Solution

"Dr. Otto!" Peter looked at Otto in delighted surprise. He was alright!

Otto looked at Peter in his Spider-Man suit, and another wave of pain shot through his head. He remembered... remembered the terrible things he had done, and instantly understood Peter's identity.

"Peter, Spider-Man? Clever little slacker..." Otto's face was pale. Soaking in the water, he looked at Peter with some guilt.

"I'm glad you're alright, Dr. Otto." Peter smiled happily, like an innocent child, even though he had just been thrown around badly.

"Cough, cough... This isn't the time to catch up. The urgent thing is to stop this device first..."

Li Nian looked gravely at the massive machine that had already started up.

Objects all around them were continuously being drawn in and dragged toward the device. Even Li Nian could feel an inexplicable pulling force.

Otto struggled to his feet, muttering shakily, "No... no... That's my life's work... my dream..." He stretched out a hand, trying to grasp that blazing ball of fire that constantly radiated violent energy.

In Otto's eyes, this was not merely an admirable experiment. It was the meaning of his life. It felt like... like... the sun!

"Otto..."

Peter stared blankly at Dr. Otto, but in the end, reason overcame emotion.

"Sometimes, for justice and greater causes, we have to sacrifice the little self and give up the things we cherish, even our dreams..."

"Dr. Otto, if your wife is watching from heaven, she definitely wouldn't want to see you like this..."

Peter's heartfelt words finally shook Otto's rock-hard heart.

"You're right... I have to... I have to stop myself..."

The three spider-like claws behind Otto danced viciously as they dragged his pale, weak body upright. Staggering unsteadily, he walked toward his sun.

"I never told you to sacrifice yourself. If you want to play hero, use your brain!" Li Nian decisively stopped Otto and had Peter keep a close eye on him so he would not do anything foolish.

Li Nian floated before the device, his eyes transforming into scanners as they analyzed its structure. This thing was actually similar to Stark's core. Many parts shared the same principles, but Otto did not have a mind like Stark's...

"There shouldn't be much of a problem if I modify it according to Stark's design..." Li Nian had replaced Vision's original consciousness, but his current consciousness was actually still a fusion of his past life, Ultron, and JARVIS's three modes of thought. When Stark had built the nuclear reactor back then, JARVIS had retained the relevant data.

Using the data in his mind, Li Nian continuously adjusted the values of the nuclear energy experiment. At the same time, the Mind Stone constantly released energy to form a protective shield. This was a new application Li Nian had discovered.

The shield enveloped both him and the device. That way, if any uncontrollable accident occurred, he could immediately throw the device into the river.

Li Nian frowned. He discovered that Otto's experiment did not have any major problems. Only a few details had gone wrong, but those tiny errors made the experiment impossible to succeed.

Li Nian modified the data according to Stark's method, racing against time. The suction force of the nuclear energy device had already reached a terrifying level. Li Nian had to concentrate completely, constantly changing his body's density to evade the immense pull.

"Impossible... New York is doomed... Let go of me! I'll be buried here with it!" Dr. Otto struggled to break free from Peter's restraint, but how could his frail body possibly escape Peter? He could only watch helplessly as that strange man messed around with his device.

"Calm down, Doctor. You can't help like this..." Peter held Otto tightly. He had failed to accomplish many of the things Li Nian had asked of him. This was something he had to do!

Otto had no choice but to watch as the nuclear energy glow grew brighter and brighter, as though it might explode at any moment.

As every second passed, less than two minutes had clearly gone by, yet Li Nian felt as though a year had passed.

"It's too late!" Otto could no longer bear to watch. He quietly closed his eyes and waited for death to come.

His mind replayed every little moment of the past few years. In the end, he would still go to hell together with his dream. He only hoped he would not see his wife there...

The power of the nuclear energy reached its peak. Peter saw a blinding flash of white light, and his skin felt a searing burn, but an instant later...

"..." Otto only felt a momentary burst of heat before the sensation vanished... No, it was more accurate to say that all the excess sensations vanished. Everything simply felt normal, as ordinary as eating and drinking.

Otto hesitantly opened his eyes, only to witness a sight he would never forget for the rest of his life. Even many years later, that scene still deeply stirred his soul...

He saw the stars...

"Peter! Go buy some milk, cheese, and bread. The refrigerator is almost empty!" Aunt May sat on the sofa, wearing reading glasses. With a kindly expression, she carefully stitched a sweater, stitch by stitch. It was for Peter. The weather had turned cold, and Aunt May was afraid he would catch a cold, so she had started making it some time ago.

"Okay!" Peter's voice came from upstairs, followed by a noisy commotion that made the ceiling thump and bang.

Aunt May looked up, smiled kindly, shook her head, and paid it no mind.

After bustling around for a while, Peter put on his brand-new shirt and a jacket, then happily headed out.

"Hi, Peter!"

"Hi, Li Nian!"

Li Nian stepped out of the house next to Peter's and greeted him with a smile. He had already bought the neighboring house as a long-term residence. After all, he had not found a way to return yet. It was best to stay close to Peter so they could look after each other, and occasionally carry out hero work together.

"Going to see Mary Jane's stage play today?"

"Yeah, I made plans with her."

Peter said it with a face full of happiness. After the Otto incident, he had finally faced his own feelings, confessed to Mary Jane, and admitted that he was Spider-Man.

Mary Jane was a strong and brave woman. Though she had been shocked by Peter's confession, she was still willing to face reality together with him.

Peter felt that he would never forget the sight of Mary Jane standing outside in a wedding dress, her face filled with a smile. That day, Peter believed, had been the happiest day of his life.

Li Nian helplessly shook his head. A young boy in love...