I Became Spider-Man's Cousin in Anime Crossover

Chapter 240 Tony's Return, The Playboy's Transformation

Under Riley's covert escort, Tony, traveling on a military transport plane, finally left the nightmarish Middle East and set foot once again on this land that prides itself on freedom and democracy.

Of course, Tony thought that, given his bad temper, apart from that old acquaintance who had some suspicions, no one would care whether he lived or died.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the transport plane opened its cabin door, Tony saw Pepper Potts, dressed in a smart suit, silently watching him with red eyes.

This caused Tony, who always treated women like clothes, indulged in all sorts of wild and passionate parties, and always had Pepper Potts help clean up the mess after a passionate night, to develop some strange feelings for her.

Clearly, after three months of imprisonment, Tony's values ​​and beliefs have gradually changed under Ethan's subtle influence. Most importantly, he has come to realize the importance of those around him.

So, on the surface, Tony still maintained that arrogant demeanor.

But as Rod helped him slowly walk up to Chili, he couldn't help but smile and jokingly made a face.

"Your eyes are red... It seems you've been worried sick and cried a lot these past three months about your long-missing boss?"

"Of course not, these are tears of joy representing the hope of keeping your job. After all, these days, finding a high-paying job with good benefits isn't easy."

"Very well, then I hereby declare your vacation over, effective immediately."

The two, who seemed unwilling to back down, exchanged words, but then revealed knowing smiles.

"Hmm...this familiar taste...I really didn't expect you to like cheeseburgers, let alone buy so many. It seems appearances can be deceiving!"

However, compared to the original story, there are some differences...

This time, Chili Pepper didn't greet Tony's return empty-handed; instead, she brought a bag full of takeout.

As the distance between the two closed, the aroma of the food in the bag gradually reached Tony's nostrils.

Tony raised an eyebrow, and while asking a question, he unceremoniously reached into his bag with his left hand, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out a cheeseburger. Lacking any semblance of a top billionaire's demeanor, he immediately put it to his mouth and wolfed it down.

After all, as a prisoner, Tony had only received a certain amount of food over the past three months, which was enough to keep him from starving and give him the strength to make weapons for the terrorists.

To the point that even getting a full meal had become a luxury, let alone the food he ate every day, which, compared to his previous lavish meals, was worse than pig swill, Tony, who had been eating like this for three months straight and whose stomach was extremely deprived of oil and fat, now had only one wish: to enjoy a delicious cheeseburger!

After quickly finishing a cheeseburger, Tony licked his fingers, still wanting more, and instinctively reached for another one.

Unexpectedly, Pepper Potts, with a look of heartache in her eyes, had already opened a new box, taken out the cheeseburger inside, and personally fed it to Tony.

"Here, eat slowly. I bought a lot, it's all yours, no one will take it from you..."

"Hmm...this is more like what a person should eat! Thanks, Pepper. How did you know I was craving this?"

Because of his broken right arm from the fall, Tony, who could only use his left hand, was only slightly taken aback before accepting the treatment of being fed by the beauty. Rhodes, who was clearly black but felt so radiant he could blind people, was incredibly envious.

It wasn't until Little Chili fed him that he ate three cheeseburgers in one go, satisfying his craving.

Tony then licked his lips, squinted his eyes contentedly, thanked Pepper, and casually asked her a question.

"Huh? Didn't you ask your friend in the military to call me specifically and ask me to buy this for you?"

Pepper was taken aback when she heard Tony's question.

He then smiled and shook his head, not taking the opportunity to claim the favor and try to win Tony's favor. Instead, he explained the facts to Tony.

"He said that one of the two things you wanted to do after getting off the plane was to have a good cheeseburger. The second was to hold a press conference immediately... Honestly, Tony, I was quite surprised by this. I thought the first thing you wanted to do after you got back was to go on a date with some magazine girl."

"Hmph, Pepper, you should know that in the mysterious East, there's a saying: 'A scholar who has been away for three days should be looked at with new eyes.' And I've been gone for a full three months—how many 'three days' have passed already?"

As soon as Pepper finished speaking, Tony immediately had a corresponding guess in his mind.

After all, Tony, as a top billionaire, appears to have an incredibly glamorous life on the outside. But those who can truly be called "friends" are actually very few and far between. Adding the prefix "military," Tony naturally assumed that this was a little surprise arranged by Rhodes.

So he responded to Little Chili in a half-joking, half-serious manner.

Tony then turned around and gave Rhodes, who had been inseparable from Tony ever since they found him in the desert, a big hug with his only free left hand.

"However, my military friends... Wow, Rhodes, I never expected you bastard to have such a thoughtful side! I didn't even tell you anything, and you'd already arranged everything for me! You truly are my good brother!"

"Huh? But... I didn't make this call...?"

However, Rhodes remained silent throughout Tony's enthusiasm, marginalizing his presence so as not to disturb Tony and Pepper's reunion. He acted as a bystander in the melon, clearly not expecting that this melon would end up on his own head.

He then hugged Tony, looking completely bewildered, and repeatedly recalled the events of the journey in his mind, confirming that he had not made that call. Rod's expression turned slightly awkward as he responded sheepishly.

"Not you? How could that be? Besides you and Chili, who else would know that I actually love cheeseburgers...!"

This really stumped Tony.

But soon, he recalled the strange black man he had encountered in the terrorist's hideout, and the name the man had used.

Tony's gaze turned strange and complicated. He turned back to Pepper and asked her pointedly.

"Pepper, when your military friend called you, did he mention anything else besides the cheeseburgers and the press conference?"