It was nighttime at Osborne Manor. Peter, Aunt May, and Uncle Ben stepped out of their car, taking in the sight of the luxurious estate before them. All three were dressed for dinner, with Uncle Ben even wearing his own black tuxedo.
"I thought you weren't interested in this sort of event, Uncle Ben," Peter remarked as he closed the car door and joined Aunt May and Uncle Ben.
That morning, Peter had informed them about Norman Osborne's invitation to dinner. Although Peter wasn't keen on associating with someone like Norman Osborne, Uncle Ben had been open to the idea.
"You've made a friend, Peter, and this is a family invitation we couldn't refuse," Aunt May replied with a smile.
"This doesn't affect my relationship with Harry," Peter said, taking out the wine Uncle Ben had prepared from the car. He continued, "Aunt May, you have your own lifestyle and preferences. I don't want that to change just because of me."
Although Peter hadn't been with Aunt May and Uncle Ben for very long, he wasn't indifferent. He could feel the love and care they had for him, and he wanted to show his appreciation.
"No, you're mistaken, Peter," Uncle Ben said with a wink. "We accepted the invitation because I think Harry is a good kid."
With that, they entered the manor. Harry, who had been expecting them, came out to greet them. Inside the living room, Norman Osborne was already waiting. After exchanging a few polite words, they began dinner.
"Harry has told me that he and Peter are like brothers, and I'm glad he has such a friend," Norman said with a warm smile. He appeared much friendlier than his stern demeanor on television.
"Peter, if you ever need help, just ask. I'll do whatever I can," Norman added.
Harry, sitting beside his father, pretended to be offended. "Dad, I'm your actual son!"
Norman played along. "True, but Harry, you often say you like to be independent."
"Maybe I have yet to discover my own talents," Harry responded with a playful grin. "But I know Peter. He's destined to be a standout in the field of science."
Hearing Harry's compliment, Norman turned to Peter with an approving look. "That's great. Besides being a businessman, I'm also a scientist. We should talk more about that."
"Yes, I've read your paper on the use of nanotechnology and novel chemicals in the human body," Peter replied. Seeing that Aunt May and Uncle Ben were listening intently, he tried to keep things vague to avoid revealing too much. He was relying on memories from his past, as he hadn't yet caught up on scientific knowledge in this world.
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"Peter, perhaps you could intern at Oscorp someday," Norman suggested, putting down his knife.
"Thanks, I'll think about it," Peter replied, feeling the intensity of Norman's gaze.
Suddenly, a soft buzzing sound filled the room. A humanoid robot, covered in an organic plastic shell, approached with a dinner plate. The robot stood about two meters tall, with a light gray body and smooth, fluid movements.
"Check out this robot developed by Oscorp! Isn't it cool?" Harry said proudly as he took the plate from the robot, showing it off to Peter.
Peter observed the robot quietly. *Is Oscorp planning to compete with Stark Industries?* he thought. *How well would this robot fare against Iron Man's tech in the future?*
"Isn't Oscorp mainly focused on chemistry and biology? Why the interest in robotics?" Peter asked Harry.
"Well—" Harry began, but Norman interrupted him, controlling the robot with his phone. The robot turned and left the room.
"This is just a household robot, without any real intelligence. It's more like an advanced appliance than a robot. Think of it as similar to a robotic vacuum cleaner," Norman explained. Then, he gave Harry a stern look. "Harry, I told you to behave at dinner."
Harry, recognizing his father's disapproval, shrugged. "Sorry, I won't do it again."
With that, the dinner continued without further interruptions. Two hours later, the dinner concluded on a positive note, and the Parkers left the manor.
Norman stood by the large windows, watching as Uncle Ben's car disappeared down the driveway. His expression grew serious.
**The Next Morning**
**Location: Oscorp Industries**
A loud argument echoed outside the lab.
"It's your fault! You convinced me to bring my magnetic airlift system to Oscorp!" a bald man shouted angrily, grabbing the collar of a scientist in a white lab coat.
"You arranged for me to meet Norman Osborne. He studied my work, stole my ideas, and then locked me out!" the bald man raged.
"I'm sorry," the scientist mumbled.
"No need to apologize, Doctor," came a cold voice. Norman Osborne appeared in the hallway, flanked by several stern-faced bodyguards.
"Osborn Enterprises doesn't need to apologize," Norman said coolly.
The bald man, seeing Norman, redirected his anger. "Apologize? Osborn, you stole my technology!"
Norman approached, his demeanor much colder than it had been the previous night. "Your accusations are dangerous, Mr. Toomes—both reckless and unfounded."
"What do you mean?" Toomes demanded.
"You've been working on this for years with no real results. You didn't achieve much in your younger days. Who would believe that now, in your later years, you'd suddenly develop an air transport system?" Norman replied.
Gritting his teeth, Toomes shot back, "You're a complete bastard, Osborn!"
"Perhaps," Norman said, his tone icy. "But I funded you. Without Oscorp, your flight system wouldn't exist, so the results belong to us."
Toomes grabbed Norman's collar and shouted in his face, "You think I'll just let this go?"
"Actually, you're no threat to me," Norman replied calmly.
With a wave of his hand, Norman signaled to the bodyguards, who pried Toomes' hands away from his collar.
"Escort Mr. Toomes out of the building," Norman ordered.
The bodyguards quickly removed the struggling Toomes from Oscorp.
Watching Toomes leave, Norman adjusted his rumpled clothes and headed towards the laboratory with a focused expression.
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