Marvel With Spider Power and Omnitrix

Buy out Oscorp's shares?

Ben read Harry's message, pondered for a moment, and quickly grasped Norman's strategic thinking.

He understood Norman Osborn's precarious position better than Harry did. Ben immediately realized that Norman was planning to use this crisis as an opportunity to buy back Oscorp Group shares at severely depressed prices and regain control of the company he'd founded.

In reality, this approach carried enormous risks. If Oscorp Group suffered irreparable damage from this scandal, it might never recover its former value. In that scenario, Norman would essentially be bailing out the very board members who had conspired against him.

And that possibility was disturbingly high.

But upon further reflection, Ben decided there was no need to worry excessively.

Norman Osborn was originally a self-made entrepreneur. Although his father had once been a successful businessman, the family had fallen into poverty during Norman's youth. He'd built Oscorp Group from nothing, demonstrating the kind of determination that only came from starting completely from scratch.

Besides, Norman was fundamentally a scientist. If the worst happened, there was no reason he couldn't rebuild again.

With this perspective, Ben was momentarily tempted to invest some of his own funds to acquire Oscorp shares at rock-bottom prices.

But he reconsidered and decided it was unnecessary. The future development prospects of Primus Technologies would definitely surpass Oscorp's potential. Even if he lacked confidence in his own business acumen, he had absolute faith in the Omnitrix's capabilities.

Initial capital still needed to be spent wisely.

"Tomorrow's the weekend. Let's track down both Dr. Connors and Dr. Animo together," Peter suggested.

However, Ben didn't immediately agree. He had too many competing priorities. Although finding Dr. Animo was important, establishing Primus Technologies was equally crucial to his long-term plans.

"It would be nice if I could transform into Ditto or Echo Echo," Ben mused.

Both aliens possessed duplication abilities that allowed him to be in multiple places simultaneously. While Ditto's individual copies weren't particularly powerful, the ability to literally be in two places at once could sometimes be invaluable.

"You handle the search. I've got stuff to do on Saturday," Ben said.

In his estimation, Primus Technologies's affairs were far more important than dealing with Dr. Animo. Animo was ultimately just a B-tier villain. During their last encounter, the Omnitrix had still been in cooldown mode—otherwise, Ben would never have allowed him to escape.

Moreover, Dr. Animo's goal was to genetically alter all life on Earth and return the world to a prehistoric state. Even if he somehow succeeded, the Omnitrix's genetic repair functions would be more than capable of reversing any damage, so there was no immediate cause for concern.

"Though I have to admit, I didn't expect this guy to completely disappear after leaving Oscorp," Ben thought to himself.

Dr. Animo wasn't typically someone who enjoyed operating from the shadows. His original motivation had always been winning recognition through his research and achieving worldwide fame for his scientific achievements.

In Ben's universe, almost every time Animo appeared, he did so with great fanfare, usually accompanied by his mutated creatures in dramatic, attention-grabbing displays.

But in this reality, Dr. Animo was demonstrating much more caution and strategic thinking.

Ben had been monitoring news feeds on his phone constantly, but he hadn't seen any reports about mutant monster sightings. Even if he wanted to locate Animo, he had no idea where to begin his search.

"What do you have to do on Saturday?" Peter asked curiously.

He'd noticed that Ben seemed unusually busy these days, juggling more responsibilities than any high school student should reasonably handle.

"Sorry, Peter, but your cousin is coming to our band's rehearsal this weekend."

Mary Jane had spotted Ben and Peter walking together and was approaching to say hello, her vibrant red hair catching the light as she moved. She happened to overhear Peter's question and immediately joined the conversation with a smile.

"A performance? You guys have a band?" Peter's expression became a mixture of mischief and envy.

But before Peter could say anything more, Ben shook his head apologetically at Mary Jane. "I'm sorry, Mary Jane, but I'm actually busy with something else that weekend."

He'd been juggling so many different projects lately that he'd completely forgotten about Mary Jane's invitation. Fortunately, he hadn't made any firm commitments at the time, so this didn't technically constitute breaking a promise.

"Oh," Mary Jane's brief flash of excitement faded to disappointment, though she tried not to let it show. "Well, I guess you'll just have to settle for watching the same performances as everyone else at the school celebration."

Ben raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean by same performances'?"

"Ahem," Ben cleared his throat and said diplomatically, "Sorry, but I really do have important stuff to do this weekend."

Ben deliberately avoided elaborating. He had no intention of letting Peter know about his business ventures just yet. He planned to surprise Peter when he eventually needed money or employment opportunities in the future.

For example, college tuition—it wasn't easy for people from modest backgrounds to attend quality universities in this country. Some people spent decades paying off educational loans. Even future presidents had struggled with student debt for years.

Mary Jane shrugged, indicating she understood completely.

The Mary Jane Watson of this universe was quite different from her counterpart in other realities. She possessed strong self-confidence and didn't like showing any signs of vulnerability or disappointment.

Like her fiery red hair, she projected an image of strength and independence that was genuinely admirable.

After the three of them separated and headed to their respective classrooms, Felicia approached Ben nervously.

"Ben, do you have any plans this weekend?" she whispered, her fair complexion taking on a slight flush that made her look even more attractive.

"I just wanted to ask about our date—I mean, our study session..." she corrected herself quickly.

"I'm sorry, Felicia, but I'm afraid I won't be able to make the study session this weekend," Ben replied with genuine regret.

"Oh," Felicia's disappointment was obvious as her fluffy platinum blonde hair seemed to droop along with her spirits. She retreated quietly to her seat.

Ben watched Felicia's reaction and suddenly had an inspiration.

Originally, Ben had planned to purchase laboratory equipment with Harry's assistance, but now that Harry couldn't appear in public, Ben would have to handle the procurement on his own.

However, he wasn't particularly skilled at finding high-quality equipment at reasonable prices, and he lacked the necessary industry connections.

But Felicia was different.

She might have access to useful contacts, and as the daughter of the Hardy Foundation, perhaps bringing her along could result in significant discounts.

With this thought, Ben quickly called out to her.

"Wait, Felicia."

"Yes?" Felicia looked up in surprise.

She thought Ben had reconsidered his weekend plans and regarded him with hopeful expectation.

"Although we won't have much time for studying," Ben said thoughtfully, "I remember you mentioning that you're very interested in science, right?"

Felicia was momentarily surprised by this question.

She wasn't actually interested in science itself—she was interested in a particular person who happened to be scientifically inclined.

But she nodded enthusiastically. "My mother believes that scientific advancement is extremely important. She's invested in several research laboratories."

Hearing this confirmation, Ben's eyes lit up with anticipation. "So you'd know where to purchase scientific instruments, components, and materials at competitive prices?"

"Buy equipment?" Felicia was momentarily confused.

How could she possibly know about such specific technical matters?

She wasn't responsible for those kinds of operational details. Even her mother only provided financial backing and knew virtually nothing about the actual science involved.

But faced with Ben's direct question, Felicia nodded vigorously without hesitation.

"Of course! I know exactly where to go for the best deals!"

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