The conversation with Dr. Octavius was a great success.
Although he didn't give a direct answer, his actions spoke louder than words.
Right after his discussion with Peter, he made a phone call.
Peter had no idea who he was calling, but it was probably Norman Osborn's secretary or perhaps his butler.
In any case, after a short while, Dr. Octavius informed him that an afternoon meeting had been arranged.
During lunch, in high spirits, Dr. Octavius warmly invited Peter to stay and join him for the meal.
Peter, who had been wondering how to deal with lunch, didn't hesitate and gladly accepted.
It was amusing when he thought about it.
Here he was, wearing a vibranium suit worth billions, carrying two singular, universe-level artifacts, yet troubled over something as simple as lunch.
Was this the legendary "there's no such thing as a free lunch"?
Sure, he wasn't as brilliant as Pepper, Dr. Octavius, or Black Panther T'Challa, but he was hardly an idiot.
Making money!
He needed to make money!
Ideally, he should establish a company in every universe so that no matter where he ended up, he wouldn't have to worry about this again.
So, the next goal would be forming an interdimensional task force and founding an interdimensional tech company?
After lunch, Peter and Dr. Octavius drove to meet Norman Osborn.
The destination was a building in Manhattan, over twenty stories tall, though at first glance, it resembled an apartment complex.
However, this was an affluent area of New York.
Many wealthy individuals from the UK had peculiar tastes. Instead of living in standalone houses, they preferred luxury suites in buildings that resembled apartment complexes.
Maybe it was because this setup reduced the risk of unexpected intrusions.
Peter observed his surroundings as he followed Dr. Octavius into the building.
After taking the elevator to the seventeenth floor, they arrived in front of what seemed like a "castle within a building."
Indeed, standing before them was a grand door reminiscent of a castle gate, guarded by an energetic elderly butler.
"Dr. Otto Octavius, Mr. Peter, please follow me," the butler greeted them without the slightest surprise.
Peter knew exactly why.
His spider-sense had already informed him that the moment they stepped into the building, numerous surveillance cameras had been monitoring them.
This meant their arrival had been known from the start, and it was likely that identity verification and security assessments had already been completed.
Without any security checks, they were directly escorted into the room.
Passing through a lavish living room filled with rare antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and ornaments, Peter finally met this universe's Norman Osborn.
Norman Osborn of the Extraordinary Universe was, in fact, a rather tragic figure.
In this universe, unlike his counterparts in other realities who became the Green Goblin, he succumbed to illness and died.
His son, Harry Osborn, inherited the mantle, becoming the Extraordinary Universe's Green Goblin.
And the root of it all traced back to Garfield Spider's father, Richard Parker.
Years ago, Richard Parker and Curt Connors worked together in Oscorp's biological laboratory, researching cross-species genetic transfer technology.
The ultimate goal of this research was to develop a genetic drug capable of curing Norman Osborn's hereditary family disease.
However, Richard Parker later discovered that Norman Osborn had another motive beyond this—he was collaborating with the British military to mass-produce super soldiers using the drug and deploy them on foreign battlefields.
Unwilling to see his research used for unjust warfare, Richard Parker decided to take the research data and, along with his wife, boarded a plane to secure the information elsewhere.
Tragically, they were intercepted mid-flight, and the plane crashed, killing both of them.
As a result, Norman Osborn lost his best chance at an early cure for his hereditary illness.
Without the crucial "zero-degeneration rate" formula, Curt Connors—who had only been responsible for part of the project—spent over a decade trying unsuccessfully to fully replicate the original research.
Before coming here, Peter had heard from Dr. Octavius that Norman Osborn was actually not even fifty years old this year.
But now, seeing Norman Osborn in person, Peter was shocked to find him looking withered and frail, like an eighty-year-old bedridden man.
If there was one word to describe him, it was decrepit.
It felt as if he could breathe his last at any moment.
Yet, despite his fragile state, Norman Osborn was half-sitting against his headboard, and when he saw Peter and his companion arrive, a faint but piercing gleam flickered in his half-squinted eyes.
"Do you have a way to save me?" he asked directly, his gaze locked onto Peter.
"Yes, and the chances are quite good," Peter replied without hesitation, nodding.
"Name your price. Money? I can give you a billion dollars! Power? I can use Oscorp's influence to have you elected as governor!" Norman Osborn instantly slipped into the role of a businessman.
For most people, that offer would have been irresistible.
A billion dollars is no small sum in any era.
Considering this was 2012, with inflation not as severe as it would be a decade later, that amount had even greater purchasing power.
Oscorp, one of New York's top corporations, was valued at just a few hundred billion dollars at most.
A billion dollars in liquid assets would be a significant hit, even for Oscorp.
Moreover, Oscorp wasn't solely under Norman Osborn's control.
As for power, the United States has fifty states, each with just one governor—making it clear how valuable that position is.
Peter recalled a movie he'd seen called Bruce Almighty, where the protagonist, despite being broke and having nothing, managed to win an election using nothing but his silver tongue.
Being a governor was, of course, a step above that, but for a corporation like Oscorp, it might actually be easier.
After all, with enough money and influence, anything was possible.
Anyone familiar with U.S. politics would understand.
For those who don't… well, that's a conversation for another time.
Peter's goal, however, was crystal clear.
He shook his head. "I don't need that much money, and I have no interest in becoming a governor."
"No interest in money or power? Then what do you want? Women?" Norman Osborn's sharp eyes stayed fixed on Peter, like an old fox waiting for a chick to reveal its weakness.
Peter shook his head slightly. "Aren't you worried I'm just messing with you? What if I don't have a cure after all?"
(End of Chapter)
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