With the help of an extremely professional team, Stark spent two days adjusting his physical condition.
When everything was ready by Sunday, Stark finally put on that patient gown he had criticized more than once for its lack of taste, and obediently lay down on the hospital bed.
"Pepper, don't be like this."
"Look, I haven't even written a will, which shows I'm not worried at all."
Raising an eyebrow, Stark smiled and patted the back of Pepper hand.
Turning her small hand, she grasped Tony Stark palm.
Although she nodded slightly and forced a smile to her lips, it was obvious that Pepper mood hadn't been relieved by Stark joke.
She remained full of anxiety and uneasiness.
"How about, since we still have a few minutes, you quickly write one now?"
Trying to help lighten the atmosphere and ease Pepper mind so Stark could set aside his worries, Rhodey deliberately cracked a joke.
"Sounds good to me."
"Tony, do you need me to call a lawyer for you?"
Catching Rhodey visual cue, Shi Xiaolei also joined in the fun.
"Go away, all of you."
While protesting verbally, his eyes showed gratitude.
Just like their usual banter and arguments, Stark laughed and scolded: "Rhodey, don't get cocky. When I recover..."
"What, you think you can beat me?"
"Even with that big hole in your chest filled in, you're still no match for me. If we really got in the ring, I'd win even with one hand tied behind my back."
Rhodey rolled his eyes disdainfully and wagged his finger.
"Don't look at me."
"Deal with him first, then come find me. In gaming terms, I'm a boss-level opponent. Trying to challenge me without leveling up properly? Trust me, you'll die in the most embarrassing way."
Shi Xiaolei said timely as Stark turned his gaze toward him.
"Who wants to fight with you, you barbarian."
Stark pouted helplessly.
"Then why are you looking at me?"
"Make me two hamburgers, with double cheese."
"You know, these past two days I've been eating nothing but vegetables to nurture my body. I want meat, I want cheese... ugh, I'm not saying any more or I'll start drooling. Buddy, since you're good at cooking, help me out."
Stark answered somewhat sheepishly.
"I thought... alright, I'll prepare it for you."
"Besides double cheese hamburgers, anything else?"
Shi Xiaolei smiled.
"You decide. Umm, what I mean is, the greasier the better. Butter, meat juices, mayonnaise and all that, give me everything."
After a pause, Stark emphasized: "And no pure vegetable dishes, absolutely don't let me see any! Especially that salad I've been eating these past two days."
"Alright, alright."
"You saw it, it was our baby Tony who asked for it himself, not me encouraging him."
Shi Xiaolei shrugged and gave Pepper a helpless look.
Compared to surgery, the topic of food was much more relaxing.
With her attention temporarily diverted, the expression on Pepper face gradually relaxed, and the atmosphere in the room was no longer as oppressive as before.
Right on time, the pre-surgery visit came to an end with the arrival of Palmer and Wu Jiaqi.
After saying a few more words, the three remained in the room, watching as Stark was wheeled away by the nurses Palmer and Wu Jiaqi had brought, taking him to the operating room he had built with his own hands.
Rather than idling around with anxious thoughts, it would be better to find something to do to keep his mind occupied.
Looking around, Shi Xiaolei came to Rhodey side and nudged him lightly with his elbow.
"Rhodey, are you staying here with Pepper to watch the monitor, or..."
"I'm going to prepare the food, what do you say?"
The moment Tony was wheeled into the operating room, a large screen had already descended from the ceiling on one side of the room.
Then, under JARVIS control, a projector cast an image onto this screen.
Staying in this room, they could observe the entire process of the doctors operating on Stark, as if watching a live broadcast.
This setup was also Stark creation. The purpose was, firstly, to put Pepper mind at ease, and secondly, to give himself the feeling that he wasn't alone.
After the projector started working, the light in the room had dimmed.
Perhaps finding the dim lighting uncomfortable, or perhaps not wanting to disturb Pepper mood, preferring to leave her space to 'be alone' with Stark, after a slight hesitation, Rhodey made his choice: "I'll help you out. There's quite a lot of food to prepare, you can't manage it all by yourself, can you?"
By himself?
That's right. Kanna, 2B, and Bayonetta had already departed the day before, taking a plane back to New York ahead of him.
Among the family, only Shi Xiaolei himself remained in Los Angeles.
There was no helping it—they had only taken a limited number of days off, and when the time was up, Kanna had to return to school for classes.
Although it wasn't impossible to call the school and request an extension of a few more days, considering that in a child education process, it was necessary to set good examples.
So, to avoid setting a precedent of 'going back on one's word' for the little girl, Shi Xiaolei decided to send her back first to continue her studies.
Since Kanna had to go back, naturally, 2B had to leave with her.
As for why Bayonetta also had to leave.
First, it was because the other two female members of the family were leaving, and she didn't want to stay behind alone.
Second, it was also because all those items she had extravagantly purchased were about to be delivered to New York.
The odds and ends packed in the van weren't a big deal—at worst, they could ask the bank to help out, either by renting a warehouse to store them or by asking the delivery people to wait a few more days.
It would just mean spending a bit more money, nothing major.
The key issue was the two sports cars she had ordered.
Perhaps they weren't much more expensive than all the items in the van combined, but they were still big-ticket items.
According to procedure, Bayonetta had to be present in person to complete the receipt formalities.
Plus, with her supreme confidence—if the surgery failed, it didn't matter; at worst, she could make a trip to hell herself, find Tony Stark soul, and give him a 'reincarnation package'—she wasn't worried at all about Tony surgery, and left with absolute decisiveness.
Finally, about Shi Xiaolei.
The restaurant renovation wasn't finished yet, so going back would just mean staying at home; he was good friends with Stark, not one step removed like the three women of his household, so both emotionally and rationally, he should stay a few more days; the medication he provided would be used during the surgery, and as one of the responsible parties, he needed to be present.
For all these reasons, Shi Xiaolei didn't leave with his family but stayed behind alone, planning to remain for a few more days.
"It depends on Stark condition. If he recovers well and his condition is stable, I might leave tomorrow or the day after."
Shi Xiaolei asked Rhodey while peeling potatoes: "What about you? When do you plan to leave? Come to think of it, doesn't your unit ever call you in? Are the military rules really that relaxed?"
(T/N: Like the story fellow daoist?you can read 20 chapters ahead on my P@treon [[email protected]/DaoistRongyi] Thanks for your support! 😊)