Chapter Sixty-Five: Hiring Spider-Man for Ten Dollars

Zhong Shou summoned a verdant glow to heal Peter’s spiral wound on his abdomen. It took twenty seconds in total, but unfortunately, no abilities were triggered. Accustomed to his luck as a perennial underdog, Zhong Shou didn’t mind much; after all, with this punch establishing his authority, Peter wouldn’t leave him easily. The two abilities were practically at his fingertips—a matter of time, nothing more.

“My whole body doesn’t hurt at all now, Shou, what exactly is your superpower? You’re not only so strong, but you can heal wounds too,” Peter exclaimed, his spirits suddenly soaring after his injury was cured. He followed Zhong Shou, relentlessly chattering with questions:

“Shou, what bit you? Was it a lion or a tiger? That punch just now was as fierce as a lion!”

If I really were bitten by that thing... Would I still be standing here? Zhong Shou grumbled inwardly.

“Peter, what do you plan to do next? In other words, after gaining this ability, what’s your dream?”

“I... actually, I do have one...” Peter plopped down on the barren ground, embarrassed, scratching his head.

“I’ve seen how chaotic Queens is—most people are sneaky, some even resort to theft and worse. The police hardly manage any of it.

“I thought, wouldn’t it be great if there was a hero—someone who could bring order to all of Queens... Of course, not just because being a hero is cool...

“But, you know, Shou, Uncle Ben lost his job.”

“Lost his job?” On hearing this, Zhong Shou soon realized what had happened. Ben Parker had been an engineer at the Happy Factory on Ingram Street’s west side, but now that the factory had been blown up by Hyde, Ben losing his job was inevitable.

“It was his former workplace—the machinery was so old that it caught fire, leading to a massive explosion. The whole factory became a ruin,” Peter explained.

So that’s the reason SHIELD gave... Zhong Shou mused.

“Luckily, Uncle Ben was at home resting that day, and that’s why he escaped disaster.

“But since Uncle Ben lost his job, even though neither he nor Aunt May have talked to me about it, I can still sense their moods have soured, and household expenses have dropped...

“So, even though I really want to be a hero—someone who punishes evil and promotes good—I actually just want to earn money now, to help my family through this financial crisis while Uncle Ben is unemployed.”

“I heard people talking on the street yesterday—there’s underground boxing on Third Street. But when I went there, they said I was underage and wouldn’t let me in...”

“I also thought about joining the circus...” Peter rambled on, while Zhong Shou listened and sank into contemplation.

Honestly, he hoped Peter would keep fighting evil. After all, being a hero brings not fame or anything else, mostly just wounds. As a rookie, Peter would likely end up battered and bruised regularly.

That would give Zhong Shou’s mutant healing technique plenty of use.

If Peter ran off to the circus or elsewhere, he might get tired, but with his current abilities, it’d be hard for him to get injured. Furthermore, if Peter devoted himself to fighting crime, the gangs on Ingram Street and throughout Queens would suffer. Their casualty rates would skyrocket, and Zhong Shou would be the one to benefit.

Thinking it over, letting Peter become a hero was actually the most profitable option.

But Peter’s family situation was special now—lack of money was making him want to give up his dream. For Zhong Shou, that simply wouldn’t do.

“How about this? I agree Queens really needs a true hero. I support you. And I know about Ben’s situation, so I’ve decided to fund your hero career. What do you think, Peter?” Zhong Shou said with a smile.

“Fund?” Hearing this commercial term, Peter’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, you pursue your hero work, and I’ll pay you a salary. Let’s see... ten dollars an hour? And if you resolve any major incidents, I’ll give you bonuses.

“By the way, I think the gangs in Queens are too arrogant. Peter, you should focus on cracking down on them.”

Peter looked at Zhong Shou in confusion. “But aren’t they all your friends?”

Zhong Shou shook his head slowly. “No.”

They’re sheep waiting to be sheared—

As long as Peter listened to him, his clientele of injured gangsters would only grow.

“Alright, I’ll remember. I’ll keep a close eye on them, and if they break any laws, I’ll stop them right away,” Peter nodded vigorously.

He then asked Zhong Shou, “Shou, what should my nickname be? All superheroes have catchy names, like Captain America.”

“Just call yourself Spider-Man. You can climb walls—it's fitting,” Zhong Shou suggested.

Peter considered it, blinking. “Okay, it doesn’t sound very cool, but since you came up with it, I’ll use it.”

Who would have thought—the name Spider-Man was coined by me. My little butterfly wings are fluttering wider and wider... Zhong Shou felt a sudden pang of emotion.

“By the way, Shou, I just realized something!” Peter, walking along, suddenly exclaimed.

“What is it?”

“I don’t want Uncle Ben and Aunt May to know I’ve mutated into a superpowered person—I don’t want them to worry. But if I keep bringing home the money you give me, they’ll definitely ask where it’s coming from.

“What should I say then?”

What a thoughtful kid... After pondering for a moment, Zhong Shou replied:

“No rush. In a few days, I’m planning to renovate my house and turn it into a clinic. Then I’ll invite you to come help, and pay you a salary. That way, Aunt May and Uncle Ben won’t suspect anything.”

“Alright, thank you so much, Shou!” Peter bowed deeply to Zhong Shou, feeling that meeting someone as kind as him was the luckiest thing that had ever happened to him.

Little did he know, he was merely Zhong Shou’s crop—

“That’s enough, no need to thank me. Go home now, otherwise Ben will come looking for you. Oh, and keep your whereabouts hidden, then leave from my front door.

“Keep it all secret, understand?” Zhong Shou suddenly said gravely.

“Mm-hmm.” Peter nodded, then, like a stealthy little insect, glanced left and right, advancing cautiously, always alert.

Zhong Shou chuckled and left him to it.

Then he turned toward the villa’s entrance.

It was time to check on Wanda. He wondered how her meditation practice was going, and whether her abilities had awakened yet.