"Hey, Peter!"
Suddenly, a voice called out behind him. Peter turned around and saw a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar.
Harry, dressed in a casual suit, with blonde hair and blue eyes, looked in good shape, though a bit thin.
"Harry?"
Both of them were surprised, marveling at how much the other had changed over the years.
There was also a hint of something else lingering between them.
They had been close friends in the past, but too much time had passed.
It seemed they could never return to that level of intimacy.
To borrow from Lu Xun's words, there was now a sad barrier between them.
Perhaps it was the guilt Peter felt for being the one who had sent Norman Osborn to prison.
Peter spoke first:
"Harry, I didn't know you were back from abroad."
"About your father..."
"Let's not talk about him." Harry stepped forward and hugged Peter.
"How long has it been since we last saw each other?"
"Almost ten years, I think."
Harry smiled faintly. "Sorry, Peter, for not reaching out all this time. I went to your old house, but you had already moved."
Peter couldn't help but laugh.
"I looked for you too, but you were always abroad. After a while, the security at your neighborhood wouldn't even let me in."
Both of them couldn't help but laugh.
The atmosphere seemed quite harmonious, but Dr. Connors interrupted the joyful reunion of the two friends.
"I really hate to interrupt, but we have urgent matters to attend to."
Dr. Connors looked at Peter:
"Do you have any suggestions? Feel free to speak your mind."
Harry patted Peter on the shoulder and said to Dr. Connors:
"He's been a genius since he was a kid. Back in elementary school, while everyone else needed calculators for math problems, Peter could solve them in his head."
"He'll definitely be able to help you."
Peter didn't say anything.
The multiplication table, anyone?
Just then, the system's voice rang in his ears.
[You have activated a new mission: The Unchangeable Process]
[As a veteran who survived the battlefield, Dr. Connors has always wanted to heal his severed limb. Years of effort have only strengthened his resolve.]
[Injecting the lizard gene serum is something he is destined to do.]
[Mission Description: Help Dr. Connors accelerate the creation of the serum, striving for a perfect experiment. After all, no one wants a tragedy to occur.]
[If the experiment goes wrong, the consequences will be dire.]
[Mission reward: 20,000 points and a special reward.]
Peter didn't have much to say about this mission.
Dr. Connors was too obsessed with this experiment. It was only a matter of time before he turned into the Lizard.
The best way to stop him would be to kill him.
But Peter couldn't do that.
It was like knowing someone would become a heinous criminal in the future.
If someone could foresee that future, killing them now would mean killing an innocent person.
But if you didn't kill them, they would go on to commit countless atrocities.
Peter's principle was not to kill people who hadn't done anything wrong, even if the standard for "wrong" was set by him.
Forget it. Since it was a system mission and offered points, there was no reason not to do it.
If Dr. Octopus could be redeemed, maybe the Lizard could be too.
Worst case, after saving the Lizard, he could send him to the Penguin.
After all, in Gotham, a city of crime, one more monster wouldn't make much difference.
"Dr. Connors, how many biological gene transfer experiments have you conducted so far?" Peter asked.
Dr. Connors adjusted his glasses:
"Countless times!"
"I've extracted lizard genes and injected them into lab mice, specifically mice with severed limbs like mine. But every experiment has failed."
"Not a single mouse has survived."
His tone was full of disappointment, and he sighed before continuing:
"The key issue always lies in..."
"The decay rate algorithm?" Peter finished his sentence.
This shocked Dr. Connors.
He had invited Peter here because he thought the young man might have some unconventional ideas.
But clearly, Peter was far more impressive than he had anticipated.
With just one sentence, Peter had pinpointed the crux of the experiment's failure.
A high school student who could talk about the decay rate algorithm? That was mind-blowing.
This was knowledge far beyond what a high schooler should know.
In a sense, Peter truly was a genius.
Harry nodded quietly beside them, though he didn't understand a word.
Decay rate algorithm? Since when did high school teach this stuff?
Peter walked over to a table, found a piece of paper, and quickly wrote down a formula.
It wasn't that he was particularly smart, but ever since he transmigrated into this world and confirmed his identity as Peter Parker, he had believed he was destined to be Spider-Man.
So, from a young age, he had been deeply interested in biology.
Over a decade of study, fueled by both talent and hard work, had led him here.
Dr. Connors silently put down his coffee cup and walked over to Peter.
The moment he saw the formula, it was like an electric current shot through his brain.
It was the exhilaration of a man stranded in the desert finally seeing an oasis.
He carefully examined the formula, then looked at Peter's face.
"A rare genius."
"Peter, how did you do this?"
Peter, not wanting to appear too boastful and hurt Dr. Connors' pride, simply pointed to his head.
Of course, the formula just came to me.
It's not like it magically appeared out of thin air, right?
Harry Osborn also walked over, standing beside them.
"Dr. Connors, is Peter's formula useful?"
"Very useful."
Dr. Connors gave a firm answer.
"Harry, Peter is destined for greatness. He will achieve extraordinary things!!!"
Dr. Connors didn't hold back his praise. As a mentor, he was thrilled to see the younger generation shine.
"Peter, your talent is unbelievable. I've met many brilliant people, but few are like you."
"In a way, you've already surpassed me."
Harry was equally excited upon hearing this.
He was happy for his childhood friend's achievements and even more thrilled about his own future.
His father, Norman Osborn, had been researching biological gene transfer to cure their family's hereditary disease.
Now, this research was finally making progress.
For Harry, this news was like a drowning man seeing a lifebuoy.
As long as he held on, there was hope for survival.
The group didn't waste any time. Riding on their excitement, they immediately began working on the experiment in the lab.
Dr. Connors fiddled with the instruments while explaining:
"We have protein structures, ribosomal DNA, chromatographic analysis, and transgenic testing."
He pointed to a massive machine.
"That's an X-ray imaging device, the only one of its kind in the world.
Next to it is a human genome analyzer, also one of a kind."
"The principle is simple. Load an antigen onto it, and the reaction cloud it generates can cover an entire city."
"Theoretically, you could cure an entire city of polio in an afternoon."
Peter recognized this device.
In the movies, the Lizard had attempted to use this machine to genetically modify the entire population of New York, forcing everyone to evolve into lizard-like creatures.
Dr. Connors continued:
"Some people oppose its use. If the machine were loaded with toxic substances, it could become a chemical weapon."
"A powerful chemical weapon."
"Theoretically, it could save a city or destroy one."
After a brief pause, the three of them began working on the computer model.
The 3D holographic model projected an image of a lizard.
"Now, input the equation."
Dr. Connors operated the machine, typing a long string of code into the computer.
The 3D model displayed a small mouse with a lizard gene injected into it.
"Replace the protein, eliminate the immune response."
The model began to evolve according to the instructions.
Simulating...
Simulating...
The equation was successfully calculated.
On the screen, the mouse with a severed limb grew a new forelimb.
Various data points appeared beside it.
Life signs stable, blood pressure normal, limb regeneration successful!
Tears welled up in Dr. Connors' eyes.
For years, his research had been stuck at this step.
No progress had been made.
Now, it had finally succeeded!
The next step was to conduct actual biological experiments.
Peter left Oscorp. Harry wanted to drive him home, but Peter declined.
As soon as he left Oscorp, the system's voice rang in his ears again.
[Your accumulated favorability points have exceeded 10,000, sourced from Gwen, Otto Octavius, Tony Stark, Harry Osborn, Dr. Curt Connors, and more...]
[You have gained an upgrade to one of your abilities.]
[Jackie Chan's Chewing Gum: Original skill description.]
[I will definitely return this to you. A one-time consumable. Chew gum during combat to have a certain chance of recovering an item from the enemy.]
[Upgraded skill description:]
[I will definitely return this to you. A one-time consumable. Chew gum during combat to have a 100% chance of obtaining a skill from the enemy. The skill is permanent.]
[Note: The skill obtained is random and cannot be chosen!]
So, if I fight Superman, could I get his invulnerability?
No, I'd probably get crushed in one punch.
Peter mocked himself.
Meanwhile, on the other side of New York.
A tall man appeared at Stark Industries.
He looked exactly like Tony Stark.
But his true identity was Dmitri, known to those who had met him as the Chameleon.
He had decent combat skills, but his most deadly ability was his power to mimic anyone!
Whether it was their voice, appearance, or even height, he could replicate it flawlessly.
A few years ago, he had smuggled himself into the U.S. and came to New York, working for Kingpin.
Recently, a new vigilante called the Punisher had emerged in New York, disrupting many of Kingpin's operations.
The Chameleon had been tasked with investigating the Punisher's true identity.
From the publicly available information, only two people had had contact with the Punisher.
One was Spider-Gwen, another recently famous superhero in New York.
But like the Punisher, she wore a mask, and no one knew her true identity, making her impossible to track.
The other person who had interacted with the Punisher was Tony Stark.
The playboy had publicly admitted that the Punisher had saved him from a terrorist hideout.
So, to uncover the Punisher's identity, the Chameleon had to start with Tony.
At this moment, Pepper, standing before the Chameleon, was completely fooled by his disguise, believing him to be the real Tony Stark.
"Pepper, the Punisher saved my life!"
"I feel like I should repay him. After all, without him, I might be dead by now."
Pepper sighed.
"But you can't find him. Besides, didn't you give that kid a hundred million? Isn't that enough of a repayment?"
The Chameleon was stunned.
"That kid?"
"Peter."
"Have you been drinking so much that you're losing your mind?" Pepper rolled her eyes at her former boss and current boyfriend.
"Darling, I really have been feeling out of it lately. Can you tell me where Peter lives?"
"I need to go there personally and thank him properly."
Pepper found this strange.
She had never seen Tony act so oddly.
But she didn't think too much of it, attributing it to the aftermath of his battle with Iron Monger.
So, she casually told the Chameleon where Peter lived.
Unintentionally, she added:
"Probably only that kid can find the Punisher."
Hearing this, the Chameleon immediately hatched a plan.
Peter. Peter Parker!
Just an ordinary kid, yet he knew the Punisher's whereabouts.
All he had to do was threaten and intimidate Peter to uncover the Punisher's identity.
The Chameleon walked up to Pepper.
A strange smile spread across his face.
"Sorry, darling, you need to sleep for a while."
With that, he pulled out a spray and gave Pepper a quick spritz, causing her to faint instantly.
The Chameleon used a neurotoxin.
A chemical that wouldn't harm the body but could induce deep sleep.
Without hesitation, he headed to Peter's villa.
Once again, he transformed into Tony Stark's appearance.
Strangely, the neighborhood was filled with crows.
Crows in the city? How odd. But the Chameleon paid no attention.
Following Pepper's directions, he arrived at Peter's villa and knocked on the door.
Peter, wearing pajamas, opened the door.
In his hand was a piece of chewing gum wrapper.
The moment he saw the Chameleon, his eyes lit up.
"Mr. Stark!!!"
"Good evening, Peter."
"I wanted to talk to you about the Punisher. He saved my life, and I need to repay him."
Peter smirked, chewing the gum in his mouth.
"Come in, come in."
The two sat down on the couch.
"I'd love to chat longer, but my girlfriend will be back soon."
"So..."
"I'll just ask a few questions and then leave," the Chameleon said hurriedly.
"I wanted to ask, who is the Punisher really?"
"Knowing his identity would help me repay him properly."
Peter smiled.
"The Punisher is me."
The Chameleon was stunned. "Don't joke around, Peter."
"I'm being serious."
Peter's eyes sparkled with electricity.
"Who's joking with you?"