One hour later.
Stark Industries Building.
The CEO's Office.
Luca flipped through a report on the restructuring of the Osborn Group's assets.
The office door opened, and Jessica walked in carrying a cup of hot tea.
Jessica was more respectful than ever today.
She had received strict orders from above to dedicate herself entirely to her role as assistant.
But she knew that those above were definitely afraid of Luca's power.
"Boss, your tea."
Jessica carefully placed the teacup on the table, not daring to even lift her head.
Luca glanced at her and smiled slightly.
"What's wrong, Assistant Jones? Didn't you sleep well last night? You look terrible."
"No... no, boss. I'm fine," Jessica quickly replied.
"That's good. I still need you to continue contributing to Stark Industries."
Luca picked up his teacup, took a sip, and was about to continue reading the documents.
"Gentlemen."
JARVIS's gentle voice suddenly rang out in the office.
"Mr. Peter Mr. Parker is outside the door. He looks very down and requests to see you."
Luca raised an eyebrow.
" Peter? Wasn't he out chasing girls? Why does he look like he just lost his father today? Let him in."
The office door slid open.
Peter Parker walked in with his backpack on, head down, like a child who had done something wrong.
His eyes were red-rimmed, his hair was messy, and he looked lifeless, completely lacking the excitement he had shown when he received the new equipment.
" Mr. Luca..."
Peter walked to the desk and spoke in a hoarse voice.
"Have a seat," Luca said, gesturing to the sofa opposite him.
"What's wrong, Four Hundred Auntie? Did my flirting skills fail me? Did Mary Jane kick you out again?"
"No... it's not because of Mary Jane. We've made up."
Peter shook his head and covered his face in anguish.
"It's because of... Dr. Otto."
Peter took a deep breath and told Luca everything that had happened the night before.
From Dr. Otto's insistence on conducting nuclear fusion experiments, to suppressing the chip from shattering, and then to Otto being controlled by mechanical tentacles and turning into Doctor Octopus.
Finally, Peter recounted his battle with Doctor Octopus in the street.
"I could have subdued him..."
Peter with self-reproach and anguish, tears still welling in his eyes.
"My suit is completely effective against him. All I have to do is press the high-voltage shock button to paralyze those tentacles. But... but when I saw his face, I hesitated."
"He was my mentor, a good person. He only became like that because of an experimental accident. I couldn't bring myself to do it."
Peter looked up at Luca in a daze.
"Because I was soft-hearted, he ran away and even destroyed a building. Although I saved civilians, many people were still injured."
" Mr. Luca, what should I do?"
"I have power, but I don't know how to use it. I don't want to hurt anyone, but I've made things worse."
After Peter finished speaking, the office fell silent.
Jessica stood aside, watching this innocent and kind Spider-Man, and sighed inwardly.
This kid has no idea how cruel the world can be.
Luca leaned back in his chair, watching Peter contorted in pain.
Unlike traditional elders, he didn't go over and pat Peter on the shoulder, offering him a dose of motivational platitudes about the With great power comes great responsibility.
He knew that this kid needed a little stimulation to change his mindset.
Luca then gave a dismissive smile.
Then he slammed his hand on the desk, startling Peter.
"Bang!"
You're asking me what to do?
Luca stood up and looked down at Peter.
" Peter Parker, do you think you're so great?"
"Do you think that letting a mentor who has turned into a monster go free demonstrates your noble morality?!"
"I... I didn't..." Peter stammered, trying to explain.
"Shut up!"
Luca interrupted him without hesitation.
"Your kindness, if not used wisely, is a crime against the innocent!"
Luca walked around the desk to Peter, pointed at him, and uttered words that were utterly scathing.
"You think you're saving him by showing mercy? No, you're planting a time bomb in New York!"
"What rubbish, Dr. Otto? My dad invented an artificial sun decades ago, even if it was cold fusion. But that's not important."
"The important thing is, your advisor is a complete and utter idiot! He can't even handle a simple reactor?!"
" Tony made one of these worthless things by hand in a run-down cave in Afghanistan. They're even close to developing nanotech armor lately."
"And what happened to him? He was in New York, with the best labs and funding, and he still failed?!"
"To be honest, I'm very disappointed in you, Peter."
" The Justice League has two of the world's smartest geniuses, and you call a good-for-nothing your mentor."
At this point, Luca seemed to laugh in exasperation.
But in the end, he adjusted his breathing and looked at Peter with disappointment.
"Wake up, Spider-Man! Otto is no longer your mentor! He's a madman whose only thought is to ignite nuclear fusion!"
"If you let him go today because you're soft-hearted, tomorrow he might rob a bank, kill innocent civilians, or even blow up New York for experimental materials!"
"You think you're saving him, but you're actually indirectly causing the deaths of many more people."
Luca's words were like sharp knives, piercing Peter's heart.
"When that time comes, all those who died because of him will be held accountable! Because you personally let the murderer go free!"
Peter sat blankly on the sofa, his face pale.
I had never thought about the problem from this perspective before.
He always believed that superheroes should not kill people and should save everything.
After all, with great power comes great responsibility.
But Luca's words were like a bucket of ice water, waking him up.
Yes, mercy to the enemy is cruelty to the innocent.
"Listen, kid."
Seeing the wavering look in Peter's eyes, Luca softened his tone slightly.
"At Stark Industries, and within our Justice League, the only way to deal with a madman is to scatter his ashes!"
"We're not priests in a church, we're garbage collectors. When a dog has rabies, you can't hug it; you have to shoot it in the head without hesitation!"
"If you don't even have this much awareness, then you don't deserve to wear the battle armor I gave you. You should just go home and be your good boy!"
Peter lowered his head, his hands clenched into tight fists.
Although Luca's words were harsh, they were all true.
He finally realized that his ridiculous morality would only bring greater disaster in this cruel world.
"I understand, Mr. Luca."
Peter looked up, his eyes less innocent and more resolute.
"If I run into him again, I will definitely not hold back this time."
Seeing Peter's transformation, Luca nodded in satisfaction.
This child is teachable.
He didn't want the underling he had trained to be a useless person who was constantly being morally blackmailed.
Just then...
"Alarm! Alarm!"
JARVIS's urgent voice suddenly rang out in the office.
The holographic screen opened automatically, displaying an image of a large industrial park in the suburbs of New York.
"Sir, Stark Industries ' fifth energy depot in Queens is under attack by unidentified armed forces!"
On the screen, a monster with four mechanical tentacles on its back tore open the warehouse door, throwing several security personnel out in the process.
This is Doctor Octopus!
"He's trying to steal the tritium core from the warehouse! If he succeeds, he can reignite the out-of-control artificial sun!" JARVIS reported quickly.
Upon seeing Doctor Octopus on the screen, Peter suddenly stood up, a flash of anger in his eyes.
"He's causing trouble again!"
Peter turned to look at Luca, his tone firm.
" Mr. Luca, let me go! I'll personally subdue him this time!"
Luca shook his head and gave a cold laugh.
He then picked up his coat and casually put it on.
"No, kid, this time, I'll take you myself."
Luca patted Peter on the shoulder.
"Today, Professor Stark will personally give you a hands-on lesson."
"I'm going to teach you what Stark- style salvation is."