Hello, Open Up for Inspection

"Sir, there's also something wrong with Russell's records."

"What is it, J.A.R.V.I.S.?"

"His identity was forged, and rather crudely at that."

"That's it?" Tony asked in surprise.

Plenty of people used forged identities—illegal immigrants, assassins, spies. But what did that have to do with him?

Tony didn't think he and Russell would have any further dealings.

"Sir, the way he appeared is very similar to Miss Stacy's. It's as if he emerged out of thin air, with no traceable past," J.A.R.I.V.S. explained.

"Aren't all agents like that?" Tony said dismissively.

"All right, J.A.R.V.I.S. Just keep a slight eye on this man and Gwen. There's no need to do anything else."

He owed Gwen for what happened last night. Looking into her was merely a precaution.

Whatever Gwen's identity was, whatever she intended to do, as long as it wasn't aimed at Stark Industries, he wouldn't stop her.

On the contrary, after discovering that Gwen was merely doing vigilante work, he had even helped cover her tracks.

"Yes, sir."

Elsewhere.

"Russell, you've already driven down this street once." Gwen turned toward Russell in the driver's seat with a look of surprise. "You're not directionally challenged, are you?"

"I was checking whether anyone was following us." Russell rolled his eyes and explained.

"What happened near Stark Industries last night was such a huge mess. Who knows whether someone might come looking for us?"

Gwen scratched her head, somewhat puzzled. "When I left last night, I made sure to avoid the cameras. How did Mr. Stark find me?"

Russell pointed at the sky. "Stark Industries has plenty of private satellites. One of them might have caught you.

"And Tony Stark has J.A.R.V.I.S., a highly optimized Artificial Intelligence.

"With big data plus Artificial Intelligence, comparing data to find someone in New York isn't all that difficult."

Gwen frowned. Of course she understood how powerful the combination of big data and Artificial Intelligence could be, but was this world's technology really that much more advanced than her original world's? It didn't seem like it.

Looking at the surrounding buildings and recalling all the electronics she had encountered over the past three weeks, she felt the technological levels of the two worlds were about the same.

"We've circled around for so long that anyone following us couldn't possibly have stayed hidden. Looks like Tony Stark is the only one who knows your real identity now. That's good news." Russell parked the car.

"We're here, Smith's Pizza. Let me tell you, don't be fooled by the aging decor. It tastes much better than plenty of fancy upscale places."

"Smith's Pizza?!"

"Hm? You know this place, Gwen?"

"Yeah, I do." Gwen nodded. "A while back, after I ran out of money, Mr. and Mrs. Smith took me in. I even worked part-time here for a while."

Russell looked at Gwen, his tone faintly melancholy. "What a coincidence. When I first came to New York and had no money, Mr. and Mrs. Smith took me in too."

When had the world become so small?

Thinking about how he had attended several philanthropists' funerals and only gained 1 Attribute Point, Russell was at peace.

It wasn't that the world was too small. There were simply too few good people.

"Hey, Gwen."

A vigorous voice rang out.

Though the owner of that voice was elderly, the outlines of muscles could still vaguely be seen beneath his clothes. He must have been a tough, chiseled steel man with eight-pack abs in his younger days.

"You're back. Did your interview go well today?"

"It went very well, Uncle Smith." Russell answered before Gwen could, flashing a smile. "I brought Gwen here to celebrate. I didn't expect you two to know each other."

"Oh, Russell. You know Gwen too?"

"Good afternoon, Grandpa Smith." Gwen greeted him first, then explained, "Russell is my boss now."

"Huh? You're Gwen's boss? It's only been a few months, and you're already the owner of a bookstore? You're doing pretty well, kid." Smith burst into laughter.

"Then we definitely have to celebrate. Sit wherever you like and order whatever you want. It's on me today."

"One Kobe Pizza, no spice, and a Coca-Cola. Thank you, Uncle Smith."

"You." Smith shook his head with a laugh. "This is The Big Apple, not The City of Angels."

Kobe Pizza was a kind of pepperoni pizza.

Kobe was the name of a legendary NBA superstar. At this time, in 2010, he had just won his second consecutive championship and was at the height of his fame.

"I'll have a fruit pizza, please, Grandpa Smith."

"Sure, just wait a moment."

A short while later, Smith came out carrying two plates.

"Russell, yours. Kobe Pizza."

"Gwen, yours. Fruit pizza."

"Thank you, Uncle Smith—Grandpa Smith."

Perhaps because Russell and Gwen had arrived early, there weren't many customers in the shop.

Coincidences always made people curious.

Smith, enjoying a rare leisurely half-day, sat down nearby and eagerly asked how Russell had met Gwen.

Replacing the Vampire with some thugs, Russell roughly told him how he had met Gwen.

"Gwen, you were far too careless." Smith's tone carried both reproach and concern.

"Didn't I tell you? A friend of mine had a granddaughter who went out alone at night a few days ago and got kidnapped." As he spoke, Smith's eyes reddened.

"Fortunately, she was fine. A mysterious person brought her back last night."

Gwen lowered her head, pretending to be ashamed as she muttered softly, "I know I was wrong, Grandpa Smith."

Russell glanced at Gwen and understood why she had been out on the streets fishing last night.

So she had been trying to save Uncle Smith's granddaughter.

As for this friend—what friend? He had just made one up out of thin air!

Still, that meant the bastard Vampire had gotten off easy.

He should have been sliced into a thousand pieces instead of being killed outright with powerful Ultraviolet Light.

After that, Russell comforted the old man and promised that he would keep an eye on Gwen and protect her.

Mm, if they encountered danger, he would definitely put Gwen in front of him.

"Gwen, let's go visit that girl."

"Hm? You have a way?" Gwen asked excitedly.

Russell: "."

"I don't, but I have a friend who should have a way."

Once they knew each other, once they met, they were friends.

Russell's friend was the psychologist Yao, also known as the Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One.

Though he had no evidence.

But he wasn't stupid. He knew exactly what the source of his condition was.

After one session of Psychological Counseling and a night's sleep, all his negative conditions had vanished.

That wasn't something a psychologist could do.

A neighborhood in Manhattan.

Gwen deftly pulled on her hood and Spider Mask.

After taking off her coat, she revealed a Spider Suit with black, white, and rose-red as its main colors.

Did this girl wear a bodysuit all the time?

Luckily, I'm not bad either.

He took out the Troublemaking Trio.

A Zorro hat, a V for Vendetta Mask, and a cape.

He pressed the doorbell.

"Hello, open up for inspe—" Before Russell could finish, Gwen shoved him aside.

"Hello, I'm Ghost-Spider, the person who brought Miss Smith back last night."

"May I come in and check on Miss Smith's condition?"