Chapter 7
Li Ye thought of Spider-Man from the films and comics. No matter how many hardships he endured, he always clung to his motto: "With great power comes great responsibility!"
"Eh?"
Spider-Man looked at him, clearly puzzled.
"One day, you'll understand!"
"Oh, by the way, Spider-Man, fancy having a bit of a sparring session with me?"
Li Ye asked with a smile.
"Why? We're not enemies, after all!"
Spider-Man replied, eyeing him suspiciously.
"I just want to see how powerful you really are! It'll be beneficial for you, too. You probably haven't sparred against someone on the same level. In future, your enemies will have all sorts of superpowers—far different from the street-level thugs you're used to dealing with."
"Future? How on earth would you know that?"
Spider-Man asked, even more intrigued.
"Oh, well! I've got the ability to foresee the future, you see!"
Li Ye replied, half-jokingly.
"Impossible! According to elementary particle physics…"
Spider-Man began launching into a string of scientific terms in an attempt to refute him.
"Stop!" Li Ye interrupted immediately, looking faintly amused.
"So, are you in or not?" he asked impatiently.
"Absolutely!"
Spider-Man backflipped with a grin, eager to test his skills.
When Spider-Man battled criminals, he always held back, knowing full well his own strength. After all, he could lift a truck weighing dozens of tonnes, and if he wasn't careful, he might easily turn his opponents into mince.
"Come at me!" Li Ye taunted.
In a flash, Spider-Man launched twin strands of web towards him.
Li Ye dodged with barely a movement, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Surely, Spider-Man, you didn't think that move would catch me?"
"Of course not! That was just a warm-up!"
It turned out Spider-Man hadn't intended to strike him directly. Instead, he'd used the webs to anchor himself to a nearby building, pulling with all his might and launching himself feet-first towards Li Ye.
Li Ye didn't even flinch. A gravitational barrier sprang up before him.
"Boom!"
Spider-Man's kick collided with the barrier, creating a thunderous impact.
Li Ye held his ground effortlessly. Even the Hulk's strength couldn't escape from his gravitational snare.
"What's going on?"
Spider-Man looked genuinely stunned.
"Oh, it's just one of my abilities. Careful now!"
Li Ye replied casually, before delivering a forceful punch.
"Bam!"
His fist struck Spider-Man squarely in the chest, sending him flying.
'Blimey, that was some punch!'
Spider-Man was nearly knocked out as he went hurtling backward. Just before colliding with a building, he managed to fire off a web to halt his momentum, swinging back to face his opponent.
"Li Ye, that was uncalled for!" Spider-Man complained, rubbing his chest.
"Oh, really? I haven't even shown you my true strength yet!" Li Ye replied with a smirk.
In truth, he wasn't even using a tenth of his power. But he wasn't about to admit that—it might scare the poor lad away. He merely wanted to rough him up a bit in the name of friendly sparring.
"You monster!" Spider-Man muttered, before vaulting through the air and manoeuvring behind Li Ye to attempt a grapple.
"Gotcha now! Surrender, Li Ye!"
Spider-Man's grappling skills would leave the average person completely immobilised.
But Li Ye was far stronger. He broke free with a single effortless tug.
"Impossible!" Spider-Man exclaimed, genuinely bewildered.
Li Ye promptly seized Spider-Man by the shoulder and flung him over, sending him spinning through the air. Spider-Man had to wrap his web around a lamppost, spinning ten times before he finally slowed down.
"That's it, I'm done! There's no point—I'm no match for you!"
Seeing Li Ye ready for another round, Spider-Man quickly threw up his hands.
"Admitting defeat already? We've barely begun!" Li Ye said, slightly disappointed.
"You just want an excuse to wallop me!" Spider-Man retorted indignantly, nursing the marks where he'd been grappled.
"Fair enough, let's leave it here for now." Li Ye replied, looking only mildly appeased.
"You're a right menace!" Spider-Man quipped, sitting down and shaking his head.
"Oh, by the way, earlier you said you were a hero 'for fun'. What exactly do you mean by that?" Spider-Man asked, genuinely curious.
"It means just what it says. Unlike you, I'm not some poor soul scraping by. I'm a billionaire, and I live life on my own terms. Being a hero is merely a pastime for me. I'm not bound by anyone or anything—if I feel like helping, I help; if not, I walk away."
(Nick Fury: That's my money he's talking about, the cheeky devil!)
"You smug git!" Spider-Man exclaimed, filled with envy.
"I must admit, you've got it made!" Spider-Man sighed.
"Though, isn't it a bit selfish? With all that power, yet no inclination to help others?" Li Ye queried, pretending to ponder.
Spider-Man replied with conviction, "A hero's a hero as long as they help others, regardless of their reasons. You saved countless people last night—that's more than enough."
He didn't believe in forcing anyone to adopt his motto. With great power comes great responsibility was a creed he reserved for himself, a principle his Uncle Ben had instilled in him.
"Spider-Man, I respect that. If you ever find yourself up against a foe too tough to handle, just give me a shout. I've got your back!"
Li Ye patted him on the shoulder with a grin, almost like an older brother saying, I've got you covered, little one!
"Oi! I'm not your little brother, you know!"
Spider-Man slapped his hand away, muttering indignantly. The two continued chatting, exchanging contact details before Li Ye soared off into the sky.
---
Returning to his villa, Li Ye took in the vast, empty space. Though he wasn't fazed—he was quite used to solitude. If any typical nerd had gained the powers of the Rat Talisman, they might have resurrected their fictional "wives". But, alas, it was Li Ye who wielded that ability.
Though he'd watched a few romantic series in his previous life, he'd never fallen for any paper-cut heroine, nor did he have a favourite "waifu." Thus, for him, the Rat Talisman held little appeal. The resurrected were hardly suitable for combat, so they were of little use to him.
Stretching, he switched on the telly, keen for a bit of entertainment. The news flashed on:
"Billionaire and Stark Industries' head, Iron Man Tony Stark, will be participating in the 'F1 Monaco Grand Prix' tomorrow in Monaco."
Iron Man 2 was about to unfold!
Tony Stark's reactor was poisoning him, and he believed he had but a few months to live. Consequently, he'd relinquished control of his company to his lover and secretary, Pepper Potts, and was living life to the fullest, throwing himself recklessly into a dangerous racing tournament.
After a moment's thought, Li Ye looked up Monaco's location on his phone, deciding he'd pay the flamboyant billionaire a visit. As someone who'd given his life to save others, Tony Stark had left a deep impression on Li Ye. A sacrificial spirit like that was something Li Ye couldn't comprehend.
If ever faced with a choice that would cost him his life to save others, Li Ye would likely turn his back on them all without a second thought. This was Li Ye—self-preserving, pragmatic, and unabashedly selfish.
Follow My Patreon For More Chapters (5) Ahead Of The Platform: https://www.patreon.com/Demonice_Gu?utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator