After viewing the house introduced by S.H.I.E.L.D., it was already late. They simply drove directly to the nearby Flushing neighborhood for dinner. Greed chose a well-reviewed Northeastern Chinese restaurant and ordered several hearty dishes. The owner was also very enthusiastic in introducing them to the local customs.
The food evidently suited Natasha’s taste, as the female agent ate heartily without lifting her head to speak and downed several bottles of beer. It was during dinner that Greed received a ssage from Stark, inviting him to gather at Stark’s old house the next morning.
Greed felt sowhat strange. He knew Stark didn’t like the old house. Although that house on Long Island was where he was born, it wasn’t actually the Stark family’s ancestral ho. Stark’s father and grandfather were actually from Richford, and it would be accurate to say that an old house there would be the ancestral ho.
As for East Hampton, it’s practically a real-life version of Arican Psycho. Every stereotype about old money, especially the negative ones, is vividly displayed there. Stark never showed any goodwill towards that place and never attended any gatherings there.
As the owner and representative of the Stark Group, Stark had to attend social events and frequented upper-class places. For example, the vineyards of the East Coast and the estates of the West Coast, he had visited countless tis. But he completely ignored East Hampton in New York, clearly having a grudge with the place.
Greed rubbed his temples, appearing sowhat troubled. Natasha finally lifted her head from the food and asked with concern, "What’s wrong with you?"
"Tony suddenly said he wanted to return to the old house and invited to go with him. I’m wondering if he wants to take Little Morgan there to celebrate Christmas. I’m pondering how to dissuade him."
"Taking Little Morgan to the old house for Christmas?" Natasha frowned slightly and said, "What’s wrong with that? Maybe he just wants to take his daughter there to see it, after all, it’s the place where he grew up."
"Exactly, which is why I’m troubled. Because this reason is flawless and impeccable. Who wouldn’t want to take their daughter to see the place where they grew up?"
"What makes you want to dissuade him?"
"The place is New York’s biggest psychiatric hospital." Greed straightforwardly said, "The atmosphere in East Hampton is really bad. If it were only adults, it’d be okay, but kids don’t have a fully developed sense of right and wrong and might be led astray. I’m worried that if Tony gets emotional, he might decide to let Little Morgan go to school there..."
"That’s a wealthy area, right?" Natasha, having heard of it, said, "And it seems to be a gathering place for old money, which sounds quite fitting for Stark. What do you an by a bad atmosphere?"
"Vanity, fawning on the rich and powerful, bullying the weak..."
Natasha opened her mouth, hesitated, and then said, "According to you, the entire Aricas has a bad atmosphere."
Greed waved his hand, but Natasha still advised, "You can’t expect people in a gold standard society to understand what equality ans, especially those with vested interests. As long as they don’t show it on the surface, it’s fine."
"The problem with East Hampton is that they are exceptionally arrogant." Greed said, "Every flaw found in Arican upper-class society, they have it. Even films and TV shows exaggerate nothing. They standardize dressing, behavior, lifestyle, even every expression into a typical model to form ’class identity,’ while extrely excluding those who do not accept these. They dared to exclude even Stark, which tells you what kind of people they are."
"That doesn’t sound very good," Natasha said, "but Little Morgan is smart, she probably won’t be affected by them. But if Stark knew this, he wouldn’t take his daughter back there. Maybe you’re worrying too much."
"I hope so," Greed said, "I hope he’s looking for for another reason, rather than really wanting us to sit around a long table on Christmas Day, reciting that long prayer."
"I can’t imagine Stark doing that." Natasha shook her head and said, "I’ll go with you tomorrow. That way, if he really can’t think straight, I’ll give him a punch."
The next morning, Greed took the Flying Shuttle alone to northern Long Island. Arrogant claid he was going to chat with other reliable people to see if he could gather so useful opinions. So, they parted ways.
Greed and Natasha t at the Long Island Flying Shuttle station, and Coulson also arrived at the sa ti. Greed went up and gave him a hug, noting his noticeably younger-looking face, and said with a laugh, "Looking like you’ve recovered well, Mr. Agent."
"Oh, stop teasing . I’ve already been asked by several ladies about where I had my facelift done." Coulson looked helpless.
"What brings you here today?" Greed asked as they walked out.
Coulson pulled out so docunts from his bag, then said, "You said you want to buy that house from yesterday, so naturally, it’s to sign the contract today."
"I’m afraid it’s a wasted trip," Greed said, "I’m the financier, but the actual buyer is Xu Shang-Chi. This contract can’t be signed without him present."
"I see," Coulson said, "Although that house is indeed nice, it’s still too small for you. When Natasha told yesterday that you wanted to buy it, I was a bit surprised."
Then he awkwardly said, "But the seller is in urgent need of money, and we can’t hold it for you indefinitely..."
"I’ll pay first," Greed said, "With the relationship between S.H.I.E.L.D. and them, it should be fine to transfer the money over first. The contract can be signed after the Christmas holidays."
Coulson nodded and said, "Alright, let’s do that. Actually, the buyer’s gentleman has so connection with Hill’s grandmother, they were comrades or sothing back then, so they entrusted us with the sale."
"I knew it," Greed said, "Such a good real estate resource, if it weren’t for so familial connection, it wouldn’t have fallen into my hands, it would’ve definitely been taken over by the local Chinese community."
They drove all the way to Stark’s old house. Coulson drove back and forth on the street twice, and Natasha asked puzzledly, "Don’t you know the way?"
"No, the original Stark’s old house was as conspicuous as a landmark. I’m wondering if I took the wrong road, why can’t I see that house?"
Greed, who was chatting on the phone, hadn’t noticed outside, but upon hearing this, he looked up and was stunned.
"Oh my God." Greed almost threw his phone away, "Could he be planning not just a Christmas party here but to move the whole family over? How is the house kept so clean???"
At this mont, Coulson finally slowly stopped the car. In front of them was a white and beautiful estate with twelve Roman columns at the entrance and a beautiful azure roof, not only rich but also noble, exuding the strong heritage and elegant temperant of an old money family.
Greed and Coulson both looked like they’d seen a ghost.
Natasha looked at them, a bit confused. She had really never been to the Stark household’s old house. Greed didn’t say a word, just found a report on his phone and sent it to Natasha.
"’Long Island Skyline Destroyer—the Ugliest Building in New York, the Stark Mansion?’" Natasha read the title of the report, and was stunned the mont she saw the house in the picture.
She looked down at her phone, then up at the house, then down at her phone again, saying, "Is this the sa house???"
"And, isn’t he ruining a bit too many skylines? Previously, his Stark Building was called the New York skyline destroyer, and now his old house is called the Long Island skyline destroyer. That title lasts much longer than ’Iron Man’."
"What’s he up to?" Greed couldn’t help but frown, "He’d better not be planning to move the whole family back here, otherwise he’d better never expect to call him Xier again."
The three of them walked in together. When they saw the garden, which was still sowhat decayed, they realized it must be a last-minute effort to clean up, just tidying up the exterior of the building, while the garden remained the sa.
Stark was waiting under the Roman columns. Seeing them coming, he imdiately walked over and hugged Coulson: "Welco back, Agent. You missed at least two quarters of Flash Cards, your complete collection record is about to be broken."
"Ha, no way, I had the Captain save quite a few for ." Coulson said proudly, "I’m sure I can get the special edition."
They walked into the hall together. The hall was relatively clean, but from so details, it was still obvious that no great effort was made to tidy it up, just a simple clean-up.
"What are you up to?" Greed asked, "Suddenly wanting to reconcile with your childhood, finally rembered you’re an old money playboy, planning a prodigal return to rebuild the family?"
"Don’t get so excited." Stark said.
"Co on, in that tiline of yours, the two of us lived here for quite a while." Greed couldn’t help but say, "Did you forget that Ade..."
"Speaking of which, I was just about to tell you." Stark pulled them to sit on the sofa, preparing coffee while speaking in a mysterious tone, "Guess who Emily married?"
"Didn’t she like that big guy Maxin?" Greed recalled, and then said, "At the ti, he drank a jelly shot at the ball and choked himself, when he vomited, he happened to spit that piece of jelly on Emily’s dress..."
"Not him." Stark brought over the coffee and then said, "She actually married Aphus from Kangping County!"
"What?!" Greed almost spat out his coffee, "Wasn’t that guy a fraud???"
"Ha, must be those idiots couldn’t find a way to deal with him, and he squeezed his way in. In the end, he really made so money." Stark said, "Otherwise, how would Emily marry him..."
"Wait, I’m a bit dizzy." Natasha said, "Who are all these people you’re ntioning? Neighbors?"
"Sort of." Stark said, "Though I didn’t stay here long, because I’m a super genius, earning multiple PhDs by age 16..."
"Who’s Emily? Why couldn’t she marry Aphus?" Coulson asked.
"Emily’s full na is Alia Kennedy!"
"Pfuh!" Natasha really spat out her coffee.
"Though she’s a branch of the Kennedy family, she’s still a wealthy lady." Stark explained, "And that Ade’s full na is Adrian Ford, he’s the one who loved to ss with us!"
Natasha and Coulson exchanged a glance and silently decided to shut up.
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