Lynn didn't bother with formalities. He sat down on the sofa and casually looked around.
The house was practically empty.
One corner of the dining table had cracked.
The sofa's original brown cover was worn out, pilled, and torn in several places.
It was obvious the family's financial situation was far from good.
No wonder Mei was working two jobs.
"Aunt Mei, you're finally back. I was really worried."
A clear voice rang out from upstairs.
Moments later, a teenage boy hurried down the stairs, anxiety written all over his face.
"Hi, Peter."
He wore thick, unfashionable black-rimmed glasses. At first glance, he gave off the unmistakable aura of a total nerd.
His eyes darted around nervously.
At school, he was clearly the classic target for bullying.
Lynn narrowed his eyes slightly.
This look—
Third-generation Spider-Man, without a doubt.
Judging by his appearance, Peter hadn't become Spider-Man yet.
"You are…?" Peter asked cautiously.
He could clearly sense the confidence and warmth radiating from the youth in front of him—qualities he himself lacked.
"Lynn," Lynn replied with a smile.
"Peter, did you know? I was mugged today, but Mr. Lynn saved me—he's an amazing police officer!"
Mei walked out holding a cup of hot milk, chattering nonstop.
"You should've seen how cool Mr. Lynn was—just one punch!"
"The scene was absolutely stunning."
"Mr. Lynn, here's your milk."
Lynn accepted the cup.
Now he finally understood where Peter's nonstop talking came from.
"Are you okay?" Peter asked nervously.
"It was nothing," Mei replied lightly.
She didn't want a child who should be focusing on his studies to worry too much.
"That's good… as long as you're safe."
Peter forced a smile.
After hesitating for a moment, he still spoke up.
"Um, Aunt Mei… tomorrow our school is organizing a visit to Oscorp. I was hoping to buy some new clothes."
Mei's hands paused mid-motion as she cleaned the table.
A troubled expression crossed her face.
"Aunt Mei, it's okay—my old clothes are still wearable," Peter hurriedly added.
"You know I really like that jacket… it looks pretty cool, right?"
"Sorry, Aunt Mei…"
Peter lowered his head.
He knew exactly how hard Mei worked just to raise him.
"Peter… I'm sorry…"
Mei felt terrible as well.
Ever since her husband passed away, supporting a child alone had been exhausting.
A teenage boy was expensive—food, clothes, rent—
Even with two jobs, she could barely make ends meet.
Watching the two of them, Lynn lifted his milk slightly, hiding the gleam of excitement in his eyes.
He had figured out how to earn System points.
If nothing went wrong, tomorrow Peter Parker would visit Oscorp, be bitten by a genetically altered spider, and become Spider-Man.
But—
What if he didn't go?
Wouldn't that completely alter the original storyline?
"May I say something?" Lynn cleared his throat.
Mei quickly responded, "Mr. Lynn, please."
"First, thank you for the milk."
Lynn nodded politely before turning to Peter.
His gaze sharpened, his voice lowering.
"Peter, Mei worked late tonight and nearly got dragged into an alley by two men."
At those words—
Peter froze.
He knew exactly what that implied.
A woman.
Dragged into an alley late at night.
"Mr. Lynn… thank you."
"I don't have any family left…"
"You know how important Aunt Mei is to me."
"Thank you for saving her."
Peter spoke faster and faster as panic set in, his words tumbling out in a rush.
It was obvious how deeply he cared for Mei.
"Aunt Mei, promise me you'll stop working those jobs."
"Please. I can't let you be in danger."
Mei hesitated.
Without two jobs, surviving would be nearly impossible.
Lynn smiled faintly.
The conversation was unfolding exactly as he'd expected.
Now—
It was his turn.
"I was thinking… I could offer Mei a job."
The moment the words left his mouth, both of them turned to him.
"You could help me with cleaning and cooking," Lynn said calmly.
"You can come after your daytime work."
"I'll pay the market rate. If the food's good, I can add a little extra."
Mei's eyes immediately lit up.
Did that mean she'd see Lynn every day?
"Of course! I'd even do it for free!" she replied without hesitation.
Lynn laughed softly. "That won't do."
Peter's only concern was that Mei might face another late-night incident like today.
"It might get a little late," Lynn added casually.
"But I live only three hundred meters east of here."
Hearing that, a huge weight lifted from Peter's heart.
"Thank you, Mr. Lynn."
[Gained Peter's Favor]
A very low level of loyalty—for now, it had almost no practical use.
"Don't celebrate yet," Lynn continued.
"Tomorrow, Mei still needs to go to the police station to give her statement."
"You'll buy groceries for her."
"And skip the Oscorp field trip."
Lynn took out a key and tossed it onto the table.
He also slid five dollar bills across.
"Rest assured, Mr. Lynn," Peter said solemnly, as if accepting a knightly mission.
"I won't fail."
The school visit wasn't mandatory.
Skipping it was perfectly acceptable.
Lynn nodded in satisfaction.
He felt genuinely pleased.
What kind of rewards would he gain tomorrow?
He was already looking forward to it.