This Is Your Destiny

Just a moment ago, Norman Osborn received a threatening call: his son, Harry, had been kidnapped. A photo of Harry, bound tightly and unconscious, was also sent to Norman Osborn's phone.

However, the perpetrators made no demands for the time being. Instead, they arrogantly gave Norman Osborn forty-eight hours to rescue his son, guaranteeing they would not kill the hostage.

But if Norman Osborn failed to rescue his son within those forty-eight hours, he would have to agree to a condition of their choosing, or they would kill the hostage immediately.

The kidnappers' unshakeable confidence, combined with the fact that he could not reach Harry's nannies or bodyguards, drove Norman Osborn to the brink of madness. Yet, Norman Osborn was an exceptionally capable businessman, and he quickly forced himself to calm down.

Judging by the call, the kidnappers did not seem to want money; otherwise, there would have been no need to give him forty-eight hours—they would have simply told him to prepare cash.

In this country, preparing a large amount of cash is an incredibly difficult task. Bills larger than fifty dollars are rarely circulated in the market, easily attracting police attention; holding large quantities of high-denomination cash can even be used as evidence of criminal activity.

Therefore, cash is best kept in twenty-dollar bills, and preparing a massive amount of twenty-dollar bills would take a long time, even for an Osborn.

If the kidnappers only wanted money, they wouldn't be playing such games with Norman Osborn. They wanted to make him feel the despair of having exhausted every effort, only to force him to agree to conditions he would rather die than accept under normal circumstances.

A bunch of unscrupulous bastards playing with human hearts! Norman Osborn slammed his fist against the car seat; he was currently on his way to Osborn Tower.

Just then, the phone he had just thrown aside in a fit of rage rang again. Fearing it was the kidnappers, Norman Osborn grabbed it and answered, "What other tricks do you want to play?"

A young voice came from the other end of the line. "Mr. Osborn, I am Luo Xia, a technical consultant for Stark Industries..."

Hearing this, Norman Osborn immediately wanted to hang up. He was in no mood to discuss business with someone from Stark Industries. As for how this person found his private number, Norman Osborn had no time to investigate.

"Sorry, I'm busy." After saying this, Norman Osborn prepared to hang up.

However, Luo Xia immediately added, "I have some news regarding your son. I wonder if you'd like to hear it."

At these words, Norman Osborn's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks. Could it be that Stark Industries was the mastermind behind his son's kidnapping?

"What exactly are you talking about? Your Stark company would actually stoop to kidnapping?" Norman Osborn suppressed his anger.

"No, no, no, Mr. Osborn, you may have misunderstood. I didn't do the kidnapping; I just happened to witness the incident. Have you forgotten? You invited me to Osborn to discuss a partnership, and I just happened to be there at the right time," Luo Xia explained.

Norman Osborn thought about it; there did seem to be an appointment regarding Stark Industries earlier, but could there really be such a coincidence in this world?

Regardless of the truth, since Luo Xia was willing to reach out, the conversation could continue. Therefore, Norman Osborn asked, "You saw the kidnappers?"

"Not just saw them; I am currently tracking their location. If you need it, I can send their coordinates to you right now," Luo Xia said without reservation.

Could there really be such a stroke of luck? Although Norman Osborn was skeptical, he said to Luo Xia, "Then I am truly grateful. What reward do you require?"

While there are indeed many righteous heroes in this world, Norman Osborn didn't feel he was lucky enough to encounter someone so selfless. However, as long as the intelligence was genuine, he wouldn't care about the cost.

Compared to his son Harry, it wouldn't matter if he had to pay hundreds of millions of dollars.

"Mr. Osborn, don't be hasty. I can send you the location at any time, but the kidnappers seem to be on the move. For your son's safety, I don't suggest you take action just yet. After all, the vehicle used to kidnap your son appears to be a custom model from your own company," Luo Xia warned.

Norman Osborn immediately understood what Luo Xia meant. The kidnapping of Harry definitely involved an inside job. No wonder they gave him forty-eight hours to save him; they were clearly acting with impunity because the mole would report every one of Norman Osborn's moves to the kidnappers.

"Then what do you suggest? If it's inconvenient, we can meet in person," Norman Osborn said, fearing that his phone might be monitored by the mole.

Before today, Norman Osborn never imagined his company had been infiltrated to such a severe degree. But with his son kidnapped today and even his driver bought off, he couldn't help but feel shocked.

"Let's meet in person, then. I'm currently at the entrance of Osborn Tower," Luo Xia told Norman Osborn.

Less than ten minutes later, another Mercedes-Benz appeared in front of the main entrance of Osborn Tower. It seemed Norman Osborn really liked this brand of luxury car, but after this, he would likely replace both the cars and the drivers.

When Norman Osborn stepped out of the car, Luo Xia walked over. However, because of the earlier attack, Luo Xia was blocked by several bodyguards with hostile expressions.

Seeing Luo Xia's young, Asian face, Norman Osborn showed a look of surprise. Hadn't he seen this young man not long ago?!

"Step aside, he is my guest," Norman Osborn ordered the bodyguards, and only then was Luo Xia able to walk over and greet the CEO of Osborn.

"I didn't expect to see you here again," Luo Xia said with a smile.

"Neither did I. Let me introduce myself properly; I am Norman Osborn." Norman Osborn extended his right hand toward Luo Xia.

"Hello, I am Luo Xia, a technical consultant for Stark Industries." Luo Xia naturally didn't refuse to shake Norman Osborn's hand.

Just as their palms gripped, Luo Xia saw Norman Osborn lean in and ask in a low voice, "Is Harry alright?"

Based on the information provided by Violet, Luo Xia replied, "He should be safe for the moment. He has been taken to Hell's Kitchen."

Hearing Luo Xia's words, Norman Osborn's expression did not relax. With a hint of anxiety, he said to Luo Xia, "Let's go up to my office to talk."

"Of course, no problem. By the way, this is a gift your son originally wanted to give you, but it fell to the ground during the chaos earlier." Luo Xia handed a green goblin mask to Norman Osborn.

Norman Osborn took the crudely handmade mask, his face filled with emotion, likely feeling that he had neglected Harry. Luo Xia was also somewhat moved; this genuine display of father-son affection was easily infectious.

But at that moment, he heard Violet whispering emotionally in Luo Xia's mind: "Put it on, Osborn, this is your destiny!"

Luo Xia: "..."

Damn it, the mood is completely ruined.