c15: No Weakness
Harvey arrived at the banquet area, his gaze sweeping across the dazzling array of gourmet dishes prepared for Stark Industries' charity gala. Holding a tray, he began selecting food with practiced ease. After investing billions into Stark Industries, he naturally didn't want Tony Stark to encounter any unexpected setbacks.
That was precisely why he had come, not only to eat, but to give Tony a subtle warning about the hidden danger surrounding him. Compared to ordinary high-end restaurants in New York, the cuisine at this kind of elite charity event was superior in both variety and quality. More importantly, there was no waiting, he could eat as much as he wanted without interruption.
Meanwhile, Tony Stark, still weighed down by his thoughts, walked toward the bar and casually ordered a drink. His mind was far from the celebration, lingering instead on Harvey's words and the implications behind them.
"Hello, Mr. Tony Stark. I'm Agent Coulson we met earlier," Coulson said as he approached, recognizing Tony immediately.
"You mean that one… the Homeland Security and Logistics Agency?" Tony Stark replied, vaguely recalling the long and awkward name.
"Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division," Coulson corrected with a polite smile, referring to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s official title. "I'm glad you remember."
"You really should shorten that," Tony Stark muttered, clearly unimpressed by the unnecessarily long acronym.
"We've received that suggestion more than once," Coulson admitted calmly. "But for now, I'd like to discuss something with you. I know recent events haven't been easy, but we need to understand what happened in Afghanistan…"
"I'll think about it," Tony Stark replied casually, already losing interest. "I need to find my assistant." With that, he used Pepper as an excuse and walked away.
However, even as he moved, Tony Stark's eyes drifted toward the banquet area. When he saw Harvey Ambellaca focused entirely on eating, seemingly indifferent to everything else, he found himself momentarily speechless.
To Tony, hosting charity galas like this was routine, a blend of philanthropy, reputation management, and networking among New York's elite. But for someone like Harvey, a rising billionaire who had only recently entered high society, such an event should have been a golden opportunity to build connections.
Yet Harvey showed no such intention. Aside from brief exchanges earlier, he had completely ignored the surrounding elites and devoted himself solely to the food. That kind of behavior defied the unspoken rules of their social circle.
Tony Stark frowned slightly. The more he observed Harvey Ambellaca, the more incomprehensible the man became. Nothing about his actions aligned with normal logic or ambition.
At the same time, Pepper Potts noticed that Tony's attention wasn't on her at all as they danced. Initially, she assumed he was distracted by another woman, but after following his gaze, she realized that wasn't the case.
"Are you interested in Mr. Harvey Ambellaca?" Pepper asked softly, her tone calm but perceptive.
"No, I was just thinking about something," Tony Stark denied immediately, though his answer lacked conviction.
"Agent Coulson also seemed very interested in him," Pepper added with a faint smile. "But he didn't tell me much."
Her words instantly triggered a realization in Tony's mind. Earlier, Coulson had approached him about Afghanistan, yet during their previous encounter, Coulson had prioritized speaking with Harvey instead.
That meant something unusual, perhaps even more important than Tony himself was tied to Harvey Ambellaca. The thought left Tony with a complicated feeling.
In the past, he would have been irritated by being overshadowed. But after their conversation earlier, Tony understood that Harvey was far too mysterious to judge so simply. Curiosity replaced annoyance.
Tony glanced around again but noticed Coulson had already disappeared. He tried to recall the contact information Coulson had given him earlier, but he had paid so little attention that he couldn't remember a single detail.
"Let's get some air on the balcony," Pepper suggested, noticing Tony's distraction and the attention they were drawing.
"Alright," Tony Stark agreed, snapping out of his thoughts as they walked away together.
Not far away, Harvey noticed Tony and Pepper heading toward the balcony but paid it no mind. His attention remained entirely on the banquet table as he continued eating with calm, refined movements.
Plate after plate disappeared, drawing curious glances from nearby guests. Several young women watched in astonishment as Harvey consumed large amounts of food without the slightest change in his physique.
Despite eating enough for several people, his stomach showed no sign of swelling, as if everything he consumed vanished into an endless void. The phenomenon made it difficult for anyone to approach him naturally.
As a result, an odd scene formed within the ballroom while everyone else socialized, danced, and exchanged pleasantries, Harvey Ambellaca stood alone, focused solely on eating.
Some of the men present noticed their companions' attention drifting toward Harvey. Although they maintained polite expressions befitting the occasion, inwardly, many of them couldn't help but feel a trace of disdain toward his unusual behavior.
This newly risen figure, Harvey Ambellaca, did not behave like the other emerging elites of New York. Instead of taking the initiative to greet influential figures or seek cooperation, he focused entirely on eating, his actions appearing almost deliberately provocative to those who valued social etiquette and networking above all else.
Harvey, however, paid no attention to the gazes around him. The charity gala hosted by Stark Industries featured nearly ten long tables filled with premium cuisine, each dish prepared with top-tier ingredients. To him, these were not just delicacies but valuable sources of evolution points.
He moved from table to table, consuming dish after dish. By the time he had eaten from eight of them, he had already accumulated 530,000 evolution points before finally stopping. Though he could have continued, Harvey chose not to overdo it, there were still hundreds of guests present, and leaving some food behind maintained a basic sense of balance.
Even so, the gains from this single evening were equivalent to several days' worth of normal consumption. From Harvey's perspective, attending this event had already proven extremely worthwhile.
At first, the surrounding women were merely curious as they watched him eat from one table. But as he continued across multiple tables, their curiosity gradually turned into astonishment. By the time he had swept through most of the banquet spread, what had originally been prepared for hundreds of guests had largely ended up in his stomach.
This went beyond curiosity, it bordered on disbelief.
After finishing, Harvey calmly wiped his mouth with a handkerchief. He poured himself a final glass of expensive wine, took a slow sip to cleanse his palate, and prepared to leave as if nothing unusual had happened.
The combined value of the food and wine he consumed easily exceeded millions of dollars. Under normal circumstances, such excessive drinking would have left anyone visibly intoxicated, becoming a topic of ridicule among the elite.
Yet Harvey showed no signs of drunkenness whatsoever. His expression remained steady, his movements controlled, and even his complexion showed no change.
This abnormal appetite and tolerance caused several of the men who had previously looked down on him to stiffen involuntarily. It became clear that Harvey had not come to socialize at all, he had come purely to eat.
With that kind of appetite, anyone hosting future banquets would have to seriously consider whether they could afford to invite him. Without sufficient budget, inviting Harvey Ambellaca would no longer be a simple social gesture, but a costly decision.
Meanwhile, many of the women present had initially hoped Harvey would lose control after drinking, giving them an opportunity to approach him more naturally. Some had even been watching him the entire time, waiting for such a moment.
But Harvey completed everything food and wine alike without the slightest hint of intoxication, leaving them visibly disappointed.
Although Harvey's status was not yet on par with long-established elites, his youth, appearance, and rapidly rising wealth made him stand out. Even setting aside his fortune, his well-built physique beneath his tailored suit was enough to attract attention from several young and wealthy women.
Some even entertained the idea of approaching him privately. However, the reality was clear while they might afford to indulge others, Harvey Ambellaca was far beyond their reach.
The undisguised disappointment from some of the women did not go unnoticed, and it quietly irritated several of the men present. Harvey, without making any effort, had drawn significant attention and disrupted the balance of the event.
Naturally, this led some of the more influential figures to consider how they might suppress or "teach" this rising figure a lesson.
Everyone has weaknesses family, friends, or business interests. In their view, as long as such weaknesses existed, they could be exploited through influence, wealth, or connections.
However, as they began to analyze Harvey Ambellaca's background, they quickly encountered a problem.
Despite being a newly risen billionaire in New York, Harvey stood completely alone. He had no visible family ties, no close associates of influence, and no obvious vulnerabilities that could be leveraged.
The only viable angle left was the financial market. Yet Harvey currently held a massive stake in Stark Industries, tying his interests directly to one of the most powerful corporations in the United States.
Targeting him would effectively mean confronting Stark Industries itself.
And doing so especially while standing inside a charity gala hosted by that very company was not only impractical, but bordering on absurd.
As for manipulating the value of his real estate holdings, that too was unrealistic. Property markets in New York could not be easily shaken without significant external forces, and regulatory oversight would prevent any large-scale attempt to artificially crash prices.
In the end, despite their resources and influence, these elites found themselves facing an unusual conclusion, Harvey Ambellaca, at least for now, had no discernible weakness.
.....