"Peter, Harry's good friend. The kid who understands my research reports. You came here specifically to see me today; what's the matter?"
Inside Norman Osborn's office at Oscorp, Norman sat with his legs crossed, looking at Peter sitting across from him.
Initially, Harry was in the office too, but since he figured they would be discussing scientific research that he couldn't understand, he decided to leave and let them talk alone.
"Mr. Osborn, I'd like to borrow some of Oscorp's equipment to set up a small lab," Peter said.
Norman frowned at this request. "At Oscorp, only a project leader has the authority to build their own lab. I'm not sure why you're asking me this. Isn't your school's research environment sufficient for your work?"
To Norman, Peter understanding his research reports made him stand out from the average person, but at the end of the day, he was still just a college student. How exceptional could a college student really be? Tony Stark excluded.
"Take a look at this first."
Peter pulled a notebook from his pocket and flipped to a page filled with densely written formulas.
Norman accepted it with little interest at first, but as he glanced over it, his expression grew serious. His posture shifted from his casual leg-crossing to a formal, upright position.
As a leading expert in the field of life sciences and genetic research, Norman understood exactly what these formulas represented.
"Did you write this?" Norman asked in surprise.
"Not all of it. Part of it was discovered by my mentor, and I built on his foundation, deriving new conclusions and reverse engineering others," Peter explained.
"Who's your mentor?" Norman asked.
"Kurt Connors," Peter replied.
Norman thought for a moment. "The Connors from State University, the one researching regenerative technology?"
Peter nodded.
"So why did he send you here alone? Believe me, with what's written here, you two could easily lead your own team."
Norman was clearly impressed. He alone grasped the value of Peter's notes. Noticing Peter's silence, Norman keenly sensed something was wrong.
"Did something happen to Dr. Connors? Is that why you came here alone?"
At this point, Norman even changed the way he referred to Connors.
After some contemplation, Peter realized that if he wanted to conduct experiments at Oscorp, he would need to be honest with Norman.
Norman listened patiently as Peter explained everything, including how Oscorp had pulled its funding from Connors' research.
"Scientific experiments inherently carry risks, especially genetic experiments, which are particularly dangerous. As a pioneer in this field, I have great respect for Dr. Connors," Norman said thoughtfully.
"Peter, believe me, if I had known your research had come this far, I wouldn't have pulled the funding. The board can be truly infuriating..."
Grinding his teeth, Norman continued, "Peter, I'll provide you with a lab and all the equipment and tools you need. But I have one condition."
Peter nodded, signaling Norman to continue.
"All of the experimental data you gather from your research must be shared with me. My own work currently requires data like yours to support it."
Without hesitation, Peter agreed. "Of course, Mr. Osborn."
The two shook hands, solidifying their collaboration.
"You're Harry's friend, so just call me Uncle from now on," Norman said, no longer underestimating the young man in front of him.
"I hope your serum succeeds in returning Dr. Connors to normal. I'm sure he and I would have plenty to talk about."
"I believe so too..." Peter responded.
Peter's goal was to use Oscorp's resources to develop an anti-genetic serum to restore Dr. Connors to his human form. It was the only way he could think of to save Dr. Connors.
Beyond that...
There were no other options.
...
At Alan's Home
At this moment, Gwen was running on the treadmill by herself. Although she was running, her expression clearly showed that she was upset.
Just earlier, under Alan's advances, she had expected him to kiss her.
However, at the last moment, Alan had said it was time to eat and went to the kitchen to cook. Her expectations were dashed, leaving her frustrated.
That bastard.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Alan was busy cooking and was also mentally swamped with frustration. It was just a matter of moments, and then, of all things, the Frog returned!
As Alan cooked, he opened the game and dismissed all the notifications. This time, the Frog had brought back a souvenir from its journey.
[T-Series Robot Design Blueprints]
- A souvenir from the world of "The Terminator," detailing the design of the Terminator T-Series robots.
(Note: Can be used by Red Queen to learn and combine with existing technology to master robot technology.)
"Now this is something good. Does this mean I might be able to create my own army of robots in the future?"
Alan was thrilled at the thought. If the design could actually be realized, these robots would be under his command through Red Queen.
Red Queen was designed to never betray or be hacked, which meant those robots would be completely loyal to him. This would prevent the kind of unexpected turn of events like Skynet turning against humanity as seen in "The Terminator" story.
Alan stored the souvenir carefully and then prepared some supplies for the Frog's next journey.
Due to being a bit low on funds at the moment, he didn't upgrade the Frog's abilities.
In the game, the Frog continued to write its diary at the desk. This made Alan curious—did the Frog actually write? What was it recording in its diary?
"System, can I enter the world inside the game?"
"Of course, host!"
...