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*****
Monaco.
A small European country, yet today it was one of the liveliest places in the world.
The sun was blazing, but the crowd gathered outside the racing club was even more heated than the sun itself.
Tourists, racing fans, and—more than anyone else—Iron Man's followers.
Ever since Tony publicly admitted he was Iron Man, his fame had skyrocketed. To say he was at the peak of his popularity would be an understatement.
After news broke that Tony would be participating in the race, the number of spectators multiplied several times over. Tickets for the racetrack became nearly impossible to get.
The atmosphere was electric, the crowd erupting in cheers and excitement, like a scene from a wild celebration.
Clark, wearing his press badge and carrying a camera, braved the heat to take photos outside.
Looking at the bustling scene, he couldn't help but shake his head.
These people were insane. Was Tony Stark really that charming?
Thinking of some of Tony's past scandals, Clark shook his head again.
Just then, a car pulled up in front of the club entrance.
Was it Tony?
Clark quickly moved forward, securing a good position for a photo.
The next moment, as Tony stepped out of the car, a wave of screams erupted. The crowd surged forward like a tidal wave.
Tony adjusted his clothes, waved to the crowd with a smile, and stood at the entrance for a few seconds—just long enough for the press to capture their shots—before walking into the club with Pepper clinging to his arm.
Clark reviewed the photos he had taken, swiftly deleting the unsuitable ones.
Tony, dressed in a sharp suit and wearing sunglasses, had his usual smug expression.
Clark glanced at one and decided it was pretty decent.
He pushed through the crowd, showed his press pass and clearance to the security guards, and entered the club.
Their editor had scheduled a short interview with Tony Stark in advance.
"Clark, over here!"
Lois, already inside the club, waved at him.
Clark walked over.
Lois pulled out a compact mirror to check her makeup, her eyes subtly drifting toward Tony. When she saw a man and woman approaching him, she whispered to Clark, "That's Christine from Vanity Fair, and with her is Justin Hammer, the owner of Hammer Industries."
Clark nodded, understanding that Lois was helping him recognize important faces.
As a journalist, you never knew when you'd have to deal with these people.
Lois smirked slightly and tilted her head toward Clark. "Christine's quite capable, but she tends to use her body to get what she wants. To secure an interview with Tony Stark, she spent the night at his place. And now she's with Justin Hammer? Ugh… her taste just keeps getting worse."
Clark blinked. "You two rivals or something?"
Lois awkwardly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Watching Christine and Justin walk away, she replied, "I'm nothing like her. Come on, let's go."
At that moment, Tony was wiping his hands furiously with a wet towel, wearing an expression of disgust.
That idiot who only knows how to copy and rip off others had dared to grab his hand.
If he had regenerative powers, he would've chopped that hand off on the spot!
Pepper Potts looked at Tony, amused. Spotting Lois approaching, she leaned over and whispered, "Tony, those are the reporters from The Daily Planet. They scheduled an interview."
Tony frowned, clearly annoyed.
"Hello, Mr. Stark. I'm Lois. We scheduled an interview in advance."
Lois greeted him with a professional smile.
Tony shook his head and replied, "Next time."
He was in a terrible mood.
And when he was in a bad mood, he didn't care about appointments or interviews.
With that, he turned and walked away.
Lois furrowed her brows and sighed.
She had already heard about Tony Stark's infamous temper. If she chased after him now, she still wouldn't get the interview. He wasn't the type to reward persistence with cooperation.
Looks like the interview's a bust.
"Sorry, Tony's in a bad mood right now,"
Pepper Potts offered a quick apology to the two before turning to chase after him.
Lois glanced back at Clark and said helplessly, "Well, there goes our interview. We'll just have to take more photos at the racetrack later and hope White doesn't tear us apart."
Clark scratched his head, then suddenly strode after Tony.
"Clark, don't do anything reckless!"
Lois was stunned. As Clark quickly disappeared from sight, she bit her lip.
What's with this guy charging in like a hothead?
If he pissed off Tony Stark, they could kiss their jobs goodbye!
With that in mind, she rushed after him.
"Hey! Mr.—Mr. Stark!"
Clark called out, quickly catching up to Tony. Under Pepper Potts' surprised gaze—and before Tony had time to react—he slipped an arm around Tony's neck and whispered quickly in his ear,
"I'm Clark."
Tony's rising anger vanished in an instant. He pushed Clark away, frowning. "You're Clark?"
They hadn't seen each other in ages. The Clark in his memory compared to the one standing here now…
Clark nodded, adjusted his glasses, and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, "The hotel. The cross-dressing incident."
Tony's eyes widened in shock.
It really was Clark!
Only his parents and the Kent family knew about that!
"Why are you wearing glasses?" Tony scoffed. "You look like a total nerd."
"Clark!"
Lois finally caught up, calling out to him. She turned to Tony and said quickly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Stark. He just started not long ago. He didn't mean to—"
"Whatever you want to ask, go ahead."
"…Huh?"
Lois froze.
Tony pointed to an empty table nearby. "How about we talk over there?"
"Y-yes, of course!"
Lois was stunned by Tony's sudden change in attitude and couldn't help but glance at Clark.
What just happened?
But with Tony Stark already walking away, she had no time to question it and quickly followed.
The interview went smoothly—surprisingly so. Tony's attitude was unexpectedly cooperative, much to Lois' disbelief.
After the interview, as they watched Tony leave, Lois turned to Clark, who was still snapping pictures nearby, and asked, "What happened just now? What did you say to him?"
"Nothing much,"
Clark replied with a shake of his head. "Maybe his mood just changed all of a sudden."
Lois looked at Clark suspiciously. But seeing the same puzzled expression on his face and thinking about Tony Stark's unpredictable personality, she let out a breath and said, "We got lucky this time. But next time, don't be so reckless. It could get you into real trouble."
Clark nodded. "The race is about to start."
The two of them walked toward the track.
From there, things were much easier.
Watch the race, take some photos, write up an article—that would be enough to hand in.
As race time drew closer, the stands became increasingly packed with spectators.
While the sunlit racetrack was drawing global attention, far above where no one was looking, a metallic figure hovered silently, watching everything below with a cold gaze.
(End of Chapter)