"You sent them to the Osborn Building to get documents!?" Spider-Man was simply incredulous.
"Yeah." Finn's gaze drifted, looking somewhat guilty.
Am I not right here in the Osborn Building? And I told you, I'll come find you once I'm finished, didn't I?" Peter, of course, could not understand; it was simply too much of a detour for him. Even if it hadn't been a detour, Spider-Man would certainly have forced it to be one. "If there are any documents you need, why don't you just have me bring them to you directly?
Finn was momentarily speechless by Peter's question, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the edge of the mouse, finding it somewhat difficult to explain for a moment.
It's not that.. I didn't know when you were coming back from the research institute," Finn Osborn said, though his tone sounded somewhat lacking in confidence. "If I had known you were coming back early, I would have told you.
"Aren't you.. just too helpful?" Finn muttered to himself, [You agreed to help with the files without a second thought. Besides, the main reason I called Andrew over was to deliberately boss him around and manipulate him; those files weren't important anyway.]
Spider-Man understood; this was a tailor-made "troublemaking script" that Finn had designed for another candidate for life-long nemesis.
Peter could also guess that Finn had designed a series of targeted scenarios for that introverted high schooler named Andrew: deliberately using an arrogant and overbearing attitude to oppress him, repeatedly throwing tasks at him that he would loathe from the bottom of his heart and was completely unskilled at. He would intentionally act like a condescending rich second generation, waiting to exhaust the other's patience so that he would eventually retaliate using his powers. Today, he had likely called him over just to say something and then ordered him to go to the Osborn Building to fetch some documents.
Although these kinds of difficulties sounded like nothing to Peter.
But then again, people are indeed different from one another.
When faced with the same situation, different people will experience completely different emotions.
Thinking of this, Spider-Man felt a bit of a headache; he also didn't know exactly how far Finn's plan had progressed.
—He only hoped it wouldn't be too successful.
When the doorbell rang, driven by his curiosity about Andrew, Peter went to open the door immediately.
To his surprise, the first person he saw was Harry Osborn; following behind him was Andrew, who was looking down and appearing somewhat nervous and uneasy.
"Peter? What are you doing here?" Harry was also surprised that it was Peter who opened the door, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.
"Finn sprained his ankle, so I came to.. check on him," Peter said hesitantly, feeling a bit embarrassed to admit that he had been staying here for the past two days.
Finn was also shocked.
He just.. sent Andrew on an errand to pick up a document—
He actually managed to fetch even the busy Harry Osborn for him!?
You've certainly got some skills!
"So, what happened to his foot?" Harry knew that Peter and Finn had been very close lately, so such an explanation didn't surprise Harry too much.
"When Finn was sleepwalking at night, he accidentally fell from upstairs," Peter explained.
"Sleepwalking?" Harry's brow furrowed deeply; he hadn't realized his younger brother suffered from sleepwalking.
Harry looked up toward the railing at the top of the stairs on the second floor; it seemed to be a newly installed safety measure.
"The doctor said it's a mild sprain, it should fully recover in about a week." Peter could also see that Harry had come because he was concerned about Finn, so he hurriedly added.
Andrew shrank to the back, his head lowered in silence while his heart raced with anxiety; he hadn't expected that Harry Osborn would actually come to Finn's house with him.
Because he was uncertain of Finn's attitude, Andrew also didn't know whether he had done the right thing or the wrong thing.
Finn really hadn't expected Harry to come, but since he was already here, the young man immediately straightened his back on the sofa, a deliberate and mocking smile curling at the corners of his mouth as he entered his combat mode: [the brainless younger brother who wants to snatch an inheritance that isn't his]. It was perfect; Finn was feeling eager to test himself. He had been watching eloquence-based shows recently, this time, he absolutely would not let Harry Osborn insult him without getting a word in edgewise.
Spider-Man: ".." Good, the actor is in position.
Is that so? Would my brother care about my sprain?" Finn asked with a cold sneer. "Is it because I said I was going to find a lawyer to sue you that you're feeling nervous?
"Harry Osborn wouldn't be nervous; he's so confident that he wouldn't even consider a clown like me." Finn thought to himself.
But in Andrew's eyes, he only saw that Finn was like a small beast that had suddenly had its territory invaded by a Hunter; his emerald eyes revealed a sharp, defensive, provocative gaze, which once again confirmed in Andrew's heart that Finn indeed did not like Harry Osborn.
Including himself, who bore a resemblance to Harry, was also added to the "blacklist."
—As expected, that was it.
Andrew's mood was a bit low, but he had finally identified the source of that deliberate difficulty.
"I didn't come here to argue with you, Finn." Harry frowned.
He was all too familiar with this look of Finn's; every time they met, it was either sarcasm or deliberate provocation, as if there were no other topics between them besides "family inheritance." Every time Finn saw him, he maintained this resentful attitude, attempting to provoke him, which left Harry completely unaware of what Finn was actually like in the eyes of others.
"You wouldn't say you're here to care about me, would you?" Finn asked with a curl of his lips, his tone, of course, dripping with sarcasm.
Finn indeed didn't think Harry would care about him; after all, the distant brotherhood between him and Harry was already at a sub-zero level.
He could clearly see that Harry had wanted to sever all ties with him long ago, they could have simply gone their separate ways to live their own lives. It was he who had insisted on being difficult, relentlessly attempting to forcibly seize a portion of what belonged to Harry Osborn. Naturally, this greed would ultimately drive their already fractured relationship to the point where they became enemies who had to clear all obstacles.
Harry, however, paused because of Finn's question.
He thought of the young man in the video recorded by Andrew, a man whose eyes held not a shred of stubbornness, nor even a glimmer of light.
He was simply left alone, stranded in the dark night.
Lonely, fragile, pale, stripped of all vitality and sharpness.. a [Finn Osborn] he had never seen before.
—But what could he say?
—Saying he came here to care for him?
Harry found it ridiculous himself; someone like him could never bring himself to utter a word like "care" from his mouth.
After he coldly hung up Finn's call that night, it seemed he had no standing to say that he had indeed come here only because he wanted to see Finn.
And at this moment, seeing Finn's prickly attitude toward Harry Osborn, Andrew suddenly felt much more balanced. Furthermore, by comparison, Andrew felt a sense of relief, thinking that Finn's attitude toward him seemed even milder.
"Finn.." Peter looked at Finn helplessly.
Finn glanced at Peter, seeing the earnestness in the young man's eyes, he reined in some of his arrogant and condescending attitude.
"Then tell me, what are you here for?" Finn pursed his lips and asked.
Harry had never cared about his younger brother, to the point that he couldn't even muster any words of warmth now.
"Come with me to the hospital this afternoon for a comprehensive physical examination," Harry said in his usual cold and harsh voice.
I'm not going." Finn frowned, looking somewhat puzzled. "I just got back from the hospital last night. Why would I need a checkup for no reason?
I'm not asking for your opinion." As soon as Harry spoke, he realized the sharpness and firmness in his tone. He paused, then added with a frown, "You're only nineteen; your body isn't something to be squandered at will.
Harry certainly knew that Finn had practically spent all of last month immersed in all sorts of parties. In those settings, young people always loved to indulge recklessly, likely gulping down all kinds of strong liquor every day, refusing to stop until they were dead drunk, reaching a point where their stomachs ached so much they couldn't even stand up. Relying on his youth, he treated his body as an indestructible asset, squandering it without restraint.
Thinking of this, Harry's brow furrowed even more deeply.
?" Finn looked at Harry again with a look of utter incomprehension, "Are you calling me sick?
Getting a physical checkup at the hospital is a good thing, too," Peter said hurriedly in a gentle tone. "I'll go with you.
[I see.]
At this moment, Finn looked at Peter with a gaze that seemed to have realized something, his eyes filled with a sense of disappointment that he was such a disappointment.
[It must be Peter! He's secretly trying to mend the relationship between Harry and me behind my back again! He's probably the one who specifically called Harry over!]
Spider-Man: ".." I do want to fix your relationship, but I really wasn't the one who called him here.
Finn felt that he certainly couldn't let it happen like this; it had been no easy feat to make their relationship deteriorate to this extent.
"I'm running low on money." Finn thought for a moment and then immediately looked at Harry, his tone carrying a sense of righteous entitlement.
A living, breathing parasite—never willing to work hard, only thinking about endlessly demanding from his family.
“You know, my birthday is next month, I'm also going to throw a huge Halloween party and invite all my good friends. There will be a lot of expenses.” Finn also knew very well that Harry had never liked him for never doing anything serious, only knowing how to hang out at various parties and getting involved in unreliable things with those fair-weather friends.
As expected, Harry's brow furrowed, a look of impatience clouding his cold, stern features.
He truly disliked the way Finn Osborn threw his hands up in that manner to ask him for money, as if he were naturally entitled to squander it.
You don't think an extra fifty thousand dollars a month would be enough, do you?" Harry didn't immediately start lecturing him, Finn even felt that Harry's combat effectiveness was a bit low today, making him even bolder. He raised an eyebrow and continued, "When our father was alive, he gave me much more than this just to keep me occupied.
"Three hundred thousand dollars a month—you don't think that's a lot, do you?" Finn asked with a raised eyebrow.
Unimaginable Peter & Andrew: ".." Thirty thousand dollars, is that not much?
If you want money, earn it yourself." Harry's voice was as cold as ice, laced with suppressed fury. "Three hundred thousand dollars is more than enough for you to squander.
Earn it myself? Why should I earn money? It's because you refuse to give me a share, isn't it?" Finn let out a scoffing, indignant laugh as if he had heard a joke. "That's right, I only get 250,000 dollars a month from my trust fund, which is only three million dollars a year. Even if I live another hundred years, it's only three hundred million dollars, what about you? Brother, why is the Osborn Group, with its 1.6 trillion dollar market value, all yours? Do you think that's fair?
Andrew was stunned; three hundred thousand dollars was an astronomical figure he wouldn't even dare to dream of.
But it was true; even from his perspective, the gap between brothers was far too much favoritism on Norman Osborn's part.
And what about me? I only get three hundred thousand dollars a month." Finn continued with a long face, complaining about his carefree life as a rich second generation. "This amount of money is only enough for me to throw a party once a week, buy a few pieces of haute couture, take friends out to all sorts of places, invite favorite guests to perform at my parties.. I can't do much else.
[Help! Spending three hundred thousand dollars a month at will—this life is just too good.]
Finn could barely hold back his laughter as he spoke, secretly squeezing his own thigh to barely maintain that "unwilling" and aggrieved expression; he even felt as if he were deliberately showing off.
[How can human life be this happy?]
The Osborn brothers stood in a tense standoff.
Peter and Andrew, the two "grassroots representatives," huddled to the side, having completely lost the courage to utter a single word.
—When these two brothers argue, they truly do not care about the lives of any other ordinary people.
This air, piled high with excessive wealth, made both of them feel a heaviness in their chests, as if even their very breath carried the "weight of money."
The two young men were struck so hard by the Osborns' concept of wealth that they felt numb, even feeling that their own cheap ears were unworthy of listening.
Peter and Andrew, their faces filled with humiliation: ".." Stop it, please, stop it.
Chapter 22: Brotherly Mockery
Peter had always wanted to ease the relationship between Finn Osborn and Harry Osborn, but at this moment.. he really couldn't get a word in.
On one hand, he truly couldn't imagine it.
Forget about thirty thousand dollars falling from the sky every month; even if he were given thirty thousand dollars all at once, Spider-Man wouldn't know how to spend such wealth. The extreme tug-of-war over values between Finn Osborn and Harry Osborn truly made Peter feel—
Ordinary people like him, who only have a few hundred dollars in pocket money each month, are not worthy of expressing their opinions.
It was at that moment that Peter subconsciously locked eyes with Andrew.
Spider-Man: ←. ←
Andrew: ←.←
Despite it being the first time the two had met, they seemed to have instantly shared a strange sense of tacit understanding, accurately capturing the same sense of helplessness and empathy regarding "poverty" from each other's eyes.
This brief moment of eye contact actually gave Spider-Man a sudden surge of confidence: perhaps, rather than smoothing over the brotherhood between Finn Osborn and Harry Osborn, he could ease the relationship between Finn Osborn and Andrew even sooner.