Justin Hammer, Peter's Purpose

Chapter 11: Justin Hammer, Peter's Purpose

After entering the school, the principal directly led Merlin to the office.

"Xiao, have a seat." The principal, named Ant-Sauce, was a mixed-race man in his fifties, wearing a suit, with a sturdy build. He looked at Merlin with a kind and gratified expression.

"Please, all of you, sit as well." After Merlin sat down, the principal also invited the representatives from the other tech companies to take their seats.

A teacher came in with tea and poured a cup for everyone.

Once the atmosphere quieted down, Principal Ant scanned each person in the room, but his gaze paused in surprise when it landed on a middle-aged man in a black suit and glasses, who had the air of a successful businessman.

"Justin Hammer, you came in person?"

Justin Hammer, CEO of Hammer Industries. A military-tech company known for its knockoffs and low prices.

Although its reputation wasn't great, surviving under the pressure of Stark Industries was a feat in itself, proof of some real capability.

Merlin's first thought upon seeing him was of fireworks—the Ex-Wife missile.

Of course, he wasn't looking down on him.

"This kid is a genius. He's worth my personal trip. If he joins my Hammer Industries, I'll make sure he becomes even stronger than Tony Stark."

Even though Tony Stark was constantly seen at parties, tangled in scandals, and labeled a playboy, no one underestimated his intelligence when Stark Industries kept releasing new military products.

As long as Tony Stark existed, Hammer Industries could never turn things around.

But last night's tech expo gave Hammer a glimmer of hope.

Merlin, however, remained completely unmoved by the other man's grand promises, his mind instead occupied with whether he could pull Hammer Industries into the game.

Beyond that, he also wanted to recruit one of the most important NPCs in the game: a technician.

Justin Hammer's daughter, Justine Hammer—the future Scarlet Cloak. Besides the spatial transfer ability granted by her cloak, she was also a shrewd businesswoman and negotiator.

She would be perfect for roles like Technician and Common Prosperity Insurance.

"Then why not join Stark Industries and form a powerhouse partnership with Tony?" The Stark Industries representative couldn't help but stand up. He had received orders from Obadiah to do everything possible to recruit this high school student into the company.

Obadiah clearly wanted to groom someone to replace Tony, someone who would work wholeheartedly for him.

"If you go there, you'll just be overshadowed by Tony Stark. Only Hammer Industries is the best stage for you."

"Stark Industries is willing to show its utmost sincerity. If possible, President Stark himself could mentor you, helping you grow faster."

Hearing this, Merlin silently scoffed. From what he knew of Tony, the man didn't seem like the type who enjoyed teaching others.

Hammer and Stark Industries argued back and forth in the office, but neither offered any concrete terms—just vague, tempting promises.

The other tech companies also chimed in.

"Gentlemen, quiet down, please. I think you should be discussing this with my guardian. I can't make this decision on my own."

"If there's nothing else, I'll head to class." Watching the noisy crowd, Merlin felt a headache coming on. Ignoring their pleading looks, he grabbed his bag and quickly left the office.

"What the..." The people in the office stared blankly at the sudden departure of the main subject.

Merlin was already an adult, so any contract he signed would be legally binding. They had hoped to lure him in with their grand promises.

But he had left without a second glance.

"George Stacy..." Hammer and the others grimaced. They really didn't like dealing with cops, especially an upright police captain like him—the hardest type to handle.

They turned their gaze to the principal...

"Our school respects the students' opinions." Ant smiled at them. In truth, even if Merlin had been tempted, he would have stopped him.

The reason he let them come was to promote the school.

All the major tech companies gathering at Midtown High, just to fight over one student...

Once that news got out, Midtown High's reputation would soar.

Back in the classroom, Gwen, sitting behind him, waved happily as soon as Merlin entered.

Merlin smiled back, then turned his attention to someone he hadn't expected to see: Peter Parker.

His face was pale, as if he had just recovered from a serious illness. When he saw Merlin enter the classroom, his eyes lit up.

"Peter, are you okay?" Merlin asked casually, wanting to probe why Peter had been chasing him last night.

As he got closer, a faint, unpleasant smell made him instinctively wrinkle his nose.

"I'm fine, just a little cold." Peter shook his head, then enthusiastically struck up a conversation with Merlin.

"Are you familiar with the Cross-species Regeneration Gene Experiment?" As they talked, Peter suddenly asked.

"Cross-species Regeneration Gene Experiment? Lizards? Salamanders?" Merlin raised an eyebrow and asked back uncertainly.

"Yeah. After visiting Professor Connors's lab at Osborn Industries last time, I realized the problem might be in the experimental algorithm."

"But I can't figure it out on my own, so I wanted to ask if you've done any research on it."

Merlin: "..."

Well, he figured out why Peter had grabbed him last night—probably because he thought Merlin was too smart.

Merlin had indeed done some research in biology before and got along well with Peter on the topic.

But after the game came out, he rarely studied it anymore.

Unless a game like Resident Evil or Prototype came out, he wouldn't pick it back up.

"Just send me an email. I'll take a look when I have time." Since he understood the situation, Merlin didn't dwell on it. Instead, he looked at Peter with a thoughtful expression.

Having him act as a minor boss to support a city-wide storyline quest wasn't a bad idea.

He'd pay him a salary, and with himself and Gwen keeping an eye on things, plus Peter's superhuman physique and healing factor, nothing too serious should go wrong.

A full day of classes left Merlin drowsy. Eventually, he pulled out his laptop and started coding the Onion Website.

It would take about three days to finish building the platform. Then, by Saturday, he could recruit a few players to test the waters.

After school, Merlin and Gwen returned home. Seeing the sparse leftovers in the fridge, they had to head out to the supermarket to buy more groceries.

Gwen came along halfway.

But on the way back, a heavily made-up, scantily clad woman on the street called out to him.

"Hey, buddy, need some service? Just thirty bucks, and I'll do whatever you want." The woman took a drag from her cigarette and winked at Merlin flirtatiously.

Merlin paused, then said, "Alright, follow me."

Gwen behind him: "???"