This Is Your Fate

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

However, the caller had made no demands yet. Instead, he had arrogantly given Norman Osborn forty-eight hours to rescue his son and promised that they wouldn't kill him.

But if Norman Osborn couldn't rescue his son within forty-eight hours, he would have to agree to one of their conditions. Otherwise, they would kill Harry immediately.

The kidnappers' brazen confidence, coupled with the fact that he couldn't reach the nanny or bodyguards who were with his son, was driving Norman Osborn nearly insane. But Norman Osborn was an excellent businessman, and he quickly forced himself to calm down.

Judging by the call, the kidnappers didn't seem to be after money. Otherwise, there would have been no need to give him forty-eight hours; they could simply have told him to prepare the cash.

In this country, preparing a large amount of cash was quite difficult. Bills larger than fifty dollars rarely circulated, and using them could easily attract the police's attention. Even possessing a large number of high-denomination bills could be treated as evidence of a crime.

So the best choice was twenty-dollar bills, and even Osborn would need a long time to gather a large amount of them.

If the kidnappers only wanted money, they wouldn't be playing this kind of game with Norman Osborn. They wanted to drive him to despair after he'd exhausted every option, then force him to agree to conditions he would never accept under normal circumstances, even at the cost of his life.

A bunch of bastards who played with people's hearts and stopped at nothing! Norman Osborn slammed his fist into the car seat. He was on his way to Osborn Tower.

Just then, the phone that Osborn had recently hurled down rang again. Afraid it might be the kidnappers, Norman Osborn hurriedly picked it up and answered. "What else do you want?"

A young man's voice came from the other end. "Mr. Osborn, I'm Luo Xia, a technical consultant at Stark Industries..."

Hearing that, Norman Osborn immediately wanted to hang up. He had no time to talk business with anyone from Stark Industries. As for how this man had gotten his private number, Norman Osborn didn't have time to investigate.

"Sorry, I'm busy right now." After saying that, Norman Osborn was about to hang up.

But Luo Xia quickly added, "I have some news about your son. I don't know if you'd like to hear it."

At those words, Norman Osborn's pupils shrank to pinpoints. Could Stark Industries be behind his son's kidnapping?

"What the hell are you talking about? You Starks are even stooping to kidnapping?" Norman Osborn said, holding back his anger.

"No, no, Mr. Osborn, you've got it wrong. I wasn't the one who kidnapped him. I just happened to witness what happened. Don't you remember? You invited me to Osborn Tower to discuss a partnership, and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time," Luo Xia explained.

Norman Osborn thought about it. He did have an appointment with someone from Stark Industries earlier. But could the timing really be that coincidental?

Whatever the truth, since Luo Xia had reached out to him, they could continue talking. So Norman Osborn asked, "Did you see the kidnappers?"

"Not only did I see them, I'm tracking their location right now. If you need it, I can send it to you immediately," Luo Xia said without hiding anything.

Could he really be this lucky? Norman Osborn wasn't convinced, but he still said to Luo Xia, "I'd be very grateful. What do you want in return?"

There were certainly plenty of heroes in the world who were eager to help others, but Norman Osborn didn't think he was lucky enough to find someone completely selfless. Still, if the information was true, he wouldn't care how much it cost.

Compared to his son, Harry, even several billion dollars would mean nothing to him.

"Mr. Osborn, don't rush. I can send you the location at any time, but the kidnappers still seem to be on the move. For your son's safety, I don't recommend taking action right now. After all, the vehicle they used to kidnap your son seems to be one of your specially made Osborn vehicles," Luo Xia cautioned.

Norman Osborn immediately understood what Luo Xia meant. There had to be an insider involved in Harry's kidnapping. No wonder they'd given him forty-eight hours to save his son. They were clearly confident, because the insider would report every move Norman Osborn made to the kidnappers.

"Then what do you suggest? If it's not convenient to discuss over the phone, we can meet in person," Norman Osborn said. He was starting to worry that even his phone was being monitored by the insider.

Before today, Norman Osborn hadn't imagined his company had been infiltrated so badly. But now his son had been kidnapped, and even the driver had been bribed. He couldn't help but be shocked.

"Then let's meet in person. I'm right outside Osborn Tower," Luo Xia said.

Less than ten minutes later, another Mercedes-Benz pulled up in front of the main entrance to Osborn Tower. Norman Osborn seemed to be quite fond of luxury cars from that brand, but after this, he would probably replace both the car and its driver.

As Norman Osborn got out of the car, Luo Xia walked over. However, after the attack that had just taken place, several bodyguards eyed Luo Xia warily and blocked his way.

When Norman Osborn saw Luo Xia's young Asian face, a look of surprise crossed his features. Hadn't he seen this young man just a short while ago?

"Step aside. He's my guest," Norman Osborn ordered the bodyguards. Only then was Luo Xia able to approach the Osborn CEO and greet him.

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

"Neither did I. Let's properly introduce ourselves. I'm Norman Osborn." Norman Osborn held out his right hand to Luo Xia.

"Hello, I'm Luo Xia, a technical consultant at Stark Industries." Luo Xia had no reason to refuse Norman Osborn's handshake.

But the moment their hands clasped, Luo Xia saw Norman Osborn lean closer and whisper, "Is Harry all right?"

Based on the information Violet had provided, Luo Xia replied, "He should be safe for now. They've taken him to Hell's Kitchen."

Norman Osborn didn't look any more relieved after hearing that. With a hint of anxiety, he said to Luo Xia, "Let's go upstairs to my office and talk."

"Of course. Oh, by the way, this is the gift your son wanted to give you. It fell on the ground during the chaos earlier." Luo Xia handed Norman Osborn a crudely handmade green goblin mask.

Norman Osborn took the rough mask, made by hand, and his face filled with emotion. He probably felt that he hadn't given Harry enough attention. Luo Xia was a little moved, too. This kind of genuine affection between father and son was contagious.

But then Violet spoke with feeling inside Luo Xia's mind. "Put it on, Osborn. This is your fate!"

Luo Xia: "..."

Damn it, there went the mood.