Faced with 500 million, Lock Parker's tone even changed:
"Mr. Five Hundred Million—oh no, Mr. Stark—I guarantee I will get you home safely as quickly as possible. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Mr. Moneybags, the money-powered superhuman, saw that Lock Parker, this arrogant superhuman, had been defeated by his money power. His face regained its confident smile, and he pointed to the steel parts in the corner:
"Ahem, then please pack my 'luggage' a bit. I'd like to take it back as a souvenir."
Although Tony didn't explicitly say what those steel parts were, Lock Parker, who had read the original story, naturally knew they were prototype parts of the first Iron Man suit.
However, since Tony didn't say it directly, Lock Parker wouldn't ask.
After all, he wasn't very interested in the Iron Man suit.
The heavy, bulky steel armor, aside from allowing him to fly, would only hinder his superb agility as Spider-Man.
So Lock Parker simply raised his hand and shot out a fan-shaped web, wrapping the parts in the corner, then pulled them back and carried them on his shoulder.
Tony glanced at Lock Parker's wrist, where he had shot out the spider silk, with surprise.
He had clearly seen that the other party was not carrying any launcher, but rather shooting out a spider-web-like substance directly from his wrist!
However, Tony didn't ask further questions.
After all, what superhumans hate most is having others pry into their powers.
This is their trump card for survival; how could they just reveal it?
What if they get targeted afterward?
For example, Tony himself was confident that if he knew the specific capabilities of his opponent, he could create countermeasures.
For example—the Anti-Spider-Man armor...
"Mr. Stark, are there any other souvenirs you'd like to take with you?"
Tony's gaze finally left Lock Parker's wrist when he heard that.
Tony shook his head: "Just call me Tony. Everything else in this cave only disgusts me, so no need..."
After saying that, Tony asked, "By the way, I still don't know your name—or your code name?"
"For ordinary employers, I would usually only tell them my code name. But you are worth 500 million—a major client—, and I believe we have the potential for long-term cooperation, so..."
Lock Parker put his hands on his hood and slowly lifted it, revealing his face.
Lock Parker. That's my name."
Upon hearing the familiar name and seeing that face he vaguely recognized, Tony was somewhat surprised.
"It's you—the young genius hailed by the New York Times two years ago as someone who almost surpassed me?"
"Back then, because of that reputation, I even sent Pepper to personally recruit you. I wanted to see just how talented you really were—but you refused!"
"I never imagined you wouldn't end up going to work, but instead becoming a superhero!"
Lock Parker raised his index finger and shook it at Tony, saying casually:
"NONONO, I'm not a superhero. Superheroes save people voluntarily, but I charge for saving people. I make money."
Tony was a little puzzled: "It's just a difference in money. Is there really a difference?"
Lock Parker's lips twitched: "The difference between a few hundred million and a few hundred million? Tsk, there's no way to talk to someone like you who makes millions in a minute..."
Tony scoffed, "A million a minute? Kid, it's not that little."
After saying that, Tony—reeking of money—walked out first.
Meanwhile, Lock Parker silently changed the index finger he had raised at Tony into a middle finger:
"What a load of crap! Millions a day is nothing compared to what you're making. Even if Stark Industries is insane, I'd still be underestimating it if I said billions a day...?"
Ethan, who had been standing to the side like a human prop, suddenly said:
"Um, Mr. Parker, that might actually be true. I remember Tony saying that before he was captured, he had just signed a multi-billion-dollar arms deal with the military…"
Upon hearing this, Lock Parker fell silent.
But he wasn't stunned by Tony's deal worth tens of billions—he was thinking he had priced himself too low!
Five hundred million suddenly seemed like pocket change to this guy!
But once a deal is made, it's final. Lock Parker always stuck to fixed pricing—no bargaining, no changing terms.
So he couldn't go back on it now.
However, Lock Parker's smile quickly returned.
Because he had another idea—one that could earn him even more money from Tony later...
But first, he had to get himself home.
On the way out, Tony walked through the cave, looking at the "decorations"—terrorists either hanging from the cliffs by spider silk or stuck headless against the walls.
He wasn't scared at all—he felt relieved.
Because nearly every one of these guys had beaten him and Ethan over the past two months!
That 500 million was absolutely worth it!
Upon exiting the cave and seeing the watchtower covered in hanging bodies, Tony was utterly stunned and mechanically turned to Lock Parker:
"Wha—can you tell me how you did it? How did none of these guys notice you?"
To this, Lock Parker simply replied:
"How many FPS players have you ever seen look up?"
One sentence silenced even the world's richest man.
After a long while, Tony secretly vowed that once he built his armor, he would always watch above his head in battle.
After all, he didn't want to end up hanging like that.
While Tony and Ethan were still marveling, Lock Parker had already swung away and brought his hidden vehicle over.
Seeing the car, Ethan got in immediately—he couldn't wait to leave this hell.
But Tony stood there, staring at the cave with a complicated expression, hesitating.
Seeing this, Lock Parker leaned out from the driver's seat and teased:
"What, have you grown attached to living here?"
Tony shook his head, got into the car, and said quietly:
"No... I'm just wondering who sold Stark weapons to the Ten Rings... and who the traitor inside Stark Industries is..."
Lock Parker's eyes lit up.
Now this—that was business.
So he decided to warm things up first before making a bigger deal later.
He pointed to the trunk and said:
"There are RPGs in the back. If you don't want your products left here—blow them up."
Tony raised an eyebrow: "Wow, didn't expect you to be this considerate."
He immediately grabbed an RPG, returned to the back seat, and leaned halfway out the window.
"Alright, Lock Parker—move the car forward a bit. If I fire from here, we'll both be blown up!"
Lock Parker simply stepped on the gas.
After gaining enough distance, Tony aimed and fired.
The rocket struck the ammunition pile perfectly, erupting into a massive explosion that lit up the desert night sky.
The fire illuminated Tony's face with a genuine, excited smile.
It had been a long time since he smiled like that.
Seeing this in the rearview mirror, Lock Parker knew—it was time.
Fun was over. Business begins.
So he tossed a USB drive to Tony in the back seat.
Tony caught it, confused: "What's this? Your secret stash?"
Lock Parker:...
After a few seconds of silence, Lock Parker said meaningfully:
"You're not entirely wrong… especially since it includes certain 'interesting' footage."
Tony's eyes lit up instantly, and he pocketed it without hesitation.
"Oh! In that case, I'll definitely enjoy it when I get home."
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A/N: Support Via Powerstone And Collections
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