Chapter 36: Felicia Hardy
The weather in New York was unusually pleasant.
Compared with the bitter cold of winter, the lingering chill of early spring, and the suffocating heat of summer, autumn in the city was short but comfortable. Warm sunlight and cool breezes made it the perfect season for outdoor activities.
Students poured out of one of the teaching buildings at Empire State University, chatting as they walked.
"Daniel, I honestly didn't expect a biological sciences student like you to join our physics club," Peter Parker said as they walked side by side.
"Come on, let's grab lunch together."
"Sure," Lance Ryder replied without hesitation.
As they headed toward the cafeteria, he added casually,
"It's actually not that strange. Biophysics is an important field. It covers everything from molecular biology to entire ecosystems."
He stepped aside to avoid a passing bicycle before continuing.
"It overlaps with physiology, biochemistry, nanotechnology, bioengineering, agricultural physics, cell biology, and systems biology."
"Biophysics studies the laws governing matter, energy, particles, and information within space and time. And when you get to cutting-edge research, you inevitably run into quantum physics."
"For that level of work, advanced knowledge of physics is essential."
Lance's real intention had been to use the physics club as a bridge.
Through it, he hoped to interact with the university's leading physics professors and gain access to the latest quantum research.
But he hadn't expected to encounter Peter Parker there.
At this point, calling it coincidence felt impossible.
It seemed as if fate itself had arranged their meeting.
Lance had deliberately avoided approaching professors through Betty Ross.
Although she was now a professor of biological sciences at the university—and even taught one of his courses—their relationship had changed.
For now, they could only be considered friends.
Because of that, Lance chose a more indirect approach.
But meeting Peter Parker complicated things.
As one of the school's most talented young physicists, Parker already had access to specialized laboratories despite being a freshman.
Which meant Lance's plan might still work—
But Spider-Man's involvement added unpredictable risks.
While the two of them discussed quantum theory over lunch in the cafeteria, someone suddenly approached their table.
Both Lance and Parker had already noticed the person coming.
But to avoid appearing suspicious, they continued their conversation until she stopped directly in front of them.
At that point, ignoring her became impossible.
Lance looked up.
Standing there was a beautiful blonde woman dressed in designer clothing.
A Chanel handbag hung from her arm, and she wore a friendly smile.
"Parker," she said warmly.
"Don't forget about the charity gala tomorrow night."
"You need to arrive early."
"Don't worry, Felicia," Parker replied quickly, setting down his utensils and wiping his mouth.
"I'll definitely be there."
He stood and introduced them.
"Felicia, this is Daniel Zhou—a top student in the biological sciences department."
"Daniel, this is Felicia Hardy. She's my classmate, and her mother is a well-known philanthropist in New York."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Hardy," Lance said politely, standing as well.
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Zhou."
Felicia Hardy's sharp eyes briefly scanned him.
His clothes had no visible logos, but the quality of the material suggested custom tailoring.
And the watch on his wrist—although not a Patek Philippe—was a Breguet, one of Switzerland's most respected luxury watchmakers.
Clearly expensive.
"You're also welcome to attend tomorrow night's charity event," Felicia said with a pleasant smile.
"But I won't disturb you any longer."
She nodded politely.
Then she turned and left without hesitation.
Lance watched her go.
Felicia Hardy…
The name sounded familiar.
She seemed very close to Peter Parker.
Yet Lance couldn't recall hearing it before.
Still, that wasn't unusual.
In the Marvel universe, Earth alone had nearly seven billion people.
Countless individuals appeared in Peter Parker's life.
Among them, only a few names truly stood out.
For Lance, the only women strongly associated with Parker were Mary Jane Watson and Gwen Stacy.
Later, through casual conversation with Parker, Lance learned more.
Felicia's mother, Lydia Hardy, was a well-known New York philanthropist.
She owned numerous properties across the city—many of them rental buildings.
And this was Manhattan, the city that never sleeps.
Those properties alone generated tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
Most of that income was used to fund charity projects.
Naturally, large sums were also deducted through taxes.
And Lydia Hardy often partnered with other investors to manage the financial operations.
Still, with that much money flowing into charity every year, the media and various organizations constantly monitored where the funds went.
Everyone wanted a share of the influence.
The charity gala was organized by J. Jonah Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle.
Since his resources were limited, he hired a professional event company while assigning Daily Bugle employees to handle many tasks themselves.
Peter Parker's role was simple—
Photography.
Originally, Lance had little interest in attending.
But when Felicia Hardy sent him an invitation, something interesting happened.
His neighbor, Gwen Stacy, received one as well.
Felicia had even delivered Lance's invitation directly to his private residence outside the university.
He had always kept a low profile at Empire State University.
Even his roommate didn't know he owned a house nearby.
Yet Felicia Hardy's family had somehow discovered it.
That alone suggested their connections were impressive.
Because of the invitations, Lance and the Stacy family attended the event together.
Gwen's father, George Stacy, was the captain of the 67th Precinct in Manhattan.
Holding such a position required considerable ability.
The precinct was one of the most important in New York.
George Stacy also held influence within the wider New York Police Department leadership.
The charity gala itself reflected the city's financial realities.
Even the police department struggled with funding shortages.
Police chiefs and precinct commanders often had to seek sponsorships and donations.
Jameson's event served exactly that purpose.
And true to his personality—
The venue wasn't a luxury hotel.
It was his private apartment.
Despite that, the place was impressive.
Jameson's residence occupied the top floor of a Manhattan high-rise.
From the windows, guests could see a breathtaking view of half the city.
The spacious living room could easily accommodate dozens of people.
This wasn't the first time Jameson had hosted such an event.
Sponsors often praised the atmosphere.
So he continued organizing them.
When Jameson saw Peter Parker entering with Lance, he raised an eyebrow.
"Parker, is this your friend?"
"Yes, Mr. Jameson," Parker said quickly.
"This is Daniel Zhou, a freshman at Empire State University like me."
He turned to Lance.
"Daniel, this is my boss, Mr. Jameson, editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Jameson," Lance said respectfully.
"I've heard a lot about you."
He shook the older man's hand.
"I'm sure the Daily Bugle will achieve even greater success under your leadership."
Jameson was an experienced man.
He immediately recognized that Lance's compliment was sincere.
And he appreciated it.
"If you're ever looking for work," Jameson said, handing him a business card,
"Come see me at the Bugle."
"Thank you," Lance replied with a smile.
After a few polite exchanges, he stepped aside so Parker and Jameson could continue their conversation.
Truthfully, Lance admired Jameson.
Few people could spend decades obsessively criticizing Spider-Man and still remain perfectly safe.
Jameson's abilities were undeniable.
In fact, in the future he would even run for Mayor of New York.
Their first impression of each other had been positive.
Soon afterward, Lance reunited with Gwen Stacy.
Together they moved through the crowd, meeting several influential figures in New York society.
Some of them had already met Lance at the Stark Expo.
They were surprised to see him accompanied by Gwen—the daughter of a powerful police captain.
A few of them even joked that they should call Betty Ross later to ask about it.
Among the guests were several notable figures.
Harry Osborn, attending in place of his father Norman Osborn.
Apparently Norman was busy with other matters that evening.
There was also Flash Thompson and May Parker.
Yes—Peter Parker had arrived with his Aunt May.
Flash Thompson attended as Felicia Hardy's dance partner.
At least officially.
After their dance, Felicia went straight to find Peter Parker again.
It had to be said—
Peter Parker was quite popular.
Even though everyone knew he already had a girlfriend, many girls still gravitated toward him.
If Gwen Stacy hadn't been standing beside Lance all evening, she might have joined Parker's group as well.
After all, in the original timeline, Gwen eventually became Parker's girlfriend after his breakup with Mary Jane.
This kind of attraction was easy to understand.
When people pursued romantic partners, they naturally gravitated toward those they perceived as stronger.
Strength came in many forms.
Physical ability.
Intelligence.
Even beauty.
People instinctively believed those traits brought greater benefits.
And often, they did.
Right now, however, Gwen remained beside Lance.
In her eyes, he appeared stronger than Parker.
Even without magic, Lance's physical condition alone far exceeded that of an ordinary human.
The true focus of the evening wasn't Peter Parker or Felicia Hardy.
It was Lydia Hardy, Felicia's mother.
A dignified woman in a golden dress.
She moved gracefully among the guests, speaking warmly with everyone.
Even Lance and Gwen shared a brief conversation with her.
Soon, the charity event was about to begin.
Lydia Hardy stepped forward, preparing to deliver her speech.
Just then—
The entrance doors suddenly opened.
A figure walked inside.
Wearing a red and blue spider suit.
Spider-Man.
Lance immediately glanced at Peter Parker, who stood nearby.
Shock flashed across his eyes.
What's going on?
Why are there two Spider-Men?
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