Ch: 436-443
436. Locke, the Hated One
Ben Parker?
Who is that?
Oh.
He's the one who said, 'With great power comes great responsibility,' successfully sacrificed himself, and then made Peter Parker drink that bowl of poisonous chicken soup, leading him down a path of no return.
What does 'with great power comes great responsibility' even mean?
Any adult knows that there's no such thing as a free lunch; you have to pay for what you get. Ben Parker's words, to put it plainly, are like wanting a donkey to grind the mill without feeding it.
Simply put,
It's all about dedication, no reward!
That's outright moral blackmail.
Locke's opinion of Spider-Man Peter Parker is quite low, but as he always says, Locke is a man who separates public from private matters. One thing is one thing; perhaps Ben Parker truly believed what he said, but that doesn't stop Locke from subjectively thinking Ben Parker was a bleeding heart.
As everyone knows, Locke despises bleeding hearts.
However... let the dead rest in peace.
About an hour later,
Gwen, who had already arrived home, received a call from Mary Jane. After chatting for a while, Gwen reminded Mary Jane to be careful, then hung up the phone and walked back in from the balcony, sitting at her vanity to apply creamy, fragrant skincare products.
She and Locke didn't go to the hospital.
After all, they weren't close.
Although she and Locke were Peter Parker's classmates, their relationship wasn't that deep.
Harry and Mary went. Harry was Peter Parker's friend, and while Mary had developed a bit of a rift with Peter a few days ago during the Columbia Tech Center incident, she was Peter's neighbor and had a good relationship with Ben Parker and Aunt May.
Now that this had happened, it was only right for them to visit the hospital.
However, by the time Harry and Mary arrived at the hospital, Ben Parker had already been taken to the morgue.
Locke, leaning on the bed and reading a book, looked up: "Harry and Mary arrived?"
"Mhm."
Gwen, who had finished applying her fragrant lotion, got up and returned to bed: "He was already gone by the time he reached the hospital."
Locke looked at her curiously: "How did that happen? A car accident?"
Gwen shook her head: "No, a gunshot."
Locke raised an eyebrow.
A gunshot, huh?
Three hours earlier, in Queens, in a convenience store one block from Peter Parker's house, just like in all Peter Parker stories, Ben Parker had gone to buy eggs for Aunt May after Peter Parker had failed to do so. It was dark, and Ben Parker accidentally stumbled upon a robbery.
Then... even after the robber had already succeeded and was preparing to leave, a sense of justice welled up in his heart, and he wrestled with the tattooed robber.
After that, a gunshot rang out.
Ben Parker's body suddenly froze, his eyes wide.
The robber seemed startled as well. After he came to his senses, he quickly pushed Ben Parker away, then frantically fled with the less than two hundred dollars he had stolen.
The robber was probably cursing a storm in his mind.
After all, he probably hadn't intended to kill anyone, and now, for less than two hundred dollars, he had turned himself into a robber and murderer.
Gwen said, "Mr. Ben Parker was very brave."
Locke glanced at her: "You say brave, I say reckless."
Gwen paused slightly, looking at Locke: "If it were you, wouldn't you have done the same?"
Locke shook his head, then scoffed: "George would agree with me."
Was he crazy?
An unarmed man, encountering a robber with a gun, instead of meekly backing down, charges straight in, as if he's in a movie, or planning to bet that the robber's gun is empty?
Locke stated directly: "Of course, if it were me, or George, that person wouldn't have had a chance to draw their gun."
His quick-draw was unmatched.
George, from the NYPD, while his quick-draw wasn't quite as good as Locke's, was more than capable of handling common petty thieves.
Locke could turn a person into a sieve in half a second.
George was no slouch either; he could empty a magazine in just one second.
Ben Parker?
He wasn't young, and he was unarmed, facing a masked, but seemingly strong and young robber who was also armed, and he still dared to charge in. Was that brave?
Locke didn't think so.
At the very least, the robbed convenience store owner probably wouldn't think so either.
In fact... if this were in the East, the convenience store owner would probably be cursing, because, in the East, he would likely be sued and then have to pay a humanitarian compensation.
He was robbed, and he also had to pay humanitarian compensation?
As for the robber?
"They haven't found him yet."
Gwen shook her head: "Immediately after the incident, the local precinct arrived at the scene. By then, Ben Parker was already gone. As for the robber, because the area is quite unsafe, any surveillance cameras installed today would be destroyed tomorrow, so there were very few cameras in the area where the incident occurred."
Locke nodded.
The one who killed Ben Parker seemed to be an anti-hero, too.
Sandman?
Locke thought to himself. For some unimportant villain characters, Locke no longer remembered the specific names, only that the Sandman also seemed to be a pitiful person.
It seemed that the Sandman resorted to robbery because his daughter was hospitalized, and he couldn't afford the large medical bills, so he turned to a life of crime.
Moreover, the Sandman hadn't intended to kill anyone; Ben Parker's death was only because the gun accidentally discharged when Ben Parker tried to grab it.
"He's also a pitiful person."
"Actually..."
Gwen heard Locke's sudden sigh and thought he was talking about Peter Parker. She looked at Locke: "You're probably going to be resented by Peter Parker again."
Locke came back to himself and looked at Gwen.
"Resented?"
"Yeah, Mary secretly told me. You know Peter Parker was suspended these past few days, right?"
"His suspension was my decision."
"And then you had Lawyer Lawen go after Peter Parker for compensation, or else you'd sue him directly."
"Ha."
Locke chuckled: "A life for a life, a debt for a debt. It's only right and proper. I don't see anything wrong with it."
Gwen nodded: "I think so too, but I don't think Peter Parker will see it that way."
In Gwen's words,
Mary Jane had specifically gone into an empty room to make her call, and then she said that a tearful Peter Parker seemed to be bitterly muttering Locke's name.
As for the reason?
Naturally, it was related to Locke sending Lawyer Lawen to negotiate the not-so-large sum of one hundred thousand dollars in compensation for the luxury table.
Although Locke had asked Lawyer Lawen to look into this matter a few days ago, Lawyer Lawen had only sent someone to Peter Parker's house yesterday to find him.
For Locke, one hundred thousand dollars was pocket change; he hadn't worried about money since he became self-sufficient.
But for Peter Parker's family, one hundred thousand dollars was a huge sum.
Although... Locke was still very benevolent, giving Peter Parker a one-year grace period. As long as Peter Parker could repay the debt within a year, Locke would not sue him.
After all, they were classmates, and Locke chose to be merciful, not wanting to send Peter Parker to jail.
But... even with a one-year grace period, it wasn't a sum Peter Parker could raise within a year.
This also completely led to Aunt May and Uncle Ben finally discovering that Peter Parker had actually been suspended. So the question arose: what had Peter Parker been doing, going out early and coming home late these past few days, and why had he suddenly incurred a massive debt of one hundred thousand dollars? They began to question Peter Parker, whom they treated like their own son.
Peter Parker grew annoyed by the questioning, and perhaps because his 'invisible wings' had grown hard, he either played dumb or simply blamed everything on Locke, then ran back to his room, leaving Uncle Ben to comfort Aunt May, who felt like her world had collapsed.
Peter Parker, perhaps due to his 'invisible wings', treated Locke's lawyer's letter as a joke, not taking it seriously at all.
But... Uncle Ben and Aunt May were adults. They had heard of the famous lawyer Busen Lawen. How could a lawyer's letter personally delivered by such a person be just a joke?
So, Uncle Ben and Aunt May found Mary Jane's family, who lived next door, early this morning. Then, through Mary Jane's conflicted answers, they learned why Peter Parker had been suspended for a week.
Then, seeing Peter Parker going out early and coming home late as usual today, the upright Ben Parker finally couldn't help but scold Peter Parker a few times for being idle and forgetting to bring home eggs for Aunt May.
As a result, Peter Parker simply turned and left without the slightest hesitation.
And then... tonight's events unfolded.
Uncle Ben lost his life on his way back from looking for Peter Parker and picking up eggs for Aunt May.
But?
"What does that have to do with me?"
Locke couldn't help but chuckle, shaking his head: "Peter Parker is just a spoiled child who thinks it's the world's fault, not his own. Unfortunately, I'm not his dad, and I won't indulge him."
If Peter Parker truly raged impotently and resented him,
Then... bring it on.
Locke didn't like killing people.
But... he would kill people...
437. Black Spider and White Spider
However, Locke didn't care whether Peter Parker held a grudge against him or not. After all, the most important thing right now was to rack up points. By the next day, the members of the competition team were quickly immersed in a tense and busy state due to a new round of tests.
Occasionally, he might hear Harry mention Peter Parker, but it was only a brief mention, at most, a word or two about the Parker family looking for a burial plot.
It was still the same old saying.
New York is big, and it's not easy to live there.
Not only is it difficult to live, but even after death, it's just as difficult. At the very least, the cost of a burial plot is actually quite substantial. Conservatively speaking, a plot in a Queens cemetery costs, on average, three months' salary.
By the time Locke and the others saw Peter Parker again, it was already April, roughly half a month later. On this day, Peter Parker reappeared in the lounge corridor.
His face... was very pale, and he exuded an aura of "someone in my family died, don't bother me."
Even Harry, who had no idea Peter would be there, saw him and his eyes lit up. He immediately ran over, only to be completely ignored by Peter, who was busy closing his locker door.
With a bang.
Peter glanced at Harry, then, holding his skateboard in one hand and his backpack in the other, prepared to walk towards the classroom.
Just then.
Flash rubbed his nose and walked out of the crowd, intending to express his feelings to Peter. After all, Flash wasn't bad at heart; at least he knew not to bother a grieving classmate.
But.
"Peter!"
"Bang!"
"Oh, no!"
"Oh my god!"
The students in the lounge corridor were instantly startled as they watched Peter Parker turn around like lightning, grab Flash by the collar, and slam him directly against the locker.
At the same time, there was a strong sense of the unscientific.
From their appearance, Flash should have been lifting Peter Parker like a chick, not the other way around.
The scene before them was like a chick directly pinning down its natural enemy, a weasel. No matter how they looked at it, it felt as magical as seeing God.
Locke, who was putting his things into his locker, also heard the commotion and turned to look.
Gwen, nearby, seemed to look at Peter Parker with some apprehension.
This Peter... Black Spider?
Flash, held up by Peter Parker by the neck, his entire body practically hanging on the locker, showed no anger. Instead, he looked at Peter Parker and said, "You feel a little better now, right? Listen, I just wanted to tell you I'm sorry about your uncle. I heard. I'm sorry, okay?"
Peter Parker, his eyes somewhat dark, stared intently at Flash.
The next second.
Thud.
Peter Parker let go, picked up his skateboard and books without a word, and turned to walk towards his classroom.
After Peter Parker left the lounge corridor, the previously somewhat stagnant atmosphere slowly returned to normal. Students began to chat and gather in small groups again.
Locke closed his locker door and looked at Gwen beside him: "Let's go."
Gwen snapped out of it and looked at Locke.
Locke smiled: "What are you looking at, so lost in thought?"
Peter Parker seems to be the Black Spider, Jell-O's enemy.
Gwen opened her mouth, instinctively wanting to tell Locke, but then, with a jolt, she snapped back to reality, smiled, and said, "I was thinking about what Mom wants us to bring to Long Island tonight."
Locke smiled: "Don't worry, I remember."
I'll believe you when pigs fly.
After all, Gwen didn't know that he already knew the secret she was trying to hide.
Isn't it just the source of Peter Parker's power?
Moreover.
Locke had already guessed why Gwen hadn't told him she was the White Spider.
Clearly.
The Black Spider and White Spider were sworn enemies before coming to Earth. The Black Spider wanted to devour the White Spider, but at the last moment, the White Spider discovered it and successfully counter-attacked.
And Jell-O might have, in the end, told Gwen that the Black Spider, who was hell-bent on becoming a Weaver by devouring their White Spider tribe, was still on Earth.
So, Gwen might have discovered through Jell-O's power inheritance that the Black Spider was stronger than Jell-O, and therefore, to avoid exposing Jell-O and endangering herself and those around her, Gwen chose to conceal it.
Gwen... is too kind.
Locke thought to himself.
The next second.
The Black Spider is already dead, not even a speck of its soul remains.
Locke raised an eyebrow, his peripheral vision sensing Gwen, who was suppressing her slight nervousness beside him. He wondered what kind of simple, clear, and polite way he could tell Gwen.
The Black Spider is dead, you can tell me your secret now.
But.
Locke immediately rejected the idea.
No!
He had far more secrets than Gwen. If Gwen told him and Locke didn't reciprocate, who knew what Gwen would think then?
And... which alias should he reveal?
Locke hadn't thought about it yet.
Peerless Assassin, no, that's his first alt account, and Peerless Assassin has a special meaning.
Witch Rococo?
It's still the same old saying, when she becomes the Sun God in the future, whoever dares to utter the words "Witch Rococo" will be struck down by divine punishment, turning them directly into ash.
Dimension Zero?
That could work.
Perhaps... Locke's eyes lit up. He could spread his hands and say, "Alright, you caught me. I'm not human, I'm a Dimensional God."
No.
Dimensional Gods are not gods.
Let's put it this way.
It's like a BMW X1. Although it's also called a BMW, anyone with an discerning eye knows that this guy is trying to show off without having the money.
The same goes for Dimensional Gods.
Although Dimensional Gods are also gods, in the eyes of all gods in the universe, Dimensional Gods are the so-called BMW X1!
Then... Cain the Vampire?
Locke thought to himself, and then, for some unknown reason, the image of Mavis, with her two cute little fangs, suddenly popped into his mind.
Never mind.
If all else fails, he'll just create a new alt account.
Locke thought long and hard, feeling that no matter which alt account it was, it didn't seem quite right. Either the status was too low, or the "grass already had an owner"... wait.
The grass already had an owner?
Why would I have such a thought?
In the afternoon.
Because it was Friday, according to the agreement with Helen, Locke and Gwen were going to Long Island tonight to have dinner with Helen and Gwen's grandparents.
In the morning, Helen called and asked the two of them to buy some daily necessities on their way there.
No choice.
Although Long Island is jokingly called "potato-growing Long Island" by New Yorkers, in reality, it's mostly a vacation spot for the wealthy. And when there are many wealthy people, even if they only use it for vacation, it's undeniable that with the influx of the wealthy, the cost of living naturally increases.
Helen, being a good wife and mother, as well as an excellent mother-in-law, was very good at managing the household. In the morning, she called Gwen and told her where to buy tissues and where to buy seasoning bottles after school.
So.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, Locke and Gwen, after arranging a time with Cindy, Kahn, and the others, slipped away early.
They ran to a home goods store in Lower Manhattan, bought tissues and oil-absorbing paper, then ran to Supergo three blocks away, waiting until 4:30 PM to grab discounted seasonings after the salesperson put on the discount labels.
Then... when Locke and Gwen arrived on Long Island, they saw from afar the four-story, white-walled beachfront villa that Gwen had specifically bought, which had already appreciated by forty percent.
Gwen was happy about her appreciated real estate investment: "Tomorrow, I plan to go to Hudson Heights with Pepper to take a look."
Locke slowly pulled the car over and turned off the engine: "Near Inwood Hill Park?"
Gwen nodded: "Yes, the properties there seem to have a lot of appreciation potential."
Locke opened the car door and smiled: "You decide."
Gwen got out of the car, smiling, and said, "Aren't you afraid I'll spend all the money in our account?"
Locke shrugged: "It's okay, if you spend it all, you can support me."
He wasn't opposed to being a kept man.
After all, in this day and age, those who can be kept men are not ordinary people.
Gwen rolled her eyes: "Alright, I'll support you, but I won't let you drink ten-thousand-dollar bottles of bourbon. Oh my god, that's too extravagant. Dad's annual salary can only buy one bottle."
Locke took out three large bags of items, then handed Gwen the smaller bag, and smiled: "One bottle, Gwen. Actually, George wouldn't be able to buy it."
"Why?"
"They only sell it by the case, not individually."
"A million?"
"Mmm."
"..."
Gwen opened her mouth, then shook her head: "Let Dad drink the nine-ninety-nine kind instead. They all taste the same anyway. The taste of alcohol doesn't vary that much."
George's birthday was in a few days.
Gwen had originally wanted to buy George a bottle of the same brand of Thunder Bourbon that Locke drank.
But now?
Not sold individually, only by the case?
Too extravagant.
Locke just smiled and walked with Gwen towards the back door of the villa: "It's okay, there are still two cases in the storage locker. You can take one, and then, when you have money, you can pay me back."
Gwen shook her head: "No, thanks. I think there's not much difference in taste between ten-thousand-dollar bourbon and nine-ninety-nine bourbon. Besides, Mom would be angry if she knew. In Mom's words, what status does George have to be able to afford ten-thousand-dollar bourbon?"
Locke laughed heartily.
Poor George.
Given George's current position and status, if converted to the East Country.
He would probably have at least ten thousand houses...
Chapter 438: Vigilantes are a Disgrace to the City
When Locke and Gwen walked through the back door and arrived at the private beach behind the Villa, Little George and the other two background characters were already working up a storm.
Tonight's theme was a barbecue.
Gwen's grandfather and grandmother had brought over some high-quality beef.
Helen was in the first-floor kitchen making fresh juice.
Originally, Helen had said that she and George would stay here temporarily and pay Locke rent at market rates.
But... take money from his virtuous mother-in-law?
Even if Locke's IQ were only 298, he wouldn't do such a thing.
Moreover, this Villa was bought by Gwen using money from their joint account; if one were to be technical about it, Gwen truly owned fifty percent of the house.
Just like with the Student Union Knowledge Competition this time.
Gwen was even more indispensable; one could say that for the Student Union Knowledge Competitionto rise from nothing and reach its current state, Gwen had helped with eighty percent of the work.
The remaining twenty percent was done by the Holy Trinity side.
Locke had merely proposed the idea.
Therefore, Locke resolutely could not learn to calculate accounts as shamelessly as Tony Stark did.
Under Helen's direction, Locke and Gwen put away the items they had just purchased one by one. Then, with Locke carrying the wine and Gwen holding the drinks, they headed out to the beach, where a bonfire was already creating a barbecue party atmosphere.
At this moment, it was already getting dark.
But... "Where's George?"
Locke looked at the time on his wristwatch; it was almost seven o'clock. "Hasn't George come back yet?"
Helen said, "I just called; he's already back."
As she spoke.
Locke heard the sound of a car door closing at the Villa's entrance.
After a while.
George appeared, looking as exhausted as someone who had labored all day. To be honest, it was actually quite a miraculous feat for George to tire himself out to this extent.
After all, other chief inspectors could wear their white uniforms for a week straight without a trace of sweat or any odor—and if there was a scent, it would only be perfume.
But George, despite being promoted to chief inspector, seemed no different from when he was a Detective.
Locke wasn't the only one who felt this way.
Gwen felt the same way and looked at George with some helplessness. "Dad, you're already a chief inspector; you should learn to let go."
George shook his head. "I can't be blamed for this."
Gwen was slightly taken aback. "What?"
"It's all that damn Peerless Assassin's fault!"
...??
Locke looked up at George with clear eyes. "Did the Peerless Assassin appear again?"
"No!"
...
Locke breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. He knew it; he had already made an example of someone to warn others. Even if the effect was poor, it shouldn't have failed to last even two years.
He had just thought another copycat had appeared.
A counterfeit product appearing at this point would be very troublesome, as Locke had accepted the 'Calm Semester' mission worth 100,000 points.
That was why he felt relieved after hearing George deny there was a copycat.
But in the next second.
Locke narrowed his eyes.
Wait.
If no Peerless Assassin copycat appeared, what the hell do you mean by blaming me?
You can't treat me like God, the default target to shift blame to no matter what the problem is.
This isn't good.
After all, God has been driven away, while he himself is right here on Earth—right in front of you, even. What kind of move is it to blatantly shift the blame to me to my face?
George unbuttoned his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, chased Little George away to return to being a background character, and prepared to take over the grilling. Then, as if making small talk, he said, "Another vigilante appeared in New York City a few days ago."
If this isn't the Peerless Assassin's fault, then whose is it?
George said directly, "Ever since that live broadcast, the Peerless Assassin has been regarded as a vigilante by the public. Some state assemblyman even suggested that the NYPD should just collect the bodies after receiving a notice, since the Peerless Assassin only kills the guilty. He even proposed that the NYPD give the Peerless Assassin an official status."
"...Will you?"
*Cough cough!*
Hearing Locke's sudden question, George felt a bit of internal frustration. He glanced at Locke and said, "Vigilantes are not Police officers; they have no right to judge others. Only the law does."
This was something George had always firmly believed.
Even if many die-hard fans of the Peerless Assassin in New York City, and even that state assemblyman who made the proposal, didn't think so.
But... vigilantes are not Police officers and have no right to arrest or judge anyone.
That was why George had been so busy lately.
Although the Spider Disaster at Grand Central Station from half a month ago was in its final stages—with the station, which had been closed for nearly half a month, having about ten days of cleanup left before it could reopen, and subsequent tasks handed over to the FBI and DHS—George, who should have been relaxing while waiting for his formal promotion in two weeks, was unable to rest because of a new vigilante who had appeared in New York City a few days ago.
Speaking of vigilantes, the Peerless Assassin was certainly the first to appear in New York City.
But... George had sworn to catch the Peerless Assassin. However, the Peerless Assassin was elusive; for a while, George was so obsessed with finding him that he grew incredibly frustrated, yet the Peerless Assassin simply wouldn't show up.
Now, suddenly, another vigilante had popped up.
How could the Peerless Assassin not be blamed for this?
"Although this person isn't a Peerless Assassin copycat, their nature is even worse than one!"
George flipped the beef in his hand over forcefully, instilling his views in Locke and Gwen. "This trend started because of the Peerless Assassin. If everyone in New York City followed suit and tried to be a vigilante, then what would be the point of people like us? If a city has vigilantes, it's equivalent to trampling the city's Police Department and its dignity underfoot!"
In short.
If everyone went to vigilantes, what would be the use of real Police officers like them?
The existence of vigilantes is a disgrace to the city!
"I agree with what you're saying, Mr. Stacy."
Locke said so. Although he was the Peerless Assassin, he never identified as a vigilante. He was an assassin. Vigilantism, a thankless job that seemed far too much like being a sanctimonious do-gooder, didn't fit Locke's persona at all, no matter how you looked at it.
Gwen asked curiously, "Another vigilante? When did this happen?"
For the past half month, Gwen and Locke's lives had basically been between school and home. They even went to Chester's restaurant less often. Mostly, the two of them stayed home, watching cooking shows and learning to make delicious food.
Gwen had already obtained Helen's recipe cards from her; there were many, recording various recipes and steps, and they could be considered heirlooms.
Originally, Helen's mother—Gwen's grandmother—had passed them down to Helen. Helen had intended to give Gwen a set as part of her dowry after she got married, but since Locke and Gwen were already effectively living together, she gave them to her early.
In short... during this half month, Gwen and Locke had been quite oblivious to outside affairs.
Even yesterday, when Peter Parker's Uncle Ben was buried, and Harry, Mary, and some other classmates went, Locke and Gwen did not attend.
As the saying goes.
They weren't close to Peter Parker; they weren't even considered good classmates.
George flipped the steak on the grill once more. "It appeared about ten days ago. In Queens, a few petty thieves were found stuck to a wall, and a card was found next to them."
This was also why George had noticed this case.
Thieves.
Cards.
However, after George arrived at the scene and saw the card, he dismissed the suspicion that it was the work of the Peerless Assassin or one of his accomplices.
Because that card had been haphazardly cut out.
Whereas the Peerless Assassin's notice was unique and almost impossible to forge.
But this only made George more determined to catch the fellow.
For no other reason.
Although this vigilante wasn't the Peerless Assassin, in George's eyes, he was undoubtedly an admirer or some kind of follower of the Peerless Assassin. Otherwise, why would he specifically leave a card?
Even... this morning, this guy went as far as hanging a car thief right at the entrance of the NYPD, with the other end of the line connected to a window on the tenth floor of the station.
Without a doubt.
This admirer or follower of the Peerless Assassin practically treated the NYPD headquarters like his own home, coming and going as he pleased.
George could tolerate the Peerless Assassin popping up in his sight every now and then, but he could not stand this admirer or follower of his being so brazenly provocative.
"By the way."
"Hmm?"
Gwen watched George, who had suddenly become startled, and then looked back at her with an intense gaze. She blinked and couldn't help but lean a few steps closer to Locke. "What's wrong, Dad?"
George seemed to have thought of something. "Gwen, I remember your mentor at the Osborn Biotech Building is Dr. Connors, right? The one who specializes in animal genes and serums?"
Gwen was stunned for a moment. "Yes, why? Do you want to see him, Dad?"
George thought of the extremely resilient, Spider Silk-like substance used for hanging the thief today. He immediately thought of the spider his daughter kept and then associated it with Dr. Connors, who practically ran a zoo at the Oscorp Bio-Industrial Building.
"Yes, if possible, I'd like to consult Dr. Connors tomorrow."
"...Of course, no problem."
439. The Little Spider Caught
The next morning, early.
Locke and Gwen were woken up directly by George.
God bears witness.
Locke once thought that George had finally given in to the fact that his little cabbage had been taken by him, and was going to destroy him directly.
As a result, George's first words were to Gwen, who was sleeping soundly in his arms and still a bit groggy, calling out, "We should go," and then he left directly without looking back or to the side.
Locke and Gwen, left behind, were bewildered.
Then… after they had just finished washing up, if it weren't for Helen's word being law at home, Locke would swear that George would absolutely not let him and Gwen eat the toasted bread.
But, they were still very fast.
Waking up at six o'clock, and then, before seven o'clock, the three of them had already arrived at the Oscorp Bio-Industrial Tower, having driven all the way from Long Island.
Without speeding, Locke would still need forty minutes, but George managed to shorten that time to thirty-five minutes.
But, who made George the boss?
When they arrived at the entrance of the Oscorp Bio-Industrial Tower, George got out of the car, and under the gaze of a few police officers who had followed them, his white clothes were very eye-catching, causing the patrol officers, who thought they had caught a big fish, to look at each other, then notify their walkie-talkie, and then turn and leave silently.
Locke looked at George thoughtfully: "Is this considered abuse of power?"
"No."
George looked at Locke, adjusting his clothes: "I am on official duty!"
After he finished speaking.
George once again urged Gwen in a hurry.
Gwen yawned. Today was the weekend. Although she had agreed to George, she had planned to come in the afternoon. In the morning, she had intended to spend some intimate time with Locke.
But who made George her dad?
Gwen sighed, walked ahead, and then, under the security guards' watchful eyes, swiped her access card, which should have been turned in.
A 'beep' sound.
Level A!
The two security guards looked at the information and immediately focused on their own business. When Gwen said that Locke and George were with her, they didn't ask any further questions, and didn't even go through security checks.
Originally, Gwen's access card was Level F.
Intern level.
Moreover, because there were many assignments this semester, Gwen had already said she could only continue next semester, so the access card should have been handed in. But who made Gwen help Norman Osborn retain military funding?
So.
Not only was the access card not retrieved, but under Norman Osborn's personal inquiry, Gwen was directly brought into Oscorp Industries as a full-time employee, receiving a monthly salary and having the same A-level security clearance as Dr. Connors.
Although not S-level management.
But... A-level research personnel enjoy almost the same benefits as management, and can disregard anyone's opinions except for the board of directors.
Soon.
They arrived at the laboratory!
"Wow!"
"God!"
"Is this still our lab?"
Gwen led Locke and George to Dr. Connors' lab, and then, looking at the lab, which she hadn't seen in over ten days, and which had completely transformed, not only with more advanced equipment but also covering an entire floor, she let out gasps of surprise.
Just as they arrived at the lab, a few researchers who were about to start the equipment and begin a weekend of overtime as corporate drones heard the voices at the door and looked at Gwen, who appeared at the entrance, momentarily stunned.
The next second.
Several researchers immediately stepped forward, greeting Gwen with a warm welcome.
After all, Gwen was their great benefactor. If it weren't for Gwen, how would they have the opportunity to be picked up by a special car for work, then drink coffee worth ten dollars a cup, and have lunch specially prepared by a chef? Moreover, their salaries had skyrocketed like a rocket.
So, even though it was weekend overtime, the workers said that as long as the salary and benefits were good enough, let alone overtime, they could truly treat the company as their home, staying inside twenty-four hours a day, fully dedicated to their careers.
Naturally, the researchers were very enthusiastic towards Gwen, who had brought them all of this.
After a while.
Dr. Connors, dressed in a suit, still with one arm, but no longer the dejected, unfulfilled, constantly on-the-verge-of-being-cut, and scruffy-bearded image of the past, now a refined scientist, walked into the lab. He first saw George in white clothes, paused slightly, and then saw Gwen.
"Gwen?"
"Dr. Connors."
Gwen stood up, greeted Dr. Connors, and then, pointing at George, introduced him: "Doctor, this is my father, George, and he's the main reason I asked you yesterday if you were coming to the lab today."
Gwen's father.
The Senior Police Inspector of the NYPD.
Dr. Connors' thoughts raced. He shook George's hand with his single arm: "Hello."
Even if George was just an ordinary person, simply because he was Gwen's father, Dr. Connors would treat him seriously. Although he treated everyone equally, he would treat the father of his assistant, who had brought about such a huge change in his life, with even higher standards.
Dr. Connors recalled Gwen's phone call from yesterday, and after inviting Locke and the others into his office, he said: "George, I can call you George, right?"
George, sitting in the chair, smiled and said, "Of course you can. I've always wanted to thank you for taking care of my daughter."
Dr. Connors laughed heartily: "Gwen's professional knowledge is already sufficient, and I have also recommended her to my alma mater. With Gwen's current level of knowledge, there's absolutely no problem. However, Gwen doesn't seem to have any plans to graduate from college yet."
Locke is still in college, why should I graduate early?
Besides.
Is college that hard? I've already received invitation letters from over a dozen universities worldwide, including Oxford, all starting with A-grade scholarships.
Gwen thought to herself, then smiled slightly, and directly shifted the conversation to the main topic: "Dad, don't you have something to ask Dr. Connors? The doctor has been very busy lately."
The military has money, and as long as the military is determined to get something, they will provide money and personnel. The day after that meeting, the promised military investment was directly credited to the account.
One should know that last year and the year before, Dr. Smalley's military sponsorship was delayed by the military for quite some time. Now, with Dr. Smalley gone, the investment funds from last year and the year before have also been directly added to Dr. Connors' laboratory.
If a lord treats me as a national scholar, I will repay him as a national scholar!
Naturally, Dr. Connors, seeing the military's immense appreciation for him, was brimming with inspiration. Furthermore, driven by powerful funding, he successively overcame several previously unanswerable questions.
What's more, Dr. Connors himself came from a military background, and he was well aware of the military's nature.
For example... the death of Dr. Smalley!
In this world, no one who has taken money from the military and failed to provide them with an explanation can continue to live unscathed.
So, during this time, Dr. Connors was both pained and happy.
George listened to Gwen's words, nodded, then took out an evidence bag from his pocket and handed it to Dr. Connors across from him: "This!"
Dr. Connors took the evidence bag, then, looking at the tightly sealed opening, his movements paused slightly.
Gwen stepped forward, took the evidence bag from Dr. Connors' hand, tore it open, and then handed the evidence bag back to Dr. Connors.
Dr. Connors gave a self-deprecating smile and said to George, "It's a bit inconvenient with one hand missing."
As he spoke.
Dr. Connors didn't expect George to say anything. He took out the tangled white silk-like object from the evidence bag, squeezed it, then looked up at George: "Spider silk?"
The next second.
Dr. Connors felt something flash through his mind, and then he frowned: "Something's not right."
After he finished speaking.
Dr. Connors stood up, walked outside, called a lab assistant, and handed over the spider silk for a quick component analysis.
When I say quick, it wasn't really that fast, but compared to before, the test report was in hand within half an hour.
Dr. Connors looked at the report in his hand and sat back down: "Indeed, it's not natural spider silk."
The main components of normal spider silk are glycine, alanine, and a small amount of serine, along with other amino acid monomer protein molecular chains.
The reason why spider silk, which appears thin and soft, possesses excellent elasticity and strength is that it contains irregular protein molecular chains, which give spider silk its elasticity, and at the same time, it also contains regular protein molecular chains, which give spider silk its strength.
But... the elasticity and strength here are relative.
Just as people say ants and spiders can lift objects many times their own body weight, they are still no match for a human's large foot.
Dr. Connors was known as the 'Animal Dean' of the Oscorp Bio-Industrial Tower, so he was naturally familiar with spiders. For his research on regenerative engineering, he had actually referenced some previous experimental data.
Therefore.
Just now, when Dr. Connors first grasped the spider silk George had brought, he felt something was off. Compared to natural spider silk, what George brought was clearly much tougher and stronger.
Just then.
Dr. Connors' gaze fell on a data point in the test report.
Then... Dr. Connors gasped, staring at an experimental data point detected from the spider silk.
This data?
Why is it so familiar?
Dr. Connors looked up slightly.
The next second.
He thought of something from over a decade ago.
"Richard Parker?"
Four Hundred and Forty, Exposed Little Spider
The moment Dr. Curt Connors saw a certain data value in the test results of the spider silk on his hand, memories that should have been selectively forgotten suddenly leaped out of their dusty box.
The scene was very clear.
Dr. Curt Connors was known as the zoo director of Oscorp Bio-Industrial, but in fact, before this, at least before Dr. Connors established his own laboratory, this title did not belong to him.
It belonged to someone else.
Before that, although he and Dr. Smythe were somewhat well-known, there was another person whose reputation at the time far surpassed theirs.
Richard Parker!
The former chief biological scientist of Oscorp Bio-Industrial.
But... Curt Connors swore to God that if God gave him another chance, he would rather not know this damned guy.
The reason was simple.
Richard Parker had thoroughly messed him up, no, and Smythe... or rather, many people.
That year, the Miracle Spider mysteriously disappeared, and on the night it was discovered, the Perfect Spider also suddenly vanished. It's important to know that while these two spiders were at Oscorp Bio, their research was jointly led with the military.
Or rather.
The human enhancement project being researched by Oscorp Bio and the military was based on the Miracle Spider and the Perfect Spider.
But... the Miracle Spider and the Perfect Spider successively disappeared.
Although Oscorp and the military already had evidence that all of this was due to Richard Parker's individual misdeeds.
And this damned guy even tried to smuggle himself out of the country.
Fortunately.
Richard Parker died in a plane crash, which happened to be a coincidence. But Richard Parker was dead, yet what about the Miracle Spider and the Perfect Spider?
Because of this, Dr. Connors and Smythe, who had no idea about Richard Parker's actions and had been kept in the dark by him, faced unprecedented investigations.
Internal investigations by Oscorp.
Even by the military.
Although in the end, Dr. Connors and Dr. Smythe were cleared, the actions of Richard Parker directly led to a three-year stagnation period for both Dr. Connors' and Dr. Smythe's research.
Even the military bigwig who was in charge of placing the Miracle Spider and Perfect Spider at Oscorp Bio at the time was targeted because of the loss of the two alien creatures.
General Thaddeus Ross rose to power because of this incident.
So, how could Dr. Connors possibly want to remember such a scoundrel? After Richard Parker's plane crash, although the crash didn't look like an accident no matter how you viewed it, the entire Oscorp Bio tacitly chose to completely remove Richard Parker's name and selectively forget him.
Now?
How could the technique that this damned guy extracted from the Miracle Spider that year, the only one capable of synthesizing and greatly strengthening the toughness and strength of spider silk, reappear?
Could it be that this guy isn't dead?
Dr. Connors stared at the detected numerical data, thinking to himself.
George, hearing Dr. Connors's words blurted out, frowned, "Richard Parker, that name, I feel like I've heard it somewhere before?"
Gwen, standing nearby, opened her mouth, intending to enlighten her father.
At this moment, George seemed to recall something, his gaze sweeping past Gwen and landing directly on Locke, who had his hands in his pockets, clearly just going through the motions: "Peter Parker, I remember now, before, at the Columbia Science and Technology Center, among the three students involved in the fight, there seemed to be a Parker, right?"
Locke nodded.
This was a fact.
And, look, George said so, confirming it was a fight, which once again proved one thing: Locke at the time had absolutely no intention of targeting Peter Parker, and the punishment was completely fair and just.
Gwen, standing nearby, looked at George and said, "Dad, you're talking about Peter Parker. Richard Parker is Peter Parker's father, but..."
George's eyes lit up upon hearing this. Without waiting for Gwen to finish, he immediately looked at Dr. Connors: "Doctor, do you mean this spider silk belongs to this Richard Parker?"
Dr. Connors snapped back to attention and looked at George: "...Yes, some of the data for this spider silk is from Richard Parker's research."
Moreover... although it was Richard Parker's research, Dr. Connors, and even Oscorp Bio-Industrial, did not have the specific compositional formula for this research.
Because after Richard Parker's misdeeds came to light, it was later discovered that all the research results Richard Parker had submitted were completely fabricated.
It can be said that.
At that time, Richard Parker received money and personnel from Oscorp Bio as he pleased, but he did absolutely nothing productive.
This is why Richard Parker's name was completely blacklisted by Oscorp Bio-Industrial, even after his death.
George understood instantly upon hearing this.
Richard Parker.
This guy was the vigilante he wanted to catch!
Excellent.
I can't catch the Unrivaled Assassin, but I can't catch you, can I?
You just wait for me.
George immediately pulled out his phone, ready to call Beckett and tell him to immediately apprehend this damned guy.
But... Gwen looked at George, who had already started dialing, blinked, and somewhat covered her forehead, quickly saying, "Dad, wait a moment."
George frowned and looked at Gwen.
"What's wrong?"
"...Dr. Richard Parker is already dead."
"...What?"
George was slightly stunned and looked at Locke.
Locke nodded again.
It was normal for George not to know; after all, George used a gun, and while Richard Parker's character wasn't great, he used his brain. Not to mention, Richard Parker's fame, like all scientists, was mostly within his professional field. Furthermore, Richard Parker was already dead; within a decade or so, even those in the industry would likely not know who Richard Parker was, let alone those outside of it.
And... saying Richard Parker was a celebrity was actually a bit of an exaggeration.
In a word.
Peter Parker's life was quite tough. If Richard Parker had been a top scientist, one or two patents would have been enough for Peter Parker to live a comfortable, upper-middle-class life, even as an orphan.
But Richard Parker didn't have a single patent. It's no exaggeration to say that May Parker and Ben Parker were also severely impacted by Peter Parker's family, as Peter Parker's arrival directly led to a decrease in May and Ben Parker's quality of life.
If Peter Parker were a filial child, it wouldn't matter, but from the incident of Ben Parker's death, one can see a thing or two.
Gwen said from the side, "Dr. Richard Parker was arguably the most famous scientist in the field of biology in the nineties, but he passed away in a plane crash."
This was information Gwen had found herself by looking through documents. Before seeing this information, Gwen had thought that Richard Parker, like those fleeting scientists, had risen quickly and then fallen just as fast.
Unexpectedly... Richard Parker, due to an accident, was on a private plane that encountered turbulence, then unfortunately crashed into the sea and was declared dead.
Later.
When Gwen first started working at the Oscorp Bio-Industrial building, she didn't understand what had happened at the time and somewhat naively asked Dr. Connors. Fortunately, before she could ask, a colleague in the office told her about Richard Parker's dark past, which prevented Gwen from leaving a bad impression on Dr. Connors.
George was stunned.
"Dead?"
"Mm."
George looked at the unequivocal Gwen, feeling as if his clues had sprouted wings and flown away. He looked at Dr. Connors somewhat unwillingly: "Really dead?"
Dr. Connors also nodded.
Then... Dr. Connors hesitated for a moment, then said, "But, this data is indeed from Richard Parker's application materials. I don't think anyone else would have it."
Although the information Richard Parker gave to Oscorp Bio-Industrial was fake, the experimental data and such were genuine.
Moreover, at that time, there were only three people involved in the research of the Miracle Spider and the Perfect Spider.
Richard Parker, him, and Dr. Smythe.
Dr. Connors was certain he didn't have it because both the Miracle Spider and Perfect Spider were gone. After that, following a three-year stagnation period, a disheartened Dr. Connors shifted to researching human repair projects. While the remaining Dr. Smythe continued the human enhancement project, the basis for his renewed research came from a different perspective.
George, hearing Dr. Connors's affirmative supplement, instantly lost his disappointment.
Because... he was a police officer, and his perspective on problems was never the same as a scientist's.
"Beckett?"
"...I'm here."
"Peter Parker."
"Mm."
"Ask him to come to the precinct for a chat."
George said, hanging up the phone. He looked at Gwen, who was blinking, and Locke, who had raised an eyebrow, then turned to Dr. Connors and asked, "Richard Parker is dead?"
Dr. Connors nodded: "Yes, during the plane crash, communication with the control tower confirmed that Richard Parker and Mary Parker were indeed on that plane."
George hummed, "Then, is there a possibility that Richard Parker's research materials or something similar are in the possession of his son, Peter Parker?"
Dr. Connors: "..."
441. Harry's Orientation Confusion
George was a police officer.
When handling a case, the key is to make bold assumptions and carefully seek evidence.
No, that's not right.
There's no need to carefully seek evidence; Dr. Connors already said that the data detected can confirm that no one other than Richard Parker could have manufactured this.
So, the question is, Richard Parker is dead, so who is the primary suspect?
Peter Parker, of course.
Although George currently has no evidence, based on this inference, judges who are friendly with the NYPD would sign search warrants and arrest warrants.
What?
Dr. Connors said what he said, but what if it's not true?
If it's not, then it's not.
What George just told Officer Beckett was to bring Peter Parker back to the precinct to assist with the investigation, not to arrest him. As a law-abiding citizen, isn't it a responsibility to cooperate with police actions?
"Peter?"
Gwen's heart skipped a beat when she heard George's words: "Could it be Peter Parker?"
Peter Parker seemed to be the Black Spider.
Gwen's spider-sense had told her that at the time, but at the same time, her spider-sense also told her something else: Peter Parker was a semi-finished product.
Hmm.
He was a semi-finished product; it seemed the core power of the Black Spider was not with Peter Parker.
The webs just produced were not from the Black Spider; they were entirely technological creations. At the very least, Gwen didn't sense any trace of the Black Spider's aura on those webs.
Moreover... Gwen's spider-sense hadn't activated. The Black Spider was the natural enemy of the White Spider Jelly, and before the Jelly went dormant, it had told Gwen that she couldn't defeat the Black Spider and should avoid exposure. So, if it sensed the Black Spider's aura, her spider-sense would directly sound the alarm.
Now?
Gwen was a bit confused, not because she lacked intelligence or was being forcibly dumbed down, but because if Gwen transformed, she could directly shoot webs.
Is it because he's a semi-finished product?
But didn't Jelly say that their species could only bond with one person?
Could the Black Spider be an exception?
Gwen muttered to herself. Before she could figure out what was going on, after walking out of the Osborn Biocorp building behind her, Detective Beckett, who had spoken to George half an hour ago, called back.
"Found him. He's on his way back to the precinct. Are you coming?"
"Of course."
George raised an eyebrow, put down the phone, and said to Locke and Gwen, "You two go ahead. I'm heading back to the station."
Locke nodded.
Gwen snapped back to reality and looked at George: "Dad, can Locke and I come with you to see?"
George was slightly taken aback.
Locke seemed to realize something.
Gwen said to George, "Dad, Peter Parker is a classmate from Midtown High."
She wasn't worried about Peter Parker, but about George.
What if Peter Parker became violent?
Although she didn't know why Peter Parker still needed technology after transforming, it didn't change one thing: Peter Parker was the Black Spider, and Black Spiders were all bad.
She wanted to go and protect her father.
George shook his head.
What a joke. He was going to interrogate a suspect.
But... half an hour later.
New York Police Department.
After George got out of the car, he looked at Locke and Gwen getting out of the car behind him, and looked up at the sky. Although he had said he would let go of this little cotton jacket that had turned into Locke's shape, George still felt that his little white cabbage could change her mind, especially when Gwen once again acted coquettishly towards him.
Principles?
What are those?
"George..."
Beckett, standing at the interrogation room door, greeted George as he walked over. Then, he paused, looking at Locke and Gwen following George, and then subconsciously looked at Locke: "Don't tell me Peter Parker called you just now."
Locke looked at Beckett, a little bewildered.
Gwen said from the side, "Detective Beckett, we've been with Dad the whole time."
George looked at Beckett, frowning slightly: "He called?"
Beckett hummed: "After he came in, he didn't say a word, just asked to make a phone call. You know, we just invited him to assist with the investigation. After he finished the call, he said his lawyer would be here soon."
George's gaze fell on the closed interrogation room.
His eyes gleamed.
"Interesting."
George thought to himself, then smiled: "Lawyer? Which one?"
Hiring a lawyer is normal.
It's a right every citizen has.
But it's still the same old saying.
Just coming in for an investigation, and immediately bringing in a lawyer, isn't that plainly obvious?
I'm guilty!
"Search warrant."
"Lane is right outside Peter Parker's house. As soon as Esposito's search warrant is delivered, we can proceed."
"Hmm."
If Peter Parker hadn't asked for a lawyer, frankly speaking, this search warrant could have been applied for, but definitely not today, because today is the weekend.
His Honor the Judge needs his weekends.
However... who told you to hire a lawyer?
And.
Lawyer?
George chuckled, turned his head, glanced at Locke, and then laughed: "Aside from this guy's luxurious lawyer dream team, which law enforcement agency has ever feared a lawyer?"
Beckett also laughed: "That's why I just asked Locke if Peter Parker called him, after all, no law enforcement agency wants to face his lawyer dream team."
The TNT Law Firm has a strong reputation!
And an outstanding track record.
However... to truly make law enforcement agencies inwardly tremble, just one TNT Law Firm isn't enough. It requires a fixed formula to make various law enforcement agencies shiver before the fight.
That is, the TNT Law Firm with Locke as the client or a related party.
It's when TNT and Locke are combined that various law enforcement agencies become apprehensive, after all, the TNT Law Firm's famous battles were all fought in conjunction with Locke.
Locke looked at George and Beckett's expressions, feeling a bit speechless, but still smiled and said, "The TNT Law Firm's appearance fees are very high."
Those who can utilize the TNT Law Firm 24/7 are basically wealthy or influential. Furthermore, the TNT Law Firm only provides fixed services to about twenty individuals.
Locke was one of them.
However, to have him use the TNT Law Firm for someone he wasn't involved with, Locke wasn't crazy or Watt. He had already had the TNT Law Firm prepare to sue Peter Parker, who had no intention of negotiating compensation.
After all, for the past half-month, Locke had been kind, considering Ben Parker's death. Suing Peter Parker at that time would have seemed a bit aggressive, so he delayed it for half a month.
Now, Peter Parker has also returned to school. Naturally, during this time, he has shown no intention of negotiating, acting like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water. According to lawyer Lauren, he even seemed to have a 'I'm poor, so I'm right' attitude.
Still the same thing.
Locke isn't Peter Parker's father, nor is he some kind of adoptive father. He won't indulge him. Since there's no intention of negotiating and seemingly no intention of compensation, then they'll just meet in court.
So... he wouldn't go as far as to both plan to sue Peter Parker and have his lawyer help Peter Parker.
Just then.
A police officer walked up from behind: "Inspector, Tom Nickson, a lawyer from the TNT Law Firm, is here and says he's looking for you."
Locke snapped back to attention and turned to look.
Tom Nickson, a partner lawyer from the TNT Law Firm, walked over.
"Mr. Broughton?"
Tom Nickson, wearing glasses, walked over. After seeing Locke, he seemed a bit curious and surprised: "Are you here on business or for personal reasons?"
If it was business, he would directly serve his big client, Locke.
If it was personal, then it was nothing.
Locke shook hands with Tom Nickson, with whom he had dealt several times: "Personal, Tom. You're here for..."
"Business."
"Peter Parker?"
...Yes.
Tom Nickson's expression was a bit strange. After all, he knew Locke intended to sue this Peter Parker soon. However, he was a criminal lawyer, not a civil one, so it couldn't be considered 'killing two birds with one stone'. But, meeting a big client here still felt a bit odd: "Mr. Osborn asked us to come."
"Osborn?"
Gwen was slightly stunned, then exchanged glances with Locke: "Harry Osborn?"
It certainly couldn't be Norman Osborn.
Attorney Tom Nickson nodded. Facing the firm's top VIP, Locke, he answered almost every question: "Yes, Mr. Harry Osborn just called the firm and said that a good friend of his had been brought in by the NYPD. I happened to be on the tenth floor submitting a bail application for a client, and it was only after I got off the elevator and walked over that I realized it was Peter Parker."
As he spoke.
Attorney Tom Nickson glanced at Locke, seemingly afraid that Locke might have some negative thoughts.
Locke, however, just smiled and made no comment.
If TNT had taken on the case because of Peter Parker's commission, then Locke would have to have a serious discussion with TNT about their practice of serving both sides.
But TNT came because of the Osborn family.
The TNT Law Firm is not a charity. A major client, especially one like Osborn, basically doesn't open for business often, but when they do, it's like eating for three years.
So, Locke had no intention of blaming TNT.
Even if he were to blame someone, it should be Harry.
"What's wrong with Harry?"
After seeing Tom Nickson nod and speak, Gwen was a bit speechless: "Is his girlfriend Mary Jane or this Peter Parker?"
As she spoke.
Harry, looking rushed and hurried, appeared at the entrance of the corridor...
Chapter 442: Locke's Litigation Record
Actually, Harry was also at Osborn just now.
But... on a different floor.
While Locke, Gwen, and George were laboriously studying evidence in Dr. Connors' lab, Harry was actually, from a certain perspective, also in a laborious phase.
Harry was on the top floor of Osborn, in that large penthouse, receiving personal training from his father, Norman Osborn.
Just now, Harry had put on a suit, combed back his greasy hair into a slicked-back style, and with a stern face, was solemnly pretending to be a mature and gentlemanly man, meeting one executive after another from Osborn Biologics under Norman Osborn's direction.
It seemed Norman Osborn had seriously considered Locke's words and intended to give Harry a leg up and see him through.
However, Harry was quite frightened.
And because he had no psychological preparation at all, Harry could barely speak when he met the first big shot at Osborn, the CEO.
But at that moment, Harry suddenly remembered the scene of the mock competition at school a few days ago.
Although Locke and the others were competing for the second time, it was Harry's first time, and maintaining a good state of mind was actually the theme of this competition.
So, for this year, the daily points Locke earned in the endless exams for the preliminary competition were half of what they were last year, with most of the time spent on how to balance one's state of mind.
And Harry was the focus of attention.
After all, while Zhao Helen and Jane Foster were also participating for the first time, they were representing Midtown High School for the first time, whereas Harry was a complete amateur before this.
If Harry, who got nervous as soon as he went on stage, wasn't trained well, he would likely become the opponent's breakthrough point during the Q&A segment.
So, over these few days, Harry learned how to disguise his lack of confidence and nervousness.
Locke taught him.
Don't make unnecessary expressions.
Shake hands.
Just a handshake.
Focus on the touch, don't use force, a brief contact.
Eyes... imagine the other person as someone irrelevant to you, someone whose name you don't even want to ask, like an ant or a flea.
Then.
Harry thought of the secrets Locke had taught him in the restroom after he had his weaknesses exposed for the third time by his mock opponent Zhao Helen a few days ago, and completed his first meetings with one Osborn executive after another.
Harry didn't know what the result was; after all, Harry was an honest kid, and guessing what people were thinking was a game he lost too easily.
In the original World, Harry had lost, and he lost everything, his family destroyed.
This time?
After the meeting, Harry dared to swear by Luya that never in his eighteen years had he seen a smile bloom on Norman Osborn's face because he affirmed or appreciated him.
Harry was extremely excited then.
Locke!
The GOAT!
Later, while he was about to take a short break in the lounge with Osborn Biologics' 'Pepper,' Felicia, and just as he was about to call Locke to express his gratitude, Peter Parker's call came through.
Actually... when he picked up and heard Peter Parker's voice, Harry suddenly felt a hint of regret, but when he heard Peter Parker say he had been arrested by the NYPD and needed him to find a lawyer quickly, Harry still got nervous; after all, Peter Parker was his first friend.
Coincidentally, Felicia was also there, so they contacted TNT Law Firm, and then Harry and Feliciarushed to the NYPD together.
Then, Harry saw Locke looking over with a mysterious smile, and Gwen, whose expression had clearly changed, looking at him with a disappointed, "why can't you do better" look.
Harry hesitated, then walked up and greeted him, "Locke, why are you..."
Locke said directly, "It has nothing to do with me."
Harry: "..."
This matter really had nothing to do with him; he was here entirely to accompany Gwen. Again, a Little Spider simply didn't have the status to make him lower himself to play along anymore.
The Little Spider ending up like this was entirely his own doing.
It can only be said that it proves the saying: "A wolf from Zhongshan, arrogant when successful!"
Let's put it this way.
Locke has been in the game for so long, but he has never openly hung some mortal right at the main entrance of the NYPD.
Even in Texas, Locke never did that.
As for that time he quietly sneaked into the NYPD, that was the only time, and even then, Locke used stealth; although he looked like he was walking in boldly, he was still being stealthy.
Why?
Because it's illegal.
And this is New York, the freaking NYPD.
Regardless of who Peter Parker hung up, even if it was a serial killer, Peter Parker might think he was doing a good deed, but to the NYPD, this was a blatant provocation.
And a slapping-in-the-face kind of provocation at that.
Even Locke knows not to hit someone in the face and wouldn't dare to provoke the NYPD so directly.
What about Peter Parker?
One can only say he doesn't know his place.
Gwen looked at the approaching Harry, thought of her friend Mary Jane, and couldn't help but look at Harry: "Did Peter Parker call you?"
Harry snapped out of it, looked at Gwen, and nodded: "Yes, Peter said he was framed."
Gwen shook her head: "My father wouldn't frame anyone."
Gwen always trusted her father; she was certain he wouldn't frame a good person, just as he would never let a bad person go.
This could be seen from their family's living conditions.
If it weren't for Helen's frugal housekeeping and Gwen's earnings as a top student, George's meager salary wouldn't have been enough to support the whole family, while his contemporaries were all living in detached Villas and driving nice cars.
Harry opened his mouth.
Just then.
Felicia, who had followed in business attire, smiled slightly, then her gaze fell on Locke as she said with a smile, "Harry is merely providing a lawyer."
Locke looked at Felicia, whose gaze was on him, and nodded: "Hiring a lawyer is Peter Parker's right."
Just as searching Peter Parker's house is the NYPD's right.
George...
After Beckett received a call from Ryan, her eyes lit up, and she whispered in George's ear, "A briefcase was found in the ceiling of Peter Parker's bedroom. The name on the briefcase is Richard Parker."
George's eyes lit up. He looked at the people in the hallway and then directly at Lawyer Tom Nixon: "Mr. Lawyer, let's begin then. Your client won't speak unless a lawyer is present."
With that.
George told Beckett to tell Ryan to send all the materials found there that they couldn't understand to Dr. Connors at Osborn Biologics Industry to help identify if there were any valuable clues.
For example... information about that reinforced Spider Silk on a piece of paper or something.
They, the NYPD, handle cases based on evidence.
As for Locke and the others, they went to the observation room next door.
In the interrogation room.
Before George could even speak, Peter Parker, seeing Tom Nixon, directly questioned Tom Nixon's professionalism.
I know you.
Peter Parker looked at Tom Nixon, who had walked in and claimed to be his lawyer, and said with a frown, "You were one of the three people who came to my house that day."
That day, people from TNT Law Firm knocked on his door and told Aunt May and Uncle Ben that because he had damaged someone's valuable property, someone had commissioned them to discuss compensation with him.
At the time, Tom Nixon was one of those three people.
Tom Nixon nodded: "Yes, Mr. Parker. However, please rest assured. Locke Broughton's lawsuit against you is a civil case, so please don't worry about my professionalism. It's just work."
George, who had pulled out a chair and sat down, didn't know about Locke suing Peter Parker. Hearing this, he raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but glance at the one-way glass behind him.
Good grief.
He's been targeted by that Wild Boar?
Tsk tsk!
When George turned back to look at Peter Parker, there was already a hint of unprovoked sympathy in his eyes.
The reason?
It seemed the last student Locke intended to sue civilly also somehow ended up in a criminal case, a federal one at that, and by now, flowers were probably blooming on their grave.
Wait.
It seemed those sued by Locke basically had only one ending: the wealthy paid their way out, like the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, or even MI6 in London; and those without money, unable to pay, seemed to pay with their lives?
After his sympathy, George thought of the The Bell Family, who were civilly sued by Locke, then branded as Terrorists and sent to the electric chair by the FBI, and his expression toward Peter Parkerchanged once again.
Although that Wild Boar isn't a great guy, his judgment of people seems quite accurate.
This guy definitely has problems.
George thought to himself, and then he was shocked by Peter Parker's next sentence.
Tom Nixon could guarantee he was acting purely out of professional duty.
But... Peter Parker didn't think so and looked directly at Tom Nixon: "I don't want you. Tell Harry to get me another lawyer. Where's Harry? Is he not here?"
Tom Nixon: "..."
Four Hundred and Forty-Three: Being Favored and Fearless
"I don't want you."
"Get someone else."
Tom Nickson was momentarily dazed.
After all… he was from TNT Law Firm. In ordinary circumstances, clients chose their lawyers. However, at the level of TNT Law Firm, especially with their collaboration with Locke, they had forced the FBI into an out-of-court settlement, directly defeated the Department of Homeland Security, and even compelled MI6 in London to pay a hundred million in compensation.
It was no exaggeration to say that TNT Law Firm had no shortage of clients. In fact, they received calls from London clients daily for consultations, and they were in a position to choose their clients.
Being replaced by a client was something that hadn't been heard of in two years.
Lawyer Tom Nickson froze on the spot.
In fact, it wasn't just Lawyer Tom Nickson who froze; Locke and the others in the observation room were also stunned when they heard that statement.
"Does he even know how much TNT Law Firm charges?"
Felicia chuckled, then, seemingly because of Peter Parker's words, she sneered, "Does he think he's paying?"
Locke glanced at Felicia from the side and chuckled, "I think, Ms. Felicia, you might be right. He really does seem to think that."
"Have Harry get me another lawyer."
"Where's Harry? Why isn't he here yet?"
These words… Locke had no other meaning, no prejudice whatsoever. Even if spoken in three hundred and sixty-five languages and with various different tones, one could still feel the sheer, almost inexplicable confidence and sense of entitlement in them.
For some reason, Locke suddenly thought of a song.
"Those who are favored, act without fear!"
"...Favored?"
Gwen, standing nearby, snapped back to reality, then, with a whoosh, looked at Harry, and, completely puzzled, asked directly, "Harry, I've always wanted to ask you, why are you friends with Peter Parker?"
Friends should help each other.
At least.
True friends should be like that.
But Harry and Peter?
In fact, over the past half-month, when Gwen, Cindy, Kem, and Mary were together, they had talked about Harry and Peter. To put it this way, what they heard most from Mary was not how Peter helped Harry, or even what Peter and Harry did together. All they heard was how Harry helped Peter.
For example, Uncle Ben's cemetery plot was actually found with Harry's help.
When Gwen and Cindy heard this, they were stunned, because the information they had received was that the cemetery plot, which was in Queens Cemetery, was found by Peter.
Mary Jane just laughed, then shrugged, indicating that Peter had also told Harry not to say anything.
So… Gwen didn't quite understand how such a friendship could exist with someone who only knew how to take.
True friendship was never like that.
Of course, it was also possible that due to the difference in their statuses, Harry didn't really need Peter's help. However, Peter's tone clearly showed that he had grown accustomed to it.
Just as Locke had said, those who are favored act without fear.
Locke was not short on money either.
A week ago, Gwen had no idea that Locke had lent Dylan a million. She only found out when Dylan approached her after dinner last week and gave her a check for one and a half million.
One million was the principal, and the other five hundred thousand was the interest.
See.
Locke wasn't short on money, but Dylan didn't take it for granted. In fact, even without Locke pressing for repayment, Dylan, seeing that Locke had no intention of asking for it back, actively sought her out, and showered her with endless words of gratitude.
Then look at Peter Parker.
Gwen couldn't quite understand this matter, no matter how she looked at it. However, she did realize one thing: why the Black Spider only merged halfway with Peter Parker.
It must have been that after the Black Spider bonded with Peter Parker and learned what kind of person Peter Parker was inside, it chose to give up.
Compared to the Black Spider, Harry seemed to be going down the same path to the bitter end.
Harry met Gwen's gaze, opened his mouth, then, looking at Peter Parker in the interrogation room with his entitled expression, he was silent for a moment before shaking his head and saying, "Mary Parker was very kind to me."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, "Mary… Peter Parker's mother?"
Harry hummed in affirmation and briefly recounted how, when he was young, he met Mary Parker at Oscorp and felt a mother's presence from her. Then, he shook his head and said, "Actually, when he was little, Peter wasn't like this. It's just that later, he seemed to hear some bad news, and then he seemed to have some issues with me and our family."
Gwen blinked, as if she had thought of something.
The death of the Parkers.
Gwen had also conducted an investigation at the time and couldn't understand what urgent matter the Parkers had that required them to rush abroad when Christmas was approaching.
However… Gwen's investigation stopped there. She also sensed that there was something more to it, but she didn't know the specifics.
Harry sighed, "Peter always believed that the Parkers' death in the plane crash was Oscorp's fault, and maybe that's why he feels entitled."
Gwen was slightly taken aback and looked at Harry, "Wait, you knew?"
Harry looked up at Gwen and nodded.
Although he wasn't a top student, he wasn't stupid. How could he not see that Peter had always taken his efforts for granted?
It's just… it's still the same old saying.
Harry was an honest child, and when he and Peter had heard the rumors together, he had tried to help his friend question his father about the truth of the matter. But the result was that Harry was directly sent to London by Norman Osborn.
Harry had always felt that his guess was correct, and he still believed that the Parkers' deaths were indeed related to Oscorp. Furthermore, because of Mary Parker, Harry almost continued to be friends with Peter Parker with a sense of atonement after returning.
After all, Harry felt that if Oscorp hadn't sent the Parkers on a business trip, perhaps Peter Parker wouldn't have lost his father and mother.
Locke already knew Harry's state of mind at the time, so he didn't feel much when Harry said this.
But Gwen was hearing it for the first time.
She was shocked.
Then… Gwen thought of the different version she had heard from Dr. Connors today, shook her head, and looked at Harry, "Actually, I think you're mistaken."
Harry looked at Gwen.
Gwen opened her mouth, thought for a moment, and then looked at Harry, saying, "Perhaps you can ask your father again. Perhaps this time, your father will tell you."
This time it was Harry's turn to be stunned.
Just then.
Lawyer Tom Nickson, who Peter Parker had specifically requested to replace, also walked into the observation room and smiled at Felicia, "Ms. Felicia, I'm sorry, TNT Law Firm cannot accept this commission."
Peter Parker wouldn't really think that with just one sentence, he could get another lawyer to come, would he?
How could that be?
Peter Parker thought he was just asking to replace Tom Nickson. In reality, he was slapping TNT Law Firm in the face, just as he thought he was being a vigilante, but was actually openly challenging the NYPD.
To put it bluntly.
He hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society.
Felicia quickly walked up and shook hands with Tom Nickson, "Of course, I understand, Lawyer Nickson. In fact, thank you, Lawyer Nickson, thank you for coming here as soon as you received the call. Oh, by the way, are you free tomorrow? Oscorp has a few legal matters that might require Lawyer Nickson's consultation."
Peter Parker hadn't experienced the harsh realities of society, but Felicia had been in society for a long time.
At this moment.
Felicia also immediately blacklisted Peter Parker.
Peter Parker's words were light and airy, but the consequence was that the aftermath created by Peter Parker needed to be handled by her. TNT Law Firm was the top law firm on Wall Street, without equal.
A top law firm came to act as a legal consultant out of respect for their old clients, and then was directly asked to be replaced to their face. If that wasn't an insult, then what was?
So.
Felicia continued to ask Tom Nickson some legal questions, and then walked out with him.
In the observation room.
The phone rang.
Gwen looked down at her phone, then looked up at Harry, who was redialing the phone in the interrogation room, and raised an eyebrow.
Harry was silent for a moment, then directly hung up the phone and looked at Gwen, "I'm going to find my father now."
Gwen nodded and said, "A very good choice."
Although she didn't know what exactly happened back then, the information Dr. Connors revealed today seemed to point to a different picture.
Gwen had also initially thought that the Parkers' deaths were due to a business trip.
But after hearing Dr. Connors' words, though incomplete, it seemed to suggest that the Parkers' deaths were not so simple, and very likely involved Oscorp's trade secrets.
Locke, with his arms crossed, watched George, who was sitting in the chair in the interrogation room, looking interested and completely unperturbed.
George's phone also rang.
"Mm."
"It's me."
"Okay, got it."
After George seemed to talk to someone, he hung up the phone, stood up, and looked at Peter Parker, who was looking displeased at the rejected call, and said, "If you don't want to talk, then talk in court, admirer of the Peerless Assassin."
Peter: "..."
Locke: "..."