Chapter 24: Spider-Man, Catch Me If You Can!

Having such a studious and independent girlfriend, Su Ye could do nothing but nibble off a bit of her lipstick before watching her walk away.

He opened the box she had left behind. Inside was a Bluetooth earpiece, the kind you could wear on your ear for instant communication.

From the earpiece alone, it was clear Gwen had prepared thoroughly.

“So, you’re on your own tonight, right?” Harry suddenly raised his eyebrows. “Want me to introduce you to a companion?”

Su Ye snorted. Damn capitalism, always trying to corrupt my pure soul. Let me tell you, that’s never going to happen.

“One? That’s not enough. I want ten!”

Of course, he was joking—ten was impossible, and Su Ye would not even go for one. Whoever Harry introduced would hardly be a quality girl, just some wannabe climbing the social ladder, and Harry had plenty of those on his gray card; there was no need for an introduction.

That evening, Su Ye and Harry sat in VIP seats, watching the performance.

As for Broadway operas, Su Ye honestly couldn’t understand a thing. If not for the loud speakers, he might have slept through the whole show. Even so, he spent the entire time distracted, only managing to stay awake by playing the trivial game of “guess the actress’s cup size by her silhouette.”

But as the performance neared its end, Su Ye suddenly had a question.

“Harry, hasn’t MJ appeared yet?”

It was, after all, Harry’s girlfriend’s debut. As a friend, Su Ye planned to compliment Mary Jane’s performance—but he hadn’t seen her at all. What was there to praise?

Harry’s face maintained its calm smile, but he subtly shook his head.

“I haven’t seen her either. Maybe she’ll come out in a bit?”

“All right.”

Su Ye pulled himself together and continued watching. Soon, the show ended, but he still hadn’t spotted Mary Jane.

Was I blind? Impossible! I can see a fly’s leg from ten meters away—no way I’d miss Mary Jane. Damn… I got too caught up in studying cup sizes and only stared at the curves.

If Mary Jane appeared on stage as she did in the movies—barely covered—maybe Su Ye would have recognized her; after all, he’d studied those rain-soaked scenes repeatedly… cough! But for opera, everyone was dressed thickly, making it hard to judge.

Thinking it over, Su Ye realized something was off. Even if he’d missed her, Harry surely wouldn’t; this was his girlfriend’s big moment. How could he be distracted by other women?

When the actors came on stage for their curtain call, Su Ye finally realized he hadn’t missed her—Mary Jane had played Witch Number Two, without any lines and wearing a mask. There was no way anyone could spot her.

“First time on stage, the role isn’t important; the experience is,” Su Ye mused, preparing this answer in case someone asked him later.

Just then, the theater wall was suddenly smashed open from the outside, sending concrete shards flying onto nearby audience members, and a green figure burst through the hole.

“It’s the Green Goblin!”

“Help!”

“Murderer! Run!”

Unlike Spider-Man, who usually appeared in dark alleys with few witnesses and no photos, the Green Goblin—who had attacked the Aerospace Carnival—was on every law enforcement agency’s list, had made the papers, and had become a familiar headline figure.

His violence and evil were well-known.

So, the moment the Green Goblin rushed in, desperate screams rang out, and the audience descended into chaos.

The Goblin seemed to relish the screams, laughing maniacally as he flew onto the stage, grabbing two actresses—one in each hand—before heading toward the opening.

“Where’s Spider-Man? Where is that fool? Isn’t he New York’s friend of women? Now I’ve got two of the city’s famous women. If the friend of women doesn’t hurry up and save them, they’ll be gone, ha ha ha!”

The Goblin laughed wildly as he flew out through the hole, his words broadcast live to thousands of televisions by cameras he’d arranged in advance.

In an instant, a vast number of New Yorkers knew the Green Goblin had kidnapped two actresses, all to provoke the city’s beloved Spider-Man.

Who is Spider-Man?

That question popped into many minds.

They knew the Green Goblin, but not Spider-Man, nor why the Goblin was making such a big deal out of provoking him.

“Su, call the police!” Harry shouted and dashed out.

Whether by coincidence or fate, his Mary Jane happened to be one of the two actresses the Goblin grabbed.

Harry chased after them, wanting to say, “That masked one isn’t famous—can’t you put her down first?”

Su Ye hadn’t even had time to dial before his phone rang—Gwen was calling.

“Hey, put on the earpiece I gave you. We need to move.”

Su Ye shook his head. This girl was quick to get into character—as commander, no less.

He found a secluded spot, put on the earpiece, and changed into his suit. After almost a week, Spider-Man finally reappeared on the streets of New York.

“The Goblin’s to the south, about seven or eight blocks from your position!” Gwen’s concise voice came through the earpiece. The headset she’d given him had real-time positioning; once activated, his location would appear on her computer, allowing her to plot his route.

But truthfully, he didn’t need Gwen’s guidance. The Goblin was intent on drawing Spider-Man out tonight, flying boldly with no attempt to conceal himself.

Su Ye wasted no words, shooting webs and swinging in that direction.

Below, people looked up and saw him swinging overhead, calling out in excitement and surprise, “That’s Spider-Man!”

That night, Su Ye’s Spider-Man identity began to be recognized by the public in New York in a passive fashion. He himself had no intention of becoming a celebrity—his eyes were only on the Green Goblin flying through the air.

To others, the Goblin was a green demon soaring overhead, a harbinger of disaster and destruction. To Su Ye, he was a walking treasure chest.

Last time, by outsmarting the Goblin, he’d earned a blue star card. This time, who knew what card he’d get?

A purple one? Or a gold?

Su Ye felt a purple card—one grade above blue—was possible, but a gold card was likely out of reach.

Purple meant elite, gold meant epic.

The Goblin, at best, was elite; he’d never reach epic.