"When are you planning to move out?" Ben Parker shifted the topic.
Xia Luo snapped back to reality. "Right now. I already found an apartment before I got here."
"Looks like you're in a rush."
"Yeah, the longer I stay, the less I know what's going to happen next."
As he spoke, Xia Luo headed to his room and began packing his belongings.
"I'll help you." Aunt May followed him in.
At the edge of the bed, Aunt May's attention was caught by a long object wrapped in clothing.
"What's this?"
Instinctively, she reached out, but Xia Luo quickly stopped her.
"Don't touch that," he said, carefully placing the object into his suitcase. "It's something a friend left behind."
"A good friend?" she asked.
"Yeah, a friend for life." Xia Luo's face grew serious.
Soon after, Xia Luo finished packing. He said his goodbyes to Ben and Aunt May, then stepped outside and flagged down a taxi.
Before getting in, he cast a thoughtful glance at Mary Jane's house.
"District Thirteen, Eisen Apartments, please," he told the driver, then pulled out his phone to make a call.
As the taxi drove away, Ben and Aunt May watched from the window, a sense of melancholy hanging in the air.
"Xia Luo has grown up," Aunt May said, her eyes misty with tears.
Ben draped a coat over her shoulders, offering a comforting smile. "Don't worry. He'll be fine. This day was bound to come."
"I know, but..."
Aunt May's voice trailed off. She leaned her head gently on Ben's shoulder.
"He'll always be a child in my eyes."
District Thirteen, Eisen Apartments.
Xia Luo dragged his suitcase into the elevator.
The fourteenth floor—an unlucky number for some.
But the realtor had spoken highly of the place, and the price was reasonable. With no time to waste, Xia Luo had rented it after seeing just a few pictures.
Ding
The elevator doors slid open, and Xia Luo stepped out, stopping in front of Unit 1404.
Before he could pull out his key, the door cracked open, revealing a silver-haired middle-aged man. He greeted Xia Luo with a broad smile.
"Mr. Parker, you're here earlier than expected! I haven't finished cleaning yet!" Walter Hardy said apologetically.
"Do real estate agents handle cleaning now?" Xia Luo asked, puzzled.
"It's my side job. Costs a bit extra."
"Ah, the struggles of middle age. I get it."
Following Walter inside, Xia Luo noted the mess. Trash was still strewn about, but the room's layout matched the pictures he'd seen. Overall, he was satisfied.
"Please, Mr. Parker, have a seat. I'll be done soon."
Walter gestured to a clean spot on the sofa. He then called out toward another room.
"Felicia, take out the trash!"
"Coming!" A girl's voice responded.
A young girl emerged from the room, broom in hand. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw Xia Luo sitting there in a red and blue jacket.
"Xia Luo Parker?" Felicia's expression turned curious.
Walter looked confused. "You two know each other?"
"I know him, but he probably doesn't know me," Felicia said as she bent down to gather up the garbage bags.
Walter glanced back at Xia Luo.
"Do you two know each other?"
Xia Luo shrugged, looking baffled. "Am I supposed to?"
He gave Felicia a once-over. For someone so young, she was surprisingly... developed. Ahem She had a head full of silver hair. Poor thing.
She did seem vaguely familiar, though.
Was it from the school forum?
Seeing Xia Luo's attention on Felicia's hair, Walter introduced her. "We're from Denmark. This is my daughter, Felicia Hardy."
Felicia's hands paused for a second.
"Xia Luo, you're quite popular among the senior girls. I've seen your selfies," Felicia said with a friendly smile before resuming her cleaning.
Xia Luo's face darkened. All this time, and people still remembered that incident?
Damn you, Norman!
Sensing the awkward tension, Walter hurried to finish cleaning, then took his daughter and quickly left.
After they were gone, Xia Luo brought his suitcase into the bedroom.
He found a hidden corner and stashed the wrapped spine securely, then started putting away his clothes.
Walter and Felicia... could they be...?
His thoughts trailed off as he finished unpacking.
Realizing the time, he changed his jacket and headed downstairs to catch a cab.
Half an hour later, he arrived at Empire State University, specifically Professor Curt Connors' lab.
"Oh, Xia Luo, thank you so much! Osborn Industries agreed to continue funding my research! You're a lifesaver!" Professor Connors greeted him warmly.
Seeing that Professor Connors looked well, Xia Luo smiled.
"Actually, it had nothing to do with me. You should thank Harry."
"Harry?" Connors looked puzzled.
"Yeah, he's the one who wanted to fund your work," Xia Luo explained.
"Oh, then I definitely need to thank him."
One of Connors' assistants chimed in. "Harry's on leave. He's not at school."
"Too bad. I'll wait until he's back—or I'll visit him at the office."
"Harry's in the hospital," Xia Luo mentioned.
"The hospital? All the more reason for me to visit him!"
Professor Connors grabbed his coat and rushed out. Xia Luo turned to the assistant.
"I'd like to use the lab equipment for a bit."
"Of course. The professor said it was fine."
Within half an hour, Xia Luo had synthesized enough artificial spider-silk protein and left the lab satisfied.
In the university hallway, a vaguely familiar face blocked his path.
"Xia Luo Parker!" The guy shouted.
"Do I know you?" Xia Luo asked, confused.
"I'm Jenny. Last time, you yanked down my pants and humiliated me in front of everyone!" Jenny said, gritting his teeth.
"Ohhh..."
Xia Luo nodded. "Now I remember. So, you're here to get back at me?"
"Of course! I've changed, and today I'm going to humiliate you just like you did to me!" Jenny puffed up his chest, a smug grin spreading across his face.
Xia Luo shrugged. "Who cares?"
He turned to leave.
"Don't you dare look down on me!" Jenny roared, throwing out his hand. White strands of webbing shot from his wrist, but before they could connect, Xia Luo sidestepped them.
At the same time, Xia Luo instinctively grabbed the trailing web. His expression shifted.
This is...
"What?"
Jenny was stunned that Xia Luo had dodged his sneak attack so easily.
He tried to yank the web back, but Xia Luo released it, causing Jenny to fall flat on his butt with a loud thud.
"Oww, damn it..."
Xia Luo's eyes narrowed. He noticed purplish-red spots on the back of Jenny's hand.
The bite mark of a mutated spider. A mark he knew all too well.
So, this guy... was a Spider-Man too?
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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