Chapter 117: Stakeout at the Elementary School Gate

October 5, 2008.

Three days had passed since Zhong Shenxiu’s heist at Stark Industries.

By the time school let out that afternoon, Zhong Shenxiu had arrived at the place where Peter and Gwen studied: Midtown Science Elementary School.

Once a hypothesis is formed, the next logical step is to verify it. This trip was, naturally, for that very purpose. Although all evidence pointed toward that black-and-white female Spider-Man being Gwen, without personal confirmation, it remained a conjecture based on data rather than fact.

Perhaps for others, verifying the identity of a superpowered individual would require racking their brains and exhausting every scheme. For Zhong Shenxiu, however, a single glance with his "Eye of True Sight" would suffice. Whether someone possessed superpowers, what those powers were, or even their combat strength—it would all be laid bare in an instant.

Zhong Shenxiu stood at the school gate. There were more parents than usual; since it was the start of the weekend, many opted to pick up their children themselves rather than letting them take the bus. Perhaps a long-planned camping trip or a spontaneous getaway awaited them—though two days hardly allowed for much travel.

Because of this, Zhong Shenxiu did not draw too much attention standing there. On an ordinary day, when almost all children took the bus, a lone "parent" standing at the gate would have easily invited suspicion. *Is he a child trafficker?* Of course, there were no child traffickers quite that handsome.

Zhong Shenxiu caught a glimpse of the women inadvertently drawing closer. The look in their eyes, like wolves spotting a lamb, made his scalp tingle. Had he not stood there with arms folded like a statue, exuding a frigid, detached aura, the local culture’s openness would have undoubtedly seen a throng of women swarming him, desperately clamoring for his contact information. Even so, as these "wolves" edged closer, Zhong Shenxiu knew his facade wouldn't hold much longer.

Fortunately, the melodious school bell rang. School was out!

Everyone’s attention was instantly diverted to the sudden, boisterous activity within the campus. Moments later, a swarm of elementary students with little backpacks poured out like birds released from a cage, skipping and hopping toward the gate, their chatter filled with the pure joy of childhood.

Zhong Shenxiu scanned the crowd, searching for the little girl. Because there were so many people, even if he were to blanket the area with his Eye of True Sight, the sheer, explosive volume of personal data would be overwhelming, leaving him unable to find the focus he needed. It was far more efficient to use a simpler method: find Gwen with his own eyes first, then use the Eye of True Sight for a targeted scan.

After a while, when more than half the parents had led their children away, Zhong Shenxiu still hadn't spotted Gwen. *Why is she coming out so slowly? Peter, too—I notified him that I would be waiting at the gate today...* Zhong Shenxiu mused, peering deep into the school grounds.

As for whether Gwen had taken the day off? That was certainly impossible; Zhong Shenxiu wouldn't make such a low-level error. Gwen had indeed been absent on October 3rd, but after Peter confirmed she was back at school on the 4th, Zhong Shenxiu had chosen not to show up to maintain a lower profile. Only after receiving word from Peter today had he come to stake out the gate. Gwen was definitely still inside the school; he just didn't know why she hadn't emerged yet. The same went for his little informant, Peter.

*I'll wait a bit longer,* he thought, watching the thinning crowd of parents. *If they still don't show, I'll just cover the whole school with my Eye of True Sight. With so many students gone now, the data processing burden will be much lighter.*

Ten minutes passed. The area around the gate was sparse, and no more students had emerged for quite some time. Zhong Shenxiu still couldn't see Gwen or Peter. *This isn't right,* he thought, feeling puzzled. He prepared to activate his Eye of True Sight.

Just as he began to focus, a person stepped in front of him and asked, "Excuse me, are you Peter Parker’s guardian?"

It was a female voice. The question forced Zhong Shenxiu to halt his scan. He looked at the person before him. She was young, likely around twenty-five or twenty-six, a typical blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. Well, "beauty" might be a stretch; if Wanda were a 9, she was perhaps a 6.

As for her figure... well, let’s just say she was exceptionally flat-chested. Zhong Shenxiu had a vague impression of this woman; she was a teacher at the school. She had been standing near the gate since he arrived, neither leaving nor coming out, occasionally casting glances his way. At first, he hadn't cared, figuring his handsome appearance naturally drew attention. But now that she had approached him directly and mentioned Peter by name, he realized there was more to her interest.

"I am. Has something happened to Peter? Why hasn't he come out yet?" Zhong Shenxiu pivoted, responding with the slight urgency of a typical concerned guardian.

"So it really is you..." The flat-chested woman’s eyes crinkled into a smile. "Please don't worry, Peter hasn't had any accident. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Peter’s homeroom teacher, Carly Ryan. You can just call me Carly."

"Nice to meet you, Carly. I'm Zhong Shenxiu. Just call me Xiu," he replied with a smile. Whether it was from spending too much time with Coulson, his smile had become increasingly textbook. "Is there something you needed to discuss with me?"

Seeing his smile, Carly’s sky-blue eyes seemed to ignite with a warm glow, making her knees go slightly weak. She stared at his smile, entranced. After a moment, realizing her lapse in composure, she flushed slightly and said, "Peter is fine, but as for the other students... that’s another matter. Right after school ended, Peter got into a fight and made four of them cry their eyes out..."

*Huh?*

Zhong Shenxiu was dumbfounded. Peter, such a good kid—had he really embarked on the path of a "Suzuran" delinquent boss?