章節 111: Restart, Spider-Man! [111]
Xia Luo joined in with a shout.
"Hey, Mr. Stacy! Sorry for the trouble I've caused, but please believe me—it's only because I'm too exceptional for my own good."
He gave a little wave. "Admitting someone else is talented can be tough, but admitting you yourself are talented? Now that's something."
"Are you mocking me?" George asked, exasperated.
Seeing Spider-Man again, George found himself not quite as irritated.
In truth, it wasn't Spider-Man he hated—it was himself.
Finally, he understood.
Seeing her father's calm demeanor, Gwen sighed in relief.
From behind George, she gave Xia Luo a discreet thumbs-up, grateful that Spider-Man had come to help ease her father's burden.
Xia Luo nodded back, then snapped his fingers.
"Chirp chirp!"
The little spider flitted in through the window, landing in his hand. "Mr. Stacy, your powers are about to retire."
George blinked in surprise, then extended his hand.
He'd seen Harry use the spider to extract mutated cells from those transformed into monsters.
The little spider jumped into George's hand and sank its tiny fangs into his skin.
"Buzz~"
The red-and-blue magical energy glimmered faintly, and the web-spinning glands in George's wrist began to dissolve before his eyes.
Watching the miraculous scene, George was momentarily speechless.
"You know, you could keep this power—it might help with your cases," Gwen suggested beside him.
George shook his head and looked at Xia Luo.
"Thank you, Spider-Man. I assume you'll find the rest of the people infected with the spider virus and return them to normal, right?"
"Of course." Xia Luo had already decided on this.
These mutant spiders were far from harmless. To prevent future problems, he would track down and "neutralize" all the infected.
Including Uncle Ben and Aunt May.
Having that ability put them at risk.
The danger came primarily from one of Spider-Man's latest enemies, the Kingpin.
Xia Luo suspected that Kingpin might still be capturing mutants for experimentation.
Hearing his answer, George turned to Gwen with a smile.
"You heard him. No one gets to be an exception, especially not me."
"I understand, Dad."
In just a few minutes, the wall that had separated father and daughter had completely fallen away. Xia Luo knew his work here was done.
Without interrupting, he recalled the little spider and leapt back out the window.
"Wait, Spider-Man…"
Gwen suddenly remembered she hadn't properly thanked him.
Without thinking, she leaped out the window—then realized a second too late.
Her powers were gone.
"Gwen!!"
George rushed to the window just as a red-and-blue figure swung by and caught the falling Gwen, vanishing swiftly into the night.
Seeing this, George finally let out a breath, the color slowly returning to his pale face.
"That reckless girl… Spider-Man's saved her three times now."
He shook his head with a smile, eyes filled with profound relief.
Today, Gwen had called him "Dad" more times than ever.
Rooftop of a Nearby Building
Underneath the glowing signboard, at the spot where Xia Luo and Gwen often hung out.
"Hey, this is for you."
Xia Luo handed Gwen a newly bought coffee.
"Thanks."
Gwen took the warm cup, sipping it gently.
"Thank you, Spider-Man. You're really… a good person." She lowered her gaze.
Xia Luo waved it off, turning to lean on the rooftop wall, gazing out at the city lights.
"No thanks needed. It's what a good neighbor would do."
Gwen moved to stand beside him, leaning her elbows on the wall, her short, shoulder-length blonde hair catching the soft night breeze and framing her relaxed smile.
"How did you know my dad was infected with the spider mutation?" she asked.
"I've got a device—a special detector from S.H.I.E.L.D."
"S.H.I.E.L.D., you mean the people who saved me?"
"Yes. They'll probably be announcing themselves to the public pretty soon."
As he spoke, Xia Luo edged a step further from her.
Noticing the subtle distance, Gwen laughed.
"You sound pretty young. Are you… shy?" She was getting more curious about Spider-Man.
Xia Luo shook his head. "Nope. But you haven't had a chance to shower yet, so there's… an odor."
Gwen: "..."
She flushed, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. "Sorry. Guess I read too much into it."
"It's fine. You're forgiven."
Xia Luo thought for a moment, then added, "But, uh, you'll still need to pay me back for the coffee."
Gwen glowered, realizing that Spider-Man was a far cry from her heroic ideal.
Maybe he wasn't even real?
Or… maybe he was exactly like that other guy.
Wait, not just similar!
Something clicked in Gwen's mind, and a small smile returned to her face.
"Thank you, Spider-Man. You saved me four times now."
Xia Luo scratched his head. "Four? I wasn't keeping track… But don't try to change the subject. You owe me for the coffee."
Gwen, never one to weasel out of things, rested her chin on her hand, looking at him.
"Alright, I'll pay you back, but I'll have to get the money from home—I'm only wearing pajamas."
"You don't even shower before changing into pajamas? Pretty sloppy."
"I was exhausted. Normally, I'm very clean."
"Alright, I believe you. I'd better head out."
"Can you take me home? It's too high up here."
"No, but I'll get you to the ground floor. Your place is close by."
"It's late. What if it's dangerous?"
"You know self-defense—I don't believe you'd be in trouble."
As soon as he said it, Xia Luo fell silent.
He might have just slipped up.
Oh well, it was only a minor hint. A mask behind a mask.
"Alright, off we go."
He fired a web to lower Gwen safely to the ground, then leapt back up to the rooftops.
"See you tomorrow!" Gwen called up from the street below.
"Not tomorrow! I'm taking the day off!"
The Next Day
Empire State University
"Vroom~"
Xia Luo revved his motorcycle onto the campus grounds.
He'd missed a lot of classes recently, putting his credits in jeopardy. Today, he planned to catch up.
He was taking Dr. Otto's class on clean energy.
As he walked into the classroom, Xia Luo immediately spotted a familiar face sitting at the front.
Today, Gwen's outfit was young and lively—just the kind of style he liked on cute girls.
"Hey, fancy seeing you here, Gwen," Xia Luo greeted her, slipping into the seat beside her without a second thought.
Other students began to whisper as they noticed him.
"That guy's Xia Luo Parker, right?"
"Yeah, he was all over the place recently."
"Still is."
"I know him—he sent Gwen a ton of roses. He's trying to date her."
"Oh, please, he's practically the class clown. No way Gwen's into him."
Xia Luo's sharp ears picked up on this, immediately blaming Harry for his "generous" rose delivery.
Suddenly realizing he might have come on a bit strong, Xia Luo glanced at Gwen, who was avoiding his gaze. He picked up his bag, thinking it might be best to slip to the back of the class.
"Uh, it's just that this spot feels a bit… stuffy. So, I thought I'd sit—wait, you remember me?" he asked, puzzled.
Gwen looked at him with a slight smile. "I know Mary Jane. You used to be her hero… once."
Xia Luo frowned, putting his bag back down.
"Spider-Man's her hero now," he replied.
"Yeah."
Gwen twirled a pen between her fingers. "She told me a lot about you, and honestly, I think you deserve it."
"She's a hopeless romantic; don't listen to her too much," Xia Luo replied, feigning indifference.
But Gwen looked unimpressed with his attitude.
"Do you hate Mary Jane?" she asked, frowning.
"Nope."
"Then why aren't you interested in her? She's gorgeous—one of the prettiest girls I've seen."
"You wouldn't understand. I'm doing what's best for her."
"Try me."
"Are you just sticking up for your friend?"
Once more, Xia Luo picked up his bag, ready to relocate. All her questions were giving him a headache.
"Alright, class, we're starting."
A middle-aged man with a distinct mop of curly hair strode into the classroom, thwarting Xia Luo's attempt to switch seats.
"I've got a simple topic for you today—the basic formula for calculating tritium required in the early phases of the artificial sun experiment. I'm sure you're all up to the task.
"Well, I mean… barely."
Dr. Otto immediately started writing complex equations on the board, ignoring the groans from the students.
Dr. Otto's class was famously tough—and notoriously dry.
Still, with the right attitude, you could earn enough credits.
As long as you paid close attention.
But today was different. Using the artificial sun experiment as the topic? This was going to be brutal.
There would be casualties… of brain cells.
The students sighed in unison, but Dr. Otto remained unfazed.
He had every reason to be proud.
He taught. Whether anyone learned was outside his scope of concern.
He only cared about true geniuses—and more research funding.
Meanwhile, Gwen hadn't dropped the subject of Xia Luo's attitude toward Mary Jane.
"Honestly, I just hope you'd be a bit nicer to her."
Xia Luo rolled his eyes. "I haven't done anything to her."
"Just the way you are now is enough."
"She's not even here."
"You know, you weren't always like this. She told me in the hospital, how you showed up for her when she felt…"
Gwen's voice rose with emotion, catching Dr. Otto's attention.
"Whispering's fine, but loudly talking during my lecture is disrespectful," he said, casting a stern look.
His eyes settled on Gwen.
"Ms. Stacy, we'll start with you. Show me what you've learned in my lab. I hope it's more than talking during class."
Gwen froze, but she knew she couldn't refuse a fair request.
"Sorry, Dr. Otto. I'll do my best."
She shot Xia Luo a glare before scribbling furiously on her paper.
Even though it was only the initial calculation formula, giving her a single class or even a month wouldn't be enough to fully solve it.
This wasn't her field of expertise.
Before Xia Luo could gloat, Dr. Otto spoke again.
"And you, the one in the Spider-Man-colored jacket. Yes, you—give it a try."
Xia Luo: "…"
Collateral damage.
Gwen smirked, clearly relieved she wasn't alone in the hot seat.
Xia Luo scowled at her, then began his calculations.
Except…
This question was insane!
I! Have! No! Clue!
Time to call in a cheat.
Feigning deep thought, his hands got busy under the table.
Stark Tower
"Tony, someone's sent you a message."
In the armor lab, Pepper knocked and held up her phone.
"It's someone labeled as Pajama Boy."
Tony, busy upgrading his suit, turned and set down his tools at the sight of that particular phone.
He stepped out of the lab, took the phone, and checked the message.
"What's Spider-Man doing showing interest in nuclear fusion?" he chuckled.
Pepper peered over his shoulder. "Who's reaching out to you?"
"Spider-Man."
"Spider-Man?" Pepper blinked. "How does he have your contact information?"
"I gave him a business card after we wrapped up that nasty spider-monster fight."
Tony smirked. "Figured he'd reach out about some other project, but I didn't expect he'd want to dabble in nuclear fusion."
"So, are you going to help him?"
"Of course I will. Even though nuclear fusion and my arc reactor's cold fusion are entirely different beasts, I'm a genius. Small problems like this don't faze me."
Tony said, tapping away on his virtual computer, rapidly inputting calculations and results as he went.
"This initial-phase formula is way too basic; let's give him a bit of a challenge. If this rookie Spider-Man thinks this tiny formula will stump me, he's in for a surprise."
Tony grew more engrossed in the equations as the hours flew by.
Meanwhile, Back at the University
"Time's up."
In the classroom, Dr. Otto clapped his hands together.
"The rest of you may go. Gwen, and this student here, stay behind."
At that, the class bolted, leaving the two unfortunate souls behind.
Actually, no—only one of them was unfortunate.
"My name's Xia Luo. Xia Luo Parker."
Xia Luo finally looked up from his notes, beaming with confidence.
At his name, Otto raised a brow.
"I've heard of you. Curt Connors mentioned you; he's quite proud of you. You're bright, and you have talent, but remember that my research projects are nothing like his."
Perhaps out of respect for Professor Connors, Otto's usual stern expression softened.
"Looks like you have an answer ready."
"Yes, sir."
Xia Luo rose to his feet, with Gwen staring in disbelief.
"No way!" she muttered.
"Anything's possible," Xia Luo shot back smugly.
For a transmigrator, cheats were essential.
He handed his worksheet over to Dr. Otto and turned to leave.
At that moment, he felt like he was radiating academic brilliance—a veritable beacon of genius.
"Where do you think you're going? I haven't reviewed it yet," Otto's voice stopped him mid-step.
Xia Luo froze, putting his lifted foot back down quietly.
Awkward…
Dr. Otto glanced at the paper, though he wasn't expecting much.
But as soon as he did, Otto could no longer maintain his composure.
"What!"
His face showed utter shock. What Xia Luo handed him wasn't just the answer to the initial-phase calculation; it contained results for the first three stages of tritium element calculations.
And there, within it, were calculations using methods he'd never considered—methods that could yield his desired answers faster and more precisely.
A genius!
A true genius!
Curt Connors, you selfish man, forcing Xia Luo Parker to waste his talent on those garbage regeneration experiments.
What a waste of his extraordinary potential.
He should be in my lab, helping me perfect the artificial sun experiment.
To benefit humanity… to win the Nobel Prize!
Now that was his true calling.
---
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