Spider-Man: ".." Just who exactly did you invite to this party!?
Peter couldn't help but turn his head to look at Joseph and Max, but both men were keeping their heads down, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.
When Catherine saw Finn bring back another man covered in blue electric light, she was completely stunned.
A strange and somewhat stiff, polite smile stretched across the blue-lit man's face toward her.
"Later, I'll give you two a raise.." Finn looked at his two butlers hesitantly, feeling as though the difficulty level of being a butler was becoming higher and higher.
No need." Catherine took a deep breath, telling herself that a good butler only needs to take good care of the young master, everything else was secondary. "Young Master Finn, please eat first. Don't you know you have hypoglycemia and a stomachache? Why are you returning so late?
"How can you have hypoglycemia and stomach problems?" Peter Parker asked, unable to help himself.
Finn: ".." Stop asking, these are all just debuff choices.
"I am so sorry, it's all my fault." Max Dillon apologized to Finn with an expression of extreme panic and guilt.
“I only missed a meal, but you actually died..” Finn Osborn couldn't help but say.
It was only because Young Master Finn came to the morgue that I was able to be resurrected," Max Dillon said with gratitude, feeling truly thankful that Finn could see someone as insignificant as him. "It was you who brought the dawn to that cold and terrifying morgue, allowing my originally worthless life to experience the miracle of rebirth.
.. Get a grip, I don't have that kind of ability," Finn said, caught between laughter and tears. "You resurrected yourself through your own ability.
Butler Joseph quickly prepared the dinner.
Looking at the exquisite silver cutlery and the highly sophisticated dishes before him, Max Dillon was stunned, his eyes filled with an unbelievable trance. He didn't even know where to put his hands, exuding an irrepressible sense of awkwardness—he had never imagined that he would actually have the privilege of sitting in such a place to enjoy dinner with Finn Osborn.
"Right now, I feel as if I've received an invitation from God to dine in heaven." Max's throat tightened, his heart filled with an indescribable sense of emotion.
Butler Joseph: ".." So, am I the manager of a restaurant in heaven?
This is definitely the happiest day of my life." Max's voice carried a hint of imperceptible sobbing, his words were somewhat incoherent. "You know, I.. I have never been invited to anyone's home before, because I don't have any friends. Of course, I'm not saying that I'm worthy of being your friend.
"But I am truly happy." Max's voice was filled with pure joy and emotion.
Hearing these words, Peter felt an indescribable surge of emotion in his heart. The man before him, covered in crackling electricity, had been working diligently for the Osborn Group, yet had suffered such a tragic and painful upheaval for no reason. Yet, the warmth of a single meal seemed enough to allow Max Dillon to temporarily cast all his past miseries to the back of his mind.
"We can certainly be friends, Max Dillon," Peter Parker said immediately, his tone sincere and gentle.
Spider-Man is my idol." Having finally received such a precious opportunity to converse with a friend, Max Dillon's tense shoulders gradually relaxed at the dinner table. Finn Osborn was an engaging conversationalist as well as a good listener, Max Dillon gradually began to talk more, as if he had finally found someone he could confide in. "He is a very approachable hero; he once helped me on the road, he was very friendly. No one else has ever been as enthusiastic toward me as he was, or proactively lent me a hand, or even called me by my name.
I know that to Spider-Man, I am just an ordinary passerby." Max's words were filled with reverence. "But I still consider Spider-Man my idol.
Peter's heart skipped a beat.
"Spider-Man even promised to come help me celebrate my birthday," Finn said, glancing at Peter with a boastful tone.
"Really!" In Max Dillon's eyes, the best person in the world naturally belonged on the same layer.
After dinner, Finn had Joseph take Max to the guest room to rest and, while there, to see if there were any more suitable and appropriate clothes. Peter was in no hurry to leave, so Finn simply brought him back to his room and explained what had happened that day.
Later, the youth lay on the soft large bed, sketching on a tablet with a stylus. He suddenly turned his head to look at Peter, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes filled with a hint of earnest inquiry: "What do you think? How about I paint a picture for Max as a birthday gift?"
"That sounds great! Max will definitely love it," Peter said with a smile, immediately agreeing.
"Don't you have dance class tonight?" Peter asked, having thought of something.
No," Finn said with a sigh, his voice tinged with reluctance. "Catherine said I need to rest for a few more days.
Mrs. Wilson has always cared about you the most," Peter replied with a smile, his gaze unconsciously falling upon Finn's ankle, which was still bound in a brace. "Does your ankle still hurt? Let me see.
Finn didn't think much of it; he simply lifted his leg slightly, it rested naturally on Peter's knee. Peter reached out to carefully undo the brace, the skin on the young man's foot being incredibly pale and delicate. Although Finn himself didn't feel any pain, there was still very obvious bruising on his ankle, which still made Peter frown.
Peter carefully held his ankle, his fingertips moving with extreme lightness as he adjusted the angle bit by bit, asking softly several times, "Does this hurt?" Finn shook his head and said with a smile, "It doesn't hurt at all."
You need to rest for a few more days as well," Peter insisted. "If you get injured a second time, it will definitely be much worse.
"Fine," Finn said helplessly.
Peter still went to get a hot towel to apply a warm compress to Finn's ankle, Finn said nothing, simply picking up a tablet and starting to sketch some drafts.
"When are you planning to tell Harry about Max and Marcus tomorrow?" Peter asked. If he could, he certainly wanted to join them as well.
Tomorrow morning, I suppose." Finn could naturally see through Peter's thoughts and knew that Peter wouldn't have time in the morning. "I don't have time in the afternoon.
"What are you going to do?" Peter asked naturally.
"Noah made an appointment with a psychiatrist for me," Finn said with a complex expression.
"Psychiatrist?" Peter's voice rose several degrees, the relaxation on his face vanishing in an instant.
That's right, you didn't know, did you?" Finn raised an eyebrow, then put on a serious expression and said solemnly, "I have schizophrenia.
Seeing Peter's nervous expression, Finn laughed again. "Just kidding."
"Actually, it's just because there's a System PP living in my head," he added silently to himself.
".. Don't scare me with stuff like that!" Peter was clearly quite frightened by him.
I can't help it either," Finn Osborn said with a helpless shrug. "Noah always thinks I'm sick and insists on watching me go to the doctor. I used to be able to sneak away, but now that Noah has some free time, he's constantly watching me.
“Do you feel unwell anywhere? Mentally? Emotionally?” Peter leaned in closer, asking with extreme concern and nervousness.
"No, everything's fine. I've been having a pretty good time every day." Finn shrugged, looking as carefree as ever, a look Peter was well acquainted with.
Peter knew that a System existed inside Finn's mind.
Finn would often converse with System PP as if no one else were there. Perhaps in the eyes of other close acquaintances, he might appear to exhibit some obvious abnormalities, making it possible for him to be mistaken for having schizophrenia.
Moreover, Finn was much like the Happy Prince, with a flighty mind and a positive, optimistic outlook; he was so playful, with so many people accompanying him, he was always willing to play. As the Spider-Man who could hear Finn's inner thoughts, he indeed did not think Finn had any illness.
"Did the doctor give you any medicine?" Peter Parker asked with some concern.
"Yes, quite a variety of them," Finn nodded.
"If you don't feel unwell, then don't take it, okay? The side effects of this kind of medicine are quite significant." Peter thought for a moment and then spoke. He couldn't exactly treat a healthy person for schizophrenia out of the blue.
Yeah, I think so too.
Finn's eyes crinkled into a smile as he nodded in agreement.
Then I won't eat.
Chapter 28: Legacy · Deadlock
A splitting headache.
This was the only sensation Harry Osborn felt.
This damn hereditary disease caused Harry Osborn to suffer from persistent headaches after its onset; those sharp pains constantly gnawed at his nerves, making it difficult for him to focus.
He could clearly perceive that his condition was worsening.
But the heavy affairs of the Osborn Group would not be delayed for a moment because of his pain.
That was one thing, but what made Harry even more irritable was that he constantly encountered several self-important fools every day, flaunting their petty tricks in front of him.
Mr. Osborn.. Young Master Finn, in your office—
Harry pushed the office door open with a sudden force, his gaze colliding with the young man standing by the floor-to-ceiling window. He also realized instantly that Finn was waiting for him. Felicia had indeed mentioned it to him before, but Harry hadn't been able to find the time to see Finn, he hadn't expected Finn to have actually waited here until now.
Great, another idiot.
And his own younger brother, no less.
“I don't have much time.” Harry sat straight back down behind the large desk, tapping his knuckles on the tabletop to draw Finn's attention back, his tone cold and hard, “You only have half an hour.”
Harry remembered what he had told Finn before—to give him a week to think things through before coming back to negotiate with him.
Heh, it seemed Finn remembered the one-week deadline even more clearly than he did.
Harry subconsciously looked at Finn's feet; they appeared to have already healed.
The young man stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the entire bustling skyline of New York appearing as his backdrop.
When Finn turned to look at him, the moment those bright green eyes collided with his, Harry Osborn almost experienced an extremely absurd illusion.
He seemed to be the only existence in this office's murky colors that could truly be called a bright spot.
Indeed, even Harry found it ridiculous.
His younger brother could always appear so innocent and radiant, just as he was in everyone's eyes.
Is it just you?" Harry said with a sneer, his tone as arrogant as ever. "Then I hope you have truly thought this through clearly.
The previous conversation had already made everything perfectly clear—
There was no familial bond between them to begin with; the only remaining connection was the inheritance left by Norman Osborn. This was for the best—it was pure enough. Harry had never intended to shoulder any responsibilities or duties as an older brother, so he simply used money to settle everything, severing all ties completely.
He would never involve himself in Finn's life again.
Finn gazed at Harry at this moment, only now belatedly catching certain details that he had failed to notice before—
The desolation and exhaustion hidden deep within Harry's usually sharp and cold green eyes.
[System PP, Harry is truly suffering.]
He is only twenty-one years old, yet he lives such a difficult life. Every day, besides sleeping, he is working to support the entire Osborn Group. He also has to deal with those parasites who covet the Osborn Group and constantly find ways to trip him up. On top of that, there is me, his greedy and foolish brother, always being an eyesore and a nuisance in front of him.
Now that Harry is sick, I'm coming here to make things even worse for him.
I'm sorry. As your younger brother, all I know is how to eat, drink, play without a care in the world, making things so hard for you.
The more Finn Osborn thought about it, the more he felt that Harry Osborn was truly too much to handle, of course, Max Dillon was also very much to handle last night. Given how much they both suffered, Finn felt that his Misery Value plans were merely child's play, or rather, not even worth mentioning.
Maybe I should secretly introduce my friend to Harry when the time comes? Let him find a way to kidnap me to vent some frustration. I'm mainly afraid that Harry is too upright and will just send me straight to a mental asylum or prison; wouldn't it be more satisfying to get a beating first, face-to-face?
No, Andrew and Spider-Man are also waiting to beat me up. I need to figure out a proper order, ideally one where I can chain them all together at once." Finn felt unable to think clearly about how to make his entry into this "beat-up project" seem legitimate and reasonable, then his focus shifted toward his little rookie system, "This kind of mental labor that tests logical abilities is more suitable for a system like you, right, PP?
System PP: [..] Host, why don't you take a look at what you're saying?
Stop sending me those high-five emojis." Having worked with System PP for so long, Finn could already predict what System PP would do next. He complained irritably, "You never come up with any actual ideas; all you do is high-five me. What is a system like you even for? Just to act cute?
System PP urgently retracted an emoji.
"I have already organized the classified research files regarding the Osborn family's genetic diseases for the Host." System PP felt that this was the kind of serious work he should be doing, attempting to highlight his own value. As a system bound to the Host, PP could rely on his own digital dimensional authority to access the internal network database of the Osborn Group.
Harry's office had a core terminal, although it contained many encrypted keys, this level of defense was no match for System PP. Finn had been waiting for Harry in the office during this period, so he naturally came into contact with Harry's computer, allowing System PP to successfully breach it and complete the infiltration.
Finn knew that Harry would eventually discover this through the surveillance as well. But it didn't matter; after all, his reputation wasn't exactly a good one, it was only natural for a foolish younger brother to try and steal trade secrets while his older brother was away. Moreover, it was clear that Harry had great confidence in his own encryption security system.
"Finn Osborn." Harry called out in a low voice, unable to help himself when he saw Finn standing there silently, seemingly lost in thought.
"I'm here," Finn replied instinctively.