Chapter 4 – Welcome Home Party
"So, I've decided to shut down the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries."
Tony's announcement sent the entire press room into an uproar. Obadiah Stane quickly stepped forward, steadying Tony and gently pushing him off the podium with a smile, taking his place.
"What we really want to tell everyone today," Obadiah said, still smiling, though the twitch at the corner of his eye showed how displeased he was with Tony's stunt, "is that Tony is back — and he's in excellent health."
Tony ignored the chaotic reporters and Obadiah's attempt to redirect attention. Under Happy Hogan's protection, he pushed through the crowd.
Tony casually brushed aside the microphones thrust toward him, the camera flashes behind him merging into a blinding white wall. He winked at Pepper. "What? Worried those vultures would eat me alive?"
Pepper's tightly pressed lips softened. She reached out to straighten Tony's crooked tie. "I'm more worried you'll suddenly announce turning the Stark factories into an animal shelter."
"That's not a bad idea. Write it down," Tony said, snapping his fingers. He turned to Rhodey, who wore a dark expression. "Hey, Colonel, don't look at me like I just added ten thousand words to your report. Do you know how much tax I pay for the right to be this impulsive?"
Rhodey rolled his eyes. "You've paid enough taxes to buy the Pentagon, but clearly not enough for basic common sense."
Tony laughed and slapped his old friend on the shoulder. His gaze swept across the crowd and landed on Chen Tian and Ho Yinsen standing in the corner. Yinsen was nervously rubbing his fingers, while Chen Tian stared thoughtfully in Obadiah's direction.
"Hey! Dragon Country boy!" Tony shouted loudly, causing several reporters to turn curiously. "What are we waiting for? Time to go home and throw my welcome-back party!" He added with exaggerated mouth movements: "Free Maotai!"
Chen Tian snapped out of his thoughts, a helpless smile flashing across his face. As he pulled Yinsen through the crowd, he noticed the cold, venomous look Obadiah shot at Tony's back. Even while handling the reporters on stage, the bald CEO's eyes were locked on Tony like a poisonous snake.
"Are you sure you want to provoke him like this?" Chen Tian asked quietly as the three followed Happy out the door. "Obadiah looks like he wants to smash your head with a microphone."
Tony slid into the Rolls-Royce without a care. "That old bastard tries to murder me with his eyes at least three times a month." He accepted the whiskey Pepper handed him. "Seriously, you should see the board meeting records. Every time I propose an environmental initiative, his bald head gets a little shinier."
Yinsen nervously adjusted his glasses. "Tony, while I'm touched that you're shutting down the weapons division, this will step on a lot of people's interests…"
"Doesn't matter," Tony replied with his usual carefree grin. "Don't forget — my 'armor' and this thing," he tapped his chest, "are going to make Stark Industries even more money. Those guys will be licking my ass like loyal puppies."
The car soon arrived at the airport. Tony bounded up the stairs two at a time. At the cabin door, he suddenly did a dramatic spin and nearly tripped over his own suit — luckily he caught the railing in time.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced with arms spread wide, "welcome aboard the 'Piss Off Obadiah' Express! This flight will take you away from boring board meetings and straight to alcoholic paradise in Malibu!"
Pepper rolled her eyes and squeezed past him. "Move aside, genius boss."
She turned back to Chen Tian and Yinsen with a professional smile. "Ignore him. This guy banged his head too hard in that cave."
"Hey! My brain is perfectly fine!" Tony protested, slapping the cabin wall. "Jarvis can vouch for me — even though he's still just a basic AI right now."
An elegant British voice suddenly sounded in the cabin: "Actually, Sir, according to this morning's brain scan, your prefrontal cortex does show slight—"
"Shut up, Jarvis!" Tony grumbled, throwing himself into the leather seat. "I'm firing you!"
Chen Tian held back a laugh and found seats with Yinsen. Through the window, he saw Obadiah's black Mercedes speeding toward them, kicking up a trail of dust.
"Tony…" Chen Tian started to warn, but was interrupted by the loud pop of a champagne bottle.
"Relax, Dragon Country boy." Tony handed him a glass, not caring that foam spilled onto his custom suit. "That old vulture's Mercedes can't outrun my Gulfstream G650."
The plane engines roared to life. Tony suddenly leaned close to Chen Tian's ear and shouted, "Want to know why I call it the 'Piss Off Obadiah'?" Without waiting for an answer, he continued, "Because this jet was paid for with his bonus!"
As the plane accelerated and lifted off, Tony pressed himself against the window like an excited child, watching Obadiah shrink to ant size and stomp his feet in rage.
"Haha! Look! He's stamping his feet!" Tony excitedly slapped Yinsen's shoulder. "I bet he's cursing right now—"
Before he could finish, the plane suddenly jolted violently. Tony's champagne spilled all over his pants.
"Damn it!" He frantically wiped at the mess. "Pepper's going to kill me! This was her birthday gift to me!"
Pepper's voice came from the front seats: "Buckle up, kids. We hit some light turbulence — and by the way, boss! You're using the suit I gave you to wipe up alcohol again?!"
Tony shrank his neck like a guilty child and muttered, "Does she have eyes in the back of her head…?"
The group soon arrived at the Malibu beach house. Inside Tony's luxurious villa, loud music was already blasting, and colorful lights spilled out through the glass walls.
Tony kicked the front door open. The deafening music hit them instantly. He raised both arms like a rock star and spun dramatically under the DJ's spotlight. "Welcome to Stark Land! Tonight's theme is — celebrating that the genius didn't get blown into meat paste!"
Yinsen was pulled into the dance floor by several bikini-clad models. Colorful lights reflected off his glasses as he looked at Chen Tian with a desperate plea for help. Tony grabbed him immediately. "Don't even think about escaping, Doctor! Tonight we're rescuing you from the lab!"
Chen Tian stood at the villa entrance. The music and laughter surrounded him, yet he felt separated from it all by an invisible wall.
He mechanically accepted a champagne flute from a waiter but didn't take a sip, simply watching the bubbles slowly fade.
Pepper noticed his unusual mood right away. "This isn't really the place for deep thinking," she said with a smile, handing him a glass of water instead. "Tony's parties are famous for destroying brain cells."
Chen Tian smiled faintly. "Maybe I'm still jet-lagged."
Pepper nodded understandingly, though her eyes showed more concern. "You know, Tony talks about how you three fought side by side in that cave." She gently clinked her glass against his. "There will always be a place for you here."
"Thank you, Miss Potts."
"Just call me Pepper." She turned gracefully but paused. "The couch in the corner is more comfortable, and you can see the whole party — including whatever Tony throws into the pool next."
Chen Tian nodded gratefully and headed toward the shadowed corner beneath the palm trees. In his mind, the scene from the plane over the desert replayed once again.
A brilliant starry sky unfolded before him. The desert heat was replaced by the cold void of space.
Lia stood amid the starlight. Her red leather jacket outlined her slender figure, and her shoulder-length black hair floated gently in zero gravity.
"Welcome, Summoner," Lia's voice carried the deep, resonant tone of Diablo as it echoed in Chen Tian's ears.
"Summoner?" Chen Tian asked, confused.
"Yes. You are the one who summoned me from my world." Lia's form began to shift. Diablo's terrifying demonic body replaced her.
He spread his arms wide. The flowing galaxy around them suddenly froze. "Summoner, what do you see among these stars?"
Chen Tian's pupils shrank sharply. The scenes within the stars spun like a kaleidoscope. Each fragment reflected terrifying power:
Uchiha Madara's Rinnegan glowed with eerie purple light as the ninja alliance fell like waves of wheat. Saitama's bald head and fist tore through the atmosphere, creating a thousand-meter hole in the clouds. Wherever Frostmourne pointed, an army of the undead surged from the frozen earth…
"What… what does this mean?" Chen Tian stammered.
"Summoner, all of this belongs to you," Diablo said with a hint of mockery. "Even I didn't expect your power to be this strong. You can summon beings from countless worlds and bend them to your will — including me."
Chen Tian stared blankly and pointed at himself. "Me? Summon them?"
Diablo nodded, then knelt on one knee. "Summoner — no, my Lord. The Lord of Terror, Diablo, stands ready for your call at any time."
Chen Tian clutched his head with both hands. Oh no, my brain is itching. I think I'm finally growing one.
Wait… this is it! This is the transmigrator's golden finger!
"Diablo! You mean I can freely summon characters from these scenes to serve me?"
The corner of Diablo's hideous mouth twitched. Can this guy not understand human language? I'm clearly speaking it.
But he didn't say anything. Deep in his soul and mind, he had been branded with absolute obedience to the Summoner.
He simply nodded in response.
Chen Tian burst into excited laughter and planted his hands on his hips. When he first arrived in the Marvel world, he thought he had no golden finger and might die in some dangerous corner at any moment.
The hardship had finally paid off.
"Um… my Lord," Diablo said cautiously, looking at the seemingly manic human. "Summoning does have restrictions."
Chen Tian's laughter stopped abruptly. "Huh? There are restrictions? Of course… no system in novels is ever completely broken. This isn't one of those ridiculously overpowered rich young master stories."
Diablo didn't understand what Chen Tian meant and continued, "My Lord, the restrictions are simple. You can only summon once per day. It could be a character, an ability from their world… or possibly nothing at all."
Chen Tian's mouth twitched. "As expected. The system was clearly designed by some black-hearted game planner from Earth. 'Nothing at all'? That's just 'thank you for playing'."
Diablo watched Chen Tian muttering to himself and increasingly felt that the human who had summoned him might not be entirely sane.
A trace of helplessness flashed in his crimson eyes. His deep voice echoed in the void: "My Lord, I now belong to you as your servant. You only need to shout the summoning chant, and I will appear wherever you need me."
"Chant? There's a chant?" Chen Tian's mouth fell open as he stared at the flaming text Diablo formed in the air.
"In the name of chaos and fear — Crimson Moon, tear open reality!"
(Recommended pose when chanting: Kneel on one knee, right fist pressed to left chest, left hand raised like a claw toward the sky, then swing it down sharply. Better effect, but please ensure no flammable objects nearby.)
"Shadows block the sun, flames burn the heavens!"
(Advanced version: Cross both palms over chest and thrust outward while stomping to create a small earthquake effect. Minors should attempt only under professional demon guidance.)
"Wings of Terror, shroud the sky!"
(Ultimate version requires: Bite your finger and draw a blood rune in the air. Prepare band-aids in advance.)
"What the hell is this?!" Chen Tian's mouth opened wider and wider. "Who designed these chuunibyou chants and poses?!"
Diablo proudly puffed out his chest, arms crossed, looking extremely satisfied with his summoning chants.
Chen Tian's cheeks burned with embarrassment, as if someone had lit a fire on his face.
He stared at Diablo's smug expression. The demon's crimson eyes practically sparkled with "praise me" energy, and his horns tilted upward proudly.
"This… this…" Chen Tian's Adam's apple bobbed. His tongue felt tied. In his mind, he could already picture himself striking that "kneel on one knee, left hand as claw" pose in front of the Avengers. Passersby would look at him like he was mentally disabled, and Tony would definitely record it and play the video on loop a hundred times.
Diablo tilted his head in confusion. "My Lord is not satisfied?"
He snapped his fingers. The flaming text immediately changed to an even more exaggerated version: "Or try this one — 'In the name of the Pandemonium Fortress, Wings of Terror eclipse the sun and moon! The Demon King heeds your command!' The accompanying action is a backflip into a triple twist…"
"Stop!" Chen Tian covered his eyes. The skin between his fingers turned bright red from embarrassment. "Can't you make something normal? Like… just snapping your fingers?"
The King of Terror's tail curled into a question mark shape in confusion. "But that wouldn't be majestic enough." He suddenly lowered his body and leaned in mysteriously. "My Lord, when I hold rallies in Hell, this set of moves makes low-level demons piss lava in fear…"
Chen Tian despaired as he realized that the Diablo before him was not the majestic and terrifying Demon Lord from Diablo, but a hopelessly chuunibyou, socially awkward otaku demon.