Chapter 38
Dr. Connors' Choice
"With great power comes great power... This..."
It has to be said that, as one of the classic villains in the Marvel Universe...
You could call Norman Osborn a hypocrite, a heartless beast.
However, it must be acknowledged that Norman Osborne, like the passionate pub speaker with the mustache, was extremely adept at using language to brainwash others, instilling his own ideas and will. Through this method, he gradually transformed his chosen "prey" into tools for his own use.
So much so that Dr. Connors's sense of good and evil was clearly wavering as he muttered to himself.
It's important to know that Dr. Connors, always honest and unassuming, not only strictly disciplined himself but also consistently taught his children to prioritize harmony when facing trouble. This is the so-called "taking a step back leads to a brighter future," and "suffering a loss is a blessing." It's about using a kind heart to embrace the injustices of the world.
But how has the world rewarded Dr. Connors for his contributions?
It's nothing but malice.
Not only Dr. Connors himself, but also his partner Richard Parker's departure caused him to lose the most crucial decay rate calculation formula, resulting in the research remaining stagnant until Peter appeared, and he suffered all kinds of scorn in the company.
Even Dr. Connors's child, following Dr. Connors's teachings, always chose to swallow his anger when faced with conflict. In addition, everyone around him knew that he had a disabled father, which made him the clown most easily bullied by his peers.
As a result, American-style bullying occurs almost every day, causing the child's mind to become withdrawn and insecure, which truly pains Dr. Connors and makes him feel guilty.
This is precisely why Dr. Connors deliberately preserved a vial of lizard serum during the experiment. He wanted to verify the serum's safety so he could immediately inject himself with it, thus achieving limb regeneration and becoming a complete human again.
A healthy person who can make his son stand tall and protect him with care!
So much so that when Dr. Connors learned that Norman was willing to use his own connections to persuade disabled soldiers to take the risk of human experimentation,
Dr. Connors, who was eager to obtain data from human trials to further stabilize the effects of lizard serum, would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted.
"But Mr. Osborne, conducting human experiments without fully confirming the effects is still too dangerous... What if the volunteers suffer severe rejection reactions and lose their lives? How will we explain this to their families? And what about the military? Will they just stand by and watch soldiers who once fought for their country lose their lives like this?"
Thinking of this, after a brief silence, Dr. Connors spoke again, posing a question to Norman, without even noticing that...
He subconsciously reached out and gently stroked the precious lizard serum through the pocket of his white coat.
Even the eyes reflected in the mirror have gradually changed from their initial docile and clear appearance to a crazy and sinister look.
"You don't need to worry about that, old friend. You know, those guys in the military have long disliked that bunch of useless trash."
Of course, Norman, who was good at reading people's minds, noticed the change in Dr. Connors's eyes immediately.
Secretly pleased, he began to plan how to pin the blame on Dr. Connors, the scapegoat, should a major accident occur, thus clearing Osborn of suspicion.
But outwardly, he still put on a righteous and indignant tone, pretending to continue to deceive Dr. Connors.
"Think about it, my old friend, missing limbs and unable to go to the battlefield, is already a dereliction of duty for a soldier. Not to mention, the military has to regularly allocate a large sum of money to support their personal lives... In total, how much ammunition and supplies are lost for the soldiers on the front lines? In a situation where every shot can determine the course of the battle, aren't these useless parasites indirectly murdering the lives of the soldiers on the front lines?"
"Therefore, I'm pretty sure that even if something really goes wrong, the military will only give a verbal reprimand at most, just to make a show of it. But in reality, once they learn that the number of corrupt officials has decreased, they'll probably be happier than anyone else!"
"As for the families of those volunteers? I'll include a clause in the agreement stating that we are not responsible for their lives or deaths. Once they sign, it means those corrupt officials are aware of the risks and are choosing to voluntarily sacrifice themselves to give their last bit of energy. That way, even if they cause trouble at the company, or even if they take us to court, we'll be in the right!"
"After all, we didn't force them to undergo the serum injection experiment. They volunteered to participate, even paying for it themselves! We were just fulfilling their wishes, so how can you blame us? You agree, right?"
"...You're right, Mr. Osborne, I was overthinking it."
With his rhythmic and clear delivery, Norman Osborn, eloquent and fluent, exuded a unique and captivating charm.
Dr. Connors, who had spent most of his life in the laboratory, surrounded by science and completely ignorant of the wickedness of human nature, felt something was off, but for the sake of his reputation and a new life with all his limbs intact... Norman Osborn completely awakened his deepest ambitions and desires, causing Dr. Connors' last concerns to vanish.
He then made up his mind, reached into his pocket, took out the lizard serum he always carried, and promised Norman Osborn.
"Rest assured, I preserved a serum sample from the last experiment. Using it as a prototype for mass production, we can produce enough for human trials by tomorrow morning."
"...Very good, old friend, I knew you wouldn't let me down. Then I won't disturb your work any longer, see you tomorrow morning."
Norman Osborn's eyes subtly turned cold when he saw Dr. Connors pull the serum from his pocket.
But soon, Norman Osborne regained his elegant and gentle demeanor, responding with a smile and gently patting Dr. Connors on the shoulder as encouragement and praise, before leaving the laboratory at a leisurely pace.
But once Norman Osborne returned to his office and locked the door, a deep look of contempt and disgust appeared on his face.
After sitting down in his boss's chair, he skillfully took out his phone and dialed a number.
"Yes, it's me..."
"I'll arrange for you to work as Connors' assistant in a bit. You need to find a way to get the complete serum formula and keep an eye on that old man for me. I don't want that peculiar serum to be stolen by that old guy, or for him to deliberately hide the key parts, so that no one but that old man can make this serum."
"Don't give me 'buts.' If you want to continue your research and get investment from Osborn, just do as I say."
"Do I need to remind you? Not only that old guy's serum, but also the research you're currently conducting... From the moment you signed the contract and joined Osborn, all your achievements belong to Osborn, and they all belong to me."
"Do you understand, Dr. Otto Gunther Octavius?"