American Comics: Something's Wrong with This Superhero World

Chapter 19 The Cost and Benefits of Turning Dark

As his phone beeped and an email icon popped up, Xiao Xian, who was sitting on the sofa eating an orange that Tomie had peeled for him, raised an eyebrow. He had finally received a reply from a company for the resume he had submitted.

Now that he had proven he could survive without food, there was no need for a hunger strike. He dared not eat the food Tomie made, but he would eat the fruit he bought and that Tomie had peeled in front of him.

"What's wrong? Is there some good news?" Tomie, who was choosing a dryer online, asked immediately when she saw Xiao Xian's expression. She didn't know if Peter would listen and stop bothering her. Based on her experience, even if she kicked him, she might not be able to get rid of Peter.

Since that's the case, Tomie decided to just buy a dryer so that she wouldn't bump into Peter on the balcony if she didn't go there.

"Oh, nothing, I've got a job sorted out." Xiao Xian opened his email, which contained a notification from Osborn Group to attend an interview tomorrow. Although it was a bit of a disappointment that it wasn't Wayne Superheroes Agency that replied, Osborn Group was still pretty good.

Although, according to the plot, the two generations of leaders of this group, the Green Goblin and the Green Goblin, are both supervillains, the Osborn Group has never collapsed. Moreover, the chaotic management may not be a bad thing for Xiao Xian. Without the chaos, it would be difficult for Xiao Xian to rise to the top or get anything good even if he worked there for a lifetime.

Company owners prioritize the company's interests, but professional managers often prioritize their personal interests. Company interests are less important to them; as long as they don't affect the stock price and consequently dividends and annual salaries, they are content. It's common for them to use various means to make money off the company, and it's also normal for them to betray the company's interests for personal gain.

The Osborn Group's enhancement serum and various equipment are all quite good.

There are also many characters in the storyline related to the Osborn Corporation, such as the Green Goblin brothers, Spider-Man, Lizard Man, Black Cat, and Gwen Stacy. Although the latter two don't have superpowers, they are still very beautiful.

"I thought you would start a company," Tomie said with some doubt. With the start-up capital she gave Xiao Xian, it should be enough for Xiao Xian to start a company.

"I'll build up some connections and experience first. Jumping straight into the startup scene isn't starting a business, it's throwing money away," Xiao Xian explained. Superhero work is still a business, and he wasn't lying to Tomie. Besides, even if he was lying, so be it, it's not a big deal. Men's words can be deceiving; Tomie couldn't possibly not know such a simple truth, could she?

"That makes sense~ You're really amazing, I really admire you."

Tomie praised him skillfully, saying that she had long since mastered the art of coaxing men, but she rarely needed to use it. Besides, she didn't care about Xiao Xian's company, even if he lost it all, it wouldn't matter. People are always easy to talk to when it doesn't concern them.

Just like a normal person would say that an 88 yuan dowry is too high when they hear that their girlfriend wants it, a scumbag would only say, "Darling, you are right. You deserve such a high dowry. Not only do you need an 88 yuan dowry, but you also need a house and a car."

Anyway, the scumbag had no intention of marrying her, so even if it were 888 million or 8888 million, he wouldn't even bat an eye.

Those at a higher level might initially pretend to disagree, thinking it's too much, but later, persuaded by their girlfriends, they'll say they agree because of their love for her. This makes the whole thing more believable and might even unlock some new knowledge.

Peter, who was directly rejected by Tomie, lay in bed in great distress. Memories of his life with Aunt May and Tomie's face kept flashing before his eyes. Tomie's face seemed to have a magical power. Every time it flashed through Peter's mind, it made him more and more unable to extricate himself. The frequency with which it appeared in Peter's mind also increased.

Eventually, Peter's mind, which was mostly filled with memories of his life with Aunt May, became almost entirely filled with images of Tomie.

"It's the 21st century already. Having a relationship once won't hurt you. I believe Aunt Mei will sacrifice for my happiness. Besides, it's not the first time for Aunt Mei. Xiao Xian is young and handsome, so Aunt Mei isn't losing out. She might even be making a profit. Yes, that's right. If they end up together, Aunt Mei will thank me."

Lying in bed, Peter's gaze gradually hardened, and he quickly convinced himself with a set of fallacies. His conversation with Tomie that morning made Peter realize that if he didn't want to use underhanded tactics to eliminate Xiao Xian, he would never be able to compete with Xiao Xian in front of Tomie.

In the afternoon, Xiao Xian, who was having a heated online debate with his idol's fans, heard a knock on the door. After gesturing to Tomie to come over, Xiao Xian continued his online battle.

"It's Peter. Why don't you open the door and I'll go into the room to hide from him, or we can pretend we're not home?" After glancing through the peephole and seeing that it was Peter, Tomie didn't open the door. Instead, she went to the living room to ask Xiao Xian. Xiao Xian told her to stay away from Peter, so she kept her distance from him. She wouldn't make that mistake.

Of course, once Xiao Xian takes the bait and becomes hopelessly infatuated with her, her behavior pattern will reverse. She will actively approach the men that Xiao Xian forbids her from contacting, even in front of Xiao Xian.

"Peter?" Putting down his phone, Xiao Xian thought for a moment. After all, he's a superhero like Spider-Man; maybe he can trigger a mission. Meeting him wouldn't be a problem, but Tomie needs to stay away from him, lest he notice something.

"Alright, I'll go open the door. You go back to your room and don't let him see you."

"Peter? What brings you here?" Xiao Xian asked, opening the door to find Peter holding a gift. Peter, who had previously been indifferent to him, suddenly became like this after seeing Tomie? His willpower was incredibly weak. Was this a side effect of his "darkening"?

"We're neighbors, aren't we? You brought over a bottle of wine earlier, so I prepared a small gift for you in return—a PS5, a game console. I also bought you a whole bunch of games, and they're all installed." Peter handed the gift to Xiao Xian with a very friendly smile.

Peter spent a lot of money to buy a PS5 not because he felt his relationship with Xiao Xian had improved, but because he hoped that Xiao Xian would become addicted to games and neglect Tomie. To this end, he also bought a lot of highly rated games, with the aim of making Xiao Xian fall in love with games!

"This isn't quite right, such an expensive gift, I feel bad about it." Although he refused verbally, Xiao Xian calmly took the game console, thinking that it was free and he shouldn't refuse it.

Peter, you really did break into a house. Ten Peters from other universes combined might not be worth as much as you. They're still struggling to pay rent and utilities. This is probably one of the benefits of turning evil. At least as a superhuman, you won't be so short of money that you can't even afford rent.

"It's alright, it's alright, we're all neighbors~ By the way, where's Ms. Tomie? I don't see her, she seems to live here too, right?" Peter smiled as he saw Xiao Xian put away the game console, but his gaze swept around the room past Xiao Xian, and he didn't see the figure that haunted his dreams.

(End of this chapter)