Become Kingpin and build a hero mercenary company.

Page 18

3. The association possesses the ability and resources to cultivate S-class heroes.

In the top-floor office, Kingpin looked at the Sandman's updated permissions and status in the system. His face remained expressionless, but a hint of satisfaction flashed deep in his eyes.

Sandman, the rough gem he personally selected and nurtured with resources, has finally begun to shine with a dazzling brilliance that can awe all. His successful promotion is the most powerful proof of the effectiveness of the association's model and an important piece of the association's strength puzzle.

Flint didn't bask in his joy for long. He took a deep breath and said to Wesley, "Mr. Wesley, I would like to use some of my points immediately to exchange for [Advanced Sand Control Techniques (Intermediate)]."

He knew that S-rank was just a new starting point, and the challenges ahead would only be more numerous and greater. He couldn't afford to slack off in the slightest, both for his daughter Penny's ever-brightening smile and to live up to the kindness and trust shown to him by the association and his boss.

Wesley nodded approvingly: "Of course, Mr. Marco. Your permissions have been updated and you can redeem them at any time."

Watching Flint eagerly head towards the internal exchange terminal, Wesley knew that the Association's first S-class hero was ready to embrace a broader stage and heavier responsibilities.

Sandman's advancement is like a lighthouse, illuminating the path for countless heroes within the association who yearn to become stronger, and also proclaiming to the world that the Hero Association possesses top-tier power, and that this power is constantly growing.

Chapter 39: Peter Parker's Determination

In the Queens apartment, the twilight light streamed through the windows, casting a warm, golden glow on the slightly worn furniture. The aroma of stew filled the air, the result of Aunt May's afternoon's work. Peter Parker sat at the dining table, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the surface, his gaze somewhat unfocused as he watched the city lights gradually illuminate the city outside the window.

Inside his heart, he was going through a war far more intense than any supervillain he had ever faced.

On one hand, there was Uncle Ben's motto, etched into his very soul—"With great power comes great responsibility." This motto sustained him through every night he spent wandering the empty New York nights, giving him the courage to step forward in the face of danger. Spider-Man should be selfless, a good friend to his neighbor, existing to help others, and shouldn't be tainted by worldly things like money or points. Joining an association, receiving a salary to be a hero? That felt… like a betrayal, a betrayal of his inner beliefs.

On the other side was the cold, hard reality. On the dining table, there was the supermarket bill that had quietly slipped out of Aunt Mei's shopping bag and that he had glimpsed, with its glaring numbers; Aunt Mei in the kitchen, humming a song while rubbing her slightly sore shoulders, her forced ease revealing her exhaustion; and there was the secondhand calculator in his backpack with its completely shattered screen that could no longer be turned on, and his wallet, which was becoming increasingly depleted from repairing his battle suit and replenishing his spider web fluid... These images spun through his mind like a revolving lantern, converging into a heavy pressure that made it almost impossible for him to breathe.

He has helped so many people and prevented so many crimes, so why is it so difficult for him to even get a basic learning tool to make things a little easier for the family who raised him?

"Peter? Dinner's ready, dear." Aunt May came out of the kitchen carrying a steaming pot of stew, a gentle smile on her face, pulling him back to reality.

“Oh, okay, Aunt May.” Peter quickly got up to help set the table.

During the meal, Aunt May seemed to notice his absent-mindedness and asked with concern, "Peter, have you been under too much academic pressure lately? Or... is something going on at school?" She hesitated for a moment, then added softly, "Or, is it about... that 'association'? You asked for my opinion before."

Peter paused, his hand holding the spoon still. He looked down at the rich broth in the bowl and remained silent for a few seconds. Aunt May's keen observation left him nowhere to hide.

“Aunt Mei,” his voice was a little dry, but he finally made up his mind, raised his head, his eyes filled with struggle and honesty, “I…I have been thinking about this. I saw their recruitment, they offer salaries, job security, and even reimbursement…for some losses. If…if I join, maybe I can help you share some of the burden, and you won’t have to work so hard…”

He voiced his truest and most shameful thought—he wanted to make money and improve his life.

Aunt May put down her spoon, looked intently at Peter, and didn't answer immediately. Her gaze was gentle and complex. After a long while, she gently took Peter's hand, which was resting on the table.

“Peter,” her voice was soft, yet carried a firm strength, “do you know what kind of person Ben and I most want you to become?”

Peter looked at Aunt May and shook his head.

“We hope you will become a good person, a kind, upright person, and someone who is willing to help others,” Aunt May said slowly. “As for how you help others, whether you rob the rich to help the poor like Robin Hood, or do it as a noble profession like a firefighter or a policeman, there is no conflict.”

She squeezed Peter's hand tightly: "If your 'ability' can help others while also allowing you to live a better, more secure life, so that those who care about you no longer have to worry about you, and even feel proud of you, Aunt May thinks there's nothing wrong with that. It's not a stain at all, but rather a... mature choice."

Aunt May's words were like a key, gently unlocking the heavy lock in Peter's heart. He had always placed "selfless dedication" and "receiving rewards" in absolute opposition, but he had never thought that the two might be able to find a balance.

“With great power comes great responsibility,” Aunt May repeated this phrase she knew all too well. “But taking responsibility doesn’t mean putting yourself and your loved ones in trouble. Peter, your responsibility also includes taking care of yourself so that you can continue to help more people. If that association can give you that kind of support, Aunt May supports any decision you make.”

Seeing the unwavering trust and support in Aunt May's eyes, Peter felt his eyes well up with tears. The wall in his heart, which was called "persistence" but was actually a mixture of "stubbornness" and "confusion," crumbled with a bang.

After dinner, Peter returned to his room. He closed the door, leaned against it, and took several deep breaths, as if trying to squeeze out all the hesitation and uncertainty in his chest.

He took out the phone with the cracked screen, his fingers trembling slightly, and tapped the blue app icon again.

The interface remains simple, but the "Register/Login" button seems to exude an unprecedented attraction and... weight.

This time, he did not hesitate.

My fingertip landed and pressed the button.

The registration process was far more rigorous and complex than he had imagined. He had to fill in detailed personal information (he used a carefully crafted version), provide a preliminary description of his abilities (he vaguely wrote "enhanced physical fitness, agility, reaction speed, possessing adsorption capabilities and a special emitter"), read and agree to a lengthy "Hero Code of Conduct, Rights Protection and Confidentiality Agreement" that was dozens of pages long, and finally, he had to undergo a real-time, remote basic ability verification.

The app guided him to activate the phone's front-facing camera and sensors (the technology used by the association clearly bypasses the permission restrictions of ordinary phones). Instructions appeared on the screen:

Please complete the following steps in order:

[1. Perform a vertical jump in place, reaching a preset height (monitored by the phone's gyroscope and accelerometer).]

Peter jumped with ease, far exceeding the standard.

2. Perform rapid movement along a specified trajectory to test reaction time and agility (camera motion capture).

Peter's figure moved with a gust of wind in the small space of the room, completing the task with precision.

3. Demonstrate the anchoring and towing capabilities of the "special launcher" (a safe anchor point must be specified).

Peter aimed a strand of silk at the chandelier bracket on the ceiling and performed a slight pull.

4. Strength test (requires continuous pressure applied to a designated area, with indirect measurement by sensors).

Peter pressed down steadily with one hand, and the data met the target.

After a series of tests were completed, a prompt finally appeared on the phone screen:

Basic skills verification passed. Identity information entry in progress...

[Approved! Welcome, new hero!]

Please set your hero's codename.

Peter stared at the input box, his heart pounding. He took a deep breath and solemnly typed in the name he knew all too well—

Spider-Man

[Registration successful for the codename "Spider-Man"!]

[Generating your personalized hero interface and account...]

Initial score: 0

[Hero Tier: To be determined (will be assessed after completing the first official mission)]

[Permissions: Basic functions for D-tier heroes and access to the in-game store are now available.]

He actually joined.

A strange, complex emotion, a mixture of relief, a faint excitement, and a lingering sense of guilt, filled his chest. He was no longer the vigilante outside the system; he had become a member of the Hero Association, a… salaried “professional hero.”

He eagerly opened the [Mission Hall]. The interface seemed different to him; the missions and points were no longer just tempting symbols, but things that were intimately connected to him.

Soon, a suitable task came into view:

[Queens - Convenience Store Robbery (Occurred, Robber at Large) - White]

[Mission Objective: Track down and subdue the robbers, and recover the stolen money.]

[Reward points: 25.]

The location is nearby, the difficulty is not high, and the points are quite considerable.

Peter, no, now he's registered as the hero Spider-Man, didn't hesitate at all, lightly tapping the "Accept Mission" button with his fingertip.

[Mission accepted successfully! Good luck, Spider-Man!]

Peter put down his phone and quickly changed into his red and blue suit. His movements were still practiced, but his mindset was different. Looking at himself in the mirror, the masked, friendly neighbor Spider-Man seemed to have gained another identity.

He opened the window, and the cool night breeze brushed against his mask.

“Okay,” he whispered to himself, and to the world, “from now on, Spider-Man… is a job.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he flicked his wrist, and milky-white spider silk shot out, sticking to the wall of the building opposite. His red and blue figure nimbly swung out of the window, like an arrow released from a bow, quickly disappearing into the night of Queens, speeding towards the direction of his mission target.

A new identity, a new journey full of unknowns and possibilities, has officially begun. But Peter Parker has no idea how profoundly this seemingly simple decision will change him, and everything he cares about.

Chapter 40: Spider-Man's Debut and Social Anger

The Queens night held a familiar yet strangely novel and...tense atmosphere for Peter Parker—or rather, the newly registered hero "Spider-Man." He was no longer the capricious vigilante who would fight and run; he was now "an organized man." The cheap smartwatch on his wrist (a secondhand purchase bought with his last savings), simply modified to receive the Association's encrypted communications and mission information, was vibrating slightly, displaying the last known location of the target robber.

The mission itself wasn't complicated. Two bumbling thieves robbed a convenience store, made off with a modest amount of cash, and were driving a stolen beat-up car recklessly through the alleyways of Queens, trying to evade the police. For Spider-Man, this should have been a piece of cake.

But tonight, it feels completely different.

Previously, he only needed to consider how to subdue the bad guys as quickly and safely as possible. Now, however, the clauses in the association's "Hero Code of Conduct" involuntarily swirled in his mind:

Article 7: Damage to public and private property should be minimized during operations.

[Article 12: After subduing the target, ensure they are incapacitated and immobilize them initially, awaiting further processing.]

[Appendix C: It is recommended that heroes use standard association-issue restraint equipment (such as high-strength restraint straps) in non-emergency situations...]

“Standard restraint equipment? I don’t have any of that.” Peter muttered as he swung rapidly between buildings. “Isn’t spider silk the best restraint equipment? It’s all-natural, biodegradable, and even sticky!” He felt like a wild horse that had suddenly been put on a leash, feeling a bit restricted.

He quickly spotted the dilapidated car swerving erratically through the alley. He could even hear the smug laughter of the two robbers inside, who had shaken off the police car.

“Okay, let’s get started.” Peter took a deep breath, seized the opportunity, and leaped from the roof of a low building, landing precisely on the roof of a speeding car like a spider hunting its prey!

"Boom!" There was a muffled sound.

"what sound?!"

"There's someone on the roof!"

The robbers inside the car were terrified and began frantically shaking the steering wheel, trying to throw Peter off. Peter, however, seemed welded to the roof, using his suction to stay upright while simultaneously shooting a large swarm of spiderwebs towards the windshield!

"Crash!" With his vision obscured, the driver panicked and swerved the steering wheel, causing the car to crash out of control and into a fire hydrant on the side of the road!

"Oh no! Property damage!" Peter's heart tightened, and almost instinctively, the instant the car hit, he shot out several spider webs to the side, sticking to the walls of the buildings on both sides, and pulled back with all his might!

"Screech—!" A piercing metallic scraping sound rang out. Just before the car hit the fire hydrant, it was forcibly pulled off course by the spiderweb, only scraping the side and avoiding the most serious impact. Water spurted out from the side of the fire hydrant that was scraped, but thankfully the main body was not damaged.

"Phew...it shouldn't be considered serious damage, right?" Peter breathed a sigh of relief, feeling like he was taking a rigorous exam.

He quickly slid off the roof and opened the door. The two robbers inside were still disoriented, but he easily wrapped them in spider webs, turning them into two white cocoons with only their heads showing, rendering them completely incapacitated.

"Done!" Peter clapped his hands, somewhat satisfied with his "standardized" procedure. He pressed the button on his communication watch, preparing to report the mission's completion and wait for the handover from logistics or the police according to procedure.

However, at this moment, something changed suddenly.

Perhaps the commotion had attracted their attention, or perhaps someone had recognized his signature red and blue uniform, but several young people who were jogging nearby, along with a few residents peeking out of the windows of the adjacent apartment building, suddenly gathered around excitedly, holding up their phones!

"It's Spider-Man!"

"It really is him! I just saw him flying in the sky!"

"Spider-Man! Look this way!"

"Can we take a picture together?!"

Click! Click! The flash went off.

Peter froze instantly.

He was used to fleeing immediately after a battle, disappearing into the night and concealing his achievements. Being surrounded by onlookers, even having people ask for photos, was extremely unfamiliar to him, and also extremely…dangerous! His identity absolutely could not be exposed!

"Uh... this... Hello everyone? Thank you? But... I'm still working, the process..." He was somewhat incoherent, and subconsciously stepped back, wanting to jump onto the wall to leave.

But those fans (?) were so enthusiastic that they surrounded him in no time, their phone cameras almost shoving into his mask.

"Spider-Man, have you joined the association?"

"That was so cool! Pulling a cart with spider silk!"

"What are the association's benefits like? Do they offer the five social insurances and one housing fund?"

The questions came at him like a machine gun. Peter felt sweat starting to bead on his forehead (even through his mask). He awkwardly tried to block the camera from getting too close while anxiously glancing at his communication watch, hoping that the association's handover personnel would arrive quickly to "save the day."

"Please...keep your distance! Be careful! The mission...the mission isn't completely over yet!" He tried to maintain order, his voice trembling with tension.

Just then, a patrol car with NYPD markings finally arrived, its lights flashing. Two officers got out and, seeing the robber wrapped up like a mummy and Spider-Man trapped in the crowd, their expressions were somewhat strange.

“Spider-Man?” An older police officer recognized him, his tone tinged with uncertainty. “You're the one who subdued the robber? Uh… thank you for your help. Leave the rest to us.”

"Okay! Okay! It's all yours!" Peter was overjoyed and quickly pointed to the "cocoon" on the ground. "These two... targets have been subdued! The stolen money should be in the car! There was minor property damage at the scene, and that fire hydrant... I tried my best to control it!"

He spoke rapidly, while constantly trying to squeeze through the gaps in the crowd.

"Spider-Man, don't go!"

"Please sign your name!"

The fans remained relentless. Peter felt like he was about to suffer social death. He finally managed to break free from a gap, almost by a bit of cleverness, and hastily shot out a spider web, swinging awkwardly and quickly disappearing among the buildings. His retreating figure looked every bit like a hasty escape.

The two remaining police officers exchanged bewildered glances and began dealing with the scene and the two still-cursing "spider webs." Meanwhile, the onlookers, still buzzing with excitement about their "capture" of Spider-Man, posted videos and photos online.

A few minutes later, Spider-Man's Guild account received a system notification:

[Mission "Capture the convenience store robber" complete! Reward points of 25 have been issued.]

[Mission Performance Evaluation: Satisfactory. The target was successfully subdued and the stolen funds recovered. However, there were flaws in the post-mission handover process, and insufficient experience in interacting with the public led to a small crowd gathering. It is recommended to strengthen training on relevant procedures and responses.]