c33: Does He Hate Me?
"Let's go upstairs for dinner," Harvey said casually, seeing that Tony Stark understood.
"Okay,"
Tony Stark nodded.
The two went straight to the restaurant on the second floor.
Since it was close to the New Year period, Tony Stark had already instructed J.A.R.V.I.S. to prepare a large variety of high-end dishes.
This time, knowing he would be meeting Harvey Ambellaca, he had prepared even more.
However, after meeting Harvey Ambellaca, he also had two whole beef dishes specially prepared, so the tables weren't enough; the entire setup now resembled a private luxury buffet often seen at Stark Industries galas.
"Mr. Harvey Ambellaca, the whole beef dish won't be ready for another half hour. Please eat this first; the plates are over there,"
Pepper said with a smile as she saw Tony and Harvey Ambellaca come up from downstairs.
Although Pepper Potts had been shocked at first sight, seeing Harvey effortlessly finish a dinner meant for dozens of people gave her a new understanding of Harvey Ambellaca's extraordinary appetite.
Hearing that Tony Stark had specially prepared two extra beef dishes, she wasn't surprised.
"Yes, thank you, Miss Pepper,"
Harvey said with a smile and a nod.
"Eat quickly, another guest is coming soon," Tony Stark said casually after picking out his food from a plate. He then
sat down at a nearby table, his Arc Reactor faintly glowing beneath his shirt as usual.
"Another guest? Male or female?"
Pepper, without any hesitation, also came to the table and began serving herself. Hearing Tony's words, she asked curiously.
Harvey Ambella simply picked up two plates, filled them efficiently, and sat down, his movements elegant yet incredibly fast.
"It's Phil Coulson. He'll bring me something later,"
Tony Stark said casually.
"What exactly did you two talk about down there each time?"
"Why is Coulson involved again this time?"
"Isn't he an agent from S.H.I.E.L.D. who specializes in handling unusual and classified events?"
"Could it be that you were talking about something like that? Can you tell me?"
Pepper felt completely kept in the dark and was incredibly curious.
Like Tony, Pepper was quite sharp and perceptive, especially when something clearly involved secrecy.
"Didn't you have a lot of questions for Harvey Ambellaca?"
Tony Stark directly steered the conversation toward Harvey, clearly avoiding further explanation.
"Mr. Harvey Ambellaca, you're mainly in the stock market and real estate business, right?"
Seeing that Tony didn't want to elaborate, Pepper's beautiful eyes flickered slightly, and she wisely didn't press further, turning her attention to Harvey instead.
"Strictly speaking, I'm focused on capital markets; real estate is just a side investment."
"Because I don't have deep ties with institutions like the U.S. military or agencies such as S.H.I.E.L.D., I can't directly obtain large-scale development permits; I can only acquire existing properties and wait for them to appreciate."
Harvey swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking, his tone calm as if discussing something trivial.
"..."
Pepper was momentarily speechless upon hearing such a casual explanation of wealth accumulation on that scale.
"His values and behavioral logic are incomprehensible even to me, so Pepper, you don't need to think too deeply about it,"
Tony Stark said, glancing at Harvey.
Harvey Ambellaca owned over a hundred properties valued at more than ten million US dollars each, spread across multiple states across the United States.
His most frequently visited estatenfar larger than Tony's own Malibu mansion and lacking the underground workshop but overflowing with visible luxury was easily worth over a hundred million dollars based on its scale, design, and extensive facilities.
Even by the standards of Stark-level wealth, that kind of asset distribution was excessive.
Harvey Ambellaca owns the most properties in New York, with fifty-seven villas and estates.
He could understand Harvey Ambellaca buying villas in other states and cities;
owning property means having a comfortable place to stay no matter where he goes, much like how Tony Stark maintains multiple residences and facilities across the country.
However, he couldn't fully understand buying so many in New York.
The United States is constantly developing, especially cities like New York City, where real estate values are steadily appreciating; buying properties specifically for appreciation isn't unreasonable.
Given Harvey Ambellaca's keen eye for capital markets and investment trends, the money he spent on real estate could have earned even more if invested into stocks or emerging Stark-level technologies.
However, thanks to the sheer number of properties under his name, almost everyone assumed he was involved in both stocks and real estate.
Therefore, Tony Stark could only convince himself that Harvey Ambellaca simply wanted to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attention, much like how some influential figures deliberately obscure their true assets.
"Well, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca, someone has asked me several times to inquire about you."
"What would it take for you to attend their banquet?"
Pepper was somewhat surprised by Tony's words, but didn't dwell on the previous question, politely asking.
"I've received many invitations recently and I'm quite troubled."
"Please ask Miss Pepper to convey their message."
"I'm usually very busy, so please don't give me meaningless invitations."
Harvey said earnestly.
"I will pass on the message tactfully."
Pepper Potts was taken aback by the obvious refusal, then quickly understood and smiled in agreement.
Rumors circulated in New York's upper circles that Harvey Ambellaca was a playboy, similar to Tony Stark's former reputation, but it seems those rumors aren't entirely true.
At least it's certain that Harvey Ambellaca doesn't have any interest in many of New York's young, wealthy socialites.
"Yes, thank you for your trouble, Miss Pepper,"
Harvey replied politely.
He carried his empty plate to the tables laden with food.
"Tony, does Mr. Harvey Ambellaca actually dislike me?"
Pepper asked in a barely audible whisper as she watched Harvey go back for more food.
Fortunately, Tony Stark's senses—sharpened slightly after Harvey's earlier enhancement—were much better than before, otherwise he wouldn't have heard her.
"No, that's not true. If he really disliked you, he wouldn't bother being polite; he would directly show it."
"So since you haven't seen him display any obvious dislike, don't overthink it."
"He just went to get more food, it's not as bad as you think."
Tony Stark shook his head and explained.
After several encounters, Tony Stark knew that Harvey Ambellaca was a very direct and arrogant person.
Figures like Obadiah Stane would probably be dismissed without hesitation.
Even Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D., didn't receive any special courtesy from him.
If Harvey Ambellaca truly disliked Pepper, he likely wouldn't even engage in conversation, let alone respond politely.
Hearing this, Pepper saw Harvey Ambellaca getting more food and felt reassured.
"Miss Pepper, how does it feel to be in charge of Stark Industries?"
Harvey had naturally heard Pepper's words, but pretended not to notice, finished getting more food, and sat back down, asking casually.
"Mr. Harvey Ambellaca, I know you're a shareholder of Stark Industries."
"But it's the first day of the new year, so let's not talk about work."
"Let me clear my head and have a good rest."
Pepper rubbed her temples, clearly fatigued, when Harvey mentioned Stark Industries.
She was now temporarily managing the company while Tony focused almost entirely on research and development, particularly on improving the Arc Reactor and next-generation Iron Man systems.
She, on the other hand, had to travel frequently, handle shareholders, and manage the company's transition away from weapons manufacturing, which wasn't as easy as she had once imagined.
"I don't have the authority to control the direction of Stark Industries."
"Naturally, I didn't mean to interfere; it was just a casual question."
"Ms. Pepper, if you don't want to talk about these things, don't worry about it too much."
Harvey said calmly while eating, noticing her discomfort.
Looking at Pepper's life, regardless of personal preference,
she had worked for Tony Stark for years, managing everything from corporate affairs to his personal schedule.
She had endured Tony's arrogance, impulsiveness, and eccentric behavior.
Pepper might complain occasionally, showing her human side, but ultimately she always chose to trust and support Tony Stark.
The deep trust built between them had made Tony Stark increasingly reliant on her.
This bond was also one of the key factors that would eventually lead Tony Stark to change from his former playboy lifestyle and take responsibility more seriously.
Tony Stark, when faced with the opportunity to fundamentally enhance himself, didn't immediately pursue it, likely because he subconsciously considered Pepper's perspective.
Harvey understood this clearly, so he wasn't surprised when Tony Stark previously wondered whether such power could also extend to others like Pepper.
For Harvey, the more individuals who accepted and aligned with his power, the better.
He would gain energy and growth, while others would gain longevity and strength—a mutually beneficial exchange.
Therefore, Harvey never worried about failing to attract others.
After all, the idea of extended lifespan alone was enough to tempt countless people.
"I want to create an Arc Reactor that no one else can replicate."
"I already have some ideas, and perhaps I can succeed, so give me some more time."
Tony Stark spoke seriously.
He knew Pepper was under pressure because Stark Industries was undergoing a difficult transition.
Without a stable and exclusive energy breakthrough, shareholders were becoming increasingly dissatisfied, placing more burden on her.
At the same time, Tony also understood that if the Arc Reactor technology were exposed too early, it could be reverse-engineered by competitors or targeted by government agencies.
Therefore, he had no intention of releasing it publicly for now.
"Tony, you don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. After all, we're transitioning into a new industry, not continuing the old one. We'll take it step by step."
Pepper comforted him gently.
"I'm sorry you had to see this, Mr. Harvey Ambellaca."
"I just didn't want my rare day off to be interrupted, so I overreacted a bit. I didn't mean to blame you."
Pepper then looked at Harvey apologetically.
"I understand. Managing a corporation like Stark Industries is never easy."
Harvey shook his head slightly, indicating he didn't mind at all, and continued eating calmly.
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