Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Agent Coulson's smile was like a meticulously pressed mask, gentle and polite, yet carrying an undeniable air of scrutiny. The folder in his hand was tilted slightly, and the yellowed photocopy of the picture of the broken glass tube stood out starkly in the bright living room light.

"Super Soldier Serum?" Tony Stark raised an eyebrow, his face instantly switching back to its usual expression, a mixture of mockery and impatience. He strode to the bar, poured himself a glass of amber liquid, the ice clinking against the glass. "Wow, sounds like a bedtime story from some old WWII relic in the Brooklyn Museum. Agent Coulson, has S.H.I.E.L.D. switched to making historical mystery dramas? Or…" He took a sip, his gaze sweeping between Wang Huanbo and Coulson, "Do you think my 'time-traveling adventurer' friend looks like one of those old monsters who'd live to be ninety and still have bulging muscles?"

Coulson's smile remained unmoved, as if Tony's sarcasm was merely a gentle breeze across the water. "Mr. Stark," he said, "history often hides crucial clues that influence the present. Especially when 'objects' that should have been buried by time suddenly appear in places they shouldn't be, or... on people they shouldn't be." His gaze, like a precise probe, was fixed firmly on Wang Huanbo's calm, expressionless face. "Mr. Wang, in 1945, the Allied 'Project Rebirth' laboratory was robbed, and the only theoretically successful super-soldier serum sample vanished. The traces left at the scene... were extremely unusual, beyond human capabilities. And while we were sorting through some earlier files about Mr. Howard Stark's involvement in 'Project Paperclip,' we unexpectedly discovered a blurry photograph taken in 1943. In the photo, standing beside Mr. Howard, examining an experimental engine alongside him..." He paused slightly, emphasizing his words, "...is almost identical to your current appearance."

The air in the living room seemed to freeze. Pepper Potts instinctively held her breath, looking at Wang Huanbo with worry. Tony's fingers, holding his wine glass, tightened slightly, his caramel-colored eyes narrowed, and his sharp gaze swept over Wang Huanbo.

Wang Huanbo met Coulson's gaze, a barely perceptible upward twitch at the corner of his mouth, a curve so faint it was almost an illusion. "S.H.I.E.L.D.'s record management seems more chaotic than I imagined." His voice remained calm, devoid of any emotion. "A blurry photograph from decades ago, a lost serum sample—and you think you can connect someone who saved Tony Stark in the Afghan desert to some WWII theft case? Is your chain of logic connected with shoddy wires produced by Stark Industries?"

Tony nearly choked on his drink, barely suppressing a laugh as his shoulders twitched suspiciously. A slight crack appeared in Coulson's smile, but it vanished in an instant.

"Reasonable suspicion is an agent's instinct, Mr. Wang." Coulson closed the folder, his tone still calm. "Especially when someone possesses superhuman strength and whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Your performance in the cave, and your astonishing insights into Mr. Stark's technology, are difficult to explain as those of an 'ordinary adventurer.' We simply want to know the truth and avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."

“The truth is,” Wang Huanbo took a step forward, his gaze calmly sweeping over Coulson before finally settling on Tony, “I saved you, Tony. As for who I am and where I come from, that’s my own business. If S.H.I.E.L.D. thinks that someone who saves people in the desert and incidentally helps some arrogant idiot improve his reactor that could blow him up at any moment poses a threat to the world…” He paused, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, “then you should first investigate who sold Tony’s whereabouts to the Ten Commandments, and who is continuously supplying those terrorists with Stark Industries weapons. Cleaning up the parasites under your noses might be more helpful for the ‘global security landscape’ than investigating a decades-old cold case.”

Coulson's eyes instantly sharpened like a hawk's: "Mr. Wang, what are you implying?"

"An implication?" Wang Huanbo shook his head slightly. "I'm just stating an obvious fact. Tony's kidnapping in Afghanistan was no accident. The fact that weapons manufactured by his company ended up in enemy hands was no coincidence. If S.H.I.E.L.D. can't even find these things, or... doesn't want to find them," he gave Coulson a meaningful look, "then your so-called 'global security' is probably just empty talk."

Tony's playful expression vanished completely. He put down his glass, his eyes turning cold and sharp. Wang Huanbo's words were like a cold dagger, precisely piercing the deepest doubts in his heart. Obadiah… that name swirled in his mind like a venomous snake.

"Enough!" Tony's voice was filled with suppressed anger. He looked at Coulson. "Mr. Agent, I've received your 'concern.' Now, unless you have an arrest warrant or some other official document, please leave my house. My 'technical advisor' and I have more important things to discuss." He emphasized the words "technical advisor."

Coulson gave Wang Huanbo a deep look, his gaze complex and unreadable, containing probing, wariness, and even a hint of barely perceptible... apprehension? He finally turned to Tony, resuming his professional smile: "Of course, Mr. Stark. Thank you for your time. If Mr. Wang recalls any clues about the serum, or... any other valuable information, please feel free to contact me." He handed over a simple business card with only his name and phone number, placing it on the bar, then nodded slightly to Pepper Potts, "Ms. Potts, excuse me."