I stepped into the train car. The lights were on inside.
The place still had electricity after all these years. Clearly, this secret lab wasn't as slapdash as it looked on the surface.
The first thing I spotted was a computer. It wasn't some high-tech machine, though—it was an old-fashioned, bulky desktop, as outdated as they came.
What Li Si couldn't understand was how the old computer's screen was still lit, with plenty of windows still open and a notification box that read, "Transfer complete."
It had been running all these years without even being shut down? New York had suffered countless power outages, for crying out loud. I knew Marvel Comics was full of black-tech gadgets, but did a bulky old desktop really need to be one of them?
Li Si grumbled to himself, but his hands never slowed. He plugged in the USB drive he'd prepared and copied every file on the computer onto it.
Once the transfer was complete, he opened one of the videos. A face appeared on the screen: Peter Parker's father, Richard Parker.
"Test... I'm Richard Parker. No matter how misunderstood I may be in the future..."
The video was presented as an experiment log, but in reality, it was Richard Parker's explanation of what had happened back then. He basically didn't want his research used for military purposes, and so on.
Li Si watched for a couple of seconds, curled his lip, and closed the video.
He genuinely admired Richard Parker's talent, but he couldn't stomach that kind of sanctimonious act—doing something despicable, then pretending to be a saint.
He'd been hired by Oscorp Industries and funded by them to conduct his research. In the end, he'd run off with the results, then acted as if he had every right to say, "I didn't want them used for military purposes. I had no choice but to run."
If he didn't want to do it, why had he started the research in the first place? Don't tell me it was to cure diseases. Lizard's research might have had that effect, but Li Si couldn't see how fusing spider genes with human genes could possibly be a treatment.
Besides, there were plenty of ways to treat diseases. Did it really have to involve genetic modification?
And, more to the point, using genetic techniques to cure a specific disease and permanently altering the human body were entirely different goals. There was no way a project meant to develop medicine could turn into a Modification Serum.
Why could Peter Parker become Spider-Man after being bitten by a genetically modified spider?
Because Richard Parker had carefully engineered the spider using his own genes as a template. That was how he ensured the two gene chains would fit together perfectly, eliminating harmful genes while combining the best traits of both. There was no need to go to those lengths just to cure a disease.
And even if it had been an accident, it would have been more like Lizard's case. The serum intended as a treatment would only temporarily alter the body's genes, allowing it to briefly make use of certain organisms' regenerative abilities.
The two sets of genes wouldn't be completely replaced or fused together. They'd simply be joined, and most of the foreign genes could be removed through metabolism or an antidote, restoring the body to normal.
Permanently altering a gene chain and temporarily joining genes were completely different things. Even Li Si could understand that. He didn't believe Richard Parker couldn't.
In the end, Richard Parker simply didn't want to hand over his research—or perhaps he wanted to sell it for a better price. Otherwise, he wouldn't have contacted S.H.I.E.L.D. and helped them stab Oscorp in the back. Did he really expect S.H.I.E.L.D. to avoid using the research for military purposes and just lock it away?
"Ah, what a shame. They're all outdated, crude instruments. Otherwise, I'd have had my Scientist Template."
Li Si made a circuit of the train car. After confirming that all it contained was junk like temperature-controlled incubators, he sighed regretfully.
In truth, getting all the gene-fusion experiment files and the core Decay Formula was already a huge gain. But human desire was endless.
He searched the car once more, confirmed there was nothing else worth taking, then pulled out a small packet of dust and some tools to cover his tracks.
He dusted over the marks left by his touch and footsteps, carefully matching the color to the surrounding dust. Then he roughly restored the computer screen to how it had looked before and left.
With a rumble, the train car sank again, and silence returned.
It would probably be a long time before anyone came here again—likely not until the events of The Amazing Spider-Man 2 began.
[Notification: You read Richard Parker's gene-fusion experiment files and gained 3,000 targeted experience (Biochemical Knowledge); gained 1,000 targeted experience (Mathematical Knowledge).] [Notification: Your Biochemical Knowledge increased: LV2: (300/1000) → LV3 (2300/5000)] [Notification: Your Mathematical Knowledge increased: LV2: (530/1000) → LV3 (530/5000)]
After staying up all night and skimming through some of the files on the USB drive, Li Si's knowledge experience surged. Three notifications appeared in a row, sweeping away all his fatigue.
It was Saturday. Technically, it was a day off, but since there were elective classes, most students still had to work for their credits. Li Si no longer needed to worry about credits, but he'd signed up for quite a few electives.
Those electives weren't much use to him anymore, but dropping them meant going to the school to fill out a form. So he still had to make the trip today.
He washed up and headed out. By the time he arrived at Midtown School of Science and Technology, it was the morning rush, with students streaming into the school.
Amid the crowded flow, Li Si immediately spotted a familiar figure.
"Hey, Peter. Morning!"
Li Si squeezed through the crowd, grinned, and patted Peter Parker on the shoulder before quickly pulling his hand back.
"Ow! Li, what's that on your hand? You poked me."
Peter Parker cried out in pain and turned around.
"Uh... maybe it was a button on my sleeve. Sorry!"
Li Si smiled apologetically and put an arm around Peter Parker's shoulders as they walked on. With his other hand, he slipped an Oscorp-made micro-lancet into a culture dish he'd prepared in his pocket.
Oscorp's genetically modified spider had been engineered using Peter Parker's genes as a template. Li Si needed Peter's blood for comparison if he wanted to make sense of the files. Though he wasn't planning to focus on this field just yet, it was best to collect the blood as soon as possible.
After all, once Peter Parker became Spider-Man, his Spider-Sense would be hard to deal with. And once he learned how important his blood was, he'd guard it like a hawk. Without resorting to force, it would be difficult to get any.
"Peter, I need to stop by Mr. Pierce's office. Go on in without me!"
When they reached the classroom door, Li Si took his arm off Peter Parker's shoulder.
"Going to the office? What for?" Peter Parker asked, puzzled.
"I'm applying for Oscorp's Talent Development Program. I need to fill out an application and drop my weekend electives," Li Si replied.
"You're going to work for Oscorp? Makes sense—your grades are so good. Congratulations, man."
Peter Parker paused, a hint of sadness crossing his face.
"Don't be like that, Peter."
Li Si smiled wryly, then said helplessly, "It's not like we're parting forever. I'm just signing a part-time internship contract. I'll still come to my required classes as usual; I'll only be interning on weekends."
The Talent Development Program was nothing unusual. Many companies signed talent-pipeline agreements with schools, offering internships or even full-time positions to some of their top students. Some companies would even cover all tuition if students signed employment contracts early.
Oscorp was even more generous in this regard. Students at schools with which it had a talent-pipeline agreement could join as full employees as soon as they passed the interview. They could also work only on weekends to accommodate their studies, though the compensation and benefits were reduced considerably.
Before you continue