William did not stay at Stark Tower for long.
Tony was busy making Iron Man Suits in his Villa at the moment.
If it weren't for the people from S.H.I.E.L.D. coming to find him.
Mr. Stark would not bother to come to Manhattan.
William, who took a taxi home, had just walked into his apartment when his phone rang.
The caller ID this time made William pause.
Peter Parker.
"Mr. Rodriguez? I'm Peter, Peter Parker."
A slightly nervous, yet incredibly excited, teenage voice came through the phone.
"Peter, is something wrong?"
William sat on the sofa, his tone gentle.
"Uh... the claim I submitted yesterday, I received the subsidy today."
Peter's voice was full of confusion and surprise.
"My Aunt May said that her account suddenly had an extra $130, with a note saying 'Community Care Fund'? This... this is too fast, isn't it?"
William smiled inwardly.
The system's operation was quite user-friendly, even packaging the reason for the transfer in a grand and proper way.
"Yes, Peter. Your claim has been approved. How does your wrist feel now?"
"Much better, really much better! Thank you, Mr. Rodriguez!"
Peter's tone was noticeably more excited.
"But... is this really effective?
I mean, I just accidentally twisted my wrist.
The textbook only had a damaged corner... so much money... isn't it too much?"
"The purpose of insurance is to provide coverage for various small accidents in life, allowing you to receive timely help and comfort when misfortune strikes."
William explained patiently.
"Moreover, you were inadvertently injured because you helped a classmate. This act of chivalry itself deserves encouragement and protection."
The other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, seemingly digesting the words.
"Mr. Rodriguez," Peter's voice became a little hesitant, but with a hint of expectation, "I... I actually have another question for you."
"What question? Just ask."
"Do you... does your company have other insurance products? I mean... something a student like me can buy."
Here it comes. William chuckled inwardly, everything was under control.
"Of course. But before I recommend suitable products for you, I need to understand your specific situation and potential needs in more detail."
"For example, what kind of risks might you encounter in your daily life, or what do you foresee encountering in the future?"
"Risks?" Peter seemed to be stumped by the question.
He thought for a moment.
"Probably... traffic accidents that might occur on the way to school, and... oh, right!
Also, safety issues in experimental classes?
I've been particularly fascinated by various scientific experiments recently, and I plan to visit several famous research institutions this weekend, such as Oscorp's laboratories."
William's fingers, holding the phone, tightened almost imperceptibly.
Oscorp's spider lab?
The gears of history, as expected, were still slowly turning along their predetermined trajectory.
"Visiting research institutions indeed carries certain potential risks."
William's tone showed no abnormality, but rather a professional cautiousness.
"Laboratory environments are relatively complex, with various precision instruments, chemical reagents, and even some cutting-edge biological projects, all of which could cause accidental injury under specific circumstances.
I can tailor a 'Scientific Exploration Safety Protection Insurance' for you."
"Really?"
Peter's voice immediately rose, filled with surprise, "Then... how much will it cost?"
"Considering you are a student and my first teenage client, I can offer you a very favorable introductory price."
William quickly called up a system template in his mind and made adjustments.
"For a monthly payment of $10, you can get multiple coverages including laboratory accidental injury, specific chemical exposure protection, and experimental equipment malfunction consequential damage.
The coverage period is three months.
I think this time is enough for you to visit research institutions across the U.S."
"That's great! This is truly wonderful! I'll go discuss it with Aunt May right away!"
Peter was almost jumping up and down.
"No rush, Peter."
William gently curbed his impulsiveness.
"You first discuss it carefully with your Aunt May, making sure she fully understands and agrees.
If you decide to insure, we will then sign a formal electronic contract.
Also, as your insurance consultant, I need to remind you.
It's best to inform me in advance before visiting any potentially risky laboratories.
I will provide you with some targeted safety advice and precautions based on the specific situation."
"Okay, okay! Thank you so much, Mr. Rodriguez! You are truly the best person I've ever met!"
After hanging up the phone, William slowly paced around the room a few times.
Peter Parker was about to become Spider-Man, a crucial plot point in the Marvel Universe.
He needed to establish a stable and deep client relationship with Peter before he gained superpowers.
Then the benefits that could be reaped from this rising superhero, and the influence that would come with it, would be immeasurable.
But the question was, how should he handle this huge information gap?
Should he directly tell Peter to be careful of the spider in Oscorp's lab that was about to change his destiny?
No, that would be too abrupt.
Throwing a huge rock into a calm lake, the ripples it created could completely change the direction of the plot.
It could even lead to unpredictable catastrophic consequences.
Oh, no, William thought self-deprecatingly.
Because of his arrival, this timeline was probably already turbulent, no longer the 'pure' one it once was.
After much deliberation, perhaps, letting nature take its course and allowing the gears of fate to turn along their existing trajectory first.
Providing 'just right' insurance services at critical junctures was currently the safest and most advantageous option.
Just as William was deep in thought, his phone rang again, unseasonably.
The name "Tony Stark" flashed on the screen.
"William, my friend, I hope I'm not interrupting your money counting."
Tony's voice still carried a hint of playfulness, but upon closer listening, it seemed less relaxed than usual, with a subtle, almost imperceptible gravity.
"S.H.I.E.L.D. just sent me a rather 'official' document."
William's internal alarm bells immediately rang.
"Does Director Fury have new instructions?"
"They want you to provide a detailed client list."
Tony paused, his tone becoming somewhat subtle.
"Of course, they claim they only need clients' names and basic identity information, not the specific content of insurance contracts.
They also said it's 'routine procedure' to 'better assess potential risks'.
Bullshit!
Fury, that old fox, always wants to stick his nose into everything he considers 'interesting'."
"I understand. When do they need this list?"
S.H.I.E.L.D.'s fangs extended faster than he expected.
Once Peter Parker's name appeared on this list, with Nick Fury's insight comparable to an X-ray machine and his suspicious nature, it would likely immediately attract unnecessary extra attention.
"They didn't give a specific deadline, just said 'as soon as possible'.
You know, that kind of 'as soon as possible' where they could press you for it anytime."
Tony's tone relaxed slightly, returning to his usual banter.
"But seriously, have you found any interesting new clients lately? Enough to get Fury interested?"
He pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing his words: "There is one, indeed. A high school student from Queens, named Peter Parker, lives with his Aunt May.
His academic performance is excellent, especially in physics and chemistry, where he shows talent far beyond his peers, and he has an unusual passion for scientific experiments.
I just designed an accidental insurance for him specifically for scientific visits."
He selectively revealed some information, satisfying Tony's curiosity while portraying Peter as a "promising talent worth paying attention to."
"A kid from Queens? And talented in science?"
Tony's tone indeed showed a hint of interest.
"If he's really as excellent as you say, and not just a bookworm, when he's a bit older, we could consider recommending him to participate in Stark Industries' Youth Science Innovation Competition. Our prize money is generous enough for him to buy a bunch of experimental equipment."
William's eyebrows twitched slightly; this development was something he hadn't anticipated.
Was this an "unexpected assist" from Iron Man?
"I will convey this good news to him, Mr. Stark. I believe he will be very grateful to you."