your Stark Industries. It's not a publicly traded company, no quarterly financial reports to release, and no board of directors to deal with. I can have anyone do anything I want."
Su Ming casually tossed the bottle of wine to Howard, who didn't drink it but stored it away instead, "Forget it, I'm not drinking now. With the city in chaos today, many people are planning to leave New York, I need to seize the opportunity to buy some land for a zoo."
"Thought it through? Going for the daughter route?" Su Ming stifled a laugh.
Howard waved his hand dismissively, grimacing as he scooted towards the door, "No, nothing like that. I just happened to want to build a zoo, and it has to be one-of-a-kind in the world. But if some kid wants to see the animals, taking her to look isn't a big deal."
"Alright, alright, I believe you, okay?" Su Ming made a gesture to Wang, "Mr. Stark's mobility is a bit restricted, take him to find a good piece of land."
Wang inserted both hands into his belt, at the same time putting on the Double Pendant Ring. Two golden circles quickly formed in the air.
He then dragged one and jumped into the other teleportation gate, suddenly appearing in front of Howard. With a flick of his little hand, as if tossing a ring, he made Howard disappear.
"Ah!!!"
Su Ming thought he heard a scream of someone falling. Was it an illusion?
"Where did you send him?" Su Ming asked Wang.
"Mr. Howard said he wants to build a zoo. The land prices in New York aren't worth it, and this season you wouldn't even see the trees or water sources in the park."
Wang looked very knowledgeable. Su Ming thought about it and realized it made sense.
If you buy land and start construction in winter, only to find out the trees are dead by spring, or there's no live water in the park, you'd lose out.
"Well said. Hamill must have taught you quite a bit." The Supreme Mage patted the young man's shoulder approvingly.
"Not at all. Geography is a required course for the Guardians. We at least need to know what the Earth we protect looks like." Wang humbly bowed and went to help Su Ming prepare lunch. As he left the office, he casually mentioned, "So I sent Mr. Stark to Cuba. The Caribbean region at this time always has a pleasant climate."
Su Ming's mouth twitched, "Uh... alright then."
For an American to go to Cuba in '55...
Hope Howard is tough enough to hold out until SSR rescues him.