Reborn in Marvel, I am Iron Man's son?

What puzzled him was why Tony had Happy send him an invitation as well.

Mark wouldn't presume to think that Tony was treating him differently just because of rumors that he was Tony's illegitimate son!

So, should we go to this charity banquet or not?

Mark had already made his decision after opening the door and entering the villa.

Others might not be certain, but Mark knew that Bush was bound to be the next president of the United States, and that he would be re-elected for two terms.

Investing now, before the other party ascends to the presidency, will be very beneficial for the Payne Group's future development.

He only needs to spend a token amount of ten or twenty million dollars at the charity gala, which isn't much for Mark now.

After making the decision, Mark began preparations in advance.

He first called Global Security Company and asked them to send two professional bodyguards to accompany him to the banquet the next day.

Although he didn’t actually need to, it would still seem a little strange for a child to attend a party alone.

Mark then opened the gift box that Happy had just given him.

When he opened it, he found a high-end light blue children's suit inside, complete with a shirt and bow tie.

Although he didn't know much about clothes, he could tell from the fabric that this high-end suit was definitely expensive.

Mark tried on the children's suit, stood in front of the mirror, and saw that it fit perfectly.

At this moment, Mark in the mirror had a handsome face, a straight nose, clear blue eyes, and skin as white and tender as when he was a baby, looking like an angel in a church mural.

Coupled with his tall and straight figure outlined by the children's suit, he already exudes a handsome and dashing air at a young age.

Mark didn't care about his current appearance. He just looked at the suit that fit him perfectly and shook his head helplessly: "Jarvis must have hacked into our school's database and got my medical report!"

He usually uses Alice to get all sorts of information he wants through the internet, which he finds very convenient.

But now that others are using more powerful smart programs to access his privacy, Mark feels uncomfortable.

"It seems we need to upgrade Alice's intelligence and computing power as soon as possible. We can't keep being outdone by Jarvis!"

Mark thought to himself.

The next afternoon, two bodyguards from Global Security arrived, and they also provided Mark with a bulletproof car.

When it was almost time, Mark changed into the children's suit and, escorted by two bodyguards, headed to the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan.

At this time, dozens of luxury cars were already parked in the parking lot of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Dozens of armed bodyguards blocked all entrances and exits of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Mark was stopped at the door by two armed bodyguards. He showed his invitation and was only allowed to pass after his identity was repeatedly verified.

The two bodyguards who escorted Mark were taken to another room after their identities were checked, where they stayed with the other bodyguards.

Mark was led into the banquet hall by a servant.

Dozens of men and women had gathered in the hall, all dressed in fine clothes, exchanging pleasantries with polite smiles.

There were also more than a dozen specially invited reporters around them, taking pictures continuously.

Surrounded by everyone in the middle is the host of this banquet, presidential candidate George Bush.

When Mark came in, most people just glanced at him and didn't pay any attention, assuming he was a child brought by one of the invited guests.

But some women looked at Mark's angelic face with shining eyes, and if it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, they would have already come over to talk to him.

Just then, another person walked in from outside.

He was dressed in a bespoke grey suit, handsome, with a nonchalant smile on his face—it was Tony Stark.

Unlike Mark, Tony attracted everyone's attention as soon as he stepped into the banquet hall.

The reporters focused almost all their cameras on Tony, the most talked-about figure.

"Hey Tony, long time no see!"

“Hello Mr. Stark, I am Hilde O’Connor, president of O’Connor Corporation. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

"..."

Everyone stepped forward to greet Tony.

Even George W. Bush, who had been surrounded by the crowd, came over with two middle-aged white men.

He smiled and extended his hand to Tony: "Hello Mr. Stark, it's an honor to have you here at this banquet."

Chapter 122 Formal Meeting

"I am also honored to have been invited."

Tony also politely stepped forward and shook hands with George, the most promising presidential candidate to succeed him.

“This is my security advisor, Levi Baldwin, and this is the fundraising committee director, Irwin Ward.”

George introduced the two middle-aged men beside him to Tony.

"Hello Mr. Stark, it's an honor to meet you."

The two greeted Stark warmly.

Tony shook hands with the two absentmindedly while glancing around the hall.

He soon spotted Mark casually standing at a table not far away, eating dessert.

Hey, Mark!

He waved and called out to Mark.

Everyone knew that Tony always did things his own way, so they didn't pay attention to his slightly rude behavior. They just followed Tony's gaze to Mark at the table.

"Huh! Who is this child? Why is Mr. Stark greeting him?"

"At first I thought someone had brought their child here, but now it seems that the other person's identity may not be simple."

"..."

When everyone saw Mark's appearance clearly, they all looked surprised.

Previously, it was always others who took the initiative to greet Tony, even George, the presidential candidate.

But this time, it was Tony who took the initiative to greet the other person, who was just a child, which was quite surprising.

But some people recognized Mark's identity and couldn't help but exclaim, "Ah, he looks like the child who was on the news a while ago, the one who was rumored to be Mr. Stark's illegitimate son!"

Although Mark was very popular on TV, in newspapers and online some time ago, most people only saw a few photos of him on TV and in newspapers.

That was quite different from his current sharp suit look, and Mark had grown up very quickly during that time, so most people in the banquet hall didn't recognize him.

With so many people watching, Mark could only put down the pastry in his hand, wipe his mouth with a napkin, and walk towards Tony.

"Hello Mr. Stark, thank you for sending the invitation and clothes."

Mark stepped forward and thanked Tony.

Upon hearing Mark's unfamiliar way of addressing him, Tony's smile froze for a moment.

But after thinking about it, he realized that this was their first official meeting, and there was nothing wrong with Mark addressing him as such.

Tony only believed that Mark had saved him and that they were related by blood, which was why he thought they were closer.

Tony chuckled awkwardly, glanced at Mark, and changed the subject, saying, "Well, this outfit does look really good on you."

“Mr. Stark, this is…”

At this moment, George also looked at Mark with curiosity.

He wanted to know who this child was that Tony was treating him this way.

"Oh, this child's name is Mark Payne, and his mother is Rosalie Payne, the chairwoman of the Payne Corporation."

Tony introduced Mark's identity to everyone in the hall, but he did not tell them that Mark was the real owner of the Payne Corporation.

"Mark Payne? Isn't that the kid who was all over the news a while ago?"

"Is it true that he is Mr. Stark's illegitimate son?"

"Didn't they say that Mr. Stark refused to acknowledge his identity and even sent warning letters to major television stations for it? How come it seems that the situation is not quite the same now?"

"..."

Everyone present suddenly realized what was happening and couldn't help but look at Tony and Mark as they whispered to each other.

These sounds were clearly audible to Mark.

If it were someone else, they might feel uncomfortable being talked about like this, but Mark ignored it completely and didn't care at all.

Having transformed into a superhero, his mindset is already different from that of ordinary people.

Tony, on the other hand, looked somewhat embarrassed as everyone discussed the situation.

Because of childhood trauma, he was indeed afraid to admit his relationship with Mark.

But he noticed that the people around him seemed to look down on Mark, so he took the initiative to speak up for him.

With Payne Corporation now valued at over $100 billion and holding a certain position in the Federation, the way everyone looked at Mark quickly became much more serious.

Even disregarding the rumors about his relationship with Tony, the Payne Corporation alone means that no one dares to treat Mark as an ordinary kid anymore.

"Oh, he's not yours..."

George, who was standing next to him, almost blurted out what he was about to say, but fortunately his strong mental fortitude kept him from saying it.

To break the slightly awkward atmosphere, George changed the subject and said to everyone in the hall, "Now that everyone is here, please take your seats!"

After George spoke, everyone stopped talking and sat down on the chairs next to the long dining table.

Mark originally intended to find any empty seat at the back, but Tony pulled him to sit in the front row next to George.

After everyone was seated, George arranged for someone to play some videos about the disaster victims on the large screen in front of them.

This footage, taken from a helicopter, shows a tsunami hundreds of meters high rushing ashore, leveling apartments and high-rises for dozens of miles around and submerging them all.

After the waves receded temporarily, all that remained on the shore were broken walls and ruins, the corpses of many humans and animals, and various abandoned cars.

Everyone gasped in horror as they watched the horrific scene unfold on the screen.

They had only heard about it in the news before and hadn't paid much attention to it, since the Oregon coast was too far from New York.

But seeing the suffocating images on the big screen in person made me realize just how serious the disaster was.

After the video finished playing, George walked onto the stage and began his speech with great emotion: "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending tonight's charity gala! Tonight we gather here in celebration, but in the disaster area, there are still many displaced people who have lost their homes..."

George's voice choked with emotion as he spoke, and the reporters below frantically snapped photos, capturing the moment.

After he finished speaking, the final fundraising session began.

Tony, sitting next to Mark, curled his lip dismissively as George spoke and muttered, "Showboating!"

But when it came time to pay, he was the first to step forward and readily signed a check for one hundred million US dollars, which drew applause from the audience.

Under his leadership, the people present generously donated millions to tens of millions of yuan.

Mark also donated ten million dollars, in accordance with the Payne Group's level of strength.

"Hmm? That's not right!"

Just as everyone finished their donations and was about to raise a glass in celebration, Mark noticed something amiss.

Chapter 123 Assassination

Mark keenly noticed that Owen Ward, the fundraising committee director standing next to George, suddenly felt his heart race.

Another male waiter who approached with a tray of red wine to pour it also had an abnormal heartbeat.

Just as George was about to reach for the wine on the tray, the waiter in front of him suddenly threw down the tray and pulled a pistol from his pocket.

He pointed the gun at the bewildered George and pulled the trigger without hesitation.

"Mr. Bush, watch out!"

Owen Ward, who was standing nearby, exclaimed and pulled George sharply.

"boom!"

The bullet grazed George's cheek, leaving a bloody gash on his face.