The Show Begins

New York's evenings possess a captivating charm, with the lingering rays of the setting sun casting a glow upon the bustling city, like a beautiful woman reluctant to depart.

Harry returned home dejected, looking utterly crestfallen, as if he had suffered a tremendous blow. His handsome young face was etched with a profound sense of loss.

Lately, Osborn Industries' stock price had been in a freefall. Following the exposure of the Green Goblin incident, public opinion had become overwhelmingly negative, with people directing their anger towards Osborn Industries. If they had managed their public relations properly, this wouldn't have been a major issue. However, his father had been holed up, seemingly indifferent to the company's crisis, spending his days in his room and refusing to see anyone.

Osborn Industries, leaderless, was now in a precarious state. It was rumored that many shareholders on the board were secretly contacting Wall Street bankers, preparing to break up and restructure the massive enterprise, which spanned multiple fields like bio-genetics and energy technology, for immense profit.

Knowing all this, Harry was incredibly anxious, but he had no solution to Osborn Industries' problems. To make matters worse, the young master of the Osborn family discovered that his girlfriend had an ambiguous relationship with his best friend, Peter.

Under this double blow, Harry felt utterly dispirited and his emotions plummeted. On one hand, his father's hard-earned business empire was in danger of collapsing. On the other hand, his long-time best friend was involved with the girl he loved in a murky relationship. These complex, tangled issues churned his mind into a mess.

"If only Sean were here," Harry thought, dragging his weary body.

Sean had been elusive lately, his whereabouts unknown. Even Gwen, who usually spent time with him, had no idea what he was up to. Without a trusted friend to confide in, Harry could only return home in a daze.

Meanwhile, in his upstairs bedroom, Norman Osborn, shut away from the world, clutched his head, his face contorted in pain. It was as if a terrible demon resided in his mind, constantly whispering.

The grotesque demon helmet hung on the chair, like Norman Osborn's alter ego. A sinister voice echoed in his ears—

"Spider-Man may be invincible, but we can destroy Peter Parker!" Not long ago, Norman had discovered Spider-Man's true identity: Peter Parker, his son's friend.

"I can't..." The CEO of Osborn Industries seemed to be enduring immense suffering.

"I will not tolerate betrayal! I must teach him a lesson!" The voice in his mind grew sterner.

Norman trembled. After a moment of silence, he turned and looked at the grotesque demon helmet, asking, "What should I do?"

"Teach him the meaning of pain and loss. Make him suffer, make him wish he were dead!"

Norman knelt before the demon helmet, as if submitting to an evil version of himself. The voice in his mind became clear: "Start with the people he cares about. That red-haired girl, Peter Parker's beloved!"

The Green Goblin's malevolent personality completely took over, dominating Norman Osborn's consciousness and body. He donned the grotesque demon helmet, unleashing all the inner rage and negative emotions.

"Tonight, New York is mine to command!"

The night breeze blew gently as Sean and Gwen strolled through the streets, carrying bags. Neon lights flickered with dazzling brilliance, and colorful billboards reflected the prosperity and liveliness of New York City.

After a busy day, Sean had planned to go straight home. However, he ran into Gwen, who was heading to the mall for some shopping. At her invitation, he ended up buying a pile of snacks, drinks, and comic books. The little girl at home had been well-behaved recently, so she deserved a reward.

"I live with my cousin in Canada. Her parents died in a car accident, and she has no other relatives, so she had to come live with me. It's too pitiful to send such a young child to an orphanage."

Sean explained with a poker face, a hint of pity in his eyes, as if saddened by his cousin's unfortunate circumstances. His acting was so superb, he could win an Oscar.

"You know, I lost my parents when I was very young. So whenever I see Mindy, I see my younger self."

Sean sighed, a look of sorrow appearing on his face, as if recalling some painful past. Gwen, standing beside him, felt both sympathy and admiration. Despite facing so much misfortune in life, this young man hadn't gone astray; instead, he faced life positively, which was truly admirable!

Seeing that Gwen had completely bought his story, Sean secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He figured this warm and generous blonde girl wouldn't be secretly inquiring about his family situation anymore.

Because Sean had staged a romantic "hero saves the damsel" scene at the carnival, Gwen had been paying a lot of attention to him, while showing no interest in Peter, who was supposed to be with her. Their relationship remained at the level of ordinary friends.

Every time Sean encountered the young and inexperienced Spider-Man, he felt like he was stealing someone's girlfriend, but given his personality, he felt no guilt whatsoever.

"Oh, right, what have you and Dr. Connors been busy with lately? I hardly see you around." The girl asked curiously, holding a pile of groceries and CDs.

"Dr. Connors found the formula for the decay rate algorithm, but he still can't resolve the conflict and rejection issues in bio-genetics. That's what he and I have been working on recently."

Sean said in a relaxed tone. He had given the decay rate algorithm formula to Connors precisely because he wanted to leverage his research capabilities to complete this historically groundbreaking experimental project.

Gwen gasped, covering her mouth. She hadn't expected that Sean, who had only recently started as an intern, would be so deeply involved in the experimental process. For a student who hadn't even graduated yet, it was practically unheard of.

The two strolled through the bustling streets of New York, chatting about amusing anecdotes from school. They occasionally touched upon the complicated relationships between Harry, Peter, and Mary Jane, and before they knew it, the cheerful and pleasant atmosphere turned subtly awkward, with a faint, ambiguous aura permeating the air between them.

"Um... Sean!"

Gwen suddenly called out to the young man walking ahead. The usually lively and beautiful blonde girl now had a hint of innocent shyness. Even Sean, who had maintained his composure, couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

Just as Gwen was gathering her courage to confess her feelings, a shrill police siren pierced the night sky. Several police cars broke through the congested traffic, heading towards the Brooklyn Bridge not far away.

"Something seems to have happened."

Sean narrowed his eyes. With his eyesight, he could see a massive crane operating on the Brooklyn Bridge, with a school bus seemingly suspended outside the bridge.

In the hazy night sky, a figure moved up and down, with two tiny points of light flickering.

Is that... the Green Goblin?

A faint smile curved Sean's lips. Seeing the perilous sight of the school bus being hoisted high above the Brooklyn Bridge by the crane, he had a hunch.

Is the show about to begin?