I Was Just Passing By

Afterward, Tony drove Banner away from Private Island and back to New York.

Returning to New York after more than a year, Banner felt exhilarated as he looked at the bustling, prosperous streets.

Most importantly, Banner no longer felt nervous when he was surrounded by crowds.

Because Tony had given him a hundred million, he immediately began looking for a villa he liked.

He could not afford an estate, but he could still afford villas worth several million or tens of millions of dollars.

However, when Banner took an interest in one New York villa after another, only to find that the owner of every one was named Harvey, he was left somewhat speechless.

With Tony’s help, Banner had also acquired a new identity.

His name had become Bruce Hulk, and his identity had changed from a former doctor to a second-generation heir from a well-off family who had graduated from university two years ago.

Because of the name change and Banner’s relatively low-profile conduct, Bruce Hulk’s appearance in New York did not cause much of a stir.

After learning some information from Tony and Banner, Steve took Peggy on a trip to Europe.

A week passed.

That day, Harvey was out on one of his usual drives in a luxury car.

Banner was driving a Lamborghini one-handed, thinking about how to pick up girls.

While Banner was waiting at a traffic light, a luxurious convertible sports car pulled up beside him.

Banner glanced over from the corner of his eye, then widened his eyes when he saw the figure in the neighboring car.

He even rubbed his eyes, suspecting that he had mistaken the person, but after realizing he had not—

Banner stammered out a greeting.

"Ha… ha… Lord Harvey, hello."

"It seems you’ve already gained control over Hulk’s power and can come out for a stroll."

Hearing the voice, Harvey looked back and smiled when he saw Banner.

"Yes, thanks to you, I can control it now."

Banner nodded at those words, speaking somewhat nervously.

Even when surrounded by crowds now, or when facing Tony and Steve, Banner no longer felt nervous.

Yet running into Harvey had made Banner experience that long-forgotten feeling of nervousness again.

"Don’t be so nervous. This is Blue Star, not the universe."

"From the look of you, did you come out to pick up girls?"

Seeing Banner’s nervous appearance, Harvey casually asked.

"After being repressed for so long, and since this is my first time experiencing this kind of life even aside from that—"

"I thought I’d relax for a while first, then see how I could help Tony and work on some research with him. It’s not like I’m only thinking about having fun."

Hearing Harvey’s approachable tone, the pressure in Banner’s heart eased considerably as he spoke.

"There’s no problem even if you only want to have fun."

"After joining the Void Cult and gaining power, as long as you don’t violate its precepts, you can do whatever you want."

Harvey smiled at his words.

"I see. May I ask what Lord Harvey is out doing?"

Banner pondered those words, then asked somewhat cautiously.

"I was just passing by. Nothing special."

Harvey casually replied. When the light turned green, he stepped on the gas and drove off.

Banner was still a little dazed after seeing Lord Harvey leave when a horn suddenly sounded from behind him, prompting him to drive away in a hurry.

However, instead of going to find beautiful women this time, Banner headed straight for Stark Mansion.

"Tony, Tony, guess who I just ran into?"

Banner hurried all the way into Stark Mansion and, upon reaching Tony’s home, spoke anxiously.

"Looking at you, did you run into S.H.I.E.L.D.?"

Tony was fiddling with a thruster. Hearing Banner’s voice, he turned around, saw Banner’s anxious expression, thought for a moment, and spoke.

"No. I was driving around the streets when I ran into Lord Harvey."

Banner shook his head, his face utterly serious.

"I thought something had happened."

"It’s perfectly normal to run into Harvey. New York has always been his area of activity."

"Are there really that few rumors about Harvey outside?"

Tony had thought Banner had run into S.H.I.E.L.D. and risked having his identity exposed, but this was all it was.

"Rumors are rumors, but that was my first time seeing Lord Harvey in person."

"Do you know how nervous I was? My heart nearly jumped out of my chest."

Seeing how unconcerned Tony was, Banner spoke earnestly.

"For Harvey, Blue Star is the freest place there is. Every day, he eats, drinks, and picks up girls everywhere."

"If you’re picking up girls in New York, it’s completely normal to run into him."

"You’ve joined the Void Cult too. Just remain humble when you meet him."

"Then you won’t encounter any danger, and you might even receive some help from Harvey."

"So don’t be nervous next time. If there’s anything you don’t understand, ask him when you get the chance."

"Harvey might not necessarily give you an answer, but if he does, you’ll immediately know what you should do."

Tony casually responded while keeping his eyes on the data before him.

Whenever he felt lost and unsure of his direction, he would ask Harvey.

Although he did not gain anything every time, whenever Harvey was willing to help, he would immediately understand the direction he needed to take and avoid many detours.

"Is this the enjoyable life of the strong?"

"But based on what you’re saying, does that mean I should try to run into Lord Harvey more often if I can?"

Banner thought for a moment after hearing Tony’s words, then asked.

"It’s fine if you happen to run into him. As for deliberately doing it, I don’t know what might happen."

When Tony had business, he would directly go to Harvey to ask questions or seek help.

Because he and Harvey had not first met through the Void Cult, their relationship was more like that of friends.

However, Tony could not say whether Banner could do the same, so he did not dare make any guarantees.

If Harvey acted differently from what he expected and Banner got himself into serious trouble before asking him for help, Tony would end up dragged into the mess as well.

"Alright, I understand."

Banner more or less understood how he should approach Lord Harvey if they met again.

"Alright, I’m going back to studying the thrusters. Go do whatever you need to do."

"After you’ve relaxed for a while and settled down a little, come work on the thrusters with me."

"This is the most crucial step in determining whether Blue Star can enter the interstellar age."

Seeing that Banner understood, Tony gave him a few instructions.

"Alright, give me one more month."

"Then I’ll definitely report to you on time."

Banner nodded and agreed, then turned around, got into his Lamborghini, and drove off.

Daily update completed. The first chapter is here.