Gwen's Family Gathering

Everyone was on time for Mary Jane's birthday party.

The only one missing was Peter, but besides Chen Changsheng and Harry, no one else noticed.

Harry was concerned for his friend, while Chen Changsheng was purely curious. The morning news had made it clear: last night, a robber had killed an innocent bystander during a heist. Coincidentally, that bystander was Uncle Ben, Peter's beloved uncle.

Tragedy evokes deep sympathy when it happens to others, but it's a true tragedy when it happens to you.

When Peter's uncle was shot in the stomach by a robber yesterday, there was still a chance for him to survive. However, considering the high medical costs would further burden their already impoverished family, he left Peter with the words: "With great power comes great responsibility," and then passed away.

Eager to avenge Uncle Ben, Peter Parker, consumed by rage, accidentally struck the suspect, sending him falling out of the building, his condition unknown. Peter's heart was now heavy with grief for his lost loved one and indignation at the world's malice.

With the passing of Ben Parker, the family's pillar, Peter Parker's family life became increasingly difficult. Aunt May even had to mortgage their house due to debt problems. The lives of ordinary people are often filled with unspoken hardships.

Ben Parker and May Parker deeply loved their nephew. Having no children of their own, they treated Peter as their own son.

Even working two jobs, Aunt May insisted on ensuring her nephew received a good education, free from the worries of daily life.

It was just like that saying: "I'm counting on you to succeed."

After Mary Jane's birthday party, Peter's familiar figure with his camera disappeared from campus. Instead, a superhero in a red and blue suit adorned with a spider emblem began appearing on the streets of New York, swinging and running through the city.

People affectionately called him Spider-Man.

The emergence of a street hero didn't significantly impact Chen Changsheng. After all, as a law-abiding citizen, Chen Changsheng never worried about facing injustice.

Spider-Man performed heroic deeds on the streets of New York, saving many ordinary people. However, this also disrupted the normal order of the city.

He took on many tasks that belonged to the NYPD, making the police look incompetent. Consequently, the police harbored considerable resentment towards the superhero Spider-Man, with some even viewing him as a dangerous, clandestine criminal. This put them in league with the Daily Bugle.

The public, however, welcomed his actions. Compared to the often-late New York police, Spider-Man, swinging through the air, was far more reliable.

Amidst these ordinary yet fantastical days, Chen Changsheng and his classmates were nearing the end of their high school careers, preparing for university life.

Unlike the mundane routine of daily life, Chen Changsheng's Umbrella Corporation was growing at a visible pace.

After signing a substantial contract with the military, Chen Changsheng had sufficient capital. He then purchased a house near New York University, officially preparing to begin his university life.

Due to the holiday break, Helen Zhao had returned to her home country to live with her family.

Chen Changsheng, being alone, remained in New York. He would occasionally visit the city to manage his company or travel to the orchards outside New York to tend to the Willow Trees. Living in the orchard for a period, Chen Changsheng found his life quite comfortable.

One day, while absorbing the Life Essence from a Willow Tree in the orchard, Chen Changsheng received a message from Gwen. Gwen was inviting him to her home for a private family dinner.

Chen Changsheng was delighted. Although he didn't know why Gwen had invited him, he still prepared himself early and arrived punctually at Gwen's house.

Carrying an deluxe fruit basket, Chen Changsheng met Gwen Stacy, who was dressed in casual home attire.

Gwen's golden ponytail was neatly tied, and her delicate face even had a light touch of makeup. Clearly, Gwen also attached importance to this family dinner. Chen Changsheng understood the significance of the occasion. Although he wore his usual black hoodie, he exuded an uncommon charm.

Looking at Gwen's pretty face, Chen Changsheng felt she was even more beautiful and captivating today. Compared to the studious goddess he saw at school, today's Gwen possessed a more youthful, playful, and adorable charm.

"Gwen, honestly, I didn't expect to meet your parents so soon. I'm completely unprepared. My heart is still pounding like crazy," Chen Changsheng said dramatically, clutching his chest to describe his current anxious feelings.

Gwen, however, was clearly not buying it. She rolled her eyes at Chen Changsheng and said, "If it weren't for the fact that you're home for the break and have nowhere else to go, I wouldn't have invited you!"

"Is that so? Then I'm terribly heartbroken, as I thought our relationship was about to take a step forward," Chen Changsheng replied with a tone of apparent regret.

"Uh-huh~" Gwen's eyebrows, hidden beneath her bangs, playfully arched with a triumphant glint. It was evident she was pleased with his words.

Gwen turned and walked towards her house, even starting to skip a little. She was also very happy, shedding her usual demure demeanor.

Gwen's mother, Helen, had apparently been eager to meet her daughter's new friend. Hearing the cheerful footsteps in the hallway, she walked to the door and opened it for them.

If you can't find the book by its title, you can try searching for the author. Perhaps the title has just been changed!

Seeing the door open, a middle-aged woman emerged. Chen Changsheng knew immediately who she was.

He quickly stepped forward and said to Gwen's mother, "Hello, I'm Gwen's friend, Jack Chen, from China. You're even younger and more beautiful than I imagined."

Helen was initially surprised to see an Asian accompanying Gwen upstairs. However, she was soon infected by Chen Changsheng's cheerful demeanor and smiled, saying, "Gwen has told me a lot about the new popular figure at school. I didn't expect you to be as handsome as she said."

After speaking, Helen cast a meaningful glance at Gwen. Gwen's face instantly flushed upon hearing her mother's and Chen Changsheng's conversation, as she hadn't expected her mother to reveal their private chats in front of him.

Chen Changsheng, hearing Helen's words, also turned to look at Gwen, wanting to see her expression.

Gwen reacted quickly, running towards her mother and exclaiming, "I never said that, Mom."

As she spoke, she handed the fruit basket Chen Changsheng brought to Helen and then darted into the house.

Upon receiving the fruit basket, Helen glanced at the gift in her hand, and her eyes were immediately captivated.

As a homemaker, Helen often browsed luxury magazines at home. In the past year, a certain fruit company had suddenly become popular among the affluent.

The fruits sold by that company were astonishingly expensive. Magazines raved about the exotic fruits, describing them with ordinary praise like "delicious and sweet," and even exaggerated claims of delaying aging and improving skin.

The advertisements portrayed them as almost magical fruits, and Helen was very curious to know what they tasted like. However, in Gwen's family, only her father, George Stacy, had a job. Although the income of an American police officer was not low, they had three children, each a veritable money pit. Therefore, despite being drawn to the descriptions in the magazines, Helen had never had the opportunity to buy any to try.

The main issue was the lack of access. Chen Changsheng's orchard had limited production and prioritized supplying the wealthy. As for ordinary Americans, Chen Changsheng felt he couldn't bring himself to deceive them for money.

"Oh my goodness, Jack, where did you get this fruit basket from the Magic Forest? I've been looking for it everywhere," Helen exclaimed dramatically as she unpacked the basket. The surprise was so unexpected that Helen could no longer hide her joy.

"Do you like it? If you do, I can send you a fruit basket every day. Helen, these are some very rare fruits from the East. I've opened an orchard in the suburbs of New York City and am dedicated to letting more people taste these mysterious fruits from the East," Chen Changsheng said casually, making a grand promise to Helen.

Chen Changsheng's words clearly pleased Helen. Looking at the happy Helen, Chen Changsheng glanced proudly at Gwen, as if to say, "Quick, praise me."

Gwen watched Chen Changsheng chatting happily with her mother with a smile on her face. Clearly, Gwen was very satisfied with Chen Changsheng's performance today.

"The price of your fruit basket isn't something everyone can afford. Is it true that some of these fruits can slow down aging?" Helen asked, shaking her head and smiling.

"It's just the beginning, after all. We'll need to scale up before we can lower the prices. The fruits are indeed good for the skin. Helen, you should eat more, and you'll become even more beautiful," Chen Changsheng said flatteringly, though he inwardly scoffed. After all, scamming the rich felt much more satisfying than tricking the poor. As for letting everyone eat Willow Tree fruits, he'd rather not. Accumulating Life Essence was more important.

The fruits Chen Changsheng brought were delicious and quickly won over Gwen's family. Even Gwen's two younger brothers pestered Chen Changsheng, asking if he had any more delicious fruit.

Chen Changsheng didn't hold back, directly promising the two children that he would bring them more fruits they'd never seen before tomorrow, making the two little ones even happier. They immediately declared he was their brother-in-law from now on!

While Chen Changsheng was having a pleasant chat with Gwen's family, Gwen's father, Police Chief George Stacy of the NYPD, returned home after a long day of work.

Seeing the young man sitting on the sofa, chatting intimately with his daughter, Chief Stacy paused.

Is this my home? Why is a stranger talking and laughing with my daughter? Did someone break in?

In an instant, George felt all his day's fatigue vanish. A surge of anger, like a wild boar trying to ruin his prize cabbage, welled up inside him. Chief Stacy almost drew his service pistol. However, unwilling to lose his composure in front of his family, George let out a heavy cough at the doorway, drawing everyone's attention. He then asked Gwen, "Gwen, who is this young man?"

Seeing her father return, Gwen, who had been getting closer to Chen Changsheng, panicked slightly. Before she could speak, her two younger brothers excitedly told Chief Stacy:

"Dad, this is Jack! He said he has lots of fruit trees at home and endless fruit. He also said if we call him brother-in-law, he'll bring us more delicious fruit tomorrow."

Hmm? What's going on with these two sons of mine? It's one thing that your sister is being snatched away, but how did you two get bought off with just a little fruit?

Chief Stacy looked at his two sons with a heavy expression, feeling they were clearly lacking discipline. After mentally formulating a future education plan for them, George walked directly over and sat down between Chen Changsheng and Gwen.

George prepared to have a good talk with this wild boar who dared to ruin his family's prize cabbage. You, a brash kid from the East, think you can snatch my daughter?

Gwen and her two brothers seemed to sense the subtle shift in the atmosphere and unconsciously lowered their voices.

The family fell into an eerie silence, like the calm before a storm