Equipment Upgrade

Behind the wedding photo was a lock embedded in the wall, but it wasn't an ordinary electronic lock. Instead, it was a mechanical lock featuring a yin-yang Taiji symbol.

Fortunately, it wasn't an electronic lock. Otherwise, Peter might have needed much more time to crack the code.

This special puzzle lock was not difficult for Peter. All he needed to do was restore the scrambled pieces into the correct order to unlock it.

Thanks to his enhanced cognitive abilities from the spider bite, Peter solved the lock in under 30 seconds.

The wall that had once held the wedding photo slowly shifted open, revealing a hidden room behind Martin Li's office.

"What are you hiding… What are you really up to?" Peter muttered to himself as he stepped into the dark room.

The space was dimly lit, and after adjusting to the low light, Peter began inspecting the room's sparse furnishings.

Leaning against the wall was a table, atop which lay a demon mask—the kind worn by members of the Inner Demons. In the dim light, the mask's sinister appearance seemed even more menacing.

Peter had researched it online and found that the mask was from Nuo opera, a traditional form of Chinese theater from the southern region. The mask was a relic of ancient Chinese culture.

Beside the mask lay a sword, glowing faintly with dark energy—a Longquan sword, encased in the negative energy Peter had seen before.

"I still don't get how Li transfers his powers to others… And why these people would willingly sacrifice themselves, choosing to explode," Peter thought aloud as he scanned the room.

There were four or five tables scattered throughout, each holding incriminating evidence. These items confirmed Martin Li's identity as the leader of the Inner Demons, the elusive Mister Negative.

Peter had hoped to uncover more clues, but he accidentally triggered a hidden mechanism on the floor.

He hadn't expected Li to install a defense system in his secret room, but Peter's reflexes were quick. As soon as the metal grates on the floor electrified, Peter leapt onto the ceiling, clinging to the room's surface.

The room was now alive with electrical currents, and the metal tables began to burn, igniting the evidence placed on top.

"This place is a damn incinerator! Trip the mechanism, and everything gets burned!" Peter muttered angrily.

Thinking fast, he shot a web at the room's circuit breaker and yanked it down with brute force.

Though the evidence was mostly destroyed, Peter managed to escape from the secret room—without any substantial proof in hand.

But at least he had confirmed one thing: Martin Li and Mister Negative were indeed the same person.

Peter was about to contact Miss Stark to inform her of the situation, but he hadn't noticed there was someone else in the office.

"Hello, Peter," came a voice from behind, cold and unnerving.

A cold sweat instantly drenched Peter's back as he turned to face the office's true owner—Martin Li.

Li stood casually leaning against his desk, his eyes locked onto Peter's with a chilling intensity.

He hadn't left. He hadn't gone out of town after all. He must have noticed that his secret room had been breached. He was waiting for Peter.

"Martin... I-I thought you had already left the city. Did you forget something?" Peter stammered, trying to keep calm, forcing a nervous smile and hoping to change the subject.

"Yes, I did forget something," Li said, his tone icy as he stared at Peter. "It's in that room—you find what you were looking for?"

The office grew colder, the tension between them thickening. It felt as if the temperature had plummeted to freezing, and a confrontation seemed inevitable.

Martin Li clearly wouldn't let Peter walk away, now that his secret was out. Peter had seen too much. He had to be silenced.

Despite warning Peter multiple times, this young man had still intruded into his office and discovered his secret.

Li sighed softly, ready to strike, but a knock on the office door interrupted his action, forcing him to stay his hand.

Aunt May's unexpected arrival saved Peter from an immediate confrontation—at least, temporarily.

"I just came to grab something. I'll be gone shortly," Li said, his expression softening as he turned to May, adopting a much friendlier demeanor.

"Be careful out there, Martin. We'll keep the shelter running while you're gone, so don't worry," Aunt May said, smiling as she stood at the door, waving him off.

Peter also waved, but as Li left, Peter noticed the cold, almost predatory look Li shot him—like he was staring at a dead man.

Peter's face was conflicted as he hurriedly pulled out his phone to call Miss Stark.

"Miss Stark, something's wrong… It's complicated—what the—?!"

Just as Peter stepped out of the shelter, a group of homeless men rushed at him, surrounding him.

"Hey, Peter, what's going on?" Miss Stark's voice sounded from the phone, a mix of surprise and concern.

The men attacking Peter wore twisted expressions, their eyes flickering with black and white energy. They were clearly under the influence of negative energy—likely transformed by Li before he left.

If Peter didn't stop them, they would remain under Li's control indefinitely.

"Things are… complicated. Hang on, I need to deal with these guys," Peter muttered.

The men were just ordinary homeless people, with no self-awareness. They weren't particularly strong or healthy, having lived on the streets with little nourishment.

For regular civilians, a few angry homeless people would be trouble. But for Peter Parker, it was a minor inconvenience.

Still holding his phone, Peter quickly took them down with a few well-placed punches and kicks, all the while keeping an eye on something in the distance.

Across the street from the shelter, in the backseat of a black Rolls Royce, sat Martin Li, coldly watching the scene unfold.

Li had clearly realized that the few homeless men he sent wouldn't be able to handle Peter Parker. He had known the boy for years but had never seen him fight like this—fast, agile, and unusually strong.

Though Li was momentarily intrigued, he had more pressing matters to attend to. He couldn't afford any delays.

By the time Peter had subdued his attackers, Li's car had already disappeared from sight.

"Peter—hey, kid! Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Miss Stark's voice cut through the air again.

"I found something. It seems Mister Negative is after something called 'Devil's Breath,' Miss Stark."

"That appears to be a research project under Oscorp Pharmaceuticals, but I don't have more details yet," Peter explained, still catching his breath as he spoke into the phone.

He heard the concern in Miss Stark's voice, and despite everything, he felt a warmth in his heart. Still, he couldn't help but sigh at how things had gone so wrong.

"I understand. We'll have someone take over the investigation. Come to the Damage Control Company headquarters. Don't make me wait too long," Miss Stark instructed.

Reluctant to halt his own investigation, Peter nonetheless complied, heading toward the Damage Control Company's main office.

However, when he finally met up with Miss Stark, her first question left him completely stunned.

"Do you have any idea how much it costs to clean up after you, Spider-kid?" she asked with a smirk, handing Peter a detailed damage report.

Peter stared at the list in confusion, unsure of how to respond.

The report contained a breakdown of all the damage Peter had caused during his battles—destroyed roads, walls, lampposts, trash bins, all smashed while fighting villains like Herman Schultz.

The New York City government had an insurance contract with the Damage Control Company, paying hefty premiums for repairs.

The insurance fees were reinvested by Damage Control, a strategy that earned the company significant profits.

But Miss Stark didn't hand Peter the bill just to scold him. She wanted him to understand the costs of his actions—that sometimes, his reckless approach caused unnecessary damage.

During fights, Peter often used his webs to pull objects from his surroundings to hurl at enemies. Over time, the accumulated cost of all those destroyed objects had grown substantially.

Sure, he was saving lives, but many families couldn't afford the collateral damage left in the wake of his battles.

Damage Control could cover for him, but they wouldn't always be there to clean up his messes. That much was clear.

"So… what do you have to say for yourself, kid?" Miss Stark asked, her eyes locking onto Peter's face with a playful, almost taunting grin.

Peter, on the other hand, was utterly speechless as he stared at the bill. It was more than he could ever hope to pay—even if he sold everything he owned.

Every time he fought, his goal was to protect as many people as possible. He had never considered how the city cleaned up after his battles.

He could barely afford his own rent. The idea of paying back the city for all the damage he had caused was terrifying.

"I'm not blaming you," Miss Stark said, her tone softening. "I just want you to see this list so that you'll plan more carefully next time."

As she spoke, she tucked the report into her folder, then reached under her desk to lift a large case sitting at her heels.

The case was silver and red, metallic and sleek—cutting-edge technology at a glance, seemingly durable and secure.

"Now, I need your help with something—but first, I'm going to upgrade your equipment."

Opening the case revealed several small devices, each one instantly familiar to Peter.

"I've been working on that high-voltage web fluid formula you gave me. It's a great idea," Miss Stark said.

"These are upgraded web-shooters, incorporating new tech. They're still experimental, but they should do the job."

"They've got two new modes: impact mode and shock mode," she explained.

"In impact mode, the webs hit with much more force, enough to wrap up enemies and knock them away."

"And in shock mode, the webs are electrified. Just be sure to wear these insulated gloves with them."

The web-shooters Miss Stark handed him were different from the wrist-mounted ones Peter had built for himself. Hers were sleek wrist-guards with built-in safety mechanisms to prevent accidental firing.

"I also borrowed the design philosophy of claymore mines to create a new type of web-trap mine. You can test it out if you want."

"When someone approaches, the trap will trigger, spraying a huge net of web-fluid to capture them."

"Oh, and this—" she said, picking up another device, "a mini-drone. I figured you'd like it."

The last gadget she held was a small, spider-shaped drone. It had eight mechanical legs, painted red, and looked highly advanced.

She activated the drone, and it floated up into the air, revealing a hidden gun barrel underneath its body.

"You're already this advanced in drone technology?" Peter gasped, eyes wide in awe.

Given the current state of drone technology—still largely military—this mini-drone was leagues ahead, an incredibly compact and powerful piece of tech.

Seeing the amazement on Peter's face, Miss Stark's lips curled into a sly smile.

"So? Interested in working in my lab full-time, Spider-kid?"

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