"Stark Industries truly deserves its reputation as the second most advanced tech company after LexCorp. Their level of technology is impressive."
Even though he was just an elementary school student on a tour, and the researchers' questions never went beyond a high school level, Harry, as a genius, could still gauge their capabilities. By observing the products displayed in the company's main lobby, he had caught a glimpse of their true technological standing.
It had to be said, in this age, the fact that Stark Industries hadn't been completely left behind by LexCorp was enough to prove that Tony's ability stood on par with anyone's.
"I'm glad to hear that." Emily breathed a sigh of relief. She had always been uneasy about her son taking part in these public activities. In fact, from the very beginning, she had been reluctant to even let him attend a school run by LexCorp.
Though Luthor and Norman had once made an agreement, her husband had been dead for so long. Who could guarantee that the former would still honor that deal?
No matter how she looked at it, the Osborn family no longer had any power to challenge Lex Luthor.
Having lived as an ordinary person for years, Emily had gradually developed a timid and cautious mindset. All she wanted now was a simple life, to raise Harry safely. Wealth and power? She had already lost interest in those things.
Because she had been sharp-minded herself, she knew all too well just how terrifyingly powerful LexCorp was.
But clearly, this was only her way of thinking. Harry, known as a prodigy, had matured early and had formed his own ideas.
"Mom, I met him today at the exhibition."
"Him?" Emily was momentarily confused, unable to think of who her son was referring to.
"The son of Richard Parker, the man who made Dad present his research too early at Oscorp, causing him to lose in the competition. I met Peter Parker."
"Harry!"
At those words, Emily didn't care who Peter Parker was. Instead, her tone turned sharp.
"Don't ever bring up Oscorp again. Oscorp is long gone. What's left in this world now is LexCorp!"
That was the truth. Although Harry studied at a school under LexCorp, in his mind there was no such thing as that. To him, there was only Oscorp.
The elementary school he attended, in his own words, was still called Oscorp Elementary.
At this time, regret stabbed deep into Emily's heart.
When Harry had just been born, she had still been lost in the pain of losing her husband and watching her family collapse. In those early days, her newborn son became the one she confided her grief to.
How could she have known her child would turn out to be such a genius, and remembered every word she had said?
A gifted child should have been a blessing, but Emily wished more than anything that Harry could forget the complaints she had once spoken in despair.
"Harry... you..."
"Mom, you don't need to say more."
He shook his head, unwilling to argue with her about this.
"That was supposed to be mine. One day, I'll take it back. And today, I also made a special discovery."
As he spoke, Harry pulled out a small device he had hidden on his body and pressed it against the lizard cage he'd gotten earlier from a Stark Industries researcher.
"No radiation."
The lizard itself was nothing special. Its genes had been optimized for health and appearance, but it was still an ordinary creature.
He tossed the device onto a nearby table.
"But LexCorp really does seem to favor Parker. Even on a visit to Stark Industries, they made sure to give him a spider carrying faint radiation. Now I'm very curious. What's so special about that spider?"
Emily stood frozen. Her son had just shocked her completely. She hadn't even realized that, without her knowledge, he had created a device capable of detecting radiation.
It wasn't cutting-edge technology, but the fact that Harry had built it at only eight years old was astonishing. She was certain she hadn't provided him with a place to work in.
"Don't worry, Mom. It's just a toy I made in school with leftover parts from our science class. It can only detect whether radiation is present, not its strength. Nothing impressive. But now..."
Harry's expression grew serious. For an instant, Emily saw Norman's shadow in him. The same confidence, the same burning ambition.
"Mom, I need a lab of my own. Otherwise, I can already see it. Not only will I fail to surpass LexCorp, I won't even be able to keep up with Parker!"
The previous encounter had made Harry realize something. In this world, there were perhaps other geniuses like himself, people determined to topple LexCorp. But there were also geniuses like Peter, equally brilliant, who stood firmly on the company's side.
He couldn't rely on himself alone. He needed his mother's support.
"Harry... I..." Emily sighed and gave up. She realized she couldn't change her son's mind. He was destined to walk down a path that placed him in opposition to LexCorp
If that was the case, then aside from supporting him, what other choice did she really have?
After all, this was her child.
"I can't agree with your goals, Harry. But from now on, no matter what you ask for, I'll do everything I can to provide it."
She untied the apron from around her waist. She might have grown timid over the years, but that didn't mean her skills had faded.
"In cities outside New York and Los Angeles, a large number of tech companies are rising. They're dedicated to supporting superheroes, and they need a massive workforce to meet the demands of countless lower-ranked heroes. That also means I'll have to leave New York."
She knelt down and pulled Harry tightly into her arms.
"You won't be leaving your school. Only here can you gain access to the most resources. So promise me you'll take good care of yourself, alright?"
"Mom..."
At that moment, Harry finally understood. His mother wasn't timid. She was just worried about him, afraid he had chosen a road that was almost certain to end in death.
But in truth, the woman who had raised him under those circumstances and kept him alive was braver than anyone else in the world.
"I will, Mom. We'll rise to the top of the world again."
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