Chapter 46
Riley's Counterattack: One-Hit Kill
"Hey, gentlemen, are we really going to ignore a delicious dinner and argue until we're red in the face?"
The two were clearly drawing to a close in their discussion.
To prevent either of them from saying something they shouldn't, which could reignite the conflict.
Helen Stacy, who had been helplessly rubbing her forehead, seized the opportunity to speak and complained to Sheriff George and Peter in a bad mood.
However, once a debate begins, it is not something that can be easily decided in a few words.
Not only young Simon, but everyone else was looking around with sparkling eyes, as if they were watching an exciting tennis match. They were practically ready to raise their cheering sticks and cheer from the sidelines.
Even Howard, who is somewhat introverted, couldn't help but raise his hand and ask curiously, just like a student asking a question in class.
"Dad, don't you think that in certain extreme situations, someone needs to break with convention? Like extraordinary measures during wartime?"
"Hmm, what did Mom just say? Howard—!"
"It's alright, Helen, it's a good thing that the children are interested in this."
By this point, Sheriff George, who had gained the upper hand in the debate, gradually softened his tone but remained firm.
So, waving his hand to indicate that Helen didn't need to scold the children for their curiosity, he reached out and patted Howard's head, giving him a heartfelt lecture.
"My son, listen to me... I've been a policeman for twenty-five years and have seen far too many people try to use 'special circumstances' as an excuse to absolve themselves. But the law is sacred and inviolable precisely because it can never be judged lightly based on special circumstances or personal feelings."
"That's true, but Uncle George, as far as I know, there's a provision in many laws that allows citizens the right to arrest criminals in emergency situations... If I remember correctly, it's called the 'Citizen Arrest Act'? Thinking about it that way, Spider-Man and his crew shouldn't be considered to be violating the law, right?"
But just when Peter was feeling utterly hopeless, not knowing how to refute Chief George's point of view, and even more unsure whether he should continue playing the role of "Spider-Man,"...
Riley, who had been silent and letting Peter do as he pleased, reached out and patted Peter on the shoulder.
Then, blinking, he raised his hand in a similar manner and asked Sheriff George a question.
"Also, that drug trafficking gang you just mentioned... I just checked online, and it seems they were completely dismantled this afternoon by that Spider-Man in the black suit. Even the hundreds of people in the criminal group were bound by his webs, waiting for the police to take them over? Look, the video of the police going to clear out and take over has already been uploaded to YouTube."
Clearly, based on his experience as a narcotics officer in his previous life, Riley not only saw the hidden truth behind it, but also, out of the deep-rooted hatred and aversion to "drugs" among Chinese people, he chose not to let it go unchecked.
Instead, after Peter got into trouble, he quietly went to District 13 to seek Sheriff Black's help.
Ultimately, with the help of this ubiquitous underground intelligence network spread throughout every corner of New York City, he easily located the criminal gang's hideout and single-handedly stormed in, once again cleaning up the mess Peter had created.
"...This lousy YouTube should be banned. They dare to upload any kind of video to it. What's the point of the censorship?...Ahem, I mean, of course I know that. But that requires immediate handing over to law enforcement afterward, and the person involved also having to undergo investigation. But Spider-Man didn't do that. He tied up the criminal, notified the police, and then disappeared without a trace, escaping legal punishment."
As the commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Sergeant George certainly couldn't have been unaware of this matter.
So much so that after Riley finished speaking, Peter's expression changed from gloomy to sunny, and he looked at Riley with admiration.
Sheriff George's lips twitched slightly, and he responded with an unnatural expression.
"Perhaps it's because he's worried that accepting a police investigation would expose his true identity, potentially leading to retaliation against his family and friends by criminals?"
Even so, Riley, determined to stand up for Peter, didn't stop there. Instead, without batting an eye or breaking a sweat, as if it had nothing to do with him, he directly stated the reason for the existence of the Spider-Man suit.
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have needed to cover himself up so thoroughly that it's impossible to tell if he's a man or a woman, wouldn't you agree?"
After Riley finished speaking, the restaurant fell into a brief silence.
The quick-witted Gwen looked thoughtful, glancing back and forth between Peter and Riley.
Now that I think about it, it seems like they were both there on the day I wasn't feeling well...
Moreover, the Spider-Man in the video always acts in pairs, and the black one is clearly more mature and composed in his actions than the red one, much like Riley and Peter's relationship.
Could it be that they, like me, were...?
If that's really the case...
Those two are much stronger than me.
Maybe……
Should I follow their example? It's time to make a change...?
"Hmm? Calling at this hour... Excuse me, I'll be right back."
Fortunately, this awkward atmosphere did not last long.
As the phone rang in his pocket, Sheriff George pulled out his phone, glanced casually at the caller ID, and his expression immediately turned serious.
He couldn't care less about trying to persuade these two troublesome brats who clearly had their own ideas, so he immediately stood up and strode towards the balcony.
After Sheriff George left the restaurant, Mrs. Helen couldn't help but shake her head and complain to the Parker brothers, "You two, I don't know what's wrong with you today... I really wish you could have talked about something light at the dinner table, like whether the food was salty or bland, or whether it suited your taste."
"I'm sorry, Aunt Helen, I took the subject off track."
Only then did Peter belatedly realize that, because of this sudden debate, the once steaming hot meal had gradually cooled down and lost much of its flavor.
This made Peter look embarrassed. He scratched his head and sincerely apologized to Mrs. Helen.
"No, it was my younger brother who started it. That little guy always says inappropriate things at the dinner table."
As soon as Peter finished speaking, Gwen quietly reached out from under the table and placed her hand in Peter's palm, silently comforting the self-reproaching Peter. She also glared at Simon, who had stirred up this storm and then kept his distance, seemingly uninvolved.
The latter, meanwhile, was innocently raising his fork to put a meatball into his mouth, licking the sauce off it. He seemed completely absorbed in the moment, oblivious to what had just happened.