Give me a spotlight.
As soon as the words were spoken, the lighting crew immediately cooperated by shining a spotlight onto a certain position in the front row of the venue.
Under the breathless gaze of the entire audience, a tall, well-built Black man dressed in a black suit slowly stood up, a smile that was gentle yet filled with excitement and pride on his face. He grinned, revealing a brilliant smile, even went so far as to deliberately lift the name tag on his chest, positioning it steadily toward the cameras in the venue, so that the lens could clearly capture—
The name on the ID badge was clearly printed as Max Dillon.
Moreover, the photo on the ID badge was identical to his face.
This person, who should have already been dead and even had his face horribly disfigured by electricity, was now appearing vividly on camera. Marcus's pupils suddenly contracted, he bolted from his seat in shock.
How is this possible! He saw Max's corpse with his own eyes!
Completely caught off guard by the sudden occurrence, the surrounding shareholders erupted into chaos, casting shocked and questioning gazes that all fell simultaneously upon the equally blindsided Marcus.
The commotion in the scene instantly turned into a roar of uproar. The journalists, who thought they held ironclad evidence, looked at each other in confusion, clearly having not expected this outcome.
Marcus clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white. After realizing his reaction was far too abnormal, he forced himself to sit back down and said through gritted teeth to the person beside him in a low voice, "This must be a fake! Max is definitely dead! This is definitely someone disguised as Max Dillon; we've been played by that damn kid!"
He certainly didn't believe that the cold, charred corpse in the morgue could rise from the dead. This was clearly a body Finn had found in advance to resolve this crisis, a double specifically disguised to look like Max Dillon.
Let me introduce him. This is Mr. Max Dillon, a senior electronic engineer who has served at Osborn Group for fifteen years." Finn introduced Max Dillon's identity with composure, then added in a sincere tone, "The reason Osborn Group has made it to where it is today is not due to the achievements of any single individual, but rather it is supported by countless excellent employees like Mr. Dillon, who work steadily and diligently in their positions. On behalf of Osborn Group, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to every person who has served the Group with dedication and responsibility.
The screen on the monitor was still aimed at Max.
The Black employee held his ID badge tightly against his chest just like that.
In his tearful eyes was a gaze of respect and passion that everyone could clearly see.
I don't know why Max's death was inexplicably reported; this is baseless, malicious slander." Finn didn't want to explain too much in this setting, nor was it necessary—after all, Max standing right there in front of the cameras was the best, most irrefutable evidence. The young man standing under the press conference spotlights did not look solemn; instead, he spoke in an incredulous tone, as if he truly could not comprehend this farce. "After all, Max is standing right here at the press conference, isn't he?
Such fabricated rumors not only damage the personal reputations of Mr. Max Dillon and my brother, but also seriously impact the public image of the Osborn Group." Finn's smile remained gentle, but no one doubted the weight and truthfulness of the young man's words. "The Osborn Group's legal department will pursue all media outlets that spread this false information, as well as the originators of these rumors, to the very end.
Countless camera lenses were aimed at the stage, countless gazes were fixed upon the venue.
Down below, Marcus could only clench his fists in rage, watching helplessly as Finn stood on stage in high spirits, watching that "Max," who should have already been buried, appear in the public eye, crushing his meticulously prepared perfect plan into pieces. Even his attempts at pleasing and catering to him during this time now seemed like a complete joke in hindsight.
Standing in the center of the stage, Finn met the eyes of the pale-faced Marcus and let out a smile that curved his eyes.
I am truly sorry.
Finn thought to himself joyfully that although he was not good at being bullied, nor was he good at accumulating Misery Value, but—
By a stroke of luck, I've stumbled right into my specialty: a face-slapping scene.
This is the moment that Finn loves and looks forward to most in his long career with the System.
Those despicable bastards used every means at their disposal, thinking victory was in their grasp, thinking they could stomp someone deep into the mud.
And the Host, even when in a passive position, can always, at this most critical moment, tear through all their disguises, shatter all their schemes, turn all their painstakingly devised plans into a farce.
With his assistance, the Host can always crush all filth and schemes with an absolute posture, completely crushing the pride that those people have built with their own hands.
This is the tiny System PP behind the great Host—
The most dazzling moment!
Finn's mood was also swelling with pride.
Although Harry Osborn was not present in person this time, it didn't matter; Finn would not allow Marcus's plan to succeed. Because Harry met the standards of a perfect Host in Finn's heart, his Host could stand on his own, could shine brilliantly, could even look down on him for being useless.. but he absolutely could not end up in a wretched state, being manipulated at will by those smug villains.
Finn would be his dear host's most reliable backbone and his most capable assistant.
This is what he has always done, it is what he is best at.
Accompanying the Host to clear all obstacles from the path ahead, allowing them to stand steadily at the height they deserve and charge forward without hesitation.
Achieving the most perfect and glorious ending.
This is—the supreme sense of value and self-honor of a system that serves as a face-slapping channel.
System PP: 【..】Who can relate? His Host lives more like a System than the System itself.
Now, let us get back to the main topic of the press conference." Finn shifted the subject, naturally steering the conversation back to the press conference itself. "I hope the upcoming questions will all revolve around the theme of this conference; there is no need to bring up irrelevant matters.
After Max Dillon's interlude concluded, the subsequent media questions indeed focused on the Osborn Group and the latest model of Power Armor. Finn's own knowledge base was solid enough, with System PP acting as a mobile cheat in his mind, he was able to answer the round of questions flawlessly, remaining calm and professional while standing on the stage.
As the press conference was about to draw to a close, Finn suddenly spoke up with a smile—
“Since I am the one standing here, I will speak on some issues that everyone cares about, something outside the scope of this press conference. I know it is inappropriate in a setting like this, but even if Harry wants to lecture me, he'll have to wait until I step off the stage.”
As soon as these words were spoken, a wave of good-natured laughter erupted throughout the press conference venue.
You could clearly hear a sense of purity and openness unique to youth in this young man's tone. Even the remark about being afraid of being "lectured" by his older brother carried a touch of unshielded bluntness. But from his previous performance, it was clear that just like Harry Osborn, who took over the Osborn Group at a young age, he was a genius-level young man capable of commanding the spotlight.
Not only did he possess the strong psychological resilience to face the global spotlight, as well as the ability to control the stage and handle situations with ease, but he also possessed extremely meticulous logical thinking and sharp, outstanding eloquence, which allowed him to steadily shoulder the heavy burden of this press conference.
Not only was it the first time the audience at the press conference and those watching the live stream had truly met the Young Master of the Osborn Group, but even all the employees within the Osborn Group felt a profound sense of disbelief.
Especially Manager Daniel, whose emotions at this moment were incredibly complex—he truly thought that Young Master Finn's daily routine at the company consisted of nothing more than staying tucked away at his desk drawing those chubby hamsters!
In the control room, Harry Osborn stood quietly before the screen, his gaze falling heavily on the shining figure in the image. Like everyone else on the scene, he waited in silence, listening to what his brother was about to say next.
“I know there are many false rumors about the Osborn brothers in the outside world.”
The young man's calm voice pierced through the massive press conference venue, landing clearly in everyone's ears.
Harry Osborn and I are brothers, like many brothers, we argue.
“But more than that, we are family.”
Harry felt his heart being heavily struck at this moment by the word "family," a term he had once held in contempt.
It triggered a slow, spreading ache, different from the sharp, splitting sensation in his head.
[Brother, why is the Osborn Group, with a market value of 1.6 trillion dollars, all yours? Do you think this is fair?]
[Why is it that you are the one who has all this?]
"Why is the entire Osborn Group yours, while I can't even enter a single conference room! We are brothers, so why do you hold this position while I don't even have the right to participate in decision-making?"..
Harry could clearly remember every sharp word Finn had once hurled at him, the young man's tone filled with stubborn resentment and indignation, then? He would respond coldly to Finn's questioning, scolding his stupidity and absurdity, cursing him for having neither the right nor the ability, uttering those hurtful words without hesitation, watching his brother leave in a rage with an indifferent gaze.
By what right?
Harry was staring at Finn Osborn, who was being seen by everyone, at this moment.
His heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by something.
Yeah, why.. As his older brother, why did he arrogantly and forcefully suppress all of Finn's brilliance?
Later on, Finn stopped arguing with him. He seemed to have given up on defending himself, instead beginning to disparage himself in a flippant, nonchalant tone, his voice deliberately mimicking the sarcasm and contempt in the other man's words.
Yes, I am indeed less capable than you, less intelligent than you, I don't work as hard as you, I certainly don't have your methods to suppress the board of directors. But so what? Just because I am your brother, I should get the share that belongs to me.
I don't care about the future of the Osborn Group; I only care about the assets.
Otherwise? Did you expect me to say that family is more important?
"Sorry, we members of the Osborn family have never been idealists; we have always been thoroughgoing realists."..
Harry had always thought that the two brothers had always stood at opposite ends of the scales, watching each other's worlds from a distance with cold eyes, merely weighing the pros and cons to find the chips that would maximize their interests. But only at this moment, looking at Finn, who had firmly stood on his side through actual actions and had calmly and resolutely given the public answer that "we are even more than family," did Harry finally see clearly—
It was he who had always refused to step down from the scales.
Just like that ordinary multiple-choice question Finn once participated in on his drawing social media account—
Finn chose Family at that time.
At this moment, he would also choose family without hesitation.
Harry suddenly realized that it was he who had never provided an answer, while Finn's choice seemed to have never changed from beginning to end.
Harry, I told you before." Peter's voice rang out at the right moment. The young man turned his head and looked at Harry with a smile, his eyes filled with the same unwavering certainty and trust in Finn as always. "Finn will definitely stand by your side.
Yes, Harry saw it.
Harry used the greatest temptation to test human nature, but in the end, he received—
A perfect answer that he had never imagined.
Harry looked at Finn Osborn under the spotlight with a moved expression. Looking at his brother, Finn spoke calmly and earnestly under the gaze of countless eyes and the focus of the cameras.
Me standing here is equivalent to Harry Osborn standing here.
“He and I are one and the same.”
Finn did not forget what he had to do at the press conference; this stage was one he had prepared for Harry Osborn.
Even if Harry does not appear.
But Harry Osborn's name had to appear on the stage.
Harry had worked so hard for this press conference, maneuvering through all sorts of people, silently enduring immense pressure and frequent backstabbing, all while enduring recurring physical pain and the torment of his "brother" who was always acting out.. His brother was already miserable enough; he absolutely could not become any more miserable.
Misery? The one who should be accumulating Misery Value is him, not Harry.
Finn is a system with strong convictions—no, a person.
He always firmly believed that hard-working humans and hard work must receive good rewards.
"Since today is my birthday, I'm going to do whatever I want," Finn thought to himself.
At this moment, Finn couldn't care less about his Misery Value plan; he only wanted to return to his old profession and contribute to the peak with all his might.
Just like the memes of Mr. Suit that he drew, even if Harry failed to fire beams to knock everyone down.
—He also had to place that tiny crown, a symbol of glory, upon Harry.
“In this world, my brother is the most hardworking, most self-disciplined, smartest person I have ever met.”
He deserves all the applause and glory.
Harry's gaze was locked firmly on Finn in the center of the stage.
He had once used caustic words to disparage his brother in a cramped office;
And yet, on a massive stage visible to the entire world, Finn was not stingy with his praise for him.
The spotlight flowed over the young man's straight back, making his noble figure appear exceptionally upright. He seemed to be shrouded in an extremely bright and dazzling halo that isolated all the clamor, leaving behind an incredibly attractive sense of confidence and determination.
Especially those clear green eyes of the young man, like a midsummer filled with sunlight.
Young, vibrant, full of life, it was as if it could contain an entire scorching world.
Harry's hands were clenched tightly, his wounds still throbbing with a dull ache, carrying the numbness and coldness of blood loss. Yet, something intensely hot began to radiate from the depths of his heart, as if something distant, hard, cold had suddenly shattered.
At that very moment, Harry clearly experienced what Peter had described Max feeling—