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"So, let's be blunt, Ryan. Are you taking this mission or not?"
"If you don't take it, I'll just post this request on the underground network. That way, I can still pocket half the commission~"
Hearing Kingpin's final quip, Ryan briefly considered the pros and cons of the mission and decided to take it.
A fifty-million-dollar commission, plus an unknown reward from Tony Stark, was already worth a trip far from home.
"I'll take the mission. While you're at it, help me handle the local passport and flight tickets, and prepare an off-road vehicle and supplies for me there. Deduct the cost from my commission for the next job I do for you."
Hearing Ryan agree, a smile instantly appeared on the lips of Kingpin on the other end of the phone, though his tone feigned hurt:
"I'll naturally have those prepared for you, but given our relationship, talking about money with me is really hurtful to our bond. You just need to tell me when you're ready to set off!"
"And although this isn't my request, I should still remind you that Tony Stark has been missing for two months now. The probability of him still being alive is already very small, and the later you set off, the smaller that probability becomes."
Ryan heard this and thought it made sense.
Although he had seen the movies and knew there was a high probability Tony wasn't dead.
However, as time passed, it was inevitable that Tony might be affected by his own 'butterfly effect' and truly die in a cave in Afghanistan.
So, to ensure his fifty million didn't go down the drain, Ryan decided to set off as soon as possible:
"Then tomorrow it is. Help me book a flight for early tomorrow morning."
"Fine. Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone deliver the passport and tickets to your house."
With the mission discussion over, Kingpin exchanged a few more pleasantries with Ryan before hanging up the phone in satisfaction.
Kingpin giving this big order to Ryan was, on one hand, to continue closing the distance between himself and Ryan and do him a favor.
On the other hand, it was also to have Ryan, this 'Solo King,' complete this almost impossible mission for him, consolidating the reliable reputation of his Kingpin Empire.
Now that both goals were achieved, Kingpin naturally left satisfied...
After exercising in the afternoon, Gwen, whose body felt like it was falling apart, woke up in a daze as night approached.
Since tomorrow was Monday and Gwen still had school, the two didn't go for a second round, lest this star student be unable to even attend class tomorrow.
Therefore, after having dinner together, Ryan sent Gwen home.
Of course, on the way back, Ryan also told Gwen that he would be going 'out of town on business' for a while.
And although Gwen had always known about Ryan's other identity, she never asked too many questions about that side of him.
So this time, even though Gwen guessed this 'business trip' was definitely not simple, she only told Ryan to be safe and didn't pry.
And this was why Ryan liked Gwen; she could be said to be one of the few normal female characters in the American comic World—devoted, calm, and possessing absolute trust in the person she loved.
After sending the exhausted Gwen home, Ryan also rushed back to his own house.
As soon as he entered, Ben Parker and May had the same reaction as Peter before, with expressions that said 'Why are you back?'
Ryan didn't explain much, only telling the old couple that he had to go out of town on business for a while starting tomorrow morning.
The old couple didn't have many questions about this either.
Although Ryan didn't go 'on business' often, it still happened a few times a year, so the old couple didn't think much of it.
When Ryan went to the Underground Room and opened the passage to the second floor, he saw Peter in the lab chatting with Dr. Connors, who was tied to the corner of a table.
Hearing the door open behind him, Peter turned to see it was Ryan and couldn't help but breathe a long sigh of relief.
He jogged to Ryan's side and whispered:
"Ryan, I think Dr. Connors is still not quite right. Even though he's not in his Lizard Man state now, his mental state seems abnormal. His words seem a bit... extreme?"
Ryan heard this and nodded understandingly. "I see. You go up and rest first. I'll take over from here."
Peter, who had spent all of last night tracking the Lizard Man without sleep and then guarded him all day today, was already exhausted to the point of collapse.
Therefore, upon hearing Ryan was taking over, he didn't have the slightest intention of staying and quickly left as if liberated.
Ryan wasn't surprised that Peter said Dr. Connors' words were a bit extreme.
Although the effects of Dr. Connors' lizard regeneration serum had worn off and he had reverted to human form.
This didn't mean Dr. Connors had truly returned to normal.
If he remembered correctly, from the moment Dr. Connors became the Lizard Man, a second evil personality, much like the Green Goblin's, had been born within him due to the serum's side effects.
This evil personality would constantly beguile the primary personality, causing the host themselves to gradually become extreme.
The current Dr. Connors should be in this stage of being beguiled.
After Peter left, Ryan slowly walked up to Dr. Connors and said calmly, "Doctor, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?"
Dr. Connors, tied to the corner of the table, looked at Ryan and revealed a sinister smile:
"Hehe, Ryan Parker... you, and your cousin Peter Parker. I should have guessed long ago. As Richard's son and nephew, neither of you could be that simple!"
"Like me, you belong to a class of superior beings who have undergone genetic evolution. As fellow superior beings, I don't think we should be enemies. Instead, we should cooperate, shouldn't we?"
Ryan's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms and asked, "Oh? How do you want to cooperate?"
Seeing that Ryan didn't immediately reject him as Peter had when he spoke to him earlier, Dr. Connors' eyes lit up, and his tone became high-pitched:
"By cooperating to make all of humanity evolve together, of course!"
"Our human bodies are far too fragile. A little disease, a little injury, and we could be crippled or killed. As the overlords of this Planet, humans shouldn't be so fragile!"
"We humans should be as perfect as you and I!"
"Think about it. If all humans had the agility and strength of you and Peter, plus the self-healing ability of my lizard regeneration serum, only then would we be worthy of the title of planetary overlords!"
"And as long as we cooperate, you give me a little of your and Peter's blood, plus Osborn Enterprises' Ganali Device—a dispersal device capable of covering an entire city with medicine—once I've researched a perfect serum combining our strengths, we could make an entire city evolve all at once!"
"In less than a month, we could complete the genetic evolution of the entire country. In just one year, the whole World could evolve into perfect beings!"
"This is my grand plan!!"