Simultaneous Transmigration: From Japanese Anime to American Comics

Chapter 79: Saving Private Tony

Faced with a swarm of bodyguards rushing toward him, Chu Yang lifted the dazed Happy off the ground.

"F***! You're not going to—" Happy struggled desperately, screaming in panic, "No! Put me down now!"

Ignoring him, Chu Yang waited until the guards gathered, then, without hesitation, threw Happy at them—just like bowling.

The mass of bodyguards was knocked down like a pile of pins.

"Being sturdy has its perks," Chu Yang remarked with admiration.

Since Happy landed on a pile of people, he wasn't hurt. Struggling to his feet, he immediately started berating Chu Yang with a barrage of complaints.

Chu Yang calmly reminded him, "Careful, more are coming!"

"You—"

Before Happy could finish cursing, a swooshing sound cut through the air. His years of boxing reflexes kicked in, and he instinctively ducked.

A stun baton swung right where his head had been.

"Again?!" Happy grumbled.

More guards arrived. Knocking one wave down only seemed to summon another.

Happy whirled around and threw a powerful punch, landing it square in the enemy's stomach.

One punch—KO!

"Nice hit."

"Stop admiring it—run!"

"Aren't you here to find Tony Stark?"

"They obviously don't want me in there. Do you think they don't recognize me?"

Someone clearly didn't want Tony Stark to return, so it was no surprise they tried to block Happy's investigation.

Chu Yang realized this fact immediately.

"But it's my first day on the job. Leaving now would look bad on my performance record."

Chu Yang strode purposefully toward the densest crowd.

"Today doesn't count! Tomorrow is the real first day!"

Happy reached out to grab Chu Yang's clothes, but Chu Yang slipped away effortlessly.

"You wait by the door."

By the time Happy reacted, Chu Yang was already surrounded by black-clad guards.

Moments later, Happy lost sight of him entirely in the sea of bodies.

"F***! They have guns! How do you expect to fight them with fists?!"

Happy cursed, reaching for the gun at his waist. He hadn't used it earlier to avoid escalating things, but the situation now demanded it.

Suddenly, multiple screams echoed from inside, startling Happy. He peered into the bar and saw bodies flying out of the dance floor one after another.

In no time, every black-clad guard lay unconscious on the ground. Those still standing quickly fled in panic.

Chu Yang turned back, flashing an OK sign at Happy.

"Your fists are… really something…" Happy swallowed hard, feeling parched.

At this level, Chu Yang didn't need any training—he could go straight to collecting trophies.

Bang!

A flash of light burst from the second floor, and Chu Yang tilted his head just in time for a bullet to graze his temple and embed in the floor.

Chaos erupted inside the bar. People scrambled in panic—brawls were one thing, but a gunfight was a whole different matter.

Happy drew his gun to retaliate, but Chu Yang moved faster. He grabbed a nearby bottle and hurled it with precision, shattering the head of the shooter on the second floor.

More gunmen emerged upstairs, and the gunfire intensified, covering the bar's ground floor in a hail of bullets. The expensive liquor bottles at the bar shattered, spilling alcohol everywhere.

Chu Yang used his Observation Haki to predict each bullet's trajectory. Dodging gracefully, he grabbed playing cards scattered on a table.

Coating them with Armament Haki, he transformed the cards into deadly blades.

With a flick of his fingers, the cards flew, cutting through the shooters' wrists, severing tendons and flesh alike.

Each card traced a perfect arc through the air and returned to Chu Yang's hand like boomerangs.

Silence fell over the bar, broken only by the groans of injured men.

"Was that… Chinese kung fu?" Happy, amazed, stepped into the room, imitating Chu Yang's card-throwing motion while mumbling, "Shoo, shoo, shoo…"

"Stop it. It's like Li Xiaofei's Flying Knives—they never miss, get it?" Chu Yang quipped in his native dialect, leaving Happy confused.

Just then, a burly man in a coat, smoking a cigar, appeared on the second floor, surrounded by bodyguards. He scanned the room and was visibly surprised.

"Happy Hogan? We go way back—no need to bring me such a grand gift."

A scar ran under the man's right eye, making his face appear especially menacing as he squinted.

Taking a deep drag from his cigar, he exhaled a cloud of smoke like a steam engine.

Happy asked, "Gustav, can we talk in private?"

Gustav studied Chu Yang beside Happy for a moment before signaling his guards to leave.

Now alone in the empty bar, the three of them faced each other.

"Gustav, you've made quite a fortune from Stark Industries by trading on the black market."

"I know what you're getting at, Happy, but I can't help you," Gustav replied, shaking his head.

"If Tony doesn't come back, do you think your business will survive?" Happy asked coldly.

Gustav sighed deeply, clearly troubled. Chu Yang guessed that Gustav had been warned by Obadiah Stane. As a participant in the underground market, Gustav and Obadiah were undoubtedly connected.

"You know where Tony is, don't you?" Happy pressed.

Finishing his cigar in one last drag, Gustav crushed the butt underfoot. "Tony Stark's been kidnapped by terrorists. There's no way he's coming back. You're wasting your time."

"Where is he?" Happy demanded, his voice ice-cold.

"Oh, for God's sake…" Gustav cursed under his breath but eventually relented, revealing everything he knew.

He had done business with the terrorists who captured Tony and knew their location, though it was unclear if they had relocated.

"Don't tell anyone I told you."

"Got it."

Satisfied, Happy left with Chu Yang in tow.

As they departed, Gustav's bodyguards returned. One of them whispered, "Boss, why did you tell them? We could've just killed—"

"Kill them? Are you crazy?" Gustav snapped. "How have you followed me all these years without developing any sense? That young man with Happy—do you think he's ordinary?"

"If I hadn't talked, he could've wiped us all out on his own. He's probably a mutant or something… never mind." Gustav trailed off, looking grim.

After getting Tony Stark's location, Happy excitedly called Pepper Potts.

"Miss Potts, I've found Tony! Could you arrange a plane for me?"

He was determined to fly to Afghanistan that night to rescue Tony.

Pepper was thrilled at first, but she quickly regained her composure. "No, Happy. We need to inform the military. Let them handle it."

"I don't trust them. Someone's hiding something—they don't want Tony to come back. I'm going myself. Trust me, I've got someone skilled with me."

"Someone skilled? Who? Happy, you can't entrust your life to someone you just met!"

Chu Yang overheard the conversation and nodded—Pepper made a valid point. But Happy clearly wasn't listening.

"Pepper, do whatever you need to, but I'm going after Tony myself! Damn it! If I'd stayed by his side, he'd never have been kidnapped!"

Hearing the guilt in his voice, Pepper sighed. She knew his excuses were just a front—what he truly regretted was failing as Tony's bodyguard.

"Fine, I'll arrange a plane. But promise me you won't do anything reckless. You could endanger Tony."

"I promise, Pepper. I'll bring Tony back."

Chu Yang felt a headache coming on, especially as Happy kept making reckless promises. He seriously considered sewing the man's mouth shut.

After hanging up, Happy hailed a cab. But once inside, he realized Chu Yang was still standing outside.

"Get in! We don't have time to waste!"

Chu Yang hesitated. "Technically, my shift is over. I know this is a capitalist country, but labor laws should still be respected..."

With that, he turned to leave. Happy's eyes widened—he couldn't believe Chu Yang was seriously clocking out!

"F***!" Happy jumped out of the cab and dragged Chu Yang along. "You can't expect me to go to Afghanistan alone!"

"You were planning to go alone before."

"Well, that was before I met you! Without you, I'd be full of holes by now!"

"Going to Afghanistan with me won't change that."

"I believe you can protect me and Tony!"

"Bullshit! Do you think my fists can stop an RPG? One shot, and we're all toast!"

"Name your price—what'll it take to get you to Afghanistan?"

"Pay me more."

Happy: "…"

"I'm just a bodyguard. You want me to face terrorists for my regular salary? Doesn't that bother your conscience?"

Happy did feel a slight sting of guilt. He and Tony were close friends and would go to any lengths to save each other, but Chu Yang had no obligation to do so.

"How about double the pay?"

"Heh!"

"Triple!"

"Tch~~"

"Five times!"

"Click, click…"

"Ten times!"

Happy's eyes reddened. If Chu Yang refused again, he might actually bite him.

"Deal!"

Chu Yang smiled brightly.

"Let's go now?"

"It's after work hours. Tomorrow."

Happy roared so loudly that the entire street shook.

"F***!"

---

Afghanistan.

This land has a subtropical arid climate—dry and rainless most of the year, with harsh winters and scorching summers. And right now, it was the hottest season of the year.

Even inside the plane, Chu Yang could feel the temperature climbing rapidly.

The clothes on Happy, a burly man, were already soaked through with sweat.

Below them stretched endless deserts and jagged mountains. Finding a safe landing spot was a challenge.

Flying further risked alerting the terrorists who had kidnapped Tony Stark—they'd shoot them down without hesitation.