Dr. Lane's office.
"Doctor Strange? Do you have a high opinion of him?" Peter asked Dr. Lane. "Why would you recommend him otherwise?"
Ryan shook his head. "Actually, I don't think very highly of him. But the wealthy people he has treated certainly appreciate him."
Peter looked surprised. "You're questioning another doctor's ethics?"
Without noticing Peter's reaction, Dr. Lane continued with a hint of disdain, "He's a cold and indifferent doctor."
"I see." Peter nodded. "I dislike this colleague of yours."
"Well, a conceited person like him will eventually find himself in a desperate situation," Dr. Lane added bitterly.
"He's not well-liked; he's all about efficiency."
Peter thought for a moment before responding, "Maybe, but let's hope your curse doesn't come true."
In the future, Strange would lose the use of his hands in a car accident, ending his career as a surgeon, and leaving him directionless—if not for his discovery of magic, he would have been lost forever.
"Thank you for your diagnosis, Dr. Lane." Peter gathered the CT scans and put away the fruit knife he'd used on his palm, preparing to leave. "Charge the fees to the usual account. See you next time." With that, he opened the door and walked out.
Meanwhile, a man in a black trench coat was making his way quickly down the corridor toward Strange.
With a sudden, swift motion, the masked man thrust a shining dagger towards Strange's chest.
Strange, seeing the dagger at the last moment, instinctively raised his arms to block the blow.
The blade sliced into his palm, and blood sprayed out.
The attacker, seeing his initial strike fail, swung his left fist toward Strange's face.
Despite the pain in his hand, Strange managed to lean back just in time, causing the punch to miss and slam into the wall behind him. He heard the snap of the man's fingers breaking, like a branch being snapped over a knee.
Frustrated, the attacker lunged forward, intending to stab Strange again.
Strange staggered back, struggling to regain his balance, as the dagger aimed for his wrist. Panic welled up inside him—if his hands were injured, he'd lose everything, including his ability to practice medicine.
In the hospital corridor, everyone was stunned by the sudden fight. Nurses quickly called security, while patients scattered in fear.
Just as Strange was on the verge of despair, a pair of hands reached out from behind him.
With a loud "bang," these hands—delicate yet firm—grasped the attacker's wrist.
The man in the trench coat looked at the newcomer in shock. He tried to pull away but couldn't budge.
Strange, too, was taken aback. He turned around to see Peter Parker standing behind him.
Peter had left quite an impression on Strange from their previous encounter, so he recognized him immediately.
"Let go!" the attacker hissed through clenched teeth, glaring at Peter with bloodshot eyes.
Peter looked at him coldly before letting go. But before the man could react, Peter casually punched him in the chest.
"Bang!"
The blow sent the trench-coated man staggering backward, as if he'd been struck by lightning. He crashed into a wall, then slumped to the ground, struggling to move but too weak to get up.
Glaring at Peter with a mix of fear and resentment, the man was powerless. Peter turned his attention to Strange, who was clutching his bleeding hand, stunned by what he had just witnessed.
"What kind of strength is this?!" Strange thought, still in shock.
"Are you alright, Doctor Strange?" Peter asked.
Strange exhaled heavily. "I'm fine... it's just a surface wound. Thank you, Mr. Parker." Recalling how Peter had helped him during his brother's car accident, he realized this was the second time he owed him.
"If not for you, my hands might have been..." Strange said, looking down at his trembling hands with lingering fear.
Peter gave a slight nod. "You're welcome. It was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. I couldn't stand to see such skilled hands get destroyed. I might even need your 'Hands of God' in the future."
Strange was caught off guard by Peter's blunt explanation of his motives.
"Well... that's honest," he thought, speechless.
"Oh my God, Strange, are you alright?" came a panicked voice from the corridor.
Several security guards rushed over to detain the attacker, while Christine hurried up to Strange, worry etched on her face.
"I'm fine, thanks to Mr. Parker's help," Strange explained to Christine as he recounted the incident.
After expressing his gratitude and giving Peter his business card, Strange allowed Christine to bandage his wound.
As the situation settled down, the crowd of onlookers dispersed. Peter pocketed the business card and turned to leave.
Among the crowd, a man in a black suit and red sunglasses had been observing everything. As everyone left, he focused on Peter's retreating figure.
Sensing the attention, Peter stopped and turned to face the man in the red sunglasses. For a moment, the man felt a shiver of unease, as though he had caught the attention of a higher power. Feeling the warning in his gut, he quickly turned away and left.
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