Iron Man wasn't there to interrupt a couple's date; after a few words, he donned his armor and departed, flying southwest toward the capital where the Presidential Palace was located, as there was a large banquet being held at the Presidential Palace today.
It was normal for Tony to receive an invitation to the banquet, but wasn't it a bit too early to go now?
“To celebrate your birthday, he bought out all the large street advertising screens in every city across the country, running them on a loop every hour,” Timothy said, subtly taking a jab. “Meanwhile, all I can do is select 19 impoverished children from every country in the Rare Disease Information Bank, take responsibility for all their treatment and prognosis costs.”
Colt immediately kissed Timothy: "I like your gift, Wayne, the philanthropist Prince Highness."
Timothy ruffled Colt's hair, narrowing his eyes. "Do you want me to call you Prince Reed?"
Colt shuddered.
Forget it, his skin wasn't as thick as Timothy's; he couldn't stand being called Prince Highness to his face.
New York was very lively, with performance art to be seen everywhere, some people were even performing magic tricks on the streets.
Or magic.
The Sorcerer Supreme stuffed the rabbit and the pigeon back into the hat, then walked up to Timothy holding a bouquet of roses to make a pitch: "True Love Roses, ninety-nine more available, 10 dollars each, want to buy some?"
Timothy pulled out a black card. "Can I swipe this?"
The Sorcerer Supreme pulled out a card reader: "I only charge a 15% tip."
Colt held a large bouquet of roses, confirming that these flowers were just ordinary Aurora Rose; the Sorcerer Supreme was swindling him.
Colt suggested, "If the Sanctuary is short on money, it could dig up a piece of the library floor and sell it."
The Easter miracle could turn the Sanctuary's library floor into gold, totaling several hundred tons; any single piece could support hundreds of wizards. The Sorcerer Supreme had absolutely no need to go out on the streets performing or using false advertising to sell fake goods.
"That is a miraculous object; we have agreed that it should only be used in times of critical need." Having finished selling the roses, the Sorcerer Supreme called it a day.
The three of them walked into a coffee shop, the interior of which still retained the style of the 1930s from the previous world, the menu was quite peculiar.
Colt cautiously ordered butter toast and juice, the taste was unexpectedly quite good.
The Sorcerer Supreme expanded the Mirror Dimension, pulling Colt and Timothy inside, took out a necklace. "This morning, the Eye of Agamotto appeared in my hands."
Colt was very surprised. "I consumed the power inside, but the casing was returned to you when the New World Project was activated. It should have returned to your side on Easter; are you sure it only appeared today?"
The Sorcerer Supreme nodded, "I am certain it was this morning, its power of time is currently recovering."
The two took turns examining the Eye of Agamotto.
Colt used his spiritual power, while Timothy used the energy detector he carried with him.
"If the power of time can restore things, will this world be pulled back onto its original track?" Colt looked up, attempting to peer through the countless obstructions to see if the threads of fate were entwined beyond the world. But his current strength could only penetrate the layers of rooftops, allowing him to see the blue sky outside.
It might also be a sign that everything lost will return." The Sorcerer Supreme put the Eye of Agamotto back on and smiled in blessing, "Happy Birthday, creator of the New World.
The Mirror Dimension vanished, the portal of burning flames also closed.
"When you say 'it will eventually return,' do you mean my power, or the Dream Station?" Colt asked, noticing that there were no shimmering, glowing numbers hovering above Timothy's head.
“Maybe both.” Timothy handed the buttered bread to Colt, “He must have seen the future and came here specifically to warn us.”
“My power is indeed recovering, I've been dreaming of Little Messenger frequently lately; Dream Station will definitely return.” Colt chewed vigorously, pulling Timothy toward the coffee shop's restroom.
Of course, they weren't going to the restroom to eat.
This is a magic coffee shop located right next to the US Ministry of Magic; the closed restroom at the end of the hallway is the entrance to US Magic Street.
They are here today to buy birthday gifts on Magic Street.
Timothy put on a pair of tacky magic glasses, inserted a gold coin into the keyhole, the magical US Magic Street opened before them.
The Wizarding Bank in the US accepts credit cards. Timothy exchanged a large amount of Galleons, placed them in a Dragonhide Bag, took Colt to see the Magic Potion shop he had invested in. Colt didn't want to know how the potions were made; things like dragon blood and evening primrose were quite normal, but toad pus and slug mucus were simply revolting.
As terrifying as the Magic Potion shop was, the ice cream stall next door was just as wonderful. Holding the ice cream, Colt watched the Cream Kitten running around the edges of the cone, too reluctant to eat it. The stall owner cast a Freezing Charm on the ice cream, ensuring the Cream Kitten wouldn't melt too quickly.
Timothy bought a five-kilogram bucket of Family Portrait Ice Cream, paying an extra silver coin to ask the vendor to use a Freezing Charm to reinforce it, so that as long as the lid remained closed, the ice cream would stay from melting for a week even at room temperature.
Colt stuffed the ice cream into his Dragonhide Backpack, which was under a Space Expansion Charm, took Cream Kitten to visit the Magical Creature Pet Shop.
The pet shop had the most owls, so the two of them bypassed the Avian Section and headed purposefully toward the Cat and Dog Section.
They wanted to buy a dog, preferably one with a special magical lineage and strong survival instincts.
The dogs were all very cute; they loved Colt's Spiritual Power and crowded against the cages, wagging their tails. The chubby puppies were adorable and easy to bond with, but Colt was worried he wouldn't be able to take good care of them.
He wanted older dogs with more stable temperaments.
The shopkeeper led them to another section, which was filled with adult cats, dogs, lizards, snakes, the like. "These are all abandoned pets; if you want them, you can take them away for free."
Oh, even the magic world has adoption instead of purchase!
The animals here are wary of humans; even though Colt wrapped his Spiritual Power around his hands and greeted them through the cage, they did not approach.
No, there still are.
A brown and white Jack Russell Terrier limped forward, gently licking the finger Colt had extended into the cage; its brown eyes were moist, giving it a gentle and soulful expression.
"Merlin's Socks, Old White Flower has chosen you. Dear, this is a very special Poodle; it is friendly toward Muggles and is suitable for living in ordinary communities. Don't be fooled by how weak it looks now; it used to be very strong and once bit an Extraterrestrial Being that looked like a Bark-monkey to death. Its owner died in the New York battle a few years ago, it was resurrected by Merlin a few months ago, but that damn fellow didn't come to pick up Old White Flower. He said that since he has a red bird by Merlin's side acting as a Little Messenger, he must follow Merlin's will and bought an Eastern Horn as a pet.." the shopkeeper rambled.
Colt stroked the Poodle's head and looked toward Timothy.
Timothy took out a Dragonhide Bag and shook the gold coins inside. "We'll take it. Please help us prepare a full set of supplies, including its toys. We only want the best."
Alright, little master. Even though you don't look like a wizard, this is America and we live in the 21st century; we won't discriminate against you." The shopkeeper muttered as he lifted the Poodle out of the cage, "Hi, Old White Flower, you're going to have a new family. I believe you will protect your new family well. Come now, hug your new friend. He is twelve years old this year, in the prime of his youth and strength, he can stay with you for fifty years. Don't worry, handsome little master, he is very clean and has no parasites on him.
Thank you, I'm just worried about his leg," Colt said, holding the adult dog that weighed less than eight pounds. "Are there any magic potions specifically for him? Or can he use magic potions meant for humans?
"Magic Potions are not cheap, it requires breaking its leg to let the bone regrow," the shopkeeper said, raising an eyebrow.
Timothy leaned down to look into the Poodle's eyes and asked earnestly, "Even though regrowing bones will be very painful, it will allow you to run as flexibly as you did before. Are you willing to undergo treatment?"
The Poodle looked at Timothy tenderly, licked Colt's finger, extended its injured leg.
The Poodle understood and agreed.
It is truly a good dog.
The things that are free are the most expensive.
The two of them left the Magical Creature Pet Shop with Radar; the Dragonhide Bag was flattened, while the Dragonhide Backpack was bulging.
Radar is the Poodle's new name.
Colt went from Greek deities to medieval heroes, then to modern terms, it wasn't until he mentioned Radar that the dog let out a bark.
Timothy checked the time: "Colt, it's getting late; we'll have to come back another time."
They both need to attend the banquet at the Presidential Palace and also participate in the live broadcast on New Blue Star before the banquet, so they must head back early to prepare.
It was mainly because they needed to prepare for a few other things.
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Author's Note: Will conclude tomorrow
Chapter 79
Presidential Palace.
A large stage was set up on the South Lawn, with umbrellas arranged in long corridors on both sides, staff members were busy placing food on the long tables.
When Colt and Timothy arrived, the live broadcast had not yet started, but the orchestra on the stage was already in place, with celebrities singing on stage to warm up the crowd, the round tables and scattered chairs in the audience area were gradually being filled with guests.
Joseph and Alisa have already arrived.
Colt and Timothy first reported their safety to their parents, introduced the new family members, then greeted Thomas and Martha.
It's too crowded and noisy here. Let's take Radar back to his room first.
Timothy led Colt through the family-only passage, which spared them the trouble of security checks, but they encountered Bruce at the exit corridor, who was accompanied by a large group of people.
Although Colt had never been to the Presidential Palace, he and his team had run countless simulation tests to build the current Presidential staff, so they were not unfamiliar with the people or the procedures here. He tightened the leash, pulling Radar into his arms before the Secret Service guards could speak, stepped aside against the wall to make way.
Bruce, however, had no intention of letting them slip through quietly. He stepped out from among the high-ranking government officials, including the Vice President, the Minister, the General, greeted them warmly, "Good afternoon, Tim, Colt. I thought you wouldn't be back until the banquet began. Is this cute little fellow your haul for today?"
"Yes, his name is Radar, a Jack Russell Terrier," Timothy introduced.
Hello, Radar," Bruce said, bending down to greet the dog. "We also have a Great Dane named Ace and an Alfred at home; I hope you two can become friends.
Radar twitched his nose and tilted his head toward Bruce.
You can pet the top of his head. He's very gentle and affectionate; he won't bite you." Colt gently held the dog's muzzle with one hand. "He wants you to pet him.
Bruce stroked him from head to tail, pausing briefly at the tip of his tail.
Colt felt a bit nervous; the tip of a Poodle's tail forks, although Radar's tail had been docked when he was seven weeks old and showed no outward signs of abnormality, there was still a difference between his tail bone and that of a Jack Russell Terrier.
Bruce seemed only attracted by the feel of the dog's tail, lingering for just a second before letting go, gave Colt a wink: "Colt, happy birthday. Your parents have already arrived, Damian has taken the birds to the greenhouse."
"Thank you, I wish you success in your work as well." Colt's response was very formal, sounding somewhat stiff and cold, a habit developed from relying on Text-to-Speech for communication over a long period.
Bruce patted Colt's head like he was petting a dog and laughed heartily, "I will. You all have fun too."
Timothy's room was in the master bedroom on the fourth floor, which his siblings had given up to him. The reason given was that he was already in a relationship and needed more private space. In reality, it was because they didn't like the decor in the master bedroom, since they would have to pay for any renovations themselves, they had taken the 1 million in renovation funds Martha gave to each child, yet they competed to pick the smaller rooms, only swapping out a mattress before moving in with their suitcases.
Timothy is different. Although he won't live here permanently, not only did he exhaust the renovation fund Martha provided, but he also spent quite a bit more on top of it. He even set up a bar and collected many fine low-alcohol wines.
Now, his brothers and sisters had taken over his bar, opened his collection of fine wines, were toastng him arrogantly.
"Yo, back from your date? The wine tastes good," Jason said, pouring some into his mouth.
Dick drank even more confidently, "Hey, Timmy, Colt, you can't drink if you're under 21, so we'll help you finish them off."
Stephanie and Cassandra were also not yet 21, so they each had a glass of red wine, squeezed together in front of the desk looking at the computer, smiling with maternal affection at the mysterious literature on the special forum.
"Alfred just had someone send over a doghouse and some medium-rare beef." Duke, being the kindest, stepped forward to greet Radar.
Colt brought Radar over to sniff everyone one by one to recognize them, taught the dog how to use the toilet.
“Oh, he's even smarter than a Border Collie; he learned how to flush after going to the bathroom after just one lesson!”
He's already twelve? He's an old dog then, no wonder he looks so composed. His appetite is incredible. The longest-living dog in the world lived to be 34; he'll definitely set a new world record.
Radar had already eaten quite a lot of dog food on the way back, now he had also finished the large pieces of beef prepared by Alfred; his appetite was indeed excellent.
Radar is a magical creature; he might even live longer than we do." Timothy pulled the remaining money out of the Dragonhide Bag and flicked one to each person. "Galleons from the wizarding world, keep them as souvenirs.
"Real gold?" Duke asked.
Jason had a wicked idea: "One gold coin weighs about 30 grams and costs only 7.4 dollars, while today's international gold price is 50 dollars per gram. If we can exchange a large number of gold coins and then melt them down, it would be a profit of over 200 times."