Chapter 55
The Wanted Spider-Man
Riley's words made the Ancient One realize...
Even after spending more than a decade here, the sharp edges that belong to the Chinese people have never been smoothed out; they have simply been hidden away.
In the Ancient One's memory, the Chinese people, who live in the ancient Eastern country and pride themselves on loving peace and farming, have always been shrewd and calculating...
But what's even more terrifying is that once you cross their line—for example, by harming their family members or invading their homes—even when faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, they will shout slogans like "Killing one is enough, killing two is a bonus!" and charge forward without regard for the cost, never even thinking about retreating or running away.
This is the Chinese way of thinking, and it is also a unique kind of romance belonging to China.
But this is precisely where Riley's hidden danger lies.
The fighting spirit imprinted in his soul, coupled with his unique experiences in his past life, led the Ancient One to believe that Riley, who appeared cheerful and sunny on the outside, inevitably harbored a self-destructive tendency in private.
Therefore, after waving her hand and changing the surrounding environment back to the original ward, the Ancient One, having obtained the answer she wanted, smiled and sincerely suggested to Riley.
"I'm glad you're willing to make this choice... but I'd rather you trust the people around you instead of always bearing it all alone and preparing for the worst, like that guy at Stark Industries. You know that doing that will eventually backfire, right?"
"Thank you, I will remember that."
Meanwhile, Riley, who had gradually calmed down, could tell that the Ancient One didn't harbor much ill will towards him. Everything that had happened before was just a test.
After all, given the Ancient One's abilities, would she really dislike Riley?
Let alone the fact that Riley split open seven times in the time it takes to breathe against the Ancient One, there was plenty of room for maneuver during the twenty-four hours that Riley was unconscious.
So, after Gu Yi finished speaking, Riley first respectfully responded, and then pulled out the syringe.
Then he got off the hospital bed, and somewhat guiltily raised his hand to touch his nose, asking the Ancient One.
"However, I'm more curious about just how much trouble this has caused... If you just wanted to see me up close, you wouldn't need to get involved, would you?"
"Smart child... I suppose you're already mentally prepared, so come with me."
Seeing Riley's expression, the Ancient One could guess that he had probably not listened to her words.
However, this was within the Ancient One's expectations. It would have been strange for the Ancient One if a few words from an outsider could change Riley's mind.
Therefore, it is believed that Riley will make the right choice, and the people around Riley will gradually change Riley's mind in the process of getting along with him, so that the Ancient One will stop trying to persuade Riley.
Without any hesitation, he nodded in agreement, then turned around and walked out unhurriedly.
When Riley followed the Ancient One to another room not far from the ward, he unsurprisingly saw Peter and Banner, and... Jade?!
"Don't look at me like that, she's not on my visitor list... This girl is a bit special, the world's justice seems to favor her. It helped her bypass the barrier I set up and sneak into the New York Sanctum without a sound. When I discovered her, she even claimed she came in via the stairs! But I clearly didn't install any stairs there!"
"I must say, this is the first time I've encountered a situation like this since becoming the Sorcerer Supreme. Moreover, she knows all of you and has some connection with my old friend, the Archmage, so I invited her to stay as a guest."
Riley glanced at the trio sitting around the TV, engrossed in playing a game of Rio Kart, and his expression turned strange. He subconsciously looked at the Ancient One.
The latter, unusually, showed a hint of embarrassment and helplessness, raising his hand to his forehead as he explained to Riley.
"If it weren't for the fact that it was already decided that Strange would inherit my mantle, and that he would be competing with the late Archmage for his grand-disciple, it would be a bit unreasonable. I'd even like to have this kid learn magic from me."
"I see... Wait, I've always found it strange that Dad seemed to have known me for a long time. He even said that someone had told him the secret of the talisman before... Could it be that you were secretly helping him as well?"
Seeing the Ancient One's embarrassed appearance, Riley couldn't help but twitch his lips slightly. He once again marveled in his heart that Jade's "climbing stairs" skill was so powerful that even the Ancient One couldn't defend against it. It truly was a concept-level divine skill.
But soon, from the Ancient One's words, Riley realized that she and her father's master, the mysterious archmage, seemed to be old acquaintances. This reminded Riley of her father's strange behavior after they first repelled Tru and his group, and she asked him curiously.
"you guess?"
However, the Ancient One kept Riley's question a secret and did not give a direct answer.
Without giving Riley a chance to ask further questions, he waved his hand and changed the screen from a racing game to a live broadcast of a public press conference.
In front of the police station, at the makeshift podium, a huge number of reporters were vying to ask Sheriff George questions.
Amid the cacophony of questions, Sheriff George remained silent, seemingly hesitating about something.
But soon, Sheriff George, having made his choice, raised his hand and waved to signal the reporters to be quiet.
Then, using a microphone and adopting a serious and cold tone, he publicly delivered a declaration to the general public, word by word.
"As we all know, a serious accident occurred near the Williamsburg Bridge last night."
"Although the surveillance cameras at the scene did not capture the entire incident due to severe damage to the power system, based on the testimonies of multiple eyewitnesses and our police's preliminary investigation, it has been confirmed that two suspicious individuals were present at the scene and attacked several innocent victims using the extremely heinous method of dousing them with gasoline and setting them on fire."
"Therefore, I hereby announce..."
"From this moment forward, the New York City Police Department will be appealing to the public for information in order to officially apprehend the two masked criminals who call themselves 'Spider-Man'!"
"Please believe that New York is not a lawless place! We will do everything in our power to bring those two criminals to justice and give the citizens a satisfactory answer!"
After a passionate speech, the reporters present were all excited and once again rushed to ask Sheriff George a series of questions.
Riley, watching on television, was completely bewildered, her mind blank.
No, what is that?
I woke up...
Peter and I are now wanted criminals?!