New York City was still steeped in the chill of morning, but Midtown High School was already bustling with activity. Students returning to campus after winter break gathered in small groups, sharing stories from their vacation.
Lin Hai, Peter, Harry, and Gwen sat on a bench behind the school building, enjoying the last bit of leisure before classes began.
"Time really flies." Peter took a bite of his sandwich and spoke through it, his words muffled. "It feels like winter break barely started. How is it already over?"
Harry lounged against the bench as sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting mottled shadows across his face. "At least this winter was fairly peaceful. Nothing major happened."
Lin Hai smiled without replying. Enjoy the peace while it lasts. Things will get plenty busy later.
Gwen flipped through the notebook in her hands, then suddenly looked up. "By the way, there's something I want to hear your opinions on."
At lunchtime, the four of them went up to the school rooftop. Gwen took a document from her bag and passed it around.
"Osborn Group offered me a contract," she explained. "If I agree to join them directly after graduation, they'll cover all my expenses from high school through college. That means once I sign it, as long as I don't buy any pointless luxury goods, Osborn Group will reimburse all my other reasonable expenses."
Peter's eyes widened, and he nearly choked on his own saliva. "W-What? Isn't that a little ridiculous?!"
Harry took the contract and skimmed through it quickly, then shrugged. "The terms really are good, but Osborn has always been willing to invest in talent."
Lin Hai did not rush to offer an opinion. Instead, he carefully read through the contract terms. The conditions were indeed generous, but one clause caught his attention—"The signatory must work for Osborn Group for at least ten years after graduation."
Watching the reactions of the other three, Gwen continued, "My parents said they respect my decision, but I want to hear what you think."
Gwen's family had always supported her unconditionally. She had been sensible since childhood, consistently excelled in her studies, and had always had a mind of her own. The Stacy family believed she could handle her own affairs. Even if Gwen refused the contract, they believed she could earn that money elsewhere. Truly capable people never had to worry about such things.
Peter was the first to raise his hand. "I think you should sign it! God, it's full funding! If I had an opportunity like that, Aunt May wouldn't have to work so hard..."
Harry smiled and handed the contract back to Gwen. "As your friend, I support whatever decision you make. But as a member of the Osborn family, I have to remind you that once you sign this contract, you'll be tied to Osborn for the next ten years."
Gwen nodded, then finally turned her gaze to Lin Hai. His opinion mattered most to her. "Lin, what do you think?"
Lin Hai looked into Gwen's beautiful, expectant eyes and found himself unable to withstand them. Taking a deep breath, he said, "My advice is... don't sign it."
He carefully chose his words. "Not because the benefits are bad or anything else, but because..." He paused, his gaze sweeping across the three of them.
"Our futures may take us farther than we imagine."
Peter blinked. "What do you mean?"
Naturally, Lin Hai could not explain that he knew many things that would happen in the future, so he could only speak vaguely. "Think about it. Gwen's abilities have long surpassed those of an ordinary intern. Professor Connors is even willing to give her a formal position. With skills like hers, how many opportunities will she have in the future?"
He looked at Gwen. "If you sign this contract, you'll be locked into Osborn. But if you don't, who knows what we'll encounter next year, or the year after, once we graduate high school and enter college? Maybe one day, the four of us will have our own laboratory, maybe even our own company."
Before Gwen could react, Harry laughed. "You've got some serious ambition, huh? And if Osborn Group finds out you're trying to poach their young master, you'll be in trouble. But personally, I don't mind at all. I'm even looking forward to making something bigger with you guys than Osborn Group."
Peter looked stunned. This was a path he had never considered before, but when he thought about it carefully, it seemed pretty good.
Gwen fell into thought. She knew Lin Hai well and knew he would not say something like that without reason. More importantly, deep down, she also yearned for a wider sky rather than being bound by a contract.
"I understand." She put away the document and smiled resolutely. "Thank you for the advice. I've decided not to sign."
Peter scratched his head. "Even though I still think it's a little regrettable, being together is still more worth celebrating!"
After school, the four walked out through the school gates side by side. The setting sun stretched their shadows long behind them, as if foreshadowing the limitless possibilities of the future.
That evening, Gwen emailed Osborn Group and politely declined the contract. To her surprise, they replied quickly: "We respect your decision. The doors of Osborn Group will always remain open to you."
She sent a screenshot of the email to their group chat. Peter responded with a string of exclamation marks, while Harry sent a "wise choice" meme.
Lin Hai only replied with one sentence: "When we look back years from now, we definitely won't regret the choice we made today!"
The next day, Midtown High School's final exam rankings for the first semester landed like a bomb, causing a small storm within the group of four.
"First again?!" Peter grabbed his hair and stared at the rankings on the bulletin board in disbelief. "Gwen, how do you even do it? I studied really hard!"
Gwen shrugged, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. "Maybe I got lucky?"
Harry sighed and patted Peter on the shoulder. "Accept your fate, man. It's been this long. Can't you accept reality yet?"
Lin Hai looked at the eye-catching "1" beside Gwen's name on the rankings and shook his head helplessly. His own grades were not bad, but compared to a top student like Gwen, who scored near-perfect marks in almost every subject, he still fell far short.
"No, next time I'm definitely beating you!" Peter suddenly clenched his fist and declared solemnly.
Gwen blinked. "Sure. I'll be waiting."
Harry and Lin Hai exchanged a glance and sighed at the same time—they knew Peter had said those words at least ten times already, but he had never managed to follow through.
A month later, muffled impacts and pained cries echoed from the Osborn family's underground testing grounds.
Bang!
Harry's Nova Armor was struck by an emerald-green energy blast. He flew backward, rolling several times across the floor before stopping. He struggled to his feet, his face beneath the visor scrunched up in pain. "Lin! Can't you go a little easier on us?!"
Lin Hai withdrew his palm. "Enemies won't go easy on you in real combat."
On the other side, Peter barely dodged an energy blast with his Spider-Sense, but before he could steady himself, the second wave of attacks had already arrived. He performed an awkward side roll, yet his suit was still left with a scorched mark.
"That's not fair!" Peter protested. "You can attack from range, while we can only fight up close!"
Lin Hai grinned. "Then you need to figure something out."
This kind of "special training" had continued for nearly a month since school started. At first, Peter and Harry could still contend with Lin Hai through their equipment and skills, but as Lin Hai grew more proficient with Energy Projection, the two gradually became human punching bags.
Still, getting beaten up had not been without benefits. After every beating, the combat techniques they could use against enemies improved to some extent.
"Again!" Harry gritted his teeth and charged at Lin Hai.
Peter sighed, but still cooperatively shot out a web line. "I swear, once I can build an energy shield, the first thing I'll do is beat you up in return!"
Lin Hai laughed loudly. "I'll be waiting!"
On an ordinary weekday evening, the bell at the Chen-Style Chinese Medicine Clinic suddenly rang.
Lin Hai was sorting medicinal herbs in the backyard. Hearing the bell, he casually called out, "Master, we have a customer!"
Chen Bing walked out from the inner room, wiping the water from his hands. "Who would come by at this hour?"
The door opened.
A bald woman in a bright yellow robe stood at the entrance. Her eyes were calm as still water, yet seemed capable of seeing through everything.
"Sorry to disturb you." She spoke in Chinese, her voice gentle but impossible to ignore. "I'm looking for Lin Hai."
Lin Hai poked his head out from the backyard, and the moment he saw her, his pupils contracted sharply.
Because she was the Sorcerer Supreme, The Ancient One.
The air seemed to freeze. Chen Bing keenly sensed the change in atmosphere and stepped aside to clear a path. "Please, come in."
The Ancient One gave a slight nod and entered the clinic. Her gaze fell on Lin Hai, and a faint smile touched her lips. "It seems you know who I am."
Lin Hai swallowed and forced himself to remain calm. "Hello, yes, Sorcerer Supreme. Old Chen talked about you when I was in Ta Lo."
Good thing Old Chen really had talked about The Ancient One. Otherwise, there would have been no way to explain his reaction when he saw her.
In the clinic's backyard, The Ancient One held the tea Chen Bing had made and took a light sip.
"I cannot see your future," she said bluntly.
Lin Hai clenched his fists. "What does that mean?"
"It means exactly what it says." The Ancient One set down her teacup, her gaze profound. "I possess an ability that allows me to see the past and future, but I cannot see you."
"Not long ago, as usual, I used that ability to look into the future. The future I had seen countless times, once incomparably clear, became blurred. When I traced it back to its source, I found you, Lin Hai. But you needn't be nervous. For me, and perhaps for many others, this may even be a good thing. It means more possibilities, which is why I wanted to speak with you."
Outside the window, the last glow of the sunset gradually faded as night approached.
Before The Ancient One left, she placed a golden card the size of a business card on the table, engraved with mysterious runes.
"Saturday, at the New York Sanctum," she said. "If you are ready, bring this card and come find me. The address is 177 Bleecker Street in Manhattan."
After the door closed, silence filled the clinic.
Lin Hai picked up the card and took a deep breath. "Looks like my 'peaceful high school days' are about to end once again."
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