"It's been aing night, but the show's over. Norma ready. Tomorrow, it's time for you to step down."

  Reid wouldn't expose tonight's events outside. That would only give the gover and military a reason tet the Oscorp Industries, which didn't align with his is.

  But as long as this i spread within the pany, it would be enough to remove Norman from the chairman's seat.

  Taking the chairman's position was just the first step. After that, he only o wait for the right moment to seize Norman's shares.

  As he finished speaking, Reid stepped into the b, carefully lifting the unscious child from the experiment table. Cradling the boy in his arms, he turned and walked out.

  Otto watched in silence, a sense of dread creeping over him. Finally, uo hold back, he asked.

  "Luthor... what exactly are you pnning to do?"

  He had a feeling that whatever Luthor had in mind wouldn't be something he would like.

  Reid's answer was straightforward.

  "What am I pnning? Of course, I'm handling the aftermath. If tonight's events leak, the entire Oscorp will face gover scrutiny. Don't be fooled by the serum's success. The gover and military are always thinking about how to get their hands on our teology."

  "Handling… the aftermath?"

  There were many ways to hahings, and simirly, there were many ways to make sure the child didn't spill the truth about what happeonight. Otto, based on his uanding of Luthor, had a pretty good guess of what he inteo do.

  He couldn't bring himself to look, f himself to turn away and block the dreadful thoughts from his mind.

  Reid didn't waste any more time. He left Oscorp, carrying the unscious child, and drove straight to the pany's warehouse at the port.

  Back at the pany, the two me behind stood in a long, heavy silenbsp;

  After a while, Norman spoke up.

  He grabbed Otto's hand, looking at him with a hopeful expression before speaking.

  "Otto, my friend, you'll help me, right? This is Oscorp. We 't let that bastard Lex Luthor take trol."

  "Norman…"

  Otto's expression was plicated as he looked at Norman. He wao ask why Norman did this, why he had chosen to duct such a high-risk human experiment.

  But he couldn't bring himself to say it because just a moment ago, when Luthor had said he would hahe child in front of them, Otto had already guessed what would happe he didn't stop it.

  It was because of his own ideals. He needed a strong Oscorp as his bag. Only with the pany's support could he gather the resources to achieve his goals.

  He couldn't let the pany face danger, so he chose to remain silent.

  And in that sileto realized something about himself—he could no longer help Norman.

  "I'm sorry, Norman. At one point, I was truly dedicated to helping you."

  Norman's expression immediately ged. If Otto still stood by him, there might still be a ce to fight Luthor's attack at tomorrow's meeting. But if Otto abandoned him…

  Norman could already see the future where he lost all power.

  "No! Otto, you 't do this! Oscorp is our shared legacy. And if you sell me your 20% stake, I'll have 70% of the shares. Luthor won't be able to do anything. I promise, I will defeat—"

  "Is defeating Luthor really the point, Norman?" Otto interrupted Norman, growing impatient with his stant pleading.

  Luthor also seeks power and is just as indifferent to life, but he is sistent and true to his word. What he says, he does, and he possesses araordinary genius that only be described as monstrous.

  Otto, while having abandoned his own principles and turning a blio the child being discarded, still holds on to his true aspirations. He tio move toward his goal.

  It is Norman who has ged. In the short span of a year since Oscorp's rise, he has transformed in ways Otto never anticipated.

  As Norman's friend, Otto knew Norman's inal vision. He was one of the few who khat Emily had a hereditary disease.

  Norman's initial decision to establish the Oscorp Industries was to leverage its resources to find a cure for Emily's dition.

  At first, Norman's goal was to save lives. But now, he has bee hypocritical, power-hungry, and even fotten his inal purpose. He has not only failed to start resear the hereditary disease but has also grown indifferent to life.

  Otto, too, is selfish. His own ambition stems from health problems, and now that Norman is no lorustworthy, Otto has no more doubts. He will a his own i, to secure his future.

  With that, Otto pulled his hand free from Norman's grip and walked away.

  "No! Otto, don't do this!"

  Despite Norman's desperate calls from behind, Otto did not turn back. The broken trust had made him give up pletely on his old friend.

  ......

  Oscorp's Port Warehouse.

  Reid drove in silehe unscious child resting beside him.

  Upon arriving, he dismissed the guards stationed outside, them to take a break. Then, he carried the child inside and pced him at the warehouse's edge, fag the sea.

  "Now that I think about it, it seems that the disaster you're fag is my fault."

  Reid murmured as if addressing the child, though it was more like he was talking to himself.

  "If I hadn't pressured Norman, you would have died from your illness quietly. At least you wouldn't have killed your parents with the power in your body."

  He looked down at the still unscious child, a hint ret in his voice.

  "Too bad. If you had been a natural-born superpowered being, it would have been perfect."

  Just now, Reid remembered the child's true identity.

  Iure, this child would beister ive, leader of a powerful criminal anization in New York City, and a major adversary of Spider-Man.

  The bd white energy within him, when fully harnessed, could manipute the minds and bodies of those around him.

  But, unfortunately, in this world, Martin Li's powers came from a new serum created by the Oscorp Industries. Though his unusual physique might py a part, the significe of this child in Reid's mind had greatly dimihere was no longer ao take the risk of betrayal by recruiting him.

  "Hopefully, after you die, you bee a transmigrator and leave this damn world behind, Mister ive."

  Without another word, he ied himself with the Scarlet Serum.

  A surge of power coursed through his veins as he gaihe temporary ability to emit high-energy sers.

  He then ed Martin Li's body in a red ser, choking him with one hand and slowly disiing him.

  "Ah!!!"

  The short, agonized scream from Martin Li was all that was left before everythiuro silence.

  Soon after, Reid adjusted his suit and came out of the warehouse.

  Before leaving, he stopped a security guard and said, "There's too much dust by the back door of the warehouse. Make sure to it up."

  "Uood, Mr. Luthor."

  **

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