章 96: Chapter 96: A Sense of Unease
Oscorp Industries.
Peter stood at the entrance, hesitating for a long time before finally stepping inside. As Harry's good friend and someone who had received Norman's care during this time, Peter decided it was time to persuade Norman. He couldn't let Norman continue down this wrong path.
Entering Oscorp, Peter greeted a few employees passing by. After all, during this period, he had been known as Norman's assistant and collaborator. Peter walked straight toward Norman's lab.
Inside, he saw Norman extracting a new genetic serum.
Without looking up, Norman said, "You're here?"
This made Peter think Norman knew he was coming. "Dr. Norman, I'm back," Peter responded.
Outside of the lab, Peter would call Norman "Uncle," but inside the lab, he addressed him as "Doctor."
Hearing that familiar voice, Norman looked up. He had expected it to be Jack and his group, but to his surprise, it was Peter.
"Peter, welcome back. Have you finally come around?" Norman said, clearly pleased.
Although the research had reached its latter stages and didn't require much of Peter's help anymore, Norman was still glad to have a capable partner by his side.
Even though Peter had left for a while, Norman hadn't sought him out. Now that Peter had returned, Norman was simply happy—nothing more.
However, Peter stubbornly shook his head. "No, Dr. Norman. I'm here to talk you out of this."
Hearing that Peter still wanted to persuade him, Norman's face darkened.
"Peter, it doesn't matter whether you try to convince me or not anymore."
"What do you mean?"
Peter sensed something was wrong. He suspected that Norman had already completed his human trials by trafficking people. Naturally, with Peter's current attitude, Norman wasn't about to tell him the truth.
Instead, he said, "I'm sure you've seen the news recently."
"Kingpin has been caught, and he's about to die."
"My plan to purchase test subjects has also fallen through," Norman said, sounding somewhat regretful.
Peter, upon hearing this, felt a sense of relief. "Isn't that a good thing, Dr. Norman?"
Norman nodded. "Yes, so my experiment has been put on hold."
"From now on, you can find something else to do around Oscorp. I prefer to work alone in my lab."
Hearing Norman's not-so-subtle hint for him to leave, Peter continued, "I'll be leaving, Dr. Norman. I just wanted to try convincing you one last time before I go."
Norman made a nonchalant sound, then asked, "What do you mean by leaving?"
"I've decided to move out of New York with Uncle Ben and Aunt May. Uncle Ben found me a teaching job in the countryside."
"I came here today not only to try to persuade you, but also to say goodbye."
"Then I wish you the best," Norman said with a smile, shaking Peter's hand. "Have you said goodbye to Harry yet?"
"Not yet, but I plan to in the next couple of days."
Just as Norman was about to say more, Jack walked in with a group of his subordinates. Unlike before, they were all dressed in lab coats for experiments.
"Norman, we're ready," Jack said as he entered.
"Alright, give me a moment to say goodbye to Peter."
Jack glanced sharply at Peter, then nodded and stepped aside with his group, not saying anything further.
Seeing the group, Peter curiously asked, "Dr. Norman, who are they?"
"They're my newly hired assistants, helping me move some lab equipment."
"Harry is at home now. You can go see him. I'll have my butler take you."
Before Peter could say anything, Norman picked up his phone and called the butler. Then he turned to Peter and said, "He's waiting downstairs for you. You can go now."
Though Peter felt uneasy, Norman was being so courteous that Peter didn't want to refuse, so he simply agreed and left the lab.
After Peter had fully left, Norman's expression turned serious once more.
"If you were really that good at convincing people, Connors wouldn't have ended up like that," he muttered.
"You seem to care quite a bit about your student," Jack remarked, somewhat surprised.
In his mind, Norman was less of a scientist and more of an opportunistic businessman. That's why Jack got along with him so well—because they were like-minded individuals, both driven by self-interest.
Norman didn't bother to explain further. "Are you all ready?"
"Of course. I think the anesthetic from last night should have worn off by now. The subject should be awake."
Norman nodded. "The new serum is ready as well. Let's go."
He walked over to the table, carefully filling a syringe with the newly refined blue serum. Then, he placed two more vials into the pocket of his lab coat.
The group proceeded to the area where they had previously kept monkeys for experiments.
However, the iron cage that once held the monkey was now empty. In its place was a middle-aged man, bound to a bed.
The man was dressed in hospital attire, looking clean and tidy, showing no trace of his former life as a homeless man. His mouth was taped shut, and upon seeing the group enter, he let out muffled cries—sounds that seemed to express both inquiry and reproach.
"Should we remove the tape from his mouth?" Jack asked, watching the man struggle with an odd sense of satisfaction.
"No need. He'll only be more disruptive if he can scream."
"Come on, you're being overly cautious. He's bound by steel restraints. How could he possibly escape?"
Norman merely smiled at Jack's remark without replying. He knew that if Jack were aware of how strong Steve Rogers, Captain America, had been during the original experiments, he wouldn't be so quick to dismiss the possibility.
Norman took out two more vials of serum and placed them on the table. Holding a syringe, he approached the homeless man, whose eyes widened in terror as they fixed on the needle.
Although the man didn't know what the substance was, his instincts screamed that it was nothing good. As Norman drew closer, the man's struggles became more frantic.
Seeing the subject so full of energy, Norman thought to himself that this experiment would surely yield excellent data.
"Hurry, hold down his arms and legs. Don't let him struggle anymore."
At Norman's command, Jack's men hesitated, but after a signal from Jack, they rushed forward and pinned the man's limbs down.
Standing beside the man, Norman spoke calmly. "Don't worry, you'll thank me later."
As the syringe inched toward his arm, the man's eyes grew increasingly panicked. When the needle finally pierced his skin and the blue serum was injected into his body, the man felt as if boiling water had been poured into his veins.
Slowly, the sensation spread through his bloodstream, coursing through his entire body at a creeping pace. The pain was excruciating.
The man's initial frantic struggling gave way to violent spasms, and eventually, his eyes rolled back into his head.
Watching this, Jack's expression grew increasingly uneasy. His gaze shifted toward Norman with a silent question: Are you sure this is safe?
Norman, however, seemed unfazed by the man's reaction. It was as though he had seen it all before.
"Now, put him in the reinforced cage," Norman ordered. "If he goes berserk later, none of us will be able to restrain him."
Though Jack still doubted Norman's warnings, he didn't question it further—after all, Norman was the one funding everything. He gestured to his men to lift the man.
However, when they tried to lift the bed, they realized it was no longer possible.
"Boss, he's gotten way heavier!" one of the men exclaimed, drawing Norman's immediate attention.
"Wait a minute..."
Norman grabbed a pair of scissors and cut open the sleeve of the man's hospital gown with a sharp tear. What they saw made everyone, except for Norman, gasp in shock.
The once frail and thin homeless man was now bulging with rapidly expanding muscles, transforming into a powerful physique.
Curious, Jack reached out and pressed on the newly formed muscles.
"They're real!" he said in astonishment.
As someone who had lived a life of violence, Jack was familiar with the difference between real muscle and fake bulk.
The muscles now growing on the homeless man's body were indistinguishable from those of a well-trained strongman.
"Norman, it looks like your experiment worked."
Norman nodded. "Almost. Now we just have to wait and see if there are any other side effects."
"Looks like we'll need everyone's help to move him into the cage. If he goes berserk, we'll all be in trouble."
Jack no longer dared to question Norman's words. Together, the group struggled to move the man into the specially designed glass enclosure.
Once he was inside, Norman pressed a button on a remote control, causing the massive steel restraints to gradually release him one by one.
"Alright, now we wait. It'll take two or three hours for the serum to fully take effect."
"Won't that be boring?" Jack asked.
Norman glanced at Jack and his men. They were clearly impatient types, not suited for the meticulous work of observation.
"You can go for now. I'll call you if I need anything."
With Norman's permission, Jack led his men out of the room. As they left, Jack's gaze lingered on the two remaining vials of serum on the table.
A single vial could turn a useless man into that.
What if I used it myself?
Jack found it hard to believe. Maybe then he could finally compete for the position of New York's underground king. It was impossible for Jack not to covet that position. He hadn't had the strength for it before, but now…
Jack glanced at Norman's back, smiled, and left with his men.
In the car, Peter felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite figure it out. After thinking about it for a while, he still couldn't come to a conclusion and had to let it go. He followed Norman's car to the Osborn estate.
As soon as they arrived at the mansion, the old butler stepped out to greet him. "Mr. Peter, the young master is inside. Please follow me."
"Thank you..." Peter replied, then followed the butler into the large estate. After winding through various paths, they finally arrived at the main hall.
Harry was sitting on the sofa, and when he saw Peter, he immediately got up to greet him. "Peter, this is the first time you've been to my house, isn't it?"
Peter nodded. "Yes, it's my first time."
The two had known each other for a long time, ever since elementary school. Although Harry came from the prestigious Osborn family, Norman didn't raise him to be part of high society.
Instead, he was groomed to become a scientist. That's why Harry attended top schools, not elite private ones. Peter, who got into those schools through his academic achievements, met Harry there, and they became friends.
Harry warmly invited Peter to sit and ordered the servants to prepare some food.
"Peter, what brings you to my house today?"
Peter smiled and said, "Actually, it was your father who asked me to come."
"My father?" Harry raised an eyebrow, then said, "I didn't expect my father, with his strange temperament, to treat you so well. He rarely invites people over. We've hardly ever had guests at our house."
Peter smiled. He figured Norman probably wanted him and Harry to say a proper goodbye, knowing that Peter was one of Harry's few close friends. Perhaps even his only true friend.
The two sat together, reminiscing about old times, sharing laughs. From a distance, the old butler watched Harry's smile, and a tear formed at the corner of his eye.
"It's been so long since I've seen the young master this happy," the butler whispered.
Having watched Harry grow up, the butler thought of him as his own grandson. He had genuine feelings for Harry.
Growing up, Harry was often lonely in the vast estate. Norman was rarely home, and Harry's mother had passed away shortly after giving birth to him.
The butler understood Harry's inner loneliness and was glad to see him so happy now. He was truly happy that Harry had such a good friend.
But soon, the conversation took a heavier turn.
"Harry, I actually came here today to say goodbye."
"Goodbye? What do you mean, Peter?" Harry was suddenly taken aback.
Peter continued, "Actually, Uncle Ben and I are planning to move out of New York. He got me a teaching job in a small town."
"I've been thinking a lot these past few days. Dr. Connors' situation hit me hard. Whenever I do experiments, I can't stop thinking about him. So, I..."
Before Peter could finish, Harry immediately blamed his father. "I knew it! My dad's personality is only suited for doing his own research! You've been his only assistant for so long, and I'm sure you just couldn't take it anymore. Don't worry, Peter, I'll get justice for you!"
"Wait... Harry, what did you say?" Peter felt like he had just caught onto something important.
Harry paused, then repeated, "I said I'll get justice for you."
"No, the sentence before that."
Harry thought for a moment, then said, "You've been his only assistant..."
Suddenly, Peter stood up from the sofa. He finally realized what had been bothering him since leaving Oscorp.
"Harry, I think I won't be leaving after all."
"Peter, does that mean you want to stay in New York?" Harry asked, excited.
Peter nodded. "Yes, because I still have one more piece of research to complete. I need to see your father."
"Want me to come with you?"
"No need, Harry. I'll go alone..."
...
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