Chapter Fifteen: Astonishment! Peter Parker's Idol Turns Out to Be Me

Ben Parker’s home was on the seventh floor of the apartment building to the right of Zhong Shenxiu’s shabby courtyard. Yes, an apartment building—though their addresses were 19 and 20, number 19 was an old courtyard while number 20 was a tall block of flats. This kind of architectural oddity was nothing unusual in the chaotic borough of Queens.

The reason was simple: construction here resembled the haphazard building habits in some parts of Africa—whenever funds allowed, something new would be built. Bit by bit, patch by patch, until the neighborhood became a jumbled mix of old courtyards and modern high-rises.

“Xiu, this is braised beef with potatoes. I just learned how to make this Chinese dish—come, try it!” At Ben Parker’s family table, May Parker cradled a long, steaming silver pot as she smiled at Zhong Shenxiu.

At this time, May was still young, far removed from the “Aunt May” so familiar to fans of Spider-Man. She bore the hallmarks of Italian beauty: a pronounced, elegant nose, delicate nostrils, flawless fair skin without so much as a wrinkle. Her radiant smile and expressive features were at the perfect intersection of maturity and youth. Her slightly wavy hair tumbled carelessly over her shoulders, and she wore an orange camisole with ash-gray skinny jeans that perfectly outlined her graceful figure. Truly, she was a rare Italian beauty.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.” As soon as May set the fragrant pot of braised beef and potatoes on the table, Zhong Shenxiu, unreserved as ever, grabbed the large iron ladle, scooped out a generous helping, and dropped a chunk of beef glistening with savory juices straight into his mouth.

From his brief time with the Parkers, Zhong Shenxiu had gathered that the more relaxed and informal he acted, the happier they seemed. He suspected that his predecessor had always behaved this way, so to avoid arousing suspicion, he made a point of acting even more at ease.

After a few chews, Zhong Shenxiu’s eyes lit up. He praised, “Wow, May, with cooking skills like this, you’d have customers lining up if you opened a place in Chinatown!”

Despite the flattery, Zhong Shenxiu, whose palate had long been spoiled by the culinary delights of his previous life in China, immediately noticed the shortcomings: not enough salt, the beef still a bit gamey—probably from not skimming the scum during blanching. Still, as a guest, it was only polite to say a few kind words.

“Really? Is it that good?” Although she sounded uncertain, the corners of May’s mouth couldn’t help but turn up. Clearly, she was delighted by the compliment.

Ben Parker, on the other hand, burst out with a hearty laugh. “Well then, eat up! And you too, Parker—eat more, you’re about to hit a growth spurt!”

“Yes, Uncle Ben,” piped up little Peter Parker from the other end of the table.

In a previous life, he’d swung between skyscrapers, single-handedly transforming chaotic Queens into a model city where doors could be left unlocked and lost belongings returned. Now, though, he was just a ten-year-old child—small and slight, with thin lips and a jawline too sharp for a kid his age, his face half-hidden behind thick black glasses. Altogether, he looked a bit glum, nothing like the wisecracking Spider-Man he would one day become.

As Zhong Shenxiu observed Peter, he noticed the boy’s furtive glances—each time their eyes met, Peter would quickly duck his head and pretend to focus on his food. But after a moment, his gaze would sneak back over, only to dart away again.

Over and over, he repeated this, never tiring of it. Zhong Shenxiu, whose senses were now far sharper than before, hardly needed to look up to catch these little gestures. What an amusing child, he mused.

——

After dinner, May and Ben were in the kitchen, washing dishes together and whispering sweet nothings to each other, so much so that even the suds seemed to bubble up in the shape of hearts. Zhong Shenxiu sat with Peter on the sofa, watching a corny black-and-white sitcom on television.

Peter’s eyes still flitted about, occasionally sneaking glances at Zhong Shenxiu, only to look away in haste. It was obvious he had something on his mind.

From dinner until now, Peter’s persistent antics had left Zhong Shenxiu’s scalp tingling. At last, unable to bear it any longer, he scooted over, patted Peter’s shoulder, and asked, “Hey Peter, is something bothering you?”

Peter flinched, waving his hands in agitation. “N-no, nothing at all!” Then, desperate to change the subject, he blurted, “Xiu, where have you been these past three months?”

His nervousness couldn’t have been more obvious. He might as well have been shouting: I have something on my mind!

With a quiet chuckle, Zhong Shenxiu replied, “Didn’t I just say at dinner? I went home for a while. But Peter, you’ve been distracted all evening. Did something happen while I was gone?”

Getting a ten-year-old to open up wasn’t difficult—not even if that child would one day be Spider-Man.

“N-nothing…” Peter began, but when he saw the seriousness in Zhong Shenxiu’s eyes, he took a deep breath and let his shoulders sag. He confessed, “You know, Xiu, Thompson…he’s always bullied me at school. But after your really cool friend showed up that one time, Thompson never dared to bother me again. But…you’ve been gone for three months, and then…”

Peter’s head slowly drooped, a hint of unshed tears glimmering in his eyes.

“So now he’s started again?” Zhong Shenxiu prompted gently.

“Yes!” Peter looked up with a start.

Such incidents were all too common in American schools. And before he became Spider-Man, Peter Parker was timid and slight—a prime target for bullies.

“So, how can I help you?” Zhong Shenxiu asked.

“I…Xiu, I know you’re really amazing. Even the gangs in Queens treat you with respect. I just wish that really cool person could come to my school again…” Peter trailed off.

The gangs respect me? At that, Zhong Shenxiu realized his predecessor must have been quite the local celebrity.

He followed Peter’s thought. “You want me to send that person to your school again?”

Peter nodded eagerly, his tear-bright eyes fixed on Zhong Shenxiu with hope.

[Ding. Side quest triggered: ‘Every Eaglet Must Learn to Fly.’]

[Objective: Help Peter Parker resolve his bullying problem by himself. Reward: +3 to Mental Strength.]

A quick glance at the new quest: helping someone so timid and frail solve this on his own? That would be a challenge.

But as Zhong Shenxiu pondered, a plan began to form. He’d have to do a bit of persuading first.

“I could send more people to your school, make you look like the friend of a mob boss. I could even come myself. But have you thought about this, Peter?”

Peter shook his head.

“What if I left one day? Left Queens, left New York, maybe even left America? If you got bullied again, would you call me in tears and ask me to rush back to help you?”

Peter fell silent, considering the question. Sensing the moment was right, Zhong Shenxiu continued, “That’s not practical, Peter. Relying on others isn’t a long-term solution. What you need isn’t my help—you need to grow stronger yourself. When you’re strong enough, no one will ever dare bully you again.”

Peter nodded thoughtfully, then asked, “But how do I get stronger? Thompson’s so tall and strong—I could never beat him.”

“Is that so? Are those the limits you’re setting for yourself? The human body has untapped potential; you shouldn’t underestimate yourself.”

With a dose of tough love dispensed, Peter’s eyes blazed with determination. “Xiu, what should I do?”

“Every day: one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit-ups, one hundred squats, and a ten-kilometer run. And no air conditioning, no matter how hot it gets. When you start losing your hair, that means you’re getting stronger.”

“What? I’ll lose my hair?” Peter reached up, worried, and ran his fingers through his fluffy brown hair, torn between his locks and newfound strength.

The sight made Zhong Shenxiu laugh out loud. Teasing little Peter was too much fun.

He added, “You can ignore that last part, but if you stick to the routine for a month, then let me teach you a few moves—I guarantee you’ll be the king of your elementary school.”

The thought of timid little Peter becoming the schoolyard boss thanks to his influence made Zhong Shenxiu secretly look forward to a scene he’d never witnessed before: “I, Peter Parker, king of Linglan Elementary!”

It was a future, vivid and full of promise, that he suddenly found himself anticipating.