Ch. 40 High School Student Peter Parker

Oh...

No wonder Kingpin was so eager to get rid of Daredevil. 

The mighty Kingpin of the underworld had his stronghold infiltrated, and he was severely injured on top of that.

If Kingpin didn't take action in this situation, he'd be seen as quite pathetic for a kingpin of the underworld.

Looking at the forum thread that had received thousands of replies, Russell mourned for Kingpin in silence for a few seconds.

In the underworld of the United States, Wilson Fisk was undoubtedly a formidable kingpin. Normally, not many dared to joke about him. Issuing an underworld hit over a mere joke wasn't beyond the realm of possibility.

There was a time when someone hid behind the internet and insulted Kingpin heavily. As a result, this "brave" individual experienced a low-altitude parachute jump without a parachute from the Empire State Building shortly after. Although normally people didn't dare to jest about Kingpin , things were different now.

Whether it was fringe gangsters or diligent office workers, there was a certain twisted pleasure in seeing influential figures suffer humiliation.

Watching these prominent figures suffer humiliation gave people a sense of "they're not that impressive after all," leading to an odd kind of joy where others' pain brought one happiness.

Aside from the thread with thousands of replies, Russell also spotted a bounty in the forum.

The true identity of Daredevil, with a reward of ten million dollars!

Although the bounty was posted anonymously, it was evident that Kingpin was the one behind it.

Ten million dollars for the actual identity of Daredevil.

What did it mean to have deep pockets?

This was it!

After browsing the forum for a while, Russell closed the page and exited the forum.

He had no interest in the vendetta between Kingpin and Daredevil.

He didn't care whether Kingpin could successfully uphold his image as an underworld kingpin.

However, he was curious about when Daredevil had become so powerful that he could severely injure Kingpin at Fisk Tower.

Kingpin wasn't an ordinary crime lord by any means; he wasn't the type of boss who only directed his subordinates to do dirty work.

He was a strategic thinker, possessed intelligence far beyond average, and over ninety percent of his body was muscle. His strength had reached an unimaginable level.

He could even punch through a wall with his bare hands and was a world-class martial artist. Like Punisher, he had reached the pinnacle of human combat capabilities.

Although Daredevil was also an elite martial artist and possessed four extraordinary senses besides sight, his direct combat ability wasn't particularly strong.

Against ordinary individuals, his strength was more than sufficient.

However, compared to Kingpin, even his strength was inferior.

Though Kingpin didn't have any extraordinary abilities, he wasn't an easy opponent.

Otherwise, he would have died at the hands of other gangsters or individuals like Punisher long ago.

Although he didn't know how Daredevil managed it, one thing was certain: Kingpin was utterly enraged now.

Time flew by quickly.

Soon, it was evening.

Instead of waiting for Diana at home, Russell drove to the museum to pick her up after work.

They had dinner at an outdoor restaurant and then went to the cinema to watch a newly released Hollywood action blockbuster.

Upon returning to the apartment, they made up for lost time.

A short separation can rekindle passion; they were as affectionate as newlyweds.

With beauty in every smile, and grace in every move.

The room felt warm as spring, and the night was sweet but short.

.......

After returning from Afghanistan, Russell and Diana resumed their simple and unadorned cohabiting life.

During the day, they went to work separately, enriching their lives.

At night, they communicated their emotions and exchanged insights.

Days passed by, one after another.

Unbeknownst to them, a week had already gone by.

The Octopus Monster Private Detective Agency.

Temporary office.

Russell sat in the office, playing the recently purchased video game.

Throughout the week, he neither took assignments from the Continental Hotel nor accepted any detective commissions.

Besides playing games and spending time with Diana, the only other thing he did this week was pay a visit to Midtown High School to meet a high school student.

This high school student's name was Peter Parker!

Yes, it was the Peter Parker who should have become Spider-Man but hadn't been bitten by a spider until now, for some inexplicable reason.

Spider-Woman had been in the limelight for four years.

Peter Parker was still in high school.

Truly, it was a chaotic world.

Apart from not being bitten by a spider, this version of Peter Parker wasn't much different from other versions from alternate universes.

Parents deceased, raised by his uncle and aunt.

Excellent grades, exceptional intelligence, but not many friends.

His uncle died unexpectedly last year, and now he lived with his attractive aunt in an ordinary apartment in Forest Hills, Queens.

Russell went to Midtown High School to find Peter, not only because he saw the potential for Peter to become Spider-Man in the future but also for another crucial reason.

He recognized Peter's intelligence.

In the ever-expanding world of Marvel, although Peter wasn't among the highest IQs, he was undoubtedly a rare genius.

In a parallel universe, Doctor Octopus, inheriting Peter's body, memories, and knowledge, combined their intellect to establish the renowned Parker Industries.

Although Parker Industries was established after Doctor Octopus's soul took over Peter's body, it couldn't be denied that Peter's own knowledge and intelligence contributed significantly.

While Russell couldn't make Doctor Octopus's soul possess Peter's body, he could recruit both Peter and Doctor Octopus as his subordinates, allowing them to contribute their abilities to his cause.

Meeting Peter was straightforward. He drove to Midtown High School, attracted Peter, who was still an ordinary person, by offering a lucrative internship opportunity.

The Peter who had already become Spider-Man was difficult to deceive, but Peter, who was just an ordinary person and lacked money, was much easier to convince.

Thus, the high school freshman Peter became an intern at the detective agency.

Four o'clock in the afternoon.

After school, Peter, dressed casually and carrying a backpack, arrived at the agency.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Bradley."

Upon entering the agency, Peter greeted Russell.

"Good afternoon, Peter!"

Russell put down the game controller and looked up at the fresh and appealing Peter.

At first glance, Peter wasn't lacking in appearance.

Unfortunately, this guy lacked confidence.

He could have been the standout student in the school thanks to his intelligence, but somehow he managed to transform himself into the nerd most American schoolgirls disliked.

But it wasn't entirely Peter's fault; his background was a bit unfortunate.

Deceased parents, an uncle and aunt who were ordinary people and couldn't teach him much.

Add to that a less-than-ideal family environment, and it's normal for a teenager going through puberty to become insecure.

"Mr. Bradley, is there something you need me to do today?"

Peter set down his backpack and asked again.

"Yes! Your task for today is to learn how to take photographs!"

Russell pointed at the newly bought DSLR camera and camcorder on the table and said slowly.