Aetheris casually picked up an apple and tossed it to Spider-Man. He caught it swiftly and thanked him.
Aetheris looked at him and said,
"I heard from Ethan that you've been dating recently?"
The moment Spider-Man heard that, the apple he was about to bite was pulled away. He immediately sat up straight and said,
"Yes, Mr. Stark. She's my college classmate."
Aetheris waved his hand.
"No need to be so tense. I may be your boss, but I'm also your friend. You don't need to act like you're giving me a report. That only makes me uncomfortable."
Spider-Man nodded quickly.
"Sorry, sorry."
Seeing that he still couldn't relax, Aetheris didn't press further and said,
"Last night, I met a woman. She had poison hidden in her pen and tried to kill me."
Spider-Man's eyes instantly turned cold, and his killing intent surged.
"Who was it? Mr. Stark, were you hurt?"
"Don't worry, I wasn't. But it served as a wake-up call. There are still people in New York who want me dead. If they only targeted me, that would be fine. What I fear most is that they'll go after those around me. Since this mastermind chose to strike me directly, it means they know me very well. They failed this time, but I'm sure they'll attack again. That's why I need your help."
Straightening his back, Spider-Man declared,
"I'll go through fire and water without hesitation!"
"It's not that serious. I just want to know who this mastermind really is. Here's a photo of the girl." Aetheris transferred the image to Spider-Man's phone. "Her name is Tina, she's of Mexican descent, and her father happens to be the current leader of New York's largest gang. Coincidentally, his name is also Tony. But I have no grudges against this gang. I really can't understand why Tina would risk her life to assassinate me. I want you to find out the reason."
Spider-Man nodded. Aetheris sent the girl's details and other clues to his phone. Then, with some hesitation, Spider-Man said,
"But the Iron Man suit development has always been handled by me and my mentor. If I leave to investigate, won't it affect our progress?"
Aetheris smiled.
"It's fine. I'll explain it to Ethan. He can manage the suit development alone. It may be slower, but it won't affect things too much. The priority is uncovering who was behind last night's attempt. With an enemy looming, I don't want unnecessary complications."
Aetheris had considered that his arrival might have altered the original Marvel timeline. He didn't know whether the assassination attempt was part of the original script or something newly added. But with the soul of a citizen of the East inside him, he disliked when things went beyond his expectations.
Just like how a single horseshoe nail could change the outcome of a battle, possibly leading to the downfall of a nation, preventing problems before they escalated was something he had to master.
Since Aetheris had put it that way, Spider-Man naturally had no objections. He declared firmly,
"Don't worry, Mr. Stark. Within three days, I'll complete the task and expose the culprit."
Aetheris nodded.
"Once you find out the truth, don't alert them. Report back to me, and I'll go with you."
Then, Aetheris suddenly remembered something and asked,
"That Spider Armor I mentioned last time, how's your research on it going?"
Spider-Man, who had been preoccupied with thoughts of the female assassin, suddenly grew excited at the question. He jumped off the sofa, grabbed his backpack, and pulled out a red-and-blue box that looked like a cake container.
Carefully, he set it down. The box was about two feet square and no more than five centimeters thick.
"Now for the moment of miracle," Spider-Man said smugly, pressing his palm on the box.
A soft electronic hum filled the air as the box instantly unfolded. After a series of slick transformations, a red-and-blue suit appeared, its chest glowing with a spider-shaped arc reactor. The Spider Armor from the original films finally made its debut.
"Wow."
Victor walked in carrying a pot of freshly brewed Big Red Robe tea. Spider-Man instinctively wanted to hide.
Aetheris quickly said,
"No need to avoid her. This is my housekeeper, Victor. You should call her Sister Victor. She's now my chief housekeeper, and everything in this home is under her command."
Only then did Spider-Man realize the identity of the "white-robed fairy." He quickly said,
"Hello, Sister Victor."
"Hello, Spider-Man."
Victor also enjoyed watching movies and TV shows. When bored at home, she would watch the suffering of the American people, which somehow cheered her up.
Naturally, she knew about Spider-Man, the grassroots superhero beloved across America. With cameras everywhere, his skintight costume had long made headlines in newspapers and on television.
Aetheris took a cup of Big Red Robe tea, sipped it slowly, and said,
"Did Ethan design this for you? The look is very cutting-edge."
Lifting the mask off his head, Spider-Man replied,
"The design was mine. I used the lightest metal in the world, but its resistance to corrosion, high temperatures, and impacts is among the best. Mr. Stark, of course, you can deduct the material and lab costs from my salary."
The thought made his heart ache. The Spider Armor had cost a million dollars, most of it spent on the AI and neural link technology exclusive to Aetheris and never to be shared.
Pointing at the teacup on the table, Aetheris said,
"With your salary? Forget it. But I'll give you one condition: if you can uncover the mastermind in two days, I'll give you this Spider Armor for free."
Aetheris had never intended to take his money. But free things are rarely valued or appreciated. More often, they breed resentment. That was why Aetheris set a standard.
Moments ago, Spider-Man had been grieving that his future wages would all be swallowed up. Now, he was revitalized, snapping into a formal salute as he said,
"Mission guaranteed!"
Once Spider-Man left, Aetheris pulled Victor into his arms, his hand gently stroking her silky black hair. She quietly rested her ear against his chest.
"In two days, you'll go with Nova and the others abroad. Wait until this matter is settled, then come back."
Victor shuddered at his words and said,
"Tony, I don't want to leave. Who will take care of you if I go?"
Warmth spread through Aetheris's heart. He tightened his grip on her hand and said,
"I don't want you to leave either. But this is urgent. An alien invasion isn't something I can fully control. The waters here run deep, and anything could happen. I won't allow you to suffer even the slightest harm."
(End of Chapter)
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