And You Still Say You Two Aren't True Love? (Please Follow and Vote)

Right now, it was impossible for Ben to immediately produce any other technology.

He couldn't exactly turn into Grey Matter in front of Harry and the other customers in the Slush Shop, could he?

"Harry, I know this sounds a little unbelievable," Ben tried to persuade him. "You could even call it a fantasy, but trust me, I can make it real. I promise!"

He looked at Harry earnestly. Though he hadn't explained exactly how, that solemn tone clearly reminded Harry of the Ben from his memories—the steady, mature one...

Maybe he really could do it? Harry couldn't help thinking.

At that moment, although Harry still found it absurd, an urge to believe rose within him.

He thought, What if?

What if it really could be done?

He couldn't understand those formulas anyway. Maybe what was written on them was real?

After all, this was Ben!

He had never let anyone down before!

"Okay." Harry took a deep breath, as though making a major decision. He picked up the document Ben had given him again. "I'll show it to my father. There are countless experts in Osborn Corporation. If this really can be done, I think my father might be willing to establish a new project."

Because the person standing before him was Ben, Harry made up his mind. Even if Norman Osborn might look down on him for it, he would still place this document before his father.

"Don't!"

Harry felt a gust of wind suddenly rush past his face.

Before he could react, a force tugged at his arm. When he looked again, the document in his hand had already been slammed down onto the table by Ben!

The Tempered Glass covering the table seemed to have been struck by something immensely powerful. With a loud crack, it shattered into pieces no larger than fingernails!

"Benny...?" Harry was startled. He stared blankly at the old friend he hadn't seen in years, who now felt somewhat unfamiliar.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... The glass just seems a little low-quality..." Ben clearly hadn't expected that outcome either. He had been too agitated and failed to control his strength, directly shattering the Tempered Glass.

At that moment, a server hurried over in a panic and asked whether they had been hurt.

No one suspected Ben's strength. Everyone assumed there was something wrong with the glass, and the manager even intended to offer Ben compensation, but Ben and Harry sent them away.

After that interruption, Ben and Harry decided to find another place to continue their discussion.

So they walked along the riverbank as they talked.

"Don't show it to Uncle Norman," Ben said. The wind from the river left his hair looking slightly messy. "I'm not planning to work with Osborn, Harry. I'm only planning to work with you."

Ben had no intention of sharing his technology with Norman Osborn, who might become the Green Goblin in the future.

Even though the current Norman Osborn was, more or less, still a decent elder, Osborn Corporation was a major enterprise. Everything within it was far from being Norman's decision alone.

Those shareholders were vampires. If Ben truly achieved anything, every one of them would want a piece of it.

Ben could deal with them, but why make things so troublesome?

"Do you understand, Harry? Just you and me." He extended a finger and tapped Harry's chest. "Maybe Peter in the future, but Osborn Corporation and any other corporation will never be involved."

"Just us?" Harry stopped by the riverbank and looked at Ben in surprise.

Ben nodded, leaning against the railing as he said tactfully, "Osborn Corporation isn't entirely controlled by your father. I don't intend to let others interfere with my company."

After all, Ben intended to build Primus Technology into a giant on the level of Stark Industries—or even greater than Stark Industries. It was best if troublesome issues involving shares never appeared from the very beginning.

It wasn't only other investors he didn't trust. He didn't even trust Harry's father.

Of course, saying that in front of Harry would have been impolite.

"I understand what you mean." Harry nodded. "Honestly, if those shareholders got the chance, they'd probably carve up even Osborn Corporation and leave nothing but the bones."

"You're right. That's exactly what I'm worried about. Besides, if you succeed without relying on Osborn Corporation's help, I think Uncle Norman will be even prouder of you. Don't you?"

"You're right, but, Benny, developing Nanotechnology without Osborn's financial resources is impossible." Harry sighed and shook his head, looking troubled. "Just building a Nano-scale Laboratory would cost a huge amount of money."

"We don't need to start with Nanotechnology," Ben said after thinking for a moment.

Highly Intelligent Nanorobotics Technology was indeed far too advanced. His only advantage now was having existing research samples, so he didn't need to worry about going in the wrong direction. That alone could save a great deal of money.

"What do you have in mind?" Harry asked.

Naturally, Ben thought of Iron Man's armor. Many of the technologies in Mark 3 could be adapted for civilian use. More importantly, after transforming into Grey Matter, it wouldn't actually take him long to thoroughly understand Mark 3's technology.

He could upgrade the armor, then sell its improved functions.

"It won't cost that much. I think a few tens of millions of dollars will be more than enough." Ben winked at Harry, who helplessly shook his head.

He had originally thought he was just supporting an old friend's startup, perhaps spending a hundred thousand or so to establish a small company. He hadn't expected he might now have to sink tens of millions into it...

"Looks like I'll have to sell a few cars." He shrugged.

After that, the two discussed the company's shares. This part was simpler than they had imagined.

The young Harry was hardly a shrewd businessman. Or rather, in this matter, he hadn't treated it as business at all.

In the end, he only asked for a very small share.

"Money isn't that important to me," Harry said, shaking his head. "You came to me for help, and I helped you. It's that simple!"

"Besides, sooner or later, I'll inherit Osborn Corporation. No matter how dissatisfied my father is with me, I'm still his only son." Harry smiled and patted Ben on the shoulder. "The best way you can repay me is to make the company succeed and make my father see me in a new light!"

"Don't worry, Harry. I won't let you down."

With the funding issue settled, Ben had been about to say goodbye to Harry, but Harry stopped him.

"Wait..."

"What is it? Do you still need something?" Ben asked.

"No way, Benny?" Harry cried out in surprise. "I just decided to give you all the money I've saved since childhood, and I might even have to sell my cars, yet you're planning to leave me alone on the street?"

"Why are you making me sound like some heartless bastard who turns his back on someone after getting what he wants?"

"You are one!" Harry said. "At the very least, shouldn't you invite me over for dinner?"

Without giving him a choice, he hooked an arm around Ben's shoulders and dragged him toward Queens. "I haven't seen Peter in ages either. It's not easy for me to get out of boarding school, so I don't want to go back so soon!"

After all that, it turned out he was still here for Peter. You two really were true love, weren't you?

Ben rolled his eyes but said nothing. Harry and Peter really were very close. They had known each other longer, and compared with the more mature Ben, Peter and Harry had more fun together.

When the two returned home, Aunt May and Uncle Ben had not gotten off work yet.

To support the household, especially to raise two children, they clearly had to work harder. This was especially true in the earlier years, when Uncle Ben had to work until well past midnight nearly every day before coming home, while Aunt May worked several jobs by herself.

For a long time, Ben and Peter had both wanted to take part-time jobs after school, but Ben had been too young at the time, so Uncle Ben had never agreed.

Peter, however, was home.

Because of Aunt May's incident a few days ago, Peter had also realized that he had put too much of his attention on his deceased parents. It wasn't that this was wrong, but he shouldn't have neglected the family members who were still by his side because of it.

It made him feel guilty, so he hadn't gone to see Connors lately.

Of course, on the other hand, he believed that when he had brought over the formulas his father left behind last time, he had already solved the serum problem. There was no need to visit again so soon.

"I'll wait a while, then go see how the professor's serum research is progressing." Peter muttered to himself as he crouched halfway down and adjusted the little gadget on the table.

—Web Shooter!

After receiving Ben's suggestion, Peter had been working on the suit and the Web Shooter.

For some reason, it felt like instinct. His mind clearly knew how to create a special enzyme and synthesize it into Silk.

And he had succeeded.

All that remained was the suit and the shooter.

"I wonder where Benny went again. He said he wasn't going to be a Super Hero, and now he really won't help me at all." Peter sighed, but quickly cheered up again.

He had thought of a good idea.

"Even if you said you don't plan to be Spider-Man, I won't forget you when there's something good. You are my cousin, after all!" Peter secretly smiled, flipped open the draft Ben had given him earlier, and selected another suit design.

"This one looks pretty good—" Peter held the design in one hand and a half-finished Spider Suit in the other, considering how to alter the style for Ben. Just then, he heard the door downstairs open, followed by a current spreading across his scalp.

"Benny's back? Perfect, I can ask which one he likes." Peter complained once more about that inexplicable sensation and prepared to take the draft downstairs to find Ben.

Just then, a voice he found somewhat unfamiliar came from outside the door.

"Peter?"

Before Harry had even climbed the stairs, he shouted up toward the second floor. Then he stepped onto the somewhat old staircase, which immediately let out a teeth-grinding creak.

"Your staircase looks pretty old, doesn't it?" Harry complained. He was afraid he might collapse it just by walking on it.

"By seniority, you can call him Staircase Uncle," Ben said casually. "But don't worry, he doesn't have osteoporosis yet. He won't collapse."

"Let's hope so."

Harry reached Peter's bedroom door and was about to knock when the doorknob turned by itself. Peter emerged, holding a sketchbook filled with Spider-Man suit designs.

"Long time no see, Peter!" Harry greeted him excitedly, before his gaze fell on the sketchbook in Peter's hands.

"What's this?"

Thanks to Mosasaurus for the 100-point tip. Thank you, boss.