Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

"Mr. Stark, there is only me, your most loyal friend. If you think I am unworthy, then I am your most loyal servant." Henry almost rushed up to hug his thigh.

Tony cursed, "Damn it, talk normally. Also, don't call me Mr. Stark, it reminds me of another old guy. Call me Tony, and I might consider taking you to Ms. Hepburn's party."

Thanks to book friends 20230412234352164 and Xiao Zhengtian for their rewards

Chapter 81 Attending the Banquet

Following Tony Stark, who was wearing a custom-made suit but without a tie or bow tie, with the first button even more open, Henry was glad that he had given up the soaked suit he had bought and rented another one instead.

Even though he couldn't tell the difference between a handmade tailored suit and a cheap one with his current fashion sense, he was able to at least maintain a level of decency.

Holding a bouquet of yellow roses mixed with lilies. This is the etiquette for first visits in the United States. You can also give a small gift or bring a bottle of wine.

Considering the other party's wealth, he probably couldn't give him a gift or wine that he would like, so Henry brought a bouquet of flowers.

In fact, from the moment Henry appeared with a bouquet of flowers, Tony Stark had been laughing all the way, laughing in a very obscene way, making the Kryptonian's fist itch again, wanting to punch the future Iron Man in the cheek.

Henry used great willpower to control his impulse, and then used 120% of his best-actor ability to control his facial muscles and put on a kind and friendly smile. His smile made Mr. Stark's back shiver.

The family dinner was held at the Stark family's villa in Beverly Hills. However, Tony did not live there, so he came from somewhere else.

On the way, Henry asked Tony nervously, "Why did Ms. Hepburn choose to stay at your villa?"

"I told you, she's living in Connecticut now that she's retired. When she comes to Los Angeles, she mostly stays in hotels. But when some old friends get together, they always need a venue, so they'll borrow my villa. Sometimes she'll even stay there."

"So, your family has a good relationship with Ms. Hepburn?" Henry thought for a moment, then suddenly realized something. "Oh, no, that's impossible."

"Shut up. I think you're thinking something very rude. If you're going to say anything you shouldn't, get out of here."

Tony Stark had no desire to discuss the affairs of his elders.

As for Henry, he wondered if the Howard Stark of this world lived such a wild life. Did he ever fail to capture any girl from the Golden Age?

The Stark family's villa in Beverly Hills is in no way inferior to the one Henry had seen before, which was rented by a banquet company.

The house itself was rather old-fashioned, like a manor house from the last century. I wondered whose personality it was that chose this vulgar style.

As he passed through the iron gate, Tony Stark rolled down his car window and said only one sentence into the intercom: "It's me."

Henry saw what it meant to pass through with facial recognition, and the big iron gate in front of the courtyard opened directly.

The flashy red Ferrari was revved again and rushed into the courtyard.

Honestly, Henry thought a sports car was something that didn't consider comfort. He'd rather ride in that secondhand Cadillac he bought in Alaska than in this thing.

But at the moment, Henry didn't have time to think about whether his butt would bump into anyone or not. His mind was completely filled with the nervousness of meeting his idol, and he couldn't think of anything else.

Even after getting out of the car, Henry immediately used his other hand besides the bouquet to smooth out the wrinkles on his cheap suit.

"coming."

A clear female voice came from behind the main door of the villa, which made Henry's heart rise to his throat and his heart beat so fast that he didn't know how many times faster.

As soon as the door opened, Henry lowered his head and handed the bouquet out, saying, "Hello, Ms. Hepburn, I'm a big fan of yours!"

"Oh, really?"

The female voice was different from what I had imagined. It was sharper and cleaner, somewhat different from the slightly low and gentle voice I had imagined.

Henry looked up after the celebrity took the flowers. Unexpectedly, he saw the face of a beautiful woman in her twilight years, with deep features and sharp eyes.

"Oh, it's Ms. Hepburn..."

The frustration in his voice was all too evident.

Katharine Hepburn immediately shot him a glare and said in a serious tone, "You can make your disappointed expression a little more exaggerated, and I promise not to break your nose."

Henry realized it later and quickly made amends, saying, "Oh, Ms. Hepburn, please forgive my disrespect. I am also a fan of yours, there is nothing wrong with that.

“Whether it’s Morning Glory, for which you won the Oscar for Best Actress, or the two masterpieces, Bringing Up Baby and The New Bitch, they are all my favorites.

"Even subsequent works like The African Queen, Summer's Despair, and Dinner Are You Coming are all very memorable and leave a lasting impression. Your performance in these films proves that you are not only beautiful, but also an excellent actor with excellent acting skills."

Catherine peeked out from behind the bouquet at the son of an acquaintance standing behind Henry and said, "Little Tony, tell me what's going on with this friend of yours who talks so fast."

"Katherine, this guy is just a little Hollywood actor."

"Hmm." The voice clearly showed disbelief.

"Some cleverness."

"Hmm!" His voice rose slightly. If a Stark man could praise someone for being clever, then that person must be incredibly smart.

"Do you remember the big shooting a while ago? He was the one who fought off those killers with me."

"Hmm!" Catherine raised her eyebrows and looked at the strange young man again.

Henry touched his chest and nodded, saying, "Henry Brown, it's an honor to meet you, Ms. Hepburn."

"Call me Katherine, kid. Otherwise, it's easy to remind you of another Ms. Hepburn," the aging star teased. Then he added, "Come in, Tony, this is your home."

"No." Tony Stark said, "This is the house the old man bought. It has nothing to do with me."

"Hmph, a man from the Stark family." Catherine gave up her position at the door and said sarcastically.

Henry was not so pretentious. Instead, he went into the house and blocked the door that would close automatically on behalf of Catherine.

The fading star gave up his position blocking the door and said, "If little Tony doesn't want to come in, let him stand outside as punishment. Kid, come with me."

"Coming." Henry followed happily, leaving the arrogant young master behind.

"Damn it, Catherine, you and I are friends."

"Have you ever seen a friend whose duties include coaxing children?" Katherine Hepburn mercilessly used her final blow and beat the eldest son of the Stark family like a grandson.

Tony opened the half-closed door himself, walked in and continued, "Even the chef for today was called by me."

"You can call them back. This will give me a chance to show off my skills." Catherine didn't indulge the child and continued to poke with the knife.

Henry praised from the side, "I have some experience in cooking, I can help out."

"Oh, that's great. It seems we now know who the most useless person is among us."

Chapter 82: Big Talk

In the end, no one cooked, and the meal was handed over to a professional team of French chefs.

And since it is called a banquet, the participants certainly cannot be just Henry, Tony and Ms. Catherine.

Another couple is a big shot from the financial circle, Alex Hart, CEO of Mastercard, and his wife.

Perhaps because of the presence of Henry, an outsider, Alex, a financial tycoon, did not dominate the conversation at the banquet. Instead, he fulfilled his duty as a listener and gave appropriate responses.

Tony Stark, who always loves to be the center of attention, was badly defeated by Henry this time because Henry could name all of Katherine's movies like the back of his hand, and even had positive reviews from the time.

Even Henry himself can analyze the strengths and weaknesses of these movies.

If someone who is not familiar with movies hears this, they will definitely be confused.

But who was Katharine Hepburn? She wasn't the kind of person who would just act in a movie and then not go to see it herself.

Coming from a theater background, and as one of the few actresses in the golden age who was willing to hone her acting skills rather than relying solely on her true self, Catherine could understand what Henry said.

This undoubtedly made the aging star feel like she had met a soulmate. Katherine exclaimed, "So you said you were a fan of me, not just another Hepburn. It seems you weren't lying."

"Ma'am..." Henry was about to speak when he was interrupted.

"Call me Catherine." The big star smiled kindly.

"Well, Catherine. I wouldn't lie to a beautiful lady like you, who is full of talent. If I were to say something casual or lie, you would be able to tell easily."

Tony Stark, unable to bear it any longer, finally cursed in a low voice: "Flatterer."

Everyone heard it, but no one took it seriously. They all smiled and continued chatting, obviously knowing Tony Stark's personality well.

Catherine further said, "In that case, Henry, let me test you."

"Please say."

"Recently, film critics have been criticizing me for still making movies after I turned 40. As a result, I can only rely on sentimentality to maintain a half-dead box office. What do you think of this?"

"Take what these people say as bullshit, Catherine. There are many reasons for the poor box office performance, but I think Hollywood studios bear the greatest responsibility."

"Oh, that's new. Finally, I've heard an answer other than criticizing the audience for not being competent enough."

Henry commented scathingly, "Because in Hollywood movies, the types and age ranges of women are quite narrow. They're either beautiful young girls, voluptuous and mature women, or mean old women.

"There are so many different types of women out there. Yet, movie studios use box office as an excuse to restrict their films to just a few. They don't just talk about it; they act.

"Then they force actresses to play such roles, regardless of whether they are suitable. When they fail or the performance is not ideal, the blame is placed on the actresses.

"Of course, this isn't your fault. Actors are just one part of the film industry. Even if you've given us your youthful beauty and superb acting skills, you can still be turned into a piece of shit by the camera.

"Or else, the director, editor, and producer can easily ruin a film. But do any of them admit their mistakes? No, the actors are the perfect scapegoats.

"If there's a suitable script, a capable director, a producer who isn't overconfident to the point of superstition, and an actor like you, we can create another classic film.

"No matter what, the success of a film is the result of achieving perfection in all aspects. Similarly, failure can also be caused by many factors. In my opinion, the actors are the ones who are least responsible.

"Because actors need to be cast before they can appear on screen, and then, under the director's guidance, their acting skills are displayed in front of the camera. If an actor's performance is really bad, shouldn't the fault be placed on the team that cast them?

"There are so many actors in Hollywood, are they the only ones like this to choose from? If the actor performs well but the movie fails, is there any need to point out where the problem lies? It won't be the actor anyway.

"Besides, what's wrong with selling nostalgia? Would the audience prefer to watch a new actor whose age and appearance are suitable for the role, but whose acting is actually awkward? Instead of choosing a mature actor with good acting skills and rich experience?"

It sounded like a positive comment, but Catherine disagreed. Instead, she said, "Although I agree with most of what you said, there was a sense in your words that I was an old woman and should play the role of an old woman. That was even more infuriating."

Now it was Henry's turn to say awkwardly, "Actually... this is not the point I wanted to emphasize."

Tony laughed and said, "Yes, Catherine, you're welcome. This guy just relies on his cleverness to talk down to others. He should be taught a lesson."

At this moment, everyone looked at Tony Stark with a puzzled expression. Katharine Hepburn even said, "Little Tony, why don't you listen to what you just said? Why do you think this problem only occurs in others?"

Tony wanted to refute Katharine Hepburn's heart-piercing words, but seeing the old lady's expression, he gave up.

This person always finds the exact spot to stab someone in their words. Even the most brilliant mind can't guarantee that their words are flawless, a fact proven by two generations of Stark.

So Tony looked at the boss who was quiet and seemed a little bored and said, "Alex, let's go to the study and talk. There is my father's collection of whiskey there."

"It's Howard's collection, I have to try it. If I expect him to take it out himself, I don't know how long I'll have to wait."

The financial tycoon followed Tony, leaving his wife to chat with Henry and Catherine about the movie.

Henry understood what the two women meant when they deliberately kept him here with the topic of movies. They were probably looking for a chance to talk privately, so he shouldn't be so tactless as to ask for a sip of whiskey.

In fact, Alex Hart and his wife were invited by Tony through Catherine.

This big boss, who usually works in New York, came to California for vacation, which gave Tony an opportunity.

He agreed to attend the dinner, not because they had a close personal relationship. If they really wanted to talk about friendship, perhaps if Howard came forward, they could still establish some relationship.

Tony Stark's nephew had a motive for inviting him to dinner. Alex Hart was curious about what that motive was, which was why he attended this private dinner.

Chapter 83: Secret Meeting in the Study

Howard Stark's study is completely different from the studies of ordinary wealthy people.

It wasn't a cabinet full of hardcover and antique books that might not be read in years, purely decorative displays. Instead, it was a cabinet full of periodicals, bound manuscripts, or typed books, some standing upright, some stacked.

Every book, or book-like thing, here looked as if it had been read countless times, with various labels sticking out from the top or sides, and some of them were stacked together at specific pages.

Alex Hart noticed that the books in the study were in a state of disarray, suggesting the owner hadn't been here for a long time. Although someone cleaned regularly, some fine dust was still visible.

After Tony closed the door, he poured two glasses of whiskey into wide-mouthed glasses from the wine cabinet, one for himself and one for the invited guests.

Alex Hart took the cup, took a sip, and said, "Hmm, it's worthy of being Howard's collection. It's really delicious."

Tony Stark took a sip as well. Although it didn't taste the same as the ones he'd sneaked in to drink when he was underage, after trying the cheap drinks at the bar outside, he could still tell the value of this bottle of wine.

"Tony. Can I call you Tony?" Alex Hart said.

"Yes, you can."

"Well, Tony, you specially invited me through Catherine. You're not here to drink up all of Howard's collection, are you?"

There had already been enough polite conversation in the living room, so the financial tycoon got straight to the point after entering the study.

Tony Stark was obviously impatient to continue talking about useless things and asked, "You know the murder case that happened a while ago, the case I was involved in."

"Oh, that one, I noticed. I heard a lot of Silicon Valley's... well, what do you call it, upstarts, were also involved in this. But it seems to have been dropped in the end. I haven't heard any subsequent news reports."

"Yes, that's right. What if I say that all the FBI agents who were there that day were fake, and that the gunman I left behind that day, including the body, disappeared in the end? Do you think this is normal?"