His head felt a bit fuzzy, that kind of lethargic feeling where he just couldn't find any energy.
[Is this.. the feeling of a hangover?] Last night was indeed the first time Finn had ever had a drink.
In his memory, Finn only remembered that he and Spider-Man were watching a Korean Drama, but he didn't seem to have seen the ending.
He didn't even remember how he got back, but Spider-Man certainly had a way of carrying him back.
PP, just tell me quietly, is the ending of that drama good or bad?
System PP: 【It's a good one.】 Host, is this the only thing you want to know the moment you wake up?
Hearing this, Finn breathed a sigh of relief.
After all the misery had been inflicted to an absurd degree, he was truly afraid that the Korean editors would be heartless and deliver the biggest tragedy right at the end.
System PP really had a lot to say; he truly felt that Peter Parker's performance last night could not have been any more obvious. That cosmic tunnel in the Star Dream Space, that camping cinema belonging only to them.. it was simply like a replica of the "most romantic confession scene for young people" template.
—Very much like the things eighteen-year-old youths do when they fall in love.
System PP had long suspected that Peter liked Finn, but in certain aspects, his Host could no longer be considered slow to react.
It had never installed a "Romance Plugin" at all, so it had never even thought in that direction.
But according to Finn Osborn's original plan, there was no romance subplot in his story at all. Seeing his Host's carefree attitude, System PP had been hesitant all along about whether or not to expose Peter's feelings.
After Finn got up, he went downstairs to have breakfast, only then did Mr, Mrs. Wilson casually mention that a new video had appeared on his social media platform, which had already surpassed an incredible number of views within just a few short hours, sparking intense discussion.
Only then did he remember that Andrew had indeed mentioned posting a video last night.
Finn clicked on the video in confusion, after seeing the content, he immediately fell into silence.
[Is it actually a video from backstage after yesterday's press conference?]
Finn was a bit surprised; he had originally thought Andrew was going to post the video from the birthday party.
He really captured my good side." Finn ran his fingertips across the screen, admiring his calm and handsome appearance in the video with considerable satisfaction, before immediately frowning. "But what is his purpose for posting this?
The reason this video instantly ignited heated discussions across the entire internet was self-evident—it more or less captured the sudden chaos at yesterday's Osborn Group press conference. Harry Osborn, the CEO, was absent without reason, leaving the internal affairs of the group in a complete mess with no proper contingency plan. At the moment the media lenses were about to focus on this farce, he, Finn Osborn—an "outsider" who had never previously stepped into the group's affairs and a Young Master who was not expected at all—stepped forward and stabilized the entire scene.
But if this kind of video were posted by him himself, the nature of it would definitely be different.
As expected, the comments section was already in an uproar.
Some people immediately jumped out to say that he had deliberately set a trap to ensure Harry Osborn would not be present. Because his performance clearly did not look like someone who was unprepared, everything was a deliberate setup by him to push himself forward, the release of this video also seemed very calculated and ill-intentioned, as if it were intentionally edited to position himself from the perspective of a "savior."
At the press conference, he spoke sweet words on the surface, acting as if he and his brother, Harry Osborn, were one and the same.
But then, he turned around and released a video like this, directly throwing Harry Osborn and the Osborn Group into the eye of the storm.
It was clearly a contradictory act of betrayal that invited suspicion.
It was like a carefully designed scheme to step over Harry to rise up and build momentum for himself—an ambition that could be seen through at a single glance.
As this video fermented, the dispute over the Osborn Group inheritance, which had finally begun to subside, was once again pushed to the forefront, growing more intense. Of course, many people spoke up for Finn Osborn, believing there was no need for such malicious speculation, but there were still many surging voices of doubt, they were waiting for a response from the Osborn Group.
I see, Andrew felt extremely unwilling after seeing how well I performed at the press conference." After scanning through those malicious comments, Finn instantly realized the key. The public opinion that had originally held him in such high regard had undergone a complete reversal after this video was released. "So, he released this video intentionally to smear me? Is that it?
After all, he had done so many things that Andrew loathed; it was only natural for Andrew to retaliate against him in such a way.
Finn quickly accepted this.
After all, the reason he gave Andrew this social media platform in the first place was to give him the opportunity to leak some scandalous information.
Moreover, Andrew can now argue with reason that he posted the video to showcase his charisma at the press conference.
[Andrew is quite clever; he knows that if you want to make someone bring about their own downfall, you must first let them become arrogant!] Finn felt proud of his keen observation. [On one hand, he posted this video to deliberately disrupt the public opinion, on the other hand, it was to inflate my ambition, making me believe that I could truly replace Harry Osborn! He even knew to use this method—on the surface, he was praising me, but in reality, he was intensifying the conflict between Harry and me.]
Feeling targeted, Finn didn't feel backstabbed; instead, he even found it somewhat stimulating. Andrew, who had always been submissive, had finally found a good opportunity to punish him, he had even come up with such a brilliant idea that even the wise Finn had not thought of.
—Thinking about it carefully, he even felt a bit gratified.
Overall, there were no major problems.
Anyway, the plotline was still on its proper track; Andrew's commotion had actually served as an indirect boost to the plot.
Finn looked at the photos he had taken yesterday on his phone, with a pleasant mood, he packed a portion and sent it to Peter Parker, leaving a message saying—
Thank you for inviting Spider-Man for me.
He also brought me a wonderful birthday gift.
Peter quickly replied to him with a [Proudly hands on hips. gif] sticker from SUMMER, telling him he would be there in a moment.
Finn then remembered that the series of stickers he had mentioned last night, [Flying Pillow] and [Amazing Spider-Man], hadn't been uploaded yet, so he quickly returned to his room to upload them. Then, he began to happily unwrap the pile of birthday gifts that he hadn't had time to open yesterday.
"What is the current Misery Value?" Finn asked suddenly, his movements of unwrapping the birthday gifts becoming slower and slower.
System PP: 【Current mission progress updated to: 15.09/100.】
Finn Osborn nodded; his Misery Value had already reached 15.09%.
Although a significant portion of it had risen for reasons even Finn did not understand.
And there was also the 0.09% Misery Value contributed by System PP.
So slow." But compared to his previous host, Finn sighed. He thought of Marcus again, who had worked so hard to provide him with opportunities, it was practically as if the Main Brain was feeding him, "It feels like a wasted opportunity for the birthday.
The progress was only just past 15%.
Finn looked at his phone and discovered something even more terrifying—the trust fund had actually transferred ten million US dollars to him.
It turned out that his father, Norman Osborn, had requested the trust fund to transfer him an extra sum of money on his birthday every year.
Suddenly Rich Finn: ".." Is my father still thinking about feeding me from heaven!
—But being this rich! How am I supposed to farm Misery Value now!
Having finally squandered all his assets, Finn was forced into silence once again.
While he was thinking while unwrapping the gifts, Finn's left index finger accidentally suffered a small cut.
He was already prone to blood phobia.
He immediately felt unwell, a wave of nausea washing over him.
"When I fell from the building last time, did my progress increase by two percent?" However, Finn suddenly thought of something at this moment.
System PP: 【?】
"So, what you're saying is.. even if I don't need others to torment me, I can still gain progress just by hurting myself, right?" Finn rubbed the utility knife in his hand, his tone carrying a hint of almost innocent curiosity.
"Host, this idea of yours is very dangerous." There was a slight tremor in System PP's electronic voice.
"How about we try an experiment?" Finn recalled the unexpected gain from his last sleepwalking incident, where falling from the second floor resulted in nothing more than a sprained ankle but yielded a 2% progress increase. Thinking of his own wounds, a curious desire to investigate began to sprout in his mind.
"Host, please stop this idea of harming yourself," System PP warned very solemnly.
"Shall we give it a try?" Finn Osborn said in a casual tone, his fingertips stroking the cold blade of the utility knife. The cuffs of his white pajamas slid down to his elbows, revealing a section of excessively pale forearms. He didn't dare look, so he simply closed his eyes tightly. Amidst the nearly vehement protests from System PP, he lightly pressed the sharp blade against the skin of his left arm.
The cold metal pressed against the warm flesh, the sensation being excessively clear.
The young man took a deep breath, his fingertips applying a slight amount of pressure.
The moment the sharp pain pierced through the skin, blood immediately seeped out, flowing slowly along the lines of his arm.
[Misery Value detected rising, Misery Value +0.5%]
[Misery Value detected rising, Misery Value +0.5%]
"PP, look! It really works this way!" Listening to the notification of the rising Misery Value, Finn's voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement, as if he had discovered a new shortcut to completing a mission.
The knife was still held steadily in Finn's hand.
System PP has no senses, no heart, certainly no physical body; he is merely a string of cold code.
But at this moment, it was "watching" with what was almost a heart-pounding sense of dread.
The electronic voice was tinged with an unprecedented, clear sense of panic.
Alright! Alright! We've already succeeded in the experiment! Please stop!
Finn Osborn did not stop.
Far from stopping, he acted as if he couldn't feel the pain. His hand gripping the blade applied a slight amount of pressure, carving another slit just below the original wound. More blood meandered down his forearm, staining a large area of the pure white pajamas red, dripping onto the smooth floor drop by drop, a truly terrifying sight.
[Misery Value detected rising, Misery Value +0.5%]
System PP: 【Finn Osborn!】
This was the first time System PP had shouted Finn's full name with such outward emotion; even through its programmed electronic voice, a sense of anxiety and panic broke through. It was like a small bird hanging at the edge of a cliff, making a futile attempt to hold onto someone determined to fall.
[Misery Value rising detected, Misery Value +0.5%]
Finn slowly opened his eyes, but his gaze drifted far away.
He didn't dare look down at his blood-stained arm, but instead tilted his head back, staring blankly out the window at the light.
At this moment, even the warm sunlight seemed cold and cruel.
On the young man's pure white pajamas, the crimson bloodstains were still slowly spreading, like a painting that had completely spiraled out of control.
What am I doing?
He muttered to himself, his voice as light as a breeze, carrying a hint of fragmented confusion.
[Misery Value detected rising, Misery Value +0.5%]
I am not Finn Osborn, I am.. the System.
I was supposed to be executing missions, but I've just been playing around.
I clearly made an agreement with the Main Brain that once the mission is completed, I will be able to be born with a human identity.
The mission will be accomplished, it will definitely be accomplished!" System PP tried its best to soothe and promise with a calm tone, "The Main Brain didn't give me a time limit for the mission. No matter how long it takes to complete the mission, PP will always stay with the Host!
"I shouldn't be this happy," Finn Osborn muttered, as if he hadn't heard at all.
After the massive, almost manic joy receded like a tide, an overwhelming sense of self-loathing instantly submerged the young man. Nausea from the blood surged through his limbs and bones, clutching his heart and making every breath feel heavy with a suffocating revulsion, as if he were trapped in some hidden, cramped space, unable to catch his breath.
System PP clearly realized a point that he had ignored at this moment—
Since his Host has chosen the "Mental Illness" persona.
Then he really, truly, is, mentally, ill!
Host, please put down the knife," System PP said, forcing a calm tone, "Your current emotions are very unstable.
Could you go open the door? Just go open the door.